Status:

2782: Polaris

Island: Isla Pera
Biome: Oceanic, coastal, urban, forest; various
Diet: Fish, crustaceans, cetaceans, mollusks, turtles, red meat from various sources
Faction: Steelwater Flock
Mate: Gianna

Weight: Average
Height: Tall
Length: Long

A longer neck and longer wings than are usual of a tropeo gives her additional height that puts her distinctly above the crowds - not that she enjoys it much. Polaris struggles with staying in the sun for too long. It strains her eyes, and she is prone to sunburn if she's exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period of time. If exposed to light much beyond the soft glow of sunrise or sunset, she has to squint in order to see properly.

Notable Traits: Stretched proportions give her a slender appearance, and due to her light colouration, she's prone to sunburn.

Polaris was not exactly expected to survive for very long. She hatched as an unnaturally brightly coloured tropeo, her pale eyes squinted against even the light of the sunrise. If she was at all strong enough to make it even past her first few days, surely a predator would pick her off because she couldn't hide. If not a predator, then she wouldn't make it much past leaving the nest - she wouldn't be able to hunt, the fish would notice her before she could even get close to the water. Her parents not wanting to waste their energies on a hatchling that was destined to perish, she was abandoned.

But alone, she wouldn't be for long. She was discovered by a kind-hearted older tropeo, Kamui, who took her under his wing. Under his care, not only did she survive - she flourished. She learned how to work around the challenge that the sun presented. Polaris was growing into a strong young tropeo. Still, she was different, and she stuck out amongst her peers. Polaris far from enjoyed the sort of attention that her pale colouration got her, which only worsened as she grew older and thus taller than many others her age. She sought the quiet and comfort of her own company, and ended up gravitating towards the often more composed and relaxed dispositions of adult and elders. Polaris spent more and more time away from others her own age, both due to her strange hours of activity and as a choice of active self-isolation away from prying, curious gazes. Most never meant any harm, but still, she wanted to avoid the attention.

She much enjoyed the peace that solitude brought to her, but very soon grew bored of it. It was simply...too quiet.

Polaris ended up seeking out Matriarch, the apparent leader of the "Steelwater flock" that lived on an old ship off the coast of Isla Pela. Matriarch graciously allowed her a place to stay, and Polaris gave herself things to do around the ship to occupy her time. Little tasks and chores to keep herself busy, mostly, but as she grew older she sought a role that would be more helpful around the ship. Her massive wingspan would come to be of great use soaring over the storm-roughened seas in search of lost souls and carrying back materials to repair the ship.

That time she preferred to spend indoors could be put to use, as well - she's been picking up a great many things to do with the care of the young, the old, the sick, and the wounded. She actually quite enjoys spending time with Belladonna, one of the flock's stewards. The other tropeo is kind and quiet, and Polaris likes feeling as though she's being helpful to the steward. Blackbeard, as well, is a quiet sort - which Polaris greatly appreciates. Sometimes, it's nice to spend time in the company of someone that doesn't expect her to fill the silence.

With Silvercrest and Bella's daugther, Frog, she doesn't have to fill the silence - the little tropeo speaks enough for both of them. Frog always seems to have something to say, and her tremendous enthusiasm and energetic personality give Polaris some small amount of fond amusement whenever she's around.

Silvercrest, as well, has earned her quiet appreciation. He's sent her off on several night-time strainer trips, and seems understanding that the dark is much easier for her to maneuver than the light. Though she still prefers to avoid attention, there is little doubt that she has earned her name as a guiding light in the dark of night.

Fun Facts:

• She earned her name "Polaris" early on, the uncanny "glow" or "halo" of moonlight making her an easy-to-see guide for souls lost at sea
• She is most active at dawn, dusk, and night, when there is little sun to affect her vision or skin
• Much like how an albatross's wings can carry them over great distances with little effort, Polaris can glide for hours on air currents over the ocean with very little energy expenditure