CHOOSERS WILL BE BEGGARS

❥ Character Information

Character Name: The Disreputable Dog (aka Kibeth)
Character Age: Very old. Has been around since before ‘The Beginning’ as Kibeth, one of the Bright Shiners. The Dog is but a small part of what she used to be, as she did not physically join the Charter as some of the other Bright Shiners did, but she is what remains in her own way from that time.
Character Species: Remnant of a Bright Shiner. They were incredibly powerful Free Magic beings who were the first to develop conscious thought
Current Health: Disreputable healthy despite just 'dying'
Outfit: The only thing the Dog 'carries' is a collar. This collar has Charter marks on it. Unlike Mogget who had a collar for various reasons, the Dog's doesn't work in the same way. She is of the same mind whether the collar is on or off and she does not cough up a new collar like Mogget did. She also lets people touch it.

'Then Lirael touched the collar [...] and was momentarily thrown out of the world altogether. All she could see, hear, and feel were Charter marks, all around, as if she had somehow fallen unto the Charter. There was no leather collar under her hand, no Dog, no study. Nothing but Charter.'

Lirael further describes her collar as akin to a Charter Stone, as a way into the Charter. But, that there was also free magic in it.

Character Canon: The Old Kingdom
Link to History:
So the Dog's history?

The beginning is the time between when the Nine Bright Shiners emerged and when the Seven created the Charter. Ranna, Mosrael, Kibeth, Dyrim, Belgaer, Saraneth and Astarael all decided to create the Charter, which would bring order to Free magic. Ranna, Mosrael, Dyrim, Belgaer, and Saraneth gave themselves up completely in the process while Astarael and Kibeth provided their power but remained in the world. Orannis did not want order and just wanted to destroy, so he was bound by the Seven, and Yrael (Mogget) was bound as well for not choosing a side.

Kibeth remained in the world, but her power was diminished.

Kibeth was not consumed in the making of the Charter and she was preserved within a soapstone statue. (It is not explained how this was done or how she arrived at the Clayr.) But, somewhere along the line, this statue was brought and kept hidden by the Clayr within their Great Library.

Start the novel, Lirael.

The Dog
Lirael novel
Abhorsen novel

Canon Point: End of The Abhorsen
Canon Iteration: Original canon
Canon Iteration Explanation: n/a

❥ Folkmore Roles & Attributes

Skills: Skill wise, the Dog can see quite well, dig, hunt and also smell. In many ways, dog traits, but unlike a real dog, her sense goes beyond those of a mere pet and into what may be described as the supernatural, or the magical sense.
Canon Abilities: She is able to alter her appearance although she chooses to be a mutt of average size, neither small nor big, but as shown, this can change. She is able to grow smaller and longer like a wiener dog when she goes exploring with Lirael in tunnels. When her mistress was threatened, she grew much larger and much fiercer. She can also grow wings and can fly, as shown when they were trying to get over the wall. She can change the structure of her paws. This allows her to be able to read books and turn the pages, to 'suction' when surfaces are slippery, and to dig holes, especially those in the frozen ice to hide her bones. She is also able to cross back and forth into Death and beyond the gates at will and she can do Charter magic, but she isn't shown to do this often (barking and leaving a mark above Lirael's head, and removing the spell from her bracelet).

She is as well a remnant of Kibeth, a Bright Shiner and a Free Magic Being yet her strength has weakened over the centuries just like how the Great Bloodline has. When in the vicinity of Astarael, where there is no Charter, her collar does disappear. In this form, she is a creature of pure darkness but is outlined in silver light. The Dog though is Kibeth and not a Charter mage and derives her power from the fact that she is Kibeth, one of the Free magic beings still left but also has some Charter Magic in her current form due to Lirael's spell.

For powers, Kibeth, the third of seven, is known as the Walker. While a part of her is also in the Abhorsen bells, the Dog can make people walk where she wishes them to, controlling their movement. She can give people the freedom to move or she can take it away. Although the Abhorsen rings the bell to get this power to work, the Dog barks or howls and this noise is infused with this power. She was also shown to baptize Nick, giving him a Charter mark on his forehead, and when she found him in death, this allowed him to return to life. I doubt that she will find a use for this power and she technically wasn't supposed to do it... But she is disreputable for a reason.
Role: Familiar
Role Qualities/Attributes: Her form when there is no Charter - a massive dog shaped creature of pure darkness but is outlined in silver light that drips from her mouth and eyes
Role Reasoning: While the Dog does stand for justice and goodness, she isn't exactly the hero type. She is the wiggle around and try to slip out of things, never being pinned down and rarely giving straightforward answers. She isn't evil, and actually gave up a lot of herself as Kibeth to stop evil. Her role in the books has been to assist and mentor. She isn't above giving a nip when it is required to get Lirael out of a funk. She is fine with lying if a situation calls for it. She pushes Lirael and the others to go further and to push their boundaries, and to find some of the answers on their own. She can come across rather shifty and she is disreputable for a reason.

❥ Personality

What is your character's moral code? Do they have one? Why or why not?

The Disreputable Dog is just that, disreputable and most of the time the Dog never really answers any questions but just wiggles around and avoids them. That being said, she does have a moral code. The Dog is a supporting character, and yet one aspect of her that has remained since the Beginning and is important to her, is life and the living of it. As Kibeth, she made a stand against Orannis. Tired of seeing the destruction that Orannis left and the six planets that were destroyed by him, she stood with her companions to save the planet that the story takes place on. They sought to work against his desire to annihilate all life. Even in her diminished form of the Dog, she is still about life and about living it to it's fullest. She pushes Lirael out of shell and shows her what is out there. She takes her on adventures and journeys. She may be disreputable, but she is loyal. She teaches Lirael about herself and who she is. She helps her to grow and stands by her side as she tries to stop Orannis again. Arguably there is some aspect to her that is immortal, but she still follows some rules when she passes. She takes the killing blow for Lirael and does die from that form, but it's shown that she's not really dead. Yet she had helped the world once more, aiding in the rebinding of Orannis.

Is your character capable of forgiveness or will they hold a grudge until they die? Would anything ever make them change their mind?

In the Beginning, there were Nine Free Magic beings (Ranna, Mosrael, Kibeth, Dyrim, Belgaer, Saraneth, Astarael, Yrael, and Orannis) that were the most powerful of the Free magic creatures. The one who was known as Yrael, we learn is actually Mogget. Because he did not choose either side (to stand with the Seven or stand with Orannis), the Seven bound him forcibly as punishment. In Sabriel, he takes the form of a white cat, but has also shown to take the form of a dwarf, although a former Abhorsen denied this form to him. Around his neck he bears a collar with a bell upon it. This keeps his form bound and he begrudgingly serves due to being bound.

Although she can be kind and gentle, it has been shown that she isn't that charitable, especially with Mogget because of his past choices and his refusal to choose. When they first meet again, it is clear that the Dog has not forgotten despite the passage of time. There is something between them, but neither really explain and the Dog seems to turn her nose up at the feline. Although he was given a second chance, the Dog doesn't readily do so and questions him every step of the way. She also likes to annoy Mogget and several times she almost just happens to step on him. Mogget, in turn, calls her a Horrible Hound, and happily leaves her to get a bath. That being said, when Mogget finally decides to against Orannis the second time, the Dog does begrudgingly start to offer some respect, but they still have a cat and dog relationship.

What would your character sacrifice to get what they want or to reach their potential? What have they sacrificed already?

The Dog would sacrifice herself, and has already done so, and clearly will do so again if the situation calls for it. She is someone that is more likely to sit on the sideline and guide, but when push comes to shove, she will go the extra mile to reach her goals. She is an ancient being, even if she is a left-over aspects of what she once was. She does approach situations with a clarity and attention to detail. She will sniff out clues, hear noises that shouldn't be there and is able to piece things together. She is surprisingly quick to act, having used her bark to avert danger and licks Nicholas's head just after he died, so that she could give him a Charter Mark, thus allowing him to return after death. She tells people to pay attention and although she does seem to be quite strong, being able to change her form into that of a more threatening being as well as using her bark that is infused with the force of Kibeth, she tells people that they need to clean up their own mess. That doesn't mean that she won't support others, as she will, but she will not give out all the answers. Despite her wiggly and carefree canine persona, when an emergency arises, she is all business and ready to tackle things head on. In the end, she knows her time with Lirael is done and so lets her Mistress live by taking the death blow herself after biting off Lirael's hand.

What famous folklore, legend, or myth would you associate your character with? Are they literally inspired by Snow White? Do they have similar struggles or energy as Red Riding Hood?

The Disreputable Dog is much like the Cheshire Cat of Alice in Wonderland. The Cheshire Cat is a mysterious figure with a seemingly permanent grin, who is unpredictable and mischievous, but who can also be kind and sympathetic. The Cat takes on a role of a guide for Alice, offering wisdom, but also seems to take pleasure in causing her trouble. The Dog's defining trait is to be disreputable. She is shady, never quite confirming or denying many things, especially about who are what she is. She is released from her soapstone statue form when Lirael is trying to make a Dog. Lirael knows that the Dog isn't what she created as she was just trying to create a sending and the Dog was so much more than that. Yet, living up to her name, each time Lirael tries to figure out what the Dog is, she either states that she is the Dog and she is from elsewhere or that Lirael should know because it was her spell. As she states, she can be a menace when she wants to be but she can also be tender and gentle. She comes and she goes, much like the Cheshire Cat, appearing somewhere unexpected and offers guidance when Lirael needs it, whether with a nip or words. She isn't sadistic nor take pleasure in pain though but she is wise and takes a mentor role.