Thengaree
"Oh my, you even caught my good side! Hopefully they'll think 'what a handsome chap he is!' and reconsider the pitchforks." Thengaree
HAIR COLOR: None - antennae, frills and other 'pointy bits' are all a darker shade of blue than the rest of him though.
EYE COLOUR: Pale silver-blue orbs. No irises.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Other than looking like a grotesque abomination against nature, nothing particularly unusual.
SCARS AND BIRTHMARKS: His left shoulder is slightly cracked from having been bitten by a strange crab-thing that he claims still owes him money.
DESCRIBE A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM.To the ordinary and the superstitious, Thengaree's monstrous form is quite off-putting and frightening, as his penchant for loudly clicking or sniffing. His perfectly clear accent - sounding for all the world like a well-educated upper class twit - usually only gives them pause long enough for him to realize they're reaching for a pitchfork and to promptly run into the forests.
WHO ARE THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY? WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE DO THEY SURROUND THEMSELVES WITH?Ignoring the disgusted mobs that usually crop up in civilized parts of the world when he doesn't take the time for proper introductions, his family includes his larvae - Sertilah - who he has not seen in years, and his old community at the depths of the ocean, a strange race of 'bottom feeders' who lurk in the darkest depths. On the surface, he has been known to offer his services as a cook to those strange, brave or desperate enough to hire him for his culinary skills. Generally, it's agreed that his food
looks repulsive but is actually some of the best around as far as taste and nutrition is concerned.
WHERE WERE THEY BORN? WHERE HAVE THEY LIVED SINCE THEN? WHERE IS HOME?The 'bottom feeders', a race of monstrous insects that dwell in the darkest parts of the oceans in fear of the surface world. Their lives were often short and difficult, but they had each other regardless of everything else. Most precious of all was Thengaree's child, Sertilah, still just a larvae when he was tasked with journeying to the surface world in search of The Best Tree in the World.
Only by finding such a legendary tree can he appease He Who Cursed Us and free them all - his larvae included - from inevitable doom at the depths of the ocean. And so, he simply keeps journeying, from island to island, until the day he finds a tree suitable to return with and finally have his family join him in the surface world.
WHERE DO THEY GO WHEN THEY'RE ANGRY?Generally, Thengaree doesn't get very angry. He's not easily riled by people being rude - he's used to mobs, after all - and he's got a very cautious and analytical mind. Should something upset him enough, however, Thengaree usually finds a large body of water and submerges himself in mud and water until he thinks he can't be seen any more. Should none be available, he'll just dig a hole and hide for a while.
WHAT IS THEIR BIGGEST FEAR? WHO HAVE THEY TOLD ABOUT IT? WHO WOULD THEY NEVER TELL?The fear that he will fail in his quest, and his family will never get to see the wonders of the surface world. He's told the humans he travels with and is fairly open about it to most. The only person he wouldn't tell is probably He Who Cursed Us, just because said figure would bring out a mixture of reverential fear, awe and hatred were he to encounter the being once more.
DO THEY HAVE A SECRET?Only that he sometimes thinks humans all look identical. He mainly relies on smell to tell them apart.
WHAT MAKES THEM LAUGH OUT LOUD?The thought of a tasty meal, a good forest or ocean pun, or happy memories of his family. His laughter is a strange cacophony of wortling, clicking and the sound of lips smacking.
HAVE THEY EVER BEEN IN LOVE?Not romantically, no - though his people are filled with a natural sense of empathy to those who 'smell right', and he was particularly good friends with Sertilah's other parent.
DESCRIBE THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE HARD FOR THEM TO PART WITH.His limbs. While he can regrow most of his body parts within about a week if they're detached or too damaged to function, he has a strong fondness for them and sometimes gives them names if he's gone long enough without injury. One particular left leg that he kept hold of shortly after he arrived on the surface (due to it detaching from the sudden change in water pressure) and sometimes uses as a club if danger rears its head, is termed 'Bootleg' and remains a fond memento.
LOOK DOWN AT THEIR FEET. DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SEE.Big, beautiful blue webbed claws that often fill up with muck and straw from many hours trudging through the wilderness or running away from scared villagers.
WHEN THEY THINK OF THEIR CHILDHOOD KITCHEN, WHAT SMELL DO THEY ASSOCIATE WITH IT? WHY DOES IT RESONATE?The bottom feeders rarely cook unless they find a functioning sea-vent to roast some crabs over. The smell was exhilarating and sulfuric, and the heavy smoke was often choking, but such times meant a measure of safety and the chance to eat something special and unique as a community.
DESCRIBE ONE STRONG MEMORY THAT HAS STUCK WITH THEM FROM CHILDHOOD.The day they explored his first wreck. Often in the wake of storms on the surface, they would discover great wrecks and the flesh of sailors. The bodies were strange - tasty, but strange and unfamiliar. The smell was... peculiar, but exciting. The scent of strange perfumes, of this mysterious 'wood' that the adults said came from the surface world...
It was brilliant and new and strange. And when Thengaree went exploring, he found a picture of the humans in a mysterious, warm place. Although he struggled to recognize the scene - what he now knows to be a family picnic in the woods - there was still something kind and loving in its nature. Perhaps, deep down, Thengaree, knew that he belonged there.
WHAT DO THEY WANT MOST OF ALL?To find a tree worthy of appeasing He Who Cursed Us, and thus to give his family the freedom to dwell in the light of the surface world before they are consumed by the darkness in those depths and destroyed completely.
RIGHT NOW, IN THE FIRST MOMENT OF OUR STORY, WHAT IS THEIR BIGGEST PROBLEM?Currently, Thengaree has been hiding out at the base of an apple orchard after being chased out of town. They don't know he's there, but they'll probably notice sooner or later due to how eagerly he's been, uh...
"Studying", the trees there.
