HSTORYBulan was born in the nomadic city of Endrykas on a showery spring morning to a fox kelvic mother—who had come from the Shiber tribes in the Ekytol desert—and a drykas father in the Sapphire clan. Conceived one festival night when her folks had had too much wine to drink, Bulan's father had a light hand in her upbringing and her mother had many children, before and after Bulan, and showed little maternal interest in her offspring. It didn't matter in the end, as Drykas look after all their children together, so Bulan never lacked a mother- or father-figure to tend to her cuts and scrapes, teach her things she wanted to know, or care for her.
The Drykas are caring and warm, but stern and fair, with their children, and Bulan experienced what could be called an 'ordinary Drykas upbringing'. The Sapphire Clan are renowned for their Webbing mages, and Bulan's Pavillion family were no exception. As Bulan began to follow her innate hunting instincts and brought in small game frequently for the family, the Pavillion Ankal saw value in having a wolf companion accomany him on his forays into the grasslands to tend to the intricate djed knotworks and invited Bulan along, to the kelvic's surprise and delight. These overnight camping trips were some of Bulan's fondest memories.
The Ankal took an interest in the kelvic's education and honed her tracking skills by showing her how to recognise the tracks that often criss-crossed their paths and how to survive in the wild by finding waterways, making shelters, and starting fires. At night, under the array of dazzling stars, the kelvic's curiosity was a source of distraction and amusement to the Webbing mages, and they told her stories about the Mizahar deities, like Caiyha, Zulrav and Semele. Bulan became enamoured with the strength and might that was spoken of Zulrav, especially. Having felt his presence daily in the windswept grasses, the kelvic nurtured a small faith and began leaving small offerings to the Storm-father.
As happy as life seemed on the surface for the kelvic, as she grew so did a niggling sensation deep in her heart that this life wasn't for her. The kelvic began to feel an intense cabin-fever, becoming dissillusioned with the drum-and-dull every-day life. Each morning she awoke with an incessant need to 'go somewhere', without really being aware of why or where or what for. The kelvic watched as her Drykas brothers and sisters met and bonded with their striders, earning their windmarks, and being accepted as full Drykas within he Clan. The sense of feeling left behind and the jealousy that flickered in the kelvic caused her to become prickly, overly-sensitive, and anti-social. One clear, moon-lit night the Ankal took the kelvic aside and told her about the origins of Kelvic and bond-mates.
"You are like the striders," he explained, "except you are not made from clay and wind, like our reincarnated ancestors. You were crafted like the tapestry, or the sword, or bow, by Man, to serve a purpose. You were made with magic like the djed in our Webs you need an earthly anchor—a bond-mate."
Bulan's heart thundered loudly as she listened to the Ankal speak, and recognised the need her Ankal spoke of. It was etched into her bones, just like the Ankal said, she could feel it—a tug, a pull—an undeniable desire for a bond-mate. Everything made sense to the kelvic from that day on and her inner-turmoil was soothed for a while, having her true nature acknowledged, seen, and spoken into truth. As the seasons past the kelvic recognised something else unspoken there within her heart—her bondmate was not in the Cyphrus plains. She had to leave.
The kelvic admitted her feelings to the Ankal and asked for permission to leave the Clans—to go on the journey to seek her true anchor. The Ankal acquiesced, and the Pavillion gifted the wolf a few small supplies to get her on her way. At dawn the morning of her departing, her mother embraced her and cried, which deeply moved the kelvic. Her mother gifted her a short sword with a bone-handle intricately carved with peony flowers, which had once belonged to
her bond-mate, in the hopes it would bring her wolf-daughter luck on her search.
Bulan felt guilty for ever doubting her mother's love, and for the tensions that had arisen between them over the seasons. As her mother walked with her to the Wind-gates, at the edge of the vast horse-clans, they passed by the tattooist where Bulan got a peony flower tattooed across her throat with a
promise—"one day, when I meet my bond-mate, I'll return, we'll meet again."
In
SPRING 521AV, the wolf-kelvic left the harsh Cyphrus plains and began her journey to find a bond-mate—guided by nothing else but that hope in her heart.
![[Verified by Luminescence]](./images/checkmark.png "[Verified by Luminescence]")
