Ulivali

Ulivali

- red hawk of winds -​

Name: Ulivali, of Clan Pukamamani

Race: Rito (Flightless - Fokka)

Age: 23

Gender: Male

Place of Origin: Dragon Roost Island

PWC: 1/4/4

Treasures and Rupees:​

Navigation

Years of life without sight have trained Ulivali to navigate without reliance on vision; so long as there is some sense he may use to orient himself, he will find it difficult to lose himself in strange places. It cannot erase the impacts of his disability, but it can aid him regardless.​

Sense

Just as a person will often sense when they are watched, Ulivali easily notices the strange rise of feathers along his neck when another approaches. For some reason, he finds it easier to detect the malicious than the friendly.​

Wind Enchantment

A technique that allows Ulivali to focus the winds around a held item, before striking and unleashing a powerful gust that only the greatest of foes can withstand.​

Blizzard​

A spell allowing Ulivali to cast buffeting winds of a freezing temperature, cold enough that at point blank range it can even freeze water.​

Roc’s Feather

A soft white feather barred with blue worn under his cuirass, granting him the power to leap high into the air.​

Feather Fall

A Rito who cannot fly needs other ways of alleviating drops from the inaccessible heights of their home; with this spell, Ulivali can slow his falls to almost never be harmful.​

Ring of Silence

A useful tool for someone who navigates with the tapping of his staff, this ring muffles the sound made by Ulivali and items he carries. Helps cover for his clumsiness somewhat, too.​

Compass

A resilient compass that can quietly chime to indicate north or another bearing, but if Ulivali strongly wills it, can direct him instead to something he deeply wants to find.​

Blast Mask

An unusual item, this black mask with a death's head visage is capable of exploding at will. Useful for demolition, but also for fraying the feathers.​

Kinstone Pieces

Ulivali owns a Red Clover, Blue Triforce and Green Clover

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35

Perks:​

On The Breeze

Ulivali, used to aiding his life with the winds, is finely attuned to the power of the air and familiar with its casting.​

Valiance

Ulivali is disciplined and courageous, possessing a quiet bravery in all deeds.​

Business - Outfitter (Level 3)

The craft of armours and garments is a skill Ulivali is oddly talented at, even though he often requires aid when designing their aesthetic. He can craft up to 30r worth of materials, and recieves 6r per thread for his trouble.
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Languages: Rito (native), Hylian (fluent).

Equipment:
•Rito Clothes

A soft, comfortable outfit in old-fashioned Dragon Roost Island style. The shirt is sleeveless and violet, the hem of the turtleneck collar lined with hand-stitched orange and blue. The pants are puffy and knee-length, with cord to tighten them at the ends. Over this is a skirtlike wrap of light, violet cloth, concealing the open gap for his tail feathers while giving them plenty of room to spread.​

•Hawk’s Garb

Well-made handcrafted armour of tough but light materials. The breastplate is rough peach leather, hemmed with red metal and scale. A traditional Rito bodice of leather covers the midsection and swoops downwards, opening to expose the tail; matching leather wraps protect his lower legs. Attached to the belt is a tasset of thick red reptile scales.​

•Blindfold

A length of red fabric, soft to the touch but firm in consistency. Ulivali may sometimes wear this in public, to alert onlookers that he cannot see them.​

•Valoo Headband

A traditional Rito headband, of the sort often worn by those sworn in service to the Dragon God. While this particular cord band is handmade from memory, it is indistinguishable from the sort made on the Island.​

•Fokka Medallion

A circular metal charm studded with three red stones, bearing the Fokka crest. A gift from the Pachatuku tribe of Fokka.​

•Prayer Bracelets

Several flat metal bands embossed with patterns that would be nonsensical to any but Ulivali. The shape of the whorls follows the cadence of Rito prayer as spoken aloud, and guides the wearer as to the flow of one’s thoughts in meditation.​

•Incense

A variety of wooden sticks clad with dried herbs and plants that burn fragrantly. The scents they give off are therapeutic to Ulivali.​

•Inn Keys

The keys to the long-term room he rents at an inn in Lon Lon. Thanks to the kindness of the innkeeper Maria, he more or less lives there.​

•Leather Pouch

A stiff square pouch bearing what few belongings Ulivali has beyond what he wears, worn on the back of the belt.​

•Knife

Although Ulivali typically uses his staff as his primary weapon and tool, he does keep a long, flat knife strapped over his pouch, used for a variety of purposes from cooking to cutting ropes to self-defence.​

•Ulivali’s Staff

A crooked staff of strong, pale driftwood, the head a hooked, beaklike shape run through with round holes of varying sizes that whistle in different ways as the wind blows through them. Several blunted monster horns and claws are embedded in the upper end, while the lower end bears a rounded wing-shaped tip used for tapping along the ground to detect obstacles.
​

Pet: None

Appearance: As a Rito, Ulivali’s frame is naturally lightweight and narrow, built on hollow bones and standing at 5’9” in height. From head to legs he is covered in feathers; most downy and a rich brown. He has longer feathers in a graceful crest upon his head in a silvery white colour, with traditional braids wrapped in blue cord on either side of his face. On casual or lazy days, he simply ties these feathers rather than braiding them. Long tail feathers protrude behind him - the same silvery white as his crest and barred with a bold russet - but lack corresponding flight feathers. Instead, his arms bear only slight longer feathers where his wings should be. Both his crest and tail feathers have been known to fluff up in response to emotion. Ulivali has three-taloned feet, with two talons facing forward and one backward - that is, his right foot fits this description. His left foot is missing the outer front talon, unevenly scarred. Ulivali’s face is primarily occupied by a hawklike beak, hooked at the tip with a prominent curve, and sits naturally in a calm and pensive expression.

His eyes are a dark red in colour and generally unfocused; when in populated areas he may wear a blindfold, as a way to signal to those around him that he cannot see them. The traditional eye-markings of his people adorn the upper lids, but the areas around each eye bear ripple-like scars, resembling raised splatters with partial or no feathering. A few areas have more prominent scars - notably a notch in the lower lid and cheek on his right side, and a small gouged spot between his right eye and his beak. His moods may be difficult to ascertain for those accustomed to relying on the contortion of the eyes and nose, but his mouth is quite expressive, and his round white eyebrows are very responsive to emotive movement.

Ulivali’s clothing is almost entirely self-made, meaning most of its components were wrangled together by skilled hand. His everyday clothing remains in the style of Dragon Roost Island, a high-collared violet shirt hemmed in blue and orange, and soft white pants. When adventuring, Ulivali wears his leather breastplate and tasset, crafted to pay homage to the feathered dragon god Valoo. He wears a traditional Rito garment under a peach-painted breastplate, with feathered shoulder trim. Around his middle he wears a dark leather garment laced together at the front, adorned with a medallion of the wingless tribe he called home for many years. From his belt hangs a collection of slewn-off scales, purloined from the largest reptilian creatures the Rito could find and carefully dyed the rich red others attested would match the hue of Valoo. Where many wingless Rito molt their arm feathers, Ulivali has taken painstaking care to keep them healthy, and wears a leather wrap on his left arm to shield his feathers. On his forehead rests the cord headband worn by those sworn to Valoo.

Ulivali’s belongings are kept in a pouch on the back of his belt, alongside a long knife that seldom sees use. He carries a hooked staff at all times, made of pale, sturdy driftwood. Both ends of the staff are fairly heavy, the head spotted with holes through which the wind whistles. A leather grip marks the upper handle of the staff, while near the lower end red-dyed leather stands out against the pale wood. A pair of ornamental golden feathers - so prized on Dragon Roost Island - are strung below the head. The lower end of the staff is somewhat scratched from years of Ulivali tapping it along the ground as a navigation aid, but the robust wood has stood the test of time.

Ulivali walks with a light step, though does not trust his left foot to keep him stable in rough conditions. He stands with a tall spine, appearing calm and thoughtful, and tends to keep his arms close to his body. Upon his left arm is a tattoo of the dragon Valoo with the word FOKKA inscribed within - the Rito word for flightless.

How Ulivali Perceives Himself (open) How Ulivali Perceives Himself (close)

Ulivali is not the tallest of travellers, nor the most bulky - his stature has its pros and cons. The less there is of him, the less chance he will blindly walk into an obstacle. Being so light, however, is almost entirely useless to him, as a flightless Rito has little use for their hollow bones. He’s easy to knock about in a crowd, and has trouble reaching higher places without the aid of his hooked staff or enchanted leaps, but in return finds falls less dangerous, particularly when he’s able to slow himself with magic. Ulivali’s crest swoops upwards, comprised of long, soft feathers, the sides strung traditionally and weighted with metal charms. His beak is quite sharp, as are his talons, though those on his left side are angled slightly from years of uneven weight upon them. His arms have a few pathetic feathers that have grown, but the lack of flights means he is unfortunately earth-bound.

With touch being so emphasised in his perception of the world, Ulivali’s clothing is extremely comfortable. A simple high-collared Rito shirt protects his skin from the ridged breastplate he crafted from thick straps of leather, roughly painted along its surface. He wears a midriff wrap bought from another Rito that swoops down his body in an arch that curves above his hips, laced at the front and studded with eyelets for attachments. Below his belt is a series of fabrics wrapped around his hip; first armoured scales, protecting his less stable leg, then fur and cloth for warmth. His knees are covered in their own armour, and his legs are wrapped with strips of cloth as many Rito wear. In lieu of flight feathers, Ulivali’s arms are covered in prayer bracelets on one side and a protective gauntlet on the other.

Ulivali may wear a blindfold when he is in towns or around groups of strangers; the covering is a helpful alert to onlookers that he is unable to see them. He prefers to not wear it, as the fabric can occasionally make his nares itch and he feels no need to cover his eyes for any purpose other than utility, but he often chooses to wear it rather than be run down by someone who assumed he could see them and would dodge. When younger he preferred the blindfold to keep out the smudges of residual sight that remained, but said residual vision has faded over the years and no longer bothers him. He can still feel the scars when he runs his fingers around his eyes, raised ridges and patches bare of feathers, but these are as much a part of him as any other. The only mark upon his body that he still holds distaste for is the tattoo on his arm; while he was the one who chose to have Valoo upon him, he doubts he will ever find peace with the word inside the dragon’s skin.

Artwork (open) Artwork (close)

Ironically, Xenforo doesn't support alt text. Appearance and gear descriptions describe the character in the above images.

Personality:​

At first meeting, Ulivali can often feel reserved and formal, as if his presence is distant from those around him. Ulivali can struggle to converse and understand the way others may think about and experience the world. Despite his uncertainty around others, he can become surprisingly affable with friends or those he lets his guard down around. He doesn’t tend to act loosely without prompting, but he enjoys social occasions and time spent with others. As long as he feels understood, Ulivali will become comfortable around most people.

Ulivali has a preoccupation with concepts like fate, and the accrual of karma. He doesn’t believe that there is a reason behind every occurrence, but he does believe that every person shapes parts of the fates of everyone around them, and that a person’s actions are the best indicator of their character. He has little regard for what he views as unnecessary restraint, preferring to stride into every oncoming challenge with no doubt in his heart as to its conclusion. He also has a great deal of love for Rito culture; having missed many important aspects of Rito growing-up and communal culture, he will go out of his way to find ways to connect with his culture and people. He is always delighted to meet another Rito or Fokka, although he has learned to be wary of flighted Rito’s responses to his clearly flightless appearance. Ulivali is also fascinated by history and connection, enjoying mapping out the connections between his people and others across time.

While Ulivali is not one for denial, he does maintain a degree of idealism and positivity. He continues to refer to himself as Rito despite his flightless nature; while he can slip and acknowledge himself using the more discriminatory fokka, this is only due to his years spent amongst those who chose to eschew the Rito name entirely. He is somewhat stubborn, unshakeable in his convictions much of the time. He has little patience for deception, and will calmly confront liars to insist they explain themselves. Should the result be unsatisfactory, Ulivali will have few qualms about the resulting distrust. While he will not allow such distaste to endanger the outcome of his quests, it is difficult to regain his faith, and this can result in frigid interactions.

Where his trust does lay is fiercely defended. Loyalty is a concept deeply ingrained in Ulivali, and challenges to that which he believes in can crack his peaceful demeanour and result in stronger displays of emotion than anyone who knew him would expect. His determination is a far cry from his anger, and such anger can render his usually meticulous actions sloppy and dangerous. He has a relatively mild martyr complex, generally unbothered by inconvenience and even harm if he can find a justification for why it benefits people. He tries not to dwell on this instinct, though, as he has an uneasy suspicion that perhaps this part of him is not sure of his ability to prove his worth to Valoo.

When his doubts begin to cloud his judgement and make the world feel claustrophobic, Ulivali chooses to dance. He has enjoyed dance since his youth, finding solace in the motion and complete control over his body. Moving gives him the feeling of progress, that he is not still, that he is not failing his life’s goals. He spins and leaps and sweeps limbs on high, making proud firm steps and twisting his body in rhythm. He prefers to dance to music, but has been known to occasionally provide his own birdsong to dance to in times of silence. His talent and passion has served him well, endearing him even to those who initially thought him a monster - what monster knew of such sophistication? It is not a heroic talent, but it is one that brings him joy, and in the end he will hold on to whatever joy he can find.

Ulivali can often struggle to put words to the things he finds important in life. He often, when questioned, will fall back on deference to Valoo, but the older he becomes the more Ulivali realises that he has grown and become a bird not dependent on traditional Rito faith in Valoo. He was once consumed with a burning desire for flight, for the autonomy he was always denied as a blind Rito, but has over the years come to find that he finds more value in connecting with people and discovering new things. He tempers his determination to prove himself worthy of flight with this sense of adventure.

Background: On Dragon Roost Island, there is a house. It is much like most of the houses there, if maybe on the lavish side. For many years, it was the home of a particular lineage - the Pukamamani clan of Rito. Known for their distinguished red-hued feathers and business interests in textiles, they were not wealthy (merely reasonably well-off), but were possessed of excellent reputation and influence on Rito matters in their community. In pride of place on the mantelpiece is a finely-detailed wooden carving. The house has always had a tradition of immortalising its members not in paintings but in traditional Rito woodwork, and this central piece shows the family as it is today. It is sculpted from rich queñua wood, with a base containing many holes into which the three intricate figures are placed for display. In the centre is a tall Rito man with long, loose head feathers, thin of frame and broad of wing. He is graceful, authoritative, and poised. This is Kurt, father and wordsmith, known for his level-headedness. On his right stands a shorter Rito woman, round and strong-shouldered, clad in flowing fabrics. This is Mara, mother and craftswoman, gentle and sometimes judgemental. On the left, there is a Rito who does not exist.

Certainly, this Rito bears resemblance to one who exists, at least in his adolescence. The effigies are re-made occasionally, as the one they represent age, but all of the models that have sat in this spot have had the same errors. This carving has six straight talons. This carving has long, smooth wings. This carving has bright, clear eyes.

Ulivali understands the importance of family. He truly does. He cannot help but to resent the carving in his place for its lies. For the sentiment behind it. Ulivali is not the bird in the carving because of his family, and it is an ache within him every time he thinks of this piece of him that will be presented for the rest of time and will lie about who he was. About what happened to him because his idol was mounted on the Clan Pukamamani mantelpiece.

The differences between the real Ulivali and his effigy exist because of another clan that his father wronged. A not-insignificant portion of Clan Mashu was stricken to poverty by Kurt’s decision to stop sourcing fabrics from them, and two of their clansfolk took matters into their own hands by kidnapping Kurt’s nine-year-old son from their home and holding him for ransom. Unused to violence and crime, all his kidnappers knew of kidnapping was what they knew from fictional portrayals - which made Ulivali’s situation significantly worse. Instead of simply sending a letter through the post to deliver their message, they cut off one of his talons to enclose within. They didn’t need proof they had him - Kurt and Mara were frantic at their son’s disappearance and would not have doubted anything they were told, but the severed talon certainly made the situation far more drastic.

The two kidnappers were demanding payment for all the fabric that Mara’s little seamstress business would have used if their deal hadn’t been called off, but that money had already gone to the new suppliers. Not knowing what to do when their ransom failed, the kidnappers resorted to a measure from the same novel that had given them the kidnapping idea in the first place, and poured molten wax in his eyes to keep him from identifying them. They flew him somewhere on the island and left him there to wander blindly until he was found and taken home.

Ulivali adjusted well to being blind; while there was grief, and anger, and headaches from the stabbing lights of his residual vision, all of these came to be in the past for him as he found himself perfectly able to keep up with his peers, with a little help. He learned to navigate with a cane, he learned how long it took to walk from the beach to his home, his residual vision slowly became smudges that he could block with a cloth, and in general he continued to have a relatively normal childhood. He grew frustrated with the unasked-for pity many adults would heap upon him, especially when his peers began to say it too. While he considered himself independent, every fall or collision with an obstacle was taken as evidence against him, that he needed help doing absolutely everything.

Maybe he still would have fit in on Dragon Roost, if it weren’t for the day he came of age. He had been preparing with the others his age, praying to Valoo and preparing to ascend the mountain to be gifted with a scale from the feathered dragon god. Until he realised that his parents had decided he wouldn’t complete the ceremony. He was never to fly, for fear his blindness would cause injury to himself or others when he took to the air. Ulivali argued, insisting that he would do anything. He would fly under supervision so someone could chaperone him, he would study the magical enhancement of the senses to compensate for his disability, he’d save up and buy a trained bird to guide him. He was desperate for them to understand that his blindness didn't need to be the barrier they were claiming it was. He already felt it was no barrier at all. Nothing mattered. Their decision was final.

His parents ended up keeping him indoors for much of the time. Hidden away. The family shame. His mother sewed small wings of fabric and stitched on feathers for him to wear as sleeves on occasions when he was required to leave; they were weighty and disorienting and he was under strict instruction not to allow scrutiny of them lest the charade be discovered. His parents told the other Rito that, in his benevolence, Valoo had granted Ulivali wings that would keep him safe. There were those in private who already called him fokka, kept quiet only by social obligation requiring them to avoid questioning their precinct’s primary income-generators. Much of Ulivali’s time was spent mourning his forced separation from Valoo. It wasn’t quite religious fervour that overtook him - he didn’t venerate Valoo like one would beseech a god - but he came to believe that Valoo was the overseer of the part of the universe that concerned Ulivali. He didn’t need prayers, but his goodwill was what brought prosperity to life. The young Rito didn’t understand what had happened to earn any reticence from the dragon god. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding, and Ulivali only needed to commune with Valoo to be understood.

He tried to sneak his way to Valoo eight times. Each time he was noticed before he reached the dragon - once he was close enough to hear Valoo’s snores before they caught up and dragged him howling back down the mountain. His parents despaired at their failure to explain their choice, at the fact that they couldn’t travel and speak to every guide at the foot of the mountain to stop them from seeing a youthful Rito with no flight feathers and allowing him through. His efforts were happening too frequently as he aged. People were noticing, were asking questions about why the Pukamamani boy who allegedly already had wings was so desperate to get to Valoo. At fifteen, the charade was up, and his parents took him to a tattooist.

They lied, when they told him they were ‘letting’ him get a tattoo. They allowed him to choose what he wanted - of course, he chose to mark his feathers with the image of Valoo. Mara couldn’t bring herself to come with Ulivali and Kurt the day it was done. Ulivali didn’t understand what had been done until the next time he circled around the mountain, to find a guide he hadn’t approached before, to ask passage up their path to Valoo. The woman almost allowed it before she stopped. The same happened thrice more. Eventually, he frustratedly asked why they would exclude him. This guard finally told him. His tattoo was indeed of Valoo, but within it his parents had asked the tattooist to inscribe the word FOKKA in old script - illegible to the common folk, but to anyone who worked with Valoo and so knew the old language, he was forever branded as being flightless.

He only spent another year and two months on Dragon Roost before he couldn’t take it anymore. His sympathy for his parents had run out. When the next boat to the mainland was set to depart, Ulivali gathered his things and took a significant sum of rupees from his parents’ chest and stowed away.

He quickly found his people. Fokka on the mainland were more common than on Dragon Roost - and unlike the stories shared in his home, these Fokka were not universally cruel monsters. Many worked as knights-for-hire and sellswords, unable to gain respectable professions in Hylian settlements due to their perceived blasphemy, and they welcomed Ulivali amongst them. For a while he earned his keep with his dancing - always a passion of his - before he realised that many were in dire need of an armourer. The sewing skills his mother had taught him served well when applied to the Fokka clothing and even leather armour, and continued training saw him learn to craft armour of metals as well. He had to have aides, of course; without eyesight, Ulivali needed help coordinating colours and ensuring he was using the right materials from among his supplies. Before long he was able to craft garb almost completely solo, although he learned quickly that there was no point in trying to be completely independent else he create an eyesore that nobody would wear.

He stayed with the Pachatuku Fokka for five years. On occasion he would travel with those who had been hired for a quest; clients typically wouldn't pay him as a knight-for-hire directly, but found a way to accompany his kinsfolk anyway. It was a long loop of faithful contemplation, of learning to read the air around him and move himself accordingly, of planning his way back to Valoo. Some of the Fokka around him would sit with him and help plan ways to earn Valoo’s favour, to justify their late ceremony for the Scale. Others were confused by his burning desire to return to a place that had mistreated him, to gain wings when he had a whole and fulfilling life on the ground. Still others were disdainful, trying to persuade Ulivali that there was little point continuing to consider himself Rito when they had so clearly branded him and cast him aside, that wings were meaningless vanities Rito lorded over Fokka. His conviction remained. He dreamed of proving himself to the universe, of accruing the karma to prove to Valoo that he was worthy of flight, no matter what others said about his sight.

His countdown was decided by his craft. He carved himself a staff of strong wood, a weapon and cane and tool to sense the winds. He sewed strong armour of leather and scale, and practiced his ability to move independent of eyesight across long distances. He trained and rested and laughed with his Fokka kin, particularly his friends Bakk and Kamat, who had no reservations in helping him prepare for a journey of self-discovery. When he felt he was ready, he bid the Pachatuku Fokka farewell, for the coming days. Ulivali set off across the land, in search of quests of valiance that would finally earn him the blessing of the feathered dragon.
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From the 2021 Holiday Moblin, Ulivali got a Blast Mask, a Compass, and... whatever an EGG is. Intimidating.

From the 2022 Holiday Moblin, Ulivali got a Ring of Silence and 20r.

After getting absolutely plastered with his new friend Ruairi, Ulivali has reached level 3 of Outfitter and obtained a Red Clover Kinstone.

From the 2023 Holiday Moblin, Ulivali brought home 10r, the Blizzard spell, and two kinstones (Blue Triforce and Green Clover).