Name: Tuklock
Role: Tribe Leader
Age: 29
Appearance: Whilst the tribe hasn’t really seen many other tribal leaders, the general agreement is that Tuklock looks suitable for the role. He stands tall and proud, with a thick, but not long beard, and dark brown hair that hangs down past his ears. His eyes are a pale blue, and his skin is tanned, but still fair- the leatheriness that has come with old age not setting in yet.
He has a number of scars, as do most people, however perhaps the most obvious is one on his thigh, a large chunk of shiny scarred skin is. This was courtesy of an auroch that he didn’t spot until too late, and received a goring for his troubles, albeit one that failed to kill him.
For his clothing, he wears a crude deer-pelt jerkin, with a mammoth fur layer over that, and a pair of toughened moccasins, the insides stuffed with bird down to keep his feet warm. The tribe is used to cold weather, so whilst he also has summer wear, he has chosen to hand these down to his son, Dokas for safekeeping after he himself passes to the ancestors.
On his legs, he has wrapped sinewy cord around a pair of heavy trousers, keeping the resistance, he encounters light. Finally, he carries with him a hunter’s rucksack- made similarly to a sled, with twin runners interwoven with other plant matter, and all covered in a hide that has had wax mashed into it to make it waterproof. He often attaches a travois to this via a hide rope, where he can pack snowshoes and rations.
Gender: Tuklock is male.
NPCs:
Shira, his lover. She’s a woman winters younger than him, but has still bourn three of his children. Shorter, but no less of a fighter. She has pale hair, paler skin, and tends to bundle up as thick as she can, claiming she feels the cold more.
Dima, his daughter. Three winters old. The youngest of his children, she can walk and talk, and helps her mother when she goes out to pick berries or gather water. She shares her mother’s fair hair, but is more tanned, like her father. Her mother dresses her, and so she is also bundled up. Often seen on Shira’s back.
Tuklak, his younger son. Seven winters old. The second youngest of his children, and the youngest of his sons. He’s already turning out to be a capable long-distance runner, although he has no knack for leadership like his father does. His hair is a little more fire-tinged than either of his parents, taking after Shira’s mother.
Dokas, his elder son. Nine winters old. Oldest of all the children, whilst not as athletic as father or brother, he has shown to be good with his hands, and has a keen mind for leadership and tactics. Looks very similar to his father, and even takes after him in style.
Biography:
Story: How a wanderer came to lead the tribe is quite the story. He left his previous tribe after sixteen winters, a time of ruin came. Without enough food to provide for the group, many splintered off and left, Tuklock armed only with a knife, spear, and enough water for a month, but very little food. He managed to survive by himself for almost three moons, before encountering the tribe he currently lives in. He was initially regarded with suspicion and distrust, but proved his worth to the tribe, saving the chief’s life in the process.
This solidified him as a member of the tribe, and although he was still ‘officially’ one of them, he was still looked on with distrust for quite a long period of time. Whilst he hadn’t embraced this outsiderness, he was beginning to become used to it, until surprisingly, the chief formalised him, and took him as his son for saving his life.
He was taken as an honorary son, and when the previous chief finally passed away, he took up the banner and started to lead the tribe. Because of this, it’s only recently that he has started on his family, although that’s not to say that him and Shira haven’t been making up for lost time.
He’s determined that this tribe will not fail like his last, and now in the face of the encroaching winter, he was ultimately the one to decide that it was time for the tribe to stride across across the Walk of Ice, and into a better life, or die trying.
Personality: Tuklock knows that since he left his previous tribe, he has betrayed his previous ancestors. He understands that he will be the first in what he hopes shall be a long line of others, and so is both simultaneously cautious and aggressive at the same time. He attempts to emulate the stories of those before him, spurring him onwards, but also wishes to provide for his children as well.
This desire to care for his children means that he often stays out of direct fights, using his words to solve problems in order to ensure that he lives on, whereas his aggressiveness means that in a hunt, he can often be found at the front, or forcing animals into a stampede. It’s an odd mix that leaves many baffled, but it has led to quite the storied life, and one that he can tell himself.
Otherwise, Tuklock is quite an imposing man. He takes threats to his authority seriously, although not to the point where he casually kills other tribemembers for daring to question him, and he does require some level of obedience. The only people he truly lets talk down to him is the elder and shaman, deferring to their experience cases where he thinks they have better experience.
Glory: Tuklock has quite a few stories, but perhaps the one he tells most often is the story of how he saved the life of the previous tribe leader. When corralling wild stag, he was caught on the horns of one of them, and was being dragged along. Despite being only eighteen winters old, Tucklock ran down the creature, slowed as it was by dragging along the leader, and planted his spear into its flank, causing it to stumble, and allowing him to kill it properly.
Skills: Tuklock is an excellent leader, and an excellent huntsman. He’s fit, and capable of running for quite some distances, and is also a reasonably good swimmer. His voice carries no small amount of authority, even among those older than him. Many an argument has been broken up by his voice calling out.
