Haylin Gafren, Son of the Plains

[Haylin Gafren]

Name: Haylin Gafren

Tribe: Gafren Tribes

Bio: Haylin Gafren always loved being outside and in the world. He regularly found himself looking over the sheer cliff faces lining Emerald's Ascension wishing he knew more about the world outside. The Tribes rarely allowed travel beyond the Jade Shores, noting that invaders come from outside and threaten to make barren the bountiful lands of the Mother.

Still, he lusted for more understanding. If the Bounty of the Plains was so generous, why not share it with the rest of the world? The battles fought over the land he rarely understood, as most assailants were routed swiftly and justly. They only spelled l worked to incense his natural curiosity for the outside world. As a child, he took heed of his tribe's warnings and kept to himself until the time came for his rite of passage.

Every adult member of the Tribes of Gafren has a Cassowary they've bonded to, each pairing unique in it's own way. In terms of Plainswalking, the Gafren name for the hunting ceremony, Haylin performed adequately. He tracked his quarry from it's den and out into open plains where he felt he had the advantage of surprise on his side and was confident he could take on his opponent with no challenge.

What he didn't realize was that his quarry led him to a pack of Cassowaries he thought were a patch of large boulders. Once he moved to strike, they all scattered in a hurry, trampling him in the process.

Beaten and bloodied, Haylin felt his spirit slinking to the floor. How could he return home without a Urizen to call his own? He contemplated his options, but with the trek taking him further from home than he had ever been, he rebuffed the thought of taking that trip back empty handed. So he pulled himself together, tended his wounds, and continued the search.

His search brought him to a set of massive Cassowary tracks leading to the site of a battle he heard of in his tribe's folk tales, one of the most decisive battles in Gafren history. Where a hero who left the land, journeying into the Abyss and coming back a hero, felling an army with just himself and his Cassowary over the course of a fortnight. He felt a sense of familiarity as he approached, an ancestral resting place where the battle, though victorious, took the life of the hero.

What was a scorched battlefield long ago now had verdant greens overgrowing rusted armor and weapons. To Haylin, it was a sign that he might not need to return home. If he could make it to the Abyss and back, he would surely be regarded as a hero, but he had no idea where to begin to search for this place. Fortunately, the site was peaceful enough and remote enough for him to recover from his harrowing injuries, so he spent some days recovering his strength and planning his journey ahead.

Little did he know, a baby Cassowary had already taken a liking to him while he spent his days resting and exploring the battlefield. It followed him silently in the tall grasses and poaching warmth from him in the night until the day Haylin decided to set out being the Gafren Plains.

Haylin's outlook changed completely after realizing the cassowary intended to suck around, assuming it had just been separated from the rest of its flock. Together, they ventured out and fought, scrapped, crawled, dragged, marched their way to The Abyss, that Site of Hallowed Events, and gained blessings, knowledge, and strength they Haylin couldn't fathom at home on the Plains. He stayed there for a time before heading back to complete his belated rite of passage with his now full grown cassowary, the largest he had ever had the pleasure of seeing with his own eyes.

Or, he would have if the Fall of Arcturus didn't spur him through a portal as he tried to escape. The portal appeared in front of him as he and Cass bore witness to power unimaginable wielded like child's play. His ambition almost brought him into the battle, but he was already lost in a squall forest before she even knew what happened. He found himself and Cass lost on a island beach surrounded by a storm, presuming it to be the first step into the afterlife.

They've been there for 10 years, living a half life, looking for some way off the island and back to the living realm, if possible. The treachery of the island only served as a whetstone to hone his Abyssal strength and ability, and each treacherous encounter just reminded him of how badly he would want to return to the tribe, not a hero, but as a man.

"What's a fate worse than death? A death without rest..." - Haylin Gafren

Pillars:
Central: Proud custodians of the bounty of the Gafren Plains
Contrast: Nobody believes the legends until they see proof
Active: Lost in the Island of Rudral

Anthem:
Cassowary Fealty - The Tribes of Gafren have a deep connection to the Gafren Cassowary. As a rite of passage for all tribes people, they form a Urizen connection with one of the creatures. In addition to their already menacing natural abilities, the Gafren Fowl can also learn and utilize Arbiters of the Gafren it is bonded with.

Traits:

Survivalism - Skilled at weathering the wilds of the unknown using the surroundings around them. Can craft crude tools from scavenged materials and go long periods with minimal food or water.

Way of the Wild - An uncanny ability to communicate simply with animals. Can mimic calls and communicate vocally to become enmeshed in their environment. Special skills that are honed to hunting on open plains. Hosts tools, weapons, and physical prowess to take down their prey.

Breath of Fire - The Gafren are skilled at conjuring fire, a skill passed down as a survival skill for the open plains and their hunts.

Arbiters:

TBA

Unique Marks: Simple clothing with feathered accents of the Gafren Fowl. Heavily scarred with a formidable size.

Stats:
Stress: 7
Output: 8
Naten: 6
Speed: 5
Dexterity: 7
Strength: 10
Durability: 9
Awareness: 4