Bozo

The SOR's regimental mascot, Bozo is an enormous mongrel dog the size of a small pony.

Like all dogs, Bozo is a font of unlimited playful energy. He seems to keep a stash of tennis balls somewhere that nobody has yet unearthed, but has been known to play with sticks, lengths of rope, sandals, and live turkeys.

> "**WURF!!"** - Bozo
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## Physical appearance

Bozo is a massive dog of mixed heritage. While no precise
measurements are given, his size has been compared to that of Owen Powell, Daar or a small pony. Similarly, a precise breed has not been provided, but the heritage is described as a “mutt, combining all the important features of a mastiff, a Staffordshire terrier, several breeds of “big, scary dog,” an Irish Wolfhound, a Great Dane and an M1A2 Abrams.”

**https://boredomfiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/02-caucasian-mountain-dog.jpg**

Like his human SOR-friends, Bozo looks like the biggest, scariest dog ever but is as friendly as they come. Once one manages to look past his over-muscled body, saucepan-sized paws, rudder-sized tail, massive jaw and huge teeth; Bozo’s expressive eyes and ears will show nothing but the desire to be friends.

Being the canine equivalent of Adam Arés, Bozo in short is
the biggest, goofiest and smartest dog you can find.

## Behavior & Skills

### Behavior

Bozo’s primary social instinct appears to be 'befriend everyone, and play with them.' The befriending part is quite easy. As demonstrated by Owen Powell, a good scratching behind the ears will earn you a furry friend for life. The very best of friends are presented with Bozo’s Pig of Respect. This stuffed (slightly slobbery/moist) piggy toy is dumped in the lap of whomever has really impressed Bozo, although it is not known what Bozo expects the person to do with it.

The playing part is not as easy, at least not for the average human. A boisterous pony-sized canine that wants to play, is not an average animal. The SOR however is filled with above average individuals, who can keep up with the strength and energy demands that Bozo requires during playtime. Playing tug-of-war with Bozo involves such strength that even Daar thinks of it as a good workout. Similarly, going for an endurance run with Bozo has him zipping ahead and all around, covering what is probably double the amount of distance.

When he isn’t running or tugging, Bozo loves to swim, fetch/hide tennis balls and hunt for wild Cimbrean turkeys. It has to be noted that even while hunting, Bozo does not seem to have a violent streak. Rather he catches, shows-off and then releases turkeys, for reasons that can only be guessed at. One possible explanation is that Bozos is hinting at wanting more turkey dinners around the base.

When playtime is over, Bozo likes to save his energy by laying about napping or chewing on a table leg or similar big stick. His favorite napping position is flat on his back, legs splayed, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, denying the couch to anybody who might have designs on sitting in it.

On top of being a hulk-sized dopey play-monster, Bozo is “far more intelligent than any dog had a right to be.” Combined with his innate friendliness, it allows Bozo to defuse tense situations in his own way. For instance, by rounding up all the Lads in the kitchen for dinner preparation, to brighten Adams mood after pulverizing a pirate.

#### Food

Bozo likes a lot of different foodstuffs, mostly giant slabs of red meat or turkey. Other favorite foods include Gaoian Nava 'meat,' avocado (sparingly) and whatever fishy concoction the Whitecrests cook up.

### Skills

Bozo, like any dog in any military branch, has undergone extensive training. This has translated into a very effective set of skills, both for (eventual) combat and day-to-day life.

* Schutzhund: “Protection dog” training, is the standard training course for K9-units in police and armed forces. Among other things it involves protecting assets, staying calm under duress and gunfire, tracking and restraining individuals, and thorough obedience training.
* Always Alert: Trough Schutzhund training, Bozo’s innate attentiveness has been sharpened making him fully alert at all times. He often accompanies whomever is assigned CQ at the HMS Sharman during their shift.
* Mule: Due to Bozo’s extraordinary physique he has been trained to wear both a pulling harness and hiking packs, much like Daar wears on JETS missions. This getup allows him to pull carts and objects as well as carry a significant load.
* Swim: Bozo is a solid practitioner of the doggy paddle, and loves water.
* Hunting: Bozo is quite adept at tracking, catching and retrieving Cimbrean turkeys and presumably other game. His favourite prey is the wild tennis ball though.
* Speed: Bozo is faster than a Gaoian on four-paw, if only just.

## Interactions with humans

> "One does not own Bozo. Bozo owns the man." - Owen Powell
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### SOR

As
said before, Bozo really just wants to be friends with everyone. His best
friends however, all happen to be as oversized as he is. In short, everyone who
spends any time in HMS Sharman likes Bozo, even if it’s only begrudgingly, like
Sir Patrick Knight.

When Bozo is around the Lads, really, he’s just one of |the Lads. He mingles in the puppy piles, excitedly “helps” with training, or simply
keeps them company on the lone hours in CQ.

Some SOR members have a special relationship with Bozo however:

* Owen Powell is the nominal owner of Bozo, and the first friend he made in the SOR.

* For Christian Firth, Bozo (along with the rest of the SOR team) is one of the very beings that he is capable of showing unreserved and effectively absolute affection for.

* Adam Arés is Bozo’s babysitter when Owen Powell takes a rare vacation. Presumably Arés has just as many fun-to-bite things around the house as Powell does.

* Harry “Rebar” Vandenberg uses the task of tracking Bozo all over Folctha as Motivation.

### GENERAL PUBLIC

Pretty much everyone in Folctha knows Bozo. He tends to roam
the town while looking for and/or hiding his tennis balls. He is known to
interact with people in his usual friendly manner.

Out of all the civilians, Ava Rios probably encounter Bozo the most, on account of his infatuation with her (female) dog Hannah.

#### Hannah

Ava Rios’ therapy dog Hannah, has been Bozo’s love interest
ever since they met; and the feelings appear to be mutual. Despite the serious size difference between the two, Bozo is always the perfect gentleman: presenting
tennis balls in lieu of flowers, patiently awaiting her outside buildings or letting her “win” when playing fetch.

With Bozo’s super dog genetics and Hannah’s excellent therapy dog pedigree, any possible pups born from these two would be
a sight to behold. Progress towards these pups has been made, as the two lovers have been known to “get it on” in the bushes of a Folcthain park. As of 13y11m2w1d AV puppies have been confirmed to be on the way, with just about everyone in Folctha wanting one.

## Interactions with Gaoians

> "A ‘dog,’ as far as Regaari could tell, meant Friendship"
>
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To Gaoians, a dog smells like a distant cousin from his deep
past. As such, Bozo and the Gaoians get along very well, in part to their very
similar body language. To a Gaoian, a dog’s expressions and scents are
understandable “as if filtered through an almost perfect translator”. This
understanding appears to go both ways. As a result of their similar physiques,
it should be noted that Gaoians are masters in scratching Bozo in exactly the
right spots at the right time.

Gaoian cubs especially appear attracted to Bozo, since all
they both want to do is play. In at least one case this has led to the cubs
actually riding Bozo, greatly upsetting the Mother in charge of them.

As Bozo considers pretty much all Gaoians fluffy friends, he
does not want them to get hurt, or hurting each other. On at least one
occasion, Bozo has been known to break up a duel/fight between to rival
Gaoians.

Out of all Gaoians, Daar is probably Bozo’s bestest friend,
probably because of their similar size and attitudes.

-- accurate up to ch. 40: War on Two Worlds pt.1 --

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