Of Water, Scales and Claw
04-19-07, 11:21 AM
Okies, just gonna throw in that I did ask if it's okay to apply two characters as one. These two are tied in very closely (which somehow despite all the typeface I don't think I conveyed, but bleah, this is what actual rp is for). I'll likely start em off as solo questing stuff as I'm creating them to realise species histroy/traits for my younger Skuugra character to make something of at later dates for myself.
I hope I've leveled the playing field enough considering what they are in my head.. nnnn.. Sorry to who ever gets to read all this. I type too much for history n such on character apps .. And last if the format's too horrible to read just say so and I'll have another go at trying to make it easier.
Name: Skeedara (Krsssht)/ Whitecap (Grarrshk)
Age: 47/45
Race: Skuugra
Eye Color: Crimson/Wine
Height: 7ft tall, 14ft long/7’3ft tall, 14’6ft long
Weight: 600lbs/670lbs
Occupation: Mercs
Personality:
Skeedara and Whitecap are mates. It wouldn’t always seem as such but there is more than species kind and mitigating circumstances that keeps these two together. There’s a bond there unseen in most Skuugra.
Skeedara’s the driving force behind the pairing. Nothing, absolutely nothing is done without her say so. She’s the boss and this is how it has worked for the past 17years, things aren’t about to change. Really, it’s an agreeable situation between the two. Skeedara has a patience unseen in the slightly larger male, one that means no matter how stupid those are around her she can restrain herself from killing them (usually). A rather useful thing considering neither Skuugra thinks much of the majority of the smaller humanoid species in the world.
Whitecap’s currently in about as a depressive state as Skuugra get. He’s still got his hot temper (somewhat tempered by Skeedara) but at times it now takes much longer to goad him into it. From his beating at the claws of a younger Skuugra for the position of Skeedara’s consort and the following instances that ensured, Whitecap’s a cripple as far as other Skuugra would be concerned. With a limp and nothing near the strength or stamina he should rightfully possess, Whitecap is not the monster he lived so long to become. Still, with situations as they are it has made humanoids more worthy sport and this is enjoyable. Needed by Skeedara for more than just companionship (he speaks clearer words than his mate in their varied tradespeaks), he does have purpose in his existence and despite the occasional melancholy mood he still lives to live.
Whitecap’s also the more socialable of the two. Whereas Skeedara will quite happily utterly ignore all those around her but the paying customer and possible issues, Whitecap’s the one who will engage in playful banter with any who wish it. Really, if you want business you want Skeedara, you want socialable interaction (of any sort) you want Whitecap. And where you find you’ll likely find the other nearby.
Appearance:
Skuugra as default are rather large scaly anthropomorphic dragons who are just as comfortable on two as four. Though Whitecap and Skeedara have become more accustomed to moving about on just their legs due to such long association with humans and their ilk.
Both stand just over 9ft from toes to the tops of their horns, with Whitecap being a couple of inches taller. From nose to the tip of their wide finned tail they stretch double their heights. The tails can be held aloft while walking in either position just as easily as being dragged due to the muscle intensity within them, though Whitecap is more inclined to drag his due to his current condition. The tails are also as strong and flexible as any other limb and just as capable of giving a decent wallop as they quite effectively.
As Skuugra, both have heavy scale plating over their bodies, from their seven crested skulls to their fin tails. With platting hardest down their spines, chest, stomach and skulls. Skuugra are inclined to slam their heads into each other/prey/etc so they are really rather hard and can take considerable buffeting.
Whitecap being male has thicker scaling protection along his neck and in the plate of his bottom jaw (a feature both have, so no stabbing swords up into the brain from below). As well as being marginally stronger (but slower and less agile, though more flexible in certain aspects) than his female counterpart.
With arms as long as their legs they’ve considerable reach. The fact each hand ends in three fingers and a prehensile thumb, all webbed together and tipped with three inch claws means you don’t really want to get within reach of them.
As with the arms, legs are heavily muscled, shaped much like a two legged dinosaur with three digitized webbed toes and a dew claw. These are limbs strong and powerful, built to keep over a ton of scale, flesh and bone off the ground.
Between shoulder blades and upon the spine between the hips are small flexible fins, no more than a couple of inches high at the tallest point to assist with swimming. Also fanning out from either side of the side crests to the Skuugra’s faces are five point ear fins.
Each maw can open more than wide enough to engulf half your average human. And with multiple rows of backwards facing teeth, one who managed to get in there is unlikely to be coming out again in the same manner.
Along the short muzzle is three sets of sensitive whiskers (Whitecap’s central core whisker is twice the length of Skeedara’s), the first only a couple of inches, the second a half dozen and the last a couple again.
Colouring follows as thus;
Red eyes of the bright crimson kind for Skeedara, darker for Whitecap, becoming a rich muddied wine colour.
Both hold the standard dusted blue grey scaling pattern with beige/bone scales from chin to tail base along their bellies. Finger webbing, dorsal fins, tail fan and ear fins are all a paler shade of grey white.
Whitecap has the colouring distinction that his headcrest, the top of his face and along the back of his head/neck are all white splashed (a good point to his namesake).
Whitecap also has the physical significance of being slightly larger/longer/heavier than his mate. With some inches added in each direction and a more elaborate head crest. Skeedara’s main horn is under half the size of her mate’s.
Another difference between the two is the fact that Whitecap has a partial limp to his left leg at times due to a wound that didn’t heal right.
(N because it's the basic design. Whitecap > http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/52799203/ )
History:
(Three tries n this version's more vague than the first one.. ha.)
Skeedara started life in a different manner to your typical Skuugra.
Captured at an early age by a raiding merfolk party from within her hatching grounds she was made to be a ‘pet’ as the merfolk are wont to do at times in certain communities (that is until the Skuugra become too big to manage safely and are destroyed).
The result of a late breeding within the season, Skeedara was by far the youngest of the ‘pets’ brought in by that season’s captures and was able to observe much more than her predecessors for longer. With her own natural curiosity and want to learn and the luck of being made the ‘pet’ of a young warrior Skeedara was in a position to gain much from her position. An intelligent creature (for her species at least), she learnt quickly what to do and when for her best benefit. As time passed and she saw those older than her become unruly, begin to fight against those who had been their masters, (especially the males who quickly learned that their ‘masters’ were quickly becoming weaker than themselves) and that as a result they soon disappeared.. Skeedara remained her quiet contemplative self, playful when needed but otherwise reserved.
She had an idea of what was happening to the Skuugra that had ‘outgrown’ their place. The words of those around her who considered her nothing more than a stupid beast, confirmed such thoughts.
It was the arrogance of the young merfolk she found herself in association with that proved the most beneficial towards her learning. They who had never crossed an adult Skuugra, those who’d never witnessed the destruction caused by a raiding party of the dragonbeasts. The ones who as yet did not realize the ‘pets’ of younger years were not just stupid brute beasts but had an intelligence to match their own. These were her best informants to the nature of the merfolk.
Her own ‘master’ was perhaps not the most intelligent of creatures himself or he would not of allowed such close association of his ‘pet’ with things so vital to the merfolk’s defences. Then again, none would think that the Skuugra youth had chance of escape from the merfolk settlement. There was nowhere for her to swim to after all.
Surprise was it that took her ‘master’ when Skeedara escaped his will and presence and fled back to the oceans depths. Older than most who end their ‘pet’ life with the merfolk Skeedara did something none thought possible and had nothing more than a heavily damaged hide to show for her troubles. A hide that she knew would repair itself with time, a commodity she would now have plenty of as long as she played her cards right.
Over twelve years had Skeedara remained with the merfolk, twelve years in which she learnt their words and ways, many of the secrets even their own kin did not always know. With these memories and knowledge Skeedara knew she was special. She was going to do things unimagined and she was going to be great.
Years pass, time going on as it does and she got bigger, the once merfolk pet came into her own.
Her clan grew slowly at first.
Having missed so many years of her youth to the mollycoddling of merfolk life she had not gained many of the experiences a Skuugra takes for granted. She did not have the fighting skill or prowess of those her age, or even those younger. These were skills she needed to gather and earn, and painfully she did. To her benefit was the knowledge she had gathered from her time living with creatures so different to her own kind. Their own methods and skills though different and shaped to accommodate themselves could at times be modified for her own benefit. So with a mix of skills Skeedara began to prove herself as a skilled competitor and warrior within her own age class. Enough, that with her increasing skill she gathered those willing to follow her lead and learn as she did.
Skeedara was not an easy matriarch. She did not tolerate fools or idiocy easily, not without skills shown in other areas that would more than cancel these faults. Through this did she whittle out those less than worthy of her grace and she was left with only those of sufficient skill to her agreeance.
Still this was only her youth, she was not full grown and though her clan was of decent size all things considered, it was still not something that could possibly contend with any of the adult ones.
It was the early raids of merfolk parties and small holdings that showed the first real signs of bigger things to come. Skeedara lead her group in ways that Skuugra had not maneuvered before, she used tricks garnered from her time with the merfolk against them. With an open ear and eye towards what would work and what would not she lead her clan to more successes than failures than any other clans of similar class.
With such skill she brought herself and her own to the eyes of those who would not of otherwise thought to look so far below them.
Skeedara was a tactician and warrior quickly proving herself to be someone who was more than worthy enough to contend with the stronger clans of the warrior world.
It is skill and abilities that earns respect among Skuugra society. A proven history of worthy deeds holds more than a lifetime of empty achievements. Skeedara and her small clan had already achieved more than many of the weaker clans of older rank and skill had gathered in twice the amount of time.
By her fortieth year Skeedara was the matriarch of not just a clan but a small horde of Skuugra of repute. Not just with the Skuugra themselves, but with the merfolk and even some of the seafaring folk of the world above who had been lucky enough to survive traversing the waters she claimed as her territories.
It was of this time that Skeedara came into contact with Whitecap. A Skuugra warrior who had already kept a position of considerable power within another clan to be usurped by a larger more powerful male for the lead female’s contention. He was not in the most agreeable of sorts both mentally and physically for their first encounter.
Skeedara did not see anything to much impress her.
Already did she have a mate of considerable worth who she was pleased enough with at the time. Though she’d been watching some of her other commanders who would likely be contesting him for his position for the next season with mild interest. Now was not really a time of interest for such things and with her sight passing over Whitecap for a time she saw nothing more than a defeated male, one with a hot temper that quickly provoked one of her own clan members into combat. This gathered her interest for the simple fact that Whitecap proved himself of his own skill. Though he did not win the fight he put up more fight than most, given his position, and Skeedara was suitable impressed for a time.
With this he earned himself a position within her clan. One of no real consequence for quite some time.
Whitecap’s history is more typical of a Skuugra upbringing, namely one closer to the land walker’s realm.
He was hatched in one of the many cliff side rookeries as one of many and grew up just like any other Skuugra. Mostly learning how to survive and avoid being killed by the many things out to get him, namely other predators and bigger Skuugra. With a nest site so close to the land of men, merfolk were not such a problem as where Skeedara was hatched.
He grew older, drifted between a half dozen different clans due to various reasons and earned himself decent enough rank within each of those he became part of. It was one of the older ranged clans that he first experienced a different take on the Skuugra way of living.
Here not only did the Skuugra raid ships, but they raided land settlements and learnt the skills necessary to contend with the war arts of men and their ilk.
Another aspect Whitecap learnt from the clans who made living this way, was that there were those (usually weaker and the outcasts of Skuugra society) that worked with or even for men. Something most would never even consider.
It was not for some years on that Whitecap and Skeedara’s paths crossed much closer. Another cycle of seasons and it was the time of her warriors to test their skills. Positions of power would shift and she would likely be contested for her position and at the end of it all she would take another mate.
Whitecap was a surprising finalist competitor, when for the most part he had not even been thought of as a real contender. The large Skuugra knew his stuff and despite a temper that blew easily he had the skill to work such things to his advantage. This was a Skuugra of considerable skill in his own right.
So Skeedara had herself a mate and a new muse for future plans. This was a Skuugra unlike most within her horde. Here was someone who had come from the far off shores and knew things she had not thought to think of. New deals and new plans were wrought.
So Skeedara’s territories expanded and her influence extended much further and in many more ways than she’d ever thought to go. Her clan was not merely a horde, it was horde of hordes. She was one of the most powerful Skuugra to be seen in an age. With her position and her power things required more care and planning, though not to the point as humans or other such creatures would have to consider.
A Skuugra does not win it’s position through underhanded methods. Such things may work the once, but with a society that requires you to test your mettle in brute strength combatant fights so often, such a figure would not last long. Skuugra do not respect intelligence so much as the muscle to keep it in a place of worth.
As time passed Whitecap surprisingly managed to keep his position as consort to Skeedara. Mainly considering his age and certain handicaps gained of recent years due to encounters with both merfolk and human parties. Yet he managed to fight off all others that threatened to take his place in fair combat, even managing to quell his mate when the time came.
This was not disagreeable to Skeedara herself. Whitecap proved himself to be of not just a worthy body, but a worthy mind when the mood took him. He was not nearly so stupid or bull headed as many she’d taken as consort previously.
With the years passing agreeance between the two grew, past that of typical Skuugra, a large part of this due to the fact that the two remained a pairing much longer than most Skuugra ever manage to come close to.
It was this turn of events that came to be the downfall of Skeedara from her position of power.
With the passing of more recent years it became evident within the ranks of Skeedara’s horde clan that there was a young Skuugra of impressive size and strength that was quickly proving his mettle as a fighter. With pure brute strength and size he was plowing his way up through the ranks until the time came where he stood in a position to contend with Whitecap’s consort standing.
This was not agreeable with Skeedara. Yes the young male had and was proving himself a worthy fighter, but he had none of the brains to back such things up. He was brute force and nothing more. Skeedara did not want this as her consort, not after having had for so long a brain in which to butt heads against. This would just be a hungry body with simple desires.. A young body that with his young age and proven prowess, would last quite some time at her side.
Her problem was that with the way in which Skuugra society works itself, she was in no position to be able to do anything about this if Whitecap was disposed. It was up to Whitecap to put off this upstart male and despite all her belief in her current mate, he did not stand the likely chance of winning this combat.
And he did not.
Skeedara couldn’t get herself to agree with this. She would not have this brute take her, it did not matter what society at large thought. She had already challenged many points of Skuugra society and won, she would do so again.
So at the edge of the depths she waited for the young upstart. Pretending the actions she’d done so often for Whitecap until he was upon her.
Then from the depths Whitecap came and together they tore him down, past any chance of ever recovering. An act of defiance that stepped beyond the boundaries of acceptable Skuugra society.
True, Skuugra are loose with their rules and guidelines. Most looking in from a more ‘civilized’ perspective would think them nothing but monsters. But there are laws, unspoken though they are and it is a Skuugra’s place to follow these. None can cross these boundaries without suffering the consequences.
For a male who has already been bested to come back and attack again without warning while the winner is already contending with the female, is a law broken with the direst of consequences.
Outcast neither Skeedara or Whitecap can take themselves again within the waters of the Southern Seas without death being brought upon their hides. Both have been stripped of everything they once were. Not just in position and power but in body as well. With word spread of what they had done, brought before them were Skuugra with water sorcery skills of the highest grade.
It was their job to take from these two who had committed the most heinous of crimes, that which had brought them to the position they had earned and kept for so long. They turned tooth and claw brittle, turned scale to shale and stole from them their endurance and strength.
If you could call it luck, it was luck that within the world of the Skuugra that one’s mind is considered for so little. So that Skeedara and Whitecap remained undamaged in this respect but for the self inflicted anguish of what was wrought upon their physical forms.
With becoming outcasts, never to regain their honour or acceptance within the underwater world of the Skuugra, both Skeedara and Whitecap were forced to travel further than either had ever dreamed of before. Beyond the reaches of their world, over land and through strange seas and oceans, they travel on, set to discover new life and purpose with their beings.
Both stripped of their former glories and but shadows of their former selves. It is just each other and Skeedara’s belief that with time they can recover much of what they once were that they continue onwards.
Skills:
Curse of the dishonored:
1. Weakened Ironplate Scale:
Skuugra are a big hulking warrior dragon race who don’t wear any form of clothing and use their own teeth and claws to tear each other apart. Thusly they’re supposed to have bloody damned strong scales.
With the curses put upon them both Skeedara and Whitecap’s scales are no stronger than your lower ranking knight’s metal suit. IE: iron.
• Large amounts of water for extended periods of time weakens them further (a nasty addition of the curse for a species that prefers aquatic living)
• The scales can take a good amount of beating, but once damaged take a long time to recover. With certain things not recovering unless shed. (Think like a crocodile, you get through the scales and it’ll take hours if not days for it to scab over properly and proper healing takes weeks to regrow scale over the wound and more weeks yet for it to be of the same strength as that around it. Dents and dings can either be bashed back into shape using the right skills/tools like metal armour or have to wait until shed)
• Shedding seems to be putting slight strength back into the scales, but shedding can take years between, depending on food consumption and the need to grow. Shedding also requires at least a month’s cycle to complete, in which the Skuugra is at it’s most vulnerable stage without it’s full scale protection.
2. Brittle Teeth and Claws:
To be able to tear into an opponent with scales strong as platinum you need teeth and claws that can actually do damage. Thusly your typical Skuugra has really nasty teeth and claws that can slice through metal quite nicely.
Both Skeedara and Whitecap are more likely to blunt or even break their claws on simple steel let alone scratch anything that strong now. Another aspect of their cursed life means that at best their teeth and claws are steel like in strength. Not really so bad when considered against a human, but completely pathetic when compared to what they should be.
• Both are still more than adept in their skills with their ‘weapons’. Equal to about basic knife skills and what not.
• Whitecap is the one more inclined to forget just how weak they are and challenge things harder than he can deal with and thusly break teeth/claws.
• Skuugra have teeth like sharks, they just keep coming through so lost teeth generally aren’t much of a worry. Broken claws on the other hand take some time to grow back, an entire claw can take up to two months while portions of claw will take weeks depending how big the break.
• As with the scales, extended contact with water weakens both teeth and claws further (excluding saliva obviously as that’d just be silly)
3. Basic Water Magery:
Skeedara had the same basic grasp of water manipulation magic as those adept at such skills for her species. So water seeking, water bending, etc.
But of course like anything else of consequence in her physical skills it was stripped away to the bare minimum.
Most of the skills were drowned from her mind and when attempting to access any of the abilities she’d once had, it’s very much like wading through a quagmire. There was no finesse in what the Skuugra shamans did to Skeedara when stripping her of her elemental abilities. They went into her head and they did what Skuugra do in person, they slashed and tore and ripped things to shreds until they believed there was no hope of recovery.
• Skeedara still has the ability to seek out water nearby as long as it’s of consequence. Namely as this is a passive ability most Skuugra have even if they don’t have more advanced water magic skills. Whitecap’s one of the few who doesn’t seem to have the skill.
• Aside from the water seeking skill, any other more active efforts require vast amounts of time and energy for very little result. Usually accompanied with a swimming head and the need to lay down for some hours afterwards. Despite this Skeedara’s inclined to practice as much as she can. Every inch is important to her.
4. Swimming:
As amphibious species both Skuugra can swim exceedingly well and have your more obvious skill associations; large lung capacity, speed, agility, grace (all only in the water).
With the fact that their curses get stronger in contact with water neither Skeedara or Whitecap are inclined to spend any more time than is needed submerged. A factor that sits uneasily with both that they have had to learn to live with in the last few years.
5. Brute Strength:
Both Skuugra are a foot taller than your average man and two/three times in weight. Thusly as you’d expect they’re a bit stronger than your average person. Being made purely of bone, muscle and scale tends to help this factor.
Still, as with everything of consequence their curse stretches to this as well.
• A lot of their strength comes from the simple fact that they’re bigger and heavier and have the required muscle/bone mass to be able to function their bodies effectively.
• With the curse it means neither have the endurance to keep fighting/moving much past your more athletically fit person when push comes to shove.
• This aspect is improving slowly with more practice but still to no degree worth writing of and not at any speed that either really appreciates or makes matters any easier for either.
Fair Play:
Both Skeedara and Whitecap live by the rule that one’s fight is their own. If you start something with one or the other and they take you upon it, only the one you challenge will you have to contend with.
• Whitecap’s the more hot headed of the two and thusly the more inclined to fight when goaded. Usually he’ll look to Skeedara as to whether or not it’s the appropriate time for such actions and then go along with it.
• Skeedara takes a lot of goading outside of contracts to participate in combat with those she deems unworthy (which is basically anyone). But once risen to the game Whitecap wouldn’t dare step in for fear of having his own hide torn asunder.
• Skuugra can take a fair amount of damage and expect such things of good contests, or combat with worthy gain at the end. Thusly unless it comes to the point where it seems likely their mate is about to be killed neither Skeedara or Whitecap will step in to defend the other.
• Attempting to kill the one in a manner in which the other believes you will succeed will bring the other into contention with much vengeance, especially to those who had not shown such intention previously.
• Goading the one into combat while already combating the other is fair game if agreed to. (Though unlikely as Skeedara can never be bothered to contest with fleshies and Whitecap is unwilling to take the wrath of Skeedara for interfering in her affairs.)
Equipment:
Basic belt:
Skuugra don’t take well to having implements about them, but Skeedara’s realized over time that to live on land with the lives they live, you need certain things. Otherwise you’re generally considered a monster and no one will think twice of just trying to kill you outright. Thusly both Skuugra have got a thick leather thong around their midsections that a selection of watertight, waterproof pouches and other odds and ends are attached to/hang from.
Mostly just basic supplies and somewhere to hold money.
So we have:
• Moneys
• Small sharpening stones
• Coloured rocks (they’re pretty)
• Crumbled clay/rock/powders (for non magical shamanistic healing)
• Some dried plant bits (as above)
• Papers (either for work or maps of the local area)
• Two large hunting knives (Whitecap likes them to play with. He has no skill with them past your basic stab and slash moves.)
• Dried/salted/fresh meat/fish (depending the situation/location)
I hope I've leveled the playing field enough considering what they are in my head.. nnnn.. Sorry to who ever gets to read all this. I type too much for history n such on character apps .. And last if the format's too horrible to read just say so and I'll have another go at trying to make it easier.
Name: Skeedara (Krsssht)/ Whitecap (Grarrshk)
Age: 47/45
Race: Skuugra
Eye Color: Crimson/Wine
Height: 7ft tall, 14ft long/7’3ft tall, 14’6ft long
Weight: 600lbs/670lbs
Occupation: Mercs
Personality:
Skeedara and Whitecap are mates. It wouldn’t always seem as such but there is more than species kind and mitigating circumstances that keeps these two together. There’s a bond there unseen in most Skuugra.
Skeedara’s the driving force behind the pairing. Nothing, absolutely nothing is done without her say so. She’s the boss and this is how it has worked for the past 17years, things aren’t about to change. Really, it’s an agreeable situation between the two. Skeedara has a patience unseen in the slightly larger male, one that means no matter how stupid those are around her she can restrain herself from killing them (usually). A rather useful thing considering neither Skuugra thinks much of the majority of the smaller humanoid species in the world.
Whitecap’s currently in about as a depressive state as Skuugra get. He’s still got his hot temper (somewhat tempered by Skeedara) but at times it now takes much longer to goad him into it. From his beating at the claws of a younger Skuugra for the position of Skeedara’s consort and the following instances that ensured, Whitecap’s a cripple as far as other Skuugra would be concerned. With a limp and nothing near the strength or stamina he should rightfully possess, Whitecap is not the monster he lived so long to become. Still, with situations as they are it has made humanoids more worthy sport and this is enjoyable. Needed by Skeedara for more than just companionship (he speaks clearer words than his mate in their varied tradespeaks), he does have purpose in his existence and despite the occasional melancholy mood he still lives to live.
Whitecap’s also the more socialable of the two. Whereas Skeedara will quite happily utterly ignore all those around her but the paying customer and possible issues, Whitecap’s the one who will engage in playful banter with any who wish it. Really, if you want business you want Skeedara, you want socialable interaction (of any sort) you want Whitecap. And where you find you’ll likely find the other nearby.
Appearance:
Skuugra as default are rather large scaly anthropomorphic dragons who are just as comfortable on two as four. Though Whitecap and Skeedara have become more accustomed to moving about on just their legs due to such long association with humans and their ilk.
Both stand just over 9ft from toes to the tops of their horns, with Whitecap being a couple of inches taller. From nose to the tip of their wide finned tail they stretch double their heights. The tails can be held aloft while walking in either position just as easily as being dragged due to the muscle intensity within them, though Whitecap is more inclined to drag his due to his current condition. The tails are also as strong and flexible as any other limb and just as capable of giving a decent wallop as they quite effectively.
As Skuugra, both have heavy scale plating over their bodies, from their seven crested skulls to their fin tails. With platting hardest down their spines, chest, stomach and skulls. Skuugra are inclined to slam their heads into each other/prey/etc so they are really rather hard and can take considerable buffeting.
Whitecap being male has thicker scaling protection along his neck and in the plate of his bottom jaw (a feature both have, so no stabbing swords up into the brain from below). As well as being marginally stronger (but slower and less agile, though more flexible in certain aspects) than his female counterpart.
With arms as long as their legs they’ve considerable reach. The fact each hand ends in three fingers and a prehensile thumb, all webbed together and tipped with three inch claws means you don’t really want to get within reach of them.
As with the arms, legs are heavily muscled, shaped much like a two legged dinosaur with three digitized webbed toes and a dew claw. These are limbs strong and powerful, built to keep over a ton of scale, flesh and bone off the ground.
Between shoulder blades and upon the spine between the hips are small flexible fins, no more than a couple of inches high at the tallest point to assist with swimming. Also fanning out from either side of the side crests to the Skuugra’s faces are five point ear fins.
Each maw can open more than wide enough to engulf half your average human. And with multiple rows of backwards facing teeth, one who managed to get in there is unlikely to be coming out again in the same manner.
Along the short muzzle is three sets of sensitive whiskers (Whitecap’s central core whisker is twice the length of Skeedara’s), the first only a couple of inches, the second a half dozen and the last a couple again.
Colouring follows as thus;
Red eyes of the bright crimson kind for Skeedara, darker for Whitecap, becoming a rich muddied wine colour.
Both hold the standard dusted blue grey scaling pattern with beige/bone scales from chin to tail base along their bellies. Finger webbing, dorsal fins, tail fan and ear fins are all a paler shade of grey white.
Whitecap has the colouring distinction that his headcrest, the top of his face and along the back of his head/neck are all white splashed (a good point to his namesake).
Whitecap also has the physical significance of being slightly larger/longer/heavier than his mate. With some inches added in each direction and a more elaborate head crest. Skeedara’s main horn is under half the size of her mate’s.
Another difference between the two is the fact that Whitecap has a partial limp to his left leg at times due to a wound that didn’t heal right.
(N because it's the basic design. Whitecap > http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/52799203/ )
History:
(Three tries n this version's more vague than the first one.. ha.)
Skeedara started life in a different manner to your typical Skuugra.
Captured at an early age by a raiding merfolk party from within her hatching grounds she was made to be a ‘pet’ as the merfolk are wont to do at times in certain communities (that is until the Skuugra become too big to manage safely and are destroyed).
The result of a late breeding within the season, Skeedara was by far the youngest of the ‘pets’ brought in by that season’s captures and was able to observe much more than her predecessors for longer. With her own natural curiosity and want to learn and the luck of being made the ‘pet’ of a young warrior Skeedara was in a position to gain much from her position. An intelligent creature (for her species at least), she learnt quickly what to do and when for her best benefit. As time passed and she saw those older than her become unruly, begin to fight against those who had been their masters, (especially the males who quickly learned that their ‘masters’ were quickly becoming weaker than themselves) and that as a result they soon disappeared.. Skeedara remained her quiet contemplative self, playful when needed but otherwise reserved.
She had an idea of what was happening to the Skuugra that had ‘outgrown’ their place. The words of those around her who considered her nothing more than a stupid beast, confirmed such thoughts.
It was the arrogance of the young merfolk she found herself in association with that proved the most beneficial towards her learning. They who had never crossed an adult Skuugra, those who’d never witnessed the destruction caused by a raiding party of the dragonbeasts. The ones who as yet did not realize the ‘pets’ of younger years were not just stupid brute beasts but had an intelligence to match their own. These were her best informants to the nature of the merfolk.
Her own ‘master’ was perhaps not the most intelligent of creatures himself or he would not of allowed such close association of his ‘pet’ with things so vital to the merfolk’s defences. Then again, none would think that the Skuugra youth had chance of escape from the merfolk settlement. There was nowhere for her to swim to after all.
Surprise was it that took her ‘master’ when Skeedara escaped his will and presence and fled back to the oceans depths. Older than most who end their ‘pet’ life with the merfolk Skeedara did something none thought possible and had nothing more than a heavily damaged hide to show for her troubles. A hide that she knew would repair itself with time, a commodity she would now have plenty of as long as she played her cards right.
Over twelve years had Skeedara remained with the merfolk, twelve years in which she learnt their words and ways, many of the secrets even their own kin did not always know. With these memories and knowledge Skeedara knew she was special. She was going to do things unimagined and she was going to be great.
Years pass, time going on as it does and she got bigger, the once merfolk pet came into her own.
Her clan grew slowly at first.
Having missed so many years of her youth to the mollycoddling of merfolk life she had not gained many of the experiences a Skuugra takes for granted. She did not have the fighting skill or prowess of those her age, or even those younger. These were skills she needed to gather and earn, and painfully she did. To her benefit was the knowledge she had gathered from her time living with creatures so different to her own kind. Their own methods and skills though different and shaped to accommodate themselves could at times be modified for her own benefit. So with a mix of skills Skeedara began to prove herself as a skilled competitor and warrior within her own age class. Enough, that with her increasing skill she gathered those willing to follow her lead and learn as she did.
Skeedara was not an easy matriarch. She did not tolerate fools or idiocy easily, not without skills shown in other areas that would more than cancel these faults. Through this did she whittle out those less than worthy of her grace and she was left with only those of sufficient skill to her agreeance.
Still this was only her youth, she was not full grown and though her clan was of decent size all things considered, it was still not something that could possibly contend with any of the adult ones.
It was the early raids of merfolk parties and small holdings that showed the first real signs of bigger things to come. Skeedara lead her group in ways that Skuugra had not maneuvered before, she used tricks garnered from her time with the merfolk against them. With an open ear and eye towards what would work and what would not she lead her clan to more successes than failures than any other clans of similar class.
With such skill she brought herself and her own to the eyes of those who would not of otherwise thought to look so far below them.
Skeedara was a tactician and warrior quickly proving herself to be someone who was more than worthy enough to contend with the stronger clans of the warrior world.
It is skill and abilities that earns respect among Skuugra society. A proven history of worthy deeds holds more than a lifetime of empty achievements. Skeedara and her small clan had already achieved more than many of the weaker clans of older rank and skill had gathered in twice the amount of time.
By her fortieth year Skeedara was the matriarch of not just a clan but a small horde of Skuugra of repute. Not just with the Skuugra themselves, but with the merfolk and even some of the seafaring folk of the world above who had been lucky enough to survive traversing the waters she claimed as her territories.
It was of this time that Skeedara came into contact with Whitecap. A Skuugra warrior who had already kept a position of considerable power within another clan to be usurped by a larger more powerful male for the lead female’s contention. He was not in the most agreeable of sorts both mentally and physically for their first encounter.
Skeedara did not see anything to much impress her.
Already did she have a mate of considerable worth who she was pleased enough with at the time. Though she’d been watching some of her other commanders who would likely be contesting him for his position for the next season with mild interest. Now was not really a time of interest for such things and with her sight passing over Whitecap for a time she saw nothing more than a defeated male, one with a hot temper that quickly provoked one of her own clan members into combat. This gathered her interest for the simple fact that Whitecap proved himself of his own skill. Though he did not win the fight he put up more fight than most, given his position, and Skeedara was suitable impressed for a time.
With this he earned himself a position within her clan. One of no real consequence for quite some time.
Whitecap’s history is more typical of a Skuugra upbringing, namely one closer to the land walker’s realm.
He was hatched in one of the many cliff side rookeries as one of many and grew up just like any other Skuugra. Mostly learning how to survive and avoid being killed by the many things out to get him, namely other predators and bigger Skuugra. With a nest site so close to the land of men, merfolk were not such a problem as where Skeedara was hatched.
He grew older, drifted between a half dozen different clans due to various reasons and earned himself decent enough rank within each of those he became part of. It was one of the older ranged clans that he first experienced a different take on the Skuugra way of living.
Here not only did the Skuugra raid ships, but they raided land settlements and learnt the skills necessary to contend with the war arts of men and their ilk.
Another aspect Whitecap learnt from the clans who made living this way, was that there were those (usually weaker and the outcasts of Skuugra society) that worked with or even for men. Something most would never even consider.
It was not for some years on that Whitecap and Skeedara’s paths crossed much closer. Another cycle of seasons and it was the time of her warriors to test their skills. Positions of power would shift and she would likely be contested for her position and at the end of it all she would take another mate.
Whitecap was a surprising finalist competitor, when for the most part he had not even been thought of as a real contender. The large Skuugra knew his stuff and despite a temper that blew easily he had the skill to work such things to his advantage. This was a Skuugra of considerable skill in his own right.
So Skeedara had herself a mate and a new muse for future plans. This was a Skuugra unlike most within her horde. Here was someone who had come from the far off shores and knew things she had not thought to think of. New deals and new plans were wrought.
So Skeedara’s territories expanded and her influence extended much further and in many more ways than she’d ever thought to go. Her clan was not merely a horde, it was horde of hordes. She was one of the most powerful Skuugra to be seen in an age. With her position and her power things required more care and planning, though not to the point as humans or other such creatures would have to consider.
A Skuugra does not win it’s position through underhanded methods. Such things may work the once, but with a society that requires you to test your mettle in brute strength combatant fights so often, such a figure would not last long. Skuugra do not respect intelligence so much as the muscle to keep it in a place of worth.
As time passed Whitecap surprisingly managed to keep his position as consort to Skeedara. Mainly considering his age and certain handicaps gained of recent years due to encounters with both merfolk and human parties. Yet he managed to fight off all others that threatened to take his place in fair combat, even managing to quell his mate when the time came.
This was not disagreeable to Skeedara herself. Whitecap proved himself to be of not just a worthy body, but a worthy mind when the mood took him. He was not nearly so stupid or bull headed as many she’d taken as consort previously.
With the years passing agreeance between the two grew, past that of typical Skuugra, a large part of this due to the fact that the two remained a pairing much longer than most Skuugra ever manage to come close to.
It was this turn of events that came to be the downfall of Skeedara from her position of power.
With the passing of more recent years it became evident within the ranks of Skeedara’s horde clan that there was a young Skuugra of impressive size and strength that was quickly proving his mettle as a fighter. With pure brute strength and size he was plowing his way up through the ranks until the time came where he stood in a position to contend with Whitecap’s consort standing.
This was not agreeable with Skeedara. Yes the young male had and was proving himself a worthy fighter, but he had none of the brains to back such things up. He was brute force and nothing more. Skeedara did not want this as her consort, not after having had for so long a brain in which to butt heads against. This would just be a hungry body with simple desires.. A young body that with his young age and proven prowess, would last quite some time at her side.
Her problem was that with the way in which Skuugra society works itself, she was in no position to be able to do anything about this if Whitecap was disposed. It was up to Whitecap to put off this upstart male and despite all her belief in her current mate, he did not stand the likely chance of winning this combat.
And he did not.
Skeedara couldn’t get herself to agree with this. She would not have this brute take her, it did not matter what society at large thought. She had already challenged many points of Skuugra society and won, she would do so again.
So at the edge of the depths she waited for the young upstart. Pretending the actions she’d done so often for Whitecap until he was upon her.
Then from the depths Whitecap came and together they tore him down, past any chance of ever recovering. An act of defiance that stepped beyond the boundaries of acceptable Skuugra society.
True, Skuugra are loose with their rules and guidelines. Most looking in from a more ‘civilized’ perspective would think them nothing but monsters. But there are laws, unspoken though they are and it is a Skuugra’s place to follow these. None can cross these boundaries without suffering the consequences.
For a male who has already been bested to come back and attack again without warning while the winner is already contending with the female, is a law broken with the direst of consequences.
Outcast neither Skeedara or Whitecap can take themselves again within the waters of the Southern Seas without death being brought upon their hides. Both have been stripped of everything they once were. Not just in position and power but in body as well. With word spread of what they had done, brought before them were Skuugra with water sorcery skills of the highest grade.
It was their job to take from these two who had committed the most heinous of crimes, that which had brought them to the position they had earned and kept for so long. They turned tooth and claw brittle, turned scale to shale and stole from them their endurance and strength.
If you could call it luck, it was luck that within the world of the Skuugra that one’s mind is considered for so little. So that Skeedara and Whitecap remained undamaged in this respect but for the self inflicted anguish of what was wrought upon their physical forms.
With becoming outcasts, never to regain their honour or acceptance within the underwater world of the Skuugra, both Skeedara and Whitecap were forced to travel further than either had ever dreamed of before. Beyond the reaches of their world, over land and through strange seas and oceans, they travel on, set to discover new life and purpose with their beings.
Both stripped of their former glories and but shadows of their former selves. It is just each other and Skeedara’s belief that with time they can recover much of what they once were that they continue onwards.
Skills:
Curse of the dishonored:
1. Weakened Ironplate Scale:
Skuugra are a big hulking warrior dragon race who don’t wear any form of clothing and use their own teeth and claws to tear each other apart. Thusly they’re supposed to have bloody damned strong scales.
With the curses put upon them both Skeedara and Whitecap’s scales are no stronger than your lower ranking knight’s metal suit. IE: iron.
• Large amounts of water for extended periods of time weakens them further (a nasty addition of the curse for a species that prefers aquatic living)
• The scales can take a good amount of beating, but once damaged take a long time to recover. With certain things not recovering unless shed. (Think like a crocodile, you get through the scales and it’ll take hours if not days for it to scab over properly and proper healing takes weeks to regrow scale over the wound and more weeks yet for it to be of the same strength as that around it. Dents and dings can either be bashed back into shape using the right skills/tools like metal armour or have to wait until shed)
• Shedding seems to be putting slight strength back into the scales, but shedding can take years between, depending on food consumption and the need to grow. Shedding also requires at least a month’s cycle to complete, in which the Skuugra is at it’s most vulnerable stage without it’s full scale protection.
2. Brittle Teeth and Claws:
To be able to tear into an opponent with scales strong as platinum you need teeth and claws that can actually do damage. Thusly your typical Skuugra has really nasty teeth and claws that can slice through metal quite nicely.
Both Skeedara and Whitecap are more likely to blunt or even break their claws on simple steel let alone scratch anything that strong now. Another aspect of their cursed life means that at best their teeth and claws are steel like in strength. Not really so bad when considered against a human, but completely pathetic when compared to what they should be.
• Both are still more than adept in their skills with their ‘weapons’. Equal to about basic knife skills and what not.
• Whitecap is the one more inclined to forget just how weak they are and challenge things harder than he can deal with and thusly break teeth/claws.
• Skuugra have teeth like sharks, they just keep coming through so lost teeth generally aren’t much of a worry. Broken claws on the other hand take some time to grow back, an entire claw can take up to two months while portions of claw will take weeks depending how big the break.
• As with the scales, extended contact with water weakens both teeth and claws further (excluding saliva obviously as that’d just be silly)
3. Basic Water Magery:
Skeedara had the same basic grasp of water manipulation magic as those adept at such skills for her species. So water seeking, water bending, etc.
But of course like anything else of consequence in her physical skills it was stripped away to the bare minimum.
Most of the skills were drowned from her mind and when attempting to access any of the abilities she’d once had, it’s very much like wading through a quagmire. There was no finesse in what the Skuugra shamans did to Skeedara when stripping her of her elemental abilities. They went into her head and they did what Skuugra do in person, they slashed and tore and ripped things to shreds until they believed there was no hope of recovery.
• Skeedara still has the ability to seek out water nearby as long as it’s of consequence. Namely as this is a passive ability most Skuugra have even if they don’t have more advanced water magic skills. Whitecap’s one of the few who doesn’t seem to have the skill.
• Aside from the water seeking skill, any other more active efforts require vast amounts of time and energy for very little result. Usually accompanied with a swimming head and the need to lay down for some hours afterwards. Despite this Skeedara’s inclined to practice as much as she can. Every inch is important to her.
4. Swimming:
As amphibious species both Skuugra can swim exceedingly well and have your more obvious skill associations; large lung capacity, speed, agility, grace (all only in the water).
With the fact that their curses get stronger in contact with water neither Skeedara or Whitecap are inclined to spend any more time than is needed submerged. A factor that sits uneasily with both that they have had to learn to live with in the last few years.
5. Brute Strength:
Both Skuugra are a foot taller than your average man and two/three times in weight. Thusly as you’d expect they’re a bit stronger than your average person. Being made purely of bone, muscle and scale tends to help this factor.
Still, as with everything of consequence their curse stretches to this as well.
• A lot of their strength comes from the simple fact that they’re bigger and heavier and have the required muscle/bone mass to be able to function their bodies effectively.
• With the curse it means neither have the endurance to keep fighting/moving much past your more athletically fit person when push comes to shove.
• This aspect is improving slowly with more practice but still to no degree worth writing of and not at any speed that either really appreciates or makes matters any easier for either.
Fair Play:
Both Skeedara and Whitecap live by the rule that one’s fight is their own. If you start something with one or the other and they take you upon it, only the one you challenge will you have to contend with.
• Whitecap’s the more hot headed of the two and thusly the more inclined to fight when goaded. Usually he’ll look to Skeedara as to whether or not it’s the appropriate time for such actions and then go along with it.
• Skeedara takes a lot of goading outside of contracts to participate in combat with those she deems unworthy (which is basically anyone). But once risen to the game Whitecap wouldn’t dare step in for fear of having his own hide torn asunder.
• Skuugra can take a fair amount of damage and expect such things of good contests, or combat with worthy gain at the end. Thusly unless it comes to the point where it seems likely their mate is about to be killed neither Skeedara or Whitecap will step in to defend the other.
• Attempting to kill the one in a manner in which the other believes you will succeed will bring the other into contention with much vengeance, especially to those who had not shown such intention previously.
• Goading the one into combat while already combating the other is fair game if agreed to. (Though unlikely as Skeedara can never be bothered to contest with fleshies and Whitecap is unwilling to take the wrath of Skeedara for interfering in her affairs.)
Equipment:
Basic belt:
Skuugra don’t take well to having implements about them, but Skeedara’s realized over time that to live on land with the lives they live, you need certain things. Otherwise you’re generally considered a monster and no one will think twice of just trying to kill you outright. Thusly both Skuugra have got a thick leather thong around their midsections that a selection of watertight, waterproof pouches and other odds and ends are attached to/hang from.
Mostly just basic supplies and somewhere to hold money.
So we have:
• Moneys
• Small sharpening stones
• Coloured rocks (they’re pretty)
• Crumbled clay/rock/powders (for non magical shamanistic healing)
• Some dried plant bits (as above)
• Papers (either for work or maps of the local area)
• Two large hunting knives (Whitecap likes them to play with. He has no skill with them past your basic stab and slash moves.)
• Dried/salted/fresh meat/fish (depending the situation/location)