Post by Imala Neruu on Mar 26, 2017 3:37:42 GMT
NAME: Imala Neruu
GENDER: Female
AGE: Early twenties
SPECIES: Human/Shapeshifter
DESCRIPTION: Imala stands average height for women of her tribe, around 5’9” and has a slim, athletic build. Her skin is olive hued and usually lightly tanned. She has piercing green eyes and raven-black hair that is worn in plaits.
PROFESSION: None at the moment
WEALTH: Poor
COMBAT ROLE: Support - ranged, nature magic, and minor healing. Backup tank (bear form).
STRENGTHS:
Raised in the wilds, her senses are especially sharp. She is a skilled tracker and has honed her ability to detect traps and magic.
She was born with the ability to use nature magic and can use the elements to her advantage.
Imala is able to shape-change into a bear for a short period of time.
WEAKNESSES:
Imala is quite athletic, but still easily overwhelmed when it comes to battles of physical strength.
Though she is skilled when it comes to a short bow, she lacks any experience when it comes to melee combat.
She grows weak and may lose the ability to shift forms when affected by a lingering spirit sickness.
While in bear form, she gains strength and ferocity but is still very vulnerable to weapons and magic.
MAJOR MOTIVATIONS: To survive and find a cure for her curse.
MAGIC: Imala uses a variety of nature magic - small storms of lightning, gales of wind, and roots that can snare. Even as a child, she was always able to make plants bloom and thrive in her presence. Imala is also able to shape-change into a bear, if the need arises. Her powers are generally neutral and non-lethal, but can take on a darker form when she is suffering from a bout of sickness.
BACKGROUND: The Neruui were once a nomadic tribe, but eventually came to settle on the western part of the continent. They lived near the foot of a mountain range, where they were sheltered from civilization. They enjoyed simple lives -- hunting, gathering, and living off the land. By and large, they were a very peaceful people. Chief Heren Neruu was well-respected among the Council of Elders and the members of his tribe. Though he was a skilled warrior, he had chosen to lead with a diplomatic hand. He chose to marry Tala Palo, the daughter of their war chief. Tala was known for her beauty and kind heart. It was a match full of potential.
However, after nearly a year of marriage, Tala had not become pregnant. She sought council with the Elder Shaman, and they soon learned that she was barren – a fact shared only between the two. Tala was distraught, but the Shaman assured her that hope was not lost. In the dead of night, the Shaman journeyed to the foot of the mountains, and met with a dark presence. It was not the first time he had done so. It was ill-advised to make deals with devils, this he knew, but it was for the good of the Neruui.
The Shaman called upon a demonic spirit, one that had use of powerful spells. The demon agreed to give Chief Heren and Tala a daughter, a gifted girl that would possess magic and the ability to take a powerful animal form. It was told that she would usher the Neruui into a new age, and the tribe would prosper.
Shortly after this meeting, Tala did conceive a child, just as promised.
Tala was ill during most of the pregnancy, and she passed away shortly after giving birth to her daughter. The Elder Shaman knew that this was not a simple coincidence; this had to be the work of the demon – a price paid for using magic to create a new life. Indeed, the demon had come to collect his dues. However, he was not done. The Elder Shaman learned that the demon also bestowed a curse upon the newborn; she would be made to suffer in life, and would ultimately fall into darkness.
RECENT HISTORY: Imala was the first and only child of the Chieftain, and was raised with the hopes that she would become the next leader of their tribe. She was also the first of many generations of the Neruui Tribe to possess magic. This made her an asset, as well as a bit of an oddity. Imala’s use of magic was a boon for her tribe, and she became a new symbol of strength when it was discovered that she could take on the form of a mighty bear -- the guardian of the Neruui. The crops seemed to produce exceptionally well in Imala’s presence, and the tribe enjoyed healthy harvests. The Neruui had formed a useful alliance with a neighboring tribe, and Imala's hand had been promised to the eldest son of their leader.
However, these times were not to last.
Imala became ill on the eve of her twenty third year. Her appetite was the first to suffer, and her health steadily declined. The tribe elders suspected that Imala had come down with a spirit sickness or was perhaps being possessed by some spirit of ill-intent. In this state she was unable to shift forms and no longer able to use her magic in her usual manner. The tribe suffered as well during this time, the crops withered and died, and many began to fall to a mysterious illness. Rumors of the royal daughter's state had reached the leader of their allied tribe, and the arrangement of marriage fell through.
The tribe members became suspicious of Imala, and were quick to turn on her. Surely, she must have been the cause of their misfortune. It was not long before word spread that she was cursed.
The Elder Shaman knew this day would come, and instead of trying to find a way to cure Imala, he decided to continue to hide his involvement. He decided that it would be best for Imala to be sacrificed, his debt to the demon would be paid as promised. However, on the night of the ritual, Chief Heren died to save his daughter, and Imala escaped into the woods...
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