Shadow's Den

Human Name:

Kerry

Were Name:

Shadow Darius Wolf, Esq.

Theriotype:

Alpine Wolf

Shifting Abilities:

• Mental
• Dream
• Phantom

Date of Birth:

June, 1979

Birthplace

Western Washington State

Gender and Orientation:

Gay Cis-Male

Home Territory:

Western Washington State

Dream Territory:

A temperate alpine forest of fir and cedar, with a thick carpet of moss on the ground....  I've never really thought about where this place is, though I imagine it's somewhere between the Cascade mountain range and the Pacific ocean (somewhere between southwestern BC and western Oregon).

Physical Description (Human):

Five feet, 6 inches tall (1.67m), caucasian, 200 pounds (90.7kg), blonde hair, ponytail, blue eyes, typically wearing half-rimless glasses, black jeans, a polo shirt, and a windbreaker.

Physical Description (Were):

Fairly standard-looking, usually non-anthro wolf.  Blue eyes, mottled grey and tan fur, with a ligher, cream-colored underbelly, and black points on the ears and tail tip.  Eight feet (2.44m) long, a third of which is the tail, three feet (0.91m) tall at the shoulder, and the same weight as the human form.
(Art by Namaku)

Human Career:

Optician  (like a pharmacist, but working with eyeglasses rather than drugs)

Hobbies and Interests:

• Wolves
• Biology
• Ecology
• Reading
• Writing
• Computers
• The Internet
• Camping
• Hiking

Favorite Movies:

• The Godfather Trilogy
• Bandits
• The Truman Show
• Dragonheart
• Princess Mononoke
• Star Trek films (alpha universe; don't care for the reboot)
• White Fang
• James Bond films (Pierce Brosnan and earlier)

Favorite Were Movies:

• Blood and Chocolate
• The 10th Kingdom

Favorite Art:

• Visual Paradox
• Digital Blasphemy
• Namaku

Favorite Were Art:

• Blotch
• Hashoba Hostina
• Tani Da Real
• Dark Natasha
• Jocarra

Favorite Quote:

"Seize the time....  Live now.  Make now always the most precious time.  Now will never come again."
- From Star Trek: The Next Generation:  "The Inner Light"

Favorite Were Quote/Saying:

"MEAT!!"
- From The 10th Kingdom

Personal Quote:

"Kinda sad, really....  Humanity's closest genetic relative is a creature known to fling its feces when irritated.  Despite all the advances humanity has made--despite all the progress, technology, and development--humanity still hasn't moved very far beyond that tendency."

Favorite Songs / Musicians:

• Escala
• Vanessa-Mae
• Lindsey Stirling
• Josh Groban (Gods, what a voice)
• The Cynic Project
• ATB
• Beethoven
• David Benoit
• Tiesto
• Jazz, Electronica, Classical...
• Anything that isn't rap, country, hip-hop, or gospel.  :-P

Favorite Seasons:

Spring and Autumn

Favorite Holidays:

Thanksgiving and New Year's

Preferred Prey:

I'm a wolf; I'll eat almost anything.

Hunting Tips:

Don't befriend anything you might want to eat later.  That really makes things awkward later on.  ;-)

Preferred Method of Attack:

Stealth, team effort.  Those who hunt solo are merely chasing their tails.

Favorite non-Were Mythological Beast:

Dragons, most definitely.

Feelings Toward Vampires:

Eh, neutral, though they do creep me out a bit.  I prefer to keep my distance.

Feelings Toward "Normal" Humans:

Eh, normal is boring.  I do find their lack of empathy troubling, though.

Feelings Toward Furries:

This is a tough one.  I'm tempted to lump them in with "normal" humans, but I think just about anyone would agree that furries are hardly normal.  Over the years, I've come to know some furries that are quite awesome, and I've met a few who were... well, not-so-awesome.  As a general rule, I try to keep an open mind.

Personal Therianthropy:

The wolf has been a part of me throughout my life, though it took me quite a while to figure that out.  For as long as I can remember, I've felt a certain kinship toward animals—canines, especially—and I always know I was somehow different from those around me.  Then, of course, there were the dreams and the odd little quirks in my behavior, but I'll go into those elsewhere.  The thing is, even when I was a little kid, I knew I was unusual—that I was fundamentally different from the other kids—and deep down, that kinda scared me.  For the longest time, I felt isolated, and I worried that I might be some kind of lunatic (excuse the pun).

Over the years, I tried to make sense of this and gradually pieced together my understanding of my therianthropy.  This started with research into canines in general, since that's where I felt a... connection for lack of a better term (though it's more than a connection), and over time I narrowed it down to wolves.  It wasn't until the fall of 1998 that I discovered the Therianthropy community and learned that I wasn't alone.  Finally having some vocabulary to work with also helped.  ;-)

As with most therians, my wolf is more than just an alter ego; it's an integral part of who and what I am.  I'm still exploring the interplay between my lupine and human aspects, but so far it all seems very dynamic.  Usually, my wolf and human sides are distinct, yet blended just enough to make it difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins.  Occasionally, they're like two separate entities, and occasionally the two are completely melded together.  Just to keep things interesting, there's also some variation as to which aspect is in “control,” as it were.  Usually, my human aspect is in control, though my wolf has a fair amount of influence.  There are some times when it seems that my wolf has decided to curl up in the back of my mind and nap, and occasionally there are times when I let the wolf take control.

Ultimately, I believe that I am spiritually a wolf, living in a human body and processing everything through a human mind.  Though I'm often disappointed by humanity, I'm not a rabid misanthrope and I try to see the good in people, even though there often isn't much to look at.  In general, my thinking is this:  I'm human for now, so I might as well make the most of it and enjoy what I can.

A much more detailed (and autobiographical) version of this will be posted someday.

Shadow Darius Wolf, Esq.

Shadow is an anthropomorphic wolf that stands roughly 5 feet, 6 inches tall, and weighs roughly 180 pounds; his overall build could be called average.  He's hardly what anyone would call "muscled" or "built," but he's not flabby, either.  Overall, his appearance is far more animal-like than human.  His footpaws/hindpaws are digitigrade, and his forepaws/hands are very paw-like (just human enough to be able to type with a reasonable amount of skill).

In his feral form, his markings, weight, and overall size are the same, and he stands roughly 3 feet tall at the shoulder and is about 8 feet long, one-third of which is his tail.

Shadow's fur is a blend of grey and tan.  He has lighter, almost cream-colored, fur running from his inner thighs and along the underside of his tail, over his belly and chest, and fading up his neck and underside of his muzzle.  His ear tips, cheekruffs, and tailtip are accented with dark, almost black, points, and his nose, pawpads, and claws are also black.  However, his left-front dewclaw is solid gold, revealing his heritage.  (Art by Namaku)

He doesn't have any human-hair-like headfur, beyond what would be found on an ordinary wolf.  Shadow's eyes are a deep, luminescent shade of blue, and in the right conditions (and if he's in the right state of mind), they glow.  Shadow has subtle snagglefangs and longish whiskers, like one would expect on a cat.  On occasion, he has been known to wear a blue collar with a single silver tag.

Shadow's personality could best be described as calm, patient, and generally good-natured.  Shadow can be strong-willed and independent, but he isn't domineering; he's made a good Beta in the past, but has no interest in being an Alpha.  He's quiet and reserved around those he doesn't know, but once the ice is broken, he relaxes quickly; he loves to listen, talk, play, and cuddle.  He's quick to make friends, but slow to trust, and he is fiercely loyal to those who have become his family.