Ka'ness "Kane" Shadowmoon's page

Before the attack of the Twisted Nail tribe on Roslar's Coffer, Ka'ness Shadowmoon lived peacefully with the residents of the small town. He lived just inside the borders of the Northern Fangwood along with his wife and daughter. While they never had any wants, he made a meager living as a scout, a guide, and a maker of simple weapons. While he never went out of his way to make friends among the people, he began to earn some measure of respect for what help he was able to provide, and he rarely ever turned down a job or a plea for help. His life was made complete by his belief in the Green Faith, and his family that was always waiting for him when he was done.

That all changed when the orcs raided the town. Not realizing the extent of the attack, Ka'ness went out to help the people of Roslar's Coffer drive out the attackers. His spears were of great value, despite the loses. Unfortunately, he did not foresee the orcs using the forest as part of their attack plan. A small band of the Twisted Nail found the elven home with mother and daughter defenseless against them and slaughtered them without mercy. By the time Ka'ness came to realize this, it was already far too late. The night that he found his family's remains, the people heard a sound of feral mourning come from the forest the likes of which was never heard before, or since.

Ka'ness mourned the loss of his family for a week straight, his loss causing him to fall into a deep despair and weakness from starving himself. He thought to give himself to the Green, as his life seemed to hold no further meaning. His actions were halted, however, by the appearance of an enormous tiger. It was strange enough to see such an animal in these woods, but to see one of such size was practically unheard of. The beast stood nearly as tall at the shoulder as he was, and almost twice as long. It just stood in the trees, watching the elf with large, piercing green eyes. Ka'ness made no move towards or away from the giant cat, knowing it would be futile either way, though he was enraptured by the creature's beauty and grace. Eventually, it started to approach him, silent as a breeze, despite it's size. It stopped once more when it was mere inches in front of the elf looking down at him as if in contemplation, but Ka'ness knew that there was more to it.

He realized that the tiger was here for a reason. No words were needed. Some how, he knew that this creature was a representative of the Green that he had followed diligently for all his life, though whether to end him in disappointment or something else, he wasn't sure. A moment later, he thought he had his answer when the giant cat opens up it's maw to reveal the massive teeth inside. Rather than a sudden strike, though, it slowly placed it's mouth over his shoulder and gently closed it's jaws. There was nothing violent about it, but the pain came regardless, possibly worse due to the slowness The tiger's incisors pierced his torso from front and back, ripping through his flesh. The pain was excruciating, but he did not cry out, believing that he was being given his due. But suddenly it stopped. He was sure that the teeth stopped just short of his heart. The tiger released him from his jaws and Ka'ness dropped to the earth, nearly unconscious with pain. He managed to open his eyes just in time to see the tiger walking away, glancing back at him before disappearing into the brush. Then he finally passed out.

When he finally regained consciousness several hours earlier, he realized that his body was untouched. No sign of wounds or blood anywhere. Did the majestic tiger actually show up, or was it only a vision from the Green? He quickly came to realize that, either way, he had somehow been changed. He found that he could change his form, however subtly, into that of a tiger. From then on, he vowed that he would continue to live, though his outlook and demeanor had changed from the loss. He was no longer as helpful as he once was, though he would take jobs for coin, and his attitude was more pessimistic towards others, though he would not dismiss others completely. Since that night, he has spent much of his time alone in the forest, only venturing out for supplies or information. His goal is simple: prevent a similar event from happening again. Despite his new outlook, he feels strongly that no living being should suffer a loss in such a way. He feels that this new-found ability may be his gift (or curse) to help accomplish his goal.Along with his new outlook and abilities came a new name: Kane.

Kane is a tall and lithe, standing at 6' 1" and weighing 117 lbs. His long red hair is wild and unkempt, and his green eyes are as piercing as the those of the tiger that his new power emulates, lending to his feral appearance. While he once may have been a helpful part of the community, his pessimistic and dour nature has lead to people seeing him as little better than a mercenary these days. While he is not selfless, neither is he heartless towards others needs. Especially when it comes to something that threatens the lives of the locals. On more than one occassion, a traveling merchant or lone explorer has been saved by the dour elf and had any offer of reward rejected. The next moment, he might take paid work with a hunting group as a guide, but completely ignore their call for help if they get in over their head.

The loss of his family has caused Kane to adopt a negative point of a view on most things, always seeing the worst in a situation, despite what may be obvious. While this can seem very frustrating to those around him, his actions will often cause people to question if his demeanor is only an act. Perhaps there is some kind of balance between negative words and positive actions.