Matza Of The Shadow Stalkers

[Matza]

Matza Of The Shadow Stalkers Basic Information Name: Matza Of The Shadow Stalkers Nicknames: Zaza, Mat, Cub, Kitty Race: Myrian Birthday & Age: 19 Gender: Male Physical Description Matza has a lightweight build with lean muscle which betrays his life on the move and unreliable diet. He is only 5ft 8 which is not tall in Myrian terms, for females at any rate, and he looks younger than his age. His skin is tanned and riddled with scratches and bruises, scabs and scars, the most prominent being the deep claw marks across his back. He has fewer tattoos then most of his race, these include an armband of 3 stripes round his upper arm and a stalking tiger design on his lower back. His hair is dark and usually worn around shoulder length, however it gets tangled often so he is in the habit of taking a knife to it, leaving in short and ragged. He has dark, sharp eyes which have the tendency to stare. Most of the time Zaza will be found covered head to toe in dirt, what little clothes he wears torn and filthy. He is usually seen in light weight shorts, occasionally adopting a cotton shirt if it’s cool; however shoes are something he does without. Around his neck is the ever present cord holding a row of tiger claws. Character Concept Mat is semi wild, a Myrian untamed. He was raised with very loose social boundaries, with very few rules of any kind. He was taught to survive on his own, relying upon no one but himself and what Mizahar provided. He does not easily recognise right from wrong, he knows some things he should not do but only because when he did them before there was retaliation. His reasoning amounts to ‘I don’t do that because bad things happen’ there is no real understanding behind it. This is not to say he is stupid, he is actually quite sharp, it is knowledge that he lacks not intelligence. He cannot know what has not been explained to him. He is also unable to write and reads very little. Zaza is the picture of a little savage, bare foot, tattooed and filthy. He is no less feral within, he takes a fierce joy in stalking and slaying and he’s not fussy about his prey. If he thinks he has a decent chance of making a kill then he won’t hesitate. The defenceless won’t want to cross his path, preying on the weak is his speciality and he’s never been taught not to play with his food. He is a practiced tracker and hunter, he uses all his senses to a greater degree than many, he feels the jungle with his feet and claims they are sensitive enough to pick up the trail of the smallest rodent, though he hasn’t really learnt not to lie either… His hunting style is vicious, ruthless but patient. This is worryingly similar to his approach to people. Matza is very suspicious of strangers; his first encounter with them is skirted around warily until he decides whether they are predator or prey, threat or food. Getting past his suspicions and convincing him you’re not for killing or eating is difficult but rewarding. He has a respect for fellow predators; even if eventually they are put at his mercy he will be sure to give them a quick, relatively dignified death. He has loyalty to his family however he is very independent. Still when he returns home he can be relied upon to bring back food for his family or even the village. However beyond his loyalties his drives are mainly selfish, he is similar to a child in some ways. He is not particularly religious; he will mutter to the occasional god however it is more a habit than a belief. He has picked it up from others in his village. Myri is little more than a story to him and he doesn’t have the sense of inferiority as a male that is impressed on some closer to Taloba though female leadership is still prominent in his village. Character History Born in a small village far from Taloba and deep in the jungle Matza and his community are isolated from the rest of their people. Few leave the village to travel elsewhere and Myrians from other parts of the region are treated with respect and awe. They are welcomed in with food and gifts in exchange for nothing but their stories. It is odd perhaps that they seem so curious about the outside world and yet do not venture there, however they have long since grown comfortable with their basic life style and peaceful community. Matza was raised by his father; his mother had died giving birth to him. There was never much of a relationship between the two, except for a god fearing one. When he was very young he had been cared for by his grandmother, however she died when he was 4, leaving him the last of the Shadow Stalkers. Mat quickly learnt to stay out of his father’s way and care for himself in order to avoid the too familiar heavy hand. He begged or stole when he was very small, though as he grew older he looked to the jungle, foraging and hunting small creatures. Raka came when he was 9. The tiger emerged from the jungle injured and weak. Shockingly little Zaza tried to kill the tiger on his own after discovering her. However this was a Myrian tiger and there was more fight in her than to be killed by a 9 year old with a pointy stick. It was she who left the deep scratches down Matza’s back that mark him to this day. After crawling back to the village Matza made it to his aunties door, her family took him in and bandaged him up whilst a scouting party was sent out by the villages. When he got out of bed 3 days later he went to the hut where the tiger had been sheltered. The people had recognised its breeding and treated it with honour, giving it food and a place out of the rain. For several hours they sat staring at one another, little boy and mighty old tigress. Eventually he left. He returned almost 5 hours later with a slain wild pig which he gave up to her. After that he would not be pried from her side for more than a day. He gifted her with food and slept outside her shelter, gradually moving closer till she let him just inside. He named her Raka. Finally his father noticed his absence and made enquires. When he found his son, coated in muck looking more of an animal than the feline behind him he grew angry. Unfortunately for him Raka’s temper was far more deadly. Fearing for his home in the village Matza, aided by the killer, dragged the body away from the village. They moved him as far as they could and buried him in a shallow grave. Murderess and accomplice returned to the village thick as thieves. An isolated and little liked man in the community Matza’s father’s absence was not much dwelt upon after the first few months of search parties. Mat was taken in to his aunt’s care, though by this time it was a little late to try and domesticate him. He was allowed to do as he pleased, his befriending of a Myrian Tiger having earned him a strange respect in the community. The two were always seen together, they hunted together, slept beside one another, and above all fought together and for one another. Unfortunately Raka was old; she had been 25 when she first met Matza and going remarkably stronger for it. She died 7 years on at the age of 32 when Matza was 16. He disappeared from the village following her funeral; he took the bare minimum and lived in the jungle. He returned to the village 11 months on but his visit was fleeting. His appearances have become gradually more frequent but his range is expanding. He has met strange races in the forest, some he has slain, others followed and been bewildered by their strangeness. What is beyond this place called home? His curiosity is growing. Training Skills Tracking 30/100 (10pt racial bonus + 20 pts SP) Stealth 20/100 (20pt SP) Wood carving 5/100 (5pt SP) Shelter building 5/10 (5pt SP) Lore Lore of edible plants in Falyndar Lore of common animals in Falyndar Equipment and Possessions 1 Set of clothes (cotton shirt, linen shorts, hooded cloak) 1 linen backpack containing: • 1 Set of Toiletries (comb, brush, razor, soap) • Dried meat and fruit • 1 eating knife • Flint and steal • 1 blanket 2 Hunting daggers 1 Slingshot 1 Tiger claw necklace (Heirloom from mother) 1 Hammock 1 bedroll 50ft of rope 1 woodsman’s axe Ledger Currently holding 20 bikka Thread List