Animal Companion Origins
That’s a real nice animal companion you got there. Soft, sleek fur… or, now that it’s in the light, are those feathers, instead? Where’d you get your hands on a nice animal like that? No, not “from being a druid.” That hardly answers the question. I mean, it’s not like your animal companion just magically appeared at your side one day… right?
Quick! If you don’t want your animal companion to have spontaneously generated from nothingness, find an origin on the list below.
1. Freed from a hunter’s trap. One day, while traveling alone in the wilderness, you found your animal companion caught in a hunter’s trap, trying to free itself. Whether the trap was a simple snare or pit, or a more complicated net or vise, your animal companion was unable to get free without seriously injuring itself, and may even have already been injured by the trap. You freed your companion, possibly nursing it back to health in the bargain, and earned its eternal gratitude.
2. Childhood pet. Your animal companion has been with you for as long as you can remember, since you were a young child. It was a gift, bestowed on you by your parents, or perhaps an aunt, uncle, or friend of the family, especially if there is one who is an adventurer herself. You and your animal companion grew up together, and are as close to one another as human siblings.
3. Spirit of a deceased loved one. Something about your animal companion leads you to believe that it harbors the spirit of a deceased loved one. The animal companion came into your life shortly after the loved one died, and something about the animal—such as a peculiar marking in its fur, feathers, or scales, or an odd mannerism in its barks or hisses—is so close to some memorable aspect of your lost loved one that you are sure it cannot be a coincidence.
4. Rivals turned friends. Before your animal companion took on that role, it was a wild animal that stalked the same lands that you frequented. The two of you met on several occasions, and one of you tried to hunt the other—or perhaps each of you served in turn as both hunter and prey. Neither of you was able to triumph over the other, however, and eventually your rivalry transformed into grudging respect, and then a bond of friendship.
5. Rescued from peril. One day, while traveling alone in the wilderness, you found yourself in a life-threatening situation, whether being cornered by a dangerous predator, bit by a venomous serpent far from any kind of aid, falling into a pit or cavern and breaking a limb, or simply getting lost or running out of food. Your animal companion came upon you and, in a show of kindness that betrayed its exceptional nature, rescued you: chasing off the predator, carrying you to safety, or so on. It has remained with you ever since.
6. Circus performer. Your animal companion was once part of a traveling circus, until you helped it escape from its cruel and abusive masters. You yourself may have been part of the circus, as well, and perhaps even worked with your animal companion in a shared act. Alternatively, you may simply have gone to visit the circus and seen the animal in action. Either way, you saw in its eyes that it wanted to be free, rather than caged, and so you helped it escape, and have been on the run with it ever since.
7. Mentor’s companion. Your animal companion previously served as an animal companion to your mentor. Eventually, it came time for your mentor to retire, or perhaps she died, or simply determined that you were ready to step into her role and take over. Whichever the case, she asked her animal companion to watch over and guide you, and so it has traveled with you ever since. One day, in theory, your animal companion will eventually need to pass on the torch, as well, but that day may yet be far off.
8. Prominent parentage. Your animal companion comes from a proud lineage and pedigree of exceptional animals. When it was born, you were invited to take the young animal and raise it, due to your connections. The animal may have been kept by a temple whose community you were active in, or it may have belonged to a friend of the family, or so on. Though being gifted with the animal companion was a great honor, it was also a responsibility to protect the lineage, and your benefactors may be upset if your animal companion comes to serious harm.
9. Abandoned young. You found your animal companion when it was very young, just after its mother was slain. You may have been the one who killed its mother, in which case you may not have known about the young, or you may not have had any choice. Alternatively, its mother may have been killed by poachers, or by a monster of some sort. Whatever the case, the young animal companion was sure to die on its own, so you raised it yourself, and it has stayed with you ever since.
10. Caught and trained. You caught your animal companion yourself, in the wild, specifically for the purpose of domesticating it and gaining its help. Your animal companion may once have resented you for this, but now, through care and training, has grown to accept you.