Zuni (man1111111)

Zuni the Wanderer is the Draconis Alma of the Moon, the self proclaimed Avatar of Kot'rogar.

Appearance
Zuni looks fairly typical for a Sultusk orc. Long, lanky limbs. Standing 7'1" Sharp tusks jutting out of his lower  jaw. A tall, crested mohawk. Beady black eyes set deep into his skull. What's atypical is the branding on his chest. Heavy, bubbled branding. A runic, symbolic branding. The Sultusk character for "Heretic". Unlike most of his people, who prefer long, flowing white silk robes, the gown of the Moon, Zuni opts to stay modestly clothed. Well, modesty in one sense of the word, he wears simple leather robes, draped in various voodoo fetishes and charms. He chooses to keep his torso unclothed to bear his mark for all to see, he's proud of his Sultusk heritage, as all orcs are proud of their clan, but he knows that it's his ultimate destiny to bring about the will of the Moon and dismantle the very clan he hails from. Under the Moon Zuni teems with faint white light, a cosmic aura, the Moon's Kiss. Though he is the Draconis Alma of the Moon, his draconic form has yet to be seen, he's fully unaware of the significance of his dragon blood, he believes all his power is directly drawn from Kot'rogar's grace.

History
Zuni, like all Sultusk orcs, hails from the thick jungles in the southern isles of Kammramm.

To understand Zuni's past one requires an understanding of the Sultusk's rigorous caste system. The following passage was taken from High Shaman Zalazane's Ohomdod Karrhig, or Treatise on the History of the Orcs.

"An extremely hierarchical society, the Sultusk are built on a very rigorous caste system.

The Sheyla are at the top, they are the priests, the scholars, the mages, they are said to have direct contact with the spirit world and with Kot'rogar. They are extremely adept at their magical craft, their magical ability rivaling even the most powerful human archmage.

The Kutiko reside in the middle. The warriors, the grunts. They are the arms, the fists of the Shelya, and carry out their orders without question or hesitation. They have some magical power, weaving it in with graceful blade mastery, their magical ability is about on par with the average human mage.

The Kiruja lay at the bottom. Laborers. Peons. The feet of the Sutusk upon which they stand and step, but without them they could not walk.

And finally, Ngi'zo. Outsiders. The worms beneath the earth. Not fit even to be trodden upon."

Zuni was born to Kiruja parents, skilled stonecutters. He never was the most normal child, he refused to take to his father's craft, he opted instead to sleep by day and gaze longingly at the Moon and the stars in the evening.

The Sheyla were most displeased.

The Sheyla delivered an ultimatum to Zuni's father, either he kill his disobedient child, or they would cull his enitre family. His father obeyed, and left young Zuni to die out in the jungle. Zuni should have died in the cold night of the merciless jungle, struck down by some hungry beast or laid to waste by the elements.

Fate had something else in mind

One evening, as he always did, Zuni stared up at the Moon with wide, awed eyes. And the Moon stared back.

The Pale Moon, Kot'rogar watched.

And she listened.

And thus the Moon unfurled for him, spread wings like constellations, a serpentine body that slithered across the sky with grace unmatched by any mortal being.

Kot'rogar came to Zuni. And she spoke to him.

"Young Zuni, you who remained despite your entire world turning against you. You who was left to die by your own father, yet showed him no hatred. You knew only love. Love for me. It is time I reciprocated your compassion, Zuni."

Darkness.

Darker than a Moonless night, lit only by speckled starlight.

Years pass.

Decades.

The young avatar of Kot'rogar awoke.

He returned to his home, to the Grand City of Suldalar. He preached of his encounter with Kot'rogar.

The Sheyla were most displeased. They had him strung up, branded with a deep, runic, arcane iron. A heretic, unwelcome among his people. They gave him a choice, honorable death in the Coliseum, or exile. Zuni knew what was necessary. He knew what Kot'rogar wanted from him after all these years. It was her will that he purify his people. He chose exile. He would wander the world, his trail lit only by Moonlight, and he would gather an army greater than any the Sheyla could muster.

And he would reclaim the Kingdom of the Moon.

As Kot'rogar wills.

By her grace. He will.

Arcane Talent
While in his two decade hibernation, Zuni learned much from Kot'rogar. The entirety of the magical knowledge contained within the winding, labyrinthine, subterranean libraries of Suldalar resides in his head, taught to him directly by the vision of Kot'rogar. His power rivals even the highest ranking Sheyla, and his forte matches that of most Sultusk mages, weapon enchantments sought by warriors the world over, powerful illusion magic and the ability to conjure debilitating runic traps.

Blessing of Kot'rogar
Zuni communes directly with the Moon, thus he is able to directly call upon her power and the infinite grace of the celestial bodies. He can call down beams of white hot flame to sear the flesh of his enemies, hurl bolts of stellar energy. Under great pressure, even the infinite patience of the Moon can shatter, allowing Zuni to call down a flurry of flaming stars and frozen comets from the infinite night sky. Of course, none of this would work during the day, and Zuni's power waxes and wanes in accordance to the cycles of the Moon. It's been whispered that on the day of an eclipse, Kot'rogar herself can be awakened, though it's never been seen or recorded by any Sultusk historian