Zāl - Loner
Apr 19, 2016 0:32:01 GMT -6
Post by emil on Apr 19, 2016 0:32:01 GMT -6
Name:
Zāl
Gender:
Female
Race:
Wolf
Sub-Race:
Celestial
Breed:
Simurgh
Appearance:
Zāl is very small for a simurgh. Normally, the simurgh is a creature that 'darkens the sky when flying', a testament to their large size. However, on occasion, they produce 'throwback' offspring; chicks that only grow to the size of normal animals, and look more like wolves with heavy wings than legendary beasts. Zāl has also retained her dark chick-plumage; instead of having a bright, shining underbelly like her mother, her coat is pure black, with only spots of shining gold on her chest. Simurgh of her kind typically turn from black to white over a period of a hundred years, as the desert sun bleaches their bodies. This process typically starts at adolescence; Zāl, however, shows no signs of it.
To those who hail from beyond her desert, Zāl just looks like a tall [and somewhat masculine] winged wolf. Her crow-like wings are large and powerful, with feathers that glitter gold under the sun. The fur on her neck and back is thick and scattered with feathers, creating a sort of mane that tends to puff up when she's startled or angry. Her front paws are large, sporting a slightly bird-like structure and golden falcon-like claws. Her body is well-muscled and hardened from desert life; coupled with her deep voice and strong personality, she is often mistaken for a young[er] male.
Magic/Spells:
Zāl is bound to a sun-spirit called Hvar, which came to her in the form of a mirage before lending her its power. Under the strong sunlight of the desert, her body is ablaze with power; at night and in areas where the sun is obscured, however, she needs to take care with expending her stored magical energy. To gather the energy needed to perform magic when not in the desert or other bright areas, she has to spread her wings and stand under sunlight for a while; her feathers act a bit like solar panels.
Her first spell is a passive spell [though it acts more like a condition]. Due to the nature of her spirit, she cannot be burned, and all heat gives her power. Instead, the coldness of ice burns her like fire would burn others. She is very weak to ice/cold-related magic, and becomes physically ill in cold climates. Snowflakes feel like tiny needles to her, such is her sensitivity.
Her second spell is mostly used for show. She can discharge magical energy through her wings, causing them to exhaust enough heat to form a visible heat haze and turn the sand around her to molten glass. It also kicks up a lot of dust and causes unmelted sand to swirl around her, which can obscure the vision of opponents to a degree. This show of force often discourages most would-be opponents from attempting to attack. She can also use it to create lift and/or thrust during flight, allowing her to soar whenever she pleases, gain momentum quickly, etc.
Her third spell is a healing spell that can be stored in her feathers, even if they are removed from her body. Therefore, she often gives them to those whose need is great and whose intentions are pure. If the spell in the enchanted feather is invoked, it turns gold. If the feather is brushed over a grievous wound, it can stop the bleeding, and will often completely close up smaller wounds. It also has the curious effect of causing fevers to break.
Her fourth spell is rather simple; she can breathe jets of flame from her maw, like a dragon. Her fire doesn't burn the body, but instead ignites magic, causing living beings with magical powers to feel as if their insides are on fire. This spell consumes the energy of magic users, making it difficult [or impossible] for them to use spells if the flames burn for long enough. The pain alone can cause magicians with weak constitutions or a low pain tolerance to pass out from the searing heat. Cold water and ice spells easily douse the flames; even freezing rain can dampen them. The flames will also die down once they run out of fuel [that is, the target runs out of magical energy].
Skills:
Zāl's skills lie primarily in desert navigation and survival. She also has some knowledge of healing, which is about first aid-level, and it's enough to aid her in using her healing feathers properly [and teaching others how to apply them].
Zāl has lightning-fast reflexes and high kinesthetic intelligence. She learns best through motion and physical feeling.
Stemming from experience in using her magic-burning spell, Zāl finds it somewhat easier than most to read when a magic user is tired or running out of the power they need to perform spells.
Personality:
Zāl is a driven, relentless female, with a powerful survival instinct. She is very assertive and can be stoic towards strangers, as she feels she is a guardian of all deserts and the surprisingly fragile beings who inhabit them; this is an instinct hard-wired into many of the simurgh race. Therefore, those who come to her making threats draw her [surprisingly vicious] ire, especially if they tread on the sacred sands. Like a flame, she merely smolders until provoked, and prefers to keep an even temper unless she feels someone is dangerous. She prefers to frighten intruders with displays of her vast power; there are myriad streaks and patches of beautiful, glittering glass in the desert of her youth that chronicle these struggles. She enjoys all forms of challenge and will seek them out; those that come to her are met head-on and without relent.
Zāl has an intense personality, but she isn't always on patrol. She is quite private despite her seemingly outward-oriented style of interfacing with others. In her downtime, she plays much like a chick would, through flight and magical manipulation. She will sometimes intentionally burn large swathes of sand into glass while flying low to the ground, to chronicle her passing through. She likes to play in liquefied sand just to watch the glass flow like water, as she cannot be harmed by heat or by-products of her own magic. If glass gets stuck in her coat, she takes to the air to shake it off, leaving sparkling trails of artificial 'rain'. She's fascinated by rain and large bodies of water, especially clear pools, and will often roll in them.
To friends, Zāl shows a startlingly gentle, playful, and relaxed side. She still retains an intensity, in the form of a competitive and fun-loving spirit, and loves to engage in friendly competition and challenges. Her hardened appearance makes it difficult to remember that she's still only just become a young adult, and therefore still has much youthful energy. She enjoys casual fun as much as she does her serious duties.
Biography:
Zāl has no truly remarkable memories. As a chick, however, she once strayed too far down the mountain she was born on. Under the hot desert sun, she nearly perished; half-mad, she came across Hvar, a blazing fata morgana. Sensing her potential, the spirit put her through a trial of mirages. When she came to, she was back inside her shaded nest, her mother fussing over the drowsy chick's dusty mane with her gentle tongue. She thought it was a fever dream, until she felt the kiss of a star that was now her most precious ally. Now, the sun does not burn, and her coat is forever scorched. She sleeps in fire.
Eventually, all simurgh must quest to find a new place to take guardianship of. It is their custom, passed down in the hopes that one day, the deserts that they hold so sacred would be protected for eternity by at least one simurgh capable of driving off those who would spoil them. Zāl roams to gain wisdom and find the sands that call to her from what feels like thousands of miles away...
Art/Refs/Etc:
*ordered from newest to oldest
*really old [crappy] stuff is just marked as OLD
-adult Zāl (c) me
-first concept: chick Zāl (c) me
