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!

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fresh from the fields, all fetor and fertile


Afternoon Partly Cloudy
#1
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Discovery
04-15-2021, 04:29 AM (This post was last modified: 04-15-2021, 05:31 AM by Element. Edited 7 times in total.)
@Mordecai - how about some truffle hunting? (Excuse all my edits - it is me messing with post formatting. xD)


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 What was that smell.

 He'd taken to waking up with the sun these days, emerging from his den as the first streaks of dawn light stretched through the (admittedly sparse) canopy on the middle peaks. Without realizing it, it seemed he'd developed a routine compatible with the mood he awoke in. The tired, gloomy days where he awoke with a heavy heart after dreams that screamed at him of all the things he had forgotten... those were the days he did not venture far from home, and instead busied himself with patrols, continuing to enforce the now saturated scent of Empyrean on the mountain's borders. Other days he awoke with a tingling in his limbs, restlessness vibrating from the pads of his paws into his shoulders and haunches, and on those days he chose to wander. He was never sure how long he'd be gone when he awoke in one of those moods, so he'd made a habit of letting Hydra know he'd be on a trek, just so no one came looking for him. It was still odd, he thought, to get used to the idea that someone may think to look for him. 

 So after making his excursion known to his pack mates, he'd taken the long, winding way down from the mountains with a vague intention of revisiting Stone Mountain. He'd avoided it for the most part, considering it was the place he'd woken up in this strange new world. But he was growing more curious, or maybe just more desperate for answers. It had taken the better part of the morning and most of the early afternoon to get close, and he'd been trotting through the expansive grove of at the foothills of the mountain when something unusual had caught his attention. A smell. A new one. A pungent one. What was it.

 Ele slowed, scanning the surrounding area for anything unusual that caught his eye. He sniffed deeply, nose wrinkling as the strange, earthy aroma filled his nostrils and felt thick inside his skull. It was strangely entrancing. He lowered his snout to the earth, smelling deeply, and began to play a game of hotter/colder as he followed the the trail that would hopefully lead to his prize.
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#2
04-15-2021, 03:15 PM
 Similar to the dark man that found himself on a truffle search, another man from another pack had the same thing in mind. He'd done plenty of exploring in Ichorwood but he had yet to find his fabled strawberries. A shame, that, but it just meant he had to search a little bit more. That was what he was doing today. He hadn't intended to leave Ichorwood but he just ofund himself drawn beyond the borders, quickly finding himself caught up in the hunt of something new in his nostrils. It wasn't the raw onions that he'd munched on before --and later on gotten a stomachache for his trouble-- but it was something strong but decidedly good.

 He couldn't stay within the confines of his territory with such a tantalizing scent sweeping to him over the heather. So, with the red forests behind him, he began to follow his nose towards a delicious new smell. He was like a bloodhound, nose to the earth, tail wiggling eagerly back and forth behind him. There was a frown on his normally docile face, and his nose twitched like a rabbit. He was hardly paying attention to his surroundings so it was no surprise when he very nearly stumbled right over the other wolf.

[indent'"Whoops!" He said, nearly stumbling to the ground as he overcorrected himself. He raised his head with a smile, eyes soft and kind as usual. "My bad, I didn't see you there. The good smell in my nose distracted me." He said with a deep chuckle. Hopefully the other guy wouldn't be too upset that the chubby fellow had nearly bungled right into him.

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#3
Discovery
04-16-2021, 01:16 AM
^^
 The sound of someone else's snuffling and sniffing reached his ears first, and reluctantly Element drew his head away from the soil to see what approached him. For just a second, a shot of panic laced through him as his initial thought was bear. The figure heading his way was massive - not just tall at the shoulders but, er, wide. The brown fur and large size tried to trick his senses, but there was no scent of bear on the wind. To be fair, it was almost impossible to pick out any other scents with the mysterious and pungent one he'd been tracking taking up his full olfactory attention. The other figure kept moving forward - he hadn't seemed to notice Element yet - and it was the way he moved that labeled him as wolf. A large wolf who still had not noticed him, and was still heading in this direction. He seemed to be sniffing too, and Ele had no doubts he was on the same trail.

 Twenty paces, fifteen, ten... Ele took a step back as the sniffer barreled his way, and gave a quiet yip at the same moment the other wolf's eyes shot up and his feet faltered beneath him before he covered. There was another moment where Element, after having some not so pleasant recent encounters with behemoth wolven brethren, wondered if this would be the third in a row. But a chuckle escaped the others lips instead of a snarl, and there was a smile on his face that seemed to meet his eyes. Ele relaxed, a smile of his own alighting on his lips and his snow-capped tail giving a few quick waves behind him. "You're good," he offered amicably. "I've been following it too - its so distracting." It was not surprising at all that either of them could have gotten lost in the scent. Ele inhaled deeply again, torn between conversation and unearthing the mystery prize. "Do you know what it is?" he asked, head quirking. "I've never smelled anything like it."
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#4
04-16-2021, 10:38 PM
 "Good!" The man finished good-naturedly. Pleased that he hadn't offended the fellow or accidentally run into him or stepped on him or just simply rubbed him the wrong way. He didn't like to do that to new wolves that he met. He much preferred to make friends and not piss people off. "I think all food smells are distracting!" Although that was probably just a him thing. Most other wolves didn't seem to be moved to tears when they tasted something delicious or when food was shared with them.

 When asked what it was, the man replied with a happy, "Nope!" And a bright grin. "But I wanna find it. It's gotta be around here somewhere." With that he began to sniff around, first this way around one side of the man but then he realized that wasn't the way and went the other and then stopped as if having a revelation. "Say! Would you like to help me find the mystery-smell? A good food-adventure is always fun with someone else!" He wagged his stumpy tail, hopeful that the man would give a hearty yes so they could begin their epic tail of food and fun.

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#5
Discovery
04-23-2021, 05:37 AM
^^
 Element couldn't help but crack a smile at the other wolf when he commented on the inherently distracting nature of food. There was something pleasantly carefree about the exchange thus far that was a breath of fresh air. So many that those he'd met for the first time had shared his plight of waking up confused, amnesiac, or tormented in some capacity or another. The conversation always seemed to float there, and it left a filmy residue of melancholy over the interactions.

But this was different. This was about strange new smells and the possibility of discovering something tasty. This was a much needed break, and one Element could easily lose himself in for the afternoon. The other wolf seemed amicable enough - there was no undercurrent of hostility in his words or aggression in his posture. At least nothing Element could sense as the other wolf sniffed around him, trying to find the trail and then circling back to the other side to begin anew. So, yes, a good food adventure it would be. "Absolutely," Ele chimed in happily, "I am all about finding what this smell is. I gotta know."

Next step: sniff. The earth here was cool and moist, ripe with the fresh layer of decomposing leaf little that dropped from the trees last fall. There was much detritus between the towering trees, giving life to the roots both exposed and buried. He lowered his head again, scenting deeply to try to get a better pinpoint on the overwhelming aroma. His tail suddenly raised with an excited twitch, and the dark wolf mumbled a low "hmmm" as he followed a possible trail, heading towards one of the bases of a fallen tree.
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#6
04-24-2021, 06:39 PM
 "Awesome!" The man said happily, quite enthused to have a new food-partner-in-crime. He wiggled his little nub of a tail jovially at his companion, ready to embark on adventures anew. "You totally get me, man! I always have to know about new smells!" Who knew that he'd find someone so amazing on this day? Every day was always some new adventure.

 While his companion tried to sniff around, he too lowered his head to get back on the trail. He went this way and that way, and then something occurred to him, right after the other's tail gave and excited twitch. Oh! It seemed that he found something. Mordecai came to his side and then began to sniff too and --yep! there it was-- followed along right with him.

 It seemed that they were heading towards the base of a tree. He wandered his way up there, circling around and around but he just couldn't see anything. He stopped, right where the smell was strongest and began to paw at it with a large brown paw. "Izzit here?" He asked, glancing back at the dark and light wolf before pawing again.

 "Oh! Is it underground like buried treasure?" He looked very excited at that prospect.

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#7
Discovery
05-16-2021, 07:20 PM
Thank you for your patience waiting for my reply! I should be back without any more delays now.


^^
 
Mordecai's delight was contagious, especially when paired with his personality that seemed to be a fun mix of laid-back and excitable. Element was pleased by both the company and the adventure at hand. The two of them both honed in on the pungent area beneath the roots, and Element's inquisitive sniffs turned into a full-lung inhale. "I think so," he answered on his exhale, still savoring the new smell. "Let's see."

 Mordecai pawed at the soil, and whenever his paws pulled away Element took a moment to send his nose back into the fray, nudging the loosened soil aside with his snout while searching out how close they were by scent. It didn't take long with the two of them combined, and when the brown wolf's paws dislodged another layer of soil there was a sudden explosion of aroma. "Wait! I think that's it!" Ele exclaimed, just as his eyes settled on a small nodule they'd unearth, brownish black like the surrounding soil. He nosed it gently, nudging another clump of soil away with his snout and exposing two more nodules beside the first.

 Then, he promptly scuttled backward and sneezed loudly, although fortunately with a head tilted away from both the other wolf and the unearthed treasures. "Sorry - that smell, wow." It filled his head, and he had to marvel at the small nodes, able to emit such entrancing fumes. "What are they?" he murmured, enthralled by the discovery. But also more importantly "and what do you think they taste like?" There was only one way to tell. He grinned at Mordecai, happy to let the other wolf go first, one brow raised as he waited.
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#8
05-19-2021, 10:56 PM
 The brown man kept pawing and pawing, encouraged by the other wolf's words until-- "Wait!" He immediately stopped, paws falling still as he looked back at the other male. His tail wiggled excitedly as he awaited the verdict. He stepped closer, clearly excited as the wolf nudged the things so that they were more exposed on the soil. They were weird looking things but he wasn't one to judge food on appearance. He'd try anything once.

 "Just like those onions I tasted before!" Okay, not just like that. Despite his negative experience with onions, he was game to try these. He lowered his head to give a deep sniff of the pungent thing and similarly sneezed, eyes watering because of the deep inhale. "Oh yeah, that's nice'n'strong." He said with a deep chuckle. Was he one to learn from mistakes? Nope! Was he going to let his previous negative experiences with pungent foods stop him from tasting this one? Heck no!

 In reply to the man's question he gobbled up two of the things in one bite. It exploded in flavor on his tongue, strong, indescribable... but more manageable than the underground wild onions he'd eaten before. His eyes still watered and his nostrils flared. For a while he was unable to speak and simply chewed and blinked away tears.

 Until finally...

 "It's amazzziiinng." He grinned. "It's like a nice onion's little brother." And that was the best way to describe the garlicky flavor that was on his tongue as he smiled and closed his eyes in delight. He wondered what this would taste like eaten alongside strawberries.

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#9
05-24-2021, 12:25 AM
I was thinking truffles, but WHY NOT BOTH! xD

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Like onions, he said? Element looked back at the small nodules in the soil as Mordecai took a deep sniff, followed by the same sneeze response Element hadn't been able to help. Onions weren't something Ele could recall ever trying, but he knew of them - the white lumps in the earth he'd sometimes seen his prey chewing on the green stalks of. The more he thought about it, the more he realized this was a similar smell. He was about to stick his nose in again when the brown wolf went for it, gulping two of the potent morsels down, followed by what appeared to be some sort of culinary religious experience. The other male's nostrils flared and his eyes watered, and Element was just shy of asking him if he was alright when he blinked away tears and returned to the mortal realm, grinning and apparently without regret.

 "An onion's little brother," Ele repeated, unable to keep a pleased chuckle out of his voice. "Well we're here, I might as well give it a go." He regarded the small nodules again, giving them one more sniff... and realizing that something seemed off. There were layers to these scents - he nosed the remaining bulb, and Mordecai's description seemed accurate, but not complete. "Except..." Brow furrowing, he swept a dark paw over the dirt once more, just out of curiosity...

 ... And even more so than the onion-sibling, a wave of aroma felt like it hit him in the face. Just beside their first treasures were more nodules - a different color and texture, brown and dark and squishy looking. His first thought was a mushroom, although the little buttons weren't exactly like that - just close. "Oh," he breathed, inhaling deeply and closing his eyes as the two scents mingled in his nostrils, intoxicating in their intensity. "This is it. This was the one that I got a whiff of when I first got here," he explained excitedly. His white-tipped tail set in a heavy wag, slapping the brush behind him in an audible display of his delight.

  Now there were two things to feast on. He raked his paw across their first find - the white nodule in the ground that was potent in it's own right - and then more delicately, he scraped his other paw across two of the brown lumps, which easily dislodged as he dragged them to the spot on the ground beneath his legs. Grinning over at Mordecai after having taken his claim, he leaned down and took a small, almost dainty nibble of one of the brown lumps.

  His eyes widened, and this time it was Ele's turn for his nostrils to flare. He glanced wide-eyed at Mordecai, awe written across his face, and wordlessly turned back to his prize and scarfed down the remaining portion of the truffle he'd nibbled before.
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#10
05-27-2021, 05:31 PM

Haha, I meant that what Mordi was describing was the truffle XD I just looked up online what they were/tasted like and had him describe it as onion as that's the closest thing he's ever had. Especially since I too have never had truffle and don't know what it tastes like. Sorry about the confusion :'D but the more food the better, right?

 
The brown wolf gave an enthusiastic nod of his head when the other said that he might as well give it a go as well. He certainly should! Mordecai scooched over to give room to the other wolf so that he may have his pick of the little things. The wolf's cheeks were still poked out from stuffing his jaws and while he looked over at the other wolf, he saw that the fellow had made a revelation. "Hrrm..?" He mumbled a indistinct question as he leaned closer. Oh, os he'd grabbed the wrong thing. Hopefully this onion-sibling wouldn't make his stomach hurt like the last.

 "Oh, gurd!" He said through his full mouth before finally, finally chewing and swallowing completely. His small tail wagged happily as he watched the other take a nibble. It was clear that the food he'd unearthed was delicious. Mordecai's eyes widened as he too leaned his head down to nibble on the darkened vegetable. Like his company, he fell into a pit of ecstasy. Coincidentally because of this, he also fell on his back with a happy smile. He sniffled, wiping a paw across his eyes at the pure goodness of the taste in his mouth. It was so wonderful. It could bring a man to tears.

 "I wonder what those taste like together?" He said at length. Of course, he was no chef but he just had a feeling. He knew that when you ate two different things together sometimes, they tasted so amazing. He'd tried meat and strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, honey and meat... what would these be together? Or these dark things with meat even.

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#11
11-15-2021, 07:04 PM
^^
 

There was such beauty to be had in sharing such a discovery with a stranger as keen on delighting as Element was. The other males enthusiastic reactions and gleeful abandon of propriety gave Ele the freedom to respond in kind. No need for stiff-tailed defenses, curt nods, and side-eyed glances to determine ones true intentions. It was just the pureness of discovery, and of sharing something exciting and new and delicious.

Following Mordecai’s example, after swallowing down his final bite the silver toned wolf flopped onto his belly dramatically, as if the delicacy had caused him to swoon. “That was something else,” he sighed, savoring the way the flavor lingered heavy on his tongue and the scent had engrained itself in his nostrils, earthy and pungent and strange. His ears perked as Mordecai pressed on, prompting an immediate follow up experiment to the first – the flavorful discoveries combined?

Well, he was in. Nodding enthusiastically, Ele prepared for smorgasbord round two, content and at ease in a way that he would carry with him back home to the mountain later after they parted ways.  
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