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 Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 6:15 pm
Updated with COOL CERE ARTS.
xD
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:00 pm
LOOKIT THIS!Linked for size, my boyfriend made me Guelmy's planet!
<3333
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 7:15 pm
Lost Children Concept Contest Entry! Name: Guelherme (no last names in this culture)
Gender: Male
Mythbase: Brazilian Mboitata
Link to a source on the mythbase: Wikipedia Entry
Link to Fa'e quest thread: Mboitata Quest Thread
Appearance: His back, from his forehead, down his neck, over the backs of his arms and hands, etc, is covered in red-gold scales. Large scales, but scales nonetheless. Unlike his arms, the scales wrap around down his hips to wrap snake-like around his legs, ending on the tops of his feet. Guelherme is also bald, but from a distance you cannot tell since he has flames that flow over his head, in a mask of hair. The last feature is a necklace like an orb that he keeps around his neck on a leather thong. It's a simple thing, a treated glass ball, filled with flame.
Powers: Fire Manipulation using the fires on his body only, Power Recharge as he is weakened without his flame, and Enhanced Swimming by being able to hold his breath for a few more minutes than normal, and being double jointed everywhere on his body.
Personality: If you were to see him in his village, you would think he was the most unfriendly individual. Never really speaking, avoiding most people, and leaving the village whenever possible. Actually, it is quite the opposite. While introverted around his native people, to the white outsiders he is friendly, and even a bit mischevious. Always willing to lead them into the forest and see how long it takes them to realize they are lost. He's gotten many a trinket this way, including the orb around his neck. To his 'mother', Indiamara, he is very formal and polite. In fact, he is that way to almost every older woman he comes into contact with.
It is a keystone of their culture to respect women, especially those in their prime and older. Disrespect is not tolerated from youngsters, even ones so exhalted as Guelherme. Though he does get away with quite a bit, Indiamara is always there ready to lecture him on his duty to the gods, and his duty to the village. One of those duties is to procreate, which sends him into fits. Being a teenager, many girls think he is handsome, and would love the prestige that comes to being the wife of the godsend. This terrifies the poor boy, and he escapes into the deep jungle as fast as he can!
Introverted, afraid of women, and a tricky soul, nonetheless he is a respectful, inwardly friendly young man. You just have to ignore his abnormalities!
How does the characters personality, appearance and powers and your character relate back to your chosen mythos?
Appearance:; This is the most obvious part. The mboitata roughly translates to 'river-dwelling fire snake', and that is a good idea of what Guelherme is. The scales are a link to his serpentine roots most clearly. The fire is also obviously transferred, as his past life was wreathed with it at all times. That was why it killed such passionate youngsters and warriors, to eat the fire from their souls.
Personality:; He is, mostly, not much at all like his past self. He was a selfish, egotistical maniac before he was transformed into the mboitata monster, and afterwards he was still all about himself. This hasn't changed too much, but it shows in a different way. Guelmy is introverted, and thinks of himself as his own best friend. He doesn't actively seek the company of others, unless they are those he doesn't know as yet. He has a very curious nature, and is a bit sneaky sometimes to get something that he likes.
Powers:; His main power is the manipulation and use of the fire on his body as a weapon. Though it mostly gathers on his head, Guelherme can move the fire on his body to any point that he would like. Around his arms, down over his legs, even on his bottom if he so chose, as long as it's covered by scales on that body part. As the mboitata was covered in fire to attract the attention of his victims, this power is most suitable. The same goes for his enhanced swimming and double-jointedness. Snakes have no joints, so he is able to move sinuously and silently, even quickly through the water. Though swimming is dangerous to his flame, naturally. Recharge has no relation, is just a way to recharge his essential flame.
History: In the past, Guelherme started life as a man, in the same village he lives in today. Then, his name was Fogohome, and he was a warrior and hunter. A very proud, very egotistical warrior. The area was permeated with many monsters, demons, and bad men wanting to take them as slaves. His great boasts of the many that he'd killed were inspiring! Unfortunately, he'd done none of those things.
Over time, the gods grew angry with his empty brags and boasts, and decided to test him. If he could complete their challenges, he would be free. If not, he would be subject to their punishment. The god of War personally took this task upon himself, disguised as a hunter from another tribe. The brags and boasts were many and great on both sides, but all were false. Fed up, the god-in-disguise challenged Fogohome to a contest of skills. Since he was a god, he changed disguises to a monster, and tried to defeat Fogohome. Which he did. Enraged, the god cursed Fogohome to live as a serpent, feeding off the passions of others, until he could learn to be more truthful. How a serpent was to ever learn truthfulness was the real trick, for no serpents could tell the truth! Or be honorable creatures!
For centuries he was angry, and eventually forgot about his time as a man, becoming wholly a serpent. He would take hunters, warriors, women, children, anyone. Almost a millenia after he became the mboitata monster, a "hero" was born to the village. Unlike Fogohome, he was a great warrior, killing many demons. But the snake kept stealing victims, apparently unconcerned. So the hero used his sister, the village priestess, as bait. Of course, he took it, for he was inside a man, and men love pretty girls. Luring her away, he was attacked by the hero. They fought, but it was the sister, neglected and angry, who stabbed his eyes out so that he could not see. The hero sliced Fogohome into bits, and was then murdered by his sister for misusing her so.
Guardian: Guelherme's guardian is Indiamara, the middle-aged village priestess. She is a direct descendant of the priestess who killed Fogohome in the past, which is a great irony for the both of them. This doesn't concern her though, as she doesn't quite realize what Guelmy is reborn from, and he doesn't really care to find out himself either. Being the village priestess is the central focus in her life, with Guelmy on the edge. This makes her a religious fanatic, and she tries at every corner to install those qualities into her young charge. She doesn't precisely dislike him, but neither does she love him. He just is there, and he was given to her by the gods to care for. It's a wonder that the bond was ever installed, but being as they have a shared link in the past, it must have been enough. For his part, Guelmy respects the woman, and tries his hardest to be respectful. Mara usually rewards this well, and does show affection for him at times. She isn't a bad woman. She's just distracted!
World: A small, southeastern village near the River Vivre. Guelherme lives on a remote planet that is entirely jungle, save the continent that is fully to the east. There are scattered aboriginal villages through the forest contient, but on the eastern one lives a white-skinned, technologically-dependant race of men live. So far though, they have only the capacity of 19th century Earth.
The tribes are mostly autonomous, with one main village as a central hub, and maybe small settlments for hunters and such clustered in the jungles around.The only time they come together are for major religious festivals, or if there is a tribal war going on and alliances are made. Though in recent history, intertribal wars are rare, since they do not want to seem weak or divided. The technology-empowered race to the east might try to invade their jungle should such a weakness be shown. Paranoia about that runs rampant.
Inside a singular village, the priestess is usually the one making the laws. Since she talks directly to the gods, she is usually the most informed on their wishes. However, in recent times, a matriarchal body has been assisting the priestess in such a thing. Priestesses do not work for a living, and thus are not in-tune with the rest of the village's wants or needs. This was seen as advantageous, and the priestesses do not argue as long as it is a female body of lawmakers. Thus, it is a matriarchal society, with the men hunting and being warriors, and the women running the domestic sides of things.
Writing samples: Prompt #1
“Projeta-nos, honram-nos, deuses grandes!” Protect us, honor us, great gods! The chant echoed, the rhythms overlapping on the stone walls of the temple. They were roughly hewn, small crags showing between the chiseled carvings of figures and words. Great projections of the holy figures loomed larger than life, and the temple towered over the small village.
Inside, a woman, not so young as to be beautiful, but young enough to have some attraction, prostrated herself before the altar. Twined amongst her fingers and up her arms in ropes, were berries, ferns, and other agricultural representations. The harvest was soon, and these prayers were essential to any successful season. Though from the looks of the priestess, one bad season wouldn’t go awry. At least, not for her. She was thick in the arm, the stomach, and the leg. Not muscular at all, but the sort of woman who has never worked very hard for anything in her life. Such was the lot of a priestess. Prayers, storytelling, and helping to rule the village were her only duties. But she took them quite seriously, did Indiamara.
Her foremother was the great Margherina, the blessed priestess who rid them of the serpente Fogohome, and thus set up the current society. She was a woman who would tolerate no impudence, and wanted as much power as she could hold onto. Not that anyone really knew what a grasping harpy she had been. Oh no, that was a family secret. It was also the trait that bred true through every female in that line. Finishing the chant, slowly, she unwound the vines from her arms and placed them on the smooth stone altar. It was as old as time, old as the village. And all hers!
Pushing back the heavy, bone-twined black hair from her face, Indiamara slowly stood, bowing as she stepped back. The gods would be pleased with her this day, her offerings were quite exceptional. And the prayers! The woman had been praying constantly for hours each day, bent before the altar, her mind in commune with her deities. There was little else for her, and she wanted little else. Walking from the temple proper, she entered her rooms. It wouldn’t do to appear in the council covered in markings, even if it was her primary job. Though perhaps she should remind those women of their gods. Too often, they were being blasphemous! Without even knowing it!
Those were her thoughts throughout the whole preparation. She did wash off the paint that composed the symbols of the harvest god on her face, but she was sure to wear the festival robes that proclaimed her status as a high priestess of a main tribal village. They wouldn’t ignore that! Though from the looks of it, she’d have to get a new one. This one was getting just...a little…tight! Striding, well, waddling out back into the temple proper, she heard a wail. A baby’s wail. Wait. A baby?
It seemed to be coming from the altar, but she didn’t put a baby there. They did not worship the dark gods, so there was no offerings of children that should be on the altar! That could result in a curse! Shuffling over as fast as she could, when she saw the child laying there, in the offering dish, she nearly screamed. It was monstrous! The flames that dotted the body, and, were those scales? They were fairly colorless, but she couldn’t help but reach out a hand to gently tap one. The sound that came back was hard, and indeed sounded like tapping against a scale!
Quickly, she grabbed the child and pulled him off of the altar. Not roughly, for she didn’t want to inadvertently kill him, but quick enough so that the gods would see this was not of her doing! Placing the child on the floor, she stepped back and gave him a look-over. What was this thing? A demon? There hadn’t been demons in the village for ages! But…for the scales and the fire, he looked human. Just like the boy down the way that she had delivered a few days ago. Perhaps that mother had lain with a demon in the forest and no longer wanted him? No, not possible. She would have sensed the evil.
Sensing evil? There was no sense of evil coming from this boy. He just…was a boy. Whose child was this? And what was she going to do about it? The thing was squalling. Had been since she found it! How did she quiet down such a baby? She couldn’t pick him up because of the fire…but perhaps if she avoided his head? Ugh! Anything to keep it quiet!
Gingerly, she picked him up, one hand behind his neck and another supporting his bottom. He didn’t feel overly warm, but then, you never knew until you got burned. Softly, he gurgled, and whimpered a bit, but the wailing had stopped. Oh thank the gods!
When that thought came to her mind, some lights sparked on in her brain. Could this child have been sent to her from the gods? Was he perhaps a sign of favor? Indiamara had seen no one come or go from the temple in the time she was away, and she always knew when someone was there. He had to have been a blessing on their village. Otherwise he would have stolen her soul and inhabited her body by now!
Oh how those crones on the council would bow to her when they found out!
Wrapping him tightly in an old robe, to hide his more alien-like features, the buxom priestess moved as calmly as she could through the center of town. Many stopped to acknowledge her, and usually she stopped to talk to them, or remind them that they had not been to the temple of late. Today, however, she simply walked straight past them, to the squat, round hut that was the Matriarch’s Council.
Compared to her beautiful temple, this building was truly hideous. But then, nothing was as good if it wasn’t Mara’s! Trying her hardest to hide the smug, self-superior smile that was just lurking behind her lips, the woman burst into the hut, and strode directly for the center of the council. Oh yes, she’d shut them up this time!
“Matriarchs, I have word of a great sign given to us by the gods! Favor shines down upon us, and they have even sent us a tangible favor in the form of a child!” She slowly unwrapped the blanket as she could hear the squaking about her. How was she to know that they were upset with her power-grasping? That they wanted to remove power from the priestess once and for all?
Now the smirk was in full-force as she pulled the blanket away with a flourish, revealing the serpentine boy underneath. “For centuries the serpente has been the symbol of our village, and our familiar. Now, on the altar, we have a boy that is serpente in body! This is a sign from the gods that our village will be stronger than ever! Our crops will grow strong, our men will hunt well, and we shall prosper!”
Mara’s voice was the exact opposite of her physical appearance. It was strong, melodious, and rang with a conviction none of the others could match. Her heart was in her belief, and it showed. Though honestly, she could care less if it was a child, a monkey, or even a piece of beef. A blessing was a blessing, and she saw it as favor on her, not on her village. But that was not something the woman would admit.
Cuddling him close to her breast, she smiled widely. “We will call him Guelherme, and he will be a wonder for us all to behold. Perhaps he is a reincarnated god, come to live amongst us and educate us on the ways to please the gods!”
The room was now in a fervor! Excited voices, exclamations, and even smiles. That was something Indiamara hadn’t seen in awhile. Pleased with herself, and with the presentation, she straightened her shoulders, wrapped the child back up, and promptly left. There was no further need to stay, now that she had assured a grasp on things. That, and she had to go figure out where this child had REALLY come from. It was all well and good to use him for her own purposes, but she would have to spend hours in meditation. Perhaps the Great Mother would tell her if it was truly a son of the gods. Or perhaps just a sign. Or worse…demon spawn! Perhaps a new demon that was capable of masking its evil intent. Oh projeta-nos!!
Back in the Council, things were also not as they seemed. As soon as it was assured that the fat priestess was out of earshot, the Matriarchs went nearly insane. Where had the child come from? What was wrong with it? Was it special, or just diseased? Would the disease spread to their children?
Or had their priestess been dallying with the monsters outside of the town? Had she eaten a serpente’s eggs and hatched a foul creature? One of the younger ones was all for this. She had grown up under the thumb of the Fat One, as they called her, and wanted her out. There was no more convenient way than to suggest this!
However, it was not so easy, as the elders were the last say in all matriarchal decisions, and they rejected this theory. Indiamara was a pure woman, and would never lay with a man. She was far too interested in her gods, her chastity, and her power to debase herself in such a way. Though one agreement was reached, things were not as the priestess had said. There was something that was not right about this.
They would wait, and they would see. Until then, no child was to go near the temple, for fear of being diseased, or worse, cursed by the strange infant. And Mara was to be watched at all times, guards should be placed on the perimeter of the temple, the best hunters. That infant should not be allowed out, until it had revealed itself for good, or for evil.
Only time would tell. And that night, for once in many nights, the Matriarchs prayed to the gods that this was a benevolent sign.
The triumphant crows from the temple were too ambiguous to be counted upon!
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:58 pm
After over a month of slight nerves and extremely hard thinking, Guelherme is going to be a reality!
Thank you to Anya, Sosi, Cere, Arri, and Kali! Also thank you to everyone who helped me get this far. Guelmy isn't an old concept, but he is a dearly beloved one who I was dreading having to let go of. I love you all so much, and I'm so thankful for the friends I made while working on him.
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