The Totem Quest (Story Series)

quadraptor's picture
I've still got a lot of planning for this since I just thought of this last night, but I wanted to write a series of encounters where Quad visits various 'totem' animals and learns from them. This will be similar to The Trial of the Battle Born (and will include that story as well).

I'm going to work on a synopsis and a list of animals he will encounter in the stories. The idea is that since he has lost his way from the Twin Gods' guidance (Ignoring his responsibility to defeat Iugulare by having a truce with her), they send him on a series of journeys to visit various animals that represent different totems. I'll incorporate actual totem symbolism into the stories as well, with help from a symbolism resource I like called whats your sign.

So feel free to track this if you'd like, it should end up being something interesting soon.




Animal stories to include (Tentative list) -
Bear
Wolf
Hummingbird
Goose
Coyote
Kangaroo
Horse
Tiger
Alligator/Crocodile
Tadpoles
Turtle
Eagle/Hawk/Falcon
Snake
Pronghorn Antelope
HolyMaria's picture

interesting tracking

interesting
tracking
quadraptor's picture

Let me know if there are any

Let me know if there are any animals you guys think should be included, I just made a basic list so far. I thought about including a spider story since spiders are very famous in Native American folklore. Wasn't sure what else.

I also will have symbols associated with each animal, but I may just create a bunch of symbols and then have a vote on what should be paired with which animal. This will be sometime soon hopefully, I'll make a post about it later.
HolyMaria's picture

I was working in the

I was working in the afternoon so I couldn't tell you how much I love this idea, animals are the most preciate things for me and I'd really like to read one of your stories based on animals.
I see no cats on the list, lynx, snow leopards, panters, ocelots (these are my favorite ones), and also the most "classic" ones like tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, pumas, etc. Cats are really powerful animals.
there are also no marine animals (besides turtles): whales (orcas, belugas), rays, manatees,
dolphins, maybe a seahorse?.
Armadillos and hedgehogs are special animals too as they have an armor and (I don't know how to say it in english) they make ball of themselves (hehe)
then there are unique and characteristic animals like lemurs, sloths, anteaters, stoats, chameleons, lemmings (who actually throw themselves massively to the sea),
there's a canine named Aguará guazú that's really special too, it looks like a fox but behaves like a deer. Fenec foxes are super cute, and common dogs has much wisdom.
centipedes, fireflyes and scorpions are interesting bugs

I tried to think in animals with strong features that were really special and strongly iconic. even if you don't included them in your story, it's always a beautiful thing to talk about animals and introduce someone to some animal that maybe they didn't knew about
(:


ps: Kío's complete name is Kiorana Caan Nagual (Kiorana the cosmic nagual in a mixture of native south american tongues). A nahual or nagual it's a being that has the hability to transform himself into an animal in order to be able to go into places without being seen.
It's also a guide spirit that every person has inside and that can lead you to self-knowledge and eventual spiritual evolution, and manifests itself through a animal that have specific characterictics that we have to learn in this life.
so, I certainly and personaly feel very interested in seeing how this goes on <3
Ebony3's picture

Let's see... a komodo dragon

Let's see... a komodo dragon might be really interesting. I'd imagine that they would have very unique things to teach someone. A bat, butterfly, dragonfly, mouse, sea turtle, giant land tortoise, ostrich and maybe a vine snake.
Oh, I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world.
quadraptor's picture

Thanks for all the

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I havent forgotten about this, just am very busy at the moment while i'm possibly about to get hired and move to a job.

I had a few ideas on the way too -

Each animal is part of an element, and there are members of each element represented. The BattleBorn, for example, would probably be a water element since he lives in the arctic and his name was based on snow

One of the first animals I want to write about is an old rabbit
StagnessBlue's picture

A cricket or an ant?

A cricket or an ant?

Avatar by -SH

"I didn't say you couldn't, it's just highly unrecommended."
Ebony3's picture

Hagfish

Hagfish
Oh, I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world.
wocio's picture

Butterflies?

Butterflies? Sticking out tongue
quadraptor's picture

Thanks for all the

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Hey want to help me out on one of the upcoming stories? I need a few names...

Good Wolf Tribe name
Rival Wolf Tribe name
Elder Wolf Leader name
Elder's Son's name

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, and I'll either use a matching set of suggestions or I may mix from what you guys come up with Eye

If I'm feeling up to it, I may write the wolf story today, or possibly the rabbit story. I've had both rattling around in my brain lately XD
quadraptor's picture

May try to write one of the

May try to write one of the stories today. I've been listening to some music and was able to come up with ideas for five of the stories.

So the stories I plan to write soon are -

Rabbit
Wolf
Snake
Deer (may pick something different for this one)
Goose
onyxsoulclaw's picture

Hi Quad, Great to stil see

Hi Quad, Great to stil see you doing your amazing writing. I have an animal uggestion if you like, Otter, Orca, Raven, Bever and Dinkdink. Keep up the great work and take care.