Nature sense (+2 on knowledge nature and survival)
Wild empathy (roll d20, druid level, CHA mod)
+ 4 on wild empathy and handle animals on companion
Trackless step
Resist nature’s lure (+4 save vs ’nature’)
Wild shape (small and medium animals, 1/day, level hours/day)
Toughness
Power Attack
Improved initiative
Deft Dodger (+1 reflex save)
Trailblazer (+1 on fort disease and survival)
Mem’basi is a true son of the Zenj, slightly shorter than normal human standing at 5’5”. The man’s torso looks to be sculpted from ebony; his frame is bulging with knotted muscle. Short wiry hair and deep brown eyes frame a mouth of strong, white teeth.
The druid is wearing a finely made suit of hide armor that always seems to be oiled and pliable. His body is adorned with various feathers and animal tokens; a large lizard claw with a pearl in its grasp hangs from his neck on a leather thong and dull metal ring is seen in one of his fingers. A hardwood spear is grasped in his right hand while his left hand scratches the ear of a magnificent specimen of a leopard.
BACKGROUND
Mem’basi was being groomed to take his place in a long line of warriors for his tribe, same as his father and his father’s father. Warriors of the tribe enjoyed special privileges among which were choice of food and choice of spoils. Idealized war sat well with the young man so he trained as his ancestors did and waited for his chance to prove himself a bloodied warrior. His time came when his war party raided a scholarly expedition deep into his jungle home. The guards were no match for the tribe’s warriors and soon the entire expedition was slaughtered. Mem’basi had followed along and killed ‘the enemy’; two young students pleaded for mercy to no avail, their screams would haunt the young warrior for many moons To Mem’basi, killing the enemy had felt a lot like murder.
As time passed, the spoils of war came with too heavy a price for Mem’basi to enjoy. The tribe was being led by a blood-thirsty barbarian who had no qualms about using brute force to obtain material benefit. Not ready to overturn the tribe’s leadership and thinking his family would not understand, Mem’basi gathered his few belongings and struck out on his own. The life in the jungle is not easy for those not prepared and Mem’basi fell prey to a hostile band of charau-ka. Although his cudgel had smashed in a couple of skulls, he was no match for the savage ape-men who overpowered him with sheer numbers. The warrior was sure he was going to pay for his crimes when he was led away, his hands and feet tied and dangling from a long pole.
But they never made it to the charau-ka camp for the war-party was decimated by a large tiger. Out of the dark jungle came the beast who pounced on the ape-men. The beast ripped heads with mighty paw swipes and crunched bodies in its maw and the ape-men dropped their prisoner and fled. Mem’basi watched helplessly as the crimson-stained brute silently approached him. But the tiger never reached him for it turned into an old man right before Mem’basi’s eyes. The young warrior awed and owing his life remained with the old man for many years. He was taught about being just and letting nature deal with people as it deals with animals.
Many years passed and Mem’basi was again on his own in the jungle, this time he was much better prepared. Now the young druid traveled the land trying to plant his own seed in the jungle. His fascination with the expeditions that interned themselves into the jungle had not ceased. So often, he followed making sure they did not meet unfortunate ends but always staying under the cover of the jungle itself. It was this way that he came upon an expedition that was killing animals for no good reason. Mem’basi, a hunter himself, understood about taking lives so that wasn’t what bothered him; these people would kill animals and leave them to rot in the jungle. Birds were plucked of feathers and left, lizards were sheared off their hides, and the mighty rhino was brought down just for its horn. Mem’basi hunted them from the shadows, sabotaging the operation as much as he could but a war party that brought down a rhino was well prepared indeed. He trailed them all the way back to the mangrove town (Bloodcove) where he hoped to stop them before they got on their ships with their prizes. Mem’basi didn’t much care for the animal parts, those animals were already dead, but they also took many live animals with them. In the end, he could not prevent their parting. A final confrontation left the druid mortally wounded and with the bitter taste of defeat in his mouth. This was a few weeks ago.
Today the druid slinks in the shadows of the mangrove town in the hopes of seeing the poachers again. Feeling somewhat trapped in the town, he bids his time and does his best to ignore the jungle calling him back home.
PERSONALITY
Mem’basi is as unpredictable as the jungle itself. Sometimes, he will race to save the lives of innocents while other times, he passes by and let’s nature ‘thin the herd’. The druid seems to act on his own personal values which are difficult for outsiders to decipher.
He has a soft spot for those venturing out in the jungle for lofty purposes and will often help them. However, his recent run-in with poachers has hardened him against those who would waste precious resources.
He is fairly naive to the ways of cities and white-men civilization while mature in the ways of the jungle and its denizens. For example, he was amazed to find out that there were some halflings in Bloodcove who were not savage, demon-worshipers.
Zimba, leopard animal companion:
Zimba (leopard), LAZY CAT
Medium animal
Init +5; Senses low-light vision, scent, Perception +5
Defense
AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+1 size, +5 Dex, +3 natural)
hp 30
Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +2
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +6 (1d6+3 + grab), 2 claws +6 (1d3+3)
Special Attacks: grab, pounce (full attack including rake if charging), rake (must be grappled opponent) (2 claws, 1d3+3), CMB=6, CMD=21
Statistics
Str 17, Dex 20, Con 15, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +3;
Feats Toughness, Evasion, Grab, Pounce, Rake, Int of 3
Skills Acrobatics +5, Climb +7, Stealth +9, Perception +5, Swim +7
Tricks: Hunting (attack, down, fetch, heel, seek, track); Bonus (defend)
