About NukilikNukilik
Background:
Nukilik and his brother Sukko were born as raised by their mother as most naatanuk cubs are in the unforgiving savage north. He was nursed until his second spring and then taught to hunt among the ice fields for seal, walrus, and gull eggs. He learned the importance of keeping distance from two-legs, the cruel bugbears in particular, and the danger of swimming too far from the ice. On his second nameday, his mother brought her cubs to the Holy Caverns deep beneath the ice where naatanuk elders sang their ancient primal songs in tribute to the wonder of the natural world. It's common for cubs to experience a spiritual awakening during their first visit to the Holy Caverns but for Nukilik it was something more. Nature's spirit poured through young Nukilik like a tidal wave, flooding his mind with words, images, and scents, most of which the cub couldn't begin to describe. The experience was overwhelming for poor Nukilik but seeing the cub's tortured throes, the elders in attendance congratulated his mother. Such a sign was often a good omen. Afterward, Nukilik, Sukko, and their mother all went their separate ways. Their separate wasn't for a lack of familial bonds or compassion but naatanuk are solitary creatures by nature and the two young bears were ready to explore and survive on their own. Sukko departed north while Nukilik headed south. For a time Nukilik did well. His mother had been an excellent teacher and fortune favored the young naatanuk's hunts. His travels took him further and further south until one day he caught sight of a plump ring seal pup separated from its parents. Chasing after his meal, Nukilik dove into the icy coastal waters. He swam deeper and deeper, deeper even than he knew he should swim, but his prey was so close. Eventually the burning in his lungs became too much and he was forced to abandon the chase. Nukilik reversed direction for the water's surface only to be flooded by nature's spirit again. The young naatanuk willed himself to push him toward the surface where precious air waited for him but his shaggy legs barely moved. He began to panic and soon darkness took hold. Fortunately Nukilik did not drown that day. Instead he woke some distance from where he'd lost consciousness, tangled in a two-legs fisherman's net. He wasn't certain where he was but he knew he was too far south. Around him the two-legs, humans, bickered over his fate in their tongue which he did not understand. Normally naatanuk that wander too far south are captured and transported further north at best or hunted and killed at worst. In Nukilik's case, the fisherman that won the argument chose neither. Instead he was beaten, painfully bound, and loaded into a small cart to be taken even further south to the human's village. At this point Nukilik expected death or at least a painful battle followed by death. Whatever fate the fisherman had in store for him was averted when yet another group of humans arrived to intercept the fisherman's cart. While they also argued Nukilik observed that these humans weren't fishermen. They wore long robes that nearly covered them head to toe and the elder human that appeared to be their leader brandished a shiny piece of metal that hung from a cord around his neck. Eventually the argument came to a close with the fisherman ceding his cart and Nukilik within it. The young naatanuk would come to know this man as Father Holbrook. Nukilik was brought to the village of Aldencross and freed from his bonds. He was fed and his wounds tended. After his experience with the fishermen Nukilik was confused but grateful for Father Holbrook's kindness. Trusting the priest, and not trusting his chances of escaping back into the north on his own right away, Nukilik remained in Aldencross at Father Holbrook's side. Initially he'd only planned to stay for a few days but those days turned into weeks and then months. After a while he lost any motivation to return home. Under Father Holbrook's tutelage he learned the common tongue of man and of their favored goddess Mitra. Many within Aldencross feared Nukilik, and he suspected a few even hated him, but the young bear took it all in stride. Some accused Holbrook of foolishly keeping the dangerous naatanuk as a pet. Others believed Nukilik's adoption was an effort to prove that his kind were capable of being reasoned with and civilized in Mitra's light. Whatever his initial motivation, Father Holbrook kept it to himself and it never mattered as the goodly priest was too tenured and too respected within the church for formal charges to ever be brought against him. For his part, he did truly care for the young bear under his protection and actively kept Nukilik from cruelty or harm. That is until the needs of Talingrade became too great to ignore... Persona:
At four years of age, Nukilik is a young and naive naatanuk. Despite the hardships he's endured and the difficulty of his surroundings, he's remained a gentle curious spirit. He often underestimates his own strength and is slow to anger but those that get to know him quickly recognize that the naatanuk's fearsome nature doesn't lurk far beneath the surface. |
