Tsela Yee Naaldlooshii
"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist."-
Frederick Nietzsche
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Full Name|
Tsela Yee Naaldlooshii
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Nickname|
Ashkii Natonaba
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Birth Date|
November, seventh
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Age|
19
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Zodiac Symbol|
Scorpio
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Gender|
Male
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Sexuality|
Aromantic hedonist
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Race|
Navajo/Native American
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Species|
Skin Walker (Yee naaldlooshii)
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Mentor|
Uh, so we choose this? I'm a little confused.
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Hero or Villain|
Neither, he does what he wants, think Catwoman I guess
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In Depth Appearance|
Tsela stands at 5' 11", and weighs 174 lbs. He has light caramel colored skin, with dark piercing eyes. Long, about mid back, messy black hair that's usually either untouched from when he woke up or pulled into a loose pony tail to get it out of his way. Broad shoulders, leading to muscular arms, and a well defined torso, narrowing at the waist line. Long legs leading to perpetually uncovered feet. Generally, Tsela dresses in vests that are left open, with some light decorating, and pull away stripper pants for ease of access when transforming. While in human form, his other skins show as black tattoos on his back, on his right wrist he wears a bracelet that has the teeth of a coyote and cougar, as well as interspersed with crow feathers.
Tsela has three additional shapes he can change into, the first is the coyote. From nose to tip of tail, Tsela is 4' 10 and weighs 38 lbs. Due to the northern climate his fur is predominantly white and black, and thick for warmth. The guard hair s along his spine, and shoulders are a mix of black and white, appearing gray, but as those slide down the ribs and towards the under fur it starts to appear darker, the blacks and grays out weigh the white. Some reddish brown runs up the sides of his narrow muzzle and onto the tips of his ears. Some more reddish brown is on his flanks, and upper thighs. His under fur is predominantly white with dark spots.
The second shape is a crow. Standing at 18 in and weighing 21.7 ozs. Wing span of 37 in. Coloration predominantly black, but along the wings it goes inky purple, and through midnight blue. And the current last, but certainly not least, the cougar. He stands 33 in tall at the shoulder, and 7.4 feet nose-to-tail. Tsela weighs 214 lbs while in the Cougar shape. His coloring is mostly a tawny color, though his face is marked by dark lines. Along his shoulders and back you can see faint black shapes. Under belly is a paler shade of the same color on the rest of his body.
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Powers|
Shape shift/skin walk/yee naaldlooshii - take the shape of any skin that has been worn during a specific áńt’įįzhį rite.
áńt’įįzhį - Witchery Way or Corpse-poison way. Curses, spells, rites, and ceremonies using the powdered corpses, most notably the bones, to achieve particular results. Generally used to kill, sicken, or hamper enemies.
'Iińzhįįd - Sympathetic magic, the use of an object containing some part of a specific individual, hair, nails, blood, flesh, bone, etc or a highly regarded personal object, to work magic on the individual. These are generally curses, but just about any work both harmful and beneficial can be done with it.
"Mind control" - A specific form of ’iińzhįįd which allows the ánt’įįhnii to force the victim to perform certain tasks. However it is not true mind control, it is purely physical, difficult to perform, and unless constantly worked will collapse freeing the victim and allowing them time to fight back.
"Snake eyes" - Once enough forms (10 or so) are collected the ánt’įįhnii(witch or skin walker) has the power to temporarily freeze an opponent by looking into their eyes. This is due to the fear response and can be fought against if prepared for it, or if the individual is either stronger or naturally resistant to the effect.
He can also use the strength or speed of animal shapes while in human form, for short periods of time. So for instance with the cougar shape, while human he can make the 5.5 meter leap, however afterwards he'll be tired, and needs to eat to replenish lost energy.
This is it for now.
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Power Weakness|
Physical size is equal to the size of the skin worn. If a house cat is worn, then Tsela is the size of a house cat, if an elephant then Tsela is the size of an elephant.
During a transformation, Tsela is vulnerable. Between the pain and time taken there is roughly half a minute where Tsela is open to attack.
All spell work (or sings) are time consuming or must be prepared in advance. For instance ant'j (corpse poison) can be thrown during a battle, but must be prepared prior to it.
Silver is poisonous to Skin walkers, a little can break the enchantment holding the skin their in, consistent contact or silver within the bloodstream can poison or kill a skin walker(I'm including this to offer additional limitations but I did find a few sources that stated this, may not actually be true lore.)
There are several ways to prevent an ánt’įįhnii's works from effecting you. Some are as follows: A ceremonial, or "sing" can be performed to counteract a witch. Often this is a Protection way sing, but sometimes the full Night Chant is used.
Spruce is used in the "Shooting, Witch, Lightning and Night Chant" ceremonies. The wood of the limber pine is used to create the small bow and arrow used in the Witch and Shooting Chants.
New Mexico giant hyssop is used by the Ramah Navajo to protect from witches, and a cold infusion of orange agoseris is also used by the Ramah Navajo for protection against witches. The Ramah Navajo use cold infusions of the root Littleleaf pussytoes, and smalleaf pussytoes for protection as well. Pygmyflower rockjasmine is used by the Kayenta Navajo for bewitchment and pain from witches' arrows.
Most importantly, if you know the full name of the skin walker, look them in the eye and say it they will sicken and die within three days unless they can get to their áńt’įbáhoołan, a sacred and secluded location where they perform most of their áńt’įįzhį work.
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Quriks | Habits | Oddities|
Tsela will not touch a stranger, will not eat in public view, spends as much time as possible in nature settings, Tsela prefers to use his "nickname" Ashkii, when lieing he will scratch his thigh with his left hand.
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Hobbies | Talents|
Cooking, archery, arts and crafts, throwing hatchets, stealth, reading, pursuit of knowledge.
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Likes|
Physical touch (from close friends only), good food, games of chance, pursuit of pleasure, money/valuables.
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Dislikes|
Physical touch (from everyone else), pain, narrow mindedness, overly cheerful or loud people, rules, and abusive people.
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Fears|
His parents, silver, and anyone knowing his full name.
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Personality|
♦ Loyal ♦ Impatient ♦ Inquisitive ♦ Wrathful ♦
Tsela is free spirited, and intelligent. He is open minded and generally calm, however he is quick to anger and swift to punish. He is loyal to those he is close to and will go to the end of the earth for those he cares for. Everyone else can pretty much not exist as far as he is concerned. He is greedy and self interested, unless he sees specific situations. these situations are hungry or abused children and close friends in need. He cannot abide an abuser, and will go to great lengths to punish one.
Tsela is gentle with people he cares for and enjoys taking care of them. Cooking, giving them massages, pretty much whatever they need. However, he is difficult to become close to, he can be aloof, rude, and violent to strangers and acquaintances. He is slow to trust, and will not stand for betrayal, but once you have his trust he gives it completely. He is dead set on reaching the state of clizyati, which is the highest level of priesthood, which is a master of all forms of curse work. He also hopes to learn more of the medicine man ways, hoping to become equally powerful in both making him nigh on impossible to beat. Overly cheerful people can bother him greatly, but if they become close he enjoys their presence for the simple joy of contentment. Tsela also hopes to research other forms of magic to see if they are compatible for him to use, however he doubts it.
D E F I N I N G M Y P A S T
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History|
Tsela was born in a small Navajo tribe in Utah, while he was young he was chosen by the then medicine man, Atsa Hataalii, to become the next medicine man, his name would have become Tsela Hataalii at that time. Growing up and being taught the ways of healing and protection, the knowledge of herbs and trees, rocks and streams was his greatest joy. However he had a cruel abusive father. He verbally and physically attacked both Tsela and his mother on a daily basis but the tribe did not know of his crimes. When he was 13 years old during one of his father's attacks on his mother she was knocked unconscious. Tsela grew angry and attacked his father . Tackling him to the floor of their hogan, he repeatedly beat him with a piece of wood. His father died, and he screamed for help.
The tribes people rushed to their hogan, wondering what had happened. Upon entering, they found the unconscious woman Tsela kneeling over his father's dead body. Tsela claimed self defense and explained what led to these events but the tribes people were wary of believing him. They took him to the village center and tied him down saying that when his mother woke if she corroborated his story then he'd be free to go. Tsela was certain that she would, he freed them from their tormentor. But his mother betrayed him, claiming he attacked her in order to murder her for the first step in becoming a ánt’įįhnii. That her husband was killed defending her. She named him yee naaldlooshii, skin walker. Glaring at her son she said clearly "If my people do not kill you, I will hunt you down and destroy you. You killed my husband for twisted powers, why? Why have you committed this crime?" Shocked, Tsela collapsed, he couldn't believe she's done this to him. Lied to the entire tribe. And for who? That man?
The Chief roughly dragged the boy to his feet, glaring into his eyes, he growled his full name, his new name into his face. For everyone knows that skin walkers will die after this. Tsela tried pleading his innocence, but they cast him from the tribe. Beating him, and calling him witch. But the Chief stopped them from killing him, saying that he would suffer those three days before death drags him to a shallow grave. Casting Tsela from the village, broken and bleeding, Tsela prayed for death, for absolution. But no god answered him. Tsela crawled into the forest, not heeding his path and collapsed at the base of an old, twisted tree.
Waking up, Tsela found himself in a cramped cave, an old woman bent over him. "Ashkii, why have I found you in my territory?" Watching her warily, he told her his story, and she grew angrier and angrier the further it went. Twisting from him she thought for a few moments. Pacing she opened her mouth, and said "I am Clizyati, I am vengence, I am Ił hóóyééʼ. Give me three years as your master, and we will destroy them. And Tsela...Tsela couldn't say no. He was full of bitter hate for them all. He wished them suffering and death. So he agreed. "Come Ashkii, I will treat your wounds. Then we begin your training." "Thank you, Clizyati, thank you."
Three years passed quicker than Tsela expected, it was close to his 17th birthday, and they were planning a joyous celebration. Clizyati has agreed to teach him the ways of yee naaldlooshii, he would live his name. Bear the curse he was born in. Clizyati explained patiently to him how he must hunt and kill a beast of the land, and bring it to their áńt’įbáhoołan, their sacred place, and she will teach him the rites. With her help, he hunted down and killed a coyote. Dragging it with them, they entered their sacred place. She explained how he must skin the animal with a dagger made from the bones of an enemy. And she handed him one "Ashkii, this came from your father, your kill that brought you onto the path of áńt’įįzhį, nothing would be more powerful for this rite." "How?" Smirking the woman shook her head, but did not answer.
Skinning and preparing the hide, Tsela began a song asking for power from the coyote offering it a second chance at life by his side. Begging for his vengeance, for the life he lost. And for three days he continued with the song, as Clizyati prepared, and ground the bones. Making a specific curse, the curse of yee naaldlooshii. Cupping her hands in the bone dust, she started singing her own song, tossing it and rubbing it into the fur and skin of the young man in front of her. And she watched as the bloody fur seemed to move with the boy's unconscious rocking, his voice ragged and yet still raised in supplication. Pride blossomed in the old woman's bitter heart. And her voice was strong as she lay the curse on him, and then the sound of breaking bones and screaming filled the clearing. Moments later a coyote stood in Ashkii's place. The rite was done, he was a skin walker now.
Leaving the clearing, she took the form of a bear and led the boy back to the village to lay his demons to rest. Rushing through the village they destroyed everything in their path, trampled food, destroyed the hogans of the people, and slaughtered the Chief and his family. They were searching for his mother when Atsa Hataalii stepped in front of them. Flinging his hands, a beautiful cloud came forth, glittering in the air. Tesla lower to the ground just got a light dusting, which caused a burn to spread through his shoulders, but Clizyati received a face full and fell back choking. Her form shriveled to that of an old woman once again. Stepping forward Atsa grabbed her and shouted "You destroyed him, this is all your fault, and you will die for it!" The burn through his shoulders was unbearable, jumping up, Tesla ran off. He has been on the run ever since, collecting skills, and skins when he could. He came to the Camp in hopes of having some short peace, an dc time to prepare to avenge Clizyati. He has just arrived.
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Extra|
This is hard for me to say, I love so many. I'll pick Skin walker though simply because that's my current numero uno, you know?
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Anything Else|
Ashkii means boy, she had literally nicknamed Tsela as boy, just so you know. Naming in the Navajo tribes is basically based off of what you do, who you're related to, what you are, where you live, random stuff. Ok? And so a lot of people's names literally translate to medicine man or something similar. (For instance Clizyati named herself High Priestess, Tesla she named boy, the medicine man's last name literally translates to medicine man.) The first step to becoming skin walker is committing a taboo of some kind, incest, necrophilia, or murder of a family member, usually a sibling. Yeah the first two squick me out, so I went with the last option.
