Post by adam on Jan 6, 2006 14:48:32 GMT -5
Py!Ota Benga
Py!Ota is a fairly unique character. He believes he is human, but of very short stock. He stands 4’ 11” tall and weighs in at 103 pounds, all of it seeming to be muscle. His skin is black, so black that it is almost blue. His eyes are black and his hair is black and short cropped.
Standing on dry land he is likely to stand very still while observing all that goes around. In motion, or at sea he is in constant motion. He is incredibly graceful, except when he dances (he seems to think that dancing involves keeping ones feet together and jumping as high as possible).
On land or at sea in relaxed situations he will typically be seen in striped orange and blue silk or cotton pantaloons with a white shirt. He will have a cutlass at his side. In uncomfortable or dangerous situations he will be in leather amour and may or may not be carrying a light crossbow. Onboard ship he will be barefoot, but on land he is likely to wear low soft boots.
He is seldom seen without a shirt, not because of the lash marks scars on his back, as one would expect, but for some unfinished tribal scaring on his chest. If asked about the lash marks he will freely talk about them, but the tribal scaring will only bring some comment about something that is not. The tribal scars would have put a the outline of a diamond with a circle in it on the center of his chest. As they sit now it just looks like a less than symbol (sideways V).
Py!Ota was born on an island only a few miles across, part of a group of small islands and atolls. He does not know where this island is, or even what sea it is in. His mother smaller in statue than he is now was fairly typical in appearance with the exception of bright blue eyes. Py!Ota, if asked, believes that somehow his mother was special, probably one of the women’s circle shaman. The men he called ‘father’ were all fairly typical of the tribe. He has no brothers or sisters he knows of.
When he was about 12 years old a large storm brought a ship to the island. This ship, having been caught in the storm form many days was far off course and in need of fresh water and repairs. Coming ashore they were meet by a member of the tribe. Using sign language and pantomime for no one could speak to the others trade arrangements were made. Metal goods for fresh water and pearls.
The crew was allowed to come ashore and was feasted by some of the unmarried adult males with service provided by the pre adult non-children males. The rest of the tribe staying hidden from view. Each night for three days the feasting went on, while during the day repairs were made. On the third day the feasting members of the tribe all fell in a swoon, with raging fevers. The sailors tried to tend them, but over the next day all but Py!Ota and his friend DunPar died.
Eldest male tribesman came close, but not into view and shouted at the boys telling them that the women’s council had decided that they must go with the sailors and that the sailors must leave now. So they left, banished from their homeland and with people whom they could not even speak.
Soon after leaving the island the ship was again caught up in a storm. Py!Ota remembers it well though he has seen no storm like it since. Lightning and thunder, waves, the ship shuddering and great flashes of light in many colors. He and DunPar huddled in the captain’s cabin while the sailors struggled for their very lives. For five days this went on, until dawn of the sixth day when sunrise found them in clear water.
Exhausted the crew set sail and tried to rest. Only to spot a group of pirates. The pirates took the ship, impressing part of the crew and killing the rest. DunPar was killed, but Py!Ota was made into the Pirate Captain’s ship’s boy. He served such for three years, growing up in his hatred of the Captain. Willful and unable to speak any known language he was frequently flogged by the Captain.
In the third year of his captivity the pirate ship attacked a surprisingly well-defended merchant ship. Seeing and opportunity he took it. Managing to trip the Pirate Captain, as that Captain was fighting he fled to the merchant ship, and then watched as the pirate ship’s attack was repulsed and the pirate ship, with all aboard burnt to the water line.
The man that the Captain had been fighting was a factor for a merchant company, and convinced the Captain of the merchant ship to take Py!Ota on as a ships boy. He did well in this capacity, and took to the sea whole-heartedly. Eventually he became Enlightened and began following Najm the Adventurous.
Since that time he has served on many ships, typically for a voyage or two, never completely satisfied with life on a particular ship. Occasionally he has done small favors for the merchant company, and then for other merchant companies. In these favors, and in his general contractual obligations he is almost lawful.
Because of the favors, his history, his appearance and his performance of his duties he is fairly well known, and pretty highly respected. He has had various offers for a number of different positions but nothing has yet struck his fancy.
Py!Ota is interested in adventure and seeing the world. He has strong feelings about life, fun and new things. He is in general pretty easy going, until he gets into something when he gets intense. In his spare time he is likely to tell tales, or listen to tales or explore areas he does not know very well. He loves bright colors and soft fabrics. He finds dolphins and the like endlessly fascinating and is convinced that they can lead him to wonderful adventures.
Py!Ota while well known and generally liked does not have a lot of friends. Obviously more than just your average sailor he finds himself held somewhat aloof from them. At the moment he is between ships and while he knows many people ashore none of them are really people he would call friends.
Py!Ota hates pirates. He also has trouble with people or Captains, that use impression as a way of getting sailors.
Py!Ota does not have any pets, henchbeings or constant companions. He is not adverse to such but none so far have been able to keep up.
Py!Ota would choose, if he were traveling by land, a dappled mare as a riding horse. One with a twinkle in it’s eye and a bit of spirit. Of course it would probably mean he would get dumped on his ass, but he would laugh at himself and then get back up on the horse.
Py!Ota not yet learned to fear death or dying. It is something that happens to other people. He would have no trouble being re-incarnated because that would allow him to experience life from a completely new angle. What an adventure that would be.
Py!Ota would rather be respected than feared and has not really known being loved. He would not want to be feared and spent years afraid of someone, so does not really want to have someone else in that place.
Py!Ota adventures for the excitement of adventure. He is somewhat of an adrenaline junky.
In the case of the way-side inn, Py!Ota would gather together a group to go after the dastardly land pirates. He would try to arrange to capture the bandits and return them to the local ‘captain’ for punishment. If they died in the process of being captured he would not be upset.
Very little would provoke Py!Ota to murder someone. It would take an extraordinary set of circumstances. But if he made the decision to perform such a murder it would be his pretty much exclusive goal.
Py!Ota is quiet until excited when he becomes energized. He loyal, and responsible and knows that these are strong traits that others see. He expresses emotions easily but hides from others bits of his non-enlightened past. He is tolerably devote to Najm, but treats his devotion as a personal matter.
Py!Ota’s greatest ambition is to travel the world and see all that he can see. If he could have any one special thing it might be a set of boots that can walk on water, or a ring that lets him ride a dolphin as fast as the wind or…. Just one thing? Why?
Py!Ota is probably best symbolized by either a dolphin or an octopus. The dolphin for its love of fun and adventure and the octopus for its curiosity, strength and ability to get out of the way when necessary. The dolphin is his totemic animal, and he will not be involved, or let others be involved in the killing of one.
Py!Ota recognizes that evil exists, after all he lived in it’s presence for many years. Because of this he sees adventuring where the recovery of goods is involved as just that, recovery. After all even if the evil creatures did not steal whatever from him they probably stole it from someone.
Py!Ota is not a virgin. He was set up by one of the crews he sailed with. His partner was a young sex worker in a bar. It was enjoyable, but has not had that much affect on his life. Py!Ota will occasionally visit sex workers, whom he tips quite well, but it is not a regular practice.
Py!Ota does not have problems with clerical type people as long as they do not get to empathetic about it. He sometimes has problems with customs officials who always seem to want bribes.
Py!Ota is a fairly unique character. He believes he is human, but of very short stock. He stands 4’ 11” tall and weighs in at 103 pounds, all of it seeming to be muscle. His skin is black, so black that it is almost blue. His eyes are black and his hair is black and short cropped.
Standing on dry land he is likely to stand very still while observing all that goes around. In motion, or at sea he is in constant motion. He is incredibly graceful, except when he dances (he seems to think that dancing involves keeping ones feet together and jumping as high as possible).
On land or at sea in relaxed situations he will typically be seen in striped orange and blue silk or cotton pantaloons with a white shirt. He will have a cutlass at his side. In uncomfortable or dangerous situations he will be in leather amour and may or may not be carrying a light crossbow. Onboard ship he will be barefoot, but on land he is likely to wear low soft boots.
He is seldom seen without a shirt, not because of the lash marks scars on his back, as one would expect, but for some unfinished tribal scaring on his chest. If asked about the lash marks he will freely talk about them, but the tribal scaring will only bring some comment about something that is not. The tribal scars would have put a the outline of a diamond with a circle in it on the center of his chest. As they sit now it just looks like a less than symbol (sideways V).
Py!Ota was born on an island only a few miles across, part of a group of small islands and atolls. He does not know where this island is, or even what sea it is in. His mother smaller in statue than he is now was fairly typical in appearance with the exception of bright blue eyes. Py!Ota, if asked, believes that somehow his mother was special, probably one of the women’s circle shaman. The men he called ‘father’ were all fairly typical of the tribe. He has no brothers or sisters he knows of.
When he was about 12 years old a large storm brought a ship to the island. This ship, having been caught in the storm form many days was far off course and in need of fresh water and repairs. Coming ashore they were meet by a member of the tribe. Using sign language and pantomime for no one could speak to the others trade arrangements were made. Metal goods for fresh water and pearls.
The crew was allowed to come ashore and was feasted by some of the unmarried adult males with service provided by the pre adult non-children males. The rest of the tribe staying hidden from view. Each night for three days the feasting went on, while during the day repairs were made. On the third day the feasting members of the tribe all fell in a swoon, with raging fevers. The sailors tried to tend them, but over the next day all but Py!Ota and his friend DunPar died.
Eldest male tribesman came close, but not into view and shouted at the boys telling them that the women’s council had decided that they must go with the sailors and that the sailors must leave now. So they left, banished from their homeland and with people whom they could not even speak.
Soon after leaving the island the ship was again caught up in a storm. Py!Ota remembers it well though he has seen no storm like it since. Lightning and thunder, waves, the ship shuddering and great flashes of light in many colors. He and DunPar huddled in the captain’s cabin while the sailors struggled for their very lives. For five days this went on, until dawn of the sixth day when sunrise found them in clear water.
Exhausted the crew set sail and tried to rest. Only to spot a group of pirates. The pirates took the ship, impressing part of the crew and killing the rest. DunPar was killed, but Py!Ota was made into the Pirate Captain’s ship’s boy. He served such for three years, growing up in his hatred of the Captain. Willful and unable to speak any known language he was frequently flogged by the Captain.
In the third year of his captivity the pirate ship attacked a surprisingly well-defended merchant ship. Seeing and opportunity he took it. Managing to trip the Pirate Captain, as that Captain was fighting he fled to the merchant ship, and then watched as the pirate ship’s attack was repulsed and the pirate ship, with all aboard burnt to the water line.
The man that the Captain had been fighting was a factor for a merchant company, and convinced the Captain of the merchant ship to take Py!Ota on as a ships boy. He did well in this capacity, and took to the sea whole-heartedly. Eventually he became Enlightened and began following Najm the Adventurous.
Since that time he has served on many ships, typically for a voyage or two, never completely satisfied with life on a particular ship. Occasionally he has done small favors for the merchant company, and then for other merchant companies. In these favors, and in his general contractual obligations he is almost lawful.
Because of the favors, his history, his appearance and his performance of his duties he is fairly well known, and pretty highly respected. He has had various offers for a number of different positions but nothing has yet struck his fancy.
Py!Ota is interested in adventure and seeing the world. He has strong feelings about life, fun and new things. He is in general pretty easy going, until he gets into something when he gets intense. In his spare time he is likely to tell tales, or listen to tales or explore areas he does not know very well. He loves bright colors and soft fabrics. He finds dolphins and the like endlessly fascinating and is convinced that they can lead him to wonderful adventures.
Py!Ota while well known and generally liked does not have a lot of friends. Obviously more than just your average sailor he finds himself held somewhat aloof from them. At the moment he is between ships and while he knows many people ashore none of them are really people he would call friends.
Py!Ota hates pirates. He also has trouble with people or Captains, that use impression as a way of getting sailors.
Py!Ota does not have any pets, henchbeings or constant companions. He is not adverse to such but none so far have been able to keep up.
Py!Ota would choose, if he were traveling by land, a dappled mare as a riding horse. One with a twinkle in it’s eye and a bit of spirit. Of course it would probably mean he would get dumped on his ass, but he would laugh at himself and then get back up on the horse.
Py!Ota not yet learned to fear death or dying. It is something that happens to other people. He would have no trouble being re-incarnated because that would allow him to experience life from a completely new angle. What an adventure that would be.
Py!Ota would rather be respected than feared and has not really known being loved. He would not want to be feared and spent years afraid of someone, so does not really want to have someone else in that place.
Py!Ota adventures for the excitement of adventure. He is somewhat of an adrenaline junky.
In the case of the way-side inn, Py!Ota would gather together a group to go after the dastardly land pirates. He would try to arrange to capture the bandits and return them to the local ‘captain’ for punishment. If they died in the process of being captured he would not be upset.
Very little would provoke Py!Ota to murder someone. It would take an extraordinary set of circumstances. But if he made the decision to perform such a murder it would be his pretty much exclusive goal.
Py!Ota is quiet until excited when he becomes energized. He loyal, and responsible and knows that these are strong traits that others see. He expresses emotions easily but hides from others bits of his non-enlightened past. He is tolerably devote to Najm, but treats his devotion as a personal matter.
Py!Ota’s greatest ambition is to travel the world and see all that he can see. If he could have any one special thing it might be a set of boots that can walk on water, or a ring that lets him ride a dolphin as fast as the wind or…. Just one thing? Why?
Py!Ota is probably best symbolized by either a dolphin or an octopus. The dolphin for its love of fun and adventure and the octopus for its curiosity, strength and ability to get out of the way when necessary. The dolphin is his totemic animal, and he will not be involved, or let others be involved in the killing of one.
Py!Ota recognizes that evil exists, after all he lived in it’s presence for many years. Because of this he sees adventuring where the recovery of goods is involved as just that, recovery. After all even if the evil creatures did not steal whatever from him they probably stole it from someone.
Py!Ota is not a virgin. He was set up by one of the crews he sailed with. His partner was a young sex worker in a bar. It was enjoyable, but has not had that much affect on his life. Py!Ota will occasionally visit sex workers, whom he tips quite well, but it is not a regular practice.
Py!Ota does not have problems with clerical type people as long as they do not get to empathetic about it. He sometimes has problems with customs officials who always seem to want bribes.
