Shahar's Plotnotes

by **Colt** on April 12th, 2014, 7:09 pm

A quick place to put these holder threads so I don't lose them. This will be finished when the threads are turned in for grading.

Work placeholders:
Reforging Alliances pt. 2
Trading Burdens pt. 2

More than we bargained for pt. 2
More than we bargained for pt. 3
More than we bargained for pt. 4
More than we bargained for pt. 5

Joining The Family pt. 2
Joining The Family pt. 3

Confessions pt. 2
Confessions pt. 3

by **Colt** on July 24th, 2014, 8:25 pm

These are links to lore articles that will be useful as a ballpark for Shahar's abilities.

Wilderness Survival
Language advancement

by **Colt** on August 2nd, 2014, 2:25 pm

The one! The only! Verena Lorak!

Thanks so much for the boxcode!

This is just a reminder to myself that post template are pretty damn hard to find if you don't have a shortcut, so this is my shortcut. My post templates are over here so I don't have to comb through the entire subforum again every time I want to add a new code.

Boxcode by Verena

by **Colt** on October 29th, 2014, 10:18 pm

Relationships

Alright, so I've figured out that, as a writer, I tend to write things more consistently if I have something I can reference. So, as both an exercise and a continuity aid, I'm going to write down an analysis of each of the important relationships in Shahar's life. More may be added as time goes by and he gains more friends or family, but for now this is the go-to list.

Khida
Akaidras
Rue Nightsong

by **Colt** on October 29th, 2014, 10:22 pm

The Bond

Note: This is mostly a study of the bond itself, and is not a complete examination of his relationship with Khida.

The bond Shahar shares with Khida affects him in many ways, as well as some that he himself does not fully understand. Before the bond, Shahar’s sense of self and identity was somewhere between weak and nonexistent. His worldview was almost entirely reactionary and based on events that happened around him; he had no drive, did not strive for or desire anything beyond immediate survival and safety. Once the bond appeared, Khida’s sheer sureness of self anchored him in a way that he didn’t previously know was possible. She became a center for him, or at least a tether that was strong enough for him to form his own center. His own sense of self, as it were. And with that self came the powerful ability to aspire and grow, to see beyond himself and into the world around him. To this day, Shahar remains a man of simple wants and tastes, and his greatest desire is, at its core, home. Where his sense of “home” once consisted of little more than where he happened to sleep, he now has a very strong sense of family and where he belongs. For him, “home” now means more than where he lays down his head. Home is where he knows both he and his family are safe, and for the majority of his remembered life that family consisted of Khida and Akaidras, although in recent seasons it has expanded to include others: Hope, Slither, and now Rue Nightsong as well. He recognizes the Sea of Grass as a dangerous place, and so his aspirations revolve mostly around creating a space of sanctuary, both physically and mentally, for those that he considers family. This can, in its own way, be a full-time duty, especially since his camp tends to linger on the outskirts of Endrykas and is more vulnerable to weather and predators. The physical location must be safe, the tents must be staked and there needs to be food in the pot, and then there are the hundreds of little things that go along with everyday life like replacing rope, weapons, tools, etc. Shahar aspires to provide for his family, and when that task is done there is little more that he finds need to do. Shahar does generally does not pursue more than what he needs, or what will make his family happy.

A side effect of this is that Shahar is very much a homebody, perhaps to the point that others might think him eccentric. Shahar prefers to remain close to his home, even when hunting. He is reluctant to roam more than half an hour’s journey from his camp, and without Khida long trips are out of the question. This has since evolved into more of a preference than a compulsion; Shahar may be a good hunter, but he has never felt the need to prove his mettle against ferocious beasts to earn honor and status like other Drykas might. This is not to say that he avoids larger animals as much as they simply don’t interest him enough to go out of his way; he can get by just fine on the smaller game that he finds within range of his home, and unless his family is affected directly then he simply feels no need to go beyond his typical range. There are, of course, circumstances that can cause him to hunt farther––the drought of summer 514, for example, forced him to do so out of the basic need to find food.

The half-hour rule, however, really only applies to distance rather than time itself; if he is within a ten-minute walk, he is fine spending three hours or more away as long as he feels confident that he can get back within that time if he needs to. I also get the feeling that this would shift with the location of Khida; as the anchor that gave him a home in the first place, he would feel much easier long distances from home if she were with him, although if that were the case then the half-hour distance would probably apply to her, instead.

Despite being bondmates and now even husband and wife, Shahar and Khida’s relationship is primarily non-sexual.

by **Colt** on February 1st, 2015, 12:42 am

Skill Goals
like the first one, only organized

skill name	current level	desired level
hunting	expert	master
tracking	expert	master
riding	competent	expert
weapon: javelin	competent	expert
wilderness survival	competent	expert
~~leadership~~	~~competent~~	~~competent~~
shielding	-	competent
webbing	novice	competent

by **Colt** on February 4th, 2015, 7:07 pm

I went through that new character trait index, and here are the ones I picked out that I think fit Shahar the best.

Shahar is... :

And since I couldn't find very many of his flaws on there, I decided to add some of my own to his list.

Shahar is also... :

by **Colt** on February 14th, 2015, 6:25 pm

Alright, so I've thrown out some feelers in the past about getting a plains ixam, but though nothing has come up as of yet, it's still something I'll like to work towards. With that said, I've noticed that finding any pictures to represent a giant riding lizard is a bit hard, so this is me linking to whatever pictures I find that could manage it.

one
two
three
four
five
six

by **Colt** on April 25th, 2015, 9:19 pm

Here is the character sheet of Khasr, who is the person Shahar used to be. Crossing my fingers hoping that all the coding works.

Khasr :

Race: Drykas
Age: 20 years, born in Fall 494
Height: 6’1
Weight: 176 lbs

At first glance...
Though he is rather tall, Khasr is not imposing. He stays out of peoples' way, and his sheer dislike of company usually causes others to do the same. His build is impossible to identify under his loose and concealing clothes, yet he is capable of great strength. His practiced gait is smooth and graceful, and is the gait of one used to being alone. His gray cloak shields most of his body, and his rich brown hair reaches past his shoulders and is tied back with a simple leather strip.

Upon meeting...
Though he could be considered attractive, his aura and demeanor wards off those that would approach him. His eyes are rich green, and his gaze is hard and judgmental. One dark red hair wrap hides beneath his locks, from which hangs a green glass bead. He wears clothes the color of grass, mottled as if they weren't dyed properly. His cloak, similarly mottled, is various shades of gray and covers most of his body. The only bright article on his person is the vibrant green sash that marks him as a member of the Emerald clan. The quiver on his back could be mistaken for that of arrows if looked at too quickly, but upon closer examination the javelins within it speak for themselves. In all seasons and weather his garb is the same, hiding all but his face and hands.

Under scrutiny...
Only those that Khasr trusts most will see him without cloak or tunic, and even then he will try to keep it as brief as possible. The muscles under his skin are solid and lean, the type that does not show unless sought for, and the origin of his physical control is easy to pinpoint. He is very tan, as most Drykas are, and numerous scars web over his body. Three small ones, left by a startled wildcat, span the back of his left hand. A splotch, the result of a climbing accident, sits in the crook of his arm, and a two-foot-long gash twists over the back of his ribs as testimony to the anger of a cornered beast. There is a reason he covers himself the majority of the time, and one knowledgeable in Drykas ways will pick it out immediately: his skin is perfectly clear. He has no windmarks.

Character Concept

So, you want know who he is?
Khasr’s personality can be summed up easily in one word: volatile. Interacting with him is like walking through a minefield; it takes resourcefulness, adaptability, and luck to get anywhere in any kind of relationship. While an average person might have one or two sore topics to avoid, he has eight or nine. He is also under the firm impression that every single person that speaks to him is out to hurt him, and goes to great lengths to avoid human contact. Most that would try to spark a friendship give up quickly, deciding that he’s simply not worth all that effort.

If one manages to weave past the fortress he has entrenched himself in, his motives become clearer despite his attempts to hide them. If he is angry and vicious, it is only because he fears harm. Past hurts remain open and bloody, like wounds unable to heal, and because they are so easy to step on he will flee at the slightest touch. Inside his fortress there are no mines, but if one wishes to go deeper they will have to navigate the twisting passages within.

If one knows Khasr at this level, they will have his undying loyalty and friendship. This is when he shows the soft side that he is not fully aware he possesses, and treats any friends he has with gentleness and kindness. He’ll often leave such people gifts here and there, sometimes secretly and sometimes face-to-face. Only one person in his entire life has known Khasr to this degree, and a hole was left in his heart that he longs to be filled again, but the complexity of pushing through his rough exterior is great. This is his paradox: he pushes away anyone that approaches him, but wants nothing more than to accept them.

The grasslands...
When in the hunting, Khasr becomes a completely different person. Almost all of his strong emotions and are locked down, and he is dominated by logic and instinct. His thoughts are unhindered, however, and he can look at his actions and emotions with a level head. Hunting is his way of releasing pent-up emotions, almost cathartic, and his need for it borders an addiction. To him, a life without hunting is a life without reason.

History

Born as the third child and second son to a large pavilion of the Emerald Clan, Khasr was the ignored youngest, then the ignored middle child when twins were born two years after. He wasn’t abused or neglected, but his peers constantly outdid him, and no matter how hard he tried he could never garner special attention to anything. He took to long walks by himself and became soft-spoken and tenderhearted, shying away from most contact. When he was six he literally stumbled over a large snake and managed to grab a nearby switch to knock her away as she struck. She assaulted him without mercy, launching herself at him over and over with him just barely escaping every time. He kept backing up until he tripped over a stone and landed hard on his back. She attacked one more time, and he managed to grasp a much sturdier branch and hit her with all his might. Her back broke and her neck snapped, and only after a long time did Khasr’s shaking finally subside. He suddenly found a grin spreading across his face, and after making sure the snake was dead he took it back to show his parents. He arrived at a very noisy pavilion, and held back before going to see what it was. He was stunned when he saw his eldest brother standing in the middle of his family proudly displaying the antelope he had caught. Khasr was suddenly on fire with rage. How dare he? On the one day when Khasr might have proven himself able to do something, his brother had to choose that exact day to make his first kill? Khasr knew that his measly snake would not be able to hold a candle to the antelope, and the boy stormed into the grass again to hide his tears, unaware of the dark set of eyes watching him intently.

Daha was not related to the pavilion by blood, but was a close friend and advisor of the Windheel Ankal as well as the only full-fledged hunter. He provided nearly all of the pavilion’s meat, and though he trained younglings in his craft none had the touch to it that he hoped for. So he was quite interested when he saw the barely six-year-old boy return home with a dead black asp, one of the more deadly grassland snakes. He followed the Khasr and found him crying a good distance away from the pavilion, back turned to the snake. He silently picked it up and examined it.

“You should not be ashamed of such a kill.”

The startled Khasr wheeled around, shocked into silence by both the unexpected presence of an adult and the unexpected presence of that particular adult. The man asked him a few questions about the fight, and Khasr found himself gushing everything that had happened to him, unloading all of his resentment and fear and anger, eventually breaking down completely. Daha waited patiently, then praised the snake and placing it above the antelope, which made Khasr practically float. But the sun was starting to set, and without time left for chat they returned to the pavilion without breathing a word to anyone about what had transpired.
Daha took Khasr under his wing, and he grew into a decent hunter in his own right even though he was remarkably young for such a title. The rest of the pavilion noticed but Khasr was automatically afraid of them when they tried to reach out, at ease only with Daha. As he grew the tension for a Strider grew, but he was young enough to simply be considered a late bloomer. He was teased for it, and the more he was teased the more he hunted.

Then Khasr’s world shattered. On an expedition with Daha they were attacked by a pack of ravenous glassbeaks, and Khasr was able to escape as they concerned themselves with devouring Daha. He got back to the pavilion after dark, and through the entire night cried into his pillow to avoid waking anyone up. Time passed afterwards, but Khasr could not be consoled. He withdrew and became bitter and angry, and when the teasing of his age reached a crescendo he blazed with anger, hatred, and sorrow. He shouted at the top of his lungs and hurt everyone around him with his words, finally dashing away and into the grasses to do the only thing he knew how to: hunt. His sadness lifted and his anger vanished, and then there was only him and the pronghorn that happened to leave behind a trail. His focus heightened his senses and he killed it almost without effort. When he returned his family members stared at him, but no words were offered from either side, and he dressed the deer in silence. The rest of his day went without speaking, and he was perfectly happy that way. The next few weeks were spent in practical solitude; though he would eat and sleep at the pavilion he would never speak. Then his older sister asked him for the waterskin, and he gave it to her. Tension was released to an extent, and though people talked with him afterwards it was limited. He came to view the world pessimistically and deluded himself into thinking that the world was arrayed against him, and resolved to meet it head-on. He became vicious, sneering and insulting anyone who tried to engage in extended conversation, and the pavilion once again became silent to him. He then started to spend nights away from home, usually one or two at a time but sometimes as often as four. He simply finds it easier and simpler to be alone.

by **Colt** on April 26th, 2015, 12:05 am

Another picture dump for various purposes.

Akaidras pics :

Drykas pavilions? :