Post by The X-Ray Dog on May 17, 2011 7:47:39 GMT 8
Character's Name: Ikotu
Age: 2 years
Gender: Female
Genetics: Spotted hyena
Pack/Group/Gang: Loner
Rank: N/A
Appearance: Ikotu is, physically, everything one would expect of a female spotted hyena. A large predatory animal, she stands tall on long legs, has a thick barrel shaped torso with a noticeable paunch occurring somewhere in her middle section, and has an overall sloping figure that tapers from her shoulders to her rump. Her head is broad and box shaped, dominated by the large powerful jaws her species is known for, and those jaws are lined with broad, strong, almost unbreakable teeth. Because she is young, her teeth are still sharp and pointed, but they will likely dull as she ages. It can be noticed, whenever she opens her mouth, that she is missing more than half of them in a strange, methodical, almost alternating pattern- leaving only her front canines and a few molars between random incisors. These teeth will not grow back, and no one knows how exactly she came to lose them... or if she even had them in the first place.
Besides her strange teeth, Ikotu is an otherwise normal hyena in terms of build. A little bit slender and lean, an individual whom obviously needs to eat more frequently, but without being painfully anorexic. Simply thin, even a little bit dainty despite her overall massive size.
What makes Ikotu stand out is her coloration. Her short, but shockingly soft fur is stark white- white as the sun at high noon, whiter than the purest winter snow. Almost unnaturally, it never seems to dull, fade or get dirty, and shows no patches, shadows or even suggestion of color or markings. Just pure 100% stark white, from the tips of her mane to the edges of her stubby toes. The only areas displaying any color are those that have her skin showing. Her skin is a dull fleshy pink, bright and startling against her otherwise colorless coat. It's color is clearest at her nose, in her ears, and anywhere else her fur is too thin to hide it. However, though this may seem easily explained away through albinism, oddly enough her lips, claws and tear ducts are black as they come.
Again, no one knows why. Some suspect that Ikotu is a spirit that has not realized yet that it has died, or is a spirit that has been resurrected without being told. Either way, most suspect there is much more to the white hyena than meets the eye.
Or, the ear, I guess. Ikotu is blind. Her eyes are bright red and often glow, but lack pupils so she herself cannot see, only hear and use her nose. Fortunately for her, hyenas have very keen senses.
Weight: 89 lbs (very thin)
Height: 38 inches at the shoulder
Personality: Ikotu is a very strange creature to behold on a personal basis as well. Her demeanor does not match her striking appearance, and rather than being outgoing or boisterous, she is extremely quiet and almost timid or fearful. Though she has an instinctual need to be around others that understand her, like most young creatures, she has a fear of rejection and is easily scared off or discouraged by hostility. So it can be difficult to get close to her. The slightest bit of harsh tone or displeasure and she'll turn her half-tail and run away, rather than risk punishment for doing something wrong.
Hyper-cautious is probably a good word for that.
However, though fearful and a little bit flighty, Ikotu is more passive than the average coward. She's not the type of creature to show massive amounts of emotion- she will not break down and cry before a threat, nor will she cower when cornered. Running is only her first line of defense and, though she would rather do almost anything else, she can turn aggressive when necessary. Not in her own defense, usually in the defense of another. With no sense of self-worth, Ikotu is more likely to roll over and die when alone. But when in the vicinity of someone else in danger, she is quick to leap into action to assist... anyone- friend, foe, stranger, it doesn't matter. All the world deserves a chance- that is her philosophy.
In fact, philosophizing is Ikotu's greatest strength, though many do not ever get the chance to see it beyond her skittishness. Her mind is... unhinged in a way that allows for great imagination and contemplation. She thinks way outside of the box, appearing almost crazy to most outsiders. But all of her thoughts, all of her fantasies and imaginary friends come together in a way that suggests something greater, and she can often offer great and creative insight in any conversation. She's actually surprisingly intelligent- practical and pragmatic, with a cynical sense of humor buried somewhere beneath all of her crazy and problems.
If you can get to it, she's actually quite pleasant to be around. It simply takes some patience to get there. Especially due to her tendency to repeat short snippets of things said to her.
Magical Abilities and Spells:
Wind Elemental:
Ikotu is first and foremost a wind elemental, apparently by nature. She has had no formal training to her knowledge and therefore knows no formal spells or causes for her powers. But she can use them at her will, as well as against her will (they will often spawn when she is in danger or threatened). In terms of power level, she is likely what most would consider a novice- able to defend herself and blow away singular opponents, but capable of little else.
For example, she has a whooping baying howl of sorts that causes a half-circle of wind to extend outward in the direction she is facing. Depending on her energy at the time, it is strong enough to knock over anyone that is around her size and in her immediate area. However, the range of this wind wave is very short, only about a yard or so before it begins to dissipate, and it doesn't do any actual damage. Just creates some distance.
If she runs in a circle, as though chasing her tail, she can generate a small cyclone, which can then be sent after enemies. Again the cyclone is small, large enough to lift an opponent not too much large than her well off the ground and can then be used to either drop them to the ground or carry them off somewhere. But even this cyclone only lasts about 30 seconds once it leaves her proximity and therefore cannot do much in that time. She commonly uses this technique to reach high places (as she can use the cyclone to pick up herself or a friend as well as enemies) or to move heavy objects.
She has a roaring bark that can be sustained for a few minutes if necessary that, like the first mentioned wave, sends out a gust of wind. But this is a more focused blast, therefore more powerful but much narrower in terms of area that is effected. This attack will stop most opponents (again about her size, probably up to 250 pounds) in their tracks, if not completely blow them backwards. But it, like her other attacks, does no damage on its own and must usually be combined with a cleverly placed cliff or a friend's more damaging assault.
Finally, her favorite thing to do with her wind powers is to assist herself in jumping. Hyenas cannot jump very far on their own but, by collecting a pocket of wind somewhere in front of her, Ikotu can leap on it and use it like an invisible spring board. Using this technique, she can clear a jump more than one hundred feet across and can leap more than 30 feet straight up if necessary. Her landing, however, is not usually terribly graceful.
Skills:
- Great sense of smell and keen hearing.
- Sensitive to changes in her environment and very alert, cautious and quick to avoid danger
- Peaceful, passive, non-aggressive
- Curious and intellectual, surprisingly intelligent in a quirky "closet genius" sort of way
- Athletic and maneuverable, usually through clever magic-assisted means
- Creative, imaginative, tells fun jokes and stories with a tendency to make others think more deeply than usual
- Very loving and supportive of others (but not of herself)
Weaknesses:
- Completely blind, unable to see anything: lights, colors, shadows, nothing.
- Nervous, fearful, anxious, often distracted by thoughts of "worst case scenerios"
- Low sense of self-worth, willing to die (almost desires it in a depressive suicidal way) and rarely fights her own way out of trouble
- Naive, dependent on others for safety
- Clumsy, goofy, trips a lot due to an inability to see where she is going
- Socially awkward, considered to be very strange
- Missing teeth, cannot eat very well or hunt for herself
History: Ikotu knows absolutely nothing of her past or where she came from. Though she vaguely remembers growing up from cubhood to an adult hyena, she does not remember how it went or even who she was with the majority of the time. Most outsiders suspect that whatever injury caused the scars on her face may have likely erased her memory as well.
But this is actually not the case.
As suggested above, Ikotu is actually already dead. She is actually a spirit, a ghost basically, existing for a period of time on the physical plane for no other reason than to figure out how she died.
She was originally a lion's cub, one of a small litter of only three belonging to a small-ish pride. Her father, long ago, was killed during a confrontation with hyenas, and she immediately vowed revenge, as most lions did whenever one of their own was massacred by hyenas. However, it had been the lions who started the confrontation- Ikotu's father was a ruthless killer. He could not hunt gazelle and zebra, but he could most certainly chase down hyenas and had slaughtered them meticulously over the course of his long life. It just so happened that, on this particular day, when he chased down and began torturing a hyena cub, that he had bitten off more than he could chew. He was simply too old, too far from his pride whom normally provided backup, and was outnumbered by way too many hyenas whom only wanted to save their little one. But the great lion ended up dying from his wounds.
Ikotu and her sister Iwan made it their sole purpose in life to avenge their father and, upon reaching maturity, the two of them chased down the matriarch of the hyena clan responsible, followed her deep into a cave and, with much difficulty, slaughtered her in cold blood. The matriarch had put up quite a fight however, and both Ikotu and Iwan got what was coming to them. Their wounds, though minor, became infected and first Iwan, then Ikotu, eventually succumb to the damage done in a long, drawn out, hallucination-filled battle for life.
Cut to a few years later, and this white hyena appears, bearing the same scars as the hyena cubs would have had they survived the brutal attack by Ikotu's father. She knows nothing of her past life, or any part of her current life for that matters, seeming to wander aimlessly, searching for something but even she doesn't know what.
Her mother perhaps?
Other:
[ x ]
Age: 2 years
Gender: Female
Genetics: Spotted hyena
Pack/Group/Gang: Loner
Rank: N/A
Appearance: Ikotu is, physically, everything one would expect of a female spotted hyena. A large predatory animal, she stands tall on long legs, has a thick barrel shaped torso with a noticeable paunch occurring somewhere in her middle section, and has an overall sloping figure that tapers from her shoulders to her rump. Her head is broad and box shaped, dominated by the large powerful jaws her species is known for, and those jaws are lined with broad, strong, almost unbreakable teeth. Because she is young, her teeth are still sharp and pointed, but they will likely dull as she ages. It can be noticed, whenever she opens her mouth, that she is missing more than half of them in a strange, methodical, almost alternating pattern- leaving only her front canines and a few molars between random incisors. These teeth will not grow back, and no one knows how exactly she came to lose them... or if she even had them in the first place.
Besides her strange teeth, Ikotu is an otherwise normal hyena in terms of build. A little bit slender and lean, an individual whom obviously needs to eat more frequently, but without being painfully anorexic. Simply thin, even a little bit dainty despite her overall massive size.
What makes Ikotu stand out is her coloration. Her short, but shockingly soft fur is stark white- white as the sun at high noon, whiter than the purest winter snow. Almost unnaturally, it never seems to dull, fade or get dirty, and shows no patches, shadows or even suggestion of color or markings. Just pure 100% stark white, from the tips of her mane to the edges of her stubby toes. The only areas displaying any color are those that have her skin showing. Her skin is a dull fleshy pink, bright and startling against her otherwise colorless coat. It's color is clearest at her nose, in her ears, and anywhere else her fur is too thin to hide it. However, though this may seem easily explained away through albinism, oddly enough her lips, claws and tear ducts are black as they come.
Again, no one knows why. Some suspect that Ikotu is a spirit that has not realized yet that it has died, or is a spirit that has been resurrected without being told. Either way, most suspect there is much more to the white hyena than meets the eye.
Or, the ear, I guess. Ikotu is blind. Her eyes are bright red and often glow, but lack pupils so she herself cannot see, only hear and use her nose. Fortunately for her, hyenas have very keen senses.
Weight: 89 lbs (very thin)
Height: 38 inches at the shoulder
Personality: Ikotu is a very strange creature to behold on a personal basis as well. Her demeanor does not match her striking appearance, and rather than being outgoing or boisterous, she is extremely quiet and almost timid or fearful. Though she has an instinctual need to be around others that understand her, like most young creatures, she has a fear of rejection and is easily scared off or discouraged by hostility. So it can be difficult to get close to her. The slightest bit of harsh tone or displeasure and she'll turn her half-tail and run away, rather than risk punishment for doing something wrong.
Hyper-cautious is probably a good word for that.
However, though fearful and a little bit flighty, Ikotu is more passive than the average coward. She's not the type of creature to show massive amounts of emotion- she will not break down and cry before a threat, nor will she cower when cornered. Running is only her first line of defense and, though she would rather do almost anything else, she can turn aggressive when necessary. Not in her own defense, usually in the defense of another. With no sense of self-worth, Ikotu is more likely to roll over and die when alone. But when in the vicinity of someone else in danger, she is quick to leap into action to assist... anyone- friend, foe, stranger, it doesn't matter. All the world deserves a chance- that is her philosophy.
In fact, philosophizing is Ikotu's greatest strength, though many do not ever get the chance to see it beyond her skittishness. Her mind is... unhinged in a way that allows for great imagination and contemplation. She thinks way outside of the box, appearing almost crazy to most outsiders. But all of her thoughts, all of her fantasies and imaginary friends come together in a way that suggests something greater, and she can often offer great and creative insight in any conversation. She's actually surprisingly intelligent- practical and pragmatic, with a cynical sense of humor buried somewhere beneath all of her crazy and problems.
If you can get to it, she's actually quite pleasant to be around. It simply takes some patience to get there. Especially due to her tendency to repeat short snippets of things said to her.
Magical Abilities and Spells:
Wind Elemental:
Ikotu is first and foremost a wind elemental, apparently by nature. She has had no formal training to her knowledge and therefore knows no formal spells or causes for her powers. But she can use them at her will, as well as against her will (they will often spawn when she is in danger or threatened). In terms of power level, she is likely what most would consider a novice- able to defend herself and blow away singular opponents, but capable of little else.
For example, she has a whooping baying howl of sorts that causes a half-circle of wind to extend outward in the direction she is facing. Depending on her energy at the time, it is strong enough to knock over anyone that is around her size and in her immediate area. However, the range of this wind wave is very short, only about a yard or so before it begins to dissipate, and it doesn't do any actual damage. Just creates some distance.
If she runs in a circle, as though chasing her tail, she can generate a small cyclone, which can then be sent after enemies. Again the cyclone is small, large enough to lift an opponent not too much large than her well off the ground and can then be used to either drop them to the ground or carry them off somewhere. But even this cyclone only lasts about 30 seconds once it leaves her proximity and therefore cannot do much in that time. She commonly uses this technique to reach high places (as she can use the cyclone to pick up herself or a friend as well as enemies) or to move heavy objects.
She has a roaring bark that can be sustained for a few minutes if necessary that, like the first mentioned wave, sends out a gust of wind. But this is a more focused blast, therefore more powerful but much narrower in terms of area that is effected. This attack will stop most opponents (again about her size, probably up to 250 pounds) in their tracks, if not completely blow them backwards. But it, like her other attacks, does no damage on its own and must usually be combined with a cleverly placed cliff or a friend's more damaging assault.
Finally, her favorite thing to do with her wind powers is to assist herself in jumping. Hyenas cannot jump very far on their own but, by collecting a pocket of wind somewhere in front of her, Ikotu can leap on it and use it like an invisible spring board. Using this technique, she can clear a jump more than one hundred feet across and can leap more than 30 feet straight up if necessary. Her landing, however, is not usually terribly graceful.
Skills:
- Great sense of smell and keen hearing.
- Sensitive to changes in her environment and very alert, cautious and quick to avoid danger
- Peaceful, passive, non-aggressive
- Curious and intellectual, surprisingly intelligent in a quirky "closet genius" sort of way
- Athletic and maneuverable, usually through clever magic-assisted means
- Creative, imaginative, tells fun jokes and stories with a tendency to make others think more deeply than usual
- Very loving and supportive of others (but not of herself)
Weaknesses:
- Completely blind, unable to see anything: lights, colors, shadows, nothing.
- Nervous, fearful, anxious, often distracted by thoughts of "worst case scenerios"
- Low sense of self-worth, willing to die (almost desires it in a depressive suicidal way) and rarely fights her own way out of trouble
- Naive, dependent on others for safety
- Clumsy, goofy, trips a lot due to an inability to see where she is going
- Socially awkward, considered to be very strange
- Missing teeth, cannot eat very well or hunt for herself
History: Ikotu knows absolutely nothing of her past or where she came from. Though she vaguely remembers growing up from cubhood to an adult hyena, she does not remember how it went or even who she was with the majority of the time. Most outsiders suspect that whatever injury caused the scars on her face may have likely erased her memory as well.
But this is actually not the case.
As suggested above, Ikotu is actually already dead. She is actually a spirit, a ghost basically, existing for a period of time on the physical plane for no other reason than to figure out how she died.
She was originally a lion's cub, one of a small litter of only three belonging to a small-ish pride. Her father, long ago, was killed during a confrontation with hyenas, and she immediately vowed revenge, as most lions did whenever one of their own was massacred by hyenas. However, it had been the lions who started the confrontation- Ikotu's father was a ruthless killer. He could not hunt gazelle and zebra, but he could most certainly chase down hyenas and had slaughtered them meticulously over the course of his long life. It just so happened that, on this particular day, when he chased down and began torturing a hyena cub, that he had bitten off more than he could chew. He was simply too old, too far from his pride whom normally provided backup, and was outnumbered by way too many hyenas whom only wanted to save their little one. But the great lion ended up dying from his wounds.
Ikotu and her sister Iwan made it their sole purpose in life to avenge their father and, upon reaching maturity, the two of them chased down the matriarch of the hyena clan responsible, followed her deep into a cave and, with much difficulty, slaughtered her in cold blood. The matriarch had put up quite a fight however, and both Ikotu and Iwan got what was coming to them. Their wounds, though minor, became infected and first Iwan, then Ikotu, eventually succumb to the damage done in a long, drawn out, hallucination-filled battle for life.
Cut to a few years later, and this white hyena appears, bearing the same scars as the hyena cubs would have had they survived the brutal attack by Ikotu's father. She knows nothing of her past life, or any part of her current life for that matters, seeming to wander aimlessly, searching for something but even she doesn't know what.
Her mother perhaps?
Other:
[ x ]
