Laika: Before Everything Was Lost

Laika Age: mid 20's Nicknames: the Grim Biker; the Immortal Rider; the Immortal Biker. Role: mother of eight; guardian of Where We Live; the current bearer of the curse. Appearance: 6 ft tall coyote woman; leather armor; red cape; sandy fur; red war paint; skull earings; ruby eyes; stern expression. Personality: stern; protective; motherly; stoic; protects the innocent; loves her daughter; grieving for her late mate, who was murdered by the Birds a month ago. Lifestyle: at day Laika patrols the Wasteland, killing Birds and gathering recources. In evening Laika plays with her daughters. Family: 8 daughters (Alani, Kaila, Brisa, Isla, Carly, Ava, Iris); mother (Maya); best friend (Jacob). Laika loves her daughters very much, but she is in a very bad relationship with Maya. Special: Laika's bike is made of her grandmother's bones. Laika can talk to the spirits of people for a short period after their death. Wields a revolver.

Maya Age: late 50's Role: the previous bearer of the curse, Nicknames: the former Grim Biker Appearance: 6 ft tall coyote woman; old leather dress; faded brown fur; skull earings; ruby eyes; stern expression. Personality: stern; cold; calculating; can be cruel, especially towards Laika; can be rude; thinks the curse of their bloodline is a blessing, no matter how cruel it may be. Lifestyle: Family: daughter (Laika); 8 granddaughters (Alani, Kaila, Brisa, Isla, Carly, Ava, Iris)

Jacob Age: early 20's Role: guardian of Where We Live, Laika's best friend. Nicknames: Hotheaded Idiot (Laika), Uncle Jacob (Laika's daughters). Appearance: 6 ft tall dog man; yellow fur; brown eyes; leather armor. Personality: kind; caring; impulsive; hotheaded. Lifestyle: Protects Where We Live along with Laika.

Laika's daughters Alani, Kaila, Brisa, Isla, Carly, Ava, Iris - eight Laika's beloved coyote pups, in age from 2 to 8 years old. They have plenty of time, before they fall into the fever.

Other vIllagers: The Elder - old bison woman in wheelchair, the chief of the village. Zooey - burly feline woman, blacksmith. Xoot - tall sloth man, leatherworker. Maniu - hare woman, gardener and merchant. Primo - tall mouse man, freedom fighter (terrorist for Birds). Shaza - an unknown mammal woman with a computer as a head, responsible for tracking Birds' communication. Molly - giraffe woman, mortician. Carey - fox woman, who is overprotective of her daughter Sammie. Camilla - peacock woman, barman. Pebble - young gazelle girl, a good friend of Iris. Tressia - young feline girl. Hilda - old rabbit woman, a sweet elderly lady. Alfredo - small chihuahua man, a somewhat insane guy. Petey - old dog man, a prophet and a madman. Kris - proboscis monkey man, cook. Gunda - dog woman, gunslinger. Mina - feline woman with very long and dirty hair, entomologist and lover of bugs.

Birds: The Two-Beaked God - the self-proclaimed god of the Birds. He is a big, double-headed stork in military uniform. Lives at the Palace on the Floating City

Locations: The Wasteland - a continental shelf of an ancient dried sea. The wastes are an endless desert full of dead sea creatures that were killed by the rising Bird Empire long ago, and their skeletons are used by the local populace as sustenance, materials, and shelter. The wastelands were also sights for countless wars waged by The Birds, with many ordinances and vehicles still loss in it's sands. Where We Live - a small tribe of survivor mammals, who try to resist the Birds' occupation, Laika's home. Where Our Bikes Growl - unremarkable piece of the Wasteland. Where Our Ancestors Rest - a wooded mountain, resting place for deceased. Where Iron Carresses the Sky - a mining region with observatory. Where Birds Came From - former home of the Birds. Where the Waves Die - shore of the dried sea, with a dam, built by the Birds. Where Rust Weaves - a toxic dump created many centuries ago by the Birds' industrialisation. Where Rock Bleeds - a mining town, home for community of moles. Where Birds Lurk - a Birds' military base, used as a genetic manipulation facility. Where Water Glistened - the shallows of the dried sea, where the ocean still breaks upon the rocks. The Big Tree - the relifious centre of the Birds, with gigantic pyramid built over a huge, old tree. The Floating City - a huge floating city, the heart of the Bird Empire.

The Birds The Birds are a fascist anthropomorphic birds society, characterized by extreme militarization, jingoism, and hatred towards ground dwellers. While they tolerate those who willingly serve their empire, Non-Birds are treated as inferior and run a high risk of death, particularly when serving in the army. There's also a significant amount of bureaucracy: Titles like "Non-Bird Advanced Electromagnetic Radiocommunications Maintenance Technician" are not uncommon, but few give it a second thought. They research genetic manipulation and nuclear weapons. Soldiers wear sky-blue camouflage uniform. Common people are usually poor and are not allowed to have their body mutated. Despite their name, birds cannot fly.

The Curse The curse is passed down through the female line of Laika's family. When daughter "first bleeds" (experiences first menstruation) she enters a severe fever, which can cause her death. If she survives, she gains immortality and the previous bearer (mother) becomes mortal again.