Westley

Name Westley Burnham AKA Hounddog, Wes Nationality American Metatype Human Archetype Shaman Birthdate December 10, 2050 "Hey, things are hard all around, chummer. All we can do to make it better is ease the burdens of others. Pay it forward." Appearance A handsome young human man who appears to be somewhere in his very early twenties. He's around 5'8", and has a sturdy build. His skin is heavily tanned, and his hair falls to his shoulders in dark blonde dreadlocks. His eyes are a deep blue, and have smile wrinkles on either side. He has the tanned skin of someone who has spent a lot of time on the streets, but he is neither filthy, nor has he reached the leathery stage. He has small black spacers in the lobes of both ears, and a black metal ring in his lower lip. The man is dressed in a pair of battered black pants, tucked into heavy, scuffed boots. One of the laces isn't long enough, and is tied a few links down. A worn grey shirt is tucked into his belt. A long, hand me down urban camo jacket is worn over it all, with several patches sewn onto it. He wears a necklace around his neck, stylized in urban tribal chic, with small bones and pieces of metal. A similar bracelet is worn. Distinguishing Features Dreadlocks Mannerisms and Habits A kind man, who has a penchant for sticking up for the underdog. He speaks with an odd accent, which some might recognize as someone who speaks Or'zet as their native tongue, which is odd for a human. Associations He serves as a sage, mentor and peacekeeper in Ork Town. He teaches the young orks how to read and write, as well as about history, literature and how to survive on the streets. The locals of Ork Town refer to him as The Hounddog, as he was the apprentice to the Ork who originally held the position, The Old Hounddog. Capabilities Magic, mainly. However, he is capable with a gun, though he prefers not to use one unless he must. Background Westley Burnham was born twenty years ago, in The Sprawl in the city of Denver. His parents, Derrick and Carrie Burnham, are Orcs. Of course, in their insular community within The Sprawl, the last name is rarely used, and nicknames are much more common than the full ones. His parents were 'victims' of goblinization, having both been born into lower-class families, then changing at puberty. They had Westley and his litter mates when they were eighteen years old, and they were only the first litter. Westley's dad worked as a healer for the community, helping out injured orcs and down and out humans for a nominal fee, or favors. He was pretty good at his job, but the conditions of the Sprawl made his job dangerous and fairly difficult. His mother worked as a builder, working to build barricades, houses, and similar things, also for a nominal fee, or favors paid. The family managed to get by, but just barely. Westley's litter contained four children, of which all but him were born as orcs. His family figured he'd goblinize at puberty, but even then his human birth was a rare event. His childhood was a bit harder than that of his siblings, for the simple fact that he was different. He was smaller, and weaker than his brothers and sisters, and the others of their small, desperate community. Now and then other members of the community would give him problems, but his siblings would almost always step in to protect him. He was family. When he was five his parents had another litter, this time of three, and once again all were born Orcs. Like his siblings, he was educated under the tutelage of a local Shaman everyone called the Old Hounddog. The Dog Shaman was dedicated to the Sprawl community, aiding with spiritual guidance, education, and many other things. Being old, of course, meant he was in his mid-thirties for an Orc. Still, he was a very smart man, and did his best to teach the children of the community how to read and write, and about history and society. At the very least he managed to teach them how to survive without becoming what society figure they already were. Well, he managed that sometimes. The Old Hounddog took a special interest in Westley, and while his family was off scouring or working for food or money, Westley was often with the Hounddog. He picked up reading and writing quickly, and listened to the Orcs stories of the past, and possible future. He savored the tales of magic and of the spirits especially. At the age of eleven he became The Old Hounddogs official apprentice, helping him educate, and keep the peace (As this was often needed). He became as dedicated to the community as his mentor was. When the Hounddog took Westley in, the locals who'd been giving him problems began to lay off, figuring that if the orc they all looked up to respected the boy that much, they should probably listen. He was fourteen when a Johnson hired a group of Runners to enter the community, searching for a fugitive. They were given permission to search with 'extreme prejudice', and began killing anyone who tried to give them problems. The problem was, the Johnson had received inaccurate information, and the fugitive was nowhere near the community. Westley saw his mentor stand toe to toe with several of the Runners, dropping them with magic before he took several bullets to the gut. Westley laid over his teacher, crying and trying to figure out a way to help him. Several of the locals were clustered around. His own father, the healer, was also injured in the fight, but had mainly just lost consciousness. That is when the boy saw the large, mangy dog watching him from an alleyway. The dog watched him intently, with a strangely intelligent glint in his eyes. Somehow Westley understood what to do. He focused the energies that his mentor had always told stories about, and watched the wounds begin to heal, the bullets falling away. In the end he saved Hounddog's lifeand then lost consciousness from the strain of the new magic. He awoke in his father's 'hospital', his family gathered around him. He told them of his meeting with Dog, and they were excited and afraid for him. When he was fully healed he went to live with Hounddog, so that he could begin his true apprenticeship. He worked hard on his understanding of the spirits, and of magic. It was then that Old Hounddog explained to Westley how he'd gained the resources to really help out. For years he'd been giving families food when needed, as well as having supplies nobody else could afford. He told him that by Running, he could provide the community with things they could never get otherwise. Old Hounddog didn't have much time left, and he wanted the young man to take up his position in the community. By this time it became obvious that Westley would not be Goblinizing, but everyone in the community had 'come to terms' with it. His mentor began to teach him the tricks of Running. He taught him how to fire a gun, and the various other skills he would need. However, his specialization would of course be magic, which he was quickly beginning to grow in skill with. When Westley was seventeen, the Old Hounddog passed away. The 'funeral' was attended by the entire community (Not the whole sprawljust this community within it), and at the end of it Westley announced he would be taking the name The Hounddog. One day, he hoped he would be worthy of The Old Hounddog. He picked up where his mentor had left off, healing the sick, aiding those in need, and keeping the peace. There were times, of course, when peace could only come from violencesuch as when a gang would move into the area and try to claim it. Hounddog acted in these areas with as much dedication as he did everything else. Now he is twenty, and two months ago his father passed away. His mother is beginning to get up there in age, and some of his own siblings have had litters of their own. With his ailing mother as the matriarch of his family, it has become obvious that he should finally begin Running. He needs to head into the city to gain the resources to help his people. It is his duty. The title you enter here is not shown and only serves as visible title in the indices. Simply enter the commenting character alias. SEARCHING SHADOWLANDS.........[ OK ] THREADS FOUND: 0 DISPLAYING