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 Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:54 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:25 pm
  
((note: This is Ogo's version of the tale. Amma falsely believed that he was the grand creator, and thus all that came after him and believed in him did as well. This is his personal version of his own story, as he was taught and as he learned-- not necessarily the entire truth.))
A lone figure sat complacently under the great azalea tree, swathed in the crisscrossing shadows cast by the branches above. The sky was clear and blue, the color of oceans and dreams not yet forgotten. The many creatures of the savanna should have been taking shelter in the shade of the sparse brush around, or perhaps crowding the watering hole nearby. But instead, there was nothing and no one.
The air around the tree quivered with unseen warmth, the straw yellow savanna deserted around them. With not another animal or human in sight; the tree and the shadow under it were the only feature of the grasslands. The watering hole has been left abandoned, and the azalea tree itself remained untended by giraffes. The figure shifted, its shape not quite man and not quite animal.
It was impossible to tell what part was what, the features blinking from one shape to another in a rapid fire sequence. Jackal ears, fox tails, bright eyes, dark ones. Human to animal to human to a hybrid between the two-- Hands to paws to hands again, even a contorted in-between hand. It had dark skin but light fur, stripes and flecks alike decorating the fur, and with eyes sharper than flint.
The figure slowly stood, leaning heavily against the tree for much needed balance. It turned to glance at the sun, face tilted and eyes that slid shut against the sweltering heat. It panted heavily and whined deep in its chest-- an unearthly sound that can only be explained most accurately as the cry of several wounded animals. It murmured in a language long lost to this world, in the language this world was built with. It is the tongue of ancients, the tongue of the creator and its spawn. The monster’s voice was dark and heady, and it reverberated heavily through the air.
As the monster lets loose words to form his story, it became evident that it was dripping a violet liquid, too bright to be blood and too thick to be water. In words entirely incomprehensible, he wove together his tale. The neon liquid gently spilled from its neck, face, hands, body.
In a ruddy pool of his own blood about him, he droned on. He relayed the story of how the son of the Great God Amma fell from grace, and how he had never even attained it to begin with.
Like a switch, the Jackal’s voice faded, and in its stead was a deeper one speaking in the common tongue. Ogo, the pale fox, turned his head to stare blankly ahead, his mouth and tongue moving separately of the dialogue being heard.
---
(art by mikagami)
 “Let me tell you a tale of how this came to pass. This world was not always barren, this land was not always yours. My name is Ogo, and I am known as the Pale Fox and as the Jackal. I am one that is not reparable, nor do I even wish to be repaired. In my life I have been many people, donned many faces, many shapes. I have altered my personality and everything about me, all for lies and self-contained strife, all for my own agenda and amusement. I have plotted from the mortal plane, as well as from the immortal. I am a trickster god, existing to muddle and distract.
"I have been horrible and I've yet to regret it. To this day, my last, I still do not wistfully hope for days before murder, rape, chaos, thievery. My actions are my own, and I would not change them for any reason. From the start of my story, I have performed merciless deeds. Here at the end I will perform another as well-- I will tell you, mortal, of why I am the way I am, and why the world is the way it is.
"I am not the first child of the great creator, Amma. Before my birth, he had attempted to create life a previous time. Nothing remained of it but the elements: fire, water, wind, earth. He told me, long ago, that they were the result of his failure, and as they swirled together they formed the world. It was inert but for the landscape that he had created, wind whistling through dead trees and empty oceans. The earth, both vast and empty, was his first only child, never mind that it was entirely devoid of life.
"Before he made life, Amma first announced something of grand importance. He declared that all creatures of his would be twins with themselves, in honour of the dual nature in all of the universe. Even Amma himself was dual, as he was known as both the grand creator and the universe itself.
"So when he gingerly pieced together a cosmic egg, he placed inside it two placentas, each one with both a male and a female soul and body. There were four total, each twin with complete duality within them, in perfect tandem. I was one of the pairs, yet I was unhappy. Left to my own devices by Amma, I was the first to awaken-- angry and confused, even in the womb. Then, I was only Ogo, son of the creator. My father had hoped that my siblings and I would grow and multiply happily, and we alone would prosper, and populate the world.
"I had other ideas. Tearing my way out prematurely, I killed my female self, in my scramble for a mate. She was too weak, she was not good enough. With her death, my own connection to my female soul died in a painful tear. If she had survived, her male side would be dead as well. So then, I was alone. We had been both two and one, all at once. She was I and I was she. I destroyed that, with my teeth bared and eyes wild. That precious connection was like a severed umbilical cord the moment I left the egg.
"I didn't care. I felt no remorse and no loss. Staring down at the earth, the great dustbowl of sand and water and small plants, in the infant stage of biospheres, I claimed it for myself. I would rule, I would be the superior. I would show Amma that I did not need my pitiful, weak, emotion filled twin."
"I searched desperately for a mate, but the two remaining twins, who called themselves the Nommo, had not yet been born. They where still safely within the walls of the egg, within their own half, and so were safe from my rage. I clawed and screamed, and pleaded with them to come out. It is a one way journey-- one may exit, but one may not re-enter. I called out to them, 'Ogo! Your brother Ogo! He begs to have your company!'"
"They didn't hear me. They can't have, for the Nommo were and are my antithesis. Where I am cruel they are kind, and where they are sweet I am vile. They were the proper result of Amma's creation, and they have always been his favoured creations. But they were not there, and so, in desperation, I coupled with my own placenta. Too young to know it was incest, and too haughty to care when I found out. Thus, I created the Dogon people. From the shadows, Amma quietly helped their creation along. If I had attempted it purely on my own, they would have been barely anything but cruel and petty creatures. They still are, but with Amma's help they held the capacity for compassion, for truth. For honor. For justice.
"Arrogantly, I had then thought that I could do a far more proficient job than Amma, and I was very swiftly proven wrong. The Dogon people could only be imperfect, since I was incomplete. In a flash of bitterness and horror, I realized that I was flawed. In misery, I crawled back to my father and asked him for another female side.
"It was unbearable. He laughed lightly, and told me in an amused voice that he could not give me something that I had already wasted so carelessly. How could he trust me with it? I had my chance, and to put it in modern terms, he said it would've been the same as me wanting my cake and eating it too.
"I looked down at earth, and realized what I'd done. I'd betrayed the duality of the universe, and so the universe punished me and what I had spawned with my incestuous union of the flesh. Humans only had one soul, male or female. They were incomplete, and it only reminded me of my own flawed nature.
"Forever would I spend searching for my other half, the twin that I had so brutally killed off when I exited my ethereal womb. I had defiled the earth that had been so pure, and it became barren and harsh with my actions. Still, I was not fueled by sadness or remorse. It was anger, anger and viciousness that fueled my hunt.
"In good humour, Amma turned me into a Jackal, to prevent me from causing any more trouble than I absolutely had to. My coat was typical, my only strange traits eight large white spots on my back, and I had eyes the colour of fire, reminiscent of my hatred and passion in my other form. In that form, I lost the ability to speak. Even as I slowly recovered the use of my tongue, when told to be silenced, I would be silent. I would act like a common house mongrel, for Amma said that my words were often too vicious to bear. In this form, I would wander the earth for years, skulking in the shadows and begging for scraps.
"I eventually gained a small amount of control over my jackal-shape. It's too late, now. Here I lie, under this azalea near the plateau of the people that I created. Years later I am here, reflecting upon my actions. Again, I must repeat, I have no regret. No shame and no internal regret. I tell you now what I did many moons ago, many seasons ago, without hesitation. I speak freely and with truth, or as much truth as I can manage.
"I lay here, near mortal, pooling in my own blood. My fur and skin are clammy, and my vision is beginning to blur.
"All I want, all I ask of my father that I have spurned and cursed and betrayed so many times...all I want is to prove that I am, indeed, better than you.
"All I need, is a Second Chance."
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:28 pm
 
((note: most of this can be changed. (: If I step on anyone's toes or if it needs to be modified to fit with anything, literally 99% of this is negotiable. <3))
Name: Victor
Gender: male
Mythbase: African Mythos (re: Dogon) - Ogo
Appearance:
Hair - Black. As a child it may be kept to near shaved or possibly have a nice cute lil babyfro, much to his misliking. But, as he ages, it'd be placed into permanent cornrows. No dreadlocks, as Puchi has asked to keep those to being Dil's.
Eyes - Yellow/orange irises that faded into red around the edges, with large pupils. Have an almost animalistic glint.
Markings - Victor has the markings of a jackal tattooed in white on his back, dots sparsed across his back. Seven pairs of 'blotches' that taper from being the largest on his shoulder to mere dots at the small of his back.
He has permanent black around his eyes, in yet another homage to his jackal curse, which rims his eyes like permanent dark eyeshadow.
Around his mouth, stretching from ear to ear, are stitch tattoos in black that go over his lips and cheeks. These symbolize his curse that took his speech from him.
Stature: Short, topping out at 5'7" or so at his tallest, though he has graceful limbs with slight muscle definition. Always a bit of a lightweight, topping out at about 150lbs.
Powers:
In Dogon culture, masks are a very important part of most, if not all, major rituals. Wearing a mask gives its bearer the ability to step into the supernatural realm, or at least put a good foot in.
Negative Precognition (later stages, teen/youth & after) - When Victor dons one of the masks, he can perform a dance to see the future...One catch? Everything he sees is horrible, as he cannot comprehend good acts, and so he cannot see them.
Supernatural Realm Senses (all stages, grows in power & how much Victor is aware of it) - When he 'walks' into the fourth dimension, he is able to see the utility of items. Whether or not a rock will be useful to him, or whether or not this book holds any value to him. All things have some sort of utility that can be manipulated or utilized, but anything living is too complicated to even alter, much less control.
Lie Enhancement - When Victor is lying, a little of the trickster comes out to play, making him more convincing even if his words are not. Will not turn an opinion 180 degrees, but can gently nudge a person who is on the fence in the right direction.
Natural Weapons (minor, always on) - Victor possesses extremely hard nails and teeth. They are the closest actual physical representation of his time spent as the Jackal.
Personality:
+'s - Victor's sense of humour is likely unmatched, in either cracking jokes or listening to them, he finds most if not everything hilarious. Sometimes though, it can get to the point where he laughs at things even if they're entirely inappropriate. That only makes them funnier to him.
He has a sharp sense of self awareness, cultivated from being left to his devices for a very long time, Ogo had become very 'street smart' before he died-- he passes this on very strongly into Victor.
Victor will eventually grow to be a guarded but arrogant scoundrel, living life as it throws itself at him and twisting it to his advantage.
-'s - These are...numerous, to say in the least. Victor will be distrustful as well as untrustworthy, entirely unreliable and changing his alliances to suit his whimsies.
He's a compulsive liar, cheater, and stealer, and has a bad habit with gambling. Victor lacks strong ideals, and even a strong character. His stability is flimsy, the only thing that remains the same is his extreme nature in performing all his tasks. He puts himself first before any and everyone-- friends or family go unnoticed.
He had, especially at a young age, a very strong taste for pranks...
Drive -
Victor's character relies on conflict and strife. It is his self contained 'purpose,' what he considers to be destiny for him. Causing trouble creates no regret, despite his past and current societies frowning heavily upon his tricks-- fun or otherwise. Nonetheless, he has no concept of this.
General havoc creates a sort of bubbling joy in Victor, seeing suffering cause by him generates a similar reaction. The trickery and trouble gives him satisfaction, and perhaps running deeper, a sense of purpose.
Victor laughs at everyone and everything at other's expenses not really because he finds it funny, but because...he can. If he laughs at controversial things, it's because others around him find it appalling. It is, rather pettily enough, to generate a reaction. Particularly, a negative reaction. The stronger the negativity, the more he considers it a success.
Deeper down, if he laughs at misfortune, he can forget his own. In private, Victor is surprisingly quiet. Not any less boisterous, or abrasive, but certainly not so full of the vileness he perpetuates in public. Do not mistake this for an underlying kindness, as Victor is not blissfully unaware of kindness. Instead, he is merely...trouble. When he is alone, there are no disruptions, no distractions none to look at him with shock and horror. No one to mess up-- He is very, very big on public image.
NOTE: Victor and Ogo alike have had a very loose set of morals, bordering on possessing a sociopathic mind. He cannot feel much empathy, and often behaves recklessly with intense emotions. His apathy is both a weakness and a blessing-- but mostly a weakness that makes him vulnerable. He is usually very full of himself, and on the rare occasions that he's not he is startlingly aware of how very weak he is indeed...
How does the characters personality, appearance and powers and your character relate back to your chosen mythos?:
Appearance:
- (white tattoos on the back) tattoos link to his animal, re: back
- (stitch tattoos around the mouth) the stitches symbolize the curse that Amma placed upon Ogo, when he took away his speech.
- (african american rebirth) dark skin and etc are all attributed to the Dogon people.
Powers:
- (seeing the disastrous future) a myth cites that he had the ability to see the future, and most notably the worst parts of it.
- (a connection to the supernatural realm) in Dogon culture and rituals practised, the mask gave the wearer a supernatural connection to a high level of existence.
- (augmented lying) Ogo is a trickster god, causing trouble is in his nature.
- (claws and teeth) merely a callback to Ogo's time spent on earth as the Jackal.
Character:
- Ogo is the trickster god, and is renowned as being one of the worst gods in the Dogon mythos. He is cruel and unkind, and is deftly avoided. Victor is equally unpleasant, crude and apathetic.
History:
(post above)
Reason for Being Reborn -
It is not to be good in his new life.
It is not to see the way.
It is not to take back his kingdom, home, town, or love.
It is not to find his true love.
It is to prove that he is the best, and that he is superior to all beings. Even his creator.
(art by Esslin Lon)
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:35 pm
 
Powers, extended version:
Note: In Dogon culture, masks are a very important part of most, if not all, major rituals. Most notably is Dama, a great mourning ritual where festivities and dance took place. It was known that donning a mask of an idea, gave its bearer the ability to step into the supernatural realm. It was believed that the mask and the dance crossed a bridge, and created a momentary lapse in reality as it were, for the wearer to observe the higher vibrations of the world around them.
Negative Precognition (later stages, teen/youth & after) - After putting the mask on and performing the dance, Victor enters a sort of 'trance' if his call for precognition is successful. His movements begin to slow to a stop, and he collapses to the ground in what appears to be an absence seizure. While in this trance, Victor blurs the line between reality and what he believes to be the 'other' reality superimposed upon this.
The stunt can be explained in math, science, magic, or a combination of all three. He explains it in terms of crossing a bridge to the supernatural, whereas Alice explains that he is tapping into another dimension. Regardless, the fact still remains: Victor reaches forwards into the future, seeking the 'bright spots' that are the bad events.
Bright spots are the most clear to him, as he is a negative creature, whereas positive events are dim to pitch black. He sees snippets of occurrences, flashes of scenes and bites of conversations. If the event is really big, he'll be able to see maybe a complete scene (re: 10-15 seconds).
~Weakness Recap - This power's greatest drawback is the amount of energy it drains. Other downfalls include inaccurate readings and visions, as well as the fact that an unsuccessful attempt can ruin him for weeks.
Supernatural Realm Senses (all stages, grows in power & how much Victor is aware of it) - When Victor 'walks' into the fourth dimension, he is able to see the utility of items. The masks and the dance are not necessary for this, as it is a passive ability lingering in the back of his mind, waiting to come to the fore front. So, in turn, he does not seize or does he become woozy in any way. If anything, he is ultra-conscience during it, hyper aware of everything and everyone around him.
When activated, a thin sheen appears over reality, a screen that lights up what could be useful. Generally a warm grey to golden yellow, the glows' intensities determine how much utility an item possesses. Fa'e all come with their own glow colour.
~Weakness Recap - This power can make Victor vulnerable in battle, because although it heightens his senses it also dulls his reflexes and his grip on the material world. In every day usage it can be a hindrance too. If Victor were to blatantly use it on any Fa'e, they would likely be able to sense it. If they have any power at all involving spirits and psychic ability, they may be able to mentally give him the boot as well, and most definitely make themselves invisible.
Lie Enhancement (late toddler/kid stage and onwards) - Another passive ability. When Victor is lying, its effect is intensified by Ogo's nature. A little of the trickster comes out to play, which makes him more convincing to the victim, even if his words are not. This enhancement will not entirely change a person's mind, it is more useful when wanting to gently nudge a person who is 'on the fence' towards the proper direction.
~Weakness Recap - If Victor were to use this too often, it can sometime take control when he doesn't want to. When stating simple facts about himself, he may falsify them without him noticing. Re: name, age, country, history, etc. If he gets carried away and this power drives him, he could probably rewrite his own history to be completely inaccurate.
Natural Weapons (minor, always on) - Victor possesses extremely hard nails and teeth. His nails appear to be almost filed to a point, and are even slightly curved like claws. His teeth are sharpened like fangs as well. These two small traits are the closest actual physical traits of his time spent as the Jackal. These are stronger than average animal weapons, and can leave substantial damage if utilized properly.
~Weakness Recap - This power is negated against humans and large cats.
Weaknesses, extended version
Speech Revocation (active once he becomes closer to Ogo & his power) - There is always a downside to power. With Ogo's gifts come his curse, the one that Amma casted when he thrust him into his Jackal's shape. When Victor is told to be quiet, he must instantly obey. The words do not matter, as long as he understands them (French wouldn't work, versus how English would, etc), the intent is the key matter. He is unable to make any sounds while under this curse. It is not lifted until he is no longer in close proximity with the person who told him to be silent, or if they revoke it meaningfully.
Poor Immune System (health problem since birth) - Unfortunately, Victor was from a different time and different era-- but most notably from a country where few Fa'e had been before. When reborn, the antibodies from his past life carried over to his new body. Due to their out dated count, Victor is almost always sick. If he is not vaccinated to 'new' diseases, Victor will fall ill very often. This will likely taper off as he ages, but any number of new irritants could send him back into being Immunocompromised.
Mentally Incomplete (psychological problem) - Since Ogo's first birth, he has been without his female half. He lacks balance, and in fact is weakened by it, this weakness basically states that he has very little capability for empathy and love within him. Even with his Guardian Victor is manipulative and cruel.
Girlish Scream (for the lels.) - Jackals are known for their obnoxiously loud and shrill noises-- when startled, Victor makes the same terrible noises.
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 11:26 pm
 
The world was dark around him. The African sun had set, leaving a quiet plain behind. Ogo in his half-Jackal form skulked around the desert, his tail lashing behind him as he kicked up dust and debris. His time was coming a close. He knew. He knew even as he raced against the silvery moon in the plains, he knew even as he ate and slept and breathed, wondering if that last draw of air would be his last.
It had been a long time coming. Days, months, years, decades, centuries, eras, eons.
Too much time had passed. Simply too much time. His people were slowly forgetting him-- it was a slow process, gradual. It attacked him piece by piece, cell by cell. Tissue by tissue, his cells were lysed. With each man that forgot his fear for him, with each child that no longer heard his story at night to make them behave. He was disappearing in the most painful way possible. Ogo knew he was being systematically removed from his own origin, his own story.
Knowing did not make him any more prepared for what would come. It didn't make him want to prepare for his ultimate demise, either. He did not want to die at all, if possible. No living thing did. All creatures struggle for survival, and gods are no different. They merely have different predators. Ogo knows that his time is running short, bordering on running out, and that he won’t be able to cheat death again and again. Each time he gets a little weaker, each time he gets a little fainter. His power is fading, his trickery and fortune telling. He can't hold a human shape anymore. The adrenaline rush of outrunning a predator and the ecstatic glee at wiping them out coiled in his belly and deadened. The feeling shifted into an emotion the Jackal god was unfamiliar with: fear.
He stood by this, though. No mortal force would harm him, for Ogo was still a god. A disgraced and abandoned god, severed from his ties and from his heritage, and now from his power-- but a creature of immortality none the less.
No, no mortal would come for him. Something bigger was after Ogo, something equal to him. Greater. Stronger. A void.
Apprehension flooded Ogo's mind, his paws skidded to a stop on dirt and sparse grass. The full moon shined above, reflecting his white spots and fire-eyes so that they glowed with an ethereal quality.
The yawning maw of a cave was before him. The darkness inside was swirling, with dark and bright and death. He stared at it, this portal and he knew it was time. He fled, shifting entirely to his Jackal shape, the earth moving under him at ungodly speeds.
Ogo could feel it coming. Like poorly written foreshadowing, it followed him like a cloud of misery and despair. The jackal did not even need to walk the supernatural realm to know that his hunches had been true. He felt it deep inside him, his instincts roaring and his state of mind crumbling, even as his organs were liquefied and his bones disintegrated.
With a burst of strength that came from both nowhere and somewhere, Ogo outran the blank whiteness. He stumbled under an azalea tree, panting for breath. Pieces of him shifted in and out of the realm, and he shuddered as he leaked violet blood.
Ogo's voice was crackling and broken, and cut through the dry air like a razor.
"“Let me tell you a tale of how this came to pass..."
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 11:55 pm
[ Her name is Alice. She crosses dimensions. ]
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:06 am
to puchiko, who provided me with three key sources that got me going.
to risth, who let me gank her quest thread and has been just...an awesome emotional pillar and bounce off person.
to nessy, who has guided me through fa'e like i'm a nice fat tasty lamb about to be slaughtered (this is a good thing. i swear. love her.)
to blackduvet, who goddamnit got me hooked on fa'e in the freakin first place and is awesomecakes and has a tiny little valkyrie and lets me suck her for info.
to cerena, who has been just awesome. she's helped me in nine million ways even though i'm just an obnoxious stranger.
to #gaiaonline for putting up with my s**t.
to fa'e for tolerating my s**t.
to the Dogon people, who are pretty much k-rad. I wish I could help them, the real people of the here and now. They are in Mali, which is one of the poorest countries in all of Africa. Most people there make under two US bucks a day. Makes me wanna cry. :<
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:10 am
 
http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/african-mythology.php?deity=OGO
http://www.sju.edu/cas/theology/Courses/1141/Dogon/Demott.htm
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/mythology/118502
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogon#Dogon_Art
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogon#Mythology
http://www.izf.net/izf/Documentation/Cartes/Pays/supercartes/mali.png
http://www.sacredsites.com/africa/mali/dogon.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nommo
http://www.crystalinks.com/dogon.html
http://www.godulike.co.uk/faiths.php?chapter=32&subject=who
http://www.assatashakur.org/forum/showthread.php?t=19687
http://www.usc.edu/dept/comp-lit/tympanum/4/sundstrom.html
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/dogmasks.htm
http://www.rebirth.co.za/dogon/mask_history.htm
http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/jackal
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/bms/1485
http://www.necep.net/list.php?id_soc=12&type=pictures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomancy
http://www.uiowa.edu/~linguist/faculty/culy/dnums.html
http://tribes.tribe.net/kmt/thread/ad26eed8-8807-44b2-9f12-7f1a424e8bdd
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Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 10:55 am
Finally got the time to actually sit down and read your whole quest thread and I must say I'm very impressed, especially the way you tell your myth. You have a very smooth writing style, and it was interesting to hear the story of Ogo from his point of view. It is also the first time I've seen a concept that has a spirit coming back to be better than its creator. Very unique. Only one minor mistake, which is "I had eyes the colour of fire", or at least I think that's what you meant with that. Other than that, I loved the myth. <3
I like the way you've set up your profile. The information in each section looks well thought out, and I really like how you mix some Dogon beliefs in there. Huzzuh for African myths! Little n**-picky thing about the eyes: if he's a jackal then he would be a dog, and dogs have round pupils. I know you did put after the description that he has eyes like cats, but that doesn't really keep the jackal/African theme you have going on there. I think you should stick to the dog pupils and just describe his eyes as very animalistic. I like how you didn't give him jackal ears or a tail as some would be tempted to do. May just be a perception thing, but I wouldn't consider 5'7" to be short. I'd call that fairly average, bordering on tall.
I love the expansion of the powers and weaknesses section. Nothing really to say about that. XD
I'll finish up with some general comments. Victor seems to have a character that creates a lot of external conflicts. Does he enjoy this? I know he doesn't regret his actions, but does cheating/lying etc make him happy? He laughs at everything, probably at the expense of anyone, but is it because everything is really that funny? Basically, does he accept himself for what he is and other people can just deal with it? Or not? I say this because he seems like one of those characters who have more fights with the world than themselves. Is there anything that he has to struggle inwardly about? It certainly doesn't appear to be morals, so maybe something to do with praise? What would he do if he accidentally saved someone (he was acting for the betterment of himself but it just happened to help someone else) and he was considered the "town hero" or whatever? How would he react to someone who constantly praised him and thought he was absolutely wonderful? Quite a change from how he was treated before, amirite? X3 Also, all of his personality pluses seem to benefit him more than anyone else. Does he have any redeeming qualities? With him they wouldn't be anything that contrasts his personality, but rather would be able to be used against him (in a sense) for the benefit of others. Things like determination or competitiveness.
All in all, a most excellent quest. Very enjoyable to read, and I'm very glad that someone's got their foot in the African mythbase. <3
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Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 6:53 pm
;^; DELICIOUS FEEDBACK ILU SHEEPY.
aww, thank you! I shall go fix that error, cus yea i did mean that. x3
ooeoo. >_> Will go fix the pupil thing-- I sorta looked up jackal pics, but it didn't dawn on me that hay they're canines. & Yea, I don't want the typical ears/tails though I was reallyreallllyy tempted. I figured markings+teeth/claws+eyes would be subtle enough. Will totally fix the eye thing, and make him shorter, or say he's average. Most guys I know are ...really tall, like 6~ft ish, so I think my perception is skewed. Damn you, basketball boys.
XD Thanks! I saw that Risth had it and went 'hay das preety awesum' -- I really liked doing it. I fear that I don't have enough weakness, though. s:
Oooh. Oh man you bring up good points. I am going to address these here and smash them in my quest cus wow, I didn't even think of them~ :V!!
Victor does create conflict, that is what he would consider his calling, his purpose. Causing trouble creates no regret and was often told in his previous life that it should, though he has no concept of this. General havoc creates a sort of bubbling joy in him when he sees others suffer and when he 'gets away' with misbehaving. The trickery and trouble gives him satisfaction, and perhaps running deeper, a sense of purpose.
Victor laughs at everyone and everything at other's expenses not really because he finds it funny, but because...he can. If he laughs at controversial things, re: dead baby jokes or even actual dead babies, it's because others around him find it appalling. If he laughs at misfortune, he can forget his own. In private, Victor is surprisingly quiet. Not any less boisterous, but certainly not so full of laughter and vileness. There is no one to disrupt when he's by himself, no one to look at him with shock and horror. No one to mess up-- He is very, very big on public image.
Haha. If someone treated Victor with such...awesomeness and praise, I really don't know how he'd react. Victor would be surprised to say in the least. Then he'd likely make a game of trying to see how many times he could treat them like s**t and still have them on his side, have them like him. Sort of like a yoyo. Back and forth and back and forth until he can break the string tying them together.
& thank you sososo much! It's really encouraging to hear that, and I am glad you had a nice time reading it. I hope this also pokes some other people into dipping into africa too, it'd rock haxca.
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:52 pm
updated personality section after NINE JEELION YEARS and added two new pictures, which can be fullviewed here, alongside one by taejira <3:
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f395/gewaltspirale/banners/fae/snarky.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f395/gewaltspirale/banners/fae/Astcomish.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f395/gewaltspirale/banners/fae/victorforastra.jpg
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Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:47 pm
I adore your quest, lots of awesome info for the fa'e. If you're still after a stamp, you need to add in info on the Guardian, though ^_~
... I really, really, really wanna approve this one!
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Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:11 pm
I dream about....Name: Nixir
Gender: male
Stage: child
Mythbase: Dogon - Ogo, the Pale Fox / the Jackal
Link to a source on the mythbase:
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/mythology/118502
http://tribes.tribe.net/kmt/thread/ad26eed8-8807-44b2-9f12-7f1a424e8bddhttp://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/african-mythology.php?deity=OGO
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/mythology/118502
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogon#Dogon_Art
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogon#Mythology
http://www.sacredsites.com/africa/mali/dogon.html
Appearance:
Sub-Saharan African - Ranging from his skin colour to his facial features to his hair, Nix's race is quite obvious. [[ hairstyle: no dreadlocks, at the request of Puchiko ]]
Fire Eyes - Irises that are red at the rims, turning orange/yellow at the end.
Stitched & Tribal Markings - Black rims around his eyes, mouth stitches that go to his ears, and shifting black tribal markings that do their own thing.
Powers:
(In Dogon culture, masks are a very important part of most, if not all, major rituals. Wearing a mask gives its bearer the ability to step into the supernatural realm, or at least put a good foot in.)
Negative Precognition (later stages, teen/youth & after) - Although it comes in flashes, if Nixir has recently performed a ritual/'meditated', the future comes to him. The catch? The downside of events are significantly played up...Not everything is as it seems.
Liar, Liar (child stage and onward) - When Nixir is lying, a little of the trickster comes out to play, making him more convincing even if his words are not. It will not turn an opinion 180 degrees, but can give a forceful nudge a person who is on the fence in the right direction.
Divination (child stage and onward) - When Nixir is lying, a little of the trickster comes out to play, making him more convincing even if his words are not. It will not turn an opinion 180 degrees, but can give a forceful nudge a person who is on the fence in the right direction.
Natural Weapons (minor, always on) - Victor possesses extremely sturdy nails and teeth. They are the closest actual physical representation of his time spent as the Jackal, closer to claws and fangs rather than their humanized versions.
Personality: Nixir, at this point in time, is a hellion. He's got a sense of humour that's likely unmatched, and unfortunately while that's very nice, it's so broad that he even finds bad news or other things that should be horrible an absolute riot. Especially if someone comes to harm for whatever reason-- it's practically schadenfreude.
Though, despite his young age, he is alarmingly sharp. While still childish, Nixir's instincts from existing horribly alone for thousands of years in his previous life sometimes burble up on his own. Watch yourself. Trust no one. Create trouble. Misinformation. Leave them guessing.
Even as a boy, he lives life as it's tossed at him, and finds any possibly way to milk it to his advantage. Unfortunately, that means he's an untrustworthy little rat. Just about everything is unpredictable about him, and the only thing that isn't is that he's a big, fat liar.
He picks a side and then flip flops and double, triple and quadruple crosses the parties involved, even if growing up that just meant lying to the poor gullible King about Hush leaving, or a goblin dying, or strange visitors in the night.
In addition to compulsive lying, Nixir is also hooked on cheating and stealing. Card games? Shuffle the cards to rig them. Marbles? Distract and nudge them. Tag? Trip the goblins. He goes to the extremes for everything, except being kind. He places himself first in all manners, and does whatever he has to...even if it earns him countless spankings, yellings, lectures and the like.
Nothing quite stops him. As he gets older, he'll likely mellow out on the face to face chaos and focus in on tricks that are darker. On playing with the mind from afar, subtle manipulations that are orchestrated and lead up to quite the grand crescendo...in good time.
After all. He's got time, now. All the time in the world.
History: Ogo, his unnamed twin, and another set of twins called the Nommo were created by Amma. Ogo killed his twin, coupled with the placenta, and attempted to slay the Nommo fresh from the womb. After that it could only go downhill, considering his 'female half', his anima, had been ripped away. Ogo thought he could do a superior job of creating a race than Amma.
He created the Dogon, who were flawed and insignificant...even with the hidden assistance from Amma. Ogo crawled back to his father to beg for another female side. He was laughed at by his father, and forced to look upon his creation: creatures with souls that were either one gender or the other.
Incomplete. Like him. He went mad with grief-- even more mad-- and Amma was forced to place Ogo in the form of a silent jackal, in order to prevent the chaos he'd wreak. He was cursed to forget the mechanics of speech, forced into the shadows and utterly forsaken.
And really. Really pissed off about it.
Guardian: Hush Nariin - a Pale Walker, and a wanderer of realms. Stuck in a land of shadows, stranded among the King of Shadows, his creatures...and a very, very terrible baby. An antisocial elf from an underground society forbidden from showing emotion and ridiculed for caring, he was not truly prepared to take care of a normal child, much less Nixir.
He's hardly been able to relate to the thing, because no matter what he attempts to do (and he does try. Very hard.) Nixir throws it in his face. Be it food, any attempt at kindness or amenities.
There are moments, though, when Nixir's asleep and the darkness seems to ease for a split second in time. When Hush is watching the boy sleep, when it seems as if things are okay, if only for a moment. But it's the calm before the terrible storm, signified by when the brat gets an almost sweet expression on his face before convulsing terribly in a nightmare he can't describe in any manner besides tears and screams.
There are other times besides slumber when Nixir is tolerable-- unfortunately, it's when he's plotting something. Pleasant behaviour means that something is up, and it is probably a fake bug (or even a real one) in the King's food, or a bucket of flour over some door in the castle.
Overall, Hush is tired, haggard, and clueless. He means well, he really honest to god does, but sometimes? The Pale Walker just doesn't know what to do.
World: The world is comprised of shadows, reeking of them and cloying. It's an in between realm, torn between one place and another, entered through the shadows of others and where strange little goblins and the like take residence.
It's a small realm, but it's easily accessible from any, if given the right circumstances. Many realms are connected to this in one larger mega-realm; it is all sort of an amoeba that is contained in a petri dish, of sorts.
The castle is in perpetual twilight, and for the first few years Nixir was raised alongside goblins(which certainly didn't help) and two men completely unsure of how to raise a child, much less a spawn of satan, so to speak.
Tell Us About Their Dark Side: Nixir, perhaps, wasn't quite always a sociopath. If he had existed as intended, there wouldn't have been a dark streak through his life. Did the corruption spring from his original existence? Strengthened, now, by Chaos?
It certainly didn't help-- not in the slightest. The corruption feeds his sociopathy like it's his new lifeblood. While 'sociopath' is not quite the medically sound as a diagnosis due to the erratic nature of his reaction to the darkness, it's as close as it gets.
Darkness has always been present in the boy-- even now when he's just a child, it's very there. Very present. Manifesting in torturing things he should find cute and cuddly, to lashing out violently without being able to control himself, almost to the point of it being a seizure-- well.
This doesn't even take into account his past life-- in his tale, he raped and murdered even from the beginning of his life. Either he was an easy target before he came into existence, or an easy target right as he was reborn.
Is a second chance actually a second chance if you are forsaken from the beginning of your renewel? A question that Nixir's own fate hinges on-- and yet. He likely won't ever be able to bring himself to care.
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