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!

AW
born beneath a midnight star


Morning Rain 58° F
#1
AW
07-09-2021, 02:33 PM
It was his turn to venture out, at least for a brief spell. With his advances towards @Hydra spurned for the moment—fickle as ever in her season, however late it was—he had taken the opportunity to let her cool down to stretch his own legs. There had been the briefest of considerations to go east and explore, but the swifter and more logical course of action had guided him west instead.

The rain wasn’t the most pleasant thing to be out in, but it didn’t deter him from his descent and departure from Empyrean’s claim. Beyond the stacked and towering spires that comprised their home, the sprawl of hazy foothills and squat mountains gave him plenty of pockets and valleys to venture through; the overcast hues of the sky seemed to only enhance the natural colors of the world he slipped into.

It had been awhile since he had made his way out here; the unfamiliarity of the region was overcome by the flash of adventure that had long been placed on a shelf like a dusty tome. It came naturally and his innate sense of wonder gave him direction as the morning hours slowly began to wane. He had come to a pause along a high ridge that afforded him a view over the treetops and took it all in, debating whether or not to push forward.

He didn’t dare go too far—he still wanted the opportunity to harass his wife.
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#2
07-10-2021, 01:43 AM
I snag (¬‿¬ )

^^
Though Vanderfell was still relatively quiet in itself, he began to notice that their neighbours at the foot of the mountain were busy with constant visits from outsiders and new faces among them. He had yet to go and see their neighbours himself - but Hieronymous would remind himself to do so as soon as he returned to the mountain Ira had claimed as their new home.

After all, he was curious of them and all their shenanigans.

This time his travels brought him further South, somewhere near the mountain @Bronco had walked him away from. Still Hieronymous remembered to avoid those boundaries, the mountain itself and respect it by walking far away from where Bronco had left him. How was he fairing after all this time?

Who he found was not Bronco by the sights of them, even if they did have some similarities. A quick chuff to announce his presence before waltzing over to the other man, a gentle smile on his face and a casual wave of his tail. “Greetings! I am Hieronymous of Vanderfell Woods,” a quick bow of his head, the usual greetings if he was honest. “I met a man here by the name of Bronco months ago, does he still reside here?”
^^
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— Hiero has a dull sense of smell, it will affect how I play him and how he acts in threads
#3
07-13-2021, 01:38 AM
Ultimately, he pressed ahead for a while longer.

Sightseeing was one of the things that he partook in often, though it came generally from the heights of Empyrean rather than the vistas beyond it. Such came with duty and a high station that he held and at times the limiting of his natural inclinations felt beast and burden both; he didn’t take his ventures out beyond the pack borders lightly to say the least.

No, Dirge intended to soak up as much as he could to gain his familiarity in the lay of the land around them, even if it had to come in bits and pieces. He had no more paused along another place in the ridge when something else caught his ear—the distinct sound of footfalls—and had to tear his gaze away from his study to take in a figure approaching him with greeting and all.

“Bronco? He’s around,” Dirge said, though he was more immediately interested in the name dropping than just whatever Bronco may or may not have gotten himself into. Truthfully, he couldn’t quite remember just when he had last encountered the scarred wolf, but he had more than proven himself over time.

“Can’t say I’m familiar with Vanderfell Woods, though. I’m Dirge.”
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#4
07-13-2021, 05:19 PM
^^
At least this time he wasn't accidentally walking all over their lands, oblivious to their borders and simply wandering around wide eyed like a child in a candy store. With physical markers to remember, it was easier to respect their boundaries and hopefully build from there a pleasant relationship with this pack - and from the looks of it, it was possible Bronco didn't tell them of his mistake as he was greeted without any signs of aggressions.
 
“Ah! Do you mind tell him I dropped by to say hello? If given the chance of course.” The man was of course thought of even to now, with how kind he was to walk the nose-blind man back to the borders and away from danger. It was something he would not soon forget. For now, he would move Bronco to the back burner and get to know his packmate which was standing right here, in front of the painted man and would not be ignored ignored either.
 
“It's a pleasure to meet you Dirge. I would be happy to tell you about us if you were at all curious?”
^^
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— Hiero has a dull sense of smell, it will affect how I play him and how he acts in threads
#5
07-20-2021, 07:43 AM
Even better, Hieronymous was loose lipped. So to speak.

“I’ll be sure to make a point to let him know you said hello, certainly,” he rejoined with a jovial ease. It was hard not to at least pick up on that mannerism in his present company and for conversation’s sake, it seemed the thing to do… and truth be told Dirge didn’t seem the harm in it either. He couldn’t sense that there was bad blood from the interaction, but he also knew that complacency, despite the draw towards it being very alluring, was a dangerous sort of thing.

“And I’m also happy for the exchange as well, truth be told I haven’t had much of an opportunity yet to explore and acquaint myself with the residents that live among the mountains in full. Now seems as good of a time as any while summer’s still on and about,” he went on. Whatever he could find out would be worth sharing with Hydra and in turn, perhaps it would aid them as well if it came to it.
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#6
07-23-2021, 12:41 AM
^^
“Much appreciated.” He sang back gladly. Although he wanted to remain close with his pack mates, it was always healthy to know others outside of their reign should they need outside eyes for whatever reason. Maybe advice, help, whatever - it never hurt to have acquaintances elsewhere beyond your borders.
 
“I would be happy to introduce us to you.” There was never any harm in it after all, let their name spread from word of mouth to other listening ears. “I come from the mountains North East from here called Fate's Summit. My pack is Vanderfell Woods, not unlike most, we settled with the hopes of banding together after finding ourselves here with no memories.” It was vague, but it was certainly more than what Dirge had known previously no?

A good intro to wet his whistle should he want to know more later. Not to mention giving out any specifics might upset Ira, so he kept it general.

“We keep to ourselves, despite having interesting neighbours.” He chuckled, thinking back to the Elysium wolves he had STILL YET TO MEET. Bad Hiero, bad, you gotta welcome them by now.
^^
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— Hiero has a dull sense of smell, it will affect how I play him and how he acts in threads
#7
07-23-2021, 10:49 AM
Unsurprisingly, the wolves of Vanderfell had come to much in the same way that all in Empyrean had—awoken in a strange place, with little substance as to how they had gotten there in the first place let alone why. Combined with what he was learning on the spot, they were also not so dissimilar to his own kin either, keeping to themselves; the only real difference may have been the extension of meeting one another so openly.

This place may have been very different from the reality that he had once known, but the habits of old were exactly that: habits. It was that sort of safeguarding that had kept them lofted out of grasping hands for harm, save perhaps the gnashing and bearing of teeth and the swiping of claws that did their superficial marks. It had only been on occasion that a deadly mark hit its target, but they had learned. Or at least Hydra and her own had—Dirge only knew such things secondhand, and evaded trouble like the plague it was.

But even he knew better than to go inviting it.

“Wise of you to keep to yourself,” he hummed. “Though it is a common tale of late on how we all turned up here. No memory, plenty of questions to follow with little in the way of answers. I’ve accepted that we may never know, but at least we’re graced with bountiful resources and respectful neighbors.” No one trodding on their doorstep with ill intent and the like, though he was certain there would come a point and time for such things.

Winter would come back around.

“I’m sure my wife, Hydra, would enjoy a meet and greet though,” he went on, “as it never hurts to extend good relations. I’m not sure what all Bronco may have told you, but she and I lead a pack called Empyrean in the south, along the river and its mountains.” He shared things loosely, as fair was fair; there was no telling how close Vanderfell Woods truly was to where they were now and the last thing he wanted was to sully an opportunity long before it had the chance to start.
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#8
07-28-2021, 02:15 PM
^^
Nodding along as Dirge spoke, Hieronymous was careful to remember as much as possible from his details of who they were, where they were and thoughts shared of all their circumstances. Every detail was important to remember for one who was incapable of sniffing them out like all the rest. At least where he was lacking, Hieronymous was able to find strength in a way to work around it.
 
“It does seem that way doesn't it?” He even questioned if puppies could be brought to these new lands in a traditional sense. Could the women here give life as they did wherever they were all from previously? Would souls be brought to the bodies if they were made here as opposed to brought for a purpose like the others were? If the women could bring life, would they too be of a different life - a different time?

There was still so many questions he had floating around, none of which he truly voiced and seemed content into figuring out later in time. 
 
“I would be honoured to meet her.” So Dirge has a wife, Hiero took note of that too and her name. Hopefully if they met without him to introduce them, she would not be insulted by his lack of smell to figure out who she was with. That would be embarrassing“Come to think of it, he did mention Hydra as well. He was surprised I didn't already met her for some reason.”
^^
the staff team luvs u
— Hiero has a dull sense of smell, it will affect how I play him and how he acts in threads
#9
07-28-2021, 02:25 PM
A faint smile graced his features.

“She tends to be the more prolific one in making acquaintances,” he explained. “We’ve been slowly exploring our surroundings while trying to find the rest of our kin and kith. I opted to venture out this time and stretch my legs. Minding the borders tends to be dull at times, but it does beat the alternative snarling at our home.”

The alternative being what had felt like an endless shoreline battered by tidal waves—but he didn’t feel the need to elaborate on that. Speaking it may as well have been opportunity to invoke it back into existence, and truth be told Dirge wanted no part of that for the time being. If it came to them, then it came to them, but he wasn’t going to go out looking for it.
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#10
07-28-2021, 02:44 PM
^^
Ah! A smile. For the painted knight it was a foot in the door at being in their good graces, all he had to do was continue on this positive path he was laying out for himself.
 
“So far she seems evasive to me.” Granted he had only met two of their kind, Bronco and Dirge but it was funny to think of now that Dirge was saying she was often the one meeting new folks like himself. “That or I have been graced with a rare occurrence.” He chuckled.
 
“I hope you have had luck in finding your missing loved ones.” In Hiero's case he wasn't even certain if he was missing anyone anymore now that he had found Ira and Vanderfell. The feeling of something being a miss had long since faded. “Funny enough, I felt the same way today. Anything interesting you've seen during your stroll?”
^^
the staff team luvs u
— Hiero has a dull sense of smell, it will affect how I play him and how he acts in threads
#11
07-28-2021, 03:09 PM
More than likely, Hieronymous had been blessed with a rare occurrence. It had long been how things had simply worked in the way that Hydra and Dirge did their business; she had been much better at the political side of things while he preferred to digest the material at his own rate. Yet this was a different place and perhaps, he thought, things would have some change to them. At least until they got their bearings, or something came along to force them to adapt.

“I can’t say there’s been anything too interesting that I’ve come across so far,” he rejoined, “but the day isn’t over yet. What about you—anything I should be wary of out here? I’ve surprisingly not ran into any trouble, be it from larger predators or ill-tempered wolves. Luck must be favoring me right now.” Another smile, this time more demure by comparison. “Things quiet your way and what not?”
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#12
07-28-2021, 03:16 PM
^^
Indeed, the day was still young and there was still much they could find along the way. But with the rain, he was hard pressed to eventually turn back and return to Vanderfell before he was gone for too long.

At first Hieronymous was going to answer with nothing of interest either. Life was pretty easy going so far but something did catch his thoughts, remembering the time he had spent in the Northern regions and a moment of surprised recollection took over his easy going expression. Eyes wide with excited shock, ready to spill the beans on what he found.

“I actually did find something pretty interesting up North!” He exclaimed, almost pacing as he walked a couple steps around as if to try and calm his electrical nerves. “I encountered a large feline with a coat of orange and stripes of black, much larger than either of us. A face so large and muscular it makes me think of beasts of legends!”
^^
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— Hiero has a dull sense of smell, it will affect how I play him and how he acts in threads
#13
07-29-2021, 10:54 AM
The excitement writ was hard to miss; Dirge had no more than scarcely canted his head before his counterpart began speaking excitably of this legendary creature. A creature in fact that Dirge had a hard time imagining, though he could find nothing of substance that suggested that what he was being told was a very good lie. The wolf was simply too eager to share such a tale and at that point, there were few things that he could perhaps consider false in such a place as this one.

But Empyrean’s king could not keep the darkness from his eyes.

“Was it vicious? Something we ought worry of?” A seriousness had crept in to his tone—if such a thing did exist, then it was a threat surely, truly. He had never known a feline to be anything but, and the tales of such things were known far and wide to be mostly the same. Territorial, distrustful fiends with claws much more sharper and meant to eviscerate them without a second thought. They were hunters, like the wolves and their ilk, but far more conniving and vengeful.
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#14
07-29-2021, 03:18 PM
^^
Just thinking back to the occasion with @Skulk as his witness to the situation, Hieronymous' own heart raced with adrenaline once again flowing in his veins like lightning. Was it cruel? “Honestly? It was pretty relaxed, friendly even.” Even if he was terrified in the moment, Hieronymous can't say that he would feel the same the next time he ever came across the same feline. Might even start a conversation himself, stay on the feline's good side at least.

“Of course I would tread lightly around such a thing, but he didn't seem to be out to kill us either you know what I mean?” Because if the cat really did want them dead, Hiero wouldn't be standing here to tell the tale and he was damn well sure about that one. “I have no doubts a feline like that could have taken me and the other wolf out no problem if it really wanted to.”
^^
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— Hiero has a dull sense of smell, it will affect how I play him and how he acts in threads
#15
07-29-2021, 03:45 PM
A thoughtful murmur left him—what sort of feline acted the way that one had? He could only come up with a short list of things that only served to worry at the edges of his mind. But Hieronymous was right on one thing, if the feline had wanted to kill him where they stood, it would have and Dirge believed it would have without a second thought.

“Perhaps it let you and your friend live because it had already eaten,” he said, not without a note of mirth to it. “Though I wouldn’t believe it was being friendly just because it could be. May have been a trap laid for the future… my experience with such large felines is limited but I’ve heard enough stories to know better.”

He shook his head.

“Either way, it sounds as though you were lucky.”
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#16
07-29-2021, 04:42 PM
^^
“I'd rather not think that way.” He swallowed, fighting the crack in his voice. “I'm an optimist Dirge, especially when my life is on the line.” A half-joke really. Hieronymous acted like an optimist but honestly he was a realist. Knowing he had gotten very lucky even if the beast was just friendly - what if they weren't?

“But yes, I would be cautious if you and your kin travel North. It is beautiful, but be weary as well.” Maybe Dirge and Hydra would appreciate the word of advice, be granted on their good side for helping even the slightest amount with a friendly warning with nothing obvious requested in return. “Id' like to meet you all again someday in one piece.”
^^
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— Hiero has a dull sense of smell, it will affect how I play him and how he acts in threads
#17
07-29-2021, 04:55 PM
“Nothing wrong with being an optimist,” he assured him, “so long as we keep in mind reality.” Though that said, there were things in the world that defied reality too, he supposed. It went without being said; he hardly anticipated that he needed to explain that any more than he had stated the obvious.

“But I’m sure we’ll manage to cross paths again in one piece. My wife and I are no strangers to the perils that reality can hand out, even in our optimist or lack thereof. I’m sure she’ll want to meet with your pack soon in turn. Is it further along this way in the valley to the north?” He gestured off roughly in that direction, now curious of just what the future might have held between them. Legendary felines or not lurking about, he had interest in fostering a relationship and striking while the iron was still hot.
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#18
07-29-2021, 05:12 PM
^^
“Hope for the best but expect the worst.” It was how he managed to get by day by day with his little "problems" hindering what makes him be a true wolf. Do not let anything get you down but prepare for the day when shit hits the fan. Try and always stay two steps ahead.

Being friendly and guarded also helps. Kill them with kindness, its easy to snarl back at a set of teeth but smiles and greetings were always much more contagious. “I'd like that.” And surely Ira would like to hear this too. That he was out here making good relations with other packs, spreading their name and beliefs on the wind.

“We are more North East, it's quite the trip if you aren't one to travel very far from home. I am a wanderer myself, even with a home I can't help but seek out what lays beyond. I'm certain you'll see more of me.” With a smile and a swish of his tail, he hoped that was enough of an invitation for Dirge to come and greet him should their paths cross again.
^^
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— Hiero has a dull sense of smell, it will affect how I play him and how he acts in threads
#19
07-30-2021, 11:41 AM
“Hope for the best but expect the worst,” may have been the most truthful statement Dirge knew, and one very necessary to survival in the depths of the wilderness. The world as he knew it was wild and untamed, as it should have been, untouched by the civilization of man or otherwise intelligent beings capable of far more than they could achieve.

Even in a place such as this, where the mundane was far from ordinary and the mystical and magical yet to be fully understood or explored, those words would continue to ring true. Even if he would not or could not witness it all, or even a sliver of a fraction of what was possible, it would be not just those words but their practice he would continue to instill in his children, and hopefully those of Empyrean in whatever role he sought to fulfill in their presence.

“There shouldn’t be any worries about that,” he rejoined, “my wife and I are both skilled travelers. It’s a bit more my forte than hers, but we should be able to make the journey swiftly and easily enough. I take it that you’re among Vanderfell’s leaders then? You seem to have the aptitude for it.” At least, he seemed as though he were a gracious host, extending such an invitation and what not; if not among their leadership, then perhaps their elite were possible.

Or maybe they were just as friendly as they were guarded, for all he knew.
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#20
07-31-2021, 09:08 PM
^^
“I'm flattered you think so! Coming from a leader as yourself that's quite a compliment.” And like a child he felt pretty good about himself to be told such a compliment. “But no, I'm not. I am but a Vanir, the highest civilian rank.” He couldn't even see himself as a leader neither, Ira was doing such an amazing job that he had no quarrels with her at the helm... and to be her high king, well, that was a different issue all together.

“Ira, my Queen, will be happy to hear of our meeting. So I am quite grateful you took some time to chat with me Dirge.” And that they might have guests to look forward to some day as well.
^^
we could possibly start wrapping this up if you'd like! Hiero is running out of conversation topics lmao

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— Hiero has a dull sense of smell, it will affect how I play him and how he acts in threads
#21
08-02-2021, 03:57 PM
And it would have seemed that it was the latter—Hieronymous wasn’t quite a leader, but he was among their esteemed and trusted. Close enough to taste, had he perhaps been ambitious, but still far enough off that he wasn’t necessarily burdened with the responsibility within. Nevertheless, it was a respectable place to be seated if nothing else and something Dirge took note of.

“I do enjoy a good bout of conversation when I can find it,” he said in good humor, “though I suppose I should be heading back soon. No doubt we’ll pay a visit soon though, so hopefully our paths will cross again.” He let a demure smile play easy on his features before shaking his coat to free the rain that had begun to settle there.

“So until we meet again—safe travels,” he opted to conclude.

feel free to conclude at your leisure!

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