Due South Daemons
Hey look, I did a thing! Yay me!
Some Due South daemons, because whenever I get into a fandom I like to give daemons to characters. I had previously done Fraser and Ray K, and I kept Ray's basically the same but redid Fraser's now that I've rewatched the show and decided my previous choice wasn't quite right. Some of the minor characters don't get much development and my choices for them are kind of 'vibes + one thing I know about them' and are thus less detailed.
Constable Benton Fraser
Avannaq “Van” (Greenlandic meaning ‘north wind’)
a tundra stoat/ermine
Stoats are very clever, very agile animals, who climb trees and rummage through burrows to find their prey, checking every available crevice to find what they seek. They are generally solitary and wander large territories, with no home of their own but using the burrows of others to stay in. In folklore, it was believed that ermine would rather die than allow their pure white coats to get dirty. People are often confused about whether Van or Diefenbaker is Fraser’s daemon and he has to correct them on it. She is perpetually settled into her winter coat, which was useful in the North, but less so in the city. She likes to sit on the brim of Fraser’s hat.
Det. Ray Vecchio
Darginta “Gina” (from Lithuanian ‘Dargintas’ meaning ‘working to protect’)
a red fox
Red foxes are savvy, sly animals, who live in loose family groups and will often stay with their parents into adulthood. They have adapted well to urban environments and use a wide variety of body language and vocal sounds to communicate. In folklore, they are regarded as tricksters, who may shapeshift to take on other forms. Gina is a confident, cocky daemon with a hidden softer side, who sometimes has to give Ray a nip to get him to do the right thing, but usually convinces him in the end.
Det. Ray Kowalski
Dilyora “Dil/Dilly” (Uzbek meaning ‘heart friend/lover’)
a fennec fox
Fennecs are lively, hyperactive animals who conversely tend to be somewhat shy. They move quickly and erratically, digging in the soil to find their prey. They make life-long companions and exhibit playful behaviour with each other. Dil moves three or four steps for every one that Ray takes, constantly both alert but also distracted, weaving through his legs and doing circles around his feet. When she was pretending to be Darginta, Ray called her ‘Dar’ instead of ‘Dil’, but she never really got used to answering it.
Sgt. Bob Fraser
Jala (Arabic meaning both ‘to wander’ and ‘to think freely’)
a polar bear
Polar bears are strong, solid animals built to endure harsh weather and temperatures, who wander vast distances and adapt their techniques to hunt their prey. They are often solitary except when mating. The Inuit believe that Torngarsuk, the god of the dead, sometimes takes the form of a polar bear and is invisible to everyone except the shamen. In the afterlife, she exists more as a polar bear-shaped cloud of Dust, but is still able to communicate with Bob. Van finds it a little weird, which Jala thinks is insulting considering she could just be a cloud of Dust period and she should be thankful she’s making the effort to keep herself together.
Francesca Vecchio
Alacris “Al” (Latin meaning ‘bright, lively, peppy, cheerful’)
a flamingo
Flamingos are bright, colorful birds who live in large, loud families, forming close friendships within them. They perform elaborate mating dances, persistently continuing them until they find a partner, and spend most of their time preening and bathing. Al roams around the squad room, craning his neck to look in everyone’s business. He often strikes a very dramatic pose when Van is in the vicinity, but she doesn’t notice as often as he’d like.
Lt. Harding Welsh
Zuzene “Zu” (Basque meaning ‘just, fair, righteous’)
an Anatolian Shepherd Dog
Anatolians are solid dogs bred to protect herds of sheep, which they’d rather do through intimidation than violence. They are protective, dominant, and patient, but can be loud. Zu can often be seen lying on her stomach in Welsh’s office, lamenting the state of chaos in the station.
Inspector Meg Thatcher
Isgrim (Germanic meaning ‘ice mask’)
a great grey owl
Despite weighing very little, great grey owls are powerful animals, capable of diving through ice and snow to capture their prey, which they find by using their exceptional hearing. They do not build nests, but use homes built by others and are generally not prone to attack, nor are they easily intimidated, often staying still as humans approach instead of flying away. Isgrim usually sits on Thatcher’s shoulder, blinking slowly as she deals with the eccentricities of her staff.
Constable Turnbull
Vellou (from Norwegian/Icelandic Velaug meaning ‘bound in oath to the temple/sanctuary’)
a Canada Goose
Canada geese are loud, annoying birds, who assign a ‘sentry goose’ when the flock is gathered, that stands straight upright to guard them.
Elaine Bresbiss
Penjani (Tumuka meaning ‘to seek/look for’)
a Chartreux cat
Chartreux have quiet but friendly temperaments and are known to be good hunters.
Sgt. Buck Frobisher
Loonen “Loon” ( from Norwegian ‘lønnen’ meaning ‘maple’)
a beaver
Beavers are somewhat clumsy, hard working creatures, who get the job done with great determination and provide safe spaces for other animals to live.
Det. Jack Huey
Pellonia(from Latin ‘pello’ meaning ‘to strike a chord, beat on’)
a pileated woodpecker
Woodpeckers work together to defend a territory and like to drum on things.
Det. Louis Gardino
Colga ( from Irish ‘colgach’ meaning ‘prickly, bristling, angry’)
a honey badger
Honey badgers are small but fierce animals that are always ready to attack and defend themselves, no matter the size of their opponent.
Det. Tom Dewey
Chekesha (Swahili meaning ‘to make laugh’)
a northern mockingbird
Mockingbirds aggressively defend their territory and may call upon others to help them in the face of trouble. They are known for mimicking sounds of other birds.
Stella Kowalski
Demodikos (Greek meaning ‘justice of the people’)
a tiger
Tigers are fierce, powerful cats with a folkloric association with power and peace.