[Britain's Concept] Night Song in the Jungle | Page 1 | The Runaways [[ concepts ~ ] | Guild Forums

Britain

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Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:11 pm

Ladies and Gentlemen, from the deepest jungles of India-
don't stand too close to the cage! May I present to you...

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"...Mowgli was taught the 'Stranger's Call,' which must be repeated til it is answered, whenever one of the Jungle People hunts outside his own grounds. It means, translated, 'Give me leave to hunt here because I am hungry.' And the answer is 'Hunt then for food, but not for pleasure."

~Rudyard Kipling, "Mowgli's Brothers"

Note: I don't appreciate 'critiques.' Questions for clarification and suggestions are perfectly fine, but otherwise I like Viya just the way he is. Thank you!

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:11 pm

Character name: Vidyaranya (Forest of Knowledge), called Viya
Nickname/Stage name: The Child of the Jungle

Age: 21
Hair color: Thick black, with stripes/patches of white. (See Vitiligo link in fourth post)
Eye Color: Black
Nationality: British Indian

Personality: Aloof, distant, a bit cynical and a little too literal for an easygoing circus population. He doesn't like to get close to people. He is also, however, accustomed to being with the cats- so he is overly affectionate without any intimate intent (petting, sitting in people's laps, laying on them, etc.). His temper is quick to flare, but since he is so literal sarcasm has very little effect on him aside from skeptical confusion. He cools down very quickly, from IHATEYOU to smoking one of your cigs and conversing normally in a matter of minutes.

Interest: Wild things, plants, music/poetry/dance, herbal medicine
Hobbies: Weaving things out of plant material (leaves, reeds, bark, roots), dance of the traditional nature (though he'll try anything you'd like to teach, really). Reading poetry. He is happiest spending time with the cats and other animals.
Talent: Working with/calming animals (mostly big cats, but every 'person' is largely the same in his book), reading poetry aloud (he has a compelling 'storyteller' voice and demeanor), drama and performance- when he hams it up he does it with a BANG.

Background: Born in British India to a cultured and fairly well-off family...who were promptly wiped out by malaria when he was 14. Bereft of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings, he went to seek his fortune- ending up cleaning cages at Cirque.

World: British Raj (see link in fourth post)

Oddities: Vitiligo, animal speech. His people consider those marked by vitiligo to be cursed; it's given him some difficulties along the way, and he's tried to keep a low profile because of it. Personally, however, he doesn't see what the big deal is, and makes no attempt to hide his odd coloring. It does help him blend in with the shadows and his kitties, though!

Other Random Facts:

1. Though he speaks his native language beautifully, his normal accent is British English.
2. He loves cats. No, you don't understand- he'd rather be around cats than any people. He also sleeps with them naked.
3. He's particularly fond of gold jewelry.
4. His favorite delicacy is candied flowers. <3
5. He likes to smoke, even though it makes the kitties sneeze.

Britain

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Britain

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Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:12 pm

Skill Progression:

Freakshow: Jungle Child
Freakshow: speaks with Tigers
Main Stage: Tiger tricks/cage chase
Main Stage: Stage Combat with tigers/blades (possible training from Charlot/others)

Talking to the Tigers

The main focus of Viya's 'performance' is his ability to appear completely wild, and speak to animals- most notably his Bengal tiger companions. The first is entirely due to his penchant for drama. The second, however, is a birth trait he has refined effectively into a language of it's own. His ability to understand animals comes from a combination of empathy (the original source), sensitivity, and in-depth knowledge of animal behavior. He speaks with his voice and his body, sometimes in their language and sometimes normal human speech, but he always gets his point across. He's found that animals are as cunning as humans, and sometimes the empathy alone doesn't decipher the exact situation. When working around the tigers, he knows he has to be absolutely focused.

In the beginning, the only animal that he arrives with is a pet mongoose, Tavi (yes, from the infamous Kipling story), who has traveled with him for years. He would begin working with the Cirque's big cat population, and eventually earn tigers of his own. By the time he's become a true performer, he would (preferably) have 2-6 big cats of his own, at least two Bengals, and possibly others like leopards, Asiatic lions, and snow leopards. Other Indian animals are also a possibility. No more mongooses, though- Tavi would be jealous.