Welcome to Canis Major

a wolf and animal rpg (role-playing game)

Canis is a writing community for play-by-post (forum-based), freeform roleplay set in a fictional dream world in the intrusion fantasy genre. Most characters on Canis are wolves; many play elements are focused around wolves and canids, but the world makes room for a large variety of other animal characters such as dogs, horses, cats, bears, deer, and many, many more.

Our community is focused on flexibility, creativity, and collaboration. That boils down to a few important features:

  • There is no set activity requirement to write
  • The setting and plot are member-created and staff-supported
  • The game is continuously improved to increase fun and decrease stress

Learn more in our Rulebook!

Announcements
x January 20: Order of the Jade Lotus has stabilized!
x January 20: Akashingo has stabilized!

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#1
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Content Warning
01-12-2025, 08:51 PM (This post was last modified: 01-12-2025, 09:30 PM by Fennick. Edited 2 times in total.)
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#2
Content Warning
01-15-2025, 12:00 AM (This post was last modified: 01-15-2025, 06:40 PM by Gage. Edited 1 time in total.)
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3.3.3
#3
01-15-2025, 05:16 PM (This post was last modified: 01-15-2025, 06:39 PM by Fennick. Edited 3 times in total.)
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Fennick was alone, and then...

The clack, clack, clack of claws on ice. Spinning around to face the beast, Fennick felt the fur along his nape and spine raise. A dog, he realized, and a large one at that. Not unlike the kinds that the farmers had used to guard their livestock in the fields on the outskirts of Solivern, massive and intense and watchful.

He thought, again, of Gage. How strange, when Gage was a lifetime away, laid to rest in the ashes of the castle. Would Fennick ever stop picturing him, wheezing out his final breaths, on the floor?

How cruel it was, for fate to throw him here instead, with a mongrel that strode toward him with purpose. Larger than Fenn in his current form - perhaps larger than Fenn when he'd been human, as well. The image of such a creature had him taking an instinctive step back, eyes widening and then narrowing into sharp blue shards instead.

He'd never liked dogs. Never had any experience with them. Fennick remembered being very small, hiding behind his mother's poofy dress as a stray would walk past them in the streets, but the mutt had ultimately left them alone.

This one was not the same.

"Get back!" he commanded, standing as tall as he could manage, glaring at the beast. If his voice wobbled just a bit toward the end, a fearful crackle, then he wouldn't admit to it. "I'll have you know that I have-" He broke off abruptly, teeth clicking shut. That was right - he didn't have his guards, nor even a servant nearby to request assistance from. He was completely and utterly alone.

The realization was humbling.

Fennick sneered at the dog, then, defeat settling over him like a well-loved blanket, heavy on his shoulders. Nothing he did in this situation would matter in the slightest, so why shouldn't he get to express himself a little? Rage at the deaths of his companions and the loss of his kingdom and dignity and life had a new fire lit in his chest.

"Fine! What is this? Hell? Purgatory? Have you come to eat my liver for eternity, or will it be something more creative?" he demanded, indignation brewing deep in his gut as he stormed over toward the dog. "Get on with it, then! It cannot be worse than-" He broke off again, chest heaving, eyes stinging. What could this creature do that would possibly be worse than what he'd already endured?

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#4
01-15-2025, 07:45 PM (This post was last modified: 01-15-2025, 07:47 PM by Gage. Edited 1 time in total.)
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[Image: dbozoji-250e1b0d-baa7-4fe1-873e-715404d6...rDEGvnBic0]

The cold was atrocious; Gage already detested it with every fiber in his being, and he wanted nothing more but to be back home where it was warm, and the air was sweet and kissed by the sun itself. What a place to be sent to—a punishment for his failures? He cursed under his breath with each loud step that propelled him forward, the words bitter and colored by a dangerous vengeance.

It didn’t take long for him to clearly see who awaited him: a dog. A small one, at that—too pretty to be of any threat. Still, it postured and readied itself as he approached, and something about that made the beast's eyes glimmer with unbidden amusement. His breath fell out hot against his frigid jowls as a chuckle escaped him. Foolish thing, he mused, his lips pulling back as he let ivory flash, part of him hoping whomever it was would dance with unease at the sight.

It reminded Gage of the dogs some of the royals kept. Too pretty, too pampered to be allowed outside, their pristine coats shining as they lapped up dinners that peasants outside the castle walls couldn’t even dream of. Bitey, air-headed things, as vain as their owners. He much preferred the dogs he met in the main parts of the city or on the farms, often sneaking meals and treats just to see their tails wag.

The voice that lashed out at him, borne on the icy wind, had his breath stalling and his eyes narrowing. He knew that voice better than anyone’s—better than his own. How…Why….No, it couldn’t be. He buried the thought, the longing, with a shake of his head and curl of his nose. He pressed on, his attempt at closing the distance between them ruined as the smaller dog moved closer instead.

It caught him by surprise, if only momentarily. A brave thing, it would seem, this pretty dog.

Gage’s head lifted high, hackles bristling in slow ripples, tail poised above as he eased his pace, and a brow raised. The collar around his neck had him shifting his head, annoyed by the way it tugged at his throat.

There was no time to concern himself with discomfort now as the dog yelled at him, and as he stared down at him, he found himself briefly caught up in the paleness of his eyes—something there made his chest ache. He brushed the feeling aside, annoyed. Fear muddled with rage radiated from the creature, so thick he could almost taste it.
“What a foolish thought,” he scoffed, nose wrinkling. “Eat your liver? Is that all you can think of? How boring. There are far more creative things, as you say, that I could do to you.” Things to make the strongest of men squeal, to cry for mercy from Gods who didn’t care or a crown that did not forgive.

He made to take a step forward, a rumble in his throat, but the glimmer of gold against moonlight in the corner of his vision stilled him. The sun. His sun. The beast nearly buckled right then and there.

It was….

        No.

          No.

            No.

“You—” he choked out.

It felt like he was dying all over again, his lungs constricting as though they were filling with blood once more, even though he was fine.

None of this was fine.

“I will always be as creative as you desire,” he rasped darkly, the words a hollow attempt at humor as he dropped down, belly striking the ice so hard his teeth rattled. His head dipped, chin sliding against ice until his nose touched a paw, his breath barreling out heavy.

He didn't dare look up.

“Please—" shame tickled at his chest, followed by a strained whine as fury began to war with disbelief in his mind. "Forgive me.”

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3.3.3
#5
01-15-2025, 09:49 PM
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The dog was not deterred, but that was no surprise. With the way he loomed over Fenn, it was surprising that it hadn't just reached out and snapped his head from his shoulders. Which... ha. What were the odds of that happening a second time?

Most likely fairly high if Fenn kept provoking a beast twice his size. But ultimately, what did he have to lose? His life? That had already happened what felt like only minutes ago. His companions? Already dead or gone. His kingdom? Burned down to ash.

There was nothing.

Nothing.

The dog raised its tail and bristled. Dominance, Fenn remembered vaguely, from a hand-wavey lesson by one of the stable hands when he'd been a boy. Dominance or aggression. Either way, Fenn was not having it, and mimicked the posturing in turn.

Its voice seemed strangely familiar, and Fennick most likely would have recognized it had he given it a minuscule amount of time. Unfortunately, he was far too outraged by the tone with which he was spoken in, the words that spilled from the beast's mouth, to realize that the jibes were from a voice he knew.

"Oh?" he seethed, barreling on, oblivious to the internal strife the other man - dog - was going through. His muzzle must've been twisted in an unattractive way, fur bristled along his spine and ears pressed flat to his skull. "Enlighten me, then. Shall I watch as you kill my friends and family? Watch as you burn my home to the ground? Perhaps you'd like to lead me up to the guillotine again, just to-"

I will always be as creative as you desire.

Well, he'd done it now, he supposed. Given the beast one too many good ideas, or perhaps it had come up with its own. Fenn tensed, coiled, ready for whatever may come, when instead of attacking him, the dog threw itself to the icy ground beneath them.

Fennick had, of course, had people prostrate themselves before him, but rarely did he demand such complete submissiveness, and certainly not when it was the king himself starting the fight. Confusion and then resignation colored his features and he huffed, glancing off to the side. A servant, then? Perhaps they'd known each other in his previous life. At the very least, this dog - perhaps cursed to the same fate as Fennick himself - seemed to know of him.

"What is there to forgive?" he asked, tone laced with profound bitterness, masking the sorrow that threatened to choke him. "This is unnecessary. I've no crown to speak of. No kingdom. You need not bow to me."

Not anymore.

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#6
01-15-2025, 11:13 PM
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[Image: dbozoji-250e1b0d-baa7-4fe1-873e-715404d6...rDEGvnBic0]

Gage stayed exactly where he was, belly pressed to the ice, head cast downward as if he were part of the frozen landscape itself. Shame so heavy it felt like rocks had filled his limbs, and his bones felt imobile, crucified in place. It was followed by raw confusion, and a furiousness so palpable it left a bitter taste on his tongue, leaving behind an uncomfortable knot in his throat. He could hear the venom in Fennick’s words—familiar, yet alien coming from this new form. But even in this new shape, Gage was so attuned to the man above him that he flinched with each accusation that was spat his way.

He had harbored many thoughts about his king, many unwelcome, far beyond the scope of his duty as guard but never once had he entertained the notion of harm. It went against everything he had been made to be; it was everything he was not.

Startled, his breath caught at the admission that burned his ears and darkened his mind, a cold rage turning hot and bloody beneath his skin.

Surely, he did not mean….

To the guillotine again— Impossible. Could it somehow be true? Had the Crown’s Dawn fallen, leaving their king and kin to the clutches of beasts too wretched to deserve breath? Had Gage brought this on by his own weakness? He had fallen, been weak. He’d failed.

Surely it was a jest, just a cruel mockery to try and widen the gulf between them.

A snarl tore from Gage, almost in time with Fennick’s words. His jaws snapped beside the paw he’d lain against, spittle flying and splattering across the ice. His chest heaved, tail an angry lash behind him, claws a screech against the frozen surface beneath.The desire to make the rebels pay flared within him, to rip flesh from bone until nothing remained, with him as judge and jury. Merciless; he’d be the very monster they whispered him to be.

But it was too late.

There was nothing he could do now. He could do nothing to change what had already happened and instead he was left with….this mess.. A fucking mess. One he’d played a part in.

He let the words be thrown at him, let Fennick draw out a sword and drive it against him without a fight. Gage lay there and took it, his breaths uneven and hot, sending a cascade of steam upward. Had it been anyone else, he’d have already attempted to rip the tongue from their mouths, would have never let it get this far. But for Fennick—he would allow most anything.

At last, he lifted his head, slowly, as though fearful of scaring off the man he had called King. His eyes, glazed with defeat, sought Fennick’s, searching, yearning.
“You may not a wear a crown atop your head at this moment,” he hissed, voice low and leaden. It felt as though each word was ripped from his chest, baring wounds he wished no one would see. “But I’d bow to you a thousand times over.”

And he would.

As if to prove his point, his head dropped back down with a thump, another whine slipping out—loud and ragged, an odd sound to leave such a beast as he. Even his tail shifted with the gesture, tucking low beneath his hindquarters, the cold of the ice sending a shiver across his spine. His tongue swept out, only once, to brush against the light fur on Fennick’s paw.
“I—” Gage cut himself short, teeth clenching. This wasn’t how a guard should act, not to the man he’d died protecting.

He swallowed roughly, and forced his limbs to obey, shifting until he found himself standing on unsteady paws. The weight of his own collar, strangling in its symbolism, made him wince. His gaze swept across the freckled face of the man he’d sworn himself too, head dipping in spite of his towering height.
“I failed you,” The shame flared in his chest like a fresh wound. “I won’t make the same mistake again.”

Gage’s face twisted, rage flickering in the depths of a stormy gaze. His nostrils flared, short ears twitching.

Abruptly, he stepped back, giving them both space—a respite from his oppressive nearness.

“So I ask again… he began, his breathing ragged against the distant howl of the wind, "for forgiveness. If there is any left in you for me, I… I beg it.”

He had never looked weaker in his life, and had there been an audience, perhaps he’d have acted differently, but here, with just the two of them, his guilt was all-consuming.

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3.3.3
#7
01-16-2025, 06:03 PM
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The man-turned-beast snarled at his feet, whined, pressed himself to the earth in spite of Fennick's bid for him to stand. What could he have possibly done that would warrant such a display, but he didn't care enough to push the subject. Disgust was a coppery tang in the back of his throat, though he could not tell where it was directed. Misplaced anger was a friend of his, and after everything, having someone grovel before him was a good enough target.

For a moment, this cowering creature was the representation of everything that Fennick despised. He felt ill just looking at the other man, cloaked in the body of a street mutt, face pinched in distaste and despair both.

And then the beast looked up at him.

And then...

The memory of someone else kneeling before him, eyes like a storm over the sea, powerful and electric, rose behind his eyes. Swearing fealty to the crown, swearing to protect him. Honoring that vow with his very life when so many others had run.

Why was he here? Fennick was the one who had fallen short, who had destroyed everything he touched. Gage had given everything and still they ended up in the same place, cursed to this barren land in bodies unfit for them?

If anyone should deserve Heaven between the two of them...

And still now, Fennick was relieved. Grateful. As though it were a good thing that Gage had been trapped here with him, and selfishly, he supposed it was.

But it was unfair.

Gage had risen from his prostration but still looked destroyed, still begged his forgiveness. Fennick could do nothing but stare for a moment, stupefied by his new revelation, until laughter bubbled in his chest, hysterical and self-deprecating. It tasted like ash on his tongue.

His vision was swimming by the end of it, but it was not like royalty to cry, so he did not. Instead, he looked to the sky and took a deep, shuddering breath, chest aching.

"You've done nothing that needs forgiveness," he breathed, hushed, jaw tight as his teeth ground together, just for a moment, biting back the emotion threatening to swamp him. "I am the one who should be begging you. It seems I've cursed us to the same hell." He turned his attention back to the other man, tried to remember the way he'd looked before, and could only picture blood bubbling at his lips, stormy eyes clouding over in death.

His next words were strained, but he refused to cry - refused to make this any worse. "Forgive me, Gage."

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