Strike

History
Strike was born to two Wastelander parents, a mother who had been exiled from Eden and a father who had previously been a raider. The radiation of the Wastelands, along with both dogs’ infectious states, killed off the entire litter, leaving only Strike. He, however, was born with a permanent limp, as his bones in that leg never formed properly enough for him to be able to put weight on it.

He grew up relatively sheltered, constantly moving from place to place with no real home. His mother, whose infection was progressing much slower than his father’s, told him stories of the place she was raised – Eden. Strike loved the stories she used to tell, and he used to dream of living in Eden when he was a pup. His father, however, was more pessimistic. Having been a former raider, he warned Strike of the dangers that came with the Wastelands, crushing the young dog’s dreams of one day living in Eden. He broke the news that the infection, though dormant now, would one day awaken in the Elkhound and seal his fate.

When Strike was about a year old, he lost both of his parents to the infection. They slowly died from insanity, leaving him alone with nothing but the memory of the dogs they used to be. Although he was saddened by it, he knew he had to move on. So he spent the next year dodging Wastelanders and travelling across the Wastelands, his cautiousness and loneliness growing by the day. All he had to keep him company were the books and stray papers he’d find in the city ruins. He learned to read human texts, having nothing better to do to keep his sanity intact.

Roleplay Events
Strike’s growing loneliness, as well as his curiosity with Eden, later got the best of him. The first Edener he’d ever met, besides his exiled mother, turned out to be a dog by the name of Inaya. Inaya, however, was cruel. She trapped him within a building she called Jehaunum. It was filled with fresh air and the promise of friendship, but Inaya used his gullibility to her advantage. When he realized he’d been tricked, he couldn’t find a way out until he heard a chant coming from some infected creature down the hall. The creature, who resembled a dog, though insane, helped him find his way out. Strike tried to repay him by releasing the dog, but Inaya shut the door, causing the creature to snap. Strike received a plethora of scars and a brand new vision of paranoia from this experience. To this day, he is still highly distrustful of Edeners.

Eventually he met an unusual dog by the name of Ramses. They spoke of dreams that they knew were unattainable, but one of them eventually came to fruition. And so the Tempered Asylum pack was born, its base in a library that Strike had found long ago that was isolated and safe. It was meant to be a haven for all dogs who wished to maintain whatever humanity they had left.

Over time, it appeared that the symptoms Strike had of the infection seemed to vanish. Though he does not know it, he gradually became a carrier of the infection, meaning he can pass it on but is not affected by it otherwise. This has proven to be a blessing in his case, as it grants him his wish of keeping the thing he holds close safe: his sanity. He is currently the only known carrier of the infection who was originally born in the Wastelands.