The Ghost of the Bunyip, Ngendek the TerrorThe BasicsName Ngendek ("mud" in Aboriginal)
Gender Female
Abilities Horrifying Howl~ Ngendek is able to let out a blood-curdling scream that can be heard for miles around, not only as a sign of anger, but to warn those around that she is hungry. This howl will be loud enough to wake someone in the room next to her as a baby, but it will become louder as she ages. Eventually, she'd be able to wake an entire neighborhood with her howl.
Devour & Unhinging Jaw~ Ngendek is able to eat abnormally large amounts of food at one time, thanks to her unhinging jaw. She's the kind of kid that'll cram it all in and try to swallow everything at once. This is a leftover trait from her past life, when she once devoured humans if they came too near her river and home.
Clouded Memory~ Ngendek can give those who see her clouded memories of the event so that they don't
really know what she looks like or where exactly she lives. Most who see her come away with an image of her that has different animal features and form. She may look different to a person each time they see her. This is taken from the fact that many have seen the bunyip, but no one can agree on what exactly the creature looks like.
Stealth & Speed~ These are really more like specialized skills, but Ngendek is able to move quickly and silently, able to escape from predators or hide from prey easily. She can only do this if she's in familiar territory, and before she can do this, she has to explore the area thoroughly.
Swim~ Ngendek is an excellent swimmer, and can hold her breath for long periods of time -- up to five minutes as an adult. Again, this is more a specialized skill than an ability.
Race/Species/Element Bunyip
Weaknesses Horrible low-light vision, sometimes has the inability to control her 'wild side', rowdy
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Past Life Information
There once was a frightening bunip, who spent her days watching humans and licking her lips in childish delight...
She lived beside a river that she claimed as her very own, having lived in its shallow waters for most of her entire life. The bunyip had a name, though she had not given it to herself. "Ngalh-ma" wasn't something you named yourself. Only those who were afraid would give a creature a name like that. After all, why would you call yourself 'angry'?
Ngalh-ma was very protective of her river, which she called Boran Balangurrk (the "bad magic river"). Most days she spent peacefully, lurking in the waters, practicing her stealth or sunning on the banks of Balangurrk, out of view of anyone who might be walking by. The daytime wasn't so horrible, and she knew the schedules of most of the animals who came to the river to drink. But at night, things were more difficult. She had horrible low-light vision, and to ensure that no one would invade her territory when she couldn't see them, she would send out a warning howl at dusk, letting all those around know that darkness was near and that she'd be on the lookout for invading creatures.
The howl was blood-curdling and almost horrifying, and all creatures within earshot would know that the time for gathering water, bathing and washing was over. Few dared to go near the river once Ngalh-ma had bellowed for the evening, but occasionally, there was a brave soul or two who would attempt water gathering after dark. And there was also the occasional drunkard who stumbled too close to the bank of the river, and fell in instead, incurring Ngalh-ma's wrath easily.
Humans produced the most scorn from the bunyip, and any time one would approach, Ngalh-ma would stealthily move toward her prey, waiting until the right moment to strike. She managed to take out most women and children easily, but men provided a bigger challenge, simply because they were usually stronger and larger. She'd open her huge mouth and chomp clumps of flesh from bone, easily devouring a human in a matter of minutes with her razor-sharp teeth and unhinging jaw.
But on one particular night, Ngalh-ma had quite an unexpected visitor.
Or shall we say, visitors.
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Before Ngalh-ma's fated story is told, one must know of her hatred. Ngalh-ma was not always so fierce and protective of her river, or of the banks surrounding it. She had not always had a hatred for humans either... One special event changed something in her brain, and she would never forget the day the humans slayed her partner and children.
She had lived in relative peace for most of her life, but she was lonely, and would do almost anything for company. There were few of her species, and throughout the first ten years of her life, she never met another like her. But one day, when she had almost reached adulthood, she met another bunyip, much like herself. He was more curious looking than she, with large antlers and flippers for arms.
She had approached him at night, when he came to her section of the river to look for food. The male bunyip was surprised as soon as he saw her coming toward him in the moonlight. He'd never met another like him before. Though she looked different, he knew that their species was a curious one, and he readily accepted her, nuzzling her face with his own muzzle. They spent the rest of that evening catching fish and other small animals around the river, feasting on them as they rested on the muddy banks.
The male bunyip, Burnum (great warrior), decided to stay with Ngalh-ma, and they spent the next few months peacefully -- hunting, swimming and lazing about on the riverbank. Not long after, Ngalh-ma became pregnant and had two children -- twins.
They grew up more quickly than she would have liked, but the family was happy, and they lived a peaceful existance.
Until one fateful day when the hunters came. The tribal people who lived close to the river had only heard tall tales of the creature called the 'bunyip', and because they had never seen it (or if they had, they had only remembered bits and pieces of its appearance), they were afraid of it. All of the old folk tales told of the bunyip's fierce personality and it's sharp teeth!
In order to get rid of the nuisance, the hunters decided it would be best to get rid of the bunyip, before they caused any problems with the village.
So, in the light of the moon, while Ngalh-ma and Burnum rested on the bank of the river, watching their children splash water at each other and enjoy the warm evening, the hunters crept in from above, spears readied.
They first aimed for the two smaller bunyip, and in a split-second, two spears whizzed through the air and caught both of Ngalh-ma's children in the stomach. The two children let out a howls of pain that were loud enough to be heard in the human's village, and they began to sink in the water, unable to swim any longer.
Ngalh-ma lept to her feet to see the attackers, burning their faces into her memory. Before she could pull Burnum into the safety of the deep water, he too had been speared, and Ngalh-ma decided it was time to flee, whether she wanted to leave Burnum on the riverbank to die or not. If she did not go, they would kill her too.
Frantic, she dove into the water, feeling the sharp edge of yet another spear graze the side of her stomach. Then, there was blood. The waters were turning red with the blood of her and her family, she realized, swimming deeper and further down the river, hoping to escape her attackers.
When she rose to the surface again, at least 500 yards downstream, she rose slowly, looking around but staying low in the water. She would not be caught this time. They had taken her precious family from her, and they would pay...
Letting out the eardrum-shattering, sobbing howl that would become a warning to all humans, she mourned the death of her family, and pondered the end of the hunters.
Revenge would be sweet.
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When the light of the full moon swathed the land in a dim version of its daytime self, the village closest to Boran Balangurrk was celebrating the recent rainy season. Painted bodies undulated in the firelight as the humans danced, drinking palm wine and enjoying the ability to see at night -- giving them even more hours to drink themselves silly. Little did they know that tonight, Ngalh-ma was on the lookout. The noise from the village had put her on edge, and she swam up and down her 'home' section of Balangurrk practically twitching with anticipation. She knew there'd be at least one...One dumb human who hadn't heard her cries at dusk.
There was always at least one.
Her stomach rumbled and squealed and she flinched a bit as she waded in the shallows on the edge of the riverbank. She wanted dinner...
As she rested on the riverbank, stomach flat on the muddy bottom, her dark brown eyes darted back and forth across the landscape, watching and waiting for movement. These were the times she wished she could see better. It would make things SO much easier.
It was then that she heard a shuffling off to the right, and about 20 feet away. She could tell the invader was quite near the bank of the river, and she moved quietly down the bank to get closer to her prey. Her mouth watered as she thought of her upcoming meal, and she once again thought of how dumb humans really were.
The dry grasses rustled as the person came closer, and she sunk further under the surface of the water, so that only her head, from her ears and above, were out of the water. She'd be leaping out of her hiding spot soon enough. Drunk humans were easy prey.
As the human stumbled toward the water and finally made it, splashing in without thought or care, Ngalh-ma took her chance and pushed with all her might against the muddy riverbottom, leaping out of the water and on top of her prey with a wild snarl and a snapping of her teeth. She'd already prepared her jaw for the chomping that would ensue, and as she pounced on the man, whose white facepaint was now dripping off of him and into her precious waters, she took a chunk of flesh out of his side first, allowing blood to spray across the water.
She should have gone for his face first...or his lungs. Because he had time to shout out before Ngalh-ma could stop him. There was a loud howl and then, sobbing and screaming. Most of the time, she was able to take care of a problem like this quickly, but this one seemed to be more resiliant than most. He was a male after all, and many times, they were stronger than she was. She should have expected this.
Unfortunately, he was struggling far too much, and as she tried to eat him as quickly as she could, she could pay attention to nothing more than sharp teeth on flesh. She was concentrating so hard on devouring the human that she didn't hear the noise of the villagers sneaking up on her as quietly as they could, spears readied for throwing.
She turned at the last second, jaws snapping and bloody, and came face to face with three spears. Two landed in her stomach, making her flinch and groan.
The third landed between the eyes and Ngalh-ma's world went dark.
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The villagers celebrated the death of the bunyip that night, parading her body around the village and eventually hoisting it up on a large pole in the middle of the village for all to see and mock. According to the humans, after years of the bunyip tormenting the village, the waters of Boran Balangurrk were now safe again. The humans had made yet another kill, and they were satisfied.
However, there was one creature who was not pleased.
As Ngalh-ma's soul floated off into the Dreamtime, she vowed to return again...
To get her revenge once more.
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PersonalityFrom baby to adult((This is only a brief overview of her personality throughout her stages. This is all subject to change depending on her interactions with others. I hate to make my characters unchangeable, so I can't say she's going to be exactly like this in each stage. Still, it's a good outline of where I'd like to go with her.))
•
Baby~ As a baby, Ngendek is fairly good-spirited, though this can change in an instant. At times, her mood seems to shift with the mood of those around her, with the exception of contact with a full human. Humans bother her greatly, and she becomes fussy as soon as she sees one. She'd never let a human touch her, and if they try, or actually pick her up, she'll scratch and bite them until they let her go or leave her alone.
She also has an extraordinary appetite, and though she eats a ton, she seems to burn it off quite easily with a high metabolism.
•
Toddler~ Ngendek doesn't have the burning desire to explore the modern world as much as normal toddlers do. She prefers to be at home where she's comfortable, and not out and about in new places. She has an extreme curiosity for new things, but they must be introduced to her in a place that she deems safe. Now that she's able to crawl and walk around better, she's begun to get into things around the house. She likes pulling pots and pans out of the cabinets and banging on them, much like an aborigne would bang on a drum.
Out in public, Ngendek can be a little hellraiser, acting as if she's a wild animal. She throws tantrums and runs around like a hellion, drawing attention to her and her guardian. Some would think it's for attention, but somehow it helps her feel normal in the outside world where others look at her funny. It's more like a self-fulfilling prophecy. People expect her to act a certain way, and she has no problem fulfilling their assumptions.
•
Kid~ Still somewhat uncomfortable out in public places, Ngendek is getting a little more used to strangers. She can be angry and snappy sometimes, especially when other kids her age take notice of her odd features. She's definitely not normal looking, and she's more than aware of it, and doesn't like it when others point out her animal features. It is at these times where she breaks out into hellion mode again, wreaking havoc on 'normal' people and acting like a monkey out of it's cage.
Though she's learning to enjoy meeting new people, she would prefer it be on her turf, where she has the upper hand and control of the situation.
She's also begun to explore the outdoors, expanding her territory to playing in the creek behind her house. She likes to build forts back there, imagining living there on her own, surviving in nature all by herself. She's become a tomboy, and likes playing in the dirt, and still, her "wild side" remains as she tears around the woods behind her home.
•
Teenager~ Still a rough-and-tumble girl, Ngendek has taken to outdoor sports. She likes camping and going hiking, and still enjoys spending time by the creek in her backyard. Even though she made a lot of friends in her younger years, she now spends most of her time with only her closest friends--those who will share her interest in the outdoors.
She's built a settlement for herself by the creek in her backyard, and likes to hang out there by herself or with a few other friends, playing cards, reading and "living off the land," as she calls it.
She has matured much since her kid stage, and also is now exploring her religious beliefs, turning toward natural gods and goddesses, much like her guardian does. She occasionally makes up rituals that she performs when she's alone, giving her thanks to the gods of nature for the beautiful world that surrounds her.
She is also intensely protective of her settlement, and only allows certain people to join her in her space.
•
Youth~ Still the outdoorsy type, she's officially moved further out into the woods, and now lives beside a river, alone. Only her closest friends and family come to visit, but she does occasionally leave her home and head into town. She now covers many of her animalistic features when she goes into the normal world, but when she is in her own environment, she prefers to wear leather clothing that she's created herself.
She now hunts for the majority of her food, as her teeth allow her to rip apart flesh easily. It seems she's given in to her more basic bunyip nature, allowing her wild side to come out on occasion.
She's very protective of her space and her place in the forest, and she defends it vehemently. Those who are unwelcome in her territory are quickly scared away by her howl, and those who actually see her may come away with an image of a horrifying creature.
•
Adult~ Quite similar to her youth stage, but she has now become even more animalistic, eating meat raw and tearing about the forest and rivers in an almost feral state. She doesn't particularly like going into town, but will if necessary, to see friends and family. She may share her life with another, or desire a relationship, but only a very understanding creature could love Ngendek. She desires another like her -- someone who can understand her -- but she's not sure if it's possible to find someone like that.
She's fully aware of her past now, and seems to have embraced it. Now, when she sees a human, she as an overwhelming urge to gobble them down, but she knows this isn't something she should do. Hopefully she doesn't ever give in to the urge, but you just never know...
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AppearancePhysical attributes from Wand-Adult:•
Hair and eye colors: Hair should be blue like
this, and feathery. Eye color should be dark brown.
•
Wand~ Like a
didgeridoo, it will also have aboriginal paintings on it as decoration, much like the example photo.
•
Baby Ghost~ The ghost should be a brownish blue color, representing the mud and water of her home. It should also begin showing some of her features, including her badger-like tail, and finned 'wings' (see Baby stage)
•
Baby~ A very STRANGE looking kid, with a mix of animal features that will stay with her throughout life:
* A furry
otter's tail* The
feet and lower legs of an emu attached to furry thighs (same as her tail fur)
*
Feathery hair,
that is downy, fluffy and pale in color as a baby and the feathery down should stick up off of her head in a fluffy poof.
*
Horns that sprout from her head* A scaled torso
*
Finned wings on her back that protrude from normal tanned skin.
* All of these features will start small and grow as she does, like they would on a normal animal.
* Her skin should be mostly brown in color, though her scales can really range in color from a dark shade of brown to green or blue. Whatever looks best with the rest of her features. The color will brighten/become more vibrant as she ages.
biggrin Feel free to play with the colors of all of her features and make them fit each other.
•
Toddler~ She looks much like she does in her baby stage, except:
* Real feathers are starting to come in now, making her hair look quite...ugly. Think: baby birds with their feathers growing in. It has streaks of grey and turquoise blue in it now, and soon her real feathers will grow in.
* Her horns are also starting to become more than just little bumps on her temples. They have begun to break through the skin, and you can see a little curve at this point.
* Her otter tail will grow longer, and she'll also begin to develop webbing between her fingers, though not between her emu toes.
* Her finned wings are growing larger, though they still serve no purpose.
•
Kid~ * Her headfeathers are now fully grown in, and are a lovely shade of turquoise. They will also grow longer as she ages, but by her kid stage, her "hair" will have reached chin length. She looks much sleeker than before, now that her feathers lay more flat.
* Her horns how have protruded through her skin just behind her hairline, growing even more into two curving horns (see
this image, but shorter. Eventually they'll grow into this shape). They are stark white and contrast well with her bright blue hair.
* Her scales, once dark, are beginning to brighten and become more vibrant, looking as if one day they'll match her hair somewhat.
* Her tail is now much longer, but not quite full length, and nothing about her bottom half has really changed that much--everything is just larger in relation to her toddler self.
* She's begun to wear jeans or long pants all the time in her kid stage, covering her spindly legs that she's become self-conscious of. Now that she's running around in the wild more, the jeans come in handy, as twigs and brush can scratch her legs to pieces.
* Also, fangs are beginning to show as her incisors are becoming longer and pointier than her other teeth.
•
Teen~ Basically everything gets bigger or grows longer:
* Her tail is finally full length, now touching the ground when she's standing.
* Her hair has now grown to below her shoulders, and it's still as unruly as ever. Ngendek finds it's hard to tame feathers, and will put a headband on to keep the front pieces out of her eyes.
* Her legs become stronger, and the scaling from her torso begins to work upward toward her shoulder area and begins to cover her upper arms.
* Her fingers are now webbed to the point between the first and second joints. They will not web any further than this though.
* The finned wings keep growing, and now make it difficult for her to sleep on her back.
* Her horns are curving more and points are beginning to develop on the ends.
* Her fangs are becoming more sharp, and she's starting to get a crazed look in her eyes that few will notice until she's too angry to hide it.
* Clothing is mostly Jeans, T-shirts and hoodies--things that can get dirty.
•
Youth~ See Teen stage.
Pretty much anything that hadn't stopped growing in the last stage stops growing now, with the exception of her hair:
* It is now growing longer, and almost looks like a feathered mane of sorts. It now reaches mid-back. Her fangs are fully pointed now, ready to rip and tear any flesh she can get her hands on.
* The finned wings on her back now serve their purpose, giving her the ability to easily propel herself through the water at high speed. This is used mainly for escape.
* Her scales have grown down her arms to her elbows, giving her an aquatic-looking torso. * Still, the skin on her back, forearms, hands and face is still brown and will not change.
* Her clothing style won't change too much, but she's taken to wearing more hippie-like clothing. When she goes out in public, she wears long, flowing gauze skirts, tank tops, etc. When she's alone, she'll don ripped leather clothing that she's fashioned herself, forming a short skirt-like affair, and a leather halter top that allows for her freedom of movement. She's also started adorning her horns with objects from nature, like feathers from birds, rocks she's been able to drill holes through so that she can string them on her horns, etc.
•
Adult~ See Youth stage.
* Her hair finally finishes growing as it reaches her butt -- a cascading mane of brightly colored turquoise feathers.
* In public, she now wears clothes with long to elbow-length sleeves that hide the scales on her upper arms. Long skirts and pants still prevail, because her legs are still a sore spot for her. When she's on her own or with her close friends, she will fall back into her leather clothes that she created in her youth years, as they allow her to move freely.
•
Distinctive Marks: White aboriginal face paint markings run across her nose and cheeks. I want them to be relatively minimal...and dotted would be cool, like in the second image:
http://www.ceotraveler.com/images/aboriginal.jpg
http://www.australianbedandbreakfast.com.au/~ausbandb/northern-territory-bandb/gallery/images/aboriginal-dance-red-centre-dreaming-alice.jpg
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Extras•
General likes and dislikes:Likes~ The outdoors, running water (lakes, streams, rivers, etc.), food, MEAT (any kind), being alone, practicing her sneakiness, swimming, sitting in her room and enjoying her OWN space, books on nature, animals and surviving in the outdoors, hiking, her guardian, her native language and dark, moonless nights
Dislikes~ HUMANS, stuffy clothing, her ugly legs and feet, those who make fun of her odd features, anything unnatural (ie. like polyester and plastic), being in someone else's home too long, having too many people invade her space at once (it makes her feel out of control), her howl, a lot of vegetables
•
Hobbies: Hiking, anything having to do with the outdoors (camping, fishing, swimming, living off the land, etc), reading about the outdoors, drumming, dancing (only if she's alone), looking at the stars
Ngendek art (c) of hostel_en_frunk. Thank you!!!
xd
