Appearance

If the eyes are the window to the soul, why do you only feel alive when they are closed?

Koda is a male red fox-fennec fox hybrid. In stature, he’s a little smaller than your average red fox, but a little larger than the average fennec. His coat pattern is that of a domesticated sunglow fox, while the size and shape of his ears are more similar to those of a fennec. The fur coating his body is short but soft, excluding the long and fluffy fur on his massive tail.
Koda tends to wear simple, dark clothing– he usually sports a plain or graphic tee and long jeggings or jeans. In colder months, he opts for a zip-up jacket.

Personality

Hope's probably the last thing any of us can take from you. But we'll get there eventually… We take everything.

Koda exudes an aura of sweet, naive, child-like innocence. He trusts people too readily, and struggles to voice his concerns or advocate for himself. A select few take advantage of him time and time again because of this.

Aesthetic

And if it's you that's haunting me, say something!

Picture the tranquility of a summer forest, where sunlight filters through the canopy, casting playful patterns of light onto the forest floor. The gentle dance of sunbeams and the rustling of leaves in the breeze create an air of serenity. The woods are lonely too, though– there’s such a quiet solitude deep in nature. The silence of the woods speaks volumes.

Timeline

Childhood

All I really wanted was this home…

Koda's memories of his father are few and far between. His father worked as a political writer and was rarely at home. Koda still recalls the rare moments when his father was present, his pale fur illuminated by the soft glow of desk lamps during late nights of toil. The scent of paperwork and ink would mingle with the faint aroma of desert sands where his father hailed from. He was a tough man to get along with and had few friends. Despite his father’s physical absence in their home, Koda admired him for his relentless work ethic and dedication, and took after him in adulthood by pursuing a rather demanding job in the government.

And my mother? She would save us, you and I. She would lead us hand in hand through the hallway that made us feel silly for seeming run by shadows and endless only moments before.

Koda's mother was nurturing and kind, and she worked as a school teacher for most of Koda’s youth. Koda learned to love nature from her and her ever-growing collection of houseplants. Her voice was soft like a summer breeze, and she’d put Koda to sleep with folk tales of ancient beings and secrets of the earth. His mother loved children, and she would have loved to give Koda siblings, but Koda’s conception was already quite a miracle in itself given the discrepancies between his parents’ species.

"You will never be the creature that you were when you were younger," it whispered

A fluffy silver fox with a glossy coat that shimmered like moonlight, Wisteria was Koda’s childhood best friend. He was from Low City and his own family life was rough, so the pair would spend day after day in Koda’s home, watched over by Koda’s mother. Friendship quickly grew into something more, and the two fell in love.
As the pair entered their late teen years, Wisteria joined a street gang, drawn to a life of thrill and rebellion that clashed with Koda's gentle nature and moral compass. Wisteria and Koda parted ways as Koda found a job in the government’s Department of Artifacts.
Their separation marked a tumultuous chapter in Koda's life, filled with longing for the friend he once knew and the love that could never be fully realized. Wisteria's absence cast a shadow over Koda's memories, a reminder of innocence lost and the complexities of growing up.

Adulthood

And now we sit in what was built on our dreams…

For the first part of his young adulthood, Koda worked at the prestigious Department of Artifacts in High City. His job was to identify artifacts– the gods they were attached to and their purposes. Through determination and fascination with the strange relics, Koda quickly gained a reputation of being a very good worker.
Stability was only temporary, though: one day while working, a malignant artifact attached itself to Koda's heart. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to remove it. Forced to flee High City to hide the artifact’s new place in his chest, Koda sought refuge in the dismal and desolate Low City.

Artifact

We all just end up as dust. Glorified ash. Rust.

When Koda's artifact activates, his body is physically altered into a creature of the woods. Antlers sprout from his head, covered in bright leaves like freshly-plucked twigs. Small bird wings unfurl from his back, each feather shimmering with green iridescence like the morning dew on petals.
Wounds on his body are kissed by nature's magic, healing over in a cascade of golden flowers that bloom beneath his skin. Similar golden flowers erupt from the ground where he walks, curling around his paws in a dance of growth and renewal.
With his artifact’s help, the wind itself becomes his confidant, carrying secrets in its gentle whispers that only Koda can decipher. In this form, he is not merely a being of flesh and bone but a living embodiment of nature's harmonious melody, a guardian of its mysteries and a vessel of its untold wonders.

God

There's no wind behind you but something's moving the leaves.

In the heart of the forest, amidst the ancient trees and whispering leaves, resides Koda's god—the embodiment of nature's power and majesty. She is a towering black beast with a white mask, her form draped in the shadows of the forest's secrets. Antlers crown her head, reaching towards the sky like the branches of a mighty oak, and a pair of regal feathered wings rest on her back. She is able to vanish into the wind in an instant, carried by the breeze to wherever she wishes to be, and her roost is a massive nest situated in the boughs of an ancient tree.
When Koda is in her presence, his artifact hums with reverence and awe. He feels a desperate need to impress her and help nature reclaim the cities.

Partner

Heart, settle down! This isn't your last day; you'll wake up tomorrow!

Koda and Wisteria's relationship grew new blossoms after Koda moved to Low City. Koda, with his aura of summer's warmth and gentle innocence, found balance in Wisteria's cool embrace and chilling charm.
Wisteria's artifact grants him wings that sparkle like the winter stars, a reflection of his resilience and inner strength. These wings symbolize not only his ability to rise above adversity but also the ethereal beauty that draws Koda to him time and time again.