Sahassvanikol

[Sahassvanikol]

Sahassvanikol "Nikol" Bio Race: Dhani Age: 127 DOB: Spring 45, 385 AV Sex: Male Languages: Snake-Tongue (Fluent) Common (Basic) Myrian (Poor) Snake Form Length: 41" Sahassvanikol's snake form is massive, as with most constrictor dhani, reaching forty-one feet in length. He is covered in yellow, gray, and white scales, the yellows forming almost diamond-like shapes, and his head is nearly solid yellow. In this form his body is pure muscle, capable of suffocating large prey and crushing them in his coils. His jaw can unhinge and open wide, allowing him to swallow things that would otherwise not be possible due to the size of his head. His gnosis mark is about four feet back from his head. Dhani Form Length: 20" Massive, at twenty feet long, with huge arms and a huge mouth, Nikol's dhani form is built to crush and snap anything that gets in his way. His gnosis mark sits between his two massive shoulders, forming the same mosaic like image as in his snake form. Human Form Height: 6'2" Weight: 245lbs Standing at six foot and two inches, Nikol's human form is tall and stocky. While not overtly muscular, his dhani strength is hidden beneath his large frame. Nikol keeps his hair shaven, or very short, disliking the feeling of the mammalian fur. Nikol rarely enters this form, preferring his much more powerful dhani or snake forms. His gnosis mark in this form is on his back between his shoulders, but unlike his other two forms, the image is smooth as his skin, and not mosaic-like pattern created by his scales. Personality Sahassvanikol is a bit of an outsider when it comes to dhani. First and foremost he is a male, which means he is already on the lower end of the spectrum, but his devotion to Caiyha over Siku puts him even more on the outside. No dhani can truly berate him for serving Caiyha, as it was she who chose him as much as he chose her, and all dhani worship the goddess to some extent, but it still makes him an outsider. He is sometimes at odds with his fellow dhani when it comes to certain things involving the natural world, but he does the best he can. Like all dhani, he can be a little cruel when it comes to dealing with other races, especially when they are his prey. He is not immediately aggressive toward other races, however. Even the Myrians he will not immediately attack, simply out of a desire not to cause harm to the world around him. At heart, he is a predator, and will hunt down and eat anything he wants to make a meal of. His devotion to Caiyha does not stop him from following his own nature, as he considers himself a part of it, but when he is not hunting, he is busy trying to preserve and maintain balance in the area he was given. Nikol is curious, and very defensive of his people, and the area given to him to maintain by Caiyha. He will investigate any threat, but even things that don't directly threaten him may spark his curiosity. This has been known at times to get him into trouble. Religion Sahassvanikol is devoted to Caiyha, and directly behind that he worships Siku. Some of the other dhani may berate him for his choice, but Caiyha is Siku's mother, and Caiyha chose him to serve her. He prays to both regularly, and has even taken to praying to some of the other nature gods as well, though only in private.

[Sahassvanikol]

History Will be developed through flashbacks and threading. Thread List Summer 513 14th - The Water is Bad Nikol investigates why animals and plants are getting sick in the area around his swamp. Spring 513 35th - Snakes in the Grass Nikol meets another Phylonurist.. a half myrian, half dhani phylonurist. Flashbacks N/A

[Sahassvanikol]

Abilities Skills Wrestling 10 (racial) Reimancy 10 (Earth) (SP) Wilderness Survival 10 (SP) Stealth 5 (SP) Hunting 5 (SP) Botany 5 (SP) Animal Husbandry 5 (SP) Swimming 5 (SP) Meditation 5 (SP) Gnosis Phylonura - Rank 1 Biomes: Swamp Lore Lore of Religion: Caiyha Lore: Wilderness Survival Techniques Other

[Sahassvanikol]

Possessions Gear Set of Clothing Waterskin Backpack which contains: eating knife Flint & Steel Dagger Greatclub*A two-handed version of a regular club. It is often studded with nails or spikes or ringed by bands of iron. 50 ft Hemp Rope Net*Has small barbs in the weave and a trailing rope to control netted opponents. Housing Sahassvanikol does not have any official housing. Instead, he usually just lives in and around the area surrounding the swamp he was tasked to care for by Caihya. The swamp is not incredibly large, though it changes in size depending on how much it rains, and how much run-off from the rivers and streams it gets. Many areas of the swamp are stagnant, and it is a constant battle Nikol must fight to maintain balance in the swamp. Beyond that, Nikol is often found elsewhere in the jungle when he feels the need to risk it, and visits other swampy areas when he can, though he spends most of his time tending to the area he was specifically given by Caihya. Ledger 33 Bikka (Starting Package) -1 Bikka (Dagger & 50ft Hemp Rope) -2 Bikka (Greatclub) -7 Bikka (Net) -2 Bikka (Squalor living expenses, Spring 513) Total: 21 Bikka Storyteller NoteI intentionally do not have an heirloom.

[Sahassvanikol]

Affiliates

[Sahassvanikol]

Gnosis Story 15th of Summer, 461 AV "Caiyha saved us, Sahassvanikol, and we will forever owe a debt to her." The words of his mother, Amasahassva, echoed in his mind as he woke that morning. Sahassva was one of the teachers of the dhani, and also helped to maintain Caiyha's nook. While most dhani revered the mother of their race, Siku, Sahassva was among the dhani responsible for making sure they did not forget their grandmother, Caiyha, and what she had done to save the constrictors from extinction. Being her son, Caiyha's teachings had always been drilled into his head, and he would never forget them. Nikol's mother was dead, killed by Myrian's as many of his kind were. Nikol continued to live his life, and in truth, his mother's teachings were rarely at the forefront of his mind. He respected the natural world around him as did most of his race, though perhaps a bit more so than some, but he had other things to distract himself with. The Myrians were always a constant threat to his well being, and while Caiyha had ensured they would never attack the nest directly, they were still a danger to any dhani who tried to leave to hunt for food or gather supplies. Though he was not a full grown adult, that did not temper his desire to provide for himself and his nest. Nikol frequently snuck into the forest to hunt or gather other things that the nest required, and while there had been a few close calls, he had been relatively lucky in his ventures. He was on such a hunt when he first heard the noises, the sound of fighting in the distance. Sahassvanikol was not an experienced fighter, he only knew enough to get by, but he was young and had absolutely no real combat experience. Still, he slithered as quickly and quietly as he could along the forest floor until he reached the sound of the commotion. Three myrians were attacking a pair of dhani hunters, both of them male like Nikol. His first instinct was to join in the fight, but he knew he would probably just get in the way, so he hung back at first. It was the first time he had ever witnessed real combat, and it was fascinating to watch. The myrians were savage in their ferocity, but the constrictors were large and powerful and easily able to hold their own. Things might have been different if one of the powerful tigers had been around, but as far as Nikol could see, it was just Myrian versus Dhani, and being the superior race, Nikol was fairly certain his side would win the battle. As he watched the combat unfold he fully intended to join in at the right moment, but something else caught his attention. His mother’s words rung in his ears, and Nikol began to pay closer attention not to the combat, but to what it was doing to the land around them. One of the dhani was a reimancer, and Nikol cringed as flame appeared out of thin air and ignited not only the Myrian's arm, but the tree next to it. Luckily the resilient plant was fresh and moist enough not to burst into flames, but still the damage had been done. Myrian and dhani weapons both cut through vines and foliage in pursuit of one another as their quarrel continued, and when Nikol's eyes drifted skyward he saw the fauna of the canopy retreating in fear. The fight was destroying the jungle, or at least the tiny part of it they were in, and somehow Nikol had never before realized it. What would Caiyha think if she cast her eyes upon the scene before him? The time to join the fight had come, a Myrian was not even five feet away from him, and it was too distracted by the other dhani to notice the snake hiding not far away. Nikol struck, lightning quick, and caught the Myrian by the leg. He instinctually knew what to do, even if he had never done it on an armed man before, but as far as he was concerned the Myrian was nothing more than an animal. His body began to coil around the savage and, having caught the myrian off guard, there was little the man could do to save himself. His arms were quickly tangled in the dhani's massive form, and the constrictor began to squeeze. Sahassvanikol had not joined the fray because he wanted to defend his brothers, they were doing fine by themselves. He joined because the faster the Myrians were killed, the faster the damage that was being done to the jungle around him would end. Never before had he realized how reckless his people, and the Myrians, had been. Their feud, though not without reason, was damaging the home Caiyha had provided for them. He had to do something about it. A few days later Sahassvanikol finally worked up the courage to say something about his revelation. He went to his grandmother and told her what he had seen. He told her how one of the hunters had burned the tree, and how the dhani and myrian's both had done damage to the jungle. He reminded her of the things his mother used to say to him, though that was perhaps the most unwise of the things he said. After all was said, he was surprised that his grandmother had listened so quietly, because as soon as he was done she punished him severely. Sahassvanikol had never known his grandmother could be so cruel although he shouldn't have been surprised considering almost all the dhani were cruel, himself included. He wasn't beaten for what he said, but rather for how he had said it. He was punished for daring to accuse his own people of such an outrageous accusation. It wasn't the last time he brought it up, but every time he was met with hostility. He soon realized that no matter what he said, the feud between the Myrians and the Dhani would always overshadow the damage they were doing. It wasn't as if he wanted to align with the Myrians, Siku would surely end him for even thinking such a thought. But there was nothing he could do to help things. Finally, defeated, he left the nest and ventured into the jungle. He didn't know where he was going or what he hoped to find, he just wanted to get away from it all. Among the trees and creatures of the forest he felt the most at home. He was a predator in his element, and it was where he felt he was meant to be. Zinrah was a fine nest, but it wasn't enough for the nature loving Dhani. Besides, there he was just a male, but out in the jungle he was a hunter and something to be respected. While he traveled, not knowing particularly where he was going, he thought over the many things his mother used to teach him. Everything in the jungle had a purpose, and it was all balanced out. When something tipped that balance, the damage could be disastrous. His mother respected the natural world, and had taught Nikol to do so as well. Until that day, he had never realized just how well she had taught him. It was several bells later of traveling without any real destination that he first noticed the woman. He was surprised to see her, a lone and beautiful creature out in the middle of the jungle. He couldn't tell if she was a myrian, a dhani in human form, or something else, but the fact that she was alone in the forest and not dead was something worth investigating. As he followed her he noticed with curiosity that none of the animals in the forest shied away from her. In truth some of them seemed drawn to her, just as Nikol was. Who was this woman? What was she doing out in the jungle all alone? The young constrictor never realized that she was in fact leading him along, and was well aware that he was following her. He wasn't sure how many bells had passed that he trailed her, watching her from afar, but eventually she came to a stop and Nikol drew near. When he was close enough that she could be heard without raising her voice, the woman spoke to him. Most surprising of all, she spoke to him in the tongue of snakes. "This place used to be a favorite of mine, Sahassvanikol, but now the waters have grown stagnant. The trees are dying, and the animals shy away from it. It could be healed, but it would take time." Sahassvanikol was unsure. The woman must have been a dhani, to speak his language, but somehow he knew she wasn't. Nikol went over what she said, but it didn't really make sense. Yes, it was obvious the place was sick, but what did that have to do with him? And more importantly, how did she know his name? "Who are you," Nikol asked, "And how do you know my name?" The woman turned around, and upon seeing her fully for the first time, he knew she was not a dhani, or a myrian, nor anything else he had seen before. She was beautiful, and her eyes held the wisdom of thousands of years, and she was unlike anything he had ever seen before. "I am Caiyha, and I have been watching you, Sahassvanikol. It is rare that I see one of your kind willing to suffer punishment in the defense of my creations. Most of your race is so bent on fighting that they do not take time to look at the things they are doing to the world around them." Nikol didn't know what to say. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Caiyha! There, right in front of him, not a coils distance away. His mind went back over her first words, about the swamp and the trees and the animals. "Goddesss.. tell me what to do. I want to protect the land you have given uss." Caiyha smiled and walked toward him. Normally if a strange woman in the jungle approached him he would have tensed, coiled up, and prepared to strike, but not with Caiyha. He felt no such urge to do so from her, and she walked right up to him and placed a hand on his head. Suddenly he felt a tingling, burning sensation on the scales of his back, and when he turned his head to look his eyes widened when he saw the mark she had placed upon him. It was a mosaic-like picture of a jungle swamp. A constrictor, much like himself though smaller and clearly not a dhani, was coiled in a tree. Insects fluttered about, only to be caught by the quick tongue of a frog, and stalking nearby was the dark form of a jungle cat barely visible at the edge of water. "I give you this task. Care for this swamp, bring it back to life. The plants and animals will help you, but you must help them. Cure the sickness here, and if you do well, you may yet move on to bigger things." And then Caiyha was gone, and Sahassvanikol was left by himself, though suddenly he found he had knowledge he didn't have before. He could speak to the living world around him, the plants and all the animals, not just the snakes. He could ask for their help, and they of him. The swamp was dying, it's water was stagnant and unhealthy. Caiyha had asked him to help it, and he would do his best to complete her task.