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They were born with markings that glowed along the edges of their skin, that lit up the night in a way that no Kiokote had seen in a very long time. Kiokote didn't glow; this was a strange phenomenon reserved only for fireflies and stars in the night sky.

Five siblings, they were treated with awe or terror, depending on who they were speaking to, but never quite fit in with their kin. Their mother, a somewhat bland black doe, retreated into the tall grass and only ventured back once in a blue moon, when the mood struck her, when she needed something or had a word of wisdom to offer.

They never knew their father.

This last time that their mother came creeping out of the grass, they had been old enough to press -- fully grown and anxious, uncertain about their futures and their pasts both. In the chill of night, clustered around a fire that sputtered and began to die in the wind, she had spun them a story about her own youth: traveling from the plains to a distant Swamp, her meeting with a strange not-Kiokote whose eyes had glowed like the brightest star they'd ever seen.

The siblings didn't know his name, nor the name Kimeti, but they did know that whoever he was, he'd understand where their bright patches of shining color came from. They knew he was in the swamp. And so that was where they headed.

Kiokote Name: Skyembers
Gender of Kiokote: Female
Personality Keywords: Antsy, Dependent, Timid
Character Concept: This Kiokote is a rather high-strung one, with a tendency to follow her siblings wherever they go. Though the idea of going to the swamp makes her nervous, she has always felt the need to belong somewhere, just anywhere where others will not think her strange. Awe and terror from the others always brought on shyness that ended conversations quickly and sent her hurrying back to the other (not)Kiokote. She hopes to find others like their group, others that glow and look like them, that understand the need to belong and will take them in.
Preference List: Orange, white

Kiokote Name: Swallows The Moon
Gender of Kiokote: Female
Personality Keywords: Calm, Nurturing, Thoughtful
Character Concept:
Swallows The Moon has always known something was rather off about her and her siblings. There was just something wrong about everything- the ground beneath her hooves, the other Kiokotes, even the prey around them. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the life she lived- no, she did, but she wanted it to feel right, and she had a feeling that it wasn't her surroundings that was wrong, but them. When her mother told her and her siblings about their father, something clicked, something felt right, and she knew, as they all seemed to, that they had to go to the Swamp, had to go find him.

Being a rather calm, thoughtful Kiokote, Swallows The Moon may not be quite as enthusiastic about the journey as one might expect. True, she wants to meet this mythical father of hers, but she finds the slow paths they must take to be rather frustrating, as they give her too much time to think about what he might be like, what welcome they may (or may not) receive, everything that could possibly go wrong. It's not like her to worry so much...

But what if it doesn't feel right?
Preference List: White, Orange ( In that order )




Kiokote Name: Dances With Fireflies
Gender of Kiokote: Male
Personality Keywords: Eager, Energetic, Involved
Character Concept:
Dances With Fireflies is always on the go, always ready for an adventure, or just a race, anything that will get him moving. He likes to be involved in whatever's happening, from just an everyday hunt to an epic quest to, as it were, find the male not-Kiokote that fathered him and his brothers and sisters. He hasn't put as much thought into it as he maybe should have, but that's okay- he will take whatever life throws his way and conquer it, and then continue on, because that's just how life works, right? It's not like he ever let it bother him when the other Kiokotes stared and whispered!
Preference List: Blue, White, Red ( In that order )

Kiokote Name: Living Cinders
Gender of Kiokote: Male
Personality Keywords: Bitter, determined, haughty
Character Concept: After all this time of being shunned by our kind, abandoned by our mother, and unknown to our father...our mother had the audacity to come to us with the answers we'd all been craving. She came to us to tell of her own childhood, as if I cared anymore, and to reveal the identity of our father. It figured that she had no name, and was only to tell us he was not-Kiokote. She told us of distant cousins in the swamp to the south, called Kimeti. She told us of our father, with burning eyes like the fire we sat before. Then she left, as she had time and time again. My siblings and I held counsel that night, as the ashes burned out into the ground. I stood firm by my conviction that we had no business with the Kimeti. What inferior cousins would live in the swamp, hiding from the world? What strange cousins would have such menacing glowing eyes and hides? No cousins of mine, to be sure. I was Kiokote, a proud athlete and hunter, prouder still for bearing a mark of the sins of my parents. For their faults were evident in me, but not of my endorsement. I could walk among the others and say, "I am a product of the misguided, but for this I am guided. My duty is to be powerful enough to overcome my past. And I am powerful."

I was proud of what I was, Kiokote, but the truth was still hard. I couldn't be lesser for what I was...I ran, I hunted, I was not inferior in any way! But my siblings wanted to know more, wanted to explore this new heritage. When the vote was first cast, I was determined that I would not join my brothers and sisters. We quarreled, but I could not be convinced. It was my own thoughts that led me to join them on their journey, a thought of revenge to be exact. I would go with them, and we would find our father. When we did, I would make him pay for what he had done. Shaming my mother, fathering us, passing the genes that would cause us such despair. I would make him pay...because I was Kiokote. Maybe more, but certainly not less.

As we traveled, I felt the air grow thicker, heavier, and hotter by the minute. The ground grew soft beneath our hooves, and the plants tangled our legs. I simply snorted and pushed forward. I wasn't going to let the swamp bring me down. I was Kiokote, I was stronger than this.

Finding my father became my sleeping dream and day-time obsession. Even if my siblings tired, I'd push them forward. They wanted to come to the swamp, well we were here, and I wasn't letting any of them rest until we had accomplished our goal.
Preference List: Red, green, white

Kiokote Name: Once Forgotten
Gender of Kiokote: Male
Personality Keywords: Steadfast, demanding, resolute
Character Concept: Forgotten considers himself the self-appointed leader of the group of siblings and is always the loudest voice to be heard. When times are tough he feels it is his task to drive them forward with both physical force and words, even when it looks like they can not take another step. His dream is for them to find happiness together in the swamp and he believes this can only be done by finding out their true origins. Forgotten does not like to be disagreed with, but his heart is always in the right place, even if his methods are sometimes a little over the top.
Preference List: White, red, green

Kiokote Name: Beyond the Sky
Gender of Kiokote: Female
Personality Keywords: Scatterbrained, happy, dependant
Character Concept: Beyond wouldn’t tell her siblings this truth, but she really doesn’t care who their father was or why they’re different from other Kiokote. She’s content simply to have her brothers and sisters close, and would follow them anywhere. Why search for answers when she has everything she needs? Beyond is usually as sweet as pie, however she finds it difficult to deal with anything while on her own and usually falls apart in conversation with unknown Kimeti or Kiokote. Her family is her anchor and without them it feels as though her mind is being blown away on the wind.
Preference List: Yellow, white

Kiokote Name: Stormbreaker
Gender of Kiokote: Male
Personality Keywords: Arbiter of disputes.
Character Concept: They reached the swamp after a week's travel, a haggard bunch; he kept on point, simply to help rally his siblings, keep them pointed in the same direction. At first, a few had straggled behind, dragging their feet; some had argued, some had whined. If it took time to settle their disputes (whose turn it was to hunt, who had to keep watch), he didn't seem to mind. They had nothing but time. He never raised his voice, never blamed anyone -- instead he worked out their issues like untangling knots from hair. Only when everyone had been smoothed out did they resume their course.

When asked whether he was worried about what the swamp would offer, or whether they would find their father (how could they possibly find him? they had nothing to go on except the fact that he glowed), he shrugged. They didn't know. But it couldn't hurt to try.

Only once did his siblings test his patience, and they seemed to realize it immediately; his ears had twitched back, his shoulders had rolled forward. He hadn't needed to say anything; that would have been the worst part, had he admonished them verbally. They'd taken watch and left him to sleep with the realization that if he hadn't come with them, they might not have gotten this far. They knew about his temper -- it was very slow to surface, but once unleashed it poured out in a torrent. He couldn't help it.

His were the first feet to sink into the swamp-mire; his skin crawled at the humidity. He felt as though he'd been dumped in water. Compared to the dryness of the plains, he could barely stand it. Standing with his ears pricked forward, shaking already sweat-damp hair out of his face, he gathered up his siblings with a look to quell their doubts and fears (and his own), and started in. One sibling opened their mouth -- and Stormbreaker shook his head, silencing him, quelling fears. "We'll find him. Don't worry. So long as we stick together. How many other glowing kiokote are there?"

And he was, of course, the first to set foot in the swamp. As if drawn by his presence, his siblings followed, like rain after a storm.

Preference List: No preference, I like them all.

Kiokote Name: Swanheart
Gender of Kiokote: Female
Personality Keywords: Fiercely protective, affectionate
Character Concept: Plains gave rise to trees, thick trees with muddy water beneath them. The air was different, the trees were different, and the ground was different. They had always been unusual, glowing kiokote amongst other, plainer marked. Perhaps, she hoped, their different and the swamp’s different would be the same, would be accepted.

They are haggard, paused in front of the daunting wall of living growth, but there is an undercurrent of energy. She knows not all of her siblings are happy to be searching for a father who is the cause of their curse, but the excitement is not to be denied. Her eyes wander over her family, soft and content. There is hope in each of them, for a father, for a home, for friends. It is all that she wants for her siblings, to be accepted. She loves them, has cajoled and soothed them, mended their hurts and brushed away tears. They are her world, her glorious world, and plains or swamp will not change that.

(But. But. The voice whispers in her mind, but. This place is new, different like them. In the face of acceptance, will they no longer need each other?)

They have come far, not only in miles but in their minds. Left behind are those who hated, feared, revered them. She wishes with all of her heart that the scars in their minds were left as well; that her family could begin anew. Her siblings have been hurt by the outsiders, have cowered or raged against them, and those marks are still there. In all of her comforting she has never mentioned the part of her deep inside that seethes at these others who have hurt her tribe. (Will never mention when her rage boiled over and one who had injured one of her siblings learned never to do so again.)

Her siblings set foot into the swamp, nervous and excited, but she hangs back, watching each one take the plunge. Their glow illuminates the shadows, and she hopes it means something. Her last sibling turns to look at her, a look of concern crossing their face. There will be other time to worry and fear; it is now time to stand strong. She puts a smile on, not entirely false, and follows her family into this new place.

Preference List: white, yellow

Kiokote Name: Rock Squirrel
Gender of Kiokote: Male
Personality Keywords: hyperactive, prankster, fun
Character Concept: All of my siblings are just so dowdy – over-protective or angry or scared! It’s my job to brighten their days. So what if my lovely sister didn’t like the spider on her head? Everyone else laughed! Or that time I made paint out of berries and dumped it on my brothers. I thought that was pretty hilarious (and after a very long run and hide and seek game, they admitted it was a bit funny too). Other kiokote are kinda mean to my family, so I try and balance that out, ya know?

But now we’re going to go find this kimethingy who’s supposed to be our dad. I don’t care too much about this guy, I mean, he kinda ditched us and mom if you catch my drift. But everyone else wants to go to the swamp and it should be fun, all these new things to try and new people to meet. Whether we find this guy or not, we’re definitely going to have fun! (Well, I’ll have fun, and I’ll make sure everyone else does too. They’re going to die of seriousness one day, honestly!)

We’re almost to this swamp place (which, how does our fearless leader know that? Big brother needs to share his secrets), and we’re all super tired and everyone else is grumpy. I tried to tell a joke and nearly got my head bitten clean off! If they’d listened to me and slowed the pace a bit and seen the sights (so what if there’s nothing to see but grass?) we all wouldn’t be this tired and cranky. They don’t even seem that excited, but they have enough energy to snap at me for ‘prancing around like an idiot, you’re such a moron Bounce!’.

(Don’t tell anyone, but I love my family. And this place does seem a bit scary (where is the sky?). But we’re always going to have each other so I guess that makes it okay.)
Preference List: no preference

Kiokote Name: Plainsfire // "Flare"
Gender of Kiokote: Female
Personality Keywords: Spirited, vibrant, imaginative
Character Concept: Her skin twitched with indecision. She could see the start of the swamp in the far distance, a siren call that lured her forward, even as homesickness pulled her back. In frustration, Plainsfire kicked up her heels and wheeled about, darting for the next hilltop that would lead her home, to the hills and valleys and plains she knew so well. When she reached it, she came to a quick stop as a flash of her naming dream came to her once again. The thick grasses burned with a hypnotic, raging fire, and she could see herself racing through the fields, trying to outrun the fire; shaking her head, she cleared it of the dream, her attention once again drawn back to the swamp.

Really, she assured herself, there would be places to run in the swamp. She knew it. She could see it, deep inside a part of her that had always been out of place on the plains. She would find those places that called to her and set them ablaze with her speed and her cunning... and she would find the missing pieces of her history. That last thought decided it, and with one last look behind her, she threw herself headlong into a run, racing the wind as she barreled toward the swamp, toward her father, toward her future.

Preference List: Orange, white


Kiokote Name: Wandering Heart // "Wanderer"
Gender of Kiokote: Male
Personality Keywords: Quiet, curious, pensive
Character Concept: One step; another; two more and then all four hooves were in the water on the edges of the swamp. Wanderer had expected some sort of jolt, perhaps of recognition, perhaps of aversion; he felt instead a strong sense of relief, knowing his journey had finally truly begun.

The swamp was nothing like what he'd expected. He'd thought the place would perhaps be dank and dark, with the smell of rancid fish everywhere, but the truth of it was quite different. There was light in surprising places, he discovered as he worked his way further in -- though the first time he found a glowing mushroom it nearly startled him back to the plains. Perhaps when he found his father, the... not-kiokote, his mother had named it... would be able to shed some light on the strange glowing fungus.

When his first night in the swamp came, he realized it wasn't merely the occasional mushroom that glowed. He saw things in the distance, moving and weaving through the swamp, things that glowed like he himself did. He tracked one down, one whose eyes glowed like Wanderer and his siblings had been told their father's did, and bracing himself, he brought himself forward from the dubious cover of night, approaching the kimeti solemnly. "My name is Wandering Heart," he began, "and I have a tale to sing, if you will help me and listen..."

Preference List: White, green, red