[OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

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Nubhorns
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[OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Nubhorns »

Plopping this in the RP forums as it pertains to roleplay excuses primarily.

For those of you who roleplay and use your spirit beasts in said roleplay, how do you explain them? Do you even have to? Did you personally stomp down to Sholazar and wrestle the mate of Har'koa into submission, or form a spiritual bond with Gondria the moment your character saw her? Or are they just dopplegangers, or kits from Loque or Gondria's litters, Arcturis' cubs, whatever?

I have a bit of an issue, and this was why I was asking. But first a bit of a story.

My hunter, Veeka, is a half-Orc(of Draenei descent! ooh, shiny.). She works as a bomb technician and seige engineer in Bilgewater Port. She has a mate, an adopted daughter, hangs with the Goblins because she's not comfortable in Orgrimmar(playing a halfbreed who gets discriminated against!? NO WAY), etc. etc. I don't especially play her as a "hunter" in any real sense. She has a boar, Torque, who has been trained to sniff out and identify explosives much like a dog would, and her crotchety grumpy old man of a worg, who doesn't do much but play pony for her daughter.

She's not spiritual in the least, or a powerful fighter, or really an especially heroic person at all. She and her mate served the Horde in Northrend, but she's stuck at home while he's off fighting in the Twilight Highlands.

Now onto the real issue. My main non-roleplay pet is Karoma, who I named Spider on a whim, but that's going to change most likely. I'm especially fond of her, but as much as I love her I simply cannot find a reason to justify using her in my roleplay. Veeka is an average joe who doesn't follow the Light, halfheartedly honors her Ancestors for her mate's sake - there's no feasible reason for her to have any sort of spectral companion. My friend suggested having her old worg pass away and return as a ghost, but 1)I really, really love Umbergore and am not ready to let him go at all, and 2)Spider is very much a she, while Umbergore is not. She's sort of developed her own personality already. It would be perfect if Veeka had any inkling of shamanistic blood, but she has none whatsoever.

At this point I'm mostly resigned to keeping her locked away in the Out of Character vault, but I was wondering if anyone here might have some last minute suggestions. I bend Lore enough as it is, so the more reasonable and logical, the better. :P

My crisis aside though, the real point of this is just my curiosity. Effin' In-Character Spirit Beasts: how do they work?

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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Saturo »

For something spectral like that, I'd probably say that it's the spirit of a dead pet come back to help you some more. She wouldn't really have to be spiritual for that explanation to work. I can see how that's not a possibility though, but, here's a question. Is it really that bad to have Karoma as an OOC pet? I mean, you could still use her, just not when roleplaying, or until you come up with something.

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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Azunara »

I've had it vary.

Gondria (I actually wrote this in a story.) was one of Har'koa's daughters. She ended up being killed by the trolls, but brought back into this world by her mother before her spirit could be corrupt. That said, if I had her, I'd RP her as that and that said hunter befriended the spirit and earned her trust.

In your case, I agree, a fallen spirit coming to return would be the best way to justify. It doesn't even have to be one of your dead pets. What if she's a pet of some hunter who was killed, and you opted to protect her, or she saw you worked somewhat with beasts and joined up with you.

Or...she could just be a loose spirit that decided to follow you for giggles.
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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Nubhorns »

Nah, the fact that she's OOC doesn't bother me in the least! :) I still get to use her. I was just toying with the idea of trying to bring her into RP a bit - if it's not gonna work out, then that's perfectly fine.

Veeka hasn't really lost any pets who were wolves. The only way I could pull that off is to kill off Umbergore, who is more of a riding worg than a coyote-type wolf. :P I admit a spirit following her for giggles would be pretty funny - we've seen what happens when ghosts and engineers mix, though...

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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Lupis »

I typically think up some random story for them. Now, my Skoll is a bit of a special case... The entire hunter is based off that wolf. However, he's not just "Skoll" the spirit beast, he's not even from Northrend. He was RP tamed in Silithus.

My Loque was a different case though. I just said that he was one of Har'koa's cubs that avoided corruption and was put into my hunter's care by the nice trolls there. (Don't remember who they are, sorry. >.<)

For Karoma, it could also be a shaman's spirit, or the spirit of anyone who's spirit animal was a wolf. That'd apply mostly to Tauren and Orcs who can often have totem animals - Tuaren mostly. They're big on spirit animals. So you could say that she had a tauren friend that died, and stayed in this world as a spirit to stay with your character, or something like that perhaps?

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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Shadowkaizen »

I know this doesn't really help you much but for Arcaneius (Loque'Nahak) I wrote it as this.

Shadow was always a hunter who was deeply involved with the belief of the connection to the world, us, and the animals who inhabit it. His love for the animals who walked the world had earned him some very powerful companions over the years however during the war of northrend one of shadow's oldest friends had fallen in battle.
His Frostsaber companion Frostbite had been killed during the assult on Icecrown and he decided to bury him in the warmth of the the basin as the poor cat had often displayed an unusal dislike for the cold of northrend. As he sat and prayed to the spirits of the world hopeing his dear friend would find a place among the honored sabers of old a deep low growl came from behind him.

The large god like cat was standing there watching him silently as his eyes locked on him and Shadow watched as frost like vapors poured from his fangs and faint energy escaped his eyes. It seemed as if the creature could barely maintain his form but he looked calm and wise as he stared at him.
After a time a strong feeling washed over him and a sound echoed through the land around him seeming to reverberate from the trees.

"I will fight with you against the bringer of the frozen death...."

"I will fight with you against the souless ones....."

"However, I am not a pet...but a guide...use the fury and power of the spirits that haunt this forgotten land though my fang and claw."

So shadow and the beast fought through out the rest of his time in the frozen north and when he was not fighting the beast would often vanish (to explain why others hand him.) and
Shadow and him over time finally developed a bond and he went from being a "guide" to more like being a good friend.

Hope that helps. o.o
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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Tahlian »

Well...Tahl's Karoma (better known as Unit Deckard) isn't a "wolf" per se at all, but a sentient hologram created by the accidental inclusion of Titan technology in a hologram scanner Tahl built that malfunctioned. As an engineer, you could come up with any number of mechanical glitches to explain a spirit beast in such a fashion.

On the other hand, his Loque'nahak, Tsorovan, is something along the lines of a teeny shard of a god's essence, a fragment of the original, if you will. Tsoro is the "wise old man" of Tahl's lot, and more a guide and guardian than an actual pet. He doesn't have "phenomenal cosmic powers," but can exert energy to keep Tahlian safe if need be (usually by healing the boy when he gets in over his head. :lol: )

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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Cialbi »

LupisDarkmoon wrote:For Karoma, it could also be a shaman's spirit, or the spirit of anyone who's spirit animal was a wolf. That'd apply mostly to Tauren and Orcs who can often have totem animals - Tuaren mostly. They're big on spirit animals. So you could say that she had a tauren friend that died, and stayed in this world as a spirit to stay with your character, or something like that perhaps?
This would be my suggestion. Similar to how I consider my Arcturis to be the feral spirit of a druid that was involved with the creation and destruction of Vordrassil, and somehow got twisted in such a way by Yogg-Saron that his feral aspect became a separate being that was dubbed by locals to be Arcturis.

For Karoma, she could be a feral spirit that was called to the aid of a shaman in mortal danger, who for some reason commanded her with his/her dying breath to find someone to watch after. Maybe that shaman had sworn to look after Veeka, and knowing that he/she was about to die, asked the more trusted or loyal of his/her feral spirits to keep Veeka safe. It would be fitting in a way, given how Veeka isn't your typical hunter and wouldn't exactly be wasting time with trying to tame these spiritual beasts. Also, your Spirit Beast is alone among your pets in actually being able to heal you.
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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Acherontia »

I have a suggestion--don't change the pet's name! Maybe it's just me, but when I really like a pet, I find that sometimes the name & personality is half of the bond. A namechange just sometimes makes it feel like a new pet. You could use the name Spider as a lead-in to the pet's plot, even, in a creative way.

In any case, you have a variety of options for your own particular engineer-type char. The first thing that springs to mind are shaman totems--goblin ones are mechanical. Maybe a goblin was having issues with them working, your char offered a helping hand to fix it, and somehow she wound up stuck with a "leftover" spirit haunting her. A humorous take, as in Spider just sort of trailing around behind her like a poltergeist, might be right.

With other spirit beasts and roleplay, well, my RP chars aren't my hunter. I think if I got a spirit beast on a hunter on an RP realm, the backstory would very much depend on the char. My other RP chars were very strong orc-culture-centered characters, so a reverence for the wolf (in the case of Karoma) spirit would definitely factor in--or for the others, a backstory involving determined survival against the odds, or a thirst for battle, or honor (all Orc traits) would probably be major components in how the hunter met the pet.
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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Shlee »

First thing I thought was perhaps if she isn't very spiritual, then maybe her mate called some sort o' protective spirit to watch over her from all the Garrosh-rabid orcs and alliance who would ne' looks down too kindly apon her mixed decent.

Though Acherontia's poltergeist idea does sound fair awesome!

Have never used my spirit beast IC sofar, though Puddlestep (Gondria) could easily pass for some Shirvallah-spirit, being a hunter o' thee trollish ilk.

'Tis quite the predicament! Such beautiful pets.. So awkward to bring into roleplay at times!

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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Nick »

Well, if I ever get into role playing my tauren hunter again I'm going to use my Karoma like it's nobody's business. Though, he'd mostly be there to torment my fox (who he's spiritually bound to, so kinda like getting a two in one deal though the wolf spirit didn't show himself to my hunter until he knew he could trust her not to kill him) and snap at my seagull (who is a chatty S.O.B) when he gets on the wolf's nerves.

As long as it's not too out there or inconceivable, I think a lot of people can pull off having spirit beats for guardians, pets or guides.

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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Wark »

I like the funnier "unasked-for companion" suggestions, but that's my perverse glee at work. Pretty much any of the suggestions here seem workable.

For what it's worth, to date I've gotten a single spirit beast-- ghost crab woo woo-- and my explanation is roughly that the Abandoned Reef is haunted, oooOOOOoooo~, with... crabs who apparently don't get that they're dead. It's admittedly "easier" to work with a spirit beast like Ghostcrawler who has next to no in-game explanation/excuses, as opposed to a very distinct or referenced critter like Loq, but as it is Aeolian doesn't treat her crab much differently than she treats any of her more corporeal pets. It's still a crab! Just... kinda undead? Also, sometimes it does that green magic thing. Shoulda seen the look on her face the first time it did it, heh heh heh.

(I feel obligated to point out that artistic license entitles you to a smidgen of unexplained things from time to time. For instance, the mechanics of undead crabs that are really beasts tameable by hunters? Pshttttt. Aeolian doesn't know 'em, I don't know 'em, and for the most part nobody needs to know 'em. The part I focus on is her crab's personality and the ways it interacts with different things. So all I have is the gist of how we got to the point where Aeolian has a pet crab-that's-also-a-ghost, not all the details of it. If that makes sense.)

I wish you luck thinking of ways to include all your prized pets! I too dislike sporting a pet that I like but doesn't make IC sense.
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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by SpiritBinder »

You could also introduce her as Karoma as Veeka's constant interest in that of the unknown. Has Veeka ever gone to see her mate in The twilight highlands? If she has been on an expedition there she may have come in contact with Karoma, not by her own doing however... You could put a twist on it and rather than Veeka choosing Karoma, you could have Karoma choose Veeka. Following her around in the shadows and even following her back home.

There could be a lovely connection between the two of them, Veeka, not being awfully adept or all that interested in the spiritual side of things and of not understanding why on earth Karoma is following her. But then, still a little interested as she can't actually make sence of it.. it's nothing like that of an engine or something "normal". This perplexity could be a be a wonderful strand that could build into anything you like.

Veeka...
"What on earth does this spirit thing have to do with me?"
"There it is again... it's so weird... but kind of looks pretty in the dark..."

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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Moore »

Why couldn't the spirit beast be some sort of physical manifestation of emotion; your character probably doesn't get to see her mate a lot, if at all. And I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be too hard to link the characteristics of love or attachment to the characteristics of a wolf/dog. Could even RP it as when she and her mate are together, the spirit beast is gone. But once they are apart, she re-appears.

wholenotherthought:

Does your character even really have to be able to SEE the wolf? I mean you could RP as that you don't even see her, yet you're constantly protected by something you cannot see; i.e love etc once again.


But then again, it's 3 am and I'm probably rambling nonsense.

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Re: [OOC] How do you explain a Spirit Beast?

Unread post by Tsiya »

Well, as a half-orc, you don't say which side is your orc half. You could have your dranei side, knowing you were going over to the horde, be a shaman who sent the spirit wolf to watch over you where they couldn't. Gift from an absent parent, so to speak. Or if the orc parent is deceased, have it be their spirit watching over you.

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