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 Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 12:11 pm
The Totoma have arrived, a first few hardy travelers from the icy North braving the heat and humidity of the Swamp and the lands between, harsh for them even in the depths of winter. They blew in with the snow and brought war stories and their peculiarly brash and simple way of looking at the world, a mindset and philosophy born in and nurtured by rocky, snowy mountains and cruel, hard tundra. From the bleak taiga and the unforgiving permafrost has been forged a Kin more death-defying and stoic than any other. Strong of limb and stubborn of mind, the Totoma are to almost to a beast straightforward, honest, and honorable. They live by strict if somewhat odd codes of behavior, most of which dictate what constitutes a fair fight—the Totoma, more than any of the Kin, like to resolve their problems speedily and with force. This is true of females equally as of males: there is little gender differentiation in Totoma society, and in fact does are expected to be somewhat hardier, since pregnancy and labor do not excuse them from their duties as hunters and warriors. Lone Wolf-ism is more common among Totoma than any of the Kin except Kimeti, although a little more than half of all Totoma group up, in tribes ranging from fierce clans to strictly-regimented military societies. These tribes (and also the lone wolves) are nearly always at war of some kind of another, and life for the average Totoma is an endless succession of raids, defenses, kidnappings, and strategy. Peace is typically declared out of necessity in the wintertime, when scarcity and brutal weather drive the Totoma to shelter and huddle. For all the battle-hardened, bloodthirsty nature of the Totoma, death in the course of warfare is uncommon except in the bitterest of feuds. Battle is highly formalized and typically takes place on a one-on-one basis, and it is considered more honorable to acknowledge one’s inferiority and forfeit than it is to die stubbornly and waste a valuable resource (i.e. your body). Therefore death typically only occurs as the result of wounds sustained during battles between matched equals, usually days after one or another has been brought down to defeat. The Totoma's familiar is the Golden Eagle, a huge, vicious beast. Their bond with the Totoma is mystical and celebrated, and it is considered a pinnacle of accomplishment to catch and subdue a fully-grown adult. Some prefer to rob an eagle of its hatchlings as soon as they start to fly from the nest and fall to the ground, but this route is generally frowned upon as cowardly. One can offset this idea by doing it when the mother eagle is supervising, if one is suicidal. Their Life Cycle Unlike the other Kin, Totoma are born live. The tundra and the mountains are no places for a fragile egg. Covered in a thick coat of fur that rapidly dries and fluffs up after birth, the Totoma walks within hours and is relatively self-sufficient within weeks. When other Kin are stumbling foals, the Totoma’s eyes are opened and he has already learned a few rudimentary words. The fluffy birth coat rapidly gives way to hard, plate-like scales of thick flesh, and keratin spikes and horns: a creature made for battle, even as a young thing. Their live birth means that, strangely, Totoma are robbed of Naming Dreams. In a concept that will surely seem incredibly alien to the other Kin, the Totoma neither dream their names nor are given them by their parents: instead, Totoma earn their names through some act of bravery or valor. Your Totoma will be certed as “Totoma” until he is an adult, at which point your chosen name will be assigned to his cert under the assumption that he has earned it (meaning yes, you will choose a name for your newborn foal). Please remember that this severely limits available names for Totoma: be ready and willing to explain what act gave your Totoma his name. This also means that phrase-names like Carries-All and Spills-Blood are far more common than single words, although these do exist. The Totoma do not go in for purple prose and flighty poetry, so make your name as simple and straightforward as possible. To die nameless is the greatest shame a Totoma can face (and so the name Nameless is not an option for your Totoma, in much the same way we would not name a baby Coward), and so some older nameless Totoma are driven to perform suicidal acts of sacrifice to earn a name. These unlucky but brave few are given the post-mortem honorific “who-died-honorably,” such as Travels-Far, who-died-honorably: perhaps a Totoma who perished in his journey to the Swamp. A great many of the Totoma embarking for the Swamp were nameless, in search of honor. This may be something to remember when naming your adult Totoma: did he, perhaps, earn his name on the trip over? Or was it an established name before he left home? You are also free to leave your Totoma nameless. He will be certed as Totoma, and you can change this at any time via RP. Changing an ADULT Totoma from nameless to named MUST be done via RP. Do not simply choose this option unless you plan on leaving him nameless or RPing the name-earning. Otherwise, go ahead and give him a name. While nearly all Totoma names are the result of physical strength, even the Totoma recognize that not all are so hardy. Therefore strategic intellect, stealthiness, a talent for tracking prey or enemies, or even a particular knack for singing the glory of fighters or honoring the dead can earn a name, although this path is more difficult than simply performing an act of strength or hardiness.
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:29 am
Totoma Concept Contest Ten Totoma among the many that have arrived are up for grabs. These ten Totoma have, during the course of their journey to the swamp, done something to earn their name, according to the naming-choosing outlined in the previous post. For the purpose of this concept contest, we ask that you come up with a name, and give us a short blurb, a paragraph or so, about what they did to earn this name. You may enter up to two times. Your entries can be both female, both male, gender neutral, or one of each--it's entirely up to you. Please post both of your entries in the same post using the following form. You don't have to list every single Totoma in your preference list--just the ones you are interested in, even if that's just one.
[b]Your username:[/b]
[b]Your preference list:[/b]
[b]Totoma name:[/b]
[b]Personality Concept in three words or less:[/b]
[b]Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name:[/b]
First, second, third and fourth place bonus prizes In addition to winning their Totoma, the top four favourites as selected by Rejam and Blue will also receive an eagle, the wild hunter-bird of the Totoma. The first place winner will receive a custom eagle colored to coordinate with their Totoma or one semi-custom eagle (specify three colors). Second place will get first pick of the three birds pictured above, third place will get second choice, and fourth the remainder. Contest ends at 10 PM EST on March 31st!
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:55 pm
Your username: Muffinsbaby
Your preference list: Doe Three, Buck Two, Doe Eight, Buck one, Doe Five, Buck Four, Buck Seven, Doe Nine, Doe Ten, Buck Six.
Totoma name: Steadfast Challenge
Personality Concept in three words or less: Stubborn and Quiet
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name:
She was small, compared to most of the others, and was laughed at because of it, until she challenged them. Each would leave her, head ringing and wobbling slightly and she would watch them go, her head held high. Upon inspection, the hoofprints left in the show would be sure, perfect, even at the point of impact of the two skulls. The elders saw this thus named her for her sure footing and steadfast nature.
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 11:36 pm
Your username: Lolli McHotpants
Your preference list: Buck seven, buck two, buck six.
Totoma name: Broke-the-Mountain
Personality Concept in three words or less: Goal-oriented and intelligent
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name:
The rocks had fallen some time after the first of the snow overhang had begun to melt. All hand known that with the shelter of the cave came the risk of avalanche or rockslides with the spring- None had suspected that it would come this quickly. Still on the outside of the cave when the boulder and cold dirt had fallen, the buck was left for dead. A shameful and humiliating death of starvation and no name earned. Standing at the base of the fallen ground he sniffed and squinted calculating eyes against the dark until- The faintest crack of light and softest breaths of air could be found. Steeling his shoulders and back, gritting his teeth, and hoping against hope that this wasn't a stubborn and foolish venture the buck pushed with all of his weight. He moved the rabble that fell down around his neck and head and closed his eyes against the sting of dirt in his eyes. He shoved and grunted and fought with the very land around him until he felt the air grow colder and the light push against his eye-lids. His head was through. Then his shoulders. Much like a child being born he willed himself out.
In a crash he was free. He had won. The buck had broken through the mountain itself and now he had his name.
Your username: Lolli McHotpants
Your preference list: Doe three and doe nine.
Totoma name: stood Long
Personality Concept in three words or less: Protective, quiet, steadfast
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name: The child had been born and left. She knew not who had bore it and nor did she care. All that mattered was that it was nameless, new, and weak. She disliked weak things but more than that she hated watching life go wasted. So she stood over the new-one. If a creature scurried past she would stomp on it and feed it to the child. She pulled the mountain grasses up around her to form a bed and more feed for the young one. At night, when things would think to prey on her new charge she would fight those things off without ever once stepping away from the foal beneath her. At great cost to herself she kept it safe until she deemed it ready to face it's own fates. She looked at it. It looked at her. With a nod the not-so-new child nodded and said two words- "Stood Long."
Then it was gone, and she could at last sleep.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 7:11 am
Your username: Mnara
Your preference list: 7, 2, 4, 5, 3, 1, 6, 9, 8, 10
Totoma name: Moves-Not
Personality Concept in three words or less: Stubborn brash racist
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name: Moves-Not was challenged to honorable combat by his rival from birth. Both were Totoma at the time, neither having proven themselves, though both filled with more pride than they deserved. After hours of fighting, Moves-Not realized his body was slowing from exhaustion, and he was unable to dodge or parry his opponent properly. He was beginning to lose the fight. So, he dug his hooves into the ground and became immovable, and his rival wore herself out attempting to make him fall. She forfeited, and he was dubbed Moves-Not in honor of his unusual fighting tactic.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:14 pm
Your username: Suishii
Your preference list: doe ten, doe five, doe nine, doe eight
Totoma name: Pathfinder
Personality Concept in three words or less: Impulsive, curious, thrillseeker
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name:
Her small group had left for that fabled Swamp days ago, almost instinctively knowing where to go, even though their path took them into lands unfamiliar. One night, blind from a sudden snowstorm, the group had stumbled almost over the edge of a treacherous crevasse. It went on for as far as they could see in either direction. They knew they could not go around, and the only way across was the thinnest of ice bridges. The doe, being the lightest of the small group, volunteered. She made it almost halfway before the ice began to give. Laughing with that strange joy born of danger, she bunched her hind legs and leaped mightily to the other side, just as the bridge collapsed. Unwilling to leave her companions behind, she found another way: a tall pine grew near the edge, dead and scoured by wind but still sturdy. She threw her weight against it until the roots gave way and it fell to bridge the crevasse; a precarious path, but enough to see them all safely across.
It was then they called her Pathfinder.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:07 pm
Your username: Kitty Sprgihtt
Your preference list: Doe nine, doe ten, buck six, doe five, doe five
Totoma name: Sun Runner
Personality Concept in three words or less: Short-tempered hothead.
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name:
The Totoma traveling to the swamp were having difficulty learning to hunt in the new places they were traveling. Finally fed up with the teasing cats of the plains, this Totoma gave a shout of challenge and gave chase! The plains cats are terribly fast, and the weather there is much warmer than back home, but this Totoma pushed on through headache and weakness of leg. They ran down and killed the impertinent plains cat, the first of their kind to do it, and brought it back to the group. They were suffering from heat exhaustion at that point and needed a bit of a lie-down, but they brought back a difficult kill at great cost, even if it wasn't very filling.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 5:55 pm
Your username: Le Franz
Your preference list: Buck Six, Buck Seven, Buck Four, Buck Two
Totoma name: Quaking Sky
Personality Concept in three words or less: Timid. Pious. Well-spoken.
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name: Quaking Sky is the black sheep among Totoma, cowardly and not quick to violence. Upon the full-formation of his horns, Totoma was challenged to a duel, by some Totoma hoping to earn their name. Quaking Sky being very religious, ignored the belligerent Totoma, quietly praying in hopes of divine intervention. Quaking Sky's aggressor had enough waiting, and began to run, full speed at Quaking Sky, speeding down the hill between them. Quaking Sky closed his eyes, placing his faith in the highest power. The fame-seeking Totoma clipped his hoof on a rock, while running down the hill, entering into a barrel roll. The on-lookers who gathered burst into laughter, Quaking Sky began the form a smile, but was accosted; "Your not better than that buffoon. We Totoma are steadfast and brave, you are sniveling and weak; he sought to earn his name, but you've earned yours, Quaking Sky." The on-lookers turned their venomous attack unto Quaking Sky, chanting his newfound name. The name signifies his weakness, imagine the strong magnificent sky quaking and falling from a Totoma's perspective.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 6:33 pm
Your username: Astraea Pandora
Your preference list: Buck 4
Totoma name: Striking Stone
Personality Concept in three words or less: Confident, Competitive, Strong
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name: Striking likes the sound of his horns on the stone on the mountain.
CLACK
It was his stone, the stone he'd pick out when he was young, where he would learn to be strong. When he was powerful enough to defeat the stone, he would be powerful enough to do anything.
CLACK
His horns struck loudly on his rock. The sound echoed in the air, reverberated in his ears. It was the sound of power. The louder the sound, the greater the power.
CLACK
He liked power. He was confident that his power would be the greatest. He would be able to woo any doe, conquer any territory, defeat any foe!
CLACK
A tiny bit of stone broke off and flew through the air. Striking grinned.
He was winning.
Your username: Astraea Pandora
Your preference list: Doe 5, Doe 3, Doe 9
Totoma name: Greatest Strength
Personality Concept in three words or less: Matronly, Regal, Wise
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name: Her hooves do not strike the rocks, cracking them and sending sparks as some do. Her horns cannot fell a tree as some can. Her coat is not even as thick as some are. Her strength is not in those physical things, but she is Greatest Strength. She earned her name by encouraging others to press on the the wildest of blizzards, remind them why they were there. Helping even the smallest of them keep going further and further even then they were beyond their limits. When they were all relying on their physical strength, she was provided them the inner strength. Strength of the Heart, Strength of the Mind, the strengths that would not fade with age or injury. The Greatest Strengths. And when they finally made it to the swamps, it was clear what her name would be.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 7:32 pm
Your username: Tygress Dream
Your preference list: buck one, buck four, doe ten, buck seven
Totoma name: Star Reader
Personality Concept in three words or less: dedicated, intelligent, thoughtful
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name: (although there's a doe in my prefs, this is written from the pov of a young buck)
The storms didn't bother the strong totoma, they were light compared to the weather back home; the problem was the constant overcast. Without the guidance of the sun in the sky at least every couple days the long journey was directionless. The group was busy with infighting as each had their own idea of which way to go and were taking turns in battle to determine whose path to follow. It seemed promising as the sky cleared one night and the stars could be seen. This teased a memory in one of the youngsters, of a grandfather speaking of a guiding star, a point to the north that other stars moved around. So he watched the sky through the night and finally he found that bright point of light. With that point of reference he marked an arrow in the snow to show the direction they should go. Back to observing the rivalries he chose who he felt was the strongest and presented his discovery. Though the older buck laughed, "Ok Star Reader, if the clouds return before the sun we will try your idea." The clouds returned and the buck the youngster had approached won the leadership for that day. After traveling throughout the day sunset brought enough clearing to reveal they were indeed traveling in the right direction. With that confirmation the title given with a condescending laugh became one of respect and honor and the young buck now had a name, Star Reader.
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:12 am
Your username: Ryuthulhu
Your preference list: Buck 4, Doe 5, Doe 10, Buck 6, Doe 9, Buck 2, Buck 7, Doe 3, Doe 8, Buck 1
Totoma name: Sky Eater
Personality Concept in three words or less: Brash, Dramatic, Showy
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name:
Like many, this Totoma's name came from battle, not from a moment during it, however, but after, standing above their defeated foe and looming against a darkening sky so that they appeared so large that the sky disappeared behind their silhouette.The name 'Sky Eater', though somewhat poetic, is intended to represent this moment and hint at the size and power of a creature able to actually perform the feat.
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 6:44 pm
Your username: elvyralani
Your preference list: buck four, doe nine, doe ten, buck one, doe five, buck seven, doe three, buck two, doe eight, buck six
Totoma name: Deep Breath
Personality Concept in three words or less: Protective, hasty, gentle
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name:
Unlike most she was never much of a fighter, her favorite task was to watch the young totoma. This suited her but it would never lead her to a name she thought. The herd had been on the move one day and they were crossing a frozen lake. She was walking in front of the group of young when she heard a crack behind her. Turning, she saw one of the young totoma fall through the ice. Without thinking, she ran and jumped into the cold water after the young totoma. Minutes later she emerged holding the young totoma by their scruff in her mouth. For it was for her courage and the impressive Deep Breath she had took that saved the young one.
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Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 5:50 am
Your username: EchoLimaFoxtrot
Your preference list: 5, 6, 8, 4, 3, 9, 7, 2, 1, 10
Totoma name: Grinding-Halt
Personality Concept in three words or less: convicted, burdened, solid
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name: (male perspective, applies to female too)
Grinding-Halt was the son of tribe leaders. His heritage follows that path, and the blood that flowed through his veins was that of strong, brave, ingenious, and persistent totoma. He was destined to lead the tribe when his parents finally succumbed to inevitable death. Sure, there were losses and gains as battles and feuds came and went. He was a valiant fighter and a foe to be reckoned with. Many thought he would gain a great name. Finally, Grinding-Halt was obligated to battle a single foe in a ring of his tribes-totoma. For whatever reason, he was terrified. Soon after he started a charge, his hooves dug in and he came to a stop. His opponent hit him dead-on and he was left on the ground, unconscious. Humiliated, he trained harder and fought with more conviction – bringing all those before him to a grinding halt as his fear once did for him. However, his shame was still there. He embarked on the journey south to prove to himself, his parents, his tribes-totoma, and all others, that he was worthy of his name and not given it by some fluke.
Your username: EchoLimaFoxtrot
Your preference list: 5, 6, 8, 4, 3, 9, 7, 2, 1, 10
Totoma name: Forge-Ahead
Personality Concept in three words or less: simple
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name: (female perspective, applies to male too)
Forge-Ahead is one of the rather unlucky few of the totoma that was not gifted with... well, much in their minds. You could say Forge-Ahead was dropped as a baby, but really she fell down a rock cliff when she was young and had the (un)lucky situation of surviving. Miraculously (yet to be determined) she survived. She can not survive without someone or something else. If left to her own devices, she would most likely sit and watch the snow fall until her body wasted away and perished. It was no surprise that she was nameless for so long. When the warm weather came, she was sent out. Because of her simple nature, she merely went along with it. She was told to travel south, and she did: not because she was brave, foolish, out to prove anything - she did it because she was told. No one ever thought she would earn a name for she did nothing out of the ordinary. So it was a complete shock when she rallied the others during the journey, pushing them to move further south, to continue on their journey. It was hot, and their extra fur was heavy - they really just wanted to stay and rest but she urged them to move forward relentlessly. Of course, they went - at least a few of them - and when they asked her if they should stop to hunt she was back to her usual follower self and meekly did whatever she was told.
Please Note: She is not a mute/weak/deaf/useless/etc. Her mind is just simple, and easily distracted at times.
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Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 2:40 pm
Your username: Snifit
Your preference list: Buck Seven, Buck Two, Buck four
Totoma name: Wields-the-Cliffside
Personality Concept in three words or less: Intelligent, Patient, Stolid
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name: Later, the story would be told again and again, the details of it exaggerated to near-mythical proportions. Later, those that met him would hear his name and wonder how such a stolid, level-headed fellow he came upon it. He was intelligent, to be sure, and as brave as any Totoma, but he was not the fiercest or the best of hunters. The moment of naming is a single, immortal fragment of time, however, and in that one moment, when he stood between the cliff and the cave bear, the pressure of circumstance forced his name from his soul. When it was all over, the bear lay broken at the bottom of the cliff, slain by a precise application of force and a long fall, and the newly-named Wields-the-Cliffside stood on the edge, panting, exhausted, his hide marked by deep gouges from the desperate battle. All could agree that, while he did not survive the battle unscathed, and would carry the scars of the struggle for the rest of his life, the point was that he did survive.
Your username: Snifit
Your preference list: Doe three, Doe five, Doe eight
Totoma name: Scree
Personality Concept in three words or less: Sly, eloquent, resourceful
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name: She was given the simplest of names, probably to offset her mannerisms, which were so complicated and cagey as to be positively un-Totomic. She held no allegiance, followed no clan’s rule, but rather could be found wandering the mountainside and tundra plains with no regular home or berth. She would often give good advice, such as where to find food in the harsher months, or which streams were swollen with snowfall in the early spring, but nobody truly trusted her. She was, they said, as treacherous and shifting as the piles of scree beneath the cliff slopes, where a careless Totoma could slip and fatally break a leg. The fact that she never once protested to the name, and even laughed when it was given to her, was taken by all to be a sign that her designation had been aptly chosen.
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 6:34 pm
Your username: Sarano_Krem
Your preference list: buck two and seven
Totoma name: Strength of Will or Stubborn Force
Personality Concept in three words or less: thick-headed, stubborn, kind-hearted
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name: One day this young buck, being stubbrn as he was, was convinced to try and smash a giant boulder into pieces. The first few tries made the task seem hopeless, putting nothing, not even a scratch, on the large rock. That didn't stop him though, for he kept on slamming his head into it over and over again. Eventually day became night, and even the other young buck that dared him to do this had left. Finally though, in the late hours of the night while unkowingly in the presence of a pair of older totoma, he managed to put a crack in the massive rock. the buck smiled slightly before going at it again, making the crack larger and larger each time he hit it. Then with his last bit of strength he pushed himself as hard as possible into the boulder and smashed it completely before passing out. When he came to, the older totoma stood over him and smiled. They were impressed and felt he deserved a name fitting his ability.
-------------------------
Your username: Sarano_Krem
Your preference list: doe five and eight
Totoma name: Blur
Personality Concept in three words or less: sharp, impulsive, cheerful
Short paragraph about how your Totoma came by their name: even a a young little thing, she always felt special. As she grew older, she always found herself towards the head of whatever group she travelled with. One day, while playing around with some other does and bucks, she was challenged to a race; of course she would never refuse. They lined up next to a pair of trees and another totoma called out to start running. From the very begining and throughout the entire race, the doe was in first place with the others trailing far behind. She had such speed that looked almost like a blur, which was the name given to her in recognition of her running ability.
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