gaia, vulkaria

by **tinkerbell** Sun Dec 06, 2015 5:48 pm

name: gaia
age: 34 moons
rank: general
allegiance: vulkaria
birth moon: the flower moon, 1981
gender: she-cat
appearance: a sleek brown bengal she-cat with green eyes that look like wet grass washed by the rain.
personality:
greedy ;; gaia shows an intense and selfish desire for everything, especially power. she'll do anything to get the decision made or win a fight.
crafty ;; gaia is clever at achieving aims by indirect or decietful methods. some dare to call her a crafty crook, faking injuries and such to escape being held prisoners and whatnot. she's a different kind of crafty, too: she loves to weave flowers and leaves and moss into beautiful patterns for her den and nest. as the yijiao group has taken down many humans, they have gained more artistic skills and she is valid to paint and write on her walls with mud and such.
charismatic ;; gaia exercises a compelling charm that inspires the devotion of others. the perfect leader is a charismatic leader.
resourceful ;; gaia has the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties. she's the one who planned the whole raid on gustclan and such, and she'll never back her or her clan down from a challenge. you could call her creative in this way as well.
disciplined ;; gaia shows a controlled form of behavior or way of working. she acts professional and traditional to the forest of bones code and never backs down from challenge. she was always the most likely victor in a kit game as a younger cat, and she can seem to hypnotize the wolves living close by her yijiao territory.
story: the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was a wide expanse of land, stretching far into the horizon. the sun shone happily above her head, and off in the distance the trees waved gently with the breeze. it was all so beautiful and perfect. she knew immediately that she wanted it all and she'd stop at nothing to get it. unfortunately for her, many moons down the way it would all be gone; dotted with twoleg nests and paths built for monsters to traverse. her mother had been a kittypet. had, because she escaped when pregnant, never to return. why she decided to escape the lap of luxury was a mystery, but she didn't once look back to where she came. by the time she had give birth to three kits- two male and one female- she had a moon of experience under her belt. this was not enough to get her by, however. she was greatly malnourished at birth and, as a result, two kits were underdeveloped. the she-cat never got to meet her brothers, nor did her mother ever tell her of them. from that moment onward, she was her mother's everything. for that reason her mother named her gaia, mother of all, and boy did the name fit. from the second her eyes opened, gaia felt entitled to the world. being the only surviving kit of three, she was endlessly spoiled and doted upon. whatever it was she desired, her mother would bend over backwards to supply for her. her mother's sole purpose was to provide whatever it was her precious daughter requested next. to say that gaia didn't care about her mother would be a lie; she was the only thing the young kit was certain of. the only thing she could rely on in a brand new world with perils around every corner. she clung to her mother as if connected by a thread that, if severed, would immediately end her life. she did, indeed, care for her mother (if not simply out of self-preservation). she wasn't heartless; not yet, anyhow. for many moons it was just she and her mother. the two scraped by more as a result of her mother's scavenging than hunting. as the pair drifted from place to place, her mother picked up friends from all kinds. through her network of acquaintances, mother and daughter were able to avoid many obstacles and conflicts that would have otherwise ended in their premature deaths. it was from this that gaia learned the importance of networking and connections. by the time she had reached six moons of age, her mother had talked their way in with a group of loners. it became almost an adopted family to the two and, from their new alliance, gaia learned how to hunt and fight. and boy was she ever good at it. her mother had difficulty picking up the skills and techniques the other loners tried to teach her. the young she-cat decided to take it upon herself to keep her mother alive. though her mother had little-to-no defense and definitely lacked any amount of offense, she had a sharp mind that could quickly get them out of any situation that seemed to be getting ugly. it was from her mother that she learned to think quickly before she acted. as the expanse of twoleg houses continued to grow, the ragtag group was pushed ever closer to the boundaries that marked clan territory. it was apparent that their increasing presence disturbed the clan cats. to say that there were a few scuffles would be an understatement. at the age of ten moons, prey was growing more scarce in the area that the loner group frequented. her mother had cautioned many times against stepping into clan territory, but the rest shrugged it off. they had survived many battles in the past and this would be no different. ten moons. that's when gaia saw her mother's throat ripped open on the battlefield. the opponent didn't even flinch; hardly even hesitated before letting out a triumphant yowl. it was this moment that marked her loathing for the clans and their simply barbaric ways. shortly after, it all began to fall apart. as she had begun to suspect, the group meant almost nothing without her mother there holding the shaky alliance together. by thirteen moons, resources were growing increasingly scarce. each cat was out for their own well-being, only sticking around for the slight possibility of benefit from another. gaia came to a realization when observing a fight over a leftover mouse carcass. the fight was a lethal one, but from it the young she-cat had reached a revelation. as she stared down coldly at her once-was-comrade bleeding out, she worked out all that she had gathered. connections were essential, but no one could be trusted. to get anywhere in the world, you had to step on others. self-respecting cats didn't like being stepped on, though. that's why you had to convince them that they weren't being stepped on. they were helping and you could help them, too. that was the day she left the group and never looked back. she knew not what became of them, nor did she care. they were her past. merely a shadow of what she was. she was far more now. gaia began her network small. she analyzed each cat closely, trying to pinpoint the ones with increased potential or more malleable minds. there was nothing of interest to her until one day she met him. they were the definition of muscle and never took credit for anything. she knew immediately the potential of having a cat like that in her arsenal. 'the enforcer', she instantly dubbed them. he was open-minded and quick to join the cause. he seemed to have no moral standing, nor did he seem to care enough to form one. she liked that about him, though; he dedicated himself quickly to her and, as a result, her cause. she needed almost no explanation in order for him to do her bidding. she would merely have to flick her eyes in the direction of a cat, and by the time the sun rose the next day, they would have ceased to exist. he didn't speak much, but she also enjoyed that about him as idle conversation was never her forte. put simply, he just didn't require words to get the point across. very rarely did a cat dare step near her when he was around, quietly watching from her side with absolute vigilance. it was apparent that one wrong step would result in an unfortunate demise. from the day he joined her ranks, other cats stepped carefully around her. his name was kane and he was her bodyguard. the embodiment of wrath and humility. it took time, building her army as she was. eventually they began to come to her. it became increasingly easier as she gained supporters and word had begun to travel. the pair certainly was nothing special yet, but many were drawn to their unlikely association. she heard the rumors passing through and they never ceased to bring a smug smirk to her face. whether he was drawn by the talk or simply appeared, a new face appeared one day. gaia observed closely as he watched various groups that passed. she could see a spark in his eyes that she knew meant an opportunity had just walked straight into her paws. of the groups, he watched her the closest. when he watched her band of misfits there was a new look that entered his eyes. one that screamed of danger and pulled her closer all the same. she only approached him once and he quickly accepted. he was young, probably no more than thirteen moons of age, and he reeked of envy and, though it was buried deep, she could sense the bloodlust. in him she saw a potential pawn that could be manipulated and exploited all the same. she could see him working himself closer to her, trying to work his way up the ranks... and she let him. she could see the want in his eyes. not for her, but for what she was. it was a dangerous move to have him so close, but she was smart enough to know that keeping him close was far smarter than letting him lurk in the shadows. she could at least watch and gauge him from this distance while still retaining the ability to use him for all his worth. his name was slate and he was her second in-command. the embodiment of envy and patience. for a short while, it was just the three of them. with the presence of kane, no one seemed to consider challenging them. the trio did as they liked, stepping over clearly marked boundaries and chasing out cats that got in the way of gaia's endless want. the few markers that she actually acknowledged were those of the clans, but even that wasn't enough to keep them from trouble. on rare occasions, the trio would swoop close to a clan border in pursuit of prey, but never did they cross it. after the group's continued presence on the outskirts of gustclan territory, breezestar decided that he had enough. leading a small patrol, he came face-to-face with gaia and her two accomplices. the resulting battle was not a pretty one by any means and neither side made it out unscathed. in the end, gaia knew they were overpowered and made a quick retreat. of the injuries received, hers was the heaviest, dealt by breezestar himself. as if just waiting for a chance, he appeared: a fat white ball of hair that claimed to be male, but had nothing to show for it. he harassed endlessly about her injury and how he could treat it. she did not enjoy the reminder and stubbornly refused to acknowledge it even existed. she would be fine, she insisted. it was nothing. if she gave even the slightest indication of weakness, she knew shale would be breathing down her neck in an instant. as the swelling increased, she could practically feel the blood lust coming off of slate in waves. he was waiting for her to make a mistake, that much she knew. it wasn't until about the fifth time that the white tom had pestered her about infection and potential death that it dawned on her. sure, she could deny that she was hurt all she want, but if it were indeed to get infected, that would be the end. the infection wouldn't kill her, though. shale would. understanding the importance of this realization, she consented to letting the tom heal her. she hated to admit it, but he hadn't been bluffing. the wound was gone almost instantly and his knowledge of herbs and healing was unlike anything she had ever encountered. she extended a proposition to him: she would provide him with all the food he desired and protection for his fat, defenseless body. he hardly even needed to move. in return, he would be their healer. he wasn't allowed to deny any treatment and failure to save or heal a cat that she requested was punishable. how she would punish him was never specified, only implied. she knew it would never come to that, though. he didn't appear to be the kind to turn anyone away. his name was monster and he was her treasured medic. the embodiment of gluttony and chastity. when gaia encountered her, she seemed lost and lonely. it wasn't surprising, really, how quickly the newcomer became attached to her after considering her personality and what she had been through. in an instant, the she-cat had latched herself on to gaia and claimed to have eyes only for her. she never took the words to heart to begin with, but if she had it would have become blindingly obvious later on what a blatant lie it was. the furry white she-cat was a flirt that had the purest heart imaginable. more than that, though, she was so naive and easy to control. without even trying, gaia had her wrapped around her paw... and the bengal cat wanted her new recruit all to herself. she knew that wasn't possible considering the cat's personality, but she made sure to enforce her ownership regardless. she made sure it was known that she was the favorite, and if any cat thought they could change it they were wrong and would promptly be eliminated. her presence was soothing and unending love for all creatures great and small certainly had its perks. if nothing else, though, she would prove to be a good source of new recruits as she undoubtedly would pump out litter after litter. her name was aphrodite and she was all gaia's. the embodiment of lust and kindness. at the time that he entered the picture, they were five strong. their paths had crossed a handful of times, but she didn't see the potential in allying with him for quite some time. it wasn't until things started getting tense that she realized there needed to be a balance. her group was defined by cats that were smart, resourceful, and - for the most part - independently minded. they were each vastly different from one another and, as a result, were often on the brink of disagreement. gaia quickly came to realize that if she didn't act fast, things would only increase until inner turmoil would begin. if given the chance, she knew shale would jump on the opportunity to turn her own numbers against her. that is why she reached out to him. he was hard to motivate, a cat out for his own benefit. if she could find ways to motivate him and make sure their priorities aligned, he would provide for her. more than that, he was essential to the group's health. she had a feeling he would be the last to turn on her; more concerned about keeping the status quo than staging a revolt. he would be the stabilize; far too apathetic to stir up any trouble. his name was dhexe and he was the buffer. the embodiment of sloth and charity. in numbers, they were six... and gaia did not like this. the number was too even, too balanced, and she knew that she could never be completely happy with that. balance was predictable, sure, but she didn't need predictable. she could outwit predictable in an instant. instead, what she needed was chaos. chaos that only she could control and, if she were to fall, crumble to ashes in a second. yes, she needed another to offset the balance. to break the even number and set her ahead. with seven she could pair off every cat with the exclusion of herself. she wouldn't be one of them. she would be herself. the leader. the one in control. it took many moons, but when he wandered into her line of sight, she jumped on the opportunity in an instant. he was what gaia had been waiting for all this time. he radiated vanity, pride, and unbridled potential. she could control this. she could pet his ego, build it up and watch it burn every brighter. with it, she control of a loyal pawn willing to eliminate anything "unworthy" that got in the way of their progress. she told him of the clans and how they claimed all this land as if it belonged to them. as if they deserved it. she spoke of how mindless, weak, and unambitious they were. the clans didn't deserve the land; no, the seven of them were better than the clans. in this newcomer, she instilled a hatred for the cats that roamed the moors, mountains, and streams. they thought they were better than him, but both he and gaia knew better. no one was superior to him. his name was boris and he was the last recruit. the embodiment of pride and diligence. she had completed her army now, but that wasn't enough. she thirsted for more. though this time, her object of interest this time was far more expansive than anything she had ever wanted before: the lands the clans roamed. her seven was a good start, but she had so much further to go. whatever the case, she would get there. what she wanted, what she got... in the end, they were both the same thing.
thus began vulkaria.
notes: in the future she will become deaf and back down from her leader position and become a contract keeper, although after the incident her seeing and smelling will have intensified.