Shrub

"Shrub not sure what that means!"

Shrub is a friendly, albeit skittish fox with a strong love for sweet berries. As an experienced map-maker, he's often away from his home at Big Moon Lake, exploring the land in hopes of finding his fox pack.

Appearance
Shrub is an orange, anthropomorphic fox with a fluffy, white muzzle and pointy, black-tipped ears. He has a long, orange tail that becomes white at its tip, though it's usually concealed underneath his clothing. He stands at average height when not crouched in fear, and he has a somewhat scrawny build.

Outfits
So far, Shrub has only worn a single outfit, consisting of a white, long-sleeved dress shirt underneath a tan explorer's vest with green accents. He wears black pants and matching black gloves, as well as a dusty pair of dark brown boots.

Personality
Something of a 'fraidy cat, Shrub tends to be jumpy around monsters and strangers, and is usually distrusting of others until he gets to know them better. Moreover, he doesn't handle tense situations well, as he becomes uncomfortable and scared quite easily. Around friends, however, he's very sociable and loves to help out whenever he can, despite his limited set of skills. He's fairly excitable, and enjoys the company of those he cares about. He's curious by nature and loves exploring new and interesting locations, but he's not one to seek out danger and will flee if necessary. Due to his pseudo-illiteracy, Shrub often comes across as clueless or blunt, and becomes easily confused over the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Strengths
As a fox, Shrub is very nimble and quick on his feet, even more so when surrounded by others. Moreover, thanks to his experience as an explorer, he doesn't easily tire from running around. He prefers eating berries over any other food, and can harvest them much easier than others. Additionally, Shrub can channel his inner thief to pick up items and materials from further away.

Shrub has experience as a map-maker, scout, and navigator. He's very good at finding and traveling to faraway locations, particularly when working together with someone. Additionally, he has a keen sense of smell, and his ability to perceive the faintest odors makes him an adept tracker.

Weaknesses
Being a wild animal, Shrub doesn't speak Clamortongue very well, and has trouble reading and writing. He's not much of a warrior, and doesn't have the vitality required to fight for long periods of time.

Backstory
A fox with no name awoke with a throbbing headache, and found himself sitting alone next to a large, circular lake. As he shakily got to his feet, he realized he couldn't remember where he was, nor how he'd arrived there. Panic began to set in, unable to remember much of his past. All he could remember was the pack of foxes he belonged to, but as he looked around, it dawned on him that they were nowhere to be seen.

Frightened and alone, the fox immediately began digging himself a hole right at the base of the lake, afraid to face the monsters that roamed in the darkness. Tomorrow, he would unfurl the crumpled maps in his pocket and try to make sense of this scary situation... but for tonight, he would curl up in the sand and dirt and try to stay calm...

Arc 1
[Basic summary of notable events from the roleplay thus far.]

Azalea
As the first person to interact with Shrub post-amnesia, Azalea has a special place in Shrub's heart. Originally bonding over their shared bouts of memory loss, he thinks of Azalea as his go-to confidant and best friend. Given everything that's happened to the Enderian, Shrub feels very protective and scared for his friend, often feeling guilty that he can't do more to help. Additionally, while he ultimately hopes that Azalea finds his way back home to The End, he's terrified of being left behind and forgotten by someone he cares about.

Cedric
Like most of his friends, Shrub previously found Cedric's monster-like appearance terrifying, but quickly learned that the Wither Skeleton meant him no harm. In fact, Cedric bestowed multiple gifts upon Shrub, solidifying their relationship as friends. As the smartest person Shrub knows, he is quick to suggest Cedric's help when a problem arises, confident that if anyone, Cedric could come up with a solution. He views Cedric as something of a role model, and aspires to do great things just like him.

Odessa
Shrub first met Odessa after his acquisition of the Lunar Hourglass, initially thinking that she looked creepy and smelled like death. However, thanks to her expertise in the arcane, she quickly earned his admiration. Odessa uses a lot of big words that Shrub doesn't know, earning the witch a spot on his list of "smart people". That said, Shrub finds Odessa's straightforward nature and no-nonsense attitude intimidating, and while he's impressed with her knowledge and talent, he feels somewhat useless comparatively.

Pixie-Stick
Shrub has conflicting feelings about the creature he incorrectly refers to as "Pixistix". On one hand, Pixie-Stick is the closest thing Shrub has ever known to a true villain, corrupting the land and hurting his friends in the process. On the other hand, the creature reminds Shrub of a lost child, and he can't help but feel somewhat bad for it. Despite this, Pixie-Stick's presence makes Shrub uneasy, particularly its sickly-sweet smell. Further, he recognizes Pixie-Stick is dangerous, and that no mention of its name is good news.

Ripken
Shrub didn't think much of Ripken upon their first meeting, aside from the mild panic resulting from speaking to a zombie. That said, Shrub has come to consider Ripken as a good friend, even if he smells like a corpse. Despite his monotone voice, Shrub thinks that Ripken helps to lighten up stressful situations, and provides insightful suggestions to everyone's problems. Regardless of their friendship status, he rarely refers to Ripken by name, almost exclusively referring to him as "zombie".

Ruby
As a fox, Shrub has an overwhelming fear of wolves that interferes with his relationship with Ruby. The little time they've spent interacting has mostly consisted of Shrub quivering in a corner, barely able to speak. Despite being a wolf, Shrub admits that she's a kind and competent host, and is impressed with her establishment. He'd like to conquer his fear and become friends with Ruby-- as he'd done with all his monstrous friends-- but he can't shake the irrational feeling that she wants to eat him...

Sinclair
Shrub's first interaction with Sinclair was a straight-forward business transaction, but he quickly found his way into Shrub's inner circle of companions. Perhaps the most wizened of all his friends, Shrub thinks of Sinclair as an authority figure and protector, particularly in dangerous situations. He's continuously impressed with the Piglin's bravery and unwavering confidence, but wholeheartedly disagrees with Sinclair's penchant for violence, especially when his friends are involved.

Trivia

 * Shrub's associated hex code is #992d22.
 * Many foxes choose their own names when they're old enough, but are given a moniker until then. For example, Shrub's parents called him Long Tail.
 * During his introductory visit with Azalea, Shrub offered the Enderian a plant as a gift. Having never had a real name, Shrub named himself after the plant on a whim.
 * Due to his poor understanding of Clamortongue, Shrub usually speaks in third-person, and is learning how to read and write.
 * Shrub was born fourth in his pack; he has three older siblings and two younger siblings.