Kelvics in Avanthal

[Kilviria]

While fleshing out my character, I came across a few questions I'd like to get answered before writing up her history:

• How do polar bear Kelvics grow up in Avanthal? I know that Morwen knows how to make them breed true, so I imagine the cubs live together with their mother? Maybe in the Hold of her bondmate?
  
• Also, are all polar bear Kelvics obligated to serve in the Icewatch once they're fully grown? How do they go about finding a bondmate first, since the Icewatch members always work in pairs? In general, it'd be nice to have some detailed information about the Icewatch (but I see that Avanthal is in the middle of development, so I won't press). I'd like to know in what combat and other skills the members train.
  
• And does Morwen grant Kelvics one of her marks at birth, much like she does with the Vantha? They kind of belong to the city and its inhabitants, so I figured they'd be treated similarly in this regard?

Thanks in advance!

[Amondaris]

Amondaris was wrong.

[Kilviria]

New bunch of questions ...

What's the difference between a normal and a dire polar bear? And do all Kelvics of the Icewatch bond while they're young (dire or not)? It looks like a rigid concept, because I suppose there aren't many people who want to either RP a cub or work a PC or NPC bondmate into their concept right at the beginning. I'd like to be a Kelvic who's still looking for a bondmate, but already working towards serving in the Icewatch.

Just so I've understood it correctly: You meant the Kelvics need to be proficient with one or two weapons too, right? Not only their bondmates?

Also, it'd be very nice if you could send me that chat log you're speaking of. I'd very much like to know more about Avanthal to get a clear image of my IC surroundings. By the way, your help is greatly appreciated!

[Amondaris]

Amondaris was wrong again.

[Gossamer]

Kilviria-

The way it works is simple. All Icewatch are made up of Talderian Polar Bears because they are used as mounts. They must be big enough to be ridden in order to serve. If you are a normal sized polar bear, you would not be part of the Icewatch. That being said, all kelvics feel a burning need to bond and its integral to their nature. Avanthal kelvics, meaning the ones in Morwen's charge, are closest absolutely to the original concept of Kelvics because Marcus Kelvic, the creator of the race, was Morwen's Grandson via Yshul his mother. So basically Morwen knows what Marcus knew about them.

The way I designed the icewatch is that the cubs stay with their mother until they are weaned, at which time they are 'passed out' to new members or current members with injured, dead, or aging bears. These members then raise these cubs with the intent to bond (they normally bond fairly quickly) and when the cub is mature, the rider is usually fully trained and able to join the ranks... or rejoin the ranks respectively. There is most likely a special position in the Icewatch that sees to the breeding of these kelvics, making sure the females have a litter every so often and who decides who the cubs go too. I imagine the cubs are raised with firm but very fair treatment and are considered vital members of the community. All Talderian Polar Bears are born within the Icewatch so its not really a matter of being expected to serve... you do from birth. Talderian simply means Dire. In the region of Taldera, a great many animals are oversized hence 'Talderian'. I'd almost wonder if a normal sized polar bear wouldn't have a hard time growing up... meaning people would see it a little less useful than the Talderian sized ones... and though it could hunt, I'm not sure what else they'd consider it good for. So I would suspect your character if you remain 'normal' would have an inferiority complex and less status than a Talderian Polar Bear.

Morwen would mark them just as she would any other Vantha.

The system is fairly rigid... but if you are a Talderian Polar Bear, you could go with 'Bondmate Died'... since you would have been expected to have bonded from birth raised by your bondmate after weaning. I expect they'd give these animals some 'time off' and not just ship them out to the next rider needing a mount because it would mess with their heads a bit. So maybe your off duty 'recovering' and will start interviewing potential riders shortly. Your pc wouldn't be happy without one though... and there are lots of great steady players throughout the game that would enjoy working on this concept with you I suspect.

Amondaris is not correct about the weapons proficiency. The Rider would need a skillset of various weapons probably not limited to sword but including ranged and spears too. The kelvics would be better suited to survival in their animal form, so I would emphasize wilderness survival (artic), hunting, tracking, unarmed combat as a means to help out the rider. Remember, you are just a big old wooly horse for another PC.

[Gossamer]

Sidenote:

Avanthal was my original concept and as such I'm overseeing Cheshire's development of it. An unbonded 'head bear' is a very unnatural concept to both the Kelvic Race and the Icewatch as a whole. They NEED to be bonded to someone. This is a challenge as a player to find another player (or create an NPC bondmate) that is interesting enough to interact with in that heavy of a pair situation. You need a player that will stick around, post at your rate, and be a strong supporter of your PC. The Kelvic race as a whole was designed to FORCE players to interact with one another. They were not just created by me to give people an unusual take on Shapeshifters.

You have to understand, this race was CREATED artifically by a summoner and morpher who knew some super ancient secrets and had the blood of Gods flowing through his veins. Marcus was a genius.

But the vast majority of people on Mizahar try to make their Kelvics SMART INDEPENDENT and OPINIONATED when this is completely and utterly untrue to the concept of the character if you read the Kelvic page completely. They spend their whole lives looking for a bondmate, then serving that bondmate completely. The bondmates needs become their own. They don't have a high IQ. They don't do well alone. They don't form animal packs and just hang with thier own kind. Kelvics honestly don't do well with other kelvics unless they have the support of a mutal non-kelvic bondmate to keep them going.

Its very critical you, and alot of other people, understand this. Avanthal, as I've said before, has the purest most 'original like' kelvics out there. Marcus made sure his grandmother was hooked up and made sure she had the means to keep her army bred true.

[Kilviria]

This answers my current questions. I will think about the history idea you gave me and probably adjust a lot of my CS a bit to reflect her Kelvic nature more accurately.

Thanks very much for taking the time and typing all that out! It helps me a lot, Goss! And Amon, the chat log you sent is very useful too!