Atiya, the Wanderer

[AtiyaTheSeeker]

Last Updated: 5/21/18 -- Added stuff to Atiya's personality (previously called "behaviour") and added her aura powers for fantasy RPs

Name: Atiya (ah-tee-yah; Muslim name meaning 'gift' or 'present')

Nickname: Tia
Species: Asiatic-African Lion
Age: Adolescent

Gender: Female

Alignment: Neutral Good

Description:

Atiya possesses sandy colored fur akin to a common lion's. However, her eyes are a sapphire blue color. Due to her Asiatic lion blood, she possesses a notably larger tail tuft compared to a typical African lion's, along with a longitudinal fold of skin running along her belly. The back of her neck is a bit scruffy, and her front shoulders are speckled with brownish spots.

Personality:

Atiya is reserved among strangers at first, unless they're in need of help; that said, she opens up fairly well and quickly once she gets to know them. The young lioness has a strong sense of justice and a burning wanderlust, but is also known to be hard on herself when failures occur. She also possesses rage issues now and again, especially when feeling guilty about herself or when under duress. She's well-learned, but isn't always the wisest individual; she often has trouble hiding her emotions or secrets, and is often a scatter-brained young lioness.


History:

Descended partly from lions in ancient times, especially when they used to inhabit the Mediterranean, Atiya's pride held their respects to the ways of old. More than one mystic had been born from her bloodline, and Atiya was no exception. Tied to the ways of an ancient goddess called Sekhmet, Atiya's parents almost seemed to reflect the dual nature of that Egyptian deity -- her father was a mighty warrior of his pride, and her mother a skilled healer who had trained under a shaman. The dual nature of war and peace, life-taking and life-saving, was how the Ash pride existed for many years under its many branches of pride members.

Atiya lived an average life under her pride alongside her elder brother Jabari, practicing the ways of a huntress as lionesses were wont to do. She adored her father Mosi greatly, who throughout his life had gone on numerous adventures throughout the Pridelands and beyond, but who had settled down once his children were born. Meanwhile, her mother Aziza taught her the ways of hunting and the mysticism of her own tutelage.

One day, Mosi had been called by an old friend to finish one final score, against a rogue lion who had a vendetta against the two of them. If this lion and his growing pride were to go after the Ash pride, the youths would surely be slain by such a cruel rival. Mosi set out for this adventure, which truly proved to be his last -- he sustained horrible injuries despite finishing off his nemesis, and died of blood loss before long.

The news spread to the Ash pride, who mourned their folk hero. Atiya was devastated, to say nothing of her mother and brother's reactions. Aziza became more stern toward her children over time, pushing for Jabari to follow in Mosi's footsteps while forbidding Atiya to do the same. As time went on, the poor mother's actions would have an inverse effect on her children. While Jabari became skilled as a fighter, he wasn't nearly as brave by himself as Aziza hoped. And while Atiya was not allowed to learn to fight further, or to leave the safety of the pride, Jabari privately taught Atiya the secrets of his father's fighting skills at her demands to do so.

In time, those who aligned themselves with Mosi's nemesis returned to finish what their leader started. When Aziza and the other mystics of the Ash pride were set to rout by some of the attackers, Atiya and Jabari stepped in to protect their mother. The siblings fought valiantly, and managed to best those seeking to end the lives of the pride's more vulnerable members.

After the battle ended, Atiya was finally able to convince her mother to let her pursue her own destiny. Setting off on her own adventures, Atiya proved to be more her father's cub than her brother, following in the footsteps of her folk hero dad.

Recent History:

On her travels, Atiya furthered her training under a mandrill shaman. In any canons where they would apply, she had learned how to apply traditional medicine through the use of herbal remedies.

Family:
Mosi - Father (Deceased)
Aziza - Mother
Jabari - Brother

Fantasy Powers:

In more fantastical versions of the Pridelands, the Ash pride's ties to Sekhmet are much greater than mere veneration; in this case, Atiya and Aziza alike possess powers and special skills through their shamanic methods. While these powers aren't usually flashy compared to a lot of epic fantasy ones, they are nevertheless useful compared to your average African animal.

• Atiya is able to sense supernatural auras, also possessing one of her own tied to the ancient ways of her ancestral culture; it's easiest for her to detect auras associated with restless spirits (usually undead) and magical curses, which will have a very distinct reek to her that hazes her mind and sense of smell.
  
• She is also learned in traditional medicines, and can concoct herbal remedies for sickness, poultices for wound treatment, and even substances for the exorcism of undead and malevolent spirits (through violence or otherwise); she needs time and the proper ingredients to concoct these things, however.
• Lastly, Atiya is in control of something she calls her "aura"; this allows her to perform amazing acts of strength, agility and resilience, as well as the ability to heal and soothe injuries through prolonged touch and concentration. This will expend her physical energy, however, and requires her to eat and rest more than usual to maintain over prolonged and excessive use. Therefore, she prefers to rely on this mind-over-matter in short bursts. What's more, her passive "holy" aura mentioned in the first bullet point becomes a lot more noticeable among those who can sense the supernatural when using them, to say nothing of mundane cues (an intense look on her eyes, the scruff on her neck starting to stick up) -- to other magical beings, she'll develop a pale, flame-like glow when preparing herself to use her powers, which becomes stronger when actively using them
  

[AtiyaTheSeeker]

Bump for re-usage, and to point toward some revisions in the original post!