• View
• Edit
• History
• Backlinks

Lilia a'Mahina

Lilia a'Mahina was a former member of AniWaya in April 2012, but left the tribe in May 2012. She was previously ranked a Fire Tender.

1.  Personality

A natural-born leader, Lilia is capable, decisive, and authoritative. She will not accept another's supremacy based on pretence alone; competence must be proven. When first meeting others, she gives them the benefit of the doubt — but if she catches one whiff of deceit, hypocrisy, or malevolence, her response will be swift (and possibly brutal). In turn, she feels an almost compulsive urge to prove her own worth. She is passionate and tenacious in all her endeavours.

It bears mentioning that although Lia is dominant and scrutinising, she is neither unkind nor physically aggressive. She is driven by a strong urge to help others, and genuine individuals will be met with nothing short of compassion. She is sympathetic to those in need and highly sensitive to others' emotions. She heralds diplomacy and negotiation above violent resolution, although she will not hesitate to defend herself, her friends, or the meek against aggressors.

Unfortunately, the same traits that allow her to persevere, protect, and perceive also make her prone to obstinance, possessiveness, and emotionality. At times she gives too much credence to the supernatural over the rational (See Beliefs).

1.1  Beliefs

She is a polytheist. Although she considers the Hawaiian gods Kâne, Kû, Lono, and Kanaloa supreme, she believes infinitely more gods and demigods may exist. Interestingly, this encompasses those of other traditions. She reveres all shamans, astrologers, and mystics regardless of the religion they claim to purport, and loves to learn about unfamiliar gods (and methods of contacting them).

Lia further believes spirit manifests in all of Creations' inhabitants — this extends beyond 'lesser' animals to include plants, rocks, and the Elements themselves. She personally identifies with the elements Fire, Water, and Void. She also honours nâ ʻaumâkua, or family guardians. Tradition strictly prohibits her from harming or consuming animals of her own ʻaumâkua's species, but as all species correspond to some family's deity, all are considered sacred. Rituals accompany meals to honour the spirit of the sacrificed animal (or plant).

She is uninterested in scientific theories and investigations, finding them tedious and unimaginative. She would rather trust the workings of the Universe to the spirits and gods and preoccupy herself with the experiences of Life instead.

2.  Appearance

Lia is a petite female who is graceful in movement. Her muzzle is slender and feminine while her hips are sturdy and broad. She carries herself with poise and dignity, and speaks with a warm, rich accent. Her coat is distinctly exotic and heavily influenced by her Akita Inu heritage: her base colour fades from rich bourbon along her spine to pale crème brûlée on her sides. Taupe markings, reminiscent of a tigers' stripes, zig zag across body. Her chin, belly, inner thighs, and inner arms are all snow white. Her eyes are a fiercely expressive apricot.

Regardless of form, she keeps a well-crafted, elegant silk flower resembling the vivid fiery hibiscus of her native island tucked behind her right ear. She perfumes herself with water mixed with droplets of concentrated extracts from various fruits, flowers, and incenses. Among her favourites is a mixture of nectarine, coconut, orchid, and sandalwood. During the spring and summer months, she wears leis woven from fresh flowers and grasses. In winter, she has several silk replicas that are modelled after Hawaii's native flowers. Her fur is always kept meticulously well-groomed.

While shifted, she also sports a traditional grass skirt. It conceals a small dagger with a gem-studded, koa wood handle kept strapped against her right thigh. On top, she wears small tube tops that expose her midriff. The rich dyes, intricate patterns, and high quality fabrics further betray her wealthy status. Her hair and mane darken to espresso with copper highlights; it extends to her lower back and has a subtle wave. She stands exactly 6' tall and weighs roughly 160 lbs.

2.1  Species

She believes herself to be a purebred Akita Inu, but her heritage is mixed. It even includes a small portion of wolf blood from wolfdog hybrids brought to the island by humans before the virus was released.

3.  History

Lilia is the first born daughter of Chief Kahekili of the Hanawi clan. Her father was a powerful ruler whose influence extended across the southeastern half of Maui. As a child, she was trained in language, diplomacy, and the arts — including the art of battle. She is wholly fluent in Hawaiian, Japanese, and English. She is also conversational in Chinese, Russian, and Arabic, although she can neither read nor write in these latter three. Her penmanship and calligraphy in the former, however, are exceptional.

She enjoyed top notch training in Kapu Kuʻialua martial artistry, and she is particularly skilled with daggers and spears. She naturally extended the dance-like movements associated with Lua techniques into hula and fire twirling, which she considers the nadir of spiritual release. Like most girls on the island, she learned to weave and distil essential oils from plants. Because of her royal background, she was also permitted to pursue traditionally 'masculine' enterprises like navigation, sailing, fishing and surfing.

As such, she enjoyed a great deal of freedom until she reached one and a half years of age. It was then that her father told her since birth, she'd been promised to the Chief of a neighbouring tribe — the Makawao. It was a political move meant to unite the entirety of Maui. When she protested and revealed her affections for one of her servants, Kahekili ordered the young man put to death. Henceforth, all of her servants were made eunuchs and she was not permitted to leave the village grounds.

She lamented her misfortune for nearly half a year, right up until the eve of the ill-fated wedding. That night, she fell into a trance-like state of meditation. In the tendrils of incense smoke, she swore she saw the form of a ship take shape. When she disclosed her vision to her most trusted servant, Makani, he told her a merchants' ship had docked in one of the ports earlier that day. She took this news as a sign from the gods that she was meant to escape her damned marriage, and she feigned illness to excuse herself from the pre-mateship ceremony. She told her father she needed rest and demanded she be left unmolested until the following morning. He agreed, but when he sent for her the next morning she was gone, along with Makani and two chests containing her most prized possessions.

Almost three months later, she reached the coast of California. She spent the next year traversing the continental United States, ever in search of a new place to call home.