Mantu - Shinlai #8 TRYOUT

Name: Mantu (he stopped using his second name after abandoning his family)
Pronounciation: man-too
Age: 83
Gender: Male
Birth Season: Winter
Height: 13.0ft at top of mane, 12.4ft shoulder height
Weight: 7,750lbs
Length: 25.5ft
Classification: Rare eyes, short/heavy fur, short tail
Politics: Raised Dailan, lost faith after losing Sorrel. Has Darkblood sympathies but keeps these strictly to himself.

Voice: Peter Cullen - www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2YgRk…
Father: Keltun - water. (kelt-uhn) Mantu's father was incredibly proud of his son and spent huge amounts of time with him, teaching him the ways and traditions of his tribe. He alone was responsible for gifting Mantu with the vast mask making knowledge he now posseses, and also a key factor in Mantu's studies of Water.
Mother: Rubel - water. (roo-bell) Always there for her son, Rubel doted over Mantu. She was always there to comfort and provide the soft, fluffy side of life that Keltun couldn't. Once Mantu discovered his element, she helped him with the mental side of it, whilst Keltun helped with the physical.

Element: Water - After discovering his element age 14, Mantu spent the following three years training vigorously. His physical stature was suited to the incredibly pressure that using water would place upon him, as was his mental state. At the time, Mantu specialised in drawing water out of the deepest regions of the ground and transporting them great distances in little hovering blobs that floated around him. However, in the period of time after Sorrel's death, Mantu trained even more, and now is exceptionally skilled in the healing section of his element. Mantu rarely uses his element aggressively, should he find himself in a fight, he often uses his sheer size to his advantage.

Area(s): Mantu was born in the mountains just outside Clipso. His group stayed there for the first few weeks of his life, waiting for the harsh winter to pass in a network of caves they had discovered. Once winter had passed, they moved north, towards the boreal forests of Kahali. Most of Mantu's childhood was spent all over Kahali, but throughout his life he has seen most of Zenith and Armon. 

Personality: Positive - Calm ● Patient ●  Empathetic ● Loyal ● Caring ● Tolerant ●  Gentle giant

Mantu is the kind of Lai that you can sit and talk to for hours without him saying a word. He is a brilliant listener and a great source of comfort for a troubled soul. Though he can't help himself at times, he will try his very hardest to not judge. Very few Lai have ever seen an angry Mantu. Mantu is a caring to every being he comes across, unless there is a strong reason why he shouldn't be. Should you come across Mantu by a river that you wish to cross, hope on his back and he'll be more than happy to help you across, even though you may not know each other from a bar of soap. 

Negative - Harsh ● Reclusive ● Secretive ● Stubborn

Though Mantu has a fuse a mile long, he often acts of instinct and should he take a dislike towards you, he will certainly be quicker to judge. Should you enter an arguement with him, Mantu will not back down until he either wins or decides it is not worth his time. Though he will often empathise with those around him, Mantu sometimes forgets to express these feelings, meaning he can come off as cold and even distant at times. Though he often thinks different, Mantu can be rather harsh if he's in the position to be dealing out punishments, often making the subject become resentful of him.

History: 

Born into a small group of nomads that had had its size dramatically reduced from the ashes plague and still hadn't quite recovered, Mantu was brought up well. His mother made sure to teach him right from wrong and his father taught him how to navigate even the toughest of terrains. He was an independent pup, he enjoyed exploring and watching animals in the forests. He was the only Lai of his age within the group, so Mantu learnt to adopt the mentality of the older members in his group, making him mature beyond his years. Humans never really bothered him that much, the group would only encounter for trading or occasionally on their travels. Mantu was masked relatively young at the age of 17, three years after discovering his element was water. He excelled at his studies, his independant nature making it easy for him to turn his focus onto learning. Of course his parents were filled with pride, and in the small group that Mantu belonged to, it was a tradition for each Shinlai to craft their own mask. Mantu's father had been teaching him these skills from a young age, so Mantu got to work straight away. By the end of it there was a bright, intricate mask that he was immensely proud of. The group held a masking ceremony for Mantu and continued their journeys, stumbling upon a small settlement of Lai's. The group ventured in to do trade and Mantu wandered throughout the village to meet new faces. His parents understood that he was the only Lai of his age within the group so gladly allowed him to do so. The only real problems started when he met a young female Shinlai, Sorrel, in the town and soon the two were both in love. 

Both Sorrel's and Mantu's parents despised the others lifestyle. Mantu's family had a strict rule of never getting involved with 'settled' Shinlai, and Sorrel's parents had a similar rule about 'traveller' Shinlai. The two young Lai both grew resentful of their parents and, one night, they fled from everything they had ever known to live together. 

It was difficult for Mantu to betray his parents, but he knew they could not be convinced otherwise. He and Sorrel started their own adventures, wandering all across Elaisha together. They were happy and content and soon settled down in a cave, making that their 'home.' A perfect mix between Mantu's travelling childhood and Sorrel's settled, structured one.

It was a few years into this new life that Mantu and Sorrel were expecting a new arrival into their little world. Mantu was overjoyed, as was Sorrel. Life couldn't be better. 

However, on what should have been the happiest day for the two, things took a turn for the worse. On a bitterly cold winters day, Sorrel went into labour far earlier than expected. Mantu felt helpless, his healing abilities were crude at the time (he hadn't put much time into this section of his element yet) and all his effots didn't help Sorrel nearly as much as she needed. All he could do was stand and watch as his beloved mate struggled for nearly three days. 

Finally, however, a small, feeble little pup was born. Beautifully marked with the autumn colours of her mother, Sorrel suggested they name her Willow. Mantu never got to say how much he loved that name because as the word left Sorrels mouth, her head dropped to the floor. Placing the small pup beside him, Mantu rushed to help his mate. It was too late, her deep hazel eyes were already glazed over, the life had long since left her soul. He tried for hours to revive her, desperately denying she was gone, that he could save her. He was deaf to the small cries of Willow as he focused all his energy on Sorrel. 

He collapsed at last, not an ounce of energy left within him. 

Removing his mask, Mantu wept for what seemed like hours into the silky mane of Sorrel, knowing he'd never feel her warmth beside him again. Overcome with grief, he threw his head up to the sky, crying out to Daila, asking her why she took her from him, pleading for her to bring his dear Sorrel back. As he lowered his head, his eyes fell onto the small body of Willow. He'd completely forgotten the small pup in his panic and he now rushed to the little ball.

Lifting her up, a small layer of snow fell off the silent body. He'd failed to protect her from the elements as he used all his power on Sorrel. 

Turning the pup over in his paw, the stricken Lai saw that, not only had he lost  his love, but he'd also lost the only piece of her he had left. 

Exausted and dazed, he curled around the body of his mate and pup and lay there for weeks. The snowstorm raged on, blocking out the cries of the grieving Shinlai.



He was close to death, starving and dehydrated. His thick fur was matted and his mask still lay beside the three Lai's. His very being had gone numb, he no longer felt the cold of the night or the warmth of the day. By now, both Sorrel and her pup's bodies had started to show signs of decay. Bloated stomachs and discoloured skin, even Mantu himself looked dead. A small family that would never be able to live its life the way it should have, their stories cut short before they could even begin. 

It was only as Mantu looked over his mate and pup the one day that he noticed the state their bodies were now in, let alone his own. Seeing the two in that state spurred him to not give up just yet, to atleast give them the burial they deserved. He didn't want to just sit and watch as the three of them wasted away into time. He wanted to remember Sorrel as the loving, beautiful Lai she was, not as a rotting carcass being picked at by the odd bird. And Willow, he wanted to remember her small face, her beautiful markings, the promise held within her tiny body. Though she never got to see her mother, Mantu knew the two would be together somewere.

He lifted himself up with great difficulty. His muscles were tired and sore from remaining in the same position for so long, much like his mind. His once proud stature was now one of a stray dog; low-slung head, weak strides, empty eyes. Slowly, he dug a grave outside the home the two Lai once shared, the cave in which Sorrel's body now lay at the mouth. As he dug, Mantu thought over what he could have done to save the two. He'd never thought to move the pup further into the cave, and Sorrel had been determined that the first thing her pup saw was not the rather gloomy, grey interior of the cave, but the lush forest outside of it. She was a stubborn Lai, and even after Mantu's pleading, she refused to move back away from the storm.
The wonderful power of nature that Sorrel so desperately wanted her pup to see would ultimately be the thing that took her child and herself from Mantu.

It took Mantu a day or two to create the grave and lower the two bodies into it. He made sure that Sorrel was hugging her pup the same way she used to hug him, knowing she'd be doing the same in spirit. He removed her mask, letting his child see her mother's true face, even if the sight had long since left her eyes. He said his final goodbyes to the two, then filled the hole back in and covering the grave with a pile of rocks. Just as he was about to break down again, Mantu noticed his mask, still laying just outside the cave. He placed it down on top of the grave, alongside Sorrel's light green one. This chapter of his life was now closed, and he turned away from the scene with both a sense of relief and sadness.

 He returned to the life of wandering that he knew so well. It felt as if he was returning to an old friend, one he hadn't visited in years, and he found comfort in that. The one thing he'd left everything he had for had now left him, and the Lai found himself feeling utterly lost and alone. He had no plan, no route to follow, Mantu hadn't contacted his parents in years, and no doubt they wouldn't accept him back with open arms after years of silence. That is, if they were still alive. Mantu accepted this, the amount of hurt his parents had caused him was unforgiveable. To turn your back on your son in such a viscious way had removed any respect Mantu had had for them. Even if, after all, he had done the same.

It took a while for the strength to return to his large body, but as soon as it did, Mantu found himself practising relentlessly on his element, Water. He wanted to master every aspect of it, he never wanted to feel the same helplessness he did with Sorrel. He stumbled upon a small sapling, surrounded by scorched land, perhaps caused by a wildfire, and couldnt help but pause and practice his skills of healing. He used both his healing and his powers of summoning water to help this sapling grow into a small tree over the course of a few months. He stepped back and saw that it could now face the world by itself, and he knew it was now time. Filled with a sense of pride, Mantu began searching for a town in which he could find materials for a new mask in. However, instead of a town, Mantu found himself by the same tree he had revived; it had grown to a far larger size than Mantu could have guessed, with branches that stretched out and up. Around the tree other plants had grown, reclaiming the previously scorched land. Feeling a certain sense of nostalgia, he decided to use the tough bark of the tree to craft his mask. He visited a town briefly to have the mask re-enforced with metal to strengthen the bark and to have it painted. 

 Once it was made and placed upon his head, a deep sigh escaped Mantu. Within it was held the guilt of betraying his parents, the sorrow at his loss, and the heavy burden of blame that he had placed upon himself for the death of his pup and mate. He left the village without a trace, returning to his life of solitude. He had accepted his new life and even at times rather enjoyed it. He was more social than when with his family all those years ago, making sure he ventured into the villages and cities he stumbled upon to experience different cultures and meet different people before simply wandering out when he felt it  was time. He never establised very firm connections with any humans or Shinlai he met. And, whether by choice or not, he never found another Lai that could spark the same emotions as Sorrel.

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A few years after this chapter in his life, Mantu finds himself wandering once more. He made sure to stay well away from Talin during the attack, and as a consequence didn't witness the horrors that the Darkbloods caused. Due to spending his entire life rather cut off from the wider population of Elaisha, Mantu is looking to venture further into settlements and meet new faces. Lately a feeling of loneliness has been gnawing away at him, and though he may need a bit of practise in socialising, Mantu is more than ready to build up a group of friends, perhaps even attempt to live the life he so craved all those years ago. 


Likes: Quiet places, streams, snow, calm, learning, starfish, oak trees
Dislikes: Hot/humid weather, loudness, destruction, sour things, sand

Theme song: Hunger of the Pine - Alt-J www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kLpH6…

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oops decided to delete the baby one and re-submit this ; w;
Phew! congrats to anyone who read all that ; u;/
apologies for any mistakes! I had to make some big last minute changes unfortunately and there isn't enough time to re-do everything, so admittedly this is far less polished as I would have liked. D;

anyway, this is my first ever time doing a proper ref sheet and possibly my first ever Shinlai! _{He could even be a slightly late birthday present. c;}
Whether I win or not, this has been great fun! Good luck to everyone who's trying out for a Lai this time round!
Apologies for my lack of literacy skills (especially with his personality eugh) I haven't written like this in ages! 

Now begins the nervous wait. ;;



Shinlai are a CLOSED species (c) Please do not make your own!
Design (c)
All art (c) me!