Rhea
Nov 1, 2015 23:16:07 GMT -6
Post by Rhea on Nov 1, 2015 23:16:07 GMT -6
Name: Rhea
Gender: Female
Tribe: Ursine
Age: 48
Hair Color: Dark Gray
Eye Color: Gold
Appearance:
Human Form: Though typical of her tribe, Rhea cuts an imposing figure for any mere Elibean -- the warrior fills the part of the "Bear" well. In her humanoid state she stands at an impressive 7 feet and 2 inches, with hardy brown skin. She has a soft, rounded face, with a wide button nose. She also has fluffy bear-like ears near the crown of her head and golden irises that add to the whole "mystical warrior bear" shtick.
Bringing to mind the lumberjacks of Bern or Ilia, Rhea has what can only be described as a stocky form, but underneath those thick layers of fat lies a muscular body, honed to a razor sharp strength. Her body also bears few scars of the innumerous fights Rhea's survived; a testament to the dense fur and innate healing her body has. Only the strongest gouges that pierce her hide remain; the rest have long since faded like bad dreams. Whether out of a sign of respect to the worthy or just because they look cool, the woman still hasn't decided yet.
One of the most frustrating aspects of grooming for the Taguel is the hair that falls to the small of her back. A charcoal black, color that's stringy and tough to manage when it flows freely. Despite this, Rhea always braves the peril that is hairstyling and keeps her locks braided with shiny beads, as well as pushed back with a hair band also decorated with baubles. Much of her physique is covered in a short samey-colored fur too - particularly her crotch, torso, and limb extremities - and Rhea takes care to keep herself as well-kept as she can. It is because of the large amounts of hair and fur on her body that the woman prefers clothes that don't restrict her movement (and pretty designs couldn't hurt).
A favored outfit of Rhea's is a dark blue binding covering her breast and a segemented, robe-like skirt that comes to her knees, along with a sash. And while that outfit is subject to change, the woman always carries on her a necklace comprised of fangs and claws of fallen friends; remembrance for the ones she loves. Under no circumstances will the Taguel go anywhere without it, believing it to be a good luck charm.
--
War Form: Unfortunately, Rhea only grows a couple of inches taller when transforming into the hulking beast she is known the best as. Fortunately, that hulking beast she is known best as is a grizzly bear, one of nature's strongest children. And Rhea is no exception; her claws are sharp, but her body's abilities are sharper, allowing for her to rush into battle with reckless abandon and come out the unscathed victor. When the woman transforms the fur and muscle of the bear overtakes her skin like a mutation, her frame reconfigures itself and all that remains of her human form is her necklace and headband. Rhea doesn't have a clue about why only her clothes disappear and her jewelry remains - likely a mystery that will remain unsolved.
Personality:
Rhea is a lover of life, bursting with overflowing spirit, and a partaker of all that the earth's bounties has to offer her. Rarely will she shy away from any opportunity, be it a meal, a nap, a fight, or a new companion. Though the woman's handled most of what life can throw at her, she's still quick to jump into things with reckless abandon. Where one might see a lack of planning/tact, Rhea sees an opportunity and goes for it. It doesn't always work in her favor, but being able to succeed with her own hands is one of the Bear Taguel's greatest pleasures. Though Rhea's rarely if ever boastful, she takes extreme pride in her work and her self care and can be unwittingly pushy in helping others strive to do the same.
Her attitude doesn't leave her without weaknesses, however. It is true that where the average man might be happy, she is ecstatic. But where the average man is sad, Rhea is brokenhearted. Furious where one is irritated. Deathly afraid where one is nervous. Like a child she can be easily forced to an extreme on the emotion spectrum, and played like a fool. Rhea is not an especially intelligent Taguel, preferring to bash things until they die instead of thinking problems through. The warrior is also sentimental to a fault, and treasures each and every one of her companions. Should one of her brothers or sisters fall victim to the wilds, Rhea mourns their passing with incurable anger and sorrow for days, weeks at a time. When a worthy foe matches her in strength and viciously wounds her, instead of healing the injury she carries the scar as a prideful memento, so that their fight would never be forgotten. These things might make her manipulable like clay, but Rhea doesn't see them as particular faults - rather natural, blessed traits.
Story: Rhea's story began many years ago, as a hairless child brought into the world crying and screaming her little heart out. Biggest in her litter of four, the girl was born to the chieftain of her tribe which was at the time, no more than a handful of Taguel like her. They had been great, once. Revered, once. But the never ending war with the Island creatures had dwindled the Bear tribe until few remained, and fewer still remaining young enough to bear child. It was a time of great trial for Rhea's father and mother, but they hoped that the arrival of the newborns would usher in a new future for their clan rather than dissolution. Needless to say, Rhea had a lot to live up to.
Lucky for Rhea that she had been born larger than an ordinary Taguel, and remained large as she grew, for the girl was insufferably nosy as a child. If not for her siblings and the Bear Taguel's natural endurance, Rhea would've died (or worse, dishonored her family) a thousand times over by age 6. Her father, however, saw things otherwise. For the good of his tribe the chief forced himself to look past her rambunction and see the budding warrior potential that she possessed. By Rhea's tenth year the chieftain took it upon himself to start training her in the ways of war, much to her smaller siblings' chagrin. Though the tribe raised the children together, it was clear to them who father favored. Meanwhile, Rhea was oblivious to the woes of her brothers and sisters, and took to fighting with great gusto. The girl wasn't adept at remembering her combat training, but she was an expert at hitting things until they fell over in human and war form alike. Her father worried about Rhea's development as a fighter, but he pressed on for the sake of the tribe. After all, the other children still needed more time before they were ready to learn the Taguel Way.
The next few years passed Rhea by in what seemed like weeks. Fight, hunt, eat, sleep, fight, hunt, rinse, repeat, ad infinitum. She celebrated when more younglings were born and grieved deeply for the loss of her elders. Rhea felt it was time for her to move up in the chain of command. Her father saw that she was a capable huntress and warrior, but she lacked the leadership and tact it took to guide a hunt. He denied her request. And he denied her request. Again and again the adolescent asked, but was met with a stone-faced "You're not ready yet." Each time she stormed off, more infuriated than the last. Her siblings weren't as well-trained as her, but they were capable of leading hunts already! She couldn't fathom what they had that she lacked. The final time she demanded a role of leadership, her father grew angered. She didn't understand that she just wasn't ready yet. The youth's temper hadn't yet cooled into something that could be used as a tool of guidance. He knew what he had to do. So, in tears, he decided that he would banish his beloved daughter from the clan for two years. The chief had already taught her all of the skills Rhea needed to live alone; this was as good of a test of her skills as it was a punishment.
The taguel retreated from the forests and into the mountains, far away from where her tribe reigned. For months Rhea was utterly crushed; not even the peaceful meditation of life on her own could bring her out of her funk. After all, for the past fifteen years she had done everything with others. All the tightly-knit tribe had was each other, after all. The year to follow was one of the roughest, most miserable years the Bear had ever faced until that point, and probably would continue to be for decades to come. But it taught her more than she ever could have learned staying with her tribe. She learned of where the other tribes came to hunt. She learned of where the beasts capable of tearing her in two roamed. She learned of how to run from fights he had no chance of winning. Most importantly, she learned how to survive without a doting father watching over her. Some days were harder than others, some days she came close to losing her life if not for a passing taguel intervening. But Rhea survived those two years, counting them to the final day when her ban was lifted. No monsters or tree alike stood in the mighty grizzly's way as she tore a path through the mountains and into the dense forests she called home.
When she returned, however, she wasn't met with the smiling faces of her family, but an empty den. Her home had been abandonded. But where had everyone gone? Rhea looked high and low through the forests, and only when she came in contact with a rival tribe of Ursines did she discover the truth. In her time away, her clan had been swept with disaster after disaster. Battles with monsters and Taguel alike had brought an end to the clan Rhea used to live in; many had fallen in battle or scattered to the winds to seek their own fortunes. The remaining had followed her father and added to the ranks of another Taguel tribe. They were welcomed in as new brothers and sisters, especially a young scrapper like her, but she dearly missed her old home. In time she would grow to accept the others, and her new lot as just another warrior instead of the role of the chieftain's daughter. No longer did she feel her father's push for her to succeed; their tribe had failed, and all that remained was the new tribe. Even her father's bold, guiding personality seemed more melancholy after his demotion.
At least she passed her test, right?
With her father's blessings she proved her worth to the new chieftain and became a bonafide hunter from that moment on. But Rhea didn't stop there. She had to rise through the ranks of the clan. Many of the faces and names Rhea became familiar with were all new to the woman, with abilities she'd only heard tell of. She knew little about the innate "adaptations" Taguel were born with, much less the fighting prowess they bestowed. It was like a warrior's paradise for the Bear Taguel. Her gungho, firebrand attitude was met with hesitation by the other Taguel at first, but as she wriggled her way into the tribe and into their hearts, Rhea was just as much of a sister as any other. Life was peaceful, or at least, as peaceful as living on an island where death lied in wait for the weak around every turn.
She had been only 17 then. Since then, the days had flown by in the blink of an eye, turning into weeks, months, years later. Her years of adulthood weren't lacking in memorable events, of course. There was that time a wild Bael stumbled into their camp, pursued by ten Fox Taguel. Or that time her good friend Kinsvil took on a Gwyllgi with his hands tied... and that time when shortly after he had to get bailed out because the Gwyllgi brought company. There was also that time when one particular Bird Tribe got it in their head that Rhea's chieftain had called the Bird chieftain's mother something too filthy to record. But for the most part, Rhea could handle whatever the Island threw at her. It was a slow climb, but she climbed through the ranks of her tribe, until there was nowhere left for her but the chieftain's right hand. Rhea was by no means the strongest fighter that the Island had ever seen, but in her tribe she was considered the hardest nut to crack, so to speak. It was because of this reliability, and her sure-footedness that the chieftain trusted in her - a big step up from her youth.
Little did Rhea know, she wasn't going to stay as just a warrior in her tribe forever. When the Thousand Scales heard tell of a Bear that could supposedly "wrestle a cyclops to the ground on her own", the reception was mostly chuckles and scoffs. There had been few who could tangle with a cyclops alone, and fewer still who could more than match one's strength. But there was one who believed it: a Lion Arbiter known as Nemia, whose strength was said to be matched only by his bombastic ability to inspire others. Rhea and Nemia. It was a match made in heaven. During a hunt Rhea came across the Lion himself on a hunt of his own, chasing a Bael rampaging through the forest with a troop of Taguel from all walks of life. Having heard tell of a Bear Taguel that fit Rhea's description to a T, the Lion promised her a spot in his group if she helped take down the monster. It was a presumptuous offer, but the temptation to join a corps of Taguel dedicated to defending the Island from monsters was overwhelming for the bear.
Finding the overgrown bug was much easier than expected. Defeating it, however... in its frenzied state it cared little for the life it had, tossing every free limb and mandible about, catching any soul unlucky enough to be fending one off to be caught off guard by another. The Initiates were coming at the spider from every angle, but only when the Bird Taguel could swoop in and attack the soft fleshy bits of the Bael could they do any real damage. The beast even caught Rhea, with a wicked stab of his foreleg catching her in That was when Nemia got the bright idea of grabbing a leg when it embedded itself in the ground, and convincing Rhea to do the same on the other side. The monster was the first in a long time capable of piercing her hide, and the woman could feel the sting of the Bael's thrashing under her skin as she dove for a leg, the familiar feeling of blood matting her war form for the first time in years. With a one, and a two, and a three, the pair heaved and heaved until their arms nearly gave out, and tossed the bael to flail on its back. Before it could get back up the duo grabbed the Bael and held it down. The group of Initiates took it from there, piling on the squishy underbelly and ripping the beast into a pulp. With a final shriek, its legs stopped moving. The Lion and Bear collapsed on the ground. They had managed to hold it down, but only just. They were victorious, but it was clear to Rhea that she still had a long way to go to live up to her reputation and tackle a man like Nemia.
Nemia never went back on his word, and the very next day she bid her tribe goodbye to join the boisterous man's gang. Over the next few years she saw many come and go, but none was more steadfast than her friend the Lion. The two were practically inseparable. So it was only the more jarring when one day, on a grassy hill, he stepped down from his position and handed it over to Rhea. He couldn't stay with the group anymore. When the woman asked why, she was met with a simple "It's personal" and the offer to fight him one last time. Rhea accepted through teary eyes, and right then and there they jumped at each other, transforming mid-flight and held each other in a deadly embrace. Both fought with the intent to kill, but neither believed they had the strength of heart to defeat their opponent. In front of the backdrop of a setting sun the pair fought on and on, never showing the other quarter. All night they fought tooth and claw until finally, drenched with blood and sweat, the Lion buckled and fell. The woman was in no shape to celebrate her victory either, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she passed out. When she awoke, her wounds had been treated and the Lion was nowhere to be seen.
It's been a year since that day.
With the arrival of humans on the Island, The Thousand Scales "assigned" many of its Arbiters to see to it that their arrival didn't like, blow up the island. The woman was resigned to watching from out of sight, waiting for the right moment. It felt... dirty to her, being so secretive about her race. And Rhea wanted to meet the humans with all of her heart, too. But she was a proud Arbiter first and foremost, and that meant she was a pillar of security for the Taguel race, even if most didn't exactly "appreciate" The Thousand Scales. It wouldn't be much longer now before the humans and Taguel could truly mix together. When that day came, there would be no force on earth that would stop her from embracing the human race with arms open wide. It wasn't every day you could meet an entire race of worthy opponents, after all.
Adaptations: Colossus (Mastery), Juggernaut (Advanced), Regenerator (Basic)
Gender: Female
Tribe: Ursine
Age: 48
Hair Color: Dark Gray
Eye Color: Gold
Appearance:
Human Form: Though typical of her tribe, Rhea cuts an imposing figure for any mere Elibean -- the warrior fills the part of the "Bear" well. In her humanoid state she stands at an impressive 7 feet and 2 inches, with hardy brown skin. She has a soft, rounded face, with a wide button nose. She also has fluffy bear-like ears near the crown of her head and golden irises that add to the whole "mystical warrior bear" shtick.
Bringing to mind the lumberjacks of Bern or Ilia, Rhea has what can only be described as a stocky form, but underneath those thick layers of fat lies a muscular body, honed to a razor sharp strength. Her body also bears few scars of the innumerous fights Rhea's survived; a testament to the dense fur and innate healing her body has. Only the strongest gouges that pierce her hide remain; the rest have long since faded like bad dreams. Whether out of a sign of respect to the worthy or just because they look cool, the woman still hasn't decided yet.
One of the most frustrating aspects of grooming for the Taguel is the hair that falls to the small of her back. A charcoal black, color that's stringy and tough to manage when it flows freely. Despite this, Rhea always braves the peril that is hairstyling and keeps her locks braided with shiny beads, as well as pushed back with a hair band also decorated with baubles. Much of her physique is covered in a short samey-colored fur too - particularly her crotch, torso, and limb extremities - and Rhea takes care to keep herself as well-kept as she can. It is because of the large amounts of hair and fur on her body that the woman prefers clothes that don't restrict her movement (and pretty designs couldn't hurt).
A favored outfit of Rhea's is a dark blue binding covering her breast and a segemented, robe-like skirt that comes to her knees, along with a sash. And while that outfit is subject to change, the woman always carries on her a necklace comprised of fangs and claws of fallen friends; remembrance for the ones she loves. Under no circumstances will the Taguel go anywhere without it, believing it to be a good luck charm.
--
War Form: Unfortunately, Rhea only grows a couple of inches taller when transforming into the hulking beast she is known the best as. Fortunately, that hulking beast she is known best as is a grizzly bear, one of nature's strongest children. And Rhea is no exception; her claws are sharp, but her body's abilities are sharper, allowing for her to rush into battle with reckless abandon and come out the unscathed victor. When the woman transforms the fur and muscle of the bear overtakes her skin like a mutation, her frame reconfigures itself and all that remains of her human form is her necklace and headband. Rhea doesn't have a clue about why only her clothes disappear and her jewelry remains - likely a mystery that will remain unsolved.
Personality:
Rhea is a lover of life, bursting with overflowing spirit, and a partaker of all that the earth's bounties has to offer her. Rarely will she shy away from any opportunity, be it a meal, a nap, a fight, or a new companion. Though the woman's handled most of what life can throw at her, she's still quick to jump into things with reckless abandon. Where one might see a lack of planning/tact, Rhea sees an opportunity and goes for it. It doesn't always work in her favor, but being able to succeed with her own hands is one of the Bear Taguel's greatest pleasures. Though Rhea's rarely if ever boastful, she takes extreme pride in her work and her self care and can be unwittingly pushy in helping others strive to do the same.
Her attitude doesn't leave her without weaknesses, however. It is true that where the average man might be happy, she is ecstatic. But where the average man is sad, Rhea is brokenhearted. Furious where one is irritated. Deathly afraid where one is nervous. Like a child she can be easily forced to an extreme on the emotion spectrum, and played like a fool. Rhea is not an especially intelligent Taguel, preferring to bash things until they die instead of thinking problems through. The warrior is also sentimental to a fault, and treasures each and every one of her companions. Should one of her brothers or sisters fall victim to the wilds, Rhea mourns their passing with incurable anger and sorrow for days, weeks at a time. When a worthy foe matches her in strength and viciously wounds her, instead of healing the injury she carries the scar as a prideful memento, so that their fight would never be forgotten. These things might make her manipulable like clay, but Rhea doesn't see them as particular faults - rather natural, blessed traits.
Story: Rhea's story began many years ago, as a hairless child brought into the world crying and screaming her little heart out. Biggest in her litter of four, the girl was born to the chieftain of her tribe which was at the time, no more than a handful of Taguel like her. They had been great, once. Revered, once. But the never ending war with the Island creatures had dwindled the Bear tribe until few remained, and fewer still remaining young enough to bear child. It was a time of great trial for Rhea's father and mother, but they hoped that the arrival of the newborns would usher in a new future for their clan rather than dissolution. Needless to say, Rhea had a lot to live up to.
Lucky for Rhea that she had been born larger than an ordinary Taguel, and remained large as she grew, for the girl was insufferably nosy as a child. If not for her siblings and the Bear Taguel's natural endurance, Rhea would've died (or worse, dishonored her family) a thousand times over by age 6. Her father, however, saw things otherwise. For the good of his tribe the chief forced himself to look past her rambunction and see the budding warrior potential that she possessed. By Rhea's tenth year the chieftain took it upon himself to start training her in the ways of war, much to her smaller siblings' chagrin. Though the tribe raised the children together, it was clear to them who father favored. Meanwhile, Rhea was oblivious to the woes of her brothers and sisters, and took to fighting with great gusto. The girl wasn't adept at remembering her combat training, but she was an expert at hitting things until they fell over in human and war form alike. Her father worried about Rhea's development as a fighter, but he pressed on for the sake of the tribe. After all, the other children still needed more time before they were ready to learn the Taguel Way.
The next few years passed Rhea by in what seemed like weeks. Fight, hunt, eat, sleep, fight, hunt, rinse, repeat, ad infinitum. She celebrated when more younglings were born and grieved deeply for the loss of her elders. Rhea felt it was time for her to move up in the chain of command. Her father saw that she was a capable huntress and warrior, but she lacked the leadership and tact it took to guide a hunt. He denied her request. And he denied her request. Again and again the adolescent asked, but was met with a stone-faced "You're not ready yet." Each time she stormed off, more infuriated than the last. Her siblings weren't as well-trained as her, but they were capable of leading hunts already! She couldn't fathom what they had that she lacked. The final time she demanded a role of leadership, her father grew angered. She didn't understand that she just wasn't ready yet. The youth's temper hadn't yet cooled into something that could be used as a tool of guidance. He knew what he had to do. So, in tears, he decided that he would banish his beloved daughter from the clan for two years. The chief had already taught her all of the skills Rhea needed to live alone; this was as good of a test of her skills as it was a punishment.
The taguel retreated from the forests and into the mountains, far away from where her tribe reigned. For months Rhea was utterly crushed; not even the peaceful meditation of life on her own could bring her out of her funk. After all, for the past fifteen years she had done everything with others. All the tightly-knit tribe had was each other, after all. The year to follow was one of the roughest, most miserable years the Bear had ever faced until that point, and probably would continue to be for decades to come. But it taught her more than she ever could have learned staying with her tribe. She learned of where the other tribes came to hunt. She learned of where the beasts capable of tearing her in two roamed. She learned of how to run from fights he had no chance of winning. Most importantly, she learned how to survive without a doting father watching over her. Some days were harder than others, some days she came close to losing her life if not for a passing taguel intervening. But Rhea survived those two years, counting them to the final day when her ban was lifted. No monsters or tree alike stood in the mighty grizzly's way as she tore a path through the mountains and into the dense forests she called home.
When she returned, however, she wasn't met with the smiling faces of her family, but an empty den. Her home had been abandonded. But where had everyone gone? Rhea looked high and low through the forests, and only when she came in contact with a rival tribe of Ursines did she discover the truth. In her time away, her clan had been swept with disaster after disaster. Battles with monsters and Taguel alike had brought an end to the clan Rhea used to live in; many had fallen in battle or scattered to the winds to seek their own fortunes. The remaining had followed her father and added to the ranks of another Taguel tribe. They were welcomed in as new brothers and sisters, especially a young scrapper like her, but she dearly missed her old home. In time she would grow to accept the others, and her new lot as just another warrior instead of the role of the chieftain's daughter. No longer did she feel her father's push for her to succeed; their tribe had failed, and all that remained was the new tribe. Even her father's bold, guiding personality seemed more melancholy after his demotion.
At least she passed her test, right?
With her father's blessings she proved her worth to the new chieftain and became a bonafide hunter from that moment on. But Rhea didn't stop there. She had to rise through the ranks of the clan. Many of the faces and names Rhea became familiar with were all new to the woman, with abilities she'd only heard tell of. She knew little about the innate "adaptations" Taguel were born with, much less the fighting prowess they bestowed. It was like a warrior's paradise for the Bear Taguel. Her gungho, firebrand attitude was met with hesitation by the other Taguel at first, but as she wriggled her way into the tribe and into their hearts, Rhea was just as much of a sister as any other. Life was peaceful, or at least, as peaceful as living on an island where death lied in wait for the weak around every turn.
She had been only 17 then. Since then, the days had flown by in the blink of an eye, turning into weeks, months, years later. Her years of adulthood weren't lacking in memorable events, of course. There was that time a wild Bael stumbled into their camp, pursued by ten Fox Taguel. Or that time her good friend Kinsvil took on a Gwyllgi with his hands tied... and that time when shortly after he had to get bailed out because the Gwyllgi brought company. There was also that time when one particular Bird Tribe got it in their head that Rhea's chieftain had called the Bird chieftain's mother something too filthy to record. But for the most part, Rhea could handle whatever the Island threw at her. It was a slow climb, but she climbed through the ranks of her tribe, until there was nowhere left for her but the chieftain's right hand. Rhea was by no means the strongest fighter that the Island had ever seen, but in her tribe she was considered the hardest nut to crack, so to speak. It was because of this reliability, and her sure-footedness that the chieftain trusted in her - a big step up from her youth.
Little did Rhea know, she wasn't going to stay as just a warrior in her tribe forever. When the Thousand Scales heard tell of a Bear that could supposedly "wrestle a cyclops to the ground on her own", the reception was mostly chuckles and scoffs. There had been few who could tangle with a cyclops alone, and fewer still who could more than match one's strength. But there was one who believed it: a Lion Arbiter known as Nemia, whose strength was said to be matched only by his bombastic ability to inspire others. Rhea and Nemia. It was a match made in heaven. During a hunt Rhea came across the Lion himself on a hunt of his own, chasing a Bael rampaging through the forest with a troop of Taguel from all walks of life. Having heard tell of a Bear Taguel that fit Rhea's description to a T, the Lion promised her a spot in his group if she helped take down the monster. It was a presumptuous offer, but the temptation to join a corps of Taguel dedicated to defending the Island from monsters was overwhelming for the bear.
Finding the overgrown bug was much easier than expected. Defeating it, however... in its frenzied state it cared little for the life it had, tossing every free limb and mandible about, catching any soul unlucky enough to be fending one off to be caught off guard by another. The Initiates were coming at the spider from every angle, but only when the Bird Taguel could swoop in and attack the soft fleshy bits of the Bael could they do any real damage. The beast even caught Rhea, with a wicked stab of his foreleg catching her in That was when Nemia got the bright idea of grabbing a leg when it embedded itself in the ground, and convincing Rhea to do the same on the other side. The monster was the first in a long time capable of piercing her hide, and the woman could feel the sting of the Bael's thrashing under her skin as she dove for a leg, the familiar feeling of blood matting her war form for the first time in years. With a one, and a two, and a three, the pair heaved and heaved until their arms nearly gave out, and tossed the bael to flail on its back. Before it could get back up the duo grabbed the Bael and held it down. The group of Initiates took it from there, piling on the squishy underbelly and ripping the beast into a pulp. With a final shriek, its legs stopped moving. The Lion and Bear collapsed on the ground. They had managed to hold it down, but only just. They were victorious, but it was clear to Rhea that she still had a long way to go to live up to her reputation and tackle a man like Nemia.
Nemia never went back on his word, and the very next day she bid her tribe goodbye to join the boisterous man's gang. Over the next few years she saw many come and go, but none was more steadfast than her friend the Lion. The two were practically inseparable. So it was only the more jarring when one day, on a grassy hill, he stepped down from his position and handed it over to Rhea. He couldn't stay with the group anymore. When the woman asked why, she was met with a simple "It's personal" and the offer to fight him one last time. Rhea accepted through teary eyes, and right then and there they jumped at each other, transforming mid-flight and held each other in a deadly embrace. Both fought with the intent to kill, but neither believed they had the strength of heart to defeat their opponent. In front of the backdrop of a setting sun the pair fought on and on, never showing the other quarter. All night they fought tooth and claw until finally, drenched with blood and sweat, the Lion buckled and fell. The woman was in no shape to celebrate her victory either, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she passed out. When she awoke, her wounds had been treated and the Lion was nowhere to be seen.
It's been a year since that day.
With the arrival of humans on the Island, The Thousand Scales "assigned" many of its Arbiters to see to it that their arrival didn't like, blow up the island. The woman was resigned to watching from out of sight, waiting for the right moment. It felt... dirty to her, being so secretive about her race. And Rhea wanted to meet the humans with all of her heart, too. But she was a proud Arbiter first and foremost, and that meant she was a pillar of security for the Taguel race, even if most didn't exactly "appreciate" The Thousand Scales. It wouldn't be much longer now before the humans and Taguel could truly mix together. When that day came, there would be no force on earth that would stop her from embracing the human race with arms open wide. It wasn't every day you could meet an entire race of worthy opponents, after all.
Adaptations: Colossus (Mastery), Juggernaut (Advanced), Regenerator (Basic)