Shikasha, the Scaled Traveler
Trapped in a new world. Lost, but still searching.
Shikasha know the road, yes, the road that's to Mahali, yes yes. You ask guidance, question yes? Shikasha give guidance, yes, but! Shikasha asks rations, yes. Food, money, yes yes. Shikasha help you, yes, you pay Shikasha, yes. Good?
An explorer at heart, Jhirashu'Kashiri - known by most as Shikasha, the Traveler - is a Shikashan scout and fighter with a passion for discovering new places and living as free as the wind. Known on his home plane, Kahrishi, as the "Trailblazer" for both his ingenuity and his talent to find the fastest and safest paths, he stumbled upon a dimensional rift between Kahrishi and Meridian. Now, he spends his days exploring a world so different from his home plane, encountering both dangerous monsters and incredible people as he searches for a way back. His trustworthy powers show him the path - armed with his strength, speed and intellect, all he needs to do is step forward and embrace whatever Fate has in store for him.
His nickname is the product of initial misunderstandings - as he knew nothing of the languages spoken on the Meridian plane, people assumed his name was "Shikasha", while he tried to explain that he was a shikashan scout from another world. As days went by, he became a living myth among villagers and adventurers. His warm demeanor, unique appearance and talent for finding ruins and other such places made him the central protagonist of many stories. The name "Shikasha" was thus born - the name of a peaceful traveler warrior, the name of an adventurer with cold blood and a warm soul.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Shikasha is a tall and strong humanoid reptile. While his allure might suggest he's on the heavier side, the shikashan explorer is very agile and has a lot of stamina to spare. Do not let his height muscular build scare you - despite his looks, he is peaceful in most situations.
Body Features
Shikasha's body resembles the one of a yellow lizard, only much, much bigger (and also bipedal).
To the inhabitants of Meridian, he appears to be some sort of kirfolk because of his resemblance with animals; his species, however, is not native to Meridian (and is not hot-blooded like the kirfolk).
The most eye-catching part about Shikasha is his golden color - a very rare scale color among his people.
The color indicates that the scales have anti-mana properties, covering his body in a natural anti-magic armor.
Special abilities
Innate Abilities
As any other living being in Aclara, Shikasha has his own set of innate abilities based on his body's mana array system.
Innate ability: Travelbound.
Shikasha feels the safest when he is on the road.
He instinctively knows how to orient himself in a wide range of areas and can remember places after seeing them only once.
These let him find his way back no matter how far he travels, making Shikasha the best at exploring and scouting.
After listening to his senses and following his instinct, Shikasha found a naturally-occuring rift through space, trapping himself on the Meridian plane; still, his heart never wavers, for his horizons are forever expanded and every day is now full of adventure.
Evolved ability: Wanderlust.
Shikasha can channel his inner mana reserves to reveal the path towards his desired destination - the more specific the destination is, the harder it is for him to use his ability.
It works akin to a tracking spell, as it allows him to see the the direction towards whatever place or person he is looking for.
Wanderlust always chooses the "best route" for its user; while it might not be the fastest road, the results are always the best.
The journey is more important than the destination, after all.
Shikashan Shaman Abilities
Shikasha was trained in the ways of earth-based shikashan shamanism, granting him a bit of control over nature, rocks and the ground.
Earth Shikashan Shaman: Minor Ground Control.
Shikasha is able to exert small influence over earth, allowing him to displace pieces of the ground by moving them.
He oftentimes uses this power to move or shake the ground beneath his enemies, making them lose their footing.
He can also hurl chunks of the ground across small distances.
To achieve this, Shikasha must infuse the soil with his own mana; if the targeted piece of ground is far, he will need more time to channel his ability and the result will be weaker.
Earth Shikashan Shaman: Teluric Enchantment.
Shikasha can imbue mana into various types of earth, metal, stone and dust.
The effect of the ability varies wildly based on the target of the ability; as far as he knows, enchanting sand will increase its temperature, enchanting iron alloy objects will make them more durable, enchanting earth rich in nutrients makes plants grow faster and enchanting gemstones will simply make them store ~90% of the mana used, allowing him to store excess mana for later use.
Earth Shikashan Shaman: Expanding Roots.
By infusing surrounding plants with his mana, Shikasha can force their roots to sprawl upwards from the ground in an attempt to strangle the nearest living being (that is not Shikasha himself or another plant).
Although the spell works in a way similar to Absolute Binding, since both spells force matter to clench around their target, Expanding Roots uses the limited sensing power of the plant to sense the aura of other beings and differentiate between animals, inert matter and other plants.
This makes the shikashan spell more dangerous, since the enchanted plant cannot be fooled by simply throwing a mana-infused object as a distraction.
Apparel & Accessories
Traveler's Staff: Shikasha's only weapon is an enchanted wooden staff. It is more durable than iron tools and allows him to channel his innate and evolved abilities easier. The staff also increases its user's speed and strength as long as he is in a familiar place - a match made in heaven for the road-loving reptile, allowing him to fight with advantage almost anywhere in Aclara.
Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.