Kallippos the Desert Centaur

[Sylent Hyll]

__________________QUICK STATS
Name Kallippos ("kal-IP-os" [hard "s"])
Age Many Suns
Gender Male
Species Desert Centaur
Ethnicity Moraki
Height 8' 4"
Occupation Lancer & Wayfinder
Residence Moraki Desert

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Kallippos has a mottled coat of gold and white hues; his silvery tail is brushed and braided, and it is often decorated with cactus flowers. His red hair, also worn in a thick braid, reaches to the small of his back; cactus flowers also decorate this braid. His skin is olive-toned, and he bears the insignia of a glass spearhead pointing toward his fingers as it seemingly grows out of a cactus flower on the back of his left hand (see Inventory, below). The image of a sleeping sand cat is tattooed upon his left shoulder to honor a pet who died several years ago; "Beloved Aglaia" is tattooed beneath the image of the cat.

Kallippos' eyes are bright green. His face is kept clean-shaven but for a curly red goatee that extends beneath his chin; it is not braided but it is well-tended. His right earlobe is pierced with two gold rings in honor of his mother and father, and his left earlobe is pierced with three silver rings in honor of his brother and his two sisters. A choker of bones is worn about his neck, each one etched with a depiction of an event of personal significance, for he prefers not to wear armor or carry a shield as they slow him down in battle.

Personality
Kallippos is asexual but homoromantic. He's not completely averse to physical attraction, being strongly drawn to powerful arms and shoulders and chests and loving the feel of a well-tended coat and...ahem. The act itself is...uncomfortable. At least, the idea of it is. He can appreciate a fine rump and hunky torso as much as anyone else, though he doesn't see the attraction in being covered in sticky sweat (ew) or doused in water. He likes looking at men, he just doesn't want to...y'know. Do that. And he values being clean and not dripping or splashing or smearing things everywhere. Honestly, the farthest he's ever gone is kissing, and that...well, that brings the issue around to emotions.

For him to get into a relationship, Kalli needs to have a connection with someone. That only comes with respect and trust, which is a two-way road. More than anything, he respects actions rather than words and doesn't see strength as the be-all, end-all. Strength is useful. Strength can be very attractive. But strength, improperly focused, leads only to disaster and suffering - not to comradery, love, or anything good for either the tribe or those outside it. Strength must be tempered with mercy, lest it provoke righteous anger from him. It's one thing to end the lives of your enemies in honorable combat; it's another thing entirely to murder an unarmed and helpless victim of your wrath, righteous or not.

Of course, there are some crimes that are unforgiveable, but they are thankfully very few and far between.

Only those closest to him are allowed to call him Kalli, the shortened version of his full name.

Relationships
Alcippe ("al-SIP-ay"): Mother
Archippos ("arc-IP-os" [hard "s"]): Father
Leukippos ("loo-KIP-os" [hard "s"]): Brother [elder]
Rosalind ("ROZ-uh-lind"): Sister [younger]
Rosamund ("ROZ-uh-mund"): Sister [youngest]

Rosalind is often called Roz, while Rosamund is often called Rozzy, in order to distinguish them. Leukippos is often called simply Loo. Their parents have their own private names for each other but are referred to as Mother and Father by their sirelings.

History
As his history is mostly tied to his tribe, this section will focus mostly on the tribe. Linguistically speaking, the tribe's individuality has mostly been lost throughout the millennia but some words and phrases remain. Their language is based on ancient Greek but much has been mixed with Common or lost entirely; most of what remains is devoted to names and occasional words or phrases used in common parlance alongside words or as part of phrases in the Common tongue. For use in RPs, I'll be utilizing Google Translate (English to Greek).

The White Hoof tribe is a sight to see. Tall, well-built, powerful centaurs traveling in herds numbering anywhere from a score to well over a hundred, their namesake unique white hooves are said to thunder even upon the sand. Their equine flesh grows no hair save their tails, which they preen and wash and style frequently as a communal activity; the mixed white and gold hues of their coats are iridescent when glistening with sweat under the light of the blazing desert sun, and some say they can vanish among the dunes if you aren't watching them carefully.

The tribe in total numbers somewhere around eighteen or nineteen thousand spears, as they call it. They are a tribe of wandering hunters and warriors with a rich culture shared with few outside the tribe. They respect kaadir as fellow hunters and tend to avoid them but give them preference when one of their herds crosses paths with the creatures. Sand cats they consider absolutely sacred; many keep sand cats as companions in hunting and as pets, and to harm or attempt to harm a sand cat is a crime punishable by summary execution. Encountering one in the wild is said to be an omen of extremely good fortune.

They hunt lizards (other than kaadir) and scorpions for food and clothing as well as tools and weapons, and giant scorpions in particular provide much to a herd. Only the great white scorpion, a giant scorpion whose iridescent armor can sometimes appear gold, is feared and avoided by them; to the tribe's knowledge, no centaur has ever survived an encounter either alone or in a herd with a great white scorpion. They're too quick, too intelligent, and far larger and more flexible than any other giant scorpion. Thankfully, they're also extremely rare. Only sand worms are more woefully regarded than great white scorpions.

Whether there were other tribes within the Moraki Desert is unknown to the White Hoof. They are the only desert tribe they know of presently, and their herds wander the whole of the desert. It is rare for them to approach Essyrn; when they do, they never send more than half their herd into the city at once and larger herds often send much fewer than half. This is to protect their herd as well as to prevent others in the city from seeing them as a threat. Conflicts have arisen in the past but not for a very long time.

Most White Hoof centaurs have shades of blonde hair, which is always as well-tended as their tails and never short; this is an odd contrast to their olive-skinned and often darkly tanned upper bodies and dark eyes, which are seen to be in shades of brown and green. For one of the White Hoof centaurs to be born with amber eyes is considered a blessing from the desert and a prophecy of great potential. Red hair is uncommon among the White Hoof centaurs but not unheard-of; it is usually considered to be indicative of a centaur who is self-reliant, energetic, and honest.

Centaurs of the White Hoof tribe are particularly distinctive in battle for the thick, heavy chitin armor they wear. It is decorated with bones carved and arranged in different manners, often telling a story. If that story is "broken" during battle but the armor survives, then a new story must be told with the bones of their fallen enemies. They favor spears and javelins, and shields of bone and chitin, but it is their leaders who are truly influential in a battle. Each herd is led by a Chieftain, a War Chief, a Shaman, and a Brewer (their word for alchemist and healer).

White Hoof Shamans consider the wind to be a sacred, living being that rises and dies as per the will of the desert, for it is the living breath of the desert itself. To this end, their magic is primarily focused on listening to the wind - their form of divination - allowing them to predict what is coming and even search  the world around them for immediate dangers or opportunities for hunting, shelter, and other such necessities at great range and with great accuracy. Their command of the wind is especially useful in creating gale-force walls around them that block the majority of the danger inherent in a sandstorm; this is a powerful bit of magic that cannot be easily used on the move, however, and thus requires the herd to be stationary unless several Shamans are focusing their magic on a single wall and being guided by their herd. Moving through sandstorms is done only in the most extreme of circumstances. While not actually leaders, they are considered to be among the leadership due to their vital roles both in and out of combat.

Brewers are responsible for the creation of potions, elixirs, salves, poultices, and other medicines as well as utilitarian concoctions. All armor and shields made by the White Hoof tribe is oiled and polished using potions concocted by Brewers that strengthen them to the point of being nearly indestructible. Bones used to decorate armor and shields are similarly treated, though some of the potency is lost compared to the armor and shields themselves in the process. The breaking of a "story" is therefore considered a momentous personal event. While not actually leaders, they are considered to be among the leadership due to their vital roles both in and out of combat.

White Hoof centaurs also adorn themselves with necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and other decorations made from a multitude of materials. Bones and teeth are common, of course, but so are decorative stones, shards of the hooves of fallen family members or other centaurs of great personal significance, loose pieces of glass taken from Seraj Isa, gems, and other interesting things. Gems are typically reserved for more significant members of a herd, such as the leaders and people who have earned great respect in hunting, in battle, or by other means. Finding a piece of glass that "speaks" to its finder is considered a spiritual experience, and such items are usually enchanted by a Brewer to make them unbreakable; they are also often enchanted with specific effects that the Chieftain or War Chief feels they have earned.

While not exactly a set tradition, many centaurs among the White Hoof tribe take to honoring their mother and father with a pair of gold rings in their right lobe or gold bracelets on their right wrist; siblings are honored in the same manner but with silver on the left side. Since there are no miners among the White Hoof, however, these items have to be traded for. It's one of the reasons they occasionally feel drawn to Essyrn.

Another distinctive cultural trait of White Hoof centaurs was actually adopted many centuries ago after encountering another culture; while the nature of that meeting has been forgotten, the distinction has not. Shallow conical caps are worn to protect the head from the sun, giving a bit of shade to the nomadic centaurs; the caps are usually about one to two feet in diameter and often lined with chitin for additional protection.

In Essyrn, centaurs of the White Hoof tribe almost always remain close to one another. They form an intimidating group, prompting most to stay away from them. White Hoof centaurs are surprisingly shrewd traders as well, which greatly helps in avoiding being deceived or treated unfairly - especially considering they never travel alone in the city.

White Hoof centaurs carry the bulk of their possessions upon their equine backs. They are very fast on solid ground or on sand, and they are considered second-to-none in terms of skill with lances, spears, and javelins. Every stallion or mare is expected to be able to hunt and fight, while colts and fillies are considered to be in training until they are mature and are not allowed to fight unless absolutely necessary. No member of the leadership is ever alone in their knowledge; there is always someone to take up their position should they fall. Most White Hoof centaurs know how to mix basic treatments for their wounds and basic antidotes for poisons or illnesses; anything more advanced, however, is typically reserved for a Brewer and their apprentice(s). While some White Hoof centaurs can also practice magic, only Shamans are considered to be fully proficient in it and anything more than minor spells that can be seamlessly woven into battle techniques and tactics or that have some daily utilitarian purpose are usually ignored by the general populace.

Tattoos are not merely aesthetic for centaurs of the White Hoof tribe. They are sometimes enchanted for one purpose or another but more importantly, whether they're enchanted or not, they always bear personal significance. Piercings are slightly more geared toward aesthetics but also typically bear personal significance.

Stallions among the White Hoof tribe are men; mares are women. Colts are boys, fillies are girls, and sireling (plural sirelings) is the term used to describe a child without calling out their gender. Siring is the term used to describe giving birth, while mother or fathering is the term used to describe rearing a child.

Kallippos is a stallion of the Asteri herd of the White Hoof tribe. He is one of the few allowed to wander alone on occasion; his duty to the herd is to scout ahead and warn them of potential dangers, alert them to resources and opportunities, and generally guide them safely to wherever they need to go. He is not the only Wayfinder among his herd, however, as per the White Hoof's cautious practice of redundancy among their ranks.

Magic/Abilities
Wind Listener: Being a scout and Wayfinder, this is considered an essential bit of magic to channel. By controlling his breathing and focusing his senses, he is able to channel magic through them in order to observe the world around him at great distance and with pinpoint accuracy. While channeling this magic, a soft breeze whips up around him and carries his senses out where he desires; it has a range of approximately ten miles, though existing wind can double this range.

Inventory

• Conical Cap: About 18" broad and bearing a small cone (about 8" broad) of chitin in the center atop it to protect the head. This is the only actual armor that Kallippos wears.
  
• Bone Choker: Enchanted to make it nearly indestructible, this choker tells the story of Kallippos' life; more bones are added as needed for etching new events. (See Physical Description, above.)
  
• Gold Earring x2: See Physical Description, above.
  
• Silver Earring x3: See Physical Description, above.
  
• Glass-Tipped Lance: The razor-sharp head of this weapon is a shard of glass taken from Seraj Isa. It has been enchanted by the Asteri herd's Brewer in multiple ways. First and foremost, it has been made indestructible (as is the standard for glass enchantment). It has also been coated (as has the rest of the lance) in a binding oil, preventing its removal from the rest of the lance and allowing certain enchantments to affect both the glass head and the lance as a whole. In particular, a coating of enchanted glass dust allows the lance to return to its owner's hand on a whim; a tattoo on the back of Kallippos' left hand binds this enchantment to him so that only he can wield it. And finally, the glass has been imbued with alchemical fire that causes severe burns to those whose blood touches it until the blood has been removed; to a victim of this lance, it feels like their blood is boiling inside them and their skin will blister and scorch the longer their blood touches the glass. Obviously, this makes a quick death a merciful outcome for those who stand against Kallippos. The lance stands about 10' long from butt to tip.
  
• Javelin x12: Worn on the back, it can be drawn and hurled at an enemy in one swift motion.
  
• Berserker's Elixir x5: Covers the imbiber in a sheen of tingling energy that acts as heavy armor, protecting them from blows and attacks strong enough to destroy granite. This is drunk in place of wearing armor for those who do not want the burden of armor or a shield slowing them down.
  
• Black Sand: Held in a leather pouch, this sand quickly heats up when exposed to sunlight. It is rubbed on open wounds to cauterize them, usually within about a minute. Good for approximately 100 treatments of minor wounds or 25 to 30 larger, more grievous wounds (only a very small amount is usually needed; a couple of pinches at most).
  
• Wound Kit: Consists of a thick bandage roll, thread, a couple of needles (one to use plus spares), a small vial of dissolving paste to hold cut thread in place, a sheathed razor for cutting thread, and a flask of alcohol far too potent to drink (for cleaning wounds quickly).
  
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