Askira Zaharis

"Never regret anything you have done with a sincere affection; nothing is lost that is born of the heart" - Basil Rathbone

the basics
Name || Askira Zaharis
Nicknames || Askir, Aska
Age || Eighteen
Species || African Cheetah (King/Cooper's Cheetah)
Gender || Male
Sexuality || Pansexual
God || Sahraia, Demigoddess of Song; Kleis, Goddess of Love; Nehrune, Goddess of Mercy and Justice
Birth God || Sahraia, Demigoddess of Song
Gifts || Amazing Voice, Graceful Movement
Occupation || Musician


the appearance
Voice Claim || Yuri Lowenthal

Identifying Features || The Mark of the Demigoddess of Song, the Music Note, lies on the back of his right ear. The Mark of the Goddess of Love, the Red Rose, lies center on his left shoulder. The Mark of the Goddess of Mercy and Justice, the Gold and Purple Eye, lies between his shoulder blades. Askira's form radiates beauty and grace. He was born with the unique spot pattern denoted as the King cheetah. His frame gives off the sense of being frail and glass-like. A radiates a beauty and elegance pure and untouched. Attracting the eye no matter where he goes. His most distinguishing feature, though, are his eyes. They are a clear, cloudy white. Hints of what his eye color may have been had he not been blind remain in wispy, liquid blues scattered across his pupil. Unfocused, they point ahead seeing nothing. 

Clothing || Askira is blind as such he does not know the color of what he is wearing. He only has a general idea of what it is such as whether it is a cloak, vest, shirt, etc. He doesn't choose what he wears, his servants and slaves choose for him. His parents may sometimes request that he be clothed in a certain style or in certain clothes on the occasion of a visiting noble or other high ranking animal. They may also do so if they are going to a ball or hosting their ball and wish him to look his best. Regardless, he maintains many different varieties of clothing from greatly elaborate to simpler dress for the everyday.

Weapons || Askira has no knowledge of how to use a weapon nor a need for one. His slaves protect him from harm seeing as they are obligated to but also because they cherish him. Being as he his blind, the weapon would pose more a threat to himself than others anyways.


the personality
Overall || Askira is soft-spoken and often careful with his manners and words. He rarely likes to show off and keeps to himself, opening up to few. He is kind and gentle, caring deeply for those around him. His plight has caused him come to an understanding to the pains of others despite the obvious difference. Due to his blindness he is forced to lean on others for help. He does not like that and feels that he hinders them and so will set out on his own if his caretakers are sleeping. He wishes not to disturb them despite them being his slaves. Another aspect that arose from his blindness was that he cannot tel the difference between those of low status and those of high. For the eight years, he could not tell the difference between the slaves, the servants, and commoners. As such, he treated all of the them the same, with care and kindness along with respect. He did learn manners though for dealing with nobles and is always informed when he is dealing with them. He thus treats them with the proper respect and manners but in his heart and mind they are all the same. As such, he is very nondiscriminatory towards everyone, after all, to his blind eyes they are all the same.

the history
Family || Lord Zaharis, Father, Master; Vilana Zaharis, Mother, 67, Master/Songstress

Important People || Jia, Personal Slave (lead caretaker), 35; Maro, Personal Slave (caretaker), 30; Reta, Personal Slave (caretaker), 32; Kida, Personal Slave (guard), 28; Klet, Personal Slave (guard), 28; Teris, Stoat, Pet

Hometown || Taaraas Forest in Atheraan

History || Askira was born blind and it was clear that he would take after his mother rather than his father. His parents worshiped different gods despite their union and the Mark of his mother's main god, the Demigoddess of Song, appeared on him. The second his father found out, he would have been thrown him out if not for the beauty and grace he displayed. His mother protected him as his father raged over his "defective" son. She protected him for several weeks as his father sought his life. She finally let him see his son when he was 6 months old and his father noticed how beautiful and elegant he looked and acted and how he was graced with the rare markings of a King Cheetah. He came to at least accept his son for this. He thus assigned to him two slaves, Maro and Reta, while his mother gave him one of her favorite slaves, Jia. They were to tend and care for him.

At three, he became free to roam of his own will through the mansion, though always with help. His slaves looked after him and acted as his eyes. His mother worried for him as his studies went as well as they could considering his blindness but it was still slow compared to others. She sought to help him somehow and decided to teach him to sing and play instruments. She guided his paws to the strings and keys and taught him everything by voice. Though he was no natural at it, his voice was smooth and his playing fair. He would not think much of it till later. After this, his mother would gradually exit his life, becoming more distant as her son became stronger.

When he turned six, he was allowed to leave the mansion and explore the city of Taaraas. His slaves came with him always. It was dangerous but it was something he wished to do anyways. All went well until he was eight. He went out on a routine visit of the city but the city that day was far busier than normal and he and his slaves were separated. He became confused and scared and ran through the city eventually being caught by some harsher folk. They cornered him and beat him until his slaves found them and stopped them but not before they hurt Askira greatly. His father was enraged and began to beat Askira's slaves. He remarked how Askira's only worth was his beauty and they had marred it. All Askira could hear was the beating and cries of his slaves. This was when Askira truly learned the difference between slaves and other animals. His entire life, he thought all were the same that no one could ever be hurt in such a way for a mistake. With this mindset, for the first time, he resisted his father. He stood in front of Jia and took his father's attacks, protecting her from harm. His father was outraged and stunned at his actions, Askira took that moment to ward off his father's anger with words, telling him that it wasn't their fault, that his wounds could be healed to disappear. Stunned by this display of defiance, he left without another word. From that day one, Askira's life changed.

Askira knew he could not protect all the slaves his father owned but he could protect some. And so, whenever his father was angered at a slave, he would direct his father's attention to something else and would tell the slave to run and hide until his father's anger subsided. As for when his father beat slaves, he could not take the beatings for them due to his frailty but he would defend his personal slaves from beatings and would step in whenever his father prepared to beat a slave, standing in front of them so that they couldn't be attacked. Whenever he was too late to stop a beating, he would go to the slave and sing and play his instruments for them, apologizing for not being able to protect them. He improved as he sang and eventually came to welcome gifts from the Demigoddess of Song. For his actions, his father would punish him but never with beatings but instead with various smaller things such as imprisonment in his room, removal of his slaves, throwing a vase or two at him, barring him from meals, etc. Nothing to dangerous or scarring so that any guests that came wouldn't think that he was hurting his son in anyway. The slaves came to care for him as more than just their master after witnessing his acts of defiance. The thing that truly annoyed and angered his father, though, was when Askira saved slaves that he had sent to death. This happened for two.

Klet and Kida were twins that his father had recently bought. Both were practiced in combat and so his father thought to use them in the arena to make some quick gold. They were strong-willed, though, and so when he could not kill their spirit he sentenced them to death. Askira heard of it and moved to save them. He intercepted the guards and told them to give the slaves to him. They were worried as to what his father might do but he told them he would take all the blame and would make sure his father didn't hurt them. And so, Klet and Kida became his guards, defending him with their life.

One day, when Askira was out in the market with his slaves, he was drawn to quiet mewing from a stout kit. The seller said that they had found a litter of unmarked stout kits and had meant to sell them. All but one had been sold, the last was the runt of the litter and often remarked to be the dreariest of the bunch. Seeing as Askira was blind, the remark meant nothing to him. Askira was instantly taken by the kit and bought it. With proper care, he and the slaves raised the kit into a fine, strong stout far from the runt that it had been at birth. It bonded closely with Askira and was rarely ever seen away from Askira. With the edition of a new member, Askira's life continued as he sought to protect the slaves within his reach from his father.

the roleplayer
Alias || Abyss
Pronouns || She/Her
Age || 17
Other Characters || Silas Avillio, Rylock Xyto, Wisteria Astria, Jinso Siglith
Anything Else || I will leave the details of the father to you, Vera. Mother and slaves are up for adoption.
Admin Tag || Vera

made by remi of rilla go!