Human Bekyar Mwangi Summoner for consideration. All details in profile.
Question: Will the credit be applied to characters of our choosing? Or to the characters being played?
Search Posts
Japheeth is overwhelmed by the strangeness of his situation, and of his new crew, and keeps his words to himself during this first evening, but he is not nearly as tired as the others he was press ganged with. As the evening grows later, he works up the courage to approach one of his new crewmates, looking for the most open and affable.
I'm going out of town until Sunday evening so won't be able to post until then or Monday.
Japheeth watches with as much impassivity as he can muster, but it is clear to anyone watching him closely that he is sickened by the punishment meted out.
"It is a Rungu, carved from a tree at the heart of my village. It is a hunting weapon as well as a utilitarian object. Japheeth says. "I am no warrior, however. I will appreciate any aid you can give me, but I prefer to let my powers do the fighting for me."
"I imagine that eventually we will be required to fight on behalf of the Captain as well, I suppose it would be in his best interest if we were armed - perhaps we can put it in those terms. I'm not much of a fighter though. I rely on... other resources if it came to that." Japheeth says, "But I'd feel better if I had a dagger or my walking stick."
Japheeth finishes helping Ambrose with the supper and makes his way tentatively over to his fellow abductees. "The galley is clean enough for a ship like this." he says to Jesal. "I am Japheeth Embenda. I am a mage of sorts, travelling to see what I can of the world and learn and grow in my art." The woman's arrival, and her susprise, makes Japheeth smile. "Many thanks!" he says. He bows to her, but there is a wariness in his eyes. "Japheeth Embenda is my name, and I owe you for bringing me this."
Japheeth does as Ambrose instructs and tends to the task of peeling potatoes, something that he obviously has had experience with, though he starts off being much more vigorous with them, to which he explains, "The tubers I used ta peel back in me home village were a lot rougher than these." he says as he adjusts his grip on the knife. "I can't say as I like dis ship yet. I didn't exactly sign up to be on her crew. I don't know what kind of a future I can expect being press ganged onto a... dis is a pirate ship, yes? It ain't no slaver, that's for certain."
Japheeth steps into the galley with a look back at Variziel as he descends into the bilges. Looking about him in the galley, he is initially overwhelmed, but Fishguts' question snaps him out of it as he closes the door behind him. "Japheeth. Japheeth Embenda." he says. "Ya, I been sent down to be your mate. I guess I need to be helping you with the meals. Scourge said he didn't want your bilge water soup again."
"Ya, I can cook well enough." Japheeth says, raising a hand. He was stung by his utter uselessness at the previous task, but his eyes regain some of their light when he realizes he might be useful after all.
Japheeth eyes the captain with a tinge of fear. He looks back at the vanishing land behind the ship and feels a touch of helplessness. Japheeth is a Mwangi man with dark skin, but not very muscular. In fact he seems to have a slightly sickly look with a distended belly. He has scars on his cheeks. Knowledge: Geography or Local DC 15:
The scars are ritualistic scarification that marks him as a member of the Bekyar people of the West coast of Garund to the South of Sargava. They are known to be slavers and demon-worshippers. He wears flowing clothes that are now rippling in the wind, and he stands barefoot. At the challenge offered by Plugg, he moves to comply with all the speed he can without endangering himself.
He proves completely useless at climbing, unable to make any progress at all.
Japheeth cringes when the whip cracks. I remember that sound. I know what it means. He follows the frog man up the ladder, being the second to rush for the deck.
The sursurrus of Meena's voice was whispering to him. She was trapped. He would not wake so she would not be free to protect him. Japheeth swam in a fog. The sounds of the sea and the ship finally began to penetrate and he woke to Meena screeching at him. Only she wasn't there. She was never there when he woke, and he almost reflexively started the summoning ritual to call her out of his body. But he wasn't in the bunkhouse he had been staying in. He was on the wooden planks of a ship, and his head felt fuzzy. The voice of others drifted down to his awareness and he sat bolt upright, his face betraying his shock. "What... what ship be this?" he asked, looking around at the people present.
Long story short on Japheeth's people, the Bekyar; Demon-worshipping slavers. Recognizable by their ritual facial scars, which Japheeth has. Japheeth is hardly typical for his people, however - he's shorter and runtier, but the Bekyar are known, feared and hated, so prejudice against them may be a factor for other Mwangi.
I'm on the East coast of Canada, one hour ahead of Eastern time. At the moment I tend to post at work, so during the day, and before bed, so after midnight (or just before in EST). I may miss a day from time to time but I'm generally pretty reliable. I'm familiar with the premise of Skull and Shackles, and a little bit about the opening, but I've never read it or anything. Questions for you? Hmm... how are Summoners viewed in your opinion in these circumstances? Will Japh have to hide his Eidolon? As for being chronicled, I'm sure I'd be flattered. ;)
Checking in! Thanks for the selection!
@DMBen I imagine it as symbolic, so there isn't really a medium creature inside him, but there is a little bit of psychosomatic bloating. Or, if you like, Meena shrinks to an embryonic form like when Japheeth was a child.
Submitting this character. Just need to tweak background, traits and alignment since he was originally for a Serpent's Skull campaign. The background is pretty much going to stay the same though, just with changes to the end to segway into Skull and Shackles.
Have fun all!
Offering Japheeth Embenda, Human Summoner. Japheeth is a Bekyar Mwangi, former member of a family of slave traders. His Eidolon is an aquatic base form. He has skill in Craft, Knowledge: Nature, Survival, Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device.
Hear! Hear! :)
"Ah, little one." he says with a genuine smile. "Your fare for the evening sounds perfect." His stomach gives an audible rumble at that. He pats it gently. "I have a formidable hunger as you may gather." he adds with a slightly apologetic look. He slings his pack under the nearest unoccupied table and fishes in his belt pouch for some coins. "Two bowls of your stew, bread for two, and a mug of beer. Something dark if you please." When the child departs with his coin and his order, Japheeth settles gingerly on a chair and watches the performance of the Bard commence. His face takes on a beatific expression at the sound of the Lute, and he rubs his belly abstently.
Step-Step-Tap... Step-Step-Tap... Step-Step-Tap... A solitary figure walks slowly up the road. His head is lowered as he squints into the gathering darkness. His pack weighs him down and he leans heavily on a sturdy walking stick. The man pauses and looks in the direction of the sound of drums, his dark eyes and dark skin making him fade into the shadows of the approaching twilight. He stands in the road for a minute before turning his feet towards the tent. Step-Step-Tap... Step-Step-Tap... The man comes into the light, revealing that the actual age of the walker is much less than the supposed necessity of the walking stick suggests. He moves with slow deliberation, tentative at times. He wears a loose jerkin of colourful fabric under which is the contrast of a brown suit of leather armor. As he enters the tent, his face lights up at the people and merriment apparent. Dark brown skin identifies him as a Garundi. His cheeks are spiderwebbed by symmetrical scars, darker than his skin tone. His hair is long, and held back in a sculpted ponytail held in place by leather rings and pins of wood, bone and shell. A number of necklaces hang about his neck and his wrists and ankles are festooned with numerous bracelets and anklets respectively, each of different materials though clearly hand-made with care. He wears a heavy pack on his back, full of the needs of a traveler. A compass dangles from his belt between two pouches and a curve-handled dagger in a sheath. He stands mutely looking at the stage where the drums are just finishing. His expression is mixed. A hint of sadness flits across his face, but is replaced with pleasure at the surroundings. Though his pack is heavy, it is his limbs that seem to be the reason for his slow pace - they are thin, almost dangerously so. His belly seems to be distended almost out of proportion with the rest of his body.
Japheeth Embenda, L1 Human Bekyar Mwangi Summoner (CG) Questions:
Background:
Born to a prosperous family in a village somewhere along the coast south of Sargava, Japheeth was marked at an early age for his poor health. Unlike his many brothers and sisters who were tall and robust, he was small, thin, weak and sickly. He was a baby prone to crying and fussing. As he got older his disposition improved, but his health was poor. Despite all the food he was able to eat, he remained skinny with a slightly distended belly. He complained of pains in his stomach and constant hunger. His mother took him to see a local healer who pronounced Japheeth possessed by a spirit of famine. The Witch attempted to banish the spirit with a drugged drink and her magic, which caused the boy's eyes to burn with a green light. A symbol appeared on Japheeth's forehead and emerging from his belly came a tiny serpentine creature bearing the same symbol. It was foetal in appearance, but small green feathers were visible along its sides along with snake-like scales. The Witch then grasped the creature and cut its belly open with her knife. It faded into motes of green light and Japheeth screamed and fainted. The green light in his eyes faded and the Witch declared him exorcised of the spirit. Shaked by the experience, Japheeth's mother took her unconscious son back to the village and never spoke of it. Japheeth himself had no memory of the experience, and though he never attained the size and strength of his brothers, he seemed better for it. His health improved and he found himself able to continue with his childhood unaffected.
Japheeth's father was a slaver who was often away from home. He had a large family and three wives who he left mostly to their own devices. When he was home, he spent time with each of them, resulting in the many siblings Japheeth had. He was a cruel man, fitted well to his profession. As his brothers grew older he took them on as members of his crew but Japheeth was left our of this consideration, as his father considered the small boy unworthy. He took to joining other villagers on hunting expeditions, learning about the jungles of the Expanse and its inhabitants. On one of these trips Japheeth contracted a disease that weakened him terribly. He was carried back to the village where he lay delerious. His recovery was slow, and though his mother tended to him as best she could, he came near to death more than once. He did eventually grow well enough to rise from his sickbed, but he never regained full strength. He seemed to slip back into his childhood ailment, his limbs becoming emaciated while his belly grew distended. His mother, horrified at the thought that her son's possession had returned, called upon that same Witch that had saved him before. Now a frail old woman, the Witch came, and attempted to banish the creature in the same way as before. Only this time when the creature emerged, it was mature and conscious. It attacked the Witch, killing her with its bite. Japheeth's mother fled, calling on the other villagers to come kill the beast. When they returned they found Japheeth conscious, and the creature was coiled around his neck. His eyes glowed with a green light that matched the creature's green feathers and the glowing symbols over both their brows marked Japheeth as a Summoner. Horrified, the villagers overpowered Japheeth and his Eidolon and set them adrift on a boat to be claimed by the sea, banishing him forever from his home. Some time later, he was discovered by a passing fishing boat from Port Freedom. He was taken aboard and nursed back to health. When Japheeth awoke, his memory was hazy, a side-effect of the drugs he was given, but he remembered vividly the words of his village elder banishing him. His Eidolon was nowhere to be found. But when he was alone he learned he could tap into its memories and feelings. He could feel it inside of his belly, coiling around and around. It was no spirit of famine, he decided. Its mind was alien to him, but he was able to understand it. It wanted to protect him and help him find freedom, and in return Japheeth would nurture it and help it grow in power. He came to call her Ameen'Ashava, a word that meant Emerald Serpent, Meena for short. He lived in Port Freedom for a while, serving on the riverboats until he was able to gain a measure of control over the spellcasting power he had awakened when he accepted his Eidolon. He practiced in secret, never summoning Meena when there were others around due to the superstitions associated with Summoners in the Expanse. When he had saved some money, he decided to purchase passage on a ship so that he might explore beyond his homeland and gain in experience and power. Personality:
Japheeth is humble and soft-spoken. He prefers to let others take the lead, and is willing to take orders. He is helpful and polite, but chafes under unjust leadership. He has a number of useful domestic skills that he picked up living in a house full of sisters and mothers, and steps in to mend canvas, nets, and cook when required. He is comfortable in the wilderness and understands how to avoid many of common dangers of travel in the jungle, learned when he hunted with his village's men. Apperance:
Japheeth is a Bekyar Mwangi, but he is smaller than his countrymen due to Meena's influence when he was a child. He has dark brown skin and brown eyes which glow green when he casts spells or calls his Eidolon. He wears his hair long and tied up in a ponytail held together with leather straps and pins made of bone, wood and shell. He dresses in colourful, flowing tunics and pants, under which he wears leather armor when in the wilderness or situations of danger. He often goes barefoot, or when forced to, wears sandals. He has a number of necklaces, bracelets and anklets that he carves himself and gives to those he considers friends. He underwent ritual scarring on his cheeks as a child that marks him as a Bekyar and identifies his home village. He tries to hide these when dealing with other Mwangi due to the associations of the Bekyar with slaving. Eidolon:
Meena is a snake-like Eidolon with rust-coloured scales on her back, bands of emerald feathers along her sides, and sandy-coloured scales on her belly. Her head is arrow-shaped, and despite her snake-like appearance she has a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth. Her eyes are a shocking green and glitter like a many-faceted cut gem. Atop her head are two crests of longer feathers that alternate between green and purple. Her tail is long and whip-like, with fins that run down their length. She is fond of swimming. She hunts in the water when able, catching small fish and crustaceans, though Crabs and Crayfish are her favourites. She also enjoys eating birds but is not above hunting rodents, small lizards and snakes. She hates the sound of flutes, but is almost entranced by the sound of harp music. Stats: (When I figure out how to put this in my profile, it will be fully updated) L1 Bekyar Mwangi Human Summoner Alignment: Chaotic/Good Stats: S 10, D 14, Co 12, I 12, W 11, Ch 18 HP 9, AC 14 (+2 Dex, +2 Armor), Init +2 Traits: Boarded in the Mwangi Expanse, Poverty-Stricken Feats: Extra Evolution, (Second choice not made yet) Skills: Craft: Jewelry +5, Knowledge: Nature +6, Spellcraft +5, Survival +5, Use Magic Device +8 Gear: In Progress Spells Known: L0 Guidance, Resistance, Detect Magic, Mending L1 Enlarge Person, Mage Armor Eidolon, Aquatic Base Form
|