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Stark (NPC of [[Characters/Vesper]])

Stark was an old, wise and wise-cracking raven, and the scouting partner of Vesper, Inferni's Aquila. They had a powerful, almost familial bond.

Following an attack during the Inferni and Cour des Miracles War, Stark lost his ability to fly and became dependent on Vesper. When the mansion burned during the Inferni-Salsola War, Stark was trapped in the smoke and, despite efforts to rescue him, died.

1.  Appearance

• Size: ~60in wingspan, large but not giant
• Features: Shaggy feathers, especially around throat; scruffy appearance.
• Coloration: Smoky black -- plumage seems to lack the iridescence common to other ravens. Beady and bright black eyes.
• Other: Heavily scarred, though mostly hidden by feathers. Awkwardly holds his wings.

2.  Personality

Stark is a wisecracking but well-intentioned old raven. He rather bluntly dispenses advice and teases those he cares about. His closest bond is with Vesper (whom he calls "boy"); he has limitless patience with steering her toward what he thinks is the right path. He's immensely protective over her, her family, and her interests. He's observant but not nosy, tending to be soft-spoken.

While intelligent, Stark "plays dumb" around most canines (including Infernians he's never met) by pretending to be simple-minded and incapable of speech. When he does speak to Luperci, however, he addresses them as equals -- including addressing Inferni coyotes by rank. Outside of Inferni, however, he can be aggressive if he feels Vesper or the clan is threatened. He's also notably bigoted toward non-raven birds and will relentlessly badmouth them.

Though he appears solitary with the exception of his coywolf partner, Stark is sociable in his flock -- in particular, the young birds under Vesper's training. He acts as a teacher for the juveniles and acts as a mediator during scuffles. Though he can't fly, many of the ravens respect him for his intelligence.

2.1  Skills & Abilities Stark is capable of broken High Speech. He communicates intelligent ideas, but his speech is awkward: his sentences are choppy, vocabulary basic (though he can sometimes strain for a harder word), and conjugation weak. Incapable of flight, Stark nevertheless will teach scouting to the young ravens and remains perceptive.

2.2  Likes & Dislikes Likes: Vesper and family, other Inferni ravens, squirrel meat, scouting, perching on Vesper Dislikes: Other species of birds (even crows), outsiders and wolves

3.  History

• Born near Inferni -- lived a normal life for a wild raven, though showed a penchant for Luperci and speech.
• Lost a mate and clutch of eggs to predators when the nest was disturbed by wolves. His last remaining child, a son, was eaten by one.
• Joined Inferni to offer scouting services and get revenge on wolves. He laid low for a while, just one of the flock.
• Vesper approaches Stark, demanding he spy on Salsola for her. He refused and mocked her, but saw something special in her and began to follow her around.
• His relentless following and mocking slowly evolved into protective and familial feelings, one that Vesper returned. They became fast friends and a good scouting team, and Stark has been there for Vesper whenever she needed him.
• During the Inferni and Cour des Miracles War, Stark was attacked by Skoll Haskel while accompanying Vesper's adoptive son Cartier. Crippled and nearly killed, Stark was returned to Inferni and nursed back to health. His prognosis was clear: he'd never fly again.
• Stark helped pull Vesper out of her dissociate state following her torture during the Second Boreas Conflict.
• When the mansion burned during the Inferni-Salsola War, Stark was trapped in the smoke and, despite efforts by Cartier to rescue him, died.