Pilgrim, Tancred

[theoperator]

Name: Tancred (pronounced tang-krid)
Gender: Male

Age: 36 moons

Species: Lesser Sooty Owl
Kingdom: None

Position: Pilgrim (only word to describe him)

 


Description: This young lesser sooty owl's feathers are black, dotted with white like stars upon a winter night sky. The feathers on his belly are ashen and gradually whiten towards his legs. The feathers on his face are pale ash, but under moonlight appear almost solid white. This young owl's eyes are a solid black, and seem hollow and empty at times. Usually wide open, he poses for a somewhat creepy sight when he stands there and stares listlessly at nothing; black holes for eyes in a white mask.
His voice is a soft whisper, low pitched and pleasant on the ears. One his right leg he wears a band: made of leather with a purple square on the front, with an odd symbol known only to Tancred. It was tied by another owl and thus Tancred cannot remove it himself. 

Personality: Tancred is a shy, almost introverted owl. Because he grew up in a somewhat sheltered community, Tancred lacks a variety of social skills that are usually learned by growing owlets. While he means good, sometimes his words are taken a wrong way and can earn him sometimes cold indifference form other owls. He prefers to speak the truth, though he does proceed with caution in situations that require delicacy. Tancred enjoys tying subtle insults in his words or actions when he finds himself angered or otherwise irritated by another owl's attitude. Tancred is very gentle and kind in his own way. Being raised by a small religious sect, he has views on Glaux and other rather unknown spirit teachings that offend some. It is never his intention to bring discomfort so he will often stay quiet about the teachings he was raised by. This young sooty owl is for the most part a pacifist, but if push comes to shove and he finds his friends or roost in dire danger he will pick up battle claws to defend them with his last breath.


Strengths: Clarity of thought, even under pressing situations. Enormous will power to survive, he can plow through many obstacles regardless of the cost to him. His curiosity can be a strength when mixed with his will, for it can help him to understand and learn things to help himself and others.

Weaknesses: He is a poor fighter, having grown up with next to no fighting training. He fights just as one would when pressed to, so it tends to be furious and desperate. Tancred broke his left wing when he was learning to fly. While it healed, it is still a bit weaker than his right and hurts when the weather is too cold or wet. He sometimes hallucinates, and so tends to have a hard time differentiating the difference between who is actually here, and what is just an image his mind is tricking him with. 



History: Before she had joined the monastery, a spotted owl named Emelga had lost her hatchlings to predators. She joined the Foxgrove Monastery to learn peace and come to terms with what she had lost, though her maternal instinct remained strong. One night, after returning from a hunt, she had spotted a young hatchling being carried swiftly through the sky by an owl not of its own species. Realizing it had been kidnapped, her motherly instincts took over and she promptly race into the kidnapper. Emelga had succeeded in securing the hatchling and scaring off the other owl, but having no idea where to return the young one she returned to the monastery with it. As no single owl was allowed to breed, the hatchling was to be raised by everyone. His name was given, and it was Tancred.



Tancred's earliest memories are of the nest he lived in for the first couple moons at the monastery. Raised to be a thoughtful, diligent owl the young sooty was welcomed by the small community. He never ventured beyond the walls, being content to remain within and go about his teachings. The owl who had saved him, Emelga, was his primary teacher and care giver. Tancred's young mind absorbed the teachings he was given, and he swiftly began to raise through the ranks.



For as long as he could remember since first waking up in the monastery, he had a secret. Tancred constantly sees a little Saw Whet owl; a small male, his back always to Tancred. This strange owl would always simply stand in the corner of wherever Tancred was; he never sees its face. It disturbed him at first but the sooty soon discovered that the strange owl, seen only by him, was a source of comfort. He was a ''friend'' who would always be there, through thick and thin. He eventually realized that the owl he saw was his Guide, and would lead him faithfully through even the thickest of fog.



One day when he was 29 moons, the monastery was attacked by a rogue group of owls. Their goal was the eradication of any owl who held beliefs in gods and goddesses that were not the one "true god", as they called Glaux. Tancred escaped with his life only because Emelga swiftly ushered him to a small hidden corridor. After telling him how to find the Tree of the guardians, she gave him her cleric strap; a small leather strap tied around her ankle. This would be his symbol, a reminder of the monastery as he was the last of them. It would also give him aid when needed by owls who recognized it. When she had tied it to his leg, Emelga pushed the young owl out of the hidden hole telling him to trust his Guide. As he flew to safety, Tancred heard the dying screams of the monastery as it was destroyed.



He flew almost non stop for days, following his guide, as he searched for the tree that Emelga had spoken of. Once he finally reached it, exhausted and weak from the stress of his flight, Tancred found the tree to be more like a temporary safe house than a finally abode. His religious upbringing makes him more of an outcast, as he tends to make others uncomfortable. He says nothing of the saw whet owl. After he recovered, Tancred decided to be a journeying owl; calling no one place home. While it carries some risk, he returns to the remains of the monastery every now and then to search for any remaining relics. He will often spend days at the tree as nothing more than a visitor.

In Character

The dark owl flew silently through the fog laden forest. His wings made nary a sound as he flapped them softly, gliding along. Dark eyes peered out of a white face as he scanned the surrounding land...what little could be seen anyway. A few wingbeats ahead of him flew a smaller owl, tiny in comparison. Tancred watched the other carefully, flying where he flew. Doing so, he dodged branches suddenly emerging out of the mist. He reveled in the scare of the branches. It proved in a way to him that he was truly alive; for this early morning weather could make one believe they were in a dream. The way sounds were muffled and lost, making not only the owl silent. As his weaker wing began to ache from the damp chill, Tancred found a branch and landed on it. The other owl landed further down from him and perched, looking away from him...as always. Preening his wing, Tancred sighed and held it close to warm it up. While he enjoyed how quiet it was, he didn't revel in the dull pain that came with it. Puffing up his feathers the pilgrim settled down, hoping to catch some sleep. The branches formed a secure cover for him, so Tancred decided it must be safe enough. Within moments of closing his eyes, the smoky owl was lost in his dreams.



Other: code word Fragglebeak~