Loup is a character in Gunnerkrigg Court, a god who was created when Ysengrin ate Coyote in Chapter 66: Memories of the Worthless.
Appearance[]
Loup has physical traits of both Coyote and Ysengrin. Such as has Coyote's black, white, red and blue ear (as Ysengrin's been missing his ear since the begining), and retains some of Coyote's colors on other parts of his body, including a red strip down his back, red around his eyes, a white chin, a blue ruff, and a blue stomach. Underneath, Ysengrin's brown fur can be seen.
Background[]
In chapter 66, "Memories of the Worthless," Coyote invited Ysengrin to take one of Coyote's traits - his strength. Ysengrin accepted, and immediately afterwards, proceeded to attack, kill and eat Coyote . Afterwards, Ysengrin and Coyote merged together into Loup, a new god who bears similarities to both gods, but who insists that he is neither.
Personality[]
Loup seems very much like Coyote: manipulative, tricky, wily, and a jester at times. However, unlike Coyote, Loup occasionally shows flashes of Ysengrin's rage and lies. He appears to have both of their memories.
Despite Coyote's obvious unstable nature, Loup seem to be even more so.
Role in the comic[]
Immediately after coming into existence, Loup proceeds to attack Gunnerkrigg Court, with the help of the seedsYsengrin dropped in chapter 14. His attack causes extensive damage which leads the Court to be partially evacuated.
Loup then calls Antimony Carver into the woods with a signal, wishing to meet with her. Annie enters the forest and meets Loup for the first time. During their meeting, time is slowed down, so that several months pass during the course of their conversation. Loup explains - whether truthfully or not - that both Coyote and Ysengrin are dead, and that Coyote manipulated his own death because he wished to die.
Loup makes demands of Annie, such as asking her to live with him in the forest, and requesting that she return the goose bone and lake water which were previously gifted to Parley and Andrew. He also asks her to get Renard to return the gift of taking bodies, which Renard was given by Coyote. In return for fulfilling his demands, Loup offers to have Annie released from her obligation to the psychopomps. He also gives his word that he will cease his attack on the Court.
Finally, Loup closes the Annan Waters and the ravine below, connecting the forest's side and the Court's side for the first time in a long time.
While Loup was talking with Antimony, unbeknownst to her, he split her into two people. He would later send an automated message to the two Annies, urging them to return to the forest to see him. The message also lead an ashray to them.
Trivia[]
- Though Coyote seem to have taken the role as a trickster, similar to Loki, Prometheus, or even coyotes in various native american folktales, Loup seem to take the role of a creature of absolute chaos, whose very nature is in conflict with the order of the world, such as Typhon, Set, Tiamat and Unk Cekula. Such chaos monsters are often associated with snakes.
- "Loup" is the french word for "wolf".
- Loup's front side shows two geese facing each other, reminding the audience of the story Coyote mentioned earlier, about two geese in the lake who suddenly remembered they were Coyote (including the lake itself), strongly hinting at Loup's true nature being temporary.