Post by Talau on Jan 3, 2010 22:32:07 GMT -5
Name: Unil'tirea'taliyani (Shortened to Liyani)
Age: 34
Secret Word: ((coming soon to a PM near you))
Gender: female
Sexuality: hetero
Race: Na'vi
Tribe: Aylukana
Mount:
Ikran:
Name: Hufwe’tìrol (wind song. Tirol for short)
Appearance: Glossy and graceful in shape and color, Tirol is larger than most from his rookery. Blues, greens and dark purples streak along his body and wings, like rays of colored light. Those thin membranes at the tips of his forewings shimmer and glisten a deep blue like the color of the great oceans of Pandora. His base color is a steely grey-blue, like that of storm clouds against an evening sky. His primary wings shimmer brightly with his glossy skin and those jagged rays of color create dazzling display of twisting designs. The secondary wings are mottled green along the outer tip, blue against the body, and purple in a fan shape along the top inner corner where the body meets the wing. The top of Tirol’s face and crest is dark purple with lines of lighter blue running along the sides of his face from the tip of his snout, over the ridges above his eyes. The lower half of his face and jaw are blue and his throat an emerald green.
Personality: Hufwe’tirol is, perhaps, one of the most protective ikran one can meet. After the initial attempt to kill Liyani, he began taking on some of her personality, a calm assurance and mild curiosity…but he also became far more protective of her, preferring to take damage to keep Liyani from harm. When the sky people began arriving once more, he (at first) refused to leave her side should he see that she was leaving Hometree, not liking the strange new creatures that had arrived and were starting out into the forest…they may have looked like Na’vi, but they smelled different. After a while, Tirol calmed slightly and returned to something resembling normal, though he always becomes agitated when the sky people are around. A love of flight is obvious with the two and they both seem content in the air. Despite his protective (and sometimes downright cranky) attitude when around others, with Liyani, Tirol is serene and affectionate, often giving her swift licks from his tongue or nuzzling and rubbing against her.
Physical Description:
Height: 9 ft 3in
Eye Color: yellow
Like most Na’vi, Liyani is tall and slender with well defined muscles, broad shoulders, catlike ears with acute hearing, graceful tail, and Queue that hangs to her waist. Being of standard appearance, Liyani has few outstanding features at first glance…blue skin with darker blue stripes that slip along her form like jagged leaves or feathers, but nothing extraordinary. Upon closer inspection, however, Liyani’s beauty begins to show more profoundly. Her hair is silken and raven black, golden yellow eyes are keen and alert, kind and fiery all at once as they peer out at the world from above proud, high, cheekbones. Catlike ears are curved delicately, coming to a sharp point at the ends and constantly working to filter in the sounds of the world around her, just as her felinesque nose sorts through the scents of her home and rests above a kind, and slightly upturned mouth, giving her the appearance of almost smiling even when her face is neutral. Her head is held high atop a slender neck and a sweeping, pronounced, collar bone that helps define her broad shoulders.
The iridescent dots along her skin form intricate patterns as they trail along her body’s nervous system. Constantly shifting in their color, they tell more about her mood than her actions or words, lending her a far greater beauty as they sparkle along her skin. As a warrior and huntress, Liyani hasn’t escaped her forays into the jungles of her home unscathed and has earned more than her fair share of scars. The flora and fauna of Pandora is harsh, tough, and needs to be respected…she’d learned that at an early age, as she earned scars along her legs, back, sides and arms from run ins with wildlife and just general learning. Most are well healed and faded with time, only the deep scar along the front of her right shoulder from her Ikran Makto with Tirol.
As far as clothing goes, like most Na’vi, Liyani is quite practical. Often seen wearing leather like leg coverings that blend with her skin coloring, a woven loin cloth whose colors mimic those of her ikran, Tirol, and woven top of the same colors that wraps around her neck and back to hold it in place. Her hair is often worn loosely, save for her Queue and a few small braids at the front of her hair. Woven into these braids are small shells or colorful stones shaped into beads and tiny feathers. While riding Tirol, she often wears a forehead shield of leather with small shells and teeth she gathered through her hunts. Her bow and quiver of arrows rarely leave her side (save for ritual occasions that do not require it) and are often slung across her back. On those rare occasions where her typical attire aren’t quite up to snuff and something a bit more “formal” is required, she can often be seen in a top of strung shells and beads and a longer, almost skirt like, bottom of woven material…the five flaps of which fall to her ankles, one in front, one to either side along her hips, and two thinner ones that fall along either side of her tail. It is at these times that she wears more feathers or flowers woven into her hair, upper arm bands, anklets, bracelets, and necklaces.
As expected of any felinesque figure, Liyani’s movements are graceful and fluid, belying the swift strength that she holds. Lean frame can slip into, and out of, tight spaces easily, years of hunting life and training conditioning her to be flexible and nimble.
Personality:
It isn’t a simple process, describing Liyani’s personality…the most accurate (and simple) description boiling down to one word: multi-faceted. Generally calm and relaxed, the woman can seem downright cold at points, but this truly couldn’t be further from the truth. Her serene demeanor and placid personality simply seem to overshadow the caring and warm personage that is Liyani. Growing up having to care for her younger siblings, she has developed an open mind and warm heart. She enjoys caring for, and helping, others in her tribe and takes the role of caretaker very seriously…even if she’s grinning or laughing while doing so. This desire to nurture and care for others, perhaps, stems from her own lack of parents to tend only to her and her siblings, but she finds no problem with that. It is because of this need to care for others that she is such a fearsome warrior, huntress, and guardian for her people. Hunting provides food for those she cares for, guarding Hometree from enemies and being a capable warrior for them helps protect them, and so she gains a sense of fulfillment from her duties. As she has grown older, she has also learned her people’s herb lore and how to treat injuries to better care for those around her.
Strangely enough, Liyani can be both shy or feisty, depending how well you know her and in what situation you put her. Shy about her voice and her story telling, the woman has difficulty with situations where attention is called to her. She may also appear shy or stoic around those she doesn't know or feel comfortable around. Once she begins to open up, she can prove to be quite a feisty little hell cat, teasing and joking with others or revealing her more caring and compassionate nature.
When it comes to the dreamwalkers and sky people, Liyani practices a mind set of “I do not LIKE them, but I...attempt...not to dislike them immediately either. Not all Na'vi are 'good' so why should all sky people be 'evil'? I am simply...distrustful and wary of them. I would prefer they all left, but if I MUST co-exist with them, then I should at least attempt to be civil and make decisions based on experiences with those I come across,” despite the fact that both of her parents died in the battle to make them leave Pandora. Because of this, the woman tends to watch the base and its scientists carefully, especially when they go on forays into the jungles. Should she ever come across one face to face (Eywa forbid), she remains stoic and tense, speaking as little as possible to get her point across or answer their questions. There have been a few of the sky people that she has started to grudgingly accept as ‘not so bad’…but they are few and far between. Should any of them draw a weapon on her, she is unlikely to hesitate in drawing her own weapon.
Talents:
Caretaker: Fond of children and helping those who need it, Liyani knows that the basis for a strong clan is to see that those who need help get it. She has a way with children, often playing with them or teaching them to become strong individuals, much like she did for her younger siblings. Often she can be seen tending to children or aiding the elderly of her clan, be it with providing food, assistance with projects, playing or watching youngsters or teaching basics of life and spirituality.
Huntress: Be it with bow, spear, or dagger…atop her Ikran, a Pa’li, or on foot, Liyani has trained her entire life to understand the behavior of, track, and kill her prey in the dense forests of her home with many weapons as swiftly and painlessly as possible. Applying her skills to help feed her clan, she has spent many long years training with the clan’s other hunters. Because of her years training and hunting she had learned the best ways to survive out in the wilds of Pandora without causing unnecessary damage to the environment around her.
Warrior: Protective by nature, she has learned to mold her talents as a huntress to into those of a warrior and guardian for her people. Fierce, cunning, and with a keen sense of honor, Liyani is a vigilant watchman for her clan against dangers from other clans and the newly re-arrived sky people. Often prowling along their clan’s boarders unseen, she occasionally creeps to the edge of the forest to watch the movements of the sky people in their base, just to make sure they aren’t amassing another army there. Utilizing her skills as a hunter, she deftly and silently tracks the Avatars of the scientists that enter their jungles to be sure they do no stray too close to their Hometree. She prefers to be a silent guardian who watches passively and only gives warnings to those who step out of line, but she will lay down her life if it means protecting her people.
Herbalist: After years of learning to hunt and kill, Liyani decided that learning the herb lore and medical treatments of her people would be to her (and the clan’s) benefit. She’s learned the basics, but she’s still practicing, still learning how best to treat what injuries and with what herbs. Generic poultices for cuts, bruises, and some of the less deadly bites and injuries are under her grasp of knowledge, but she still has a long way to go before she’s any expert healer.
Singer/Story-teller: With one of the better voices in the clan, Liyani found out early that she had a passion for singing. Hunting songs, healing songs, prayers songs, ritual songs…you name it and she’ll at least attempt to learn it. She’s shy about her voice, however, and only sings when she’s alone or in a group. With a love of stories as well, she can weave tales with the best of them for the children, but should someone of her age or one of the lore masters ask her to speak she becomes nervous and uncertain. She’s slowly getting over this fear of telling her tales to those other than children, but the process is a long and uncomfortable one.
Ikran rider: Ever since her first flight with Tirol, Liyani has loved the joy of flight, spending many hours in the sky with her companion. As their bond grew, she began testing their limits and abilities during flight and spent much time making her first saddle so that it could fit them both comfortably and to the best it possibly could. This only seemed to further her desire to fly. Re-learning to hunt atop her ikran was a challenge, but a welcome one, and soon the two were traveling far and wide to hunt or visit her brother, Tsko'tirea'raiko, in Rokure clan. She isn’t at all shy about her abilities to fly on Tirol, and won’t back down from a challenge to race or try to one-up her friends with flashy flight moves. She’s not yet been forced, or fallen, off of Tirol’s back and she doesn’t intend to start any time soon.
History:
March 15, 2152…the ides of March, the day Julius Caesar was murdered…it was a day of birth and rejoicing for one Na’vi family in the Aylukana clan. Twins had been born, something not unheard of, to Mise’nahi and Tsu’rurok…two proud warriors of the clan. What was odd about the birth of the twins, was that their parents had, in fact, been dreaming about them since their mating. It had been taken, then, as a sign from Eywa that the couple was destined to be together and would live a happy life…but Eywa didn’t count the sky people into her plans for the young pair of Na’vi. It was into a changing world that the twins Unil’tirea’taliyani and Tsko’tirea’raiko, the spirit children, were born. Tales had come to the tribe of the strange sky people and their dream-walkers that had come to Pandora, but it seemed their reach was not yet long enough to touch all the dense jungles of the world, especially not those the Aylukana called home.
The two children lived happy lives, playing with their parents and at the age of two, their two younger siblings. It wasn’t until they were nearly four that the happy family was torn asunder. In 2154 a dream-walker warrior, riding atop a fiery colored Toruk, arrived calling warriors to battle against the sky people who had destroyed the Omaticaya clan’s Hometree and was threatening to destroy their spirit tree. Mise’nahi and Tsu’rurok said their goodbyes to their four children, leaving them in the hands of their grandparents, and set out with the other warriors to fight against the threat of the sky people. Frightened and confused, Liyani cried herself to sleep in her grandmother’s hammock that night. Over the next few days the little girl helped her grandmother tend to her younger brothers, Taw’rurok and Tsteu’tanhi, as well as starting to learn how to be part of the tribe. Days came and went, but nothing was heard from the warriors of the tribe. Not two days after her fourth birthday, Liyani went with her family to the Tree of Voices near her home. During her grandmother’s long prayers the little girl fell asleep, but her dreams were troubled. She’d forgotten to break the bond with the tree as she fell asleep and soon she was seeing her father falling from his ikran through giant metal fan lizards (or perhaps they were strange new ikran?) like she’d never seen before. As if this wasn’t bad enough for the little girl, she watched her mother jump from her ikran to the back of one of the metal creatures, only to be shot by strange invisible arrows from…what she could only assume to be sky people.
Waking with a sharp shout, she began to cry. The little girl was inconsolable for reasons unknown to her grandparents or siblings, and so her grandmother cut her prayers short and helped her mate take the children back home. More days passed and Liyani refused to tell Illiane (her grandmother) and Fkeu’taron (her grandfather) about her dream…she refused to believe it, so she wouldn’t tell lies. It HAD to be a lie, after all, because her mother and father had promised to return. As the warriors returned, Liyani watched like an ikran from the branches of Hometree for her parents to return…but they never did. Sobbing, the little girl ran to her grandmother and told her everything…even the dream. Rocked by the truth of the situation, Illiane simply held the little girl until she fell asleep from all her crying. That night many cries of pain were heard throughout Hometree from the families that had lost their loved ones in the battle. The sky people were gone, but their mates and family members would never return to them.
Slowly life began to mend in the Aylukana clan and Liyani grew and learned the ways of her people and of the hunter. Each day she would go into the wilds with a teacher and learn from them, then return to help care for her younger siblings and her aging grandparents. Having to grow up swiftly to help care for her family, Liyani took her learning seriously, striving to be the best huntress she could be as she grew older. Developing a keen urge to provide for others, and a protective streak a mile wide, Liyani grew swiftly into a graceful and cunning huntress who did what it took to bring home food for the clan and her family. At age 18 she was deemed ready to become a full member of the clan, and was sent out alone to bring in her first kill as a hunter for the clan. She left that day with only herself and her bow, but returned that night with a tapirus and a yerik (a hexapede) for her people.
Having passed her final test as a hunter, Liyani was welcomed into adulthood by her clan members. With one of her goals accomplished, she sought to become a warrior for her people as well. With her siblings nearly grown, and Rai having passed his own trials of adulthood, she focused on caring for her grandparents and training with the other warriors of her clan. A bow she already knew how to use, and her dagger as well, now all she needed to learn was to use a spear and fight another Na’vi. The nineteen year old woman dedicated herself to the Aylukana, assisting in any way she could…seeking to become a hardened warrior tempered with a kind heart dedicated to the growth, happiness, and flourishing of her tribe. After all, what was a warrior besides a protector of the people who made the clan? Shouldn’t a good warrior also help assure that the people they sought to protect were happy as well? By twenty-two, Liyani was sent with the other young warriors to find her ikran. This would be the second trial she would pass in her adult life. As she climbed out into the rookery of the ikran, she passed through the giant birds, shooing them away from her until she could find the one that was correct for her. Slowly she moved until her eyes fell upon a great male sitting defiantly in her way. Smirking she bound his jaw shut and pounce on him. Obviously this was NOT what the ikran wanted to have happen, and he did all he could to throw her over the cliff edge and remove the binding around his mouth. Liyani would have none of this and she swiftly scrambled upon his back once more and bound herself to the glistening ikran. Slowly he settled down and she unwrapped the bindings from his jaw and urged him into the air.
It was the most amazing experience she’d ever had as she attempted to fly with Hufwe’tirol…that’s what she would come to call him, after all, as his piercing cries had an oddly musical quality. At least, they had a musical quality to HER. As the wind rushed past them and she learned to better fly with him, she laughed aloud and soared about the mountains before returning to her mentors with a whoop of excitement. She had passed her second trial, and accomplished another goal.
The years passed and Liyani fell into the routine of life in the clan: flying in the early morning with Tirol, studying herb medicine or helping clan members with their children or difficult tasks in Hometree during the afternoon, and hunting in the evening for the night time meal. Several times she was approached by men of her clan to mate with them, but…every time she denied them. There was just something that wasn’t right…all of them had been good men, good hunters or warriors, but it just never FELT right to her. When one of her younger brothers, Tsteu’tanhi, left for Rokure clan, Liyani felt the sting of loss once more. Hadn’t her family suffered enough loss? Their grandfather had only recently died and her grandmother was still mourning his loss…did HE have to leave as well? Accepting, grudgingly, that this must be the will of Eywa, Liyani said her goodbyes to Tsteu’tanhi and went back to her life.
When she turned thirty things began to change once more. The sky people had returned in a large metal beast that floated around Pandora and could be seen in the sky from time to time. Dream-walkers sought to speak to the clan chiefs, to seek an agreement so that they could study the plants and animals of their home jungles. Wary, Liyani had been among the warriors to accompany her chief to speak with the sky people emissaries. This was the first time those keen golden eyes had ever seen a sky person of a dream-walker, and she was uncertain just how to feel about them. These were the clan who had killed her parents…how could she ever forgive them? The problem, however, was that she believed them when they said they didn’t wish to cause more damage…they just wanted to study…to learn. Torn about what she should believe, Liyani decided she should attempt to make decisions on an encounter to encounter basis. Certainly not ALL sky people were evil? There was just too much she didn’t know…she would have to wait and make decisions later.
More and more often the sky people came, requesting the Na’vi permission to study the plants and animals that lived on “Pandora” as they called their home. Eventually, the chiefs decided it was right to allow the sky people to study under strict conditions that would, hopefully, keep them from becoming a threat once more. Now, at thirty-four, Liyani keeps watch on the boarders of her clan’s lands and those of the sky people to make sure none of the sky people or their dream-walkers cross over them and attempts to live her life as normal.
RP Sample:
She stood there, atop some of the highest branches of Hometree, the cool breeze above the canopy welcoming to her skin after a long day of hunting in the stuffy jungles below. A sharp whistling cry heralded the arrival of Tirol as he swept around above her. With a great rush of wind, he landed on the rocks behind her and peered over her shoulder, giving her face a light nuzzle as he did so. Reaching up, she patted the side of his face lightly and with a great grin…she dove over the edge of the cliff. Arms spread wide, she let out a great whooping call that was echoed by Tirol as he dove past her and came up below her as she splayed her limbs out to slow her fall a bit more. In moments she’d landed hard in the saddle tied to his back and bound her queue to him. With a loud snap, his wings unfurled and they leveled out, swinging upward to circle around and skim along the rocky face of the cliff she’d been standing upon.
That cliff face ended abruptly, however, and they found themselves sweeping through the vines and clouds of the Iknimaya (the Hallelujah Mountains). Gazing about, she saw more and more Ikran Makto appear around her and she laughed happily as they flew with her, adorning war paint and feathers. Confused, she guided Tirol through the confusion and around one of the massive floating rocks where she saw something she had hoped to never see again. The large metal ikran the sky people used against her people when she was young. She remembered these things from her dreams as a child, when her parents had left to fight. It looked almost exactly the same as she remembered it…Ikran and Ikran Makto falling from the sky because of invisible arrows, great loud noises, balls of fire as the metal beasts fell from the sky or were thrown into the mountains.
“Liyani! Go home, Liyani! Forget all of this, daughter, live and be happy!”
Her head whipped around and she came face to face with her father and mother. Golden eyes widened and she gaped unceremoniously at the parents she could barely remember.
F-Father?...Mother?...But…
“Do as we say, Liyani. Go home and live your life. Forget all of this sadness, do not judge them all…we wanted you raised better than that. Now go home.”
Shocked into silence, she nodded with wide eyes and wheeled Tirol around, flying back in the direction of home. Looking back over her shoulder, she finally found her voice once again.
Oel ngati kameie! I love you!
With solemn smiles, they waved at her and urged their ikran toward the battle, vanishing from her view shortly thereafter.
The sounds of the forest caused those cat-like ears to twitch, the scent of Hometree filled her nose, golden eyes snapped open and pupils constricted as she woke from her dream, still in relative shock. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and opened her hammock. Climbing up onto the branch it hung from, she padded silently up the spiraling branches and braces to the outer branches and let out a soft call to the darkness around her. The fluttering of wings, a short chirp in return, and Tirol thumped heavily onto the branch, tilting his head at her and blinking a bit sleepily. Smiling slightly, she padded up to him and caught hold of the sides of his head, stroking them lightly.
Sensing that something was wrong, he clicked his jaw at her and nuzzled it against her face. Stepping forward, she wrapped her long arms about his neck and pressed her face against the leathery skin there as he hooked his head over her shoulder in an attempt to hug her in return. He didn’t understand what had his partner so upset, but Tirol didn’t like it one bit. When Liyani finally let go with a heavy sigh, he looked over the edge of the branch and back at her, before nudging her arm and looking back out into the air again. With a sad little chuckle, she nodded slightly and climbed up into the saddle, placing her queue against his. He was probably right…flying would help her feel better.
Urging him over the edge of the branch, she closed her eyes against the wind and allowed the feeling of falling to thrill in her and take her mind away from its dreaming. Opening those golden orbs once again, Tirol opened his wings and they soared gently through the air above the forest as she caught glimpses of iridescent plants glowing below them. Black hair streamed behind her as she let Tirol lead them through the skies on his own will…she trusted him not to get them into trouble. The stars glittered above them brightly and she watched them float past through the scattered clouds. Perhaps her father had been right…she’d only seen the sky people for the first time in her life a week ago, and they were supposed to meet them again later today. Maybe it was wrong of her to judge them all, to think that they were all killers…she just didn’t know enough about them to know if it was true or not.
Sighing, she decided that she would listen more at this next meeting and try to find out if they were lying about the fact that they only wanted to learn about the plants and animals here. She would try to do as her parents had asked her in her dreams…to keep living and be happy. She didn’t have to like the sky people, but there shouldn’t be hate in her heart either. Nodding to herself, Liyani urged Tirol higher into the night sky before they plummeted downward once more.
There was so much sky to be tasted tonight…there was no point in dwelling on questions she didn’t have answers to and missing the chance to enjoy flying!
Tirol let out a loud call of agreement and snapped his wings open to skim along the tops of the trees below them, sending birds and creatures of all kinds into the air and hurrying through the trees in their fright. Laughing at his play, Liyani sent him chasing after a flock of tetrapteron as they flew, crying in dismay, toward the great river that flowed near by. Skimming along the top of the water, one four fingered hand reached out and trailed along the surface of it, then urged Tirol back into the sky.
Alone out here, like this, Liyani felt safe singing aloud. There was no one around to hear or poke fun. She’d been told she had a nice voice before, but she just…was afraid to sing around others. That was the farthest thing from her mind, however, as she allowed her voice to ring out into the starry night air. Once more she had surrendered their flight to Tirol, her arms outstretched and face turned to the sky as she sang of Eywa and the beauty she saw all around her. Putting her entire heart and soul into the song, she belted out the tune.
Truly…just this once…she felt free of all responsibility.
With her heart feeling so much lighter after singing and flying with her friend, she guided Tirol back toward Hometree...back home.
They had to meet the sky people today, after all, and she would need to be ready.
Age: 34
Secret Word: ((coming soon to a PM near you))
Gender: female
Sexuality: hetero
Race: Na'vi
Tribe: Aylukana
Mount:
Ikran:
Name: Hufwe’tìrol (wind song. Tirol for short)
Appearance: Glossy and graceful in shape and color, Tirol is larger than most from his rookery. Blues, greens and dark purples streak along his body and wings, like rays of colored light. Those thin membranes at the tips of his forewings shimmer and glisten a deep blue like the color of the great oceans of Pandora. His base color is a steely grey-blue, like that of storm clouds against an evening sky. His primary wings shimmer brightly with his glossy skin and those jagged rays of color create dazzling display of twisting designs. The secondary wings are mottled green along the outer tip, blue against the body, and purple in a fan shape along the top inner corner where the body meets the wing. The top of Tirol’s face and crest is dark purple with lines of lighter blue running along the sides of his face from the tip of his snout, over the ridges above his eyes. The lower half of his face and jaw are blue and his throat an emerald green.
Personality: Hufwe’tirol is, perhaps, one of the most protective ikran one can meet. After the initial attempt to kill Liyani, he began taking on some of her personality, a calm assurance and mild curiosity…but he also became far more protective of her, preferring to take damage to keep Liyani from harm. When the sky people began arriving once more, he (at first) refused to leave her side should he see that she was leaving Hometree, not liking the strange new creatures that had arrived and were starting out into the forest…they may have looked like Na’vi, but they smelled different. After a while, Tirol calmed slightly and returned to something resembling normal, though he always becomes agitated when the sky people are around. A love of flight is obvious with the two and they both seem content in the air. Despite his protective (and sometimes downright cranky) attitude when around others, with Liyani, Tirol is serene and affectionate, often giving her swift licks from his tongue or nuzzling and rubbing against her.
Physical Description:
Height: 9 ft 3in
Eye Color: yellow
Like most Na’vi, Liyani is tall and slender with well defined muscles, broad shoulders, catlike ears with acute hearing, graceful tail, and Queue that hangs to her waist. Being of standard appearance, Liyani has few outstanding features at first glance…blue skin with darker blue stripes that slip along her form like jagged leaves or feathers, but nothing extraordinary. Upon closer inspection, however, Liyani’s beauty begins to show more profoundly. Her hair is silken and raven black, golden yellow eyes are keen and alert, kind and fiery all at once as they peer out at the world from above proud, high, cheekbones. Catlike ears are curved delicately, coming to a sharp point at the ends and constantly working to filter in the sounds of the world around her, just as her felinesque nose sorts through the scents of her home and rests above a kind, and slightly upturned mouth, giving her the appearance of almost smiling even when her face is neutral. Her head is held high atop a slender neck and a sweeping, pronounced, collar bone that helps define her broad shoulders.
The iridescent dots along her skin form intricate patterns as they trail along her body’s nervous system. Constantly shifting in their color, they tell more about her mood than her actions or words, lending her a far greater beauty as they sparkle along her skin. As a warrior and huntress, Liyani hasn’t escaped her forays into the jungles of her home unscathed and has earned more than her fair share of scars. The flora and fauna of Pandora is harsh, tough, and needs to be respected…she’d learned that at an early age, as she earned scars along her legs, back, sides and arms from run ins with wildlife and just general learning. Most are well healed and faded with time, only the deep scar along the front of her right shoulder from her Ikran Makto with Tirol.
As far as clothing goes, like most Na’vi, Liyani is quite practical. Often seen wearing leather like leg coverings that blend with her skin coloring, a woven loin cloth whose colors mimic those of her ikran, Tirol, and woven top of the same colors that wraps around her neck and back to hold it in place. Her hair is often worn loosely, save for her Queue and a few small braids at the front of her hair. Woven into these braids are small shells or colorful stones shaped into beads and tiny feathers. While riding Tirol, she often wears a forehead shield of leather with small shells and teeth she gathered through her hunts. Her bow and quiver of arrows rarely leave her side (save for ritual occasions that do not require it) and are often slung across her back. On those rare occasions where her typical attire aren’t quite up to snuff and something a bit more “formal” is required, she can often be seen in a top of strung shells and beads and a longer, almost skirt like, bottom of woven material…the five flaps of which fall to her ankles, one in front, one to either side along her hips, and two thinner ones that fall along either side of her tail. It is at these times that she wears more feathers or flowers woven into her hair, upper arm bands, anklets, bracelets, and necklaces.
As expected of any felinesque figure, Liyani’s movements are graceful and fluid, belying the swift strength that she holds. Lean frame can slip into, and out of, tight spaces easily, years of hunting life and training conditioning her to be flexible and nimble.
Personality:
It isn’t a simple process, describing Liyani’s personality…the most accurate (and simple) description boiling down to one word: multi-faceted. Generally calm and relaxed, the woman can seem downright cold at points, but this truly couldn’t be further from the truth. Her serene demeanor and placid personality simply seem to overshadow the caring and warm personage that is Liyani. Growing up having to care for her younger siblings, she has developed an open mind and warm heart. She enjoys caring for, and helping, others in her tribe and takes the role of caretaker very seriously…even if she’s grinning or laughing while doing so. This desire to nurture and care for others, perhaps, stems from her own lack of parents to tend only to her and her siblings, but she finds no problem with that. It is because of this need to care for others that she is such a fearsome warrior, huntress, and guardian for her people. Hunting provides food for those she cares for, guarding Hometree from enemies and being a capable warrior for them helps protect them, and so she gains a sense of fulfillment from her duties. As she has grown older, she has also learned her people’s herb lore and how to treat injuries to better care for those around her.
Strangely enough, Liyani can be both shy or feisty, depending how well you know her and in what situation you put her. Shy about her voice and her story telling, the woman has difficulty with situations where attention is called to her. She may also appear shy or stoic around those she doesn't know or feel comfortable around. Once she begins to open up, she can prove to be quite a feisty little hell cat, teasing and joking with others or revealing her more caring and compassionate nature.
When it comes to the dreamwalkers and sky people, Liyani practices a mind set of “I do not LIKE them, but I...attempt...not to dislike them immediately either. Not all Na'vi are 'good' so why should all sky people be 'evil'? I am simply...distrustful and wary of them. I would prefer they all left, but if I MUST co-exist with them, then I should at least attempt to be civil and make decisions based on experiences with those I come across,” despite the fact that both of her parents died in the battle to make them leave Pandora. Because of this, the woman tends to watch the base and its scientists carefully, especially when they go on forays into the jungles. Should she ever come across one face to face (Eywa forbid), she remains stoic and tense, speaking as little as possible to get her point across or answer their questions. There have been a few of the sky people that she has started to grudgingly accept as ‘not so bad’…but they are few and far between. Should any of them draw a weapon on her, she is unlikely to hesitate in drawing her own weapon.
Talents:
Caretaker: Fond of children and helping those who need it, Liyani knows that the basis for a strong clan is to see that those who need help get it. She has a way with children, often playing with them or teaching them to become strong individuals, much like she did for her younger siblings. Often she can be seen tending to children or aiding the elderly of her clan, be it with providing food, assistance with projects, playing or watching youngsters or teaching basics of life and spirituality.
Huntress: Be it with bow, spear, or dagger…atop her Ikran, a Pa’li, or on foot, Liyani has trained her entire life to understand the behavior of, track, and kill her prey in the dense forests of her home with many weapons as swiftly and painlessly as possible. Applying her skills to help feed her clan, she has spent many long years training with the clan’s other hunters. Because of her years training and hunting she had learned the best ways to survive out in the wilds of Pandora without causing unnecessary damage to the environment around her.
Warrior: Protective by nature, she has learned to mold her talents as a huntress to into those of a warrior and guardian for her people. Fierce, cunning, and with a keen sense of honor, Liyani is a vigilant watchman for her clan against dangers from other clans and the newly re-arrived sky people. Often prowling along their clan’s boarders unseen, she occasionally creeps to the edge of the forest to watch the movements of the sky people in their base, just to make sure they aren’t amassing another army there. Utilizing her skills as a hunter, she deftly and silently tracks the Avatars of the scientists that enter their jungles to be sure they do no stray too close to their Hometree. She prefers to be a silent guardian who watches passively and only gives warnings to those who step out of line, but she will lay down her life if it means protecting her people.
Herbalist: After years of learning to hunt and kill, Liyani decided that learning the herb lore and medical treatments of her people would be to her (and the clan’s) benefit. She’s learned the basics, but she’s still practicing, still learning how best to treat what injuries and with what herbs. Generic poultices for cuts, bruises, and some of the less deadly bites and injuries are under her grasp of knowledge, but she still has a long way to go before she’s any expert healer.
Singer/Story-teller: With one of the better voices in the clan, Liyani found out early that she had a passion for singing. Hunting songs, healing songs, prayers songs, ritual songs…you name it and she’ll at least attempt to learn it. She’s shy about her voice, however, and only sings when she’s alone or in a group. With a love of stories as well, she can weave tales with the best of them for the children, but should someone of her age or one of the lore masters ask her to speak she becomes nervous and uncertain. She’s slowly getting over this fear of telling her tales to those other than children, but the process is a long and uncomfortable one.
Ikran rider: Ever since her first flight with Tirol, Liyani has loved the joy of flight, spending many hours in the sky with her companion. As their bond grew, she began testing their limits and abilities during flight and spent much time making her first saddle so that it could fit them both comfortably and to the best it possibly could. This only seemed to further her desire to fly. Re-learning to hunt atop her ikran was a challenge, but a welcome one, and soon the two were traveling far and wide to hunt or visit her brother, Tsko'tirea'raiko, in Rokure clan. She isn’t at all shy about her abilities to fly on Tirol, and won’t back down from a challenge to race or try to one-up her friends with flashy flight moves. She’s not yet been forced, or fallen, off of Tirol’s back and she doesn’t intend to start any time soon.
History:
March 15, 2152…the ides of March, the day Julius Caesar was murdered…it was a day of birth and rejoicing for one Na’vi family in the Aylukana clan. Twins had been born, something not unheard of, to Mise’nahi and Tsu’rurok…two proud warriors of the clan. What was odd about the birth of the twins, was that their parents had, in fact, been dreaming about them since their mating. It had been taken, then, as a sign from Eywa that the couple was destined to be together and would live a happy life…but Eywa didn’t count the sky people into her plans for the young pair of Na’vi. It was into a changing world that the twins Unil’tirea’taliyani and Tsko’tirea’raiko, the spirit children, were born. Tales had come to the tribe of the strange sky people and their dream-walkers that had come to Pandora, but it seemed their reach was not yet long enough to touch all the dense jungles of the world, especially not those the Aylukana called home.
The two children lived happy lives, playing with their parents and at the age of two, their two younger siblings. It wasn’t until they were nearly four that the happy family was torn asunder. In 2154 a dream-walker warrior, riding atop a fiery colored Toruk, arrived calling warriors to battle against the sky people who had destroyed the Omaticaya clan’s Hometree and was threatening to destroy their spirit tree. Mise’nahi and Tsu’rurok said their goodbyes to their four children, leaving them in the hands of their grandparents, and set out with the other warriors to fight against the threat of the sky people. Frightened and confused, Liyani cried herself to sleep in her grandmother’s hammock that night. Over the next few days the little girl helped her grandmother tend to her younger brothers, Taw’rurok and Tsteu’tanhi, as well as starting to learn how to be part of the tribe. Days came and went, but nothing was heard from the warriors of the tribe. Not two days after her fourth birthday, Liyani went with her family to the Tree of Voices near her home. During her grandmother’s long prayers the little girl fell asleep, but her dreams were troubled. She’d forgotten to break the bond with the tree as she fell asleep and soon she was seeing her father falling from his ikran through giant metal fan lizards (or perhaps they were strange new ikran?) like she’d never seen before. As if this wasn’t bad enough for the little girl, she watched her mother jump from her ikran to the back of one of the metal creatures, only to be shot by strange invisible arrows from…what she could only assume to be sky people.
Waking with a sharp shout, she began to cry. The little girl was inconsolable for reasons unknown to her grandparents or siblings, and so her grandmother cut her prayers short and helped her mate take the children back home. More days passed and Liyani refused to tell Illiane (her grandmother) and Fkeu’taron (her grandfather) about her dream…she refused to believe it, so she wouldn’t tell lies. It HAD to be a lie, after all, because her mother and father had promised to return. As the warriors returned, Liyani watched like an ikran from the branches of Hometree for her parents to return…but they never did. Sobbing, the little girl ran to her grandmother and told her everything…even the dream. Rocked by the truth of the situation, Illiane simply held the little girl until she fell asleep from all her crying. That night many cries of pain were heard throughout Hometree from the families that had lost their loved ones in the battle. The sky people were gone, but their mates and family members would never return to them.
Slowly life began to mend in the Aylukana clan and Liyani grew and learned the ways of her people and of the hunter. Each day she would go into the wilds with a teacher and learn from them, then return to help care for her younger siblings and her aging grandparents. Having to grow up swiftly to help care for her family, Liyani took her learning seriously, striving to be the best huntress she could be as she grew older. Developing a keen urge to provide for others, and a protective streak a mile wide, Liyani grew swiftly into a graceful and cunning huntress who did what it took to bring home food for the clan and her family. At age 18 she was deemed ready to become a full member of the clan, and was sent out alone to bring in her first kill as a hunter for the clan. She left that day with only herself and her bow, but returned that night with a tapirus and a yerik (a hexapede) for her people.
Having passed her final test as a hunter, Liyani was welcomed into adulthood by her clan members. With one of her goals accomplished, she sought to become a warrior for her people as well. With her siblings nearly grown, and Rai having passed his own trials of adulthood, she focused on caring for her grandparents and training with the other warriors of her clan. A bow she already knew how to use, and her dagger as well, now all she needed to learn was to use a spear and fight another Na’vi. The nineteen year old woman dedicated herself to the Aylukana, assisting in any way she could…seeking to become a hardened warrior tempered with a kind heart dedicated to the growth, happiness, and flourishing of her tribe. After all, what was a warrior besides a protector of the people who made the clan? Shouldn’t a good warrior also help assure that the people they sought to protect were happy as well? By twenty-two, Liyani was sent with the other young warriors to find her ikran. This would be the second trial she would pass in her adult life. As she climbed out into the rookery of the ikran, she passed through the giant birds, shooing them away from her until she could find the one that was correct for her. Slowly she moved until her eyes fell upon a great male sitting defiantly in her way. Smirking she bound his jaw shut and pounce on him. Obviously this was NOT what the ikran wanted to have happen, and he did all he could to throw her over the cliff edge and remove the binding around his mouth. Liyani would have none of this and she swiftly scrambled upon his back once more and bound herself to the glistening ikran. Slowly he settled down and she unwrapped the bindings from his jaw and urged him into the air.
It was the most amazing experience she’d ever had as she attempted to fly with Hufwe’tirol…that’s what she would come to call him, after all, as his piercing cries had an oddly musical quality. At least, they had a musical quality to HER. As the wind rushed past them and she learned to better fly with him, she laughed aloud and soared about the mountains before returning to her mentors with a whoop of excitement. She had passed her second trial, and accomplished another goal.
The years passed and Liyani fell into the routine of life in the clan: flying in the early morning with Tirol, studying herb medicine or helping clan members with their children or difficult tasks in Hometree during the afternoon, and hunting in the evening for the night time meal. Several times she was approached by men of her clan to mate with them, but…every time she denied them. There was just something that wasn’t right…all of them had been good men, good hunters or warriors, but it just never FELT right to her. When one of her younger brothers, Tsteu’tanhi, left for Rokure clan, Liyani felt the sting of loss once more. Hadn’t her family suffered enough loss? Their grandfather had only recently died and her grandmother was still mourning his loss…did HE have to leave as well? Accepting, grudgingly, that this must be the will of Eywa, Liyani said her goodbyes to Tsteu’tanhi and went back to her life.
When she turned thirty things began to change once more. The sky people had returned in a large metal beast that floated around Pandora and could be seen in the sky from time to time. Dream-walkers sought to speak to the clan chiefs, to seek an agreement so that they could study the plants and animals of their home jungles. Wary, Liyani had been among the warriors to accompany her chief to speak with the sky people emissaries. This was the first time those keen golden eyes had ever seen a sky person of a dream-walker, and she was uncertain just how to feel about them. These were the clan who had killed her parents…how could she ever forgive them? The problem, however, was that she believed them when they said they didn’t wish to cause more damage…they just wanted to study…to learn. Torn about what she should believe, Liyani decided she should attempt to make decisions on an encounter to encounter basis. Certainly not ALL sky people were evil? There was just too much she didn’t know…she would have to wait and make decisions later.
More and more often the sky people came, requesting the Na’vi permission to study the plants and animals that lived on “Pandora” as they called their home. Eventually, the chiefs decided it was right to allow the sky people to study under strict conditions that would, hopefully, keep them from becoming a threat once more. Now, at thirty-four, Liyani keeps watch on the boarders of her clan’s lands and those of the sky people to make sure none of the sky people or their dream-walkers cross over them and attempts to live her life as normal.
RP Sample:
She stood there, atop some of the highest branches of Hometree, the cool breeze above the canopy welcoming to her skin after a long day of hunting in the stuffy jungles below. A sharp whistling cry heralded the arrival of Tirol as he swept around above her. With a great rush of wind, he landed on the rocks behind her and peered over her shoulder, giving her face a light nuzzle as he did so. Reaching up, she patted the side of his face lightly and with a great grin…she dove over the edge of the cliff. Arms spread wide, she let out a great whooping call that was echoed by Tirol as he dove past her and came up below her as she splayed her limbs out to slow her fall a bit more. In moments she’d landed hard in the saddle tied to his back and bound her queue to him. With a loud snap, his wings unfurled and they leveled out, swinging upward to circle around and skim along the rocky face of the cliff she’d been standing upon.
That cliff face ended abruptly, however, and they found themselves sweeping through the vines and clouds of the Iknimaya (the Hallelujah Mountains). Gazing about, she saw more and more Ikran Makto appear around her and she laughed happily as they flew with her, adorning war paint and feathers. Confused, she guided Tirol through the confusion and around one of the massive floating rocks where she saw something she had hoped to never see again. The large metal ikran the sky people used against her people when she was young. She remembered these things from her dreams as a child, when her parents had left to fight. It looked almost exactly the same as she remembered it…Ikran and Ikran Makto falling from the sky because of invisible arrows, great loud noises, balls of fire as the metal beasts fell from the sky or were thrown into the mountains.
“Liyani! Go home, Liyani! Forget all of this, daughter, live and be happy!”
Her head whipped around and she came face to face with her father and mother. Golden eyes widened and she gaped unceremoniously at the parents she could barely remember.
F-Father?...Mother?...But…
“Do as we say, Liyani. Go home and live your life. Forget all of this sadness, do not judge them all…we wanted you raised better than that. Now go home.”
Shocked into silence, she nodded with wide eyes and wheeled Tirol around, flying back in the direction of home. Looking back over her shoulder, she finally found her voice once again.
Oel ngati kameie! I love you!
With solemn smiles, they waved at her and urged their ikran toward the battle, vanishing from her view shortly thereafter.
The sounds of the forest caused those cat-like ears to twitch, the scent of Hometree filled her nose, golden eyes snapped open and pupils constricted as she woke from her dream, still in relative shock. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and opened her hammock. Climbing up onto the branch it hung from, she padded silently up the spiraling branches and braces to the outer branches and let out a soft call to the darkness around her. The fluttering of wings, a short chirp in return, and Tirol thumped heavily onto the branch, tilting his head at her and blinking a bit sleepily. Smiling slightly, she padded up to him and caught hold of the sides of his head, stroking them lightly.
Sensing that something was wrong, he clicked his jaw at her and nuzzled it against her face. Stepping forward, she wrapped her long arms about his neck and pressed her face against the leathery skin there as he hooked his head over her shoulder in an attempt to hug her in return. He didn’t understand what had his partner so upset, but Tirol didn’t like it one bit. When Liyani finally let go with a heavy sigh, he looked over the edge of the branch and back at her, before nudging her arm and looking back out into the air again. With a sad little chuckle, she nodded slightly and climbed up into the saddle, placing her queue against his. He was probably right…flying would help her feel better.
Urging him over the edge of the branch, she closed her eyes against the wind and allowed the feeling of falling to thrill in her and take her mind away from its dreaming. Opening those golden orbs once again, Tirol opened his wings and they soared gently through the air above the forest as she caught glimpses of iridescent plants glowing below them. Black hair streamed behind her as she let Tirol lead them through the skies on his own will…she trusted him not to get them into trouble. The stars glittered above them brightly and she watched them float past through the scattered clouds. Perhaps her father had been right…she’d only seen the sky people for the first time in her life a week ago, and they were supposed to meet them again later today. Maybe it was wrong of her to judge them all, to think that they were all killers…she just didn’t know enough about them to know if it was true or not.
Sighing, she decided that she would listen more at this next meeting and try to find out if they were lying about the fact that they only wanted to learn about the plants and animals here. She would try to do as her parents had asked her in her dreams…to keep living and be happy. She didn’t have to like the sky people, but there shouldn’t be hate in her heart either. Nodding to herself, Liyani urged Tirol higher into the night sky before they plummeted downward once more.
There was so much sky to be tasted tonight…there was no point in dwelling on questions she didn’t have answers to and missing the chance to enjoy flying!
Tirol let out a loud call of agreement and snapped his wings open to skim along the tops of the trees below them, sending birds and creatures of all kinds into the air and hurrying through the trees in their fright. Laughing at his play, Liyani sent him chasing after a flock of tetrapteron as they flew, crying in dismay, toward the great river that flowed near by. Skimming along the top of the water, one four fingered hand reached out and trailed along the surface of it, then urged Tirol back into the sky.
Alone out here, like this, Liyani felt safe singing aloud. There was no one around to hear or poke fun. She’d been told she had a nice voice before, but she just…was afraid to sing around others. That was the farthest thing from her mind, however, as she allowed her voice to ring out into the starry night air. Once more she had surrendered their flight to Tirol, her arms outstretched and face turned to the sky as she sang of Eywa and the beauty she saw all around her. Putting her entire heart and soul into the song, she belted out the tune.
Truly…just this once…she felt free of all responsibility.
With her heart feeling so much lighter after singing and flying with her friend, she guided Tirol back toward Hometree...back home.
They had to meet the sky people today, after all, and she would need to be ready.
