by Nanorat » Mon May 20, 2019 7:09 pm
PS I love sketchy style <3 IDK why but somehow soft sketchy lines remind me of the old cartoons! Makes me feel nostalgic + makes the charrie look like it's a screen shot from a good old 80th animated series <3
Explain his scars or arm:
Both his scars and his cyborg arm he owes to a vicious karrabac he had to fight during his initiation ritual. Back then, Kayd was still an upstanding member of his tribe, however dealings with certain "merchants" - smugglers in fact, trading goods usually stolen in other parts of the Republic to local tribes for kaleesh crafts - have already put deviant ideas into his mind. He pondered whether the brutal traditions of his people were the only way to live by, and it affected his fate strongly when the time has come for his ritual of initiation. Phazar tribe bordering with the ice landmass of Grendaju has the mandatory ritual for every warrior reaching adulthood - they had to venture out and slay a karrabac all on their own, to earn the right to carve their mask. A harsh task even among the kaleesh, but Kayd did not doubt it untill the moment he had to face the raging beast, with only his hand-made spear for a weapon, while seniors observed from safe distance making sure he does not cheat. It was a test of strength, promising to bring honor to those warriors who pass it, but... Kayd did not. The battle was long, and powerful blows of the beast's claws left many scars across Kayd's body. Cold and exhaustion made him cringe in the end - just for a second, one brief moment - but it was enough for old and experienced beast to take its advantage. Half a blink - and before he could open his eyes, debilitating pain struck through Kayd's body, as the beast's jaws crushed his right arm. Karrabac have thrown him up in the air and violently crashed him down against the ice. He was knocked off his feet and out of breath, and thought this was his end. Elder hunters on the far icy ridge turned around and left. He failed, and they abandoned him to be devoured by the beast. It was over.
But Phazar tribe elders were not the only ones observing the battle site. The smugglers, curious about the ritual their client mentioned, followed Kayd and caught the end of the fight. They had only a very rough idea about initiation rituals of kaleesh so, valuing their regular customer, they interferred seconds before the karrabac sunk its teeth into Kayd, who was quickly fainting from pain and blood loss. It took but one blow for them to take the beast down - no teeth nor claws can match a nice electro-magnetic impulse rifle. They took him back with them to their base, and had their medic droids treat his wounds - even replacing his right arm with a mechanical one - and were quite disappointed in what they heard from Kayd when he woke up. The tribe's traditions were clear - the only way he had to defeat the karrabac was with his sole spear, and survive thanks to own strength alone - but since he clearly had help, he's as good as exiled now. He advised them another tribe member to approach for trade but it was definitely not enough to repay for his saved life - not anywhere near. He carved his mask from the skull of the slain karrabac the smugglers took along out of curiocity - but, barely used to his mechanical hand yet and because the skull was in a pretty bad shape after rifle blasts, he could only do a simple shape on it - and when the stock of goods was traded, the smugglers took Kayd back with them off Kalee, to work his "debt" in other part of the Galaxy.
Not having a place to return to anymore, Kayd chose to move on and discover what this new life beyond his homeworld has to offer. The galaxy welcomed lonely kaleesh with a cold shoulder - in the frantically scuttering underground of the Republic he felt foreign and out of place. All the intrigues of black market dealers always trying to rip each other off that he was forced to participate in, running errands to pay his debt, made him feel sick. Eventually, it led him to discover a devastating thing he never tried back in his home - alcohol. It wasnt common back in his tribe, and only shamans ingested it during certain rituals - but here, on the dark bottom of the galaxy, alcohol was abundant for everyone with a few credits in their pocket. Kayd started to drink, drowning his frustration in spirits. The smugglers were more than happy with that - his debt grew by the day as he spent their money to buy drinks, so they would only sober him up when he was needed for running another errand. A crushed and depressed warrior was much easier to controll than they even anticipated. Eventually, that way of life have led Kayd from repaying someone who saved his life, into being a thug stuck up to his ears in debts to a criminal organisation. A tragic way down in life.
Without a corner to call his own, Kayd mostly just wandered from one bar to another in between missions for his masters, and while at that, slowly started to learn new way of life - however clashing it was with everything he knew before. Picking up tips from urchins and other street savvy acquaintances, he studied to become a scavenger, like everyone else. A good bit of information listened in here and there. Bit of gossip shared or kept to himself, in the right moment. The proper way to act, depending on the situation - to use brutal strength or to be charming. He can actually be charming - in a rough, scoundrel way, but still. It took him several years to find the perfect balance of drinking, work, and street-smarts to keep himself more or less afloat, but sadly even his newly-aquiered skills couldnt help him clear his debt, which by then grew so much he'd hardly ever be able to pay it. He was seemingly sunk in being a low-tier errand boy forever, but life have given him another chance in face of unscrupulous businessman Par Daay.
The moment his life took another sharp turn started as just another boring "fetch this, come see that" mission day for the smugglers, and Kayd had no high hopes in it. He needed to meet up with an interested buyer, take them to see the merchandise, take the deal notes and bring them back to the meeting point - plain and simple, a job he's done a thousand times before. But when the trade was complete and satisfied customer had to be escorted back to their ship, a band of assassins suddenly attacked, targeting Par Daay - undoubtedly sent by one of his business rivals. Bodyguards Par hired were quickly overwhelmed and put down, leaving only him and Kayd standing. They were in a pinch, but, having learned to run these streets for years, Kayd figured a way out of it. Leaving Par Daay to keep distracting the attackers with blaster shots, he slipped into one of the ventilation shafts that the buildings around were holed with, and exited it behind the assassins' backs, attacking them from behind with a knife. The fight was short and furious but thanks to his warrior training, Kayd managed to take the opponents down. Observing it impressed Par Daay and he then questioned Kayd about where he learned to fight like that. They talked all the way back to Daay's ship, and Kayd thought it'd end at that - but a few weeks later his masters notified him somebody bought out his debt. It was Par Daay, who then offered Kayd to become his bodyguard, an offer he gladly accepted.
Last edited by
Nanorat on Sun May 26, 2019 9:08 am, edited 26 times in total.
