Who is Steele Hams?
Based on the primary Antagonist from Amblination's 1995 "Balto" of the same name. Steele Hams is one of the main characters in Steele n Friends. Just like in Balto, Steele was vile and antagonistic at first. Being egotistical and self-absorbed but beneath all of that is a broken soul filled with grief, depression, and sadness.
Steele is an Alaskan/Hyborean Malamute. An ancient breed of cynoea (Caninoid) from Hyborea during the days of Conan the Barbarian. Let's go over the lore and history of the glory-hound Steele.
History
Born on August 12th, 2000 at Omigard in the Bi-cell Omigard Memorial Hospital to his unnamed parents. Steele's biological mother died from an illness and Steele's dad was killed by Axefang canines in battle.
Steele would be taken to Mazkagale, Thule, and raised in an orphanage where he had a normal life. Steele was reclusive, often reading occult books or historical military books. When he was around other children he was accused of being rough with them. Various accounts include him forcing the other boys to perform extreme exercise when they piss him off or him getting violent with them in fights.
Even in school, Steele is known to be rough in competition even in non-sports activities but there was one boy who Steele easily got along with by the name of Bolt Carson. A white German/Nasic Shepherd cynoea who befriended Steele since Kindergarten. Unlike Steele, Bolt has a family and they do include a father George Carson the 3rd who works as a archeologist, May Carson his mother who works as a lawyer and Dennis Carson his older brother nicknamed "Rhino".
Bolt and Steele always got each other's back in competition. Outside of School Steele spent most of his days at the Carson house to get away from the boys and girls at the orphanage. When with the Carsons, Steele represses his fascination with the occult from Bolt's parents due to them being worshippers of Thor but Steele was open with them on his behavior.
At the age of eight, the Mazkagale Ophanage would get a new director named Meric Hans Calico. An old British who helps Steele and the other children with their aggression. By Age ten Steele would be sent to Otrheim GNU militia for the Youth by the Principal of the Mazkagale Middle School for getting into a brutal fight with the principal's son.
While at the Militia School, Steele would excel there in both P.T. and education. He would spend all his time learning military history and tactics. He learns about every militaristic historical figure from Lord Galamore of Axefang to Logar the Exalted Conquerer to even known figures such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and George Washington.
He'd study their strategies, formation, and victories in battle. He would graduate from the military academy within five months for his discipline and honesty. Near the end of May, he would return to the Orphanage at age sixteen but would be disheartened by the news that Bolt and his family moved to Frostfell.
However, near the end of his School year, He met a female Malamute, Maria Ysmirdottir. They would grow closer together as the months went by. From going out to prom to even graduation Steele loved her and they would join the GNU Army together.
Maria was also a capable fighter as her prowess in combat surprised Steele for a slim and fair body woman. One of their mission in Saudi Arabia had Maria slewing a Manbat monster with her standard Issue Battle Axe. On February 20th of 2017, she became pregnant but a few months after she was discharged from military life to give birth to Shea yet she still stayed with Steele. On July 7th, 2017 Shea would be born at the Omigard Memorial Hospital. Steele would remain in the military. Steele would be assigned to fireteam Zulis which includes Kaltag, Young recruit Star Rolfe, and season soldier Nikki.
Steele didn't care for them too much. He treated them as his soldiers and not brothers. In return, Kaltag and Nikki wouldn't care for him either but when they work together, They excel at their job. In 2026 when Shea was about ten years of Age, Maria would join Steele's side once more until June 9th of 2026 when Maria would die in battle. She was killed by Goblins and she died in Steele's hands.
From that moment Steele broke both mentally and emotionally. Reverting to his old angered ways but followed by grief and sadness. That didn't stop him from taking care of his pup but he held hate for his enemies. In 2026 he would be greeted by new recruits Dixie Woods, Sylvie Hruntyrdottir, and Skye Bonibar.
He wasn't their instructor as by this time he served as Captian but next year in winter a second Diphtheria outbreak would occur and with Dominian clones attacking parts of Alaska only fueled Steele's anger and stress. Steele took his anger out on those around him including a Wolfdog Hybrid nicked named "Balto" for his resemblance to the Husky from the first Diphtheria crisis back in 1925 A.D.
When Steele and his team were sent to Anchorage to pick up medicine from the Bi-cell Pharmaceutical facility they entered a firefight against Dominian Clones near the mountains after their helicopter got shot down. Leaving this Balto to make a rescue attempt.
By the time the wolfdog reaches Steele and his team, Steele, filled with uncontrollable anger lashes out towards the wolfdog causing those on his team to turn against the malamute. From that moment Steele became hated by everyone, even Shea became disappointed in her father. Steele would be discharged from the Military for his actions and left Alaska the following month.
He and Shea were seen again for the time. They moved to Mazkagale, Thule for a time. They spent their lives in an apartment complex and Steele would work at the local Hammerbarn store. Shea would attend junior high school where she was the daughter of Steele's childhood friend.
Little Amanda. A geeky mix Hellhound caninoid who is into nerd culture. On May 18th, 2028 at the Junior high school. Steele and Bolt would reunite once more. Bolt too lost his wife Amanda Senior but it was due to a car accident. Unlike Steele, Bolt had support from his family and his ex-wife's family.
Bolt by that point worked as security for the school. He helps Steele get up on his feet. That is until Steele had a crisis in faith. He sent Shea to stay with Bolt and his daughter while he went on a journey of redemption traveling to Odingard. There he would face his demons and regrets in spiritual combat. For a few months, he'd spent his time in Odingard battling his demons until November when he felt his soul cleanse from his demon.
He would return to Mazkagale. He still maintains some form of sadness in him but becomes less angry than before. He would stay with working at the Hammerbarn until 2033 when he would take up a work-from-home career. Steele would take care of Shea even when she left for college in 2034 on August 21st along with Little Amanda.
Bolt would be sent to Omigard and serve the Omigard Sactum of Knights Sentinels. Steele hasn't thought about Omigard for a while. At first, he would be hesitant due to his actions from 2027 and yet if Bolt help him during his darkest hour then he can return his friend's favor and move to Omigard.
In 2035 on September 1st he would move to Omigard and rent an apartment. He still worked from home and would bump into a familiar face on his night at a bar. Dixie Woods, the Pomeranian who felt attachment to him those years ago. She didn't forgive him or his actions. She called him out on being a asshole but she would give him a second chance.
In time he would atone for his sins and make peace with folks like Sylvie and Everest. He began dating Dixie, even taking her out to a concert for her 34th birthday. Unknown to him, Dixie was in another relationship. She dated Cash, a Bloodhound and respected singer.
All of this would come out a few months later when he encountered the Malamute at a Mexican restaurant in Omigard, Alaska. Steele didn't think highly of Cash in fact the idea of someone else taking his girl is an insult. He even left Dixie once he'd found out that she'd been sleeping with him nearly going back to his self-destructive way out of rage until Skye helped him out of it.
Steele would get the help he needed but he still remained upset with Dixie for not telling him the truth but on January 29th of 2036. News broke out that Dixie Woods nearly beat Cash's ex to near death. The Orange fur sighthound Dixie Mecentire got her face beat when Bolt stopped Dixie Woods and took her home.
Steele forgave Dixie for sleeping with another hound and even let her move in with him until September came around and Dixie left for Thule to visit her old home. This left Steele to arrange a room for Shea when she eventually left college. While Dixie was away Steele saved enough money to buy her a dwarven forged ring with an astralite fragment in the center of the ring.
A few days later after Dixie returned home, Steele proposed to her and they got married on October 5th, 2038. On October 18th Shea would come to Omigard and live with her dad and stepmother once more.
Unknown to either Steele or Dixie, Shea brought home a demonic box from a trip to Kvenland. The lament configuration that is used to summon interdimensional beings of pleasure and Pain.
Appearance
Steele stands about 6'5ft tall. Towering your average human. He has muscles upon muscles and has 3x the strength of five men combined. His thick luscious fur is black and white and his eyes are icy blue which is strange for your average caninoid Malamute.
Career
Whereas Shea and Dixie work, Steele works from home, and rarely does he leave the house to attend work at his Hammerbarn job in Omigard.
Relationship with Balto
I mention Balto earlier in this lore essay and unlike in the movie where Steele hated Balto for several reasons. Here in Steele n Friends while Steele treats Balto badly it's not because of his Wolf heritage but rather it wasn't ever personal. Losing Maria, The Pandemic and Dominian attacks filled his stress and took it out on the wolfdog.
Regardless people lost respect for Steele for the way he treated his team including Balto. But maybe one day they could always forgive each other. I'll make a lore essay or even a story of these events at some point.
Conclusion
Steele is a broken soul in healing. His rage is what kept him from being too successful in life and nearly broke him to his knees and yet he still has the courage to get himself back up on his feet regardless of who helps him.
I didn't want to make my version of Steele evil but a misguided person who needed help from time to time. That doesn't excuse his actions back in the second pandemic as he does deserve the flack for his treatment of his squad and yet I hope Steele can make truces with them even if Kaltag and Nikki still hold resentment towards him.
