I admit that I am a weak person, and that I want to slap myself with a fish for this.
If it turns out names can be changed, I'd like to name him Lazuli, or Laz for short, to Sapphire/Sapph/Saph will do quite well. The name for this character is not as imperative as the Goey himself or personality. :)Edit: Baha, ninja-Kam!
Goennec Pen #: 3
Name: Lazuli/Laz
How would you use him/her: He would be a background RP character, as well as one of the Prime Brothers in Cass's first herd. A side story to my main plotline has formed, exploring the dynamic of the herd after Cass is exiled, and Aussie becomes depressed; I may also write a prequel to my monster plotline, exploring the way life was before the darkness, and how the entirety of Cass's herd faired before Shiva and his dark followers started to take over. Lazuli would be the physically strong brother of Cass's dual-Prime herd; I will wait for an Affected for the other. As an RP character, he will, of course, be a member of the Savannah Herd. He would be available for breeding, though no child of his can be associated with him in the case that it is used in the story or RP, due to his instincts never flaring.
Define your Goennec: Lazuli- called Laz for short- was the one who defeated the previous Prime Goennec. He had been the strongest of the soldiers, and has the soldier mentality, but his mind wasn't suitable for the Prince position. He is mentally disabled; Humans would say he is "slow". He cannot make decisions easily because he doesn't know as much. Despite his fighter attitude and retardation, he holds a soft spot for his brother, and would fight to the death for him. When his brother convinced him of the idea to challenge the Prime, he took his chance, once he got the signal to do so, of course.
Because his brother cannot fight, Laz does so for him. He is larger than most Goennecs of the herd, and can keep the peace with a flash of his thicker than normal horns, or a jump, landing on a rock with all four hooves at the same time and creating a loud
crack!.
As a youth, Laz was belittled for his mental state, especially by his sibling. While the other Goennecs learned to walk, communicate and forage for food, Laz and his brother stayed behind, the latter grumbling unhappily as he "coached" his brother into learning the basics of standing without slipping on the rocks and scuffing his hooves. To keep from being kicked out into the fields to sleep by the other young ones, he had to learn to defend himself from his cocky yearmates and, soon enough, the next two groups of younglings. With the snide comments fueling him and his brother, who finally decided he was of some use, training him verbally to fight against the unyielding Savannah boulders, he was able to become much stronger than his peers. His mating instincts never flared up to distract him from his fighting, so he co-rules while mateless.
It was Laz that found Aussie dying in recently wildfire-cleared lands just south of the herd's boarder, just a few months into his Primacy. Not really remembering if he was a member of the herd or not, he carried the young Goennec to food and water, and was the first to accept him as part of the herd. He didn't really understand why none of the female Goennecs took him in, so he did, much to his brother's amusement. Watching the females raise their young, he managed to make Aussie strong, even if he couldn't really fix his fright in the face of danger. His sibling was surprised, and named Aussie Prince despite having another strong male in mind. He also supported Aussie's interest in Celestina, after his brother asked him to find something the young one could fight for.
Laz doesn't understand the herd's laws very well; His brother mostly told him to halt disputes if he saw them, and then look for him (his brother) to place judgment. Therefore, he doesn't much understand when his brother orders the exile of Celestina/Cassiopoeia, even if she was hanging out with the neighboring herd's reject, and fraternized with an alien species. He stood in confusion as his brother gave Aussie the order to chase them out. Laz, in his first moment of intelligence, was the first to predict and recognize the effect that the exile would have on Aussie, not that he would say anything.
During Cass's absence, he tried to console his not-son and future successor, and was met with enraged blue horns clashing against his own. It wasn't long before he was overtaken, his age betraying him against the anger and hatred-fueled aggression of youth. With Laz defeated, his brother could stand no better, and Aussie took his place as Prime. Every day after his defeat, Laz climbed to the Prime's hovel, and tried to get Aussie to talk to him, usually getting the younger Goennec's tail in his face or, on occasion, a couple of light blue hooves to his horns or side.
Laz's mental retardation has not allowed him to come up with a proper life wish. He merely wishes to live another day, for the most part, if the small wishes he has are added up. He also desires for Aussie to have a good life.
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In the final battle, Laz will join the fight alongside Aussie, and redeem himself in his not-son's eyes. However, he will not survive the battle; his failing strength will lose out to the dark force's numbers and weapons. He will have left behind a full life, not knowing that his brother, left behind due to his affliction, was dead as well, killed by an eagle who realized that Laz was no longer able to protect him.
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Young, frustrated Laz attempting to learn to stand:

Ponderous/sad Laz:

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Story excerpt 1- the story behind the first drawing aboveA scuffle, then the sound of a small body hitting the ground with a quiet whine.
"Oh, for pity's sake. You're doing it wrong,
again!"
Laz's sad blue eyes gazed at his brother, understanding nothing but the bitter tone. Nearby, he heard mocking bleats of playing youths and the few that were watching his failed attempts at doing something they had mastered weeks ago. He didn't understand why he couldn't get up, why he couldn't talk like them, why they could wander off and return with happy bellies while he had to beg his mother for her milk at every turn, and yet his stomach just couldn't get happy enough. At least his brother cared... he stuck around, instead of running along with the rest of the young ones.
"Get up, you stupid oaf! Aish, do I have to tell you to do everything? Are you stupid or something?!"
Laz whimpered, hanging his head as he tried again. His aft came up, bright blue tail flipping up to balance his body, and promptly slipped, falling hard on his hip. With a sigh, he turned the rest of his body over, resigned.
"Are you kidding me? You've slipped hundreds of times today, and
now you give up? Maybe the buzzards should kill you and get it over with. Clean up the gene pool a bit; If you grow up and have kids, if any female will pity you enough, they're going to have just as many problems as I do. Now, get up!"
Laz closed his eyes, not moving. He didn't want to try again. As much as he wanted to get up and be a normal Goennec, he couldn't. He never would. He was a failure, in every sense of the word.
Two small taps of hoof against rock, coupled with a tiny growl. Then, two short horns smalled into his side.
"I will not let you give up. As much as you annoy me, and as much as I hate you for being such a moron, you're my brother. Your actions reflect onto me. Get
Up!"
Despite his illness, and despite the fact that walking pained him extraordinarily, he shoved Laz back into an upright position, and forced him into trying again. This time, he stomped and kicked the dark blue hooves into place, grumbling as his brother finally-
finally- made it to all fours.
A grunt of approval. Then, "I am
so not teaching you to walk."
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Story excerpt 2- takes place later in lifeLaz nudged the small heap of fur he had spotted during his usual wanderings. Tiny, rough bleats replied.
"W-who? Wha'?"
Laz cocked his head curiously. He didn't recognize the youngling, not that he really bothered to get familiar with them until he could meet with the soldiers. They intimidated him, reminding him of pain, though he could no longer remember just why anymore. His brother had told him to use the pain and forget what happened, after all.
"Why you stray?"
Light blue eyes met Laz's dark blue.
"Who're you? Where... where am I?*"
The youngling's thick accent confused Laz, and he frowned, trying to figure out what he'd said. The youngling, in the meantime, took his silence as anger, and stumbled to all fours weakly to back off.
"Mother miss you. Come. Find her."
Slowly, and with as much gentleness as the warrior of a Goennec could muster, Laz nudged the weak child onto his back and headed toward the females' grazing area, his hooves slipping, as usual, over the slick, weather-worn tops of the boulders.
"I... I don't live around here. I don't know were I am...."
"Where mother? Who mother? Who... you?"
"I'm Aussie.... I don't know where my mother is... I've been traveling for days. I think she died."
Laz was only able to puzzle out part of what the little one said. "No mother here?"
"No."
"Then I be mother. For now."
Carefully, Laz picked his way up to the Primes' hovel, Aussie on his back.
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*Aussie is written with an Australian accent. For best effect, think of how Steve Irwin spoke to get the accent. Aussie's spoken words have been changed as I study the Australian accent. I want to get it right, if I do it at all. Also, due to Laz's mental retardation, he cannot speak correctly. So yes, he sounds a little bit like the idealized caveman or a very young child.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As usual, complete at posting save for minor edits that involve my mind doing strange things.