EBC: Darius the Softspoken

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Name
Darius
Pronounced dare-ee-us

-- Sometimes goes by D or Dare
-- More tba

Rank
Ice Empire Gladiator

-- Gained Gladiator Rank early on because of

Age
Starting Age: 1 year old
Current Age: 2 years, 11 months
Born: September 20th, 60 BC

Species
Caracal -- Slight Serval blood as well
Information on size TBA

Traits
Dominant Traits: Black ear-rims, kite marking (gradient compared to Cyn), bicolored nose, darker tail-tip
Recessive Traits: Blue eyes, Brown coloration, overly long tail, lynx point stripe markings on legs
Carrier Traits: Golden eyes, shorter tail, silver coloration, off-tan fur coloration

[[Note: Carrier Traits cannot be seen. They are combinations that could have been, but weren't. ]]

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• Decent Coliseum Combat Skills
  Due to his training in the coliseum before escaping to find himself in Ice Empire, Darius has a "great" background in training when it comes to coliseum combat. He knows how to use attacks against larger felines, but is better with smaller cat vs. smaller cat combat. He knows how to use his strength against them because, despite his small size, he's stronger than most smaller felines.
  
  
• Advanced Tracking Skill
  Darius is good at finding things, be it deer, rabbit, another feline... he's just naturally gifted at it. Despite his only passable hunting skill, he can easily help a hunting party at least find the prey in question. Besides that, Darius is pretty good at seeing feline tracks and following them, which means he may be more adapt at finding stray hunters or escapees compared to other cats.
  
  
• Advanced Stealth Skill
  Sly as a fox, quiet as a mouse... Darius knows how to hide himself in the mountain territory without too much issue, and is very good at sneaking up on other felines. He's been known to take even the best listeners off-guard, but that doesn't mean that he's always 100% stealthy all the time... sometimes his bad leg gives out unexpectedly and he just goes tumbling into other felines... or he scares away prey...
  
  
• Passable Hunting Skill
  Darius isn't the worst at hunting, but he is most definitely not the best. He can manage and take down small felines, but he's pretty okay with it. He can at least
  

Darius was taken to become training fodder at a young age; nearly dying at the age of 3 months before being taken in by a kinder human to train in the ways of coliseum battles. He still has the scar fur from the attack so long ago, and carries them with little to no thoughts otherwise on them.



There isn't much to add since Chinook and Darius haven't really reacted




TBA



Tealish colored scarf, armor, and leg wraps, scale armor is also there.

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• Soft Spoken
  "I can't speak any louder than this?"
  Darius has always been quiet, despite enjoying his witty comebacks and endearing words. He feels that if he has to talk above the crowd, his voice doesn't need to be heard, and is often better suited for using his soft voice to enrapture those around him. He doesn't like being loud and obnoxious, considering he dealt with too many hotshots while he was a gladiator in Massila, he really just doesn't like being the kind of cat to beg for attention.
  
  

• Determined
  "I'm not going to just give up. There is no such thing as giving up for me. If you want to stop, go ahead, but I can't."
  There aren't many things that stop Darius when he has his mind set on a certain task. He knows when it's wise to give up, but when it comes to training, tracking, or his stealth, he's going to do anything in his power to try and do better.
  

• Wise / Witty
  "You can tell a lot about a feline just based on what they laugh at."
  Darius tends to be that kind of feline that says things that really make you think. He's not philosophical by any means, but he definitely mentions some things that don't seem to cross other minds. He enjoys making others think, but does not, like to cause felines to shoot wise cracks back at him.
  

• Kind & Endearing
  "Your eyes sparkle like the stars when you smile."
  Darius has always had a slight romantic side to him, though he doesn't show his endearing charm often. He enjoys being with others and tries his hardest to be kind to others because of it. Seeing another feline's smile brightens his day almost as much as much as eating his favorite food does.
  
  
• Playful
  "I'll race ya?"
  Despite being a full grown gladiator still enjoys taking life easy. He believes that all work and no play make felines rather dull, and often will encourage others to enjoy themselves and have fun. He gets along well with cubs because of this, though does not wish to spend too much time as a caretaker when he needs to protect them.
  

Everyone thought Atlas was a legend in the making. Despite his young age, the caracal had proven himself time and again in the colosseums, and at just one year old, had graduated into the challenging life of a Bounty Hunter apprentice. Atlas was young, cocky, and possessed by a ruthless spirit. The world was at his paws-- his life a scroll of promise-- and Atlas knew it.

There was, however, only one soft edge to his heart-- and it belonged to Nvanni.

Atlas may have been Master's prized fighter, but it was the lithe and lovely Nvanni who was his sheltered pet. Her appearance was rather unique in that she was a cara-serval hybrid-- with all the bushy fur of a caracal and the long, slender build of a serval-- but she had been bred to be a pampered decoration, and in that aspect, she served the Master well. But it was her kindness and gentle timidity that charmed Atlas in the end. He enjoyed spending time with her in his quiet moments, listening to her soft voice and only ever interrupting her when she expressed concerns for the scars he'd gained in all his spats; assuring her that he was as strong and healthy as ever.

He and Nvanni had been friends from cubhood, but seasons later found the two yearlings falling into a bond deeper than friendship... and it wasn't long before both pet and Hunter made their feelings known to each other. Nvanni's belly soon grew heavy with kits, and although the adolescent parents were admittedly nervous, they were even more-so beside themselves with joy.

However, unbeknownst to the either of the parents, the Master was especially thrilled.

Master, you see, was not just a trainer; he was a gambling man at heart, and partook in many other Colosseum bets besides his own. And usually, he won. Master, after all, had an eye for winners; some said he could tell the victor of a battle just by one moment of a glance into the felines' eyes. But like any other gambler, the winner's streak never lasts...

And when Master lost a bet to one of his friends, he was expected to pay up; and the price was heavy. Master wasn't keen on parting with any of his 'hard-earned- money, however, and sought another option as he desperately bargained with his friend (a man who Atlas had learned to call 'The Taker' for how many exchanges seemed to occur between him and the master). His pet, Nvanni, was expecting cubs, and he was willing to donate one to the Taker, for his friend to train as a fighter. The Taker was at first hesitant. He was already training a leopard of his own named Ayanna, and had no need for another cat. But when the Master insisted, The Taker reluctantly agreed, and thus, one of Nvanni's kits was to be given to its new owner once it reached three months of age.

Still ignorant of the Master's plans, Nvanni later bore a small litter of two cubs; one son, and one daughter. From the build of their legs and shoulders, it was possible that they would probably never have the chance to see the fighting rings like their father-- Nvanni's softer bloodline made that too risky-- but neither Atlas nor his mate saw any problem with this. Their kittens were both still beautiful in the eyes of Mother and Father, and they were certain that the cubs would still lead happy lives with whomever humans decided to choose them as their own pets, someday. The daughter was soon given the name of Cynthia, while her brother was named Darius. Neither Atlas nor Nvanni could be happier with the children the gods had blessed them with.

The days rolled by, and the parents continued to raise their children without any worries over either Cynthia's or Darius' futures. The kittens, just like any caracals, grew rather quickly with each passing sun. It wasn't long before they opened their eyes for the first time, and soon enough they were walking on all fours and learning how to say their names. Later on, the cubs discovered what it was to play, and after one rowdy spat nearly sent a vase falling, Master decided it was time for a change of scenery.

At two moons old the kittens still slept indoors with their mother, but nearly all their activities were spent outside in the Master's enclosed garden, rough-and-tumbling where the human's friends often visited... and one, in particular, watched the cubs with interest.

And the Taker wasn't one to dawdle. When the three months came and went, he was quick to collect his debt, and the cub he wanted was Darius.

Atlas and Nvanni were at first confused when only Cynthia was returned inside that day inquiring where her brother had gone, but when the anxious father peered out the windows, he was relieved to see Darius being carried off by one of his Master's acquaintances. It seemed as though his son had been the first to find a home, and Atlas happily told his mate the good news. Nvanni tried to show a brave face, but for whatever reason, she felt as though there were stones in her stomach. Something just didn't feel right...

Several nights later, Nvanni awoke to the sound of someone banging against the Master's door, followed a gruff-sounding conversation and the strangely fresh scent of blood. Confused, but curious, the servacal padded quietly from the cushion where she and Cynthia slept to get a better look of whatever was happening. As it turned out, her daughter was awake and bouncing eagerly after her mother. Nvanni tried to settle her kitten down, but when it became clear that the cub wasn't going to go back to sleep, she relented and carried Cynthia with her by the scruff.

A man, one who's face and voice she vaguely recognized to be the 'Taker', was standing at the door with a crudely wrapped up bundle in his hands, seemingly scolding the Master whose hands were held in front of him defensively as he desperately tried to hush the other human. Nothing appeared to be working, though, and the tension between them remained high.

"Useless," the Taker growled as he shoved the bundle into the Master's arms. "Put him against my leopard and he went down without a damn fight in his spirit. Don't bother trying to save him-- he's as good as dead."

Being able to understand the words 'fight', 'save',and 'dead', Nvanni's jaw tightened. She didn't really know what was going on-- or rather, that was a lie. Maybe she did know, and was hoping for it not to be true.

"Either bring me the coins by tomorrow or the other runt. I expect payment either way."

The Taker stormed off without so much as shutting the door behind him, and Master somberly turned away from the entrance. What the servacal saw next made her heart leap into her throat.

Darius was the one wrapped inside the cloth, just as a part of her had secretly feared. Her son's eyes were tightly shut, and his muzzle lolled across the Master's wrist listlessly. Blood speckled his misheveled fur, but she could smell so much more of it emanating from the blanket.

A tiny kit's horrified gasp made Nvanni hastily put Cynthia down on the ground between her paws, hoping to turn her remaining cub away from the gruesome sight, but it was too late. The young kitten had already seen what had become of her brother, and she was now huddled against her mother's leg just as quietly as the presumably dead littermate. Her eyes seemed blank, void of the playful light they usually carried, and it was after that moment that Cynthia was never quite the same again. The trauma of what she had seen had psychologically affected the kitten to where she shut away every memory of her brother from that day forward-- if you asked her today of her family, she would tell you that all she can recall is one last sight of her parents... nothing more.

It was just then that Atlas pelted through the door, startling both humans on his way in. The caracal was usually kept outdoors to guard the home at night, but after the sight of his mangled son-- and the words he had heard exchanged between the humans-- he was making an exception for tonight. Atlas was more well-versed in human language, especially when it came to ownership, and he knew that the same man who had caused his son's death now wanted his daughter, too. Almost immediately he nudged Cynthia out from between her mother's paws, prompted Nvanni to grab her scruff, and then urged her to follow him outside. Shaken and confused, but trusting in her mate, Nvanni agreed, and the two cats pelted out the door despite the exclamations of dismay from their Master.

"Where are we going?!"

"We're leaving the city," Atlas snarled as they sprinted through the gates, just barely avoiding the guards.

"...And we're finding the Empires!"

But, as stated from the beginning of this tale... this was simply never meant to be.

~~~

But Darius didn't die.

Darius speaks:
"I honestly couldn't tell you what happened in the months before the incident I gained my scars. I barely remember my actual family. I was nursed back to health by a master that wanted to do nothing but replace my father with me. Unfortunately, because of the leg brace I had to where on top of other difficulties, I only managed to be a decent coliseum fighter. Honestly, I was picked on by the other felines, and when I saw my chance to escape, there is no surprise that I took it. I ran for quite some time, only to end up in another city totally... there, I was taken in by a human that used me to carry messages back and forth between the smaller cities -- I was lucky enough to not be a good enough asset to have bounty hunters sent after me, I guess -- and sometime between then and now, I got lost one night and was brought here by an Ice Empire Patrol...

I like it here. Honestly, it's more homey than any place I've ever known.



To be added



-- Cynthia is the only family member he has that is alive; and he doesn't know it
-- Darius loves fishing
-- When confused or sad, Darius's ears flick backwards and he pretty much goes puppy eyed
-- Sometimes, when he walks, there is a slight limp in his gate. He suffers from infrequent shoulder pains

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Mate
None -- Too Young
Crush -- None

Cubs
None -- Too Young

Family Lineage
Atlas
Father: Caracal; Coliseum fighter; Status Unknown

Nvanni
Mother: Serval xx Caracal; Breeder/Pet; Status Unknown

Cynthia
Sister; Caracal; Lightning Empire Gladiator; Alive
RP'd by Sky-Lily

Roxanne
Half-Sibling???: Caracal; Lightning Empire Gladiator; Alive
RP'd by Asante-Sana




= Neutral
= Friend
= Close Friend
= Crush
= Love
= Dislike/Hate
= Family
= Jealous
= Respect


I'm making a relationship tracker for all my characters. Please stand by



The lion was not surprised to hear of the decision Andromeda had made when it came to name the silver gladiator. Aglaia had risen to the occasion while she was gone, and although Brutus had known that at some point he was expected to be silver... he was completely fine in not being that choice. The tigress was much younger than he was... and more than likely going to survive longer than he or Andromeda would.

It was sad, ever since Soren had died, death had been a constant burden on the lion's shoulders. The calls died out, and in that time, the lion was able to see Andromeda move from Skycaller's Rock. It was strange of the white lion to see the snow leopardess coming from a place he associated with the fiery lynx he had become good friends with, but all the same, he had always known this day would come. Soren had always been a fighter, and with that kind of spirit, it had always been likely that he would die in the lines of battle over that of quietly in his nest... Though he knew how much it tore Andromeda apart.

He had always thought the two of them would eventually be together as a happy couple, Soren and Andromeda, especially with how Andromeda had been so close to the little cub Soren had brought home with him all those moons ago... back when the hunters hadn't nearly doubled in force... before Abiola had died. Brutus would never admit that he knew who's cubs they were; the markings around young Ryusei's eyes were too much like another snow leopard Brutus had known... Nedria.

It wasn't hard to guess, though Soren had eventually admitted it to Brutus... if his memory served correctly.

"Andromeda" His gruff voice called out as the other felines milled away. "I approve of your choice... not that it matters." It seemed strange talking to her as a friend when she was now his leader, but Brutus pushed that thought away. He had treated Soren as a friend, and she had been a friend when she had been only a silver... what had changed? Other than Soren's death... "Do you want some company... maybe to go out on a patrol of the territory?" If it had been any other time, he would have said stroll instead of patrol, but he doubted being lax at such a time as this would ease the snow leopardess any. Andromeda was too serious for that kind of matter... and a times, he himself was the same as well.

This was going to be a hard couple of months on the two of them. "If you don't want to, I understand, but I figured that you would need the company..." He glanced away for a moment before quietly adding: "We have both lost a great friend... maybe even something more... I figured you would want somebody to have a heart to heart with. As a friend, you know I'm here for you if you need it."

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Currently in the process of being created


Currently in the process of being created


Not wanted currently

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Darius © DappledSun 2011 - 2014
EmpiresBeforeClans