Pakamtu

Description:
Pakamtu Ziwafrey is a tall toned black male. He wears leather armor and the hide of a black Ziwa panther. He has a large scar that runs from his right shoulder to his right wrist. He has dark brown eyes, and very short hair. His teeth are crooked, and he has various piercings in his ears, and a tattoo of a strange symbol on his left shoulder. He has an accent that almost nobody outside a very specific region of Priomum would recognize.

History:
My name is Pakamtu Ziwafrey. My tribe is a small tribe of hunter gatherers. It is located underneath the middle claw in The Cat's Paw Lakes in Priomum. The Cat's Paw lakes are named as such in part because they geographically look slightly like a paw, but also because the lakes and the mountains to the south of them are the only place in the world where the Ziwa Panther's are located.

My father was the Shaman of our tribe, and I was training to follow in his footsteps. Long long ago when there was still magic in Priomum, the shamans of our tribe were very powerful and influential. Even outsiders feared us. That time has long since passed, but out shamans are still greatly respected for their knowledge of nature and medicine. My father is a great shaman, and I had very large shoes to fill.

Because things turned out the way they did, my family and tribe all knew that I had to go on this journey. They will all be waiting for me to return. (yes they are alive, and there is more family). my brothers and sisters wanted to follow me, but my journey was far too dangerous and personal.

As with all men in my tribe, I went on my first solo hunt at age 10. When I was out, I heard a rock slide. I went to investigate and saw a young Ziwa panther pinned by its back legs underneath a large rock. It's mother was attempting to free it, but was unable to. Despite the obvious danger to myself, I felt compelled to help. The mother had began to give up, and walk away. I took this opportunity to free the cub. The mother heard me, and at first seemed like it was going to attack, but when it saw it's child freed, it let me walk away. I returned from my hunt with a small rabbit (an embarrassing but normal catch for your first hunt), and a great story.

Years passed, and I continued to learn underneath my father. When I was 16, I was out looking for a very rare plant that could be used to fend off foul spirits when I was attacked from behind. I rolled over to fend off the attacker and saw a large female Ziwa. It had me exactly where it wanted me. It need only bite down on my throat, and it would have had a fine meal. It leaned in, sniffed me, then let up, and walked away. As I watched it leave, I noticed a scar on its back legs.

When I returned to my tribe, and they learned of what had happened, they gave me the title Ziwafrey (Ziwa Friend).

I ran into the Ziwa many times after that. A couple years ago (A couple years before the beginning of this campaign), Strange men showed up around the Cat's paw lakes. These white men seemed to have no regard for the world around them. I didn't trust them, so I followed them. They were poachers. They were hunting Ziwa Panthers. I tried to convince them to leave, at first by speaking to them, but at the time I didn't speak common. I then tried to physically confront them, but there were too many. They knocked me unconscious and continued. When I woke up I tried to find them again, but I was too late. Those monsters murdered the Ziwa that I had befriended. They also captured and took her cubs. Half of their people had already taken the cubs to Versmato (a town in Priomum) and were preparing the ships to sail out. The other half was going to continue looking for more Ziwa. I rallied my tribe to help me deal with these intruders. It was the first real fight I was ever in. Our weapons were archaic compared to their steel. I received a large gash down my right arm, but we did eventually finish them off. I told my tribe that I must go and try to free the cubs, but they should stay and guard against any other intruders. I made my way to Versmato. They were readying their ships to leave. I saw one of those *expletive*'s wearing the coat of the Ziwa. I stowed away on the ship he was getting on. During one of the nights at sea, I went around and poisoned all of their drinks with Gseekra (a slow acting poison from a weed that grows in the mountains south of the Cat's Paw). It took several days to kick in but they all died slow painful deaths.

When I went to body of the man that was wearing the coat of my friend, I felt the presence of the Ziwa. It spoke to me. It asked me to save it's cubs and to take it with me as I get revenge on the monsters that did this. As it spoke to me, I felt a surge of power flow into me as though my ancestors magic had been trying to manifest for thousands of years, and was finally free. I can't return home until I find the cubs. [out of character attempt at explanation if it's ok: the way I had Priomum planned was that it used to have even more magic than the other continents, but then something happened. Pakamtu's ancestors (the ancient shamans of his tribe) were druids that were pretty powerful. After magic disappeared in Priomum, the Shaman's lost their power with it. When Pakamtu left Priomum there was a source of magic to tap into again, and the innate power he had as a druid began to awaken (also in part because of his relationship with the Ziwa)

Unfortunately I had no idea how to manage a ship, and looking back even if I did, it is unlikely I could have done so alone. So I drifted with the wind at sea. After a few days (they had plenty of food and drink on their ship) I saw land in the distance, but the ship started drifting out to sea again, so I jumped in and swam. I made it to a town called Del Bridge. At this point I had completely lost the other ship. For my first year away I was completely dedicated to the cause. As time went on though I realized how large the world was, and that this so called civilized world played by a different set of rules. If I were to ever find them, I was going to need to play along. I also learned that though many people didn't show enough respect for nature, there were many people that were good despite this. I wonder if I had spoken common and been more diplomatic, how many lives could have been spared.

I was sure I would never find them. One day though, I got lucky. I chanced upon an underground pit fighting ring in Lochdanan. Contestants were fighting Ziwa. I just knew it was them. I was too late for one of the 3 cubs (they weren't really cubs anymore), it was killed in a match. Using the new found power of my ancestors I freed all of the remaining animals. I had become more merciful though towards these people after living among them for over a year. And As I said, I had learned to play by their rules. Instead of exposing them, I went to the king and reported this underground ring, and was rewarded for exposing an illegal fighting ring. I still needed to get the cubs home though. While in Lochdanan I met a man named Cane. He cared about the world. I requested his help and he was willing. I could Finally go home. Or could I? I had changed so much since leaving, I had seen so much. There were strange people in this strange land with strange powers. Some with pointy ears, or adult men that were smaller than a young child. Some could create fire from nothing, and so far as I could tell, they were not descendants of the great shamans of old. I asked Cane to take the cubs, but I stayed. I abandoned my tribe and family for selfish desires. I hope to eventually return, and when I do I hope I can justify why I didn't sooner.