Basic Statistics

Name: Tane (pronounced TAIN)

Age: 21

Height: 7'7"

Eye Colour: Bright turquoise blue.

Hair Colour: Black, streaked with bits of navy blue.

Hair Style: Tane prefers to keep his hair short and bristly for better mobility and easier maintenance. In both his forms, he has a thick mass of short, fluffy fur growing from the middle of his shoulder blades to the back of his head, brushed upwards and forward, in lieu of the actual hair most Czenzi have. It looks more like a mane than anything else.

Race: Czenzi (pronounced ZEN-zee), a secretive, nordic feline species – they are morphic creatures, but cannot take on a fully human form.

Fur Colour: His base coat is mostly a smoky gray, with three shades of markings. 1) Areas that are BLACK – the tips of his ears, around his eyes, "teardrop" markings that go from the inner corners of his eyes to the corners of his mouth, a "saddle patch" on his back that stretches to the base of his head and then curves over both shoulders and ends at his chest, and another smaller streak on his rump that covers the top part of his tail. 2) Areas that are NAVY BLUE – two somewhat vertical, curved stripes on each side of his face, "eye dots" on his brow, ears, the lower bridge of his muzzle (towards his nose), the underside of his tail, and the lower half of each limb, with light striping at the top of each "sock". It is worth noting that there is some blue mixed in with his mane as well, and that most of his black markings fade into blue before reaching the gray parts. 3) Areas that are WHITE – all toes and fingers, inner ear fluff, muzzle and chin, cheek scruff, throat, and down his undersides (chest, belly, groin). His nose and pawpads are a dusty, pinkish gray.

Fur Style: Thick and scruffy, especially around his face, neck, back, and chest. He’d be a perpetual mess if Sabine didn’t groom him regularly – although he may be purposely tousling his coat for that very reason.

Tattoos/Distinguishing Features: As is characteristic of his race, Tane’s tail is short and stubby, like a bobcat’s. He also has a slight slouch when he stands, from his longtime habit of craning his head down towards Sabine, who is shorter than him.

Build: Tane has yet to even reach his physical prime, as he is still a few years short of full maturity. In general, he is built lean and strong, with a tall, fit, taut body, powerful limbs, defined musculature, broad shoulders, and a slim midsection.

Speed: Tane is overflowing with explosive youthful energy at any given moment and is typically very quick and alert. He has sharp reflexes and is a vigorous runner.

Strength: Quite high, despite his relatively light build. He can easily bring down large game on his own, break the neck of any creature smaller than him using only one hand, move boulders, etc. His physical power impresses Sabine, and is therefore a talent he likes to play up.

Jewellery: Aside from his six piercings, Tane wears thick, blocky rings on each finger (including thumbs), a heavy chain around his left wrist, and three chains around his neck – two are a bit tighter, like chokers, and the third, given to him by Sabine as his "wedding gift", sports a pendant made of a precious stone used for many Czenzi ceremonial purposes. It matches the color of his eyes and is spiritually meaningful to him. He may wear other accessories on any given day, but those are his standards.

Outfit/Weapons: Tane is a skilled hunter and fighter with a knack for turning any available object into a weapon, although he is considerably lethal even when unarmed. Most often, he has an affinity for "things that cut" or "things that smash". His favorite tool is a thick wooden staff capped with slightly curved, multi-pointed blades at both ends, and equipped with a metal plate at the middle for gripping. From tip to tip, it measures about 6 feet, and can easily cut through bone.

Information: Born into a small pack of only 12 members, Tane was the eldest of three cubs and the only male child in the whole group (aside from his newborn brother, Felan). He was looked upon as a valuable asset and moulded from his earliest years to be raised as a Hunter. Lavished with attention and encouragement from the surrounding adults, he grew up confident, outgoing, and eager to please.

When he was 5 years old, however, his pack was raided by a much larger, stronger clan who wanted their territory. Those who wished to stay and prove themselves useful were allowed to join, but those who resisted would be "dealt with". The small pack vociferously opposed this honorless takeover, but stood no chance against the powerful enemy. While most of the group was executed, Tane's father, Deszo, managed to steal away into the night with his mate and three cubs. Though they evaded retribution and were able to survive on their own for a few months, it was a miserable and stressful existence until they finally stumbled into Amanaki Misae territory – ruled by the renowned Collishaw and his mate Donoma -- and were accepted into the safe embrace of a strong and noble pack.

Tane, who'd had to develop a sense of responsibility and courage at his very young age thanks to the attack, adapted well to the transition and settled without difficulty into his new environment, continuing his education as a Hunter. He made friends easily, but no longer had the "spotlight" of being a prominent cub within the tribe, which disappointed him. One individual in particular – the tribe leader's daughter, named Sabine – paid him absolutely no attention at all, and he went about the challenge of making his presence known to the quiet and reserved girl. It took her quite some time to warm up to him, but they gradually became best friends and playmates, and eventually, lovers.

Though their relationship would have been scandalous enough because of their relatively young ages – 17 and 14 – the real issue became the sudden rift it caused between their families. At first, each set of parents were voicing the same concern -- that the kids were too young and foolhardy and should wait a while in order to do things more "traditionally" and ceremonially. But these arguments gradually took a different turn when Collishaw insinuated that perhaps Tane wasn't a suitable enough mate for his only daughter. Tane's parents (Deszo and Makah) took great offense, and after a brief but hateful feud, they defected from the pack, along with his younger siblings, Pista and Felan.

As they were considered very valuable and likable tribe members, many others protested their departure and appealed to Collishaw for leniency and compassion. He refused to apologize or seek out Tane's parents to coax them back to the pack, feeling that this would be seen as a sign of weakness. Unfortunately, his decision backfired on him -- his stubbornness and elitist attitude alienated many tribe members, who felt that his tunnel vision and selective loyalty were the true weaknesses in his leadership. Deszo and Makah and their cubs were secretly summoned back to the clan, and Collishaw, unaware, presumed they'd returned to make amends. He was stunned when he found himself challenged by Deszo for dominant status, with the entire rest of the pack supporting this new rival. Too proud to simply back down, he accepted the dangerous challenge and paid dearly for it in a gruesome, bloody battle, during which he received the greater majority of his many scars and was blinded in his left eye. Deszo spared his life out of respect for the leader Collishaw once was, but banished him from the pack forever. Humiliated and defeated, he left in bitter shame, accompanied by his faithful mate, Donoma.

During all the arguing and insults of weeks prior, Sabine and Tane had remained as neutral as possible and urged their respective parents to see eye-to-eye and understand their situation, to no avail. Neither family wanted anything to do with the other, and both sides insisted the young couple cease their relationship immediately. Frustrated and forcibly separated, the kids would see each other by any means necessary in outright defiance of their elders’ rules. When Tane’s family left the pack, he refused to go along – which did not sit well with Collishaw at all.

After the whole violent and dramatic ordeal of Collishaw’s fall from grace, however, Sabine and Tane had had enough. Rather than being driven apart by their families, they decided they wanted nothing further to do with all the feuding and scrutiny and judgement. They ran off together, far away from their native territory, and more or less "eloped" to live as mates, despite the absence of all the traditional ceremonies and procedures. They found strength in each other, and survived in total isolation for a few years.

In spite of their close friendship and their happiness together in quiet solitude, they did long for "more". Having a less than stellar connection to their own kind, and choosing not to have children of their own for various reasons, they developed an interest in humans and their strange little society. The pair would often lurk around human settlements, but with no malicious intentions -- merely to observe and study, perhaps poke into things curiously. They grew a bit careless, however -- especially impulsive and reckless Tane -- and were spotted by human witnesses enough times as to prompt widespread rumors, fear, paranoia, searches, and killings. This unwanted attention is what eventually led Cravencro to learn of their existence and seek them out to join the sanctuary of the Matihao Whenua. Initially suspicious, they soon accepted the offer in order to leave their dangerous and precarious lifestyle behind and start fresh.

Tane is still a bit wary of how things will go for him in this new group, but seems happy enough as long as Sabine is happy and there is a kind of "home" and stability for them together where they need not live in fear every day. After a pilgrimage back home led to a reunion with her father, Collishaw (and the discovery of her mother’s death some time ago), Sabine has patched things up with her surviving parent and even managed to coax him into joining the new clan so that they need never go another day without remembering how precious family is. Tane, who was turned away by his own parents during the trip back to Amanaki Misae territory, is beginning to prove himself in Collishaw’s eyes as a devoted and strong mate worthy of the former leader’s only daughter.

All in all, Tane enjoys having a role in a functional society again and likes the feeling that he is making a difference, on some level. He is ready to take on whatever the world has to throw at him.

Character Copyrights: Tane, the Czenzi species, and all related characters are © Renée "Ren" Atkinson 2005.

Reference images:
See Gallery.