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Swentzle Byström

Swentzle Byström is currently a Loner

1.  Appearance

Standing on the smaller end of the scale at 5'4 and weighing only 120lbs in his Optime form, Swentzle is lean and appears somewhat feminine at first glance, though when you get a good look you may realize he's quite muscular, and very capable of taking care of himself. His fur is a mottled mix of various browns and creams, thrown together haphazardly in a beautiful, if somewhat confusing mess of patches. He is recognizable in that his fur pattern is unique; there is no one quite like Swentzle in the world.

With his physical attributes being excellent hints at his mixed heritage, it's hard to say what Swentzle is, exactly; he has the long, slender face of a coyote, as well as their overly large ears, but the tips flop like a half-breed dog's might, and his muzzle thickens a bit not unlike a wolf. He has the barrel chest and powerful legs of a Gray Wolf, with a fluffy tail that curls ever so slightly. His fur is thicker than it has any right to be, and he looks over-all like something the Gods simply chewed up and spit out--a mutt of epic proportions.

His clothes in Optime form--when he chooses to wear them--usually consists of a buffalo-hide loincloth and a heavy poncho. He has other clothes that he wears less often--a pair of dirt brown pants and some thick bandages he wraps around his feet when dancing, which is often. He also has a number of colorful silk robes and shawls, which he uses in various rituals as a medicine man; he can often be seen dancing around a colorful fire and serenading the heavens--or anyone who will listen.

2.  Personality

Once a rather cold and stoic man, Swentzle has since been forced out of his natural state of being--raising a tribes' worth of children can do that to people. He's become more like the forever-exasperated father figure, always ready with an indulgent smile and a few words of wisdom.

He's grown to love children, and looks forward to their brighter futures--particularly those with a shadowed past. At almost four years of age, Swentzle has experienced enough of the world to understand that hanging on to the past only holds yourself back, and holds himself more firmly in the present than he ever has before. With young Oki to look after, Swentzle is always thinking about the best path forward, though he also takes the time to enjoy the moments as they pass.

3.  History

Born to the Shikoba tribe in the southwest of the former United States, Swentzle took responsibility early on in his childhood, being promoted to Zvezdan shortly after becoming an adult. He was mated briefly to his dear friend Anzhela, and they had a daughter--though after a horrible fire caused by a marauding band of travelers, Swentzle was blinded and left. He was in Nova Scotia briefly, but quickly decided to return home, leaving Hamza in the capable hands of a friend, Leon Hughes.

By the time he returned home, the land the Shikoba and other tribes lived on had been ravaged--there were few survivors, and the land itself was horribly scarred by the fire that had wiped out most of Swentzle's people. He found several children among the wreckage, and brought them under his care, guiding them away from their homeland to more bountiful plains to the north.

A few of the children were old enough to help him hunt and care for the younger ones, and they built a home out of the canvas tents of their people--a greater tent that could house them all. Swentzle was quickly put in charge, being the oldest and wisest of those left, and found himself working almost constantly--so much so that he did not realize at first that his blinded eyes had become whole again, the soot and ash trapped within them working its way out over the course of a year. With his sight blurry but returned, Swentzle lead his small tribe to prosperity--so much so that the hardened children began picking up their own lives, choosing mates or wandering off into the wilderness to see of the world what they could.

When his tribe was all but gone, Swentzle packed up his own things, planning to return to Nova Scotia and the few friends he'd made there. There were only two left who would accompany him; a little girl named Oki and her older brother. As they began the long journey, however, Kai disappeared, leaving Oki in Swentzle's hands with nary a word of farewell.

It was around this time that Hamza returned to him, having obviously escaped Leon--though the most surprising thing was the two pups riding it, seemingly having no control over the poor beast. Swentzle took care of the Hughes siblings for a brief while, but they were soon on their way, leaving Hamza behind. Swentzle was glad to have his small party completed at last--Fovea having remained with him through this, though Citlali had passed away--and took advantage of the great beast to make his way more quickly.