Fenrir
Basic Information
Name: Fenrir
Type: Wolf (God-blooded)
Motivation: Protect Mesa and his family (the Grass Spiders).
Likes: Pheasant, the Grass Spiders, cream, roughhousing, playing fetch
Dislikes: Mosquitoes, rats, big cities, clerics, winter
Background
Fenrir was born to a wolf god and a mortal wolf. While Fenrir was still a pup, his parents were killed by an Immaculate monk for preying upon cattle in a nearby village. Mesa stumbled upon the conflict just as it was drawing to a close and decided to rescue the pup, although to this day, he questions his rational basis for doing so - generally speaking, there was little reason for Mesa to beat up the local holy man for trying to stop a cattle famine before it started. Nevertheless, he took the pup under this wing, and it worked out to his benefit.
Being a god-blooded wolf, Fenrir is larger, stronger, and more intelligent than a mortal wolf, and possesses a few special abilities that set him apart. He is steadfastly loyal to Mesa, believing himself to be paying the Dragon-Blood a life debt. Before Mesa became a Grass Spider, Fenrir traveled with him throughout the Scavenger Lands as he played his sanxian and became entangled in various plots. Many times he was the key element in Mesa's survival, fighting off wild beasts and alerting him to ambushes. The two are very close, and share an almost telepathic mutual understanding. Generally, Fenrir seems capable of understanding most spoken words (conceptually, if not explicitly), and although he has no direct means of reciprocating communication, he is emphatic enough that conversations with him are typically not one-sided.
When Mesa became a Grass Spider, Fenrir's loyalties extended as Mesa's did. Fenrir treats any member of the Grass Spiders as if they were a member of Mesa's family, and will plunge headlong into danger to protect them if need be. Oftentimes a member can benefit from Fenrir's assistance, and Mesa is usually happy to let Fenrir accompany other Grass Spiders if the situation permits.
Despite his fearsome visage, Fenrir is fairly young, and is actually quite playful when no danger is present. He spends the free parts of his day training with Mesa or roaming the range homes looking for sparring partners or someone to throw a (large) stick to chase after. He's well-liked by most of the Grass Spiders and has become something of an adopted mascot for the inner circles of the organization.
Although for most of the year his fur is a dark (nearly black) grey with the occasional black or purple streak, he has a fluffy, stark-white winter coat (if the region he's in is sufficiently cold enough for winter to be of significance). He is terribly embarassed by this.