Windsonde Ref: Kareela v2

Decided to redo Kareela's reference not only because I feel like I rushed the original one, but also because I improved upon the anatomy and needed to apply it to the reference.

Personality and design are unaltered from the original. Just added several things to make a more well-rounded character overall.
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Current age/rank: Juvenile/Young adult

Name: Kareela
Gender: Female
Species: Black-shouldered kite / White (leucistic) serval
Size: Equivalent to a lioness (adult)
Aerie: Grandesque
Clan: Not available

Diet: Mostly mice. Will eat small reptiles, or other rodents.

Relatives: Katlego - Lammergeier / Serval (Father), Eniola - Black-shouldered kite / African golden cat (Mother), Uzoma - Lammergeier / African golden cat (Brother)
Other: Ebele - Common barn owl / African lion (Adoptive mother)

Background: Kareela was born/hatched into a Faclair family along with one brother in their parents’ only clutch. Expecting at least one female that displayed the “best” qualities of the parents (mostly herself), her mother was appalled when she saw that her daughter did not resemble herself. Kareela’s father, on the other hand, sought only a male to serve as an heir to the family and showed no interest in the female. Using the excuse of giving their son a better quality of life without sibling competition, the parents decided to dispose of Kareela. Why expend any resources or energy on a thing they did not want? She was abandoned while still only a chick due to her parents’ preference for her brother and her mother’s disgust for her lack of “beauty.”
On a rainy and chilly evening, the mother dumped the chick Kareela on the edge of the aerie caverns with no remorse. Confused and terrified, little Kareela wandered aimlessly into the night while crying out for her mother and father. It was then that a female gryphon, a common barn owl/African lion mix, came upon the chick while on her way out for her nocturnal hunt. Ebele questioned Kareela about her parents, but it became immediately apparent that she had been purposely abandoned. She decided to adopt the poor chick herself, naming her and taking her back to her home cavern in the lower ranking area of the aerie, far from Kareela’s original nest.
Over time, Ebele became a mother to Kareela and the young female gryphon became a daughter to the adoptive mother. Memories of her original parents and brother became faded. Ebele’s loving, accepting, and caring nature prevented any obvious trauma in Kareela, raising her to be a sweet and cheerful gryphon.
As for her true family, they do not know that Kareela was adopted on the night of her abandonment or that she even lived. Because Ebele’s home cavern is secluded in the lower-ranking area of the aerie from those of the Faclair caverns, their lives have not crossed. Even if they did, her parents would not have recognized her, absorbed in their high life as they are.

Personality: Kareela is a shy gryphon who isn’t really talkative except when with Ebele and close friends, or when addressed. She displays a kind-hearted, sweet demeanor that likely rubbed off of Ebele while being raised and she enjoys simply observing other gryphons go about their daily lives. Kareela also has the tendency to drift off daydreaming when alone or when inactive. About what? No one knows. Growing up in Grandesque, she has grown accustomed to the arrogance often seen in the aerie and has learned to simply ignore it. Luckily, she doesn’t possess any of that arrogance or laziness herself.

Current age/rank qualities: As a young gryphon, Kareela tries to follow rules/laws to the “T” out of fear of reprimand from many of the hot-tempered gryphons, rather than that she thinks they are right or just. Her youthful naivety and anxiety in stressful situations, however, often cause her to wander into trouble. Whether or not she’ll loosen up with age, only time can tell. She also tries hard to make friends and be helpful. But because of her nervousness, Kareela is as clumsy as they come on the ground. She constantly trips over things (even her own legs) or bumps into walls and gryphons when in public. As a result, she has often embarrassed herself, earning her the title of the local klutz. She often waves off such things with a smile or a nervous laugh before high tailing out of there.
Unbeknownst to most, Kareela is a superb flier and is very agile in the air. She may lack the speed of a peregrine mix or the strength of an eagle mix, but she surpasses many in grace and maneuverability. One of the skills she’s practicing as a young gryphon is hovering, a trait distinct to the black-shouldered kite mix. She tends to hide the fact that she's an elegant flier because, being quite shy, she avoids being the center of attention. When she does feel an urge for a flight, she often flies off on her own.

Likes: Flight, daydreaming, watching activities around her, the simple things in life
Dislikes: Rain, public attention, her own clumsiness, senseless violence, Grandesque vanity

Sight: Excellent
Hearing: Excellent
Smell: Good

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Character and artwork © Azurolf