ardent

Reindeer herder / Jarvela adopts — OPEN



Nyx

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ContributorPride - PansexualEaster 2022Rapid Poster - SilverToys for Tots
11-07-2023, 04:44 PM (This post was last modified: 11-07-2023, 05:52 PM by Nyx. Edited 7 times in total.)
It's been a few years, so it's time again to repost my reindeer herder adopts!

The Jarvela, are reindeer-herding wolves, who originate in northern lands far away from Ardent. Their "clan" does not only consist of those blood related to the Jarvela though; any wolves who followed a similar lifestyle were welcome to join them, and often did. Their group exists with no formal organization, with no leaders and no official name. They simply exist alongside one another, following similar routes as one another and maintaining a loose group based on shared interests and culture.

Based loosely on the Sami religion of northern Scandanavia, they are intensely spiritual and finely in tune with nature. They worship reindeer as sacred, following their migration each year and surviving off them almost exclusively as a food source. Rather than being strict in their faith, they tend toward the more spiritual and metaphysical side of religion.

This group still exists, though in some imaginary place away from Ardent - it is common for wolves to come of age and leave the group though, which is how many Jarvela have ended up here! Anyone adopted from this group is assumed to have also left the group at some point in their lives.

For anyone interested, the current Jarvela on-site are: Kaija, Arne, Fidelias (all littermates who were born here; their grandfather Aki was from the original group), and Kiela (from the original group).

General Culture

This group are, first and foremost, nomads. They are taught from birth a love for life and adventure to revere nature and all things in it. They are taught freedom and love of oneself, and to live life to its fullest, no matter what. Though they are generally taught to have a deep love for nature, they vary wildly in interests - some might be devoutly spiritual healers, others driven by the thrill of the hunt, while others might simply having a love for exploring the world, or herding their reindeer, or kicking ass. The possibilities are truly endless.

They are generally receptive to others joining their group and forming bonds with them, so long as they respect their way of life, and all who join them are considered as good as family. Group bonds can be as tight as family bonds in many circumstances, and sharing blood means far less than camaraderie does.

Alignment - They can be any alignment, though lawful ones are rare - they tend to be more chaotic, adhering to either their own standards or sometimes none at all.

Languages — The Jarvela family should be fluent in Finnish, their mother tongue, and most know some English (though not all have to know it perfectly; disjointed English is pretty common for those that grew up in the group), and some might know bits other Northern languages as well, depending on their travels. Other members of the group might know any mix of the above, as long as they could generally communicate.

Sexuality/Relationships — These wolves tend to view sexuality as an extremely fluid thing; their teachings emphasize free love, and no real importance is placed on monogamy.

Values — Some of the most important values instilled in these wolves are independence, self preservation (the weak are not coddled - if they cannot keep up they were often left behind, so they can be a bit callous in that regard), fearlessness, and anti-authoritarianism (most of these wolves are uncomfortable with the idea of traditional pack life).

Religion


This link gives a good overview of Sami shamanism, on which this group’s religion is based. The most basic aspect of their faith is that it is extremely focused on nature - they have a strong reverence for nature and all things in it. Many tend to be adventurers and to long for the company of the trees and of rivers as strongly as that of other wolves. Animism, the belief that all things have souls (including things like trees and rocks), is a major aspect of their faith too. Finally, and most importantly, these wolves worship reindeer as sacred. Their group (and often ancestors) in the far north survived exclusively off following their herd and hunting them, worshiping their sacrifice and never feeding needlessly, and always working to help their herd thrive.

Appearance


Jarvela family — This family tends toward darker, desaturated colors with an emphasis on greys, browns, and dark reds though this can vary wildly depending on their lineage. Tribal markings are also common among the Jarvela. Their bloodline also tends toward heavier set, taller wolves.

Unrelated group members — Literally anything!

Feel free to snag a design below, or bring one of your own.

Requirements


These adopts have no activity requirements and will not be taken back for any reason whatsoever.

Please consult with the players of characters before making wolves that are directly related to someone else's though (i.e. parents, siblings, children). Wolves who are cousins/other distant family of the Jarvelas are fair game, though!

These have no due dates, I won't cap how many people are interested, just keeping this up for anyone who might be into it!

Jarvela designs:



Unrelated designs:




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[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Age[/b]:
[b]Season of Birth[/b]:
[b]Appearance:[/b] Please include a description as well as a reference, if you have one.
[b]Personality[/b]: At least 150 words.
[b]RP Sample:[/b] Only needed if you're new to Ardent, otherwise delete.
[b]Plans:[/b]