Name: Chai Race: Kikwi Age: 17 Gender: Male Place of Origin: Nabooru PWC: 1/3/3 Treasures and Rupees: Ballad of the Windfish, Dissonance, Bee Badge, Compaction Bud, Camouflage, Business, Level 1 Minstrel, 10 Rupees Equipment: Short Sword, Slingshot, Pennywhistle, Small Lute, Songbook (He can play most average tunes and folk songs easily, however he will learn to play magical songs as it makes sense in quests, and likely accompanied by a level in Minstrel) Appearance: Chai stands about 3' 2", average Kikwi height and average Kikwi weight. Not much separates him from other Kikwis in terms of appearance besides his eyes, which are slightly larger than other Kikwi's, and the mushroom growing on top of his head in place of a leaf or small vine. The mushroom is roughly the same size as other Kikwi's leaves, about 2 1/2" tall with a 2" diameter mushroom cap. The cap is a deep purple with bright pink spots, while the stem is the same bright pink. Chai, like most members of his race, generally walks around in his birthday suit, with plenty of fur (or down feathers?) to keep him warm and hide any theoretical anatomy. Personality: Chai is the bravest coward, so to speak. While he is considered a lionheart among other members of his race, he's still a bit yellower than your average adventurer. He would always prefer to sneak into a dungeon than bust the front door, or camouflage himself as a bush to hide from guards instead of running them down. That being said, his sense of justice and love for his friends will usually override his timidity, if it comes right down to the wire and he has no other recourse. Besides his bravery in combat, or lack thereof, Chai is a bit eccentric in comparison to most Hylians. In his speech, sense of humor, and the general way he carries himself, Chai can often come across a bit awkward and uncomfortable. While Chai is a bit scared of meeting new people, and often worries about what others think, this fear is not crippling, nor is the awkwardness overly significant, as both are overridden by his thirst for knowledge and exploration to bring back to his people. Background: Chai's parents were fairly atypical among Kikwis. They had always desired more in life than what their tribe in the Lost Woods could offer; hobbit-style culture and a strict diet of nuts and berries wasn't going to cut it for them, and when Chai was conceived they decided it was time to migrate. They started a life in Nabooru. Here they had a town pub, half a dozen shops, and jobs; all the excitement they could ever want! This was where Chai spent his formative years, faffing about with his mostly Hylian friends and enjoying his life of chores and, as his parents so-perceived, excitement. Periodically he and his family would make trips back to the Lost Woods to visit relatives. While his Kikwi relatives were always warm and more than welcoming, Chai always noticed that whenever the subject of his family moving to Nabooru, or almost anything of the world outside their tribe was brought up, all the Kikwi all of a sudden got somewhat quiet, and almost nervous looking. It was as though they were terrified of anything out of the safety of their little forest tribe. One evening, Chai had nothing better to do, so he decided to spend the night at the local pub. It was a warm summer evening, so he chose to sit outside where a travelling minstrel was playing a few ditties for tips. He ordered his usual corned cabbage and a frothy mug of Chateaux Lon Lon, and settled in for a relaxing evening of mediocre bar food and live music. As he sipped his milk, his gaze wandered lazily across the pub. A few children laughed and played on one side of the room, each with a homemade green hat and a wooden stick for a sword. They were all arguing over who got to be the legendary hero, and who had to be the villain. Eventually, they compromised and decided they could all be Link, while one of their un-suspecting fathers with his back turned was volunteered for the role of the villain. Eventually his gaze landed on the travelling minstrel, playing on a small stage in the back of the courtyard. He strummed on an old, dinged up lute and sang tales of great heroes of old, setting off from home and going on great adventures. Chai sat there for what felt like a few minutes, but when he glanced up at the moon he realized that a few hours had passed. The night was winding down; children were sitting on their parents laps listening to the stories of ancient heroes, although most slept and dreamed of someday going on their own adventures. A few old men at a table off to one side swapped stories of their adventures as young men, while a few of the young women at another table gossiped about all of the young men who had left the village to join the guard, and each of them hoped they returned with battle scars and stories of their home. All at once, a thought struck Chai. Hylian villages had travelling minstrels pass through them at least once a month, spreading tales of brave young heroes. Maybe if the Kikwi had someone like that, they could be inspired to leave their village and make something of themselves! After the minstrel was finished playing, Chai went up to him to ask him how he learned to play. The minstrel, named Thaxton, explained how he had traveled to Hyrule Castle Town and learned to play at a small music school there. When he realized that the small Kikwi intended on becoming a minstrel himself, he pulled a small pennywhistle out of his bag and handed it to Chai. "Here," he said, "something to get you started." Chai traveled to Hyrule Castle town and joined the music school. He payed his tuition with money his parents had given him (they were quite proud of their son, going out on an adventure), and afforded a small studio apartment by busking with the pennywhistle Thaxton had given him. After a few months in the school he had mastered a large handful of tunes, although he could only play one magic song (Ballad of the Windfish), while with anything else he couldn't focus on both the magic and the song, so it came out as a blood-curdling, paralyzing screech. However, given that magic is not required for graduation, he managed to pass all his classes and graduate. As a graduation gift, each student was given a large songbook, with a few magical tunes in it as well. After a few weeks, Chai saved up enough money for a low-end lute so he could play while singing (no other way to spread tales), and set out to begin his adventure.
