1-Hmmm..a profile, eh? His name would be Pacha. He's got an olive skin-tone, hair that's a very dark brown/black, and sparkling turquoise eyes so deep that they almost seem to reflect the viewer's innermost thoughts back to them. He's got one rather large black tattoo that winds around his arm, from just below his shoulder to just above his elbow (it's...just line, and based somewhat off of Incan-looking...design XD), as well as one directly below his heart, a simple outline of a crescent-shape…or a knife-blade. Even as a child, he shows an...intriguing ability to create. When he has the urge and is given the correct...ingredients (for lack of a better word), he is able to blend them together into the object he wishes to make. However, because of Apaec’s weakened state, nothing living can be created, nor can Pacha merge a living thing with anything else to make a non-living thing. An example of what his abilities would be like: as an infant, he could take two blocks of wood and merge them into a simple “L” shape…then, as he gets a little older, he could take a block of wood and some metal and make a crude wooden toy with metal bits mixed in. Then, as he got older still, and became a bit more skilled, he could perhaps take a block of wood, some metal screws and some paint and merge them instantly into a little toy train…nothing too complicated, because by the time Apaec’s presence was strong enough to do so, he would also be strong enough to separate their selves. Pacha also has an almost irrational fear of being constrained...which brings me to his other ability...when he IS feeling as though he's being tied down in some way...he...zones out, and weird things start to happen. Like, something catches on fire, or something else chaotic occurs to draw one's attention...and when one turns back, he's across the room, or in a different room altogether. His personality, to sum it up briefly, would be outgoing and competitive, but prone to bouts of pensiveness, all tempered by compassion, as he seems to pick up some of the emotions of people around him.
2-Pacha, who didn't go by Pacha back then, was born in a small village in South America, during the height of the Incan Empire. He grew up, always a happy child, even though he was one of very few children in his village, and so didn’t have a lot of friends growing up. He was the son of a very poor couple who, like most who weren't royalty, lived a simple life.
Of course, as with all times of serenity, there came a year where the crops did not grow properly, and rain did not fall...even after various animal sacrifices were made to the many gods who governed these things. Finally, the oracle decreed that the cause of their problems had been understood. Apaec, the god who had created their people, many generations ago, had become angry, and the only way to appease him would to offer up the life of the most blessed person in sacrifice. All of the men (men at that time being any boys older than 10 years of age) were to participate. And so, a day of contests was organized, and it was decreed that the man who gave the best showing would have the honor of giving his life to the god Apaec.
The day passed as if in a blur for Cacao (Pacha's name in that life). He could FEEL the nervousness of all the other participants, almost as if it were a part of HIM. The fear, combined with adrenaline and tinged with a solid sense of pride at the opportunity to make the supreme sacrifice to his people, all sought to play havoc with his mind. As the day progressed, Cacao’s athletic abilities were tested time and again, and although there were times where he felt so overwhelmed that he was tempted to quit right then, he always found the strength to go on. As the day drew to a close, it became apparent that the only participant to even come close to his level of grit and determination was his best friend (and most bitter rival), Cae. The pair had always shared the deepest of friendships, but at the same time, had always (as with most young men) been caught in an endless attempt to prove that one’s abilities were superior to the others’.
It was thus that they found themselves vying for first place at the commencement of the final race. The runners lined up at the starting line, their skin gleaming lightly with sweat in the oncoming dusk. Cacao looked at his best friend one last time, their eyes meeting, and an understanding of sorts passing between them--an understanding that neither of them were going to hold back, and that this really was going to be their final race. Cacao sighed, and broke off the visual contact, looking straight ahead, his expressionless face hiding the turmoil of his thoughts. <i>Do I really want to win? Am I really that willing to give up my life on this earth in an attempt to placate the gods? And…if I lose to Cae…am I willing to live a life without my brother…the only one I know who really understands me?</i> Traitorous thoughts kept creeping through his head, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he battled his own demons. <i>Then again…do I really have a choice? If I don’t do my best, and the gods don’t receive the most precious of offerings, will my people suffer all the more for it? And…Cae comes from a close-knit family…for him, my loss wouldn’t keep him down for long…</i>He pondered as the countdown to the beginning of the race began, reaching his decision just as the starter’s hand dropped to signal that the racers should begin their sprint. <i>I have a duty to my people to do my best…regardless of my own wishes or desires.</i> He decided, leaping forward with renewed purpose. Cacao and Cae remained neck in neck, neither of the youths able to gain a lead on the other. Then, not 20 feet from the finish line, Cacao saw Cae stumble and fall out of the corner of his eye, the surprise of it enough to throw Cacao slightly off his stride also…but not enough to prevent him from winning the race.
He came to a stop, eyes opening wide as he was forcibly escorted by those who studied directly under the village’s oracle to “purified” sleeping quarters, where he was led in various prayers and other minor rituals to begin the preparation of him as a worthy offering to Apaec. Throughout it all, Cacao merely stared straight ahead, a blank look in his eyes as he tried to assimilate what had happened. He did whatever he was bid, his expression never changing. After all else was finished, he was left to get some sleep, but instead spend most of the night tossing and turning. <i>I…won? I’m not sure I can do this after all…I mean, I don’t know if I’m really ready to…just give my life up.</i> Finally, after hours of such questioning of himself, he slipped off into the world of dreams, although on this particular night, they were more akin to nightmares.
The next morning, he awoke before the sun rose, and stared up at the ceiling over his head, resigned to his fate. Within moments, the village’s oracle stepped through the entryway of his temporary quarters, aiding him as he underwent still more rituals associated with the cleansing of the body and spirit, so as to not offend the god one was being offered to. As the sun began to shed its light over the mountaintops, Cacao was led slowly to the village center, where the oracle directed him up the long, gently rising stairway that took him to the altar stone. Eyeing the long stairway, Cacao swallowed nervously, taking a few deep, stabilizing breath as he turned back for one last look at all he’d always held dear. When he spotted Cae, he deliberately forced his gaze to skip over his longtime friend, refusing to acknowledge his strongest tie to this life, afraid he would shame himself by breaking down if he didn’t. Squaring his shoulders, he focused his gaze on the stairs in front of him, forcing one reluctant foot in front of the other, making his way slowly forward to meet his fate. When he reached the top, Cacao was stripped of everything except the purified white loincloth he’d been given specifically for the occasion. He looked at the altar stone before him, his eyes flickering between it and the sacrificial knife laying on a stone not too far from it. Suddenly, he found himself noticing every minute detail in the world around him. He could hear the dull roar of the townspeople below, the chirping of birds in the distance…and he could feel every bead of sweat as it formed and slid icily down his tanned body. Closing his eyes, he bowed his head to the oracle, and lay down upon the altar, having come as close as he could to being at peace with himself. His eyes glazed over slightly as he withdrew within himself, watching with an impending sense of helplessness as the oracle raised the sacrificial knife up, the blade flashing wickedly in the dawn light. His last thought was a farewell to Cae as the knife came slashing down, his vision swiftly fading to pitch black.
Unfortunately, all did not go as planned. Cacao found himself returning to awareness slowly, as he sensed a…call that he felt with every fiber of his being, a pull that he could not fight. With an unpleasant jolt, he felt his astral “body” bump up against a far more substantial one, one that surrounded his own and absorbed it easily, as if it were only natural. However, instead of being completely absorbed into Apaec’s greater consciousness, Cacao remained…separate, but still a part of the whole. Panicking, he couldn’t pull free, and felt as if he’d been crammed into a body that had no room for him to occupy. It was the worst kind of feeling…even worse than the time he’d had a spearhead driven deep into the muscle of his arm and it had had to be cut out so as to prevent infection. He felt as if he were bursting at the very seams, and…there was something other than his own agony that he was feeling. It was as if…there were two of them in a body that was only meant to house one. Looking down at the physical body he’d been pulled into…he noticed it was almost…human, but at the same time, not.
His skin, although carrying the same healthy hue as the majority of the villagers he’d grown up with, was imbued with…an odd luminescent glow, a glow that seemed to radiate from below the skin. Keening in pain, he could FEEL what felt like an endless stream of memories bombarding him, and could tell that these memories weren’t his own…and yet, part of him accepted them as being a normal part of his consciousness. The part of him that retained a human’s inability to accept the sheer vastness of knowledge that was a mere portion of the god’s full capabilities caused him to thrash about helplessly until his eyes rolled back in his head and he sunk into the comforting emptiness of unconsciousness.
Apaec could sense the human’s soul as it refused to yield completely to his own…he could even feel their spirits as they twined around one another, parts of them merging, while others fought to retain their independence. <i>What…is happening? Why isn’t his spirit merging with my own…like it’s supposed to?</i> He thought, feeling uneasy for the first time in his existence. Apaec felt as though his brain was being crammed into a box that was too small to house it—the human, who had control of their physical body…he couldn’t begin to understand all that a god knew from their millennia-long existence. However…by the same token, at least the human was able to physically scream as the pain wracked the very depths of his being. In this case, the god could FEEL the human’s spirit striving to subdue and eliminate that which was causing it pain…yet, Apaec was powerless to even voice the agony that arrowed through him, until his consciousness, firmly enmeshed with that of Cacao, sunk into unconsciousness.
The other gods all got together to discuss what must be done…for, instead of Cacao’s soul being absorbed into Apaec’s greater consciousness, as was the normal course of things…something had gone seriously wrong.
A council was called and held, and it was decided that the new being, who they named Pacha, should be laid to rest for a long period of time.
<i>Thousands of Years Later…</i>
He cracked his eyes open, the movement unfamiliar. Blinking, his luminous eyes opened and closed a few times in rapid succession before he sat up, and rubbed at them wearily. <i>Why have I awoken after all this time…and why do I feel so…insubstantial?</i> He thought to himself, shaking his head in a vain attempt at clearing his thoughts. He blinked a few more times, running one shaky hand through his black locks and looking around curiously. <i>I don’t remember everything being so dark…</i> his thoughts tapered off as the events leading up to his long-standing unconsciousness came rushing back, and tears streaked their way down his face, emphasizing more strongly still his stricken expression. <i>I…can still feel Apaec there, although he doesn’t feel…the same—it’s almost as if he’s too weak to be endlessly pulling at me, trying to swallow me whole...</i> He thought to himself when the shock started to wear off. Looking around, he noticed the only light seemed to be coming from what appeared to be…a window of sorts, one that looked into a room full of children of varying ages, from infant to toddler, most looking as though they had abilities and appearances that set them apart from ordinary humans…and all of whom were playing and fighting, as children tend to do. <i>What…is this?</i> He thought to himself, noticing a lot of unfamiliar objects on shelves and scattered on the floor.
“You have been asleep for a long time,” a distinctly feminine voice spoke from almost directly behind him. “Where am I? What’s going on?” he asked quickly, spinning quickly on his heel to face the voice head-on. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw a woman, but not an ordinary one by any stretch of the imagination. She emitted an even brighter glow than his current body did, and seemed to hover a few inches above the floor. As he looked up at her, she smiled, but it almost seemed sad, as if she held the weight of the world on her narrow shoulders.
“Your inability to let go, and simply give up on life when you crossed over to this side caused a problem—instead of your soul being absorbed by Apaec, as is typical, your two spirits were warring for possession of Apaec’s celestial body—however, we could not allow this to continue. The warring of your spirits would end in insanity…unless one triumphed over the other in a relatively short period of time, which we realized quickly was not going to happen. Because a human’s soul is not…substantial enough to occupy a deity’s body, we had to put you both into a deep slumber until your spirits had diminished enough for us to give you both another chance at life…and in so doing, to set fate back upon it’s proper course…” she trailed off, her gaze softening as her eyes met his in a firm gaze. “And so, the time has come for both of you to be reborn into a human body, until such a time as Apaec can pull himself free, or your spirits merge completely…” she finished, looking at him expectantly until he nodded, sighing in resignation. She closed her eyes, a brighter glow appearing around her hands and intensifying until she laid her hands on either side of his head, allowing the light she had brought forth to envelope him completely.
He could feel himself fading from his current existence, the pull even stronger than the one that had originally brought him TO this body. “Wait…won’t you tell me your name?” he cried out, his voice echoing eerily around him as if the void that had enveloped him had sucked the sound from his throat even before it could emerge. His vision went black, and his final chance began.
3-I’ve always admired the fa’e…the artwork, the incredible amounts of love and attention lavished upon developing this being’s character…every aspect of the project appeals to me. In particular, I really found myself forming a connection to Pacha as I wrote this—Incan mythology has always struck me as particularly interesting, but Pacha’s story didn’t just give me the chance to drag in a few deities from that, I found myself really feeling like I could understand him, and I found myself sympathizing with his plight, even though I was the one creating it.
(Also found here:
http://www.angelfire.com/rebellion/vashtya_elf07/fae.html )
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