The Present

Remember Who You Are

Art by Scythe

Reborn a fawn, Phaios is lean and lanky, but a little shorter than average. Her buildClick to Enlarge

was meant for running, and she often is; she finds the rhythmic pounding of hooves to be cathartic. Her snout is thin and tapered, almost resembling a greyhound's or IbizanClick to Enlarge

's more than a deer's. Bright golden eyes and oddly shaped ears add to the effect, but she is most certainly cervine everywhere else. Her ears stand long and tall, and vaguely resemble the ears of AnubisClick to Enlarge

. A silver ankh dangles on a leather cord around her neck, above a mess of silver-white hairs that stand out against the duller gray of her underside in a vaguely cross-like shape. The marking is too blurred to make any real meaning of it, however. Black swirls grace her shoulders and are more readily recognized as symbolic wings. That aside, her appearance is unremarkable - dark red-brown fur pocked with an assortment of ruddy spots, a light gray face and underside, and three black stockings (the left hind remains brown). Although the fur on her body is reasonably short, the hair of her neck and underside is slightly longer and thicker. Dark brown antenna-like antlers, too thin and blunt to do much damage, curve neatly away from her head (or will, once they've grown in). The only really colorful part of her is a thin crimson and silver marking which winds around her right front 'wrist'.

History

Memory is the Treasury and Guardian of All Things

Art by Me

Originally created in another world outside the Forest, Phaios woke in unfamiliar woods as a fawn one day with no idea as to why and little memory of her homeland. Her first fawnhood was largely spent in search of missing pieces, with one in particular being of great importance: a connection with another being she could not put a name or face to, but somehow knew she would recognize instantly, should they meet. Many of the adults in her life seemed to pick up on an age beyond her youth, and to the young fawn many of the adults sparked dim recollections and briefly illuminated visions of her past, but it was not until Phaios was thrown into a particularly fierce battle in which she finally recovered the full extent of her memories that she could explain the oddities.

It was Sianna and Ravus who held the key, each an echo of a familiar face from her previous existance - Sianna a lost daughter who turned away into darkness, and Ravus the friend who resorted to extremes to destroy that darkness. As the two warred, Phaios leaped in to Sianna's defense, her mind a haze of past and present. Her reward was a large gash across one shoulder as she was felled, Sianna quick to follow before Ravus went her own way. The wound - and its eventual scar - was another echo of the life she suddenly remembered, and all the pieces began to settle into place at last as the one she had been missing finally made it to her side: Endriaga.

Phaios was once among the many children of a goddess, who was the granddaughter of Anubis. Her kind were created within a safe haven, though the land was not without its struggles. As she grew, Phai gained respect and status among her kind. Endriaga, a small dragon-like creature, was given to her as a gift by her creator. The two were instantly bonded - both mentally and physically - and became inseparable; a red and silver metal bangle on Phai's right foreleg marked their bond. The arrangement took some getting used to, but as they learned together, they became a team and, in many ways, two halves of one being. She earned many names in her lifetime, however her greatest achievements, in her mind, were the earning of her wings and title, Serene Remembrance, granted by her creator, as well as the ranking "Hondo" - a title of guardianship and authority among her species which also afforded a greater honing of her natural abilities. She took this honor very seriously, and the mindset it gave her remained with her into her time in the Forest. Her home fell into war and a great many other trials, and after a series of traumatizing events the once vibrant Phaios gradually faded into the background and became a recluse, unable to rejoin society because of the mental scars she had been left with.

Over time, the land itself began to fade and die. For years Phaios wandered with only Endriaga at her side until she, too, faded from existence. One night her eyes closed to rest, and when she woke in the morning she had been transformed into a fawn in a strange, yet vaguely familiar wood. Why she and Endriaga had been sent to the Endless Forest was always unclear to her, but in her time in the Forest she found many new lessons to be learned. Many of her days passed happily, but as in her first life in her home world, trials and conflicts within the Forest gradually became increasingly difficult for Phaios to bear.

She took many under her wing, and although few were openly claimed as family, most were considered her own in the privacy of her mind. Among them were Aria and Oria, sisters. One rainy day, Phaios stumbled upon a tiny fawn struggling for life in the cold and wet. After a long, hard walk she managed to get the little one to safety and there gave her the name 'Aria.' Oria appeared some weeks after. A great number of hardships followed the little family - Aria in particular - and her first grandchildren came about. After things finally settled some, a more reliable father figure and more grandchildren followed.

Around the same time, Phaios found herself wrapped in a second family - the 'quillbacks'. In the beginning she was readily accepted by the head of household, Thane, though things changed as time went on. She became particularly close to Thane's partner, Prussia, and to their fawns Miriam and Morioch. Watching the quilled family's struggles and abuses was a constant source of heartache for the doe. Many more quill-backed children followed the twins' creation, and each was also taken in to some extent when they were abandoned by their creator.

With so many problems and losses both real and perceived, the doe's mental health hit a steady decline that she tried her best to keep under wraps. Some of her extended adopted family kept her afloat for quite some time, the more notable being Pica and Rossamund, but ultimately the stress became too much. After a final straw fell upon her back, she found herself unable to cope with her pain any longer and gave in to a last resort she had mused over off and on for some months: suicide. After ingesting a large quantity of poppy flowers and pods, the doe fell asleep with Endriaga beside her and did not wake again.

***

Death, however, was not much kinder. Although her species was meant to be reborn after death, Phaios could not bear the thought of moving on to another world - let alone returning to the Forest - yet she also found herself unable to rest peacefully. Trapped, she hung in a void with only Endriaga and her thoughts as depression slowly turned to madness.

A year after her death, Anubis appeared to her and she was given an ultimatum. She could no longer linger between worlds and disturb life's balance; he would not allow it. When Phaios refused to move forward or relinquish her soul to eternal rest, the god of the afterlife entered the Forest to seek someone who could persuade her to be moved without brute force. There he chose Pica, Rossamund, Eve, Isobel, and Aria to gather up any and every reason for Phaios to return that they could find before confronting the lost doe herself.

Art

Plot link/s?

Lineart by Eyestrain

Lineart by Kaoori

Art by DinahMoon

More Art
There are images as headers to each tab section, as well.

In-Depth

Memories are the Best Souvenirs

Art by Sleepything

Physical

Light/swift build intended for dodging more than for dealing heavy blows. Fighting style reflects this; built heavily upon dodging, quick blows, and fleeing. Not likely to deal a lot of damage beyond bruising.
Antlers are short, thin, and do not have points; not likely to cause serious damage, even if she were to try. She is more likely to use them to butt against a side or a shoulder to throw someone off balance, or to enforce a warning. They are shaped like butterfly antenna and curve downward and out, and only extend about halfway down her neck.
Possesses upper canines. Not overly pronounced, but present. Lower canines are less incisor-like than a normal deer's. Capable of puncturing in a bite, but not likely to be used unless trapped in close quarters. Dentition is otherwise normal. Will still bare her teeth when feeling threatened.
Strongest attack would be a kick from her rear legs, as they are well-muscled for running. However, since this requires her to put her back to an attacker, such a kick is generally only used while fleeing. If given the chance of surprise, a full-on body slam from the shoulder may come into play.
Slightly faster than an average deer.
Keen sense of smell, heavily relied upon to determine where other deer are in the Forest. Rain and heavy fog interfere with her senses and make navigation difficult.
Reasonable/average vision.
Slightly better than average hearing, also used to determine what is going on in the Forest; will frequently turn her head towards passing or approaching hooves or voices.
Tentative Fighter's Chart and Senses/Other

Mental and Behavioral

Tendency towards "Neutral Good"
Body language generally remains consistent with the Forest deer's "language," but she will occasionally slip - especially when becoming anxious or aggressive. Most often this is seen in the form of herding behavior similar to what one might expect from a shepherd dog, and in the postures she takes while protecting others from a perceived threat. Characters who are well-versed in canine body language may recognize such behaviors.
Aware of pictograms, but seems to lack the clarity of sight the more native deer generally have. Capable of sensing the general 'feel' of a pictogram, but more often recognizes others by sight and scent; the full awareness of another deer's pictogram usually requires she know them for a while, first. This is a large part of the reason she has difficulty finding others in bad weather and why she may confuse the scents of deer with similar pictograms, even if their scents are very different in truth.
Will often rest with her head on the ground; she is not necessarily asleep.
Does not need to eat to survive, but water is an absolute necessity. Finds eating (and those who do it) to be strange - and in the case of carnivores, somewhat barbaric - but recognizes that it's the "normal" for the Forest and a necessity to those who do it.
Usually fearful-submissive on new/stressful encounters, can become fearful-aggressive if provoked. The easiest way to tell the difference between the two is to look at what direction she's facing and which way her head is turned. Facing away/looking away is more submissive, facing towards/looking towards a perceived threat is considered more aggressive/challenging. Combinations of the two (facing away/looking towards, facing towards/looking away) indicate uncertanty and the potential to go either way.
May have a sudden, strong fear-based reaction to certain triggering situations, regardless of who causes it. Reactions may vary widely from pure fear to fear-aggression.
Often interprets staring as a challenge/threat.
Calm-submissive with those she is comfortable with, very rarely takes on a dominant role (especially with those she perceives as older than herself). Although she may get between others during/herd friends and acquaintances away from a confrontation, this is done with a sense of herd preservation/defense rather than a need to lead them.
Likes to sing. Is not necessarily fantastic - just likes to sing when no one else is around. May occasionally hum around others, but is generally shy about it.

The Bond

Phaios and Endriaga share a special mental and physical bond. They can speak to each other mentally regardless of distance, which makes Phaios the only one capable of translating for Endriaga. When one deer is wounded, the other receives an equal wound on her body; if one were to die, there would be dire consequences for the other. For this reason, they both guard one another fiercely and have grown extremely close.
Endriaga also has an increased healing rate which carries over the bond and heals Phaios as well; this makes them both quick healers, although more serious wounds can take a good deal of time to heal completely and lingering scars, lameness, and other problems are always a possibility. Endriaga must be inactive/resting a majority of the time in order for this accelerated rate to take effect.

Relations to Others

To Remember is to Live Again

Art by Niriya

Key
Color	A nickname based on pre-Forest memories, not used in conversation
(Parens.)	A nickname used in conversation, or a name the deer introduced him/herself as.
"Quotes"	A childhood nickname
+	Not (openly) claimed as family, but considered one of 'hers'. Typically fawns she has been close to/watched grow up, or children of friends. (not a territorial/possessive claim; it's a title of affection)
~	Indicates a deer whose name Phai does not know (mostly a note for myself). If you think this is incorrect/your deer has introduced itself by name, let me know.

The relations list from her first life is not present at this time, as she does not remember them.

Name - Description.

Items of Significance

	An iridescent teal feather, given to her by Prussia. It stays behind her left ear at all times; a closely guarded treasure, it never leaves her person.
	An earring, given to her by Morioch. It's formed in the shape of a stylistic eye, with a darkly colored gem at its center. Always worn, it holds a secret purpose.
	A roughly canine-shaped mask Phaios carved herself from a wooden mask the mushroom trees of the Forest provided. It's some pretty poor craftsmanship.
	A silver ankh necklace with personal significance, always worn.
	A necklace with one of Isobel's baby teeth. Not often worn, but kept somewhere safe.
	A circlet, crafted by her grandson Authieu. Not often worn, but kept somewhere safe.

The Endless Forest

CSS - Ignore

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