Wylderkin, more animal or more humonoid?

Ithra

Newbie
so i was just wondering what do you guys perfer to do when it comes to acting like the animal you play. do you just go with whatever you feel or do you try to be as close to the animal as you can?

i'm new and have only gone to one event but out of all the races the wylderkin sounds the most fun to role play (and i'm already figuring out a cool back story for my charactor; i love to write.) and i'm pretty sure i want to do a Wolfkin, sure its not the most original but i think i'd try to make it stand out by acting as close to a wolf as possible. learn to do a realistic howl and use all the vocalisations Wolfs use in the right way, play to all their personality traits, and whatever i can come up with here and their like sitting differently, rarely using my hands to eat. and it might be cool to have more of my kin around

so how do you guys perfer to role play wylderkin?
 
I have a bear-kin (scavenger - whatever) I played in one low level event (still waiting for another winter low level in the area to play him again).

He has many ursine traits -- likes to nap a lot. Is a solitary male -- wanders great distances (which is why he doesn't stay around long or is seen frequently in a chapter). Prefers sleeping in caves (I sleep OOG because I need to sleep with a CPAP, and if I am woken up and attacked, my CPAP could get broken and it's kind of an expensive piece of medical equipment, so the 'I go away from town and sleep in a cave well hidden from prying eyes' is a good explanation for sleeping OOG), and because of that he uses a crossbow (I don't think much of claws as a weapon) and has Racial Proficiency and Racial Slay as his racial abilities. He lumbers around slowly, but can run fast for short distances (I am a rather large guy, so it's my OOG nature). He also has tracking as a Craftsman skill, as well as the scavenger scenting ability. Oh, and he's only a 15 build character (right now, anyhow - with a weekend of unused XP/BP).
 
My fox-kin has a mix of both human and animal traits. He is cunning, curious to the point it sometimes gets him into trouble, and a bit mischevious. He has Racial Proficiency because he is able to attack enemies with a little stronger force, and he has Resist Poison as he works in a bar and has developed an immunity for the poisons being placed in some drinks. He is a Celestial Templar but leans towards the spell casting side. I may in the future update him to just a scholar.
 
Well what about the look of a Kin? Human with a few animal characteristics or a bi-peddle animal?
 
I basically see my fox kin physically a mixture of human and animal features. He has a body arms, legs, hands and feet that are human shaped albeit covered in fur. His head, however, is completely animal shaped but of a human head size. Lastly he does have a tail.

He does wear clothes, although some kin wear less or no clothes. His clothes are not fancy as he does not understand the concepts of fashion other than he likes things that are shiny.

I have seen several kin in HQ including a coyote, white fox, canary, pandas, horse, ram, rhino, mouse, and dog.
 
All kin I have seen are humanoid. I have seen a panda kin who often walks on all fours but can walk uprights. I have seen a vulture kin who is a little less humanoid and clearly not Biata. I have seen a snake kin who only walks upright. As to how animal-like or how humanoid you want your kin to be is really up to you, so long as your kin is recognizable as a kin, and not confusable as a Biata or Sarr, you will likely be okay.
 
I have two kin I play. Both are bipedal and humanoid with the color markings and snout shape of the species. I try to bring across animal characteristics of the species through their unconscious actions to drive the point home.
The first is a Chipmunk. I use a latex chipmunk nose prosthetic (looks somewhat like http://www.northfur.ca/prosthetics/061/061_S_blank1.jpg, but they don't sell the exact one anymore), face paint in stripes from bosom up to hairline, braid white and black wool in a stripe down the middle of my hair, use a real fur tail (not very big though). To cover my hands, I either paint them or wear gloves. She dresses nicer, usually in a long sleeved black frilly shirt, purple bodice, and bright blue skirt (I didn't say she dressed fashionably... just not in rags). I play her basically on fast-forward all game. She runs everywhere, uses very darting gestures (facial and bodily) and talks faster than most people comprehend. Other than that, a fierce loyalty to her friends, and a love of money for shineyness over value (she'd trade a silver for a gold if someone offered) she is able to get along very well with other races.
My second kin is a Husky. For her, I have a leather mask shaped and painted like a dog's snout, a white and grey wolf's tail, and wear white underarmor to cover the arms. Her clothing is made almost entirely of leather scraps. She has been seen several times IG "naked" on top because she doesn't understand the reason for clothing other than armor and protection from rain. Her mannerisms are somewhat like a not-quite-trained puppy, and she is not sociable. She'll tear stuff up, bite, hit her friends, and takes a lot of naps. She also has a habit of sitting on counters.
 
Hahaha! nice husky-kin. soo it looks like my idea of my wolf-kin almost looking like a werewolf (just not as scruffy/ crazy) isn't too far off.
 
I'm glad you bring up costuming because I'm not really sure what i want to do for my future wolfkins look.

one thing about my characters story that could effect how i dress him is he had a dryad as a mentor. and his time he spent with him has effected it views in life. he has a very high respect for nature and a hatred for necromancy (like a dryad) and he believes if a wylderkin or Sarr embraces culture they are letting go of who they are and lose touch with nature.

so what do you think is a good way to go for costume? (note I'm thinking of either going rogue or adept earth casting) i would like to do body fur but i just worry it will get too hot in the summer, is there any good ways to keep cool in furs? but I'm not sure about using a mask i would much prefer to go with make up.
 
as a PC go with makeup and less fur. furry hands are ok. a fursuit hood with a fan "should" work out. tho it still can get hot. As a NPC i really need a mask because i change characters soo much.
 
Personally, I forgo any thoughts of using fur in my main costuming as it's way too warm to wear for most of the year! (Also, it's extremely irritating to cut and sew... gets EVERYWHERE!) I am planning on getting a ballet unitard to wear underneath my costuming with evening gloves sewn onto the sleeves for the next time I update Rhys' costuming. Fur suits can work fine in conventions, somewhat okay at sporting events, but I don't see them as practical to understand what people say, what you say, cleaning the fur after each event, and for eating. For the lack of makeup... awesome. I wore a full head mask once for a little bit at an event once as an NPC creature... I will NEVER do that again as I had trouble seeing, hearing, and with a stray blow from someone it became askew on my face and I couldn't see (while face shots are illegal, they do happen. Face masks that cover the lip, I've found, are the absolute devil to eat in! I remember several events where the only thing I could eat was oatmeal through a bubble tea straw. I was determined to eat one of my friends' brownies during another, and for a good part of the rest of the event the lip of my mask was covered in chocolate, inside and out!
For costuming: I would recommend Gillies for either rogue or caster (a highland period-appropriate leather sandal) as they are quiet and comfortable. I would wear reds, purples, browns, and greens for rogue types (those colors blend into the dark very well when worn haphazardly). Rogue materials would be mostly leather, as if it's thick enough you'll get your rogue armor. Adept, probably more cloth than leather, but still some to get you armor. Even though your background might have dryad influences, I've found a simple explanation is "circle of life" or "gotta eat, better to use the whole thing and leave no waste". As a high respect for nature, as a wolf, I believe you would assume your natural role in the food chain to keep balance.

Here's Fydl with prosthetic nose and ears attached to a headband set over my ears (I hate seeing double ear sets on scavvies!):
Chipmunkmask.jpg

And here's for an event that I was having troubles with hives from the mask:
Fydl.jpg
 
I agree when it comes to costuming for a Wylderkin the more makeup the better.

My fox kin used to have a full faced hot foam mask from Lyonshel. Let me tell you: those are a pain. They require alot of liquid adhesive to keep on, takes a long time putting the mask on and getting it look right on your face, and are very hot when wearing them.

I then switched to a small canine latex prosthetic nose painted red with a black nose tip. I then paint my entire face red except for my lower jaw and neck which I paint white.

This has felt much more comfortable and it it is a piece of cake to put on.

The tail is made of faux fur pieces from a craft store sewn together, stuffed with fluffy batting, and attached using big velcro strips.
 
I play an eagle kin on the east coast based on a desert culture. I tend to play him as a more civilized character (speaks well, dresses formally), but he does not sway away from his instinctual side. He finds some ideals from his animal side make more sense than some civil laws and such (survival of the strongest).
 
yeah i was thinking it would be a circle of life kinda thing for how he see's his place in the balance of the world, and with how he's a hunter he see's it as he's keeping the balance right by keeping animal population in check.

he for the most part only hunts unintelligent creatures but if he finds someone is guilty of casting necromancy he will take that as a good reason to hunt them (and possibly eat them)

and while doing a long sleeved shirt and pants would be easier i feel that wouldn't fit well with my characters personality.
you know if under armor would work well for keeping cool? oh and another idea i had is maybe go with sleeveless shirt and long pants so i can have just furry arms, that wouldn't be too bad would it?
 
I play both a sarr, and a coyote wylderkin, and I would swear by underarmor heat/cold gear. I've definitely used it in both months, and its served me well in both months. I also highly recommend makeup and prosthetics/tail/etc for whatever you're doing. The less human you look, the less likely people are going to mistake you for a different race. You can get various prosthetics from the following websites:

http://www.aradanicostumes.com/ - these guys have various types of ears. I use the hobgoblin for the coyote (to get the long ears) and the swoop backs for my sarr.
http://www.northfur.ca/ - I have been using these guys for years for tails and hot foam prosthetics. I would swear by them. Great customer service, and speedy delivery upon request most of the time.
http://www.kangena.co.uk/ - more the 'mask' type. A couple east coasters have these masks. I have never used them, but from what i've seen they look pretty stellar.

http://www.mehron.com - makeup needs. I usually use either their liquid or their cream tube makeup, but I know some people who swear by their starblend brand as well.

Hope these links help you in your endeavor for a wolfkin. Best of luck :)

-Ali
 
For kyn, I almost always recommend changing the ears at least, as it gives a very "I am not a (insert any other race here)" vibe to the look.
I use these for my ears for Rhys (husky): http://www.aradanicostumes.com/elf_ears/faun_ears. They look very puppyish the way I use them, but with a little adjustment they would work for a wolf. I have had great experiences with Aradani, and absolutely love their regular elf ears... I barely need any adhesive at all to get them to fit.
For makeup, Mehron's kind of the staple. There's also Ben Nye, but I steer clear since I'm allergic to practically anything they invent. For personal preference, I use Mehron Paradise. I use it for monster camp and for personal use. It lasts a long time, and unless you have a really sweaty face it should be good all weekend with a few minor touch-ups.
 
In my sig you can see my raven, vulture and (yet unplayed) platypus. The look of the animal is important. There should be no doubt that you are an animal type and not just a human with some fur. I definitely play up the animal mannerisms. Read up on the behavior and supplement with a good dose of any myth/lore you can find. My vulture walks basically like a puppet with a bouncy gait like you'll see with vultures around a carcass and he is very much interested in the balance of life and death, being a carrion eater. My raven is just wacky, playing up the Trickster aspect from mythology. I tend to tilt my head when looking and people, click my beak, and QUORK loudly at the stupid,little, thieving crows when I see them. Platypus is unplayed, but he's gonna be full-on Australian Aborigine tribal, wearing only a loincloth and headland with me in a body suit and prosthetic duck-bill.
Wylderkin are your chance to go all-out with make-up and go just about any way you want with character style. As a hardcore roleplayer I thoroughly recommend delving deep when researching your animal. The more background you have the more you have at your disposal when designing your personality and costume style.

And definitely follow the links posted by Zehnyu when choosing a prosthetic. They'll really add that extra little something to your character. I've seen her stuff from Northfur and my raven, vulture and platypus come from Kangena.

-Mike E.
He-of-way-too-many-characters LOL
 
o just come out and say it already wilder kin are furrys you know it i know it we love them....embrace the furr

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edited to fix link
 
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