Gender: Male

Age: 4 winters

Species: Volcano wolf -- canis vulcanis (species (c) Vennenum)

About the size of an American black bear, this wolf stands at an impressive height of 50 inches (130 cm) and packs on weight close to 230 lbs (105 kg). His paws stretch about 5 inches across. Calloused, black pawpads soften his every step and claws of sharp obsidian line the tips of his toes. A nomad by trade, Thomassen's muscles are tensed and well-developed , hidden by a very heavy coat of fur.

Thom's characteristic red dorsal stripe runs across his dark grey body, connecting his nose to each of his three tails. The red spills out around to accent his forehead and eyes, then stops at the black v-shaped marks dashed across his cheekbones. This is contrasted with his black ears and lighter grey chest. Oddly enough, blood permanently stains his right paw. Despite repeated washings, it has permanently bound to his hairs to serve as a constant reminder of his failures.

His red irises and yellow eyes do serve a purpose. As his kind grew and evolved in the mountains, visibility in caves was as necessary as the smell. These wolves were capable of thermal sensing. This translates into various shades of green and allows him to detect any branches off a cave path he used, something he's learned to apply to dark forests. The yellowness is various bacteria living in his eyes that help with his night vision. The redness in his irises is simply a lack of pigment, which allows his night vision to expand (not unlike the problems albinos face in bright light). To combat this, his cornea and the fluid underneath may darken to act as a filter.

His three tails are simply the outcome of his lineage. Directly descended from the gods that were their ancestors, Vulcan wolves are more susceptible to interesting mutations that usually have little to no effect on them. Their ancestors' magic runs through their body unconsciously, preventing imperfections from destabilizing their host too readily.

Personality:

When he turns happy or sad is unknown, as his temper can flip in a matter of seconds. And yet, as much as he tries to hide it, Thom manages to emit a bit of how he is feeling. Little wisps of flame may flicker from his fur when he feels irritated. And with three tails, at least one of them may betray some bit of the joy he feels. Positive feelings are short-lived with him, however. He is quick to anger, and does not hesitate to drop his stoicism to rage at the wrongdoer.

Thom is the sort of guy to leave when he feels like it. Loyalty and dedication is something reserved for those he deems worthy. He could care less if he abandoned someone in the middle of the woods. Guilt would be felt, but not enough to turn him around. To him, giving someone a responsibility of some secrets is one story. Putting his life in their hands is something else entirely.

Once he is sure he can rely on another character, Thom becomes the best friend he can be. And though his language becomes bit less refined by this time, he never intends any harm. When a friend faces trouble, it takes little hesitation for him to pop in and help -- assuming the friend wants his assistance.

Abilities/Extras:

• Incredibly large, muscular, and bulky. (50 inches tall, ~200 lbs)

• Great arsenal of stamina; lingers on the slow side during chases.

• He is capable of lighting his spine, paws, and tails on fire. He can "cast" the fire from his body by swinging it towards whatever he wants to ignite.

• Immune to temperature fluctuations. His internal heat keeps him warm, and also prevents him from feeling the effects of high temperatures.

History:

Thom was born during a harsh winter to a pair of Alphas, as the oldest pup in his parents' first litter. He received the ability to ""play with fire"" as was desired for every new pup that blessed the pack -- although he had trouble controlling this magic at first. This rare ability brought to him much attention and amazement. He was very popular among his pack.

Unbeknownst to Thom, his brother Samulen was becoming increasingly jealous of the attention he received. Over the course of a few years, Samulen slowly built a cult out of those who were not the Alphas' supporters, which increased each passing season. The pack, located in a very barren landscape compared to their rivals, constantly faced starvation, and was close to dying out. He spread further lies about the Alphas, speaking what the anti-Alphas wanted to hear. Samulen also started some rumours about Thom and his behavior, and soon the three were viewed negatively amongst the pack.

A few months after reaching the age of three, the tension spilled. Samulen launched his revolt. Wanting more of the attention, Samulen planned to have the Alphas assassinated so he could steal the throne. Luring their father and mother out into the woods, Samulen had him surrounded by his opponents and mercilessly slaughtered. Thom, hearing about the uproar from a former Rebel, had gone as fast as he could to the assassination site. However, he arrived too late, and instead found Samulen gloating over their parents' deaths.

The two brothers got into a spat. At this time, Thom's fire blazed out from his spine and paws. But blind with grief and rage, he took a wrong step and stumbled into a boulder. Samulen, now bursting with joy, managed to inflict a severe wound to Thom's paw, ripping open the flesh until blood stained the entire foot. The paw-fire burned the redness permanently into his fur.

Now defeated and temporarily disabled, Thom conceded defeat. Samulen at first wanted to press Thom into servitude. But protests from the Rebels -- such as Thom being able to burn them to avoid tasks -- won over.

Thom was then banished, forbidden ever to return to his homeland.