Through the Jungle of Paradise Lost

Kurara:
There had been a time, ages ago, when L'lavne was an advanced civilization of indisputable might and power. Of the same ilk of the greatest fighters, they were also of the greatest scholars the world had ever known. Their armies defended a territory that commanded the respect of the entire continent, and held true for a purported thousand years time. Their fall from fair graces is something that is unknown to this day, but there are whispers and murmurs on the darkest of nights of those ancient tales, mythical myths, and legendary legends. Around the camp fires and in the deepest caves, those select few tell tales of ages long since past, deep in the steamy jungles of the south continent..of a time that their people were perhaps the greatest of the world. Bloodshed was only engaged as a necessary evil in the defense of the people, and so most of L'lavnes energies were focused on those pursuits of academia, the search for knowledge. But there came a time when forbidden knowledge was sought by those few vain and malevolent souls, twisted in their destructive ideologies, and driven by a thirst for more. Little is known about what actually happened, but there is the inkling that an unspeakable evil had been tapped from deep within the deepest ruin..and wreaked havoc on the great civilization of L'lavne. In the course of the night, four fifths the populace were said to have been devoured by hellish creatures emerging from the ground itself.. and those few that survived were driven deep into the forests, forced into hiding for a time. Their beautiful armors and tempered blades were no match for the ethereal powers that came, ripping through them like a fell wind. And thus, the L'lavne tribes roots are said to have come..for their supposed home cities were considered forbidden ground, never to be tread upon again, lest the evil take any foolish enough to venture there. In time, these remnant few of L'lavne were forced to adopt a completely different way of life, dependent on the coexistence in nature that surrounded them rather than the beauteous marble and porcelain so valued that made up their great cities. And so, they had become tribals..out of very real fear, and the inability to regain what was lost. Their way of life, their skill sets, and their power, lost...and forcibly replaced by the grim circumstances that surrounded them. But in time, they grew to embrace the forests of nature, and adopted a new way of life in the wilds..

One such tribal is but a girl coming of age at the dawn of a new century. A huntress held in the highest regards of status befitting that of a champion, Kurara is loved and respected by her tribe. Descending from the wayward souls of the L'lavne, she resides in the great emerald jungle of the Suundra in the vast wilds. Life had largely been something of beauty, even in the dangerous wilds of the jungle forest. From youth, the emerald green forest stretched in all directions, an endless sea of trees and local fauna sporting all manner of life. Many a happy child hood memory centered around the playful moments between her and the other youths as they grew to adulthood..but such frivolous pursuits were matched by discipline and wisdom. The elders always served as guiding hands throughout the years, as they had for her many brothers and sisters in their path of life. Becoming a huntress, however, also meant becoming a warrior.. And in time, the elders bestowed upon Kurara the teachings of the blade and spear, as well as the sacred heirlooms of the past befitting her newfound station in life. Her armor, an ancient work of art, said to have been forged under the pale moon light at the fabled Lunar Forge. It had been meticulously washed and polished to a lustrous shine, maintained even centuries after its formation. Its gilded surface, inlaid with bronze and gold of the highest quality, the entire cuirass glistening like a clean-cut emerald. Unfortunately, due to the fact that most armors were lost in what known to be “The Travesty”, only certain pieces remained intact and serviceable. In regards to Kuraras set, it was enough to cover her chest, one shoulder, one paw, and both forearms. Her choice weapons remained the “lance”, or spear, being a rather spartan craft of a carved stick ended with a reinforced blade. Its haphazard construction owed in the loss of the original lance, and the reclamation of its tip, being a cruel blade of bronze construct. The blade Kurara held was much more traditional in being an original craft of the fabled days, its crystalline metallic surface in much the same construct of material as her armor. Alas, it was an incredibly short weapon suiting the role of a dagger. Her combatants gear was something that she wore in pride, during her long treks into the jungles, or on the long night raids into enemy territory. With such a title as huntress and warrior of the L'lavne, she remained in peak physical condition. While her physical strength was not necessarily high, she proved quite adept in the manner in which she carried herself, and stood fast in battle. Her greater strengths lie in her quick agility and attuned reflexes, enabling her an edge over most opponents. There came a fateful day when Kurara was approached by one of the few elders, asking that she venture far across the great waters to reclaim something thought to be lost..and taken away. Away, to the far north, by people not of their ilk. By people from afar in the great boats, who had ventured into the forbidden streets of their age old home..and taken from their resting places things of the past. Offering only detailed description in a skewed illustration, and signs of where she should look, he asked that she reclaim such things, for the good of the tribe. The experience would allow her to see more of the world, and it was an added hope that she would return victorious some day, with many a story to share by the fires in the nights.. Kurara had nodded firmly, in respect, and set off on her greatest journey yet.. but wondered how she might cross such a great expanse of water across the seas and ocean..


Commentary: This...this took me quite a while. Forever. But I felt that such a beautiful chara deserves an equally beautiful background, and anything less would feel like a copout. Am I wrong? Hope not..lol. The background was pretty hard to imagine (surprisingly), and I had to really play around with the original sketch after having left it for so long.