Toxcatl

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Toxcatl was severely malnourished and physically underdeveloped due to a notorious disease he contracted as a child. When he was discovered at age 13, he had the physical development of a much younger child and lesser symptoms:

• Lean but Hardened Muscles
• Calloused Hands
• Lengthened Tongue
• Thicker-than-normal Skin and Nails
• Dense Bones and Nerves
• Ixhuei Eyes
• Deformed Hip
• Undersized Rib Cage
• Distended Abdomen

Physical quirks

The most noticeable quirk of his, was his unusual posture and gait: loping stride more suited to climbing than walking.
Additionally, he possessed a deep, intrinsic appreciation for sensation which led to him enjoying the look of the moon or the feeling of textures on objects.

Apparel & Accessories

Toxcatl was found leaping through the trees mostly naked; marked with dirt and remnants of plant pigments.. Throughout his time under the College's care, he was often given simple, non-restrictive clothing suited to his needs. He rejected footwear entirely. He did eventually become accustomed to wearing a scarf, finding comfort in the fabric against his face.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Wild Child

When Toxcatl was discovered by the Mountain Toiks, he had no understanding of their speech, no social skills and little awareness of the world outside his forest home.
Regardless, the College of Birds invested a great deal of resources into Toxcatl's comfort because he was found to have a lesser variant of Touch that was not transmittable and allowed for puberty. As time continued on, it was also made evident that Toxcatl had delayed aging.

Education

Communication

Toxcatl never received a consistent or structured learning experience. The researchers attempted to educate Toxcatl in their language, as he became the subject of disease and psychological studies. Despite initial progress in understanding words and symbols, his ability to form grammatical sentences remained limited.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Touch Breakthrough

Despite his tragic beginning, he eventually learned to express himself through gestures, drawings and simple words.
His case significantly contributed to Touch research; particularly, the discovery of the 'ghost' hallucination that only the host can see. This apparition apparently transfers knowledge and issues instructions to the afflicted. However, the doctors suspected that Toxcatl's will was enough to resist any suggestion precisely because it was a weaker form.

He seems to attribute his heightened spatial awareness to this imaginary friend of his.

— Joabin on an update to Toxcatl's coping mechanism

Failures & Embarrassments

Touch Treatment

Despite the doctors' efforts, the college was unable to achieve their objective of better managing, if not outright curing, touch patients.
The endeavor held Toxcatl for some 70 years, but still failed. No one knows whether he wandered away, perished in obscurity or continued to be studied in secret.
Some believe the research reached an impasse and resorted to ethically dubious experiments.

Mental Trauma

Escape From Home

Within warg culture, children are segregated into 'learning camps' for years as a precautionary measure against jungle diseases. However, in such a system, if one child is found to be sick then the entire group is destroyed. Tragically, this happened to Toxcatl.
Getting away from his home was a double-edged sword for Toxcatl. While it freed him from the fate of his siblings, it also threw him into a world he could not understand.

Morality & Philosophy

Nature

Both while in captivity and roaming the forests, Toxcatl's worldview was shaped purely by his experiences. Deprived of a traditional moral upbringing, his understanding of concepts like kindness and cruelty may have been purely instinctual.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Search

Toxcatl is driven by an insatiable curiosity. Whether seeking his lost home, a forgotten memory or something entirely new; he constantly seeks something just beyond his reach. He reacts strongly to unfamiliar scents, sounds and sights; often wandering into dangerous situations out of sheer fascination.

Virtues & Personality perks

Despite his tragic past, Toxcatl displayed a remarkable capacity for curiosity and adaptation. He was gentle, rarely aggressive, and appeared eager to learn and interact in his way. He found particular joy in sensory experiences and small discoveries - being surprisingly perceptive - showcasing a resilient spirit despite unimaginable hardships.

Vices & Personality flaws

Toxcatl's extreme deprivation left him with significant cognitive and emotional challenges. He struggled with impulse control, often engaging in repetitive behaviours like spitting and hoarding.
Post-rescue, he had difficulty in forming and maintaining relationships; which made him appear rude or even threatening. He sometimes reacts to stress by laughing or entirely shuts down when being restrained.

Conditions

• Touch

Ethnicity

Leggi

Age

95

Circumstances of Birth

Normal

Circumstances of Death

Unannounced

Birthplace

Shadow Plain

Place of Death

Tlopetla

Gender

Male

Presentation

Masculine

Eyes

Dark and Droopy

Hair

Dark and Curly

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Light Tan and marked with Small Scars

Height

4' 6"

Weight

59 lbs

Related Plots

• Tochin

Appears in...

• A Study of Touch

Character Prototype

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	13 (+1)	8 (-1)	14 (+2)	8 (-1)	12 (+0)

Armour Class: 10
HP: 7 ( 2d6 )
Speed: 25ft
Saving Throws: DEX +2
Skills: Stealth +2, Deception +2, Performance +2
Abilities:

Can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of their turns

Slap: 1 bludgeoning damage

Advantage on CHA (Deception) checks