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Description

So thanks to an awesome commission that did for me, some people have found an interest in my beloved Felnim, aka "space wolf lion centaurs". And I realized I had never posted this sketch, for obvious reasons (it's not done and it's a few years old and his chest and leg look WONKY, why are felnim forelegs so hard???).

The main reason I'm posting this now is because, in addition to this sketch, I wrote a really long character description, because this was originally an audition I never finished for

TL;DR: If you have an interest in the fine details of the Felnim race, read this really long character sheet; all of the cool stuff is in here! (Like the fact that their armor is all organic, they have hydro-energy guns, they'll eat just about ANYTHING, and they have little companion birds.) I rearranged the character sheet so the more species-relevant stuff was near the top.

Enjoy!

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DEMOGRAPHICS

Name: Larg’is Hin Ta’skin’ggna S’nles (Scout First Class Taskin Seigler via Translator; felnim language is hard to pronounce no matter what race you are. The ‘ represent syllables that most humans find difficult to imitate). Prefers to go by Taskin or Scout.
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Species: Felnim

- Basically, think of a centaur. Now replace the horse part of that centaur with a REALLY large dog and a dash of big cat. Felnim average around the same height as most humans (when they are on all fours, that is.) They are completely covered in fur and have long, fluffy tails, like a husky’s without as much curl. Like a centaur, a felnim’s upper half is human in shape; the main differences are a dog-like tip on their noses and rather large, furry, pointed ears. For more details, see the Appearance section.

Primary Language: Ghreyig (‘Gh’ like that ‘z’ sound in ‘garage’ – ray – eeg)

APPEARANCE

Height: On four legs: 6’ 10”. On two legs: 11’ 0”

Weight: Roughly 600-650 lbs

Build: Muscular, but not overly built-up; fit, like an army soldier. Is fairly thin in structure. ‘Canine’ half is lean, mean, and agile, with narrow but strong limbs.
Skin: Underneath the fur, the skin is brown.
Hair: Felnim are completely covered in fur. Taskin’s is predominantly dark tan with a mix of darker brown. Like a dog, the fur is shortest around his face and head but gets slightly longer on his canine half, the longest strands being on his tail. Other than that, he has a perfectly ‘normal’ head of hair, which is a ruddy brownish-blonde. This is average length for a guy and not put in any particular style; Taskin holds to the ‘roll out of bed and go’ method of hair care.
Eyes: They look just like human eyes. Taskin’s are deep green with a slight rim of blue.
Other traits: Well, having four legs plus a pair of arms is the big thing, but there are some other details of note. Felnim have an opposable thumb on each of their forelegs and can use them as less delicate but much more powerful hands (‘forepalms’ refers to these ‘foot/hands’). On the balancing note, Felnim have specially hinged joints and can reorient their back legs and upper waist so as to stand and walk on their hind feet – thus the “11’ 5” on two legs” bit in the Height section. Taskin does not use this pose lightly, however, due to issues regarding vulnerability. He is more comfortable on all fours. (Or…4/6ths, I guess.)
Clothes: The single most important article of clothing that Taskin must be wearing at all times and would not be seen without is his belly band. This is the very minimum statement of modesty amongst his species. He would literally consider himself naked without something covering his middle section (the area where a saddle would go on a horse). He also regularly wears a shirt, usually sleeveless. At time of arrival, he is also wearing armor over most of his body except for his head and four back legs. See the Armor section for details.

PHYSICALITY
Demeanor: Taskin can move very fast when he wants to, and you can sometimes catch him making swift, short motions with his head as he cases an area. But for the most part, he tries to appear calm and relaxed, projecting an aura of unconcern. He holds himself confidently, backs straight, solid stance. Stance stiffens somewhat when highly agitated or angry.
Speech patterns: Voice is about a tenor with a peculiar rough quality on the edge of hearing, and when he’s in a good mood, the listener will occasionally have the impression of quiet laughter. He often slips into an almost cajoling manner, especially when he’s trying to be friendly, and he likes using slang, which may cause confusion if the Translator only translates his words verbatim. If he’s in mission mode, however, his speech is short, to the point, and occasionally snappish if he is highly stressed. He has a bad habit of slipping into caustic remarks and sarcasm when addressing someone he just plain doesn’t like, like a human. (More on that in a moment.)
About Din: it’s fairly common for felnim to keep pets of a bird called the l’gna (Lig-nah) which are easily tamed, friendly, and serve the additional purpose of keeping a felnim’s fur clean of pests. Despite being a newish colony, felnim of the present day don’t have a lot of trouble with insect infestations, but regardless, centuries of tradition and symbiotic usefulness has made the l’gna a well-integrated part of felnim society. You’ll often see people walking along with l’gna just perching or striding around on their backs, being completely ignored unless they’re needed. They’re almost like furniture, honestly.
Din in particular is black with an electric-green sheen and beak, and is about six inches long from beak to tailtip. It is male and very well trained. The military actually issue l’gna birds to certain military positions specifically for their usefulness in the field; Din is trained to answer a number of commands (ex: stay, lookout, silence), warn against approaching enemies, and even carry messages. It is relatively smart for a bird, but it doesn’t have a particular personality and has no language to speak of. It won’t dive in front of a bullet for Taskin and usually won’t attack an enemy unless commanded. It is a bird. Taskin wasn’t too attached to Din one way or the other before coming to Eos; he’s had others, they’re sort of nice to have around, but come on, it’s a BIRD. They’re kind of annoying sometimes, for all their usefulness.

Although, considering Din is the only living thing he has from his home in Eos…well, he might be a LITTLE more attached to it now. (And yes, despite its having a male gender, Taskin will always refer to it as an ‘it’, not a ‘he’. Felnim generally reserve male/female noun codifiers for sentient species and maybe a few of the more intelligent animal species.)
Oh, yes: Din came with Taskin because it was perched on his back when he was transported. He didn’t even realize it was still there until a few minutes after crossing over.

SKILLS
Primary/Other Skills:
- A seriously good shot with his gretzi gun, both close and long range.
- Is actually a very good artist; he can paint, sketch, or carve things with almost perfect representation. He’s a little embarrassed by this, however, due to being under the impression that being ‘artsy’ isn’t very soldierly or masculine.

- Can survive in the wild on his own for weeks at a time (probably longer if necessary). Granted, he’s not EXACTLY in the ‘wilderness’ on Eos, but still.

Combat: Taskin will try to shoot his opponent from a distance first, but if all long-range options fail, he will engage in close combat, especially if his opponent is smaller than him (which is usually everybody). He has training in several types of combat, but while he does have a knife and knows how to use it, he’s more likely to use blunt force via anything that comes to hand: sticks, his gun, punching you, etc.
Weapons/Gear:
Felnim armor is a bit odd by most standards, considering it’s made of interconnected plates of wood attached over a flexible compound material similar to but thinner than Kevlar. It doesn’t look like what you’d expect wood to look like and is MUCH harder, and it is not easily flammable due to protective lacquers. The wood itself is remarkably strong: swords CAN hack through it with effort, but it takes a few swings in the same exact spot. Strong against bullets, as the material absorbs impact and has high chance of causing rounds to deflect or lodge. (Taskin will not explain why he uses wooden armor if you ask. It’s none of your business.)

Weak against high-heat energy blasts and just as subjected to magic as any other armor might be. The ‘Kevlar’ parts at the joints are the weakest points for blade attacks, as the material is more designed to absorb impact than deter slicing maneuvers. Wood portions can be cracked with enough force, say, falling from thirty feet or being hit by a vehicle. They’ve had centuries to perfect this stuff.

About Gretzi: on the felnim homeworld, there is a plant that produces a thick blue sap called gretzi. This goop is the fuel source for their guns, and creates an energized round that leaves energy burns on any biological (non-plant) matter it touches. Even worse, almost any type of metal will act as a superconductor of “activated” gretzi; being shot in an area where you are wearing metal is akin to being electrocuted. However, the stronger a shot you want, the more gretzi you have to burn. Due to 1) not wanting to use his firepower up too quickly and 2) not actually wanting to kill most people outright, Taskin will usually keep his shots on low power. He only has one backup cartridge of this stuff and there are obviously not any special plants lying around for him to make more, so Taskin will do what he can to conserve his favorite weaponry.

Taskin was three-fourths through getting rigged up for a scouting mission when he was pulled to Eos. This has made him very sore, considering how if the darn thing had only WAITED a few minutes, he would have been in full battle gear! As it is, his gear that he was wearing is as follows:
- Sleeveless shirt and belly band, both a camouflaged mix of muddy brown and green. Not visible unless he takes off his armor. The material is like thick cotton.
- 1 tactical vest with utility pouches; 1 armored sleeve (slides on, covering all of the upper, lower, and hand of his right arm); a full lower body piece – covers his ‘canine’ half’s belly and back in thin interlocking plates, with the most protection being on the chest, stomach, and spine areas.
- 1 6-inch knife (mostly for skinning and camping, but usable as a weapon if needed)
- 1 pair of binoculars
- 1 25-foot coil of 5 mm fibercord (tightly wound; coil is only 4 inches in diameter. High tensile strength)
- 1 pack of 25 water purifying tablets
- 1 communicator (currently inoperable, but parts could be useful)
- 3 gretzi lightwands – think glowsticks that activate when you pop the tip in. And that can be used as small grenades.
- 1 gretzi-powered short-range gun (Technical Name: the E.I. Greiz’l .113) with 1 backup fuel cartridge. The gun is about the size of a large pistol, is black with a thin slit showing the glass fuel container underneath (to gauge remaining supply), and can fire between 30 and 50 feet, depending on the power level of the shot. Shots Per Cylinder: 40 Low Power (instant 1st-2nd degree burn), or 20 Medium Power (instant third-degree burn), or 10 High Power (often lethal), or 5 Melters (lethal with rare exceptions). Mix and match as you will.
In regard to the lightwands, they give off light by being activated via the same process that makes gretzi turn into glowing energy balls that electrocute metal. Therefore, they can be repurposed as a sort of electric grenade if you smash them against something metallic. (It is recommended that you be far away when this happens.)

(If it seems that he has a lot of supplies, keep in mind that a normal solo scouting mission supply kit involves FOOD, a canteen of some kind, a bedroll, possibly maps, a compass, TWO guns with at least five cartridges each, and a plethora of other small useful items. He’s pretty lucky that he has what he does.)

Other Possessions:
- A small, palm-sized semi-circular cup-tablet that projects a miniature 3D projection of his fiancé’s face.
- 1 small pack of bird feed for Din
- A round tag engraved with his name, rank, blood type (P-, most common felnim blood type, not compatible with human donors), allergies (none), and next of kin (his younger brother, Tre’vip S’gnles). This is made of a type of alien hardwood and hangs on a cord around his neck, under his armor.
- A pouch of jivana powder – makes a drink that is basically the felnim equivalent of coffee. It is fruit-flavored, packed with sugars and caffeine, and can be served hot or cold. (Taskin prefers it really hot and in the morning to help him wake up.)

PERSONALITY

Overview: Taskin is a brave, dedicated soldier who would go to great lengths to protect those he cares about from any perceived danger. He is honest, sees humor in most situations, and likes to keep conversation light and pull the occasional prank on his close friends (or minor enemies, if they’re working together). Taskin’s moral code is pretty high, and he doesn’t look kindly on deserters or liars and has a great respect for females and children of most any race. Regardless, he does have a major blind spot in the form of an immediate distrust of all humans, and he can be insensitive and shut down emotionally when distracted, angry, or stressed. Taskin isn’t completely aware of some of these faults, but overall he does try to be an upstanding soldier and person. In general, Taskin is a people person and enjoys making new acquaintances (even if he is reserved about who he calls ‘friend’), and he is very loyal.

Strengths:

PHYSICAL:
- Taskin is very strong and very heavy, although not excessively so by felnim standards. Still, a regular-size human wouldn’t particularly enjoy arm-wrestling him – especially if he’s using his MIDDLE “arms”. And he has had to ‘wrestle’ a human or two in his time on the battlefield, although he doesn’t much enjoy the experience.
- He can reach speeds of 65 MPH when running full-out, although this will burn him out after a few minutes. Regular running speed is ~50 MPH. Taskin is very fast for a felnim, one of the reasons he is a Scout First Class.
- He has a very high reach and can jump really far, esp. if jumping from running speed. He also has good reflexes, making him very agile in areas with lots of obstacles.
- Taskin is an excellent shot and can hold his own in close combat due to military training. He also has some skill with staff fighting.
- Very minor first aid know-how, mostly just for patching himself up if he’s caught out alone.
- Slightly stronger sense of smell than humans, but not much. Sight and hearing are roughly equal to a human’s.
- Fur is a good insulator, giving him a decent advantage in cold temperatures. He still prefers temperate climates, though.
- An iron constitution: he can choke down just about anything edible (even if it tastes horrible) and digest it completely. (Large/whole bones are a possible exception, although if it fits down his throat, chances are good it will be broken down eventually.)

MENTAL:
- Felnim have pretty good senses regarding the uses of plants. This doesn’t give Taskin a magically perfect understanding of any plant he sees, but it does help him tell small things like what plants might make good bandage material or temporary armor and what isn’t poisonous to eat. He’s also had some training in carving makeshift armor, assuming he can find the right materials.
- He is not easily distracted, even in battle. Unless an unwanted human teammate is involved. He’s so unused to working WITH humans instead of fighting them that this might throw him off his game, especially if said teammate does something really stupid.
- Taskin prides himself on being able to get a job done, so he will stick to a task he has accepted to great lengths. That being said, he did not gain his post as Scout First Class for nothing; he knows when to back off and reassess the situation, and he’s excellent at long-distance recon.
- Being artistic (whether he’ll admit it or not), he is naturally good at thinking creatively.

Weaknesses:

PHYSICAL:
- Due to being in the middle of outfitting for a scouting mission, Taskin had not yet put on the armored sleeves that protect his four lower legs and left arm, his foot and tail guards, or any head protection. His head and legs, therefore, are his most vulnerable points.
- Taskin cannot climb very well, and it takes great effort to lift himself up when only able to use his two front arms. (You think doing a chin-up is hard, trying doing one with 400 extra pounds hanging off your waist.) He is slightly jealous of people who can climb with ease, as he enjoys heights.
- He HATES swimming, and it fairly slow at it. He (probably) won’t drown, but he won’t enjoy himself, either. He more or less dislikes bodies of water in general, although for whatever reason, he DOES enjoy rain and showers.
- Felnim need a lot of food to keep all of that extra body mass at peak condition. On his world, they have invented numerous varieties of food rations with very high nutrition count, but obviously those don’t exist on Eos (except for those funky berries). If Taskin doesn’t have at least one hearty meal a day, it starts to affect him. If he goes two days without anything to eat, it will visibly show in his lack of energy. Three days or longer and he can still press on due to military training, but he will seriously hate his life and everything that exists. A total five days without any food is max: he will barely be able to move. Taskin can and will stave this off by stuffing his face with any plant material or small game he can get his hands on, which will probably earn him some odd looks. (Felnim are omnivores.) Extended periods (weeks) of smaller-than-average rations will begin to take a toll on him, however, leading to lethargy, stomach pains, and a short temper, and Taskin would grab naps anytime he could to conserve energy.
- Fur and large body mass make high heat levels uncomfortable for him. He mostly sweats through his feet, so he sometimes starts leaving damp footprints behind if he’s really overheated.

MENTAL:
- Due to the war on his homeworld, and ESPECIALLY due to what happened to his brother, Taskin has a deep grudge against humans. He blames them for the war and fully believes that the humans are recent arrivals trying to force them off of the colony they worked long and hard to build. Because of this, he is deeply mistrustful of humans, assuming them all to be selfish, power-hungry, and dangerous. This is a weakness because it causes him to have an openly scornful and suspicious attitude around humans, which could act as a barrier towards him making potentially helpful alliances. This suspicion mostly applies to adults; children might have an easier time earning his trust, and due to an ingrained sense of chivalry, he’ll hide his distrust better while meeting with women and young ones. For a man, about the only way to at least START overcoming this would be to either demonstrate a great act of selflessness or save his life.
- Taskin becomes nervous when forced to fight against people wielding bladed weapons (assuming he doesn’t have his gretzi gun – more in Weapons). He is not as used to fighting them and is unfamiliar with the best forms of defense.
- He is very irritable when forced to work with someone who doesn’t seem to know what they are doing, esp. if he doesn’t like them. (Note that I said ‘work WITH’, not ‘help’. He EXPECTS people he’s just helping to not know what they are doing and to stay out of the way.) This can lead to very unnecessary and potentially distracting sarcastic remarks during battle.

Quirks:
- He has a habit of saying ‘fel’ where a human might say ‘man’, whether or not the person he’s talking to is a felnim. So people may be confused when he says something like, “Get it together, fel!” or “Fel, I don’t know.” The translator doesn’t seem to see fit to do anything about this.
- He likes to whittle. If he really likes a carving he’s done, he’ll either keep it or give it to someone. If he doesn’t like it, he’ll either throw it away or stick it in somebody’s bedroll as a prank.
- His dislike of humans only applies to humans. Other races, no matter how anthropomorphic, are fine. He’s more likely to see them as resembling HIS race than as resembling humans (they do share similar upper body structure, after all).
- He has a habit of grabbing any plant matter close at hand at any time, sniffing it, and then snarfing it down, regardless of flavor or texture. (Unless it’s poisonous; he can usually tell and will throw it away.) He will often do this without thinking and while doing something else, such as giving orders. He also tends to take (rather accurate) potshots at any small creatures that look edible and will occasionally eat them right there. He is confused when someone acts grossed out by this.
(Felnim do not eat raw meat; the shot of a gretzi gun can basically cook a small enough animal straight through. If it’s NOT ‘well-done’ enough, Taskin will either hang the carcass from a cord on his uniform or simply drape it across his lower back for cooking later.)

Primary Desire: To get home again, to marry his fiancé, and to reconcile with his family, who he has come to realize are much more important than his little crusade of vengeance.

HISTORY

Homeworld: Taskin is not actually from the original felnim homeworld; he is from a small planet currently being colonized and fought over by felnim and humans, who both managed to somehow colonize the stupid place at the same stupid time without knowing it, so now they’re fighting each other because both sides think the other is a bunch of alien invaders. The technological level is space-age with a mix of survivalist and colonial; due to being separated from their home planets, both races have had to make due with what they have in the way of producing new goods and weapons, but their technological know-how is still mainly space-age. The felnim do not favor flight technology (they pretty much invented flight for the sole purpose of eventually being able to explore space) and are more focused on agricultural, architectural, and weapons technology. They favor things crafted from/powered by wood or other plant materials and treat metal as an inconvenient necessity more than anything else. (Understandable from a world with several genus of trees that can be tempered to the strength of iron. Metal is mainly used where its conductive properties are needed, and for things like spaceships.) The felnim on Taskin’s world brought their favorite plant species with them to the colony, of course, but they are excellent at making do with the native resources at hand.

Family/Friends: A fiancé, Margr’lsgi Tannapqi (Margi Tanner via the Translator), whom he is deeply in love with. Also, Mom, Dad, and a younger brother (Trevip), all of whom he doesn’t speak to much. He’s beginning to regret that now. Best friend is Sergeant Reas're from his platoon; you'll see him briefly in the audition. And Din, his trained l’gna bird, who came with him to Eos.

History:
Taskin was born on the colony planet Ar’l roughly six years after its initial colonization. Seventeen years later, the ‘human threat’ was first discovered. War broke out, and the planet has been more or less enveloped in it ever since. He grew up as the middle of three brothers, all of whom were very close. His parents are pacifists to a degree and do not sanction the growing violence of the war as the fighting continues to escalate on both sides. They feared the growing attitude of mass hatred towards humans that was beginning to poison their peoples’ thoughts, and endeavored to teach their boys that although the humans’ actions were not right, it was against the heart of Enameh to let themselves give in to hatred. As all adults of a certain age were required to spend a time in service (theirs being still a smallish colony), Taskin and his older brother B’ransreh soon joined the fight, but Taskin in general was accepting of his parents’ teachings. That is, until his older brother was brutally killed in combat.
Ever since then, Taskin has been consumed by grief and a fierce grudge against the humans. His younger brother handled the death better and continues to side with his parents, who hold to their teachings of not hating the people who killed their son. A violent argument between Taskin and his other family members led to him breaking off from them, pouring himself into full-time military service and in general dedicating himself to helping end the war against the human scum who (he believes) are murdering his people and trying to steal their home. He hasn’t spoken to his family more than a few times in several years, choosing to live in the military barracks when off active rotation. He still speaks with his younger brother a little, but the relationship is strained. They pretty much have to avoid talking about family matters of any degree. It is one of the things that hurts Taskin the most, but he’s very stubborn about holding onto his grudge.
Taskin’s anger eventually cooled to manageable levels, and he hides it well, mostly coming across as his usual joking, easygoing self. But his grudge against humanity is still a driving force in his life. His parents’ teaching sank in to a degree – he doesn’t want to see all humans dead so much as he wants to be there to prevent any more of their soldiers from killing his, and to get their sorry carcasses off his planet. Although he might enjoy seeing the death of the human or humans who were responsible for his brother’s death.
There are a few bright points in his life; Taskin really does enjoy military service, and quickly rose in the ranks to Scout First Class, a prestigious reconnaissance/scouting position. He is well-respected among his comrades for his dedication and skill. He is also engaged to the sister of one of his best friends in his squadron, and he loves her dearly. Margi is a great influence on his life and has had a lot to do with the gradual decrease in his anger, both towards the enemy and his parents.
Margi and Taskin became engaged just after Taskin was assigned to a 6-month rotation that would be shipping the troops very close to the frontlines of battle. (Despite being a small planet, neither race has been able to grow substantially to take up large portions of it; the ‘frontlines’ are a great distance from either colony and cover a wide area.) Taskin didn’t want to marry Margi just before leaving her alone for so long, esp. since he was going into combat, in case he were to die. She accepted the delay reluctantly. Before he left, Margi tried to get him to say goodbye to his parents, but despite her success at softening the worst of his anger, he still stubbornly refused to speak to them.
Two months later, Taskin is about to go on a top-priority solo scouting mission. He is missing Margi terribly, and for the first time starting to contemplate a more settled life. He’s angry with humans for all of the bloodshed. And he’s maybe starting to wonder if he should have tried harder to keep in touch with his family, even if they do want him to let go of his anger over the death of his brother.
And then he comes to Eos.

EOS SPECIFIC

What was the low point in their life before being pulled to Eos?: He’s about to head out on a dangerous mission into enemy territory, separated from his fiancé, and beginning to have shadows of doubt about his reasons for not talking to his parents. Plus it’s raining and someone took the last cup of jivana. (Think fruit-flavored coffee equivalent.) So he’s basically having a bad morning.

Does your character miss their homeworld?: YES. Taskin is very determined to get home.

Team: Just his bird Din so far. He’s a friendly guy, though, once you get past the human prejudice issues, and if he can find someone he deems worthy of trust, he’s not opposed to teaming up with them. Or helping them, as the case may be.

Are you okay with other tournament entrants KILLING your character in their tournament writing?: I would reeeeally rather you not. But if you feel it is ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT DOUBT necessary – i.e. you can’t in any way, shape, or form think of a way to make your story work that would allow him to live – I suppose I’d be alright with him dying. I can appreciate a well-crafted death scene, it’s just that I’m honestly hoping to get Taskin home at the end of all this.

Are you okay with other tournament entrants using your character in their tournament writing?: I would LOVE that, please feel free! Just so long as you keep him in character.

Other:
- He’s a bit scornful of religion, mostly due to his anger at his parents and their belief that Emaneh desires his followers to forgive their enemies. He doesn’t speak about this with anyone if he can help it, generally reserving it to a thinly-veiled irritation when the subject comes up. (His defensiveness does branch somewhat from a sense of suppressed guilt.)
- DESPITE said scornfulness, Taskin was raised in a conservative household and still upholds many of their standards. He has an overall strong sense of moral justice and chivalry, and he does not swear, although he’s pretty indifferent of others who do.
- Taskin is very honorable; while he won’t hesitate to take down an enemy who is either attacking right now or prepared to attack him, he will not kill the unarmed, the defenseless, or a prisoner. The exception to this in the past has been missions where he needed to silently take out enemy guards through sneak attacks, but they were neither unarmed nor defenseless.
- He really does enjoy art of all kinds and will divulge his opinion on artwork if pressured.
- He hates bugs.

OVERVIEW
List the three most important things about your character.
- A good guy at heart who wants to find peace.
- A capable soldier who will do what it takes to get home.
- Bears a grudge against humans that he may need to overcome if he hopes to survive this experience.

Description

So thanks to an awesome commission that did for me, some people have found an interest in my beloved Felnim, aka "space wolf lion centaurs". And I realized I had never posted this sketch, for obvious reasons (it's not done and it's a few years old and his chest and leg look WONKY, why are felnim forelegs so hard???).

The main reason I'm posting this now is because, in addition to this sketch, I wrote a really long character description, because this was originally an audition I never finished for

TL;DR: If you have an interest in the fine details of the Felnim race, read this really long character sheet; all of the cool stuff is in here! (Like the fact that their armor is all organic, they have hydro-energy guns, they'll eat just about ANYTHING, and they have little companion birds.) I rearranged the character sheet so the more species-relevant stuff was near the top.

Enjoy!

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DEMOGRAPHICS

Name: Larg’is Hin Ta’skin’ggna S’nles (Scout First Class Taskin Seigler via Translator; felnim language is hard to pronounce no matter what race you are. The ‘ represent syllables that most humans find difficult to imitate). Prefers to go by Taskin or Scout.
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Species: Felnim

- Basically, think of a centaur. Now replace the horse part of that centaur with a REALLY large dog and a dash of big cat. Felnim average around the same height as most humans (when they are on all fours, that is.) They are completely covered in fur and have long, fluffy tails, like a husky’s without as much curl. Like a centaur, a felnim’s upper half is human in shape; the main differences are a dog-like tip on their noses and rather large, furry, pointed ears. For more details, see the Appearance section.

Primary Language: Ghreyig (‘Gh’ like that ‘z’ sound in ‘garage’ – ray – eeg)

APPEARANCE

Height: On four legs: 6’ 10”. On two legs: 11’ 0”

Weight: Roughly 600-650 lbs

Build: Muscular, but not overly built-up; fit, like an army soldier. Is fairly thin in structure. ‘Canine’ half is lean, mean, and agile, with narrow but strong limbs.
Skin: Underneath the fur, the skin is brown.
Hair: Felnim are completely covered in fur. Taskin’s is predominantly dark tan with a mix of darker brown. Like a dog, the fur is shortest around his face and head but gets slightly longer on his canine half, the longest strands being on his tail. Other than that, he has a perfectly ‘normal’ head of hair, which is a ruddy brownish-blonde. This is average length for a guy and not put in any particular style; Taskin holds to the ‘roll out of bed and go’ method of hair care.
Eyes: They look just like human eyes. Taskin’s are deep green with a slight rim of blue.
Other traits: Well, having four legs plus a pair of arms is the big thing, but there are some other details of note. Felnim have an opposable thumb on each of their forelegs and can use them as less delicate but much more powerful hands (‘forepalms’ refers to these ‘foot/hands’). On the balancing note, Felnim have specially hinged joints and can reorient their back legs and upper waist so as to stand and walk on their hind feet – thus the “11’ 5” on two legs” bit in the Height section. Taskin does not use this pose lightly, however, due to issues regarding vulnerability. He is more comfortable on all fours. (Or…4/6ths, I guess.)
Clothes: The single most important article of clothing that Taskin must be wearing at all times and would not be seen without is his belly band. This is the very minimum statement of modesty amongst his species. He would literally consider himself naked without something covering his middle section (the area where a saddle would go on a horse). He also regularly wears a shirt, usually sleeveless. At time of arrival, he is also wearing armor over most of his body except for his head and four back legs. See the Armor section for details.

PHYSICALITY
Demeanor: Taskin can move very fast when he wants to, and you can sometimes catch him making swift, short motions with his head as he cases an area. But for the most part, he tries to appear calm and relaxed, projecting an aura of unconcern. He holds himself confidently, backs straight, solid stance. Stance stiffens somewhat when highly agitated or angry.
Speech patterns: Voice is about a tenor with a peculiar rough quality on the edge of hearing, and when he’s in a good mood, the listener will occasionally have the impression of quiet laughter. He often slips into an almost cajoling manner, especially when he’s trying to be friendly, and he likes using slang, which may cause confusion if the Translator only translates his words verbatim. If he’s in mission mode, however, his speech is short, to the point, and occasionally snappish if he is highly stressed. He has a bad habit of slipping into caustic remarks and sarcasm when addressing someone he just plain doesn’t like, like a human. (More on that in a moment.)
About Din: it’s fairly common for felnim to keep pets of a bird called the l’gna (Lig-nah) which are easily tamed, friendly, and serve the additional purpose of keeping a felnim’s fur clean of pests. Despite being a newish colony, felnim of the present day don’t have a lot of trouble with insect infestations, but regardless, centuries of tradition and symbiotic usefulness has made the l’gna a well-integrated part of felnim society. You’ll often see people walking along with l’gna just perching or striding around on their backs, being completely ignored unless they’re needed. They’re almost like furniture, honestly.
Din in particular is black with an electric-green sheen and beak, and is about six inches long from beak to tailtip. It is male and very well trained. The military actually issue l’gna birds to certain military positions specifically for their usefulness in the field; Din is trained to answer a number of commands (ex: stay, lookout, silence), warn against approaching enemies, and even carry messages. It is relatively smart for a bird, but it doesn’t have a particular personality and has no language to speak of. It won’t dive in front of a bullet for Taskin and usually won’t attack an enemy unless commanded. It is a bird. Taskin wasn’t too attached to Din one way or the other before coming to Eos; he’s had others, they’re sort of nice to have around, but come on, it’s a BIRD. They’re kind of annoying sometimes, for all their usefulness.

Although, considering Din is the only living thing he has from his home in Eos…well, he might be a LITTLE more attached to it now. (And yes, despite its having a male gender, Taskin will always refer to it as an ‘it’, not a ‘he’. Felnim generally reserve male/female noun codifiers for sentient species and maybe a few of the more intelligent animal species.)
Oh, yes: Din came with Taskin because it was perched on his back when he was transported. He didn’t even realize it was still there until a few minutes after crossing over.

SKILLS
Primary/Other Skills:
- A seriously good shot with his gretzi gun, both close and long range.
- Is actually a very good artist; he can paint, sketch, or carve things with almost perfect representation. He’s a little embarrassed by this, however, due to being under the impression that being ‘artsy’ isn’t very soldierly or masculine.

- Can survive in the wild on his own for weeks at a time (probably longer if necessary). Granted, he’s not EXACTLY in the ‘wilderness’ on Eos, but still.

Combat: Taskin will try to shoot his opponent from a distance first, but if all long-range options fail, he will engage in close combat, especially if his opponent is smaller than him (which is usually everybody). He has training in several types of combat, but while he does have a knife and knows how to use it, he’s more likely to use blunt force via anything that comes to hand: sticks, his gun, punching you, etc.
Weapons/Gear:
Felnim armor is a bit odd by most standards, considering it’s made of interconnected plates of wood attached over a flexible compound material similar to but thinner than Kevlar. It doesn’t look like what you’d expect wood to look like and is MUCH harder, and it is not easily flammable due to protective lacquers. The wood itself is remarkably strong: swords CAN hack through it with effort, but it takes a few swings in the same exact spot. Strong against bullets, as the material absorbs impact and has high chance of causing rounds to deflect or lodge. (Taskin will not explain why he uses wooden armor if you ask. It’s none of your business.)

Weak against high-heat energy blasts and just as subjected to magic as any other armor might be. The ‘Kevlar’ parts at the joints are the weakest points for blade attacks, as the material is more designed to absorb impact than deter slicing maneuvers. Wood portions can be cracked with enough force, say, falling from thirty feet or being hit by a vehicle. They’ve had centuries to perfect this stuff.

About Gretzi: on the felnim homeworld, there is a plant that produces a thick blue sap called gretzi. This goop is the fuel source for their guns, and creates an energized round that leaves energy burns on any biological (non-plant) matter it touches. Even worse, almost any type of metal will act as a superconductor of “activated” gretzi; being shot in an area where you are wearing metal is akin to being electrocuted. However, the stronger a shot you want, the more gretzi you have to burn. Due to 1) not wanting to use his firepower up too quickly and 2) not actually wanting to kill most people outright, Taskin will usually keep his shots on low power. He only has one backup cartridge of this stuff and there are obviously not any special plants lying around for him to make more, so Taskin will do what he can to conserve his favorite weaponry.

Taskin was three-fourths through getting rigged up for a scouting mission when he was pulled to Eos. This has made him very sore, considering how if the darn thing had only WAITED a few minutes, he would have been in full battle gear! As it is, his gear that he was wearing is as follows:
- Sleeveless shirt and belly band, both a camouflaged mix of muddy brown and green. Not visible unless he takes off his armor. The material is like thick cotton.
- 1 tactical vest with utility pouches; 1 armored sleeve (slides on, covering all of the upper, lower, and hand of his right arm); a full lower body piece – covers his ‘canine’ half’s belly and back in thin interlocking plates, with the most protection being on the chest, stomach, and spine areas.
- 1 6-inch knife (mostly for skinning and camping, but usable as a weapon if needed)
- 1 pair of binoculars
- 1 25-foot coil of 5 mm fibercord (tightly wound; coil is only 4 inches in diameter. High tensile strength)
- 1 pack of 25 water purifying tablets
- 1 communicator (currently inoperable, but parts could be useful)
- 3 gretzi lightwands – think glowsticks that activate when you pop the tip in. And that can be used as small grenades.
- 1 gretzi-powered short-range gun (Technical Name: the E.I. Greiz’l .113) with 1 backup fuel cartridge. The gun is about the size of a large pistol, is black with a thin slit showing the glass fuel container underneath (to gauge remaining supply), and can fire between 30 and 50 feet, depending on the power level of the shot. Shots Per Cylinder: 40 Low Power (instant 1st-2nd degree burn), or 20 Medium Power (instant third-degree burn), or 10 High Power (often lethal), or 5 Melters (lethal with rare exceptions). Mix and match as you will.
In regard to the lightwands, they give off light by being activated via the same process that makes gretzi turn into glowing energy balls that electrocute metal. Therefore, they can be repurposed as a sort of electric grenade if you smash them against something metallic. (It is recommended that you be far away when this happens.)

(If it seems that he has a lot of supplies, keep in mind that a normal solo scouting mission supply kit involves FOOD, a canteen of some kind, a bedroll, possibly maps, a compass, TWO guns with at least five cartridges each, and a plethora of other small useful items. He’s pretty lucky that he has what he does.)

Other Possessions:
- A small, palm-sized semi-circular cup-tablet that projects a miniature 3D projection of his fiancé’s face.
- 1 small pack of bird feed for Din
- A round tag engraved with his name, rank, blood type (P-, most common felnim blood type, not compatible with human donors), allergies (none), and next of kin (his younger brother, Tre’vip S’gnles). This is made of a type of alien hardwood and hangs on a cord around his neck, under his armor.
- A pouch of jivana powder – makes a drink that is basically the felnim equivalent of coffee. It is fruit-flavored, packed with sugars and caffeine, and can be served hot or cold. (Taskin prefers it really hot and in the morning to help him wake up.)

PERSONALITY

Overview: Taskin is a brave, dedicated soldier who would go to great lengths to protect those he cares about from any perceived danger. He is honest, sees humor in most situations, and likes to keep conversation light and pull the occasional prank on his close friends (or minor enemies, if they’re working together). Taskin’s moral code is pretty high, and he doesn’t look kindly on deserters or liars and has a great respect for females and children of most any race. Regardless, he does have a major blind spot in the form of an immediate distrust of all humans, and he can be insensitive and shut down emotionally when distracted, angry, or stressed. Taskin isn’t completely aware of some of these faults, but overall he does try to be an upstanding soldier and person. In general, Taskin is a people person and enjoys making new acquaintances (even if he is reserved about who he calls ‘friend’), and he is very loyal.

Strengths:

PHYSICAL:
- Taskin is very strong and very heavy, although not excessively so by felnim standards. Still, a regular-size human wouldn’t particularly enjoy arm-wrestling him – especially if he’s using his MIDDLE “arms”. And he has had to ‘wrestle’ a human or two in his time on the battlefield, although he doesn’t much enjoy the experience.
- He can reach speeds of 65 MPH when running full-out, although this will burn him out after a few minutes. Regular running speed is ~50 MPH. Taskin is very fast for a felnim, one of the reasons he is a Scout First Class.
- He has a very high reach and can jump really far, esp. if jumping from running speed. He also has good reflexes, making him very agile in areas with lots of obstacles.
- Taskin is an excellent shot and can hold his own in close combat due to military training. He also has some skill with staff fighting.
- Very minor first aid know-how, mostly just for patching himself up if he’s caught out alone.
- Slightly stronger sense of smell than humans, but not much. Sight and hearing are roughly equal to a human’s.
- Fur is a good insulator, giving him a decent advantage in cold temperatures. He still prefers temperate climates, though.
- An iron constitution: he can choke down just about anything edible (even if it tastes horrible) and digest it completely. (Large/whole bones are a possible exception, although if it fits down his throat, chances are good it will be broken down eventually.)

MENTAL:
- Felnim have pretty good senses regarding the uses of plants. This doesn’t give Taskin a magically perfect understanding of any plant he sees, but it does help him tell small things like what plants might make good bandage material or temporary armor and what isn’t poisonous to eat. He’s also had some training in carving makeshift armor, assuming he can find the right materials.
- He is not easily distracted, even in battle. Unless an unwanted human teammate is involved. He’s so unused to working WITH humans instead of fighting them that this might throw him off his game, especially if said teammate does something really stupid.
- Taskin prides himself on being able to get a job done, so he will stick to a task he has accepted to great lengths. That being said, he did not gain his post as Scout First Class for nothing; he knows when to back off and reassess the situation, and he’s excellent at long-distance recon.
- Being artistic (whether he’ll admit it or not), he is naturally good at thinking creatively.

Weaknesses:

PHYSICAL:
- Due to being in the middle of outfitting for a scouting mission, Taskin had not yet put on the armored sleeves that protect his four lower legs and left arm, his foot and tail guards, or any head protection. His head and legs, therefore, are his most vulnerable points.
- Taskin cannot climb very well, and it takes great effort to lift himself up when only able to use his two front arms. (You think doing a chin-up is hard, trying doing one with 400 extra pounds hanging off your waist.) He is slightly jealous of people who can climb with ease, as he enjoys heights.
- He HATES swimming, and it fairly slow at it. He (probably) won’t drown, but he won’t enjoy himself, either. He more or less dislikes bodies of water in general, although for whatever reason, he DOES enjoy rain and showers.
- Felnim need a lot of food to keep all of that extra body mass at peak condition. On his world, they have invented numerous varieties of food rations with very high nutrition count, but obviously those don’t exist on Eos (except for those funky berries). If Taskin doesn’t have at least one hearty meal a day, it starts to affect him. If he goes two days without anything to eat, it will visibly show in his lack of energy. Three days or longer and he can still press on due to military training, but he will seriously hate his life and everything that exists. A total five days without any food is max: he will barely be able to move. Taskin can and will stave this off by stuffing his face with any plant material or small game he can get his hands on, which will probably earn him some odd looks. (Felnim are omnivores.) Extended periods (weeks) of smaller-than-average rations will begin to take a toll on him, however, leading to lethargy, stomach pains, and a short temper, and Taskin would grab naps anytime he could to conserve energy.
- Fur and large body mass make high heat levels uncomfortable for him. He mostly sweats through his feet, so he sometimes starts leaving damp footprints behind if he’s really overheated.

MENTAL:
- Due to the war on his homeworld, and ESPECIALLY due to what happened to his brother, Taskin has a deep grudge against humans. He blames them for the war and fully believes that the humans are recent arrivals trying to force them off of the colony they worked long and hard to build. Because of this, he is deeply mistrustful of humans, assuming them all to be selfish, power-hungry, and dangerous. This is a weakness because it causes him to have an openly scornful and suspicious attitude around humans, which could act as a barrier towards him making potentially helpful alliances. This suspicion mostly applies to adults; children might have an easier time earning his trust, and due to an ingrained sense of chivalry, he’ll hide his distrust better while meeting with women and young ones. For a man, about the only way to at least START overcoming this would be to either demonstrate a great act of selflessness or save his life.
- Taskin becomes nervous when forced to fight against people wielding bladed weapons (assuming he doesn’t have his gretzi gun – more in Weapons). He is not as used to fighting them and is unfamiliar with the best forms of defense.
- He is very irritable when forced to work with someone who doesn’t seem to know what they are doing, esp. if he doesn’t like them. (Note that I said ‘work WITH’, not ‘help’. He EXPECTS people he’s just helping to not know what they are doing and to stay out of the way.) This can lead to very unnecessary and potentially distracting sarcastic remarks during battle.

Quirks:
- He has a habit of saying ‘fel’ where a human might say ‘man’, whether or not the person he’s talking to is a felnim. So people may be confused when he says something like, “Get it together, fel!” or “Fel, I don’t know.” The translator doesn’t seem to see fit to do anything about this.
- He likes to whittle. If he really likes a carving he’s done, he’ll either keep it or give it to someone. If he doesn’t like it, he’ll either throw it away or stick it in somebody’s bedroll as a prank.
- His dislike of humans only applies to humans. Other races, no matter how anthropomorphic, are fine. He’s more likely to see them as resembling HIS race than as resembling humans (they do share similar upper body structure, after all).
- He has a habit of grabbing any plant matter close at hand at any time, sniffing it, and then snarfing it down, regardless of flavor or texture. (Unless it’s poisonous; he can usually tell and will throw it away.) He will often do this without thinking and while doing something else, such as giving orders. He also tends to take (rather accurate) potshots at any small creatures that look edible and will occasionally eat them right there. He is confused when someone acts grossed out by this.
(Felnim do not eat raw meat; the shot of a gretzi gun can basically cook a small enough animal straight through. If it’s NOT ‘well-done’ enough, Taskin will either hang the carcass from a cord on his uniform or simply drape it across his lower back for cooking later.)

Primary Desire: To get home again, to marry his fiancé, and to reconcile with his family, who he has come to realize are much more important than his little crusade of vengeance.

HISTORY

Homeworld: Taskin is not actually from the original felnim homeworld; he is from a small planet currently being colonized and fought over by felnim and humans, who both managed to somehow colonize the stupid place at the same stupid time without knowing it, so now they’re fighting each other because both sides think the other is a bunch of alien invaders. The technological level is space-age with a mix of survivalist and colonial; due to being separated from their home planets, both races have had to make due with what they have in the way of producing new goods and weapons, but their technological know-how is still mainly space-age. The felnim do not favor flight technology (they pretty much invented flight for the sole purpose of eventually being able to explore space) and are more focused on agricultural, architectural, and weapons technology. They favor things crafted from/powered by wood or other plant materials and treat metal as an inconvenient necessity more than anything else. (Understandable from a world with several genus of trees that can be tempered to the strength of iron. Metal is mainly used where its conductive properties are needed, and for things like spaceships.) The felnim on Taskin’s world brought their favorite plant species with them to the colony, of course, but they are excellent at making do with the native resources at hand.

Family/Friends: A fiancé, Margr’lsgi Tannapqi (Margi Tanner via the Translator), whom he is deeply in love with. Also, Mom, Dad, and a younger brother (Trevip), all of whom he doesn’t speak to much. He’s beginning to regret that now. Best friend is Sergeant Reas're from his platoon; you'll see him briefly in the audition. And Din, his trained l’gna bird, who came with him to Eos.

History:
Taskin was born on the colony planet Ar’l roughly six years after its initial colonization. Seventeen years later, the ‘human threat’ was first discovered. War broke out, and the planet has been more or less enveloped in it ever since. He grew up as the middle of three brothers, all of whom were very close. His parents are pacifists to a degree and do not sanction the growing violence of the war as the fighting continues to escalate on both sides. They feared the growing attitude of mass hatred towards humans that was beginning to poison their peoples’ thoughts, and endeavored to teach their boys that although the humans’ actions were not right, it was against the heart of Enameh to let themselves give in to hatred. As all adults of a certain age were required to spend a time in service (theirs being still a smallish colony), Taskin and his older brother B’ransreh soon joined the fight, but Taskin in general was accepting of his parents’ teachings. That is, until his older brother was brutally killed in combat.
Ever since then, Taskin has been consumed by grief and a fierce grudge against the humans. His younger brother handled the death better and continues to side with his parents, who hold to their teachings of not hating the people who killed their son. A violent argument between Taskin and his other family members led to him breaking off from them, pouring himself into full-time military service and in general dedicating himself to helping end the war against the human scum who (he believes) are murdering his people and trying to steal their home. He hasn’t spoken to his family more than a few times in several years, choosing to live in the military barracks when off active rotation. He still speaks with his younger brother a little, but the relationship is strained. They pretty much have to avoid talking about family matters of any degree. It is one of the things that hurts Taskin the most, but he’s very stubborn about holding onto his grudge.
Taskin’s anger eventually cooled to manageable levels, and he hides it well, mostly coming across as his usual joking, easygoing self. But his grudge against humanity is still a driving force in his life. His parents’ teaching sank in to a degree – he doesn’t want to see all humans dead so much as he wants to be there to prevent any more of their soldiers from killing his, and to get their sorry carcasses off his planet. Although he might enjoy seeing the death of the human or humans who were responsible for his brother’s death.
There are a few bright points in his life; Taskin really does enjoy military service, and quickly rose in the ranks to Scout First Class, a prestigious reconnaissance/scouting position. He is well-respected among his comrades for his dedication and skill. He is also engaged to the sister of one of his best friends in his squadron, and he loves her dearly. Margi is a great influence on his life and has had a lot to do with the gradual decrease in his anger, both towards the enemy and his parents.
Margi and Taskin became engaged just after Taskin was assigned to a 6-month rotation that would be shipping the troops very close to the frontlines of battle. (Despite being a small planet, neither race has been able to grow substantially to take up large portions of it; the ‘frontlines’ are a great distance from either colony and cover a wide area.) Taskin didn’t want to marry Margi just before leaving her alone for so long, esp. since he was going into combat, in case he were to die. She accepted the delay reluctantly. Before he left, Margi tried to get him to say goodbye to his parents, but despite her success at softening the worst of his anger, he still stubbornly refused to speak to them.
Two months later, Taskin is about to go on a top-priority solo scouting mission. He is missing Margi terribly, and for the first time starting to contemplate a more settled life. He’s angry with humans for all of the bloodshed. And he’s maybe starting to wonder if he should have tried harder to keep in touch with his family, even if they do want him to let go of his anger over the death of his brother.
And then he comes to Eos.

EOS SPECIFIC

What was the low point in their life before being pulled to Eos?: He’s about to head out on a dangerous mission into enemy territory, separated from his fiancé, and beginning to have shadows of doubt about his reasons for not talking to his parents. Plus it’s raining and someone took the last cup of jivana. (Think fruit-flavored coffee equivalent.) So he’s basically having a bad morning.

Does your character miss their homeworld?: YES. Taskin is very determined to get home.

Team: Just his bird Din so far. He’s a friendly guy, though, once you get past the human prejudice issues, and if he can find someone he deems worthy of trust, he’s not opposed to teaming up with them. Or helping them, as the case may be.

Are you okay with other tournament entrants KILLING your character in their tournament writing?: I would reeeeally rather you not. But if you feel it is ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT DOUBT necessary – i.e. you can’t in any way, shape, or form think of a way to make your story work that would allow him to live – I suppose I’d be alright with him dying. I can appreciate a well-crafted death scene, it’s just that I’m honestly hoping to get Taskin home at the end of all this.

Are you okay with other tournament entrants using your character in their tournament writing?: I would LOVE that, please feel free! Just so long as you keep him in character.

Other:
- He’s a bit scornful of religion, mostly due to his anger at his parents and their belief that Emaneh desires his followers to forgive their enemies. He doesn’t speak about this with anyone if he can help it, generally reserving it to a thinly-veiled irritation when the subject comes up. (His defensiveness does branch somewhat from a sense of suppressed guilt.)
- DESPITE said scornfulness, Taskin was raised in a conservative household and still upholds many of their standards. He has an overall strong sense of moral justice and chivalry, and he does not swear, although he’s pretty indifferent of others who do.
- Taskin is very honorable; while he won’t hesitate to take down an enemy who is either attacking right now or prepared to attack him, he will not kill the unarmed, the defenseless, or a prisoner. The exception to this in the past has been missions where he needed to silently take out enemy guards through sneak attacks, but they were neither unarmed nor defenseless.
- He really does enjoy art of all kinds and will divulge his opinion on artwork if pressured.
- He hates bugs.

OVERVIEW
List the three most important things about your character.
- A good guy at heart who wants to find peace.
- A capable soldier who will do what it takes to get home.
- Bears a grudge against humans that he may need to overcome if he hopes to survive this experience.