Gromiko
Gromiko
Gromiko is a Great Raven that has adopted the Zrytsa of the Belkoplemya, Mama Nadka. He is an exceptionally large raven, weighing a full five pounds and exhibiting a wingspan in excess of 36". He has lived with Nadka for at least eleven years, and both Nadka and her guardian, Yena Adlinev, believe Gromiko to be significantly older than that.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
A singularly large raven, with an enormous wingspan that exceeds three feet. He is especially proud of his plumage and meticulously grooms himself whenever he suspects he is going to meet someone new.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
About eleven years ago, Nadka found the raven in some distress just outside her arak during the winter sojourn at Zimnii Gorod. Being blind, Nadka couldn't "see" the raven at all, but she knew the raven was there, that it was injured and needed her help. She spent the afternoon giving the raven water, bread and day-old boiled liver. Eventually the raven chose to speak to her, and they talked together for hours. Since that time, Gromiko (a name Nadka gave him, not anything he ever called himself) has been a near constant companion of the Zrytsa, leaving only to go on occasional hunts or to scout ahead of the caravan to better ensure Nadka's safety.
Education
No one knows where or when Gromiko learned to speak such clear and understandable Junnharic, or where he learned to swear so colorfully in Caldarian. He himself struggles to understand the concept of time beyond the scope of a single season, so he has no idea how many years he has lived. What is known is that Gromiko has a broader vocabulary than some of the members of the Belkoplemya and only the pitch of his understandably bird-like voice causes any pause in understanding him.
Taboos
Gromiko is horrified by the very thought that he might be seen as dirty or flawed in any way. His personal pride in his appearance and demeanor is unsurpassed within the greater community of the Belko tribe.
Personality Characteristics
Likes & Dislikes
Gromiko is especially fond of boiled liver, fried pork rinds, stale rye bread, and dried fish. He absolutely loves to listen to riddles and poetry and is very prone to burst out into raucous cackling laughter at bawdy or inappropriate jokes, especially when they are told in Caldarian.
Hygiene
Fastidiously clean and extremely conscious of his appearance when in the company of strangers. Nadka's arak has a special opening just for Gromiko to use so that he never needs to defecate inside the structure.
Social
Speech
Gromiko is capable of speaking Junnharic amazingly well. He has demonstrated a functional vocabulary of more than 300 words and never seems to forget a face once he is introduced to someone. He is quite capable of swearing very effectively in Caldarian, as well, which is surprising since neither Nadka nor Yena speak that tongue. It is assumed that he learned those particular Caldarian phrases prior to coming to live with Nadka.
Gromiko, the Great Raven, demanding a breakfast of boiled liver and eggs
Known to make extremely loud belching noises after he eats, even though Corvidae (of which he is one) cannot biologically belch at all.
