Jilal Dattavalaram
Delivers-the-Unpromised

Leaf of the Night Wind
Silken Noose of the Vritra
Steel Constable of Harmony
Kartikeya of the Custodians of the Jade Coil
Blazing Phoenix of the Court of Bamboo Talons

Description


Balaram: ~A militant cadence insinuates Jilal's arrival. His Indian heritage appears obvious -- that's India, not Native American. Tanned skin betrays no visible blemishes or tattoos. Crisp, clearly-cut features and the muscular fill of his torso and limbs testify to Jilal's health at the turn of his age from 20s to 30s. His rich black hair is styled short with slight sideburns. He even sports a bit of a beard, though really it's a few days' unshaven scruff. Light-brown eyes convey a distant and vague sort of focus that suggests merciless vigilance. Wearing casual attire such as slacks and collared shirts in dark colors, often black, brown, or dark blue, becomes this quiet man well. Reserved yet proud in bearing, Jilal has soldier written all over him. But there's more than that: if he's a soldier, he was born Kshatriya or more. There is unyielding strength in Jilal's every deft motion and keen glance.~

OOC: Appearance 3; Pure Breed 4; Glory 7, Virtue 5, Wisdom 3

Silkaram: ~Human clothing is shed to be replaced with leathery scales that sheathe Jilal's body head to toe. His hair vanishes, too, and his forehead broadens while his nose flattens. His brown eyes slit, becoming quite serpentine and even colder. A greater musculature ripples beneath his new outer layer. His feet and hands boast webbed digits now, and tiny claws flex from each finger and toe. Jilal's white teeth fuse together, while his upper canines protrude into a pair of short but deadly fangs. Unmistakably snake-like in visage, he prowls with uncanny grace and lithe caliber. The black depths of his scales' coloration are crossed with bands of gold, indicative of his serpentine heritage. This killer seems to be lurking in search of something profound, but it could just be the opportune moment to strike.~

OOC: Appearance 1; Pure Breed 4; Glory 7, Virtue 5, Wisdom 3

Azhi Dahaka: ~All remainder of his human visage fades away when Jilal adopts this terrible war-form. His legs fuse together and extend backwards into a great, long tail almost nineteen feet long. This snake body then curls upwards to become a humanoid torso, barrel-like in muscle and breadth. Arms that are more like the trunks of a snake's long body extend from the weresnake's side and end in fingers. Those digits boast deadly black claws, flexed and ready for action. Jilal's back flattens and widens about his serpentine head in the impression of a cobra's hood. However, the markings of his scales suggest another breed of serpent. Black and gold bands design Jilal's body from tail to torso, while the hood darkens solely to inky black. The scutes of his underside and chest are lighter in tone. Yet they are all bright with preternatural resilience, as if they captured and reflected back the radiance of the sun and moon. The creature's combined and natural beauty and horror is enhanced with the branded symbol that glitters with silver inlay. The symbol is an alien glyph of some sort, tattooed right into his belly. As terrible as the Nagah's agile and powerful body stands, far more daunting is Jilal's serpentine features. The unflinching eyes are black with white slits. His broad snout opens only to brandish a keen forked tongue and a short pair of deadly, venom-dripping fangs. Open for business!~

OOC: Appearance 0; Pure Breed 4; Delirium; Glory 7, Virtue 5, Wisdom 3

Kali Dahaka: ~The hood and arms disappear and Jilal sinks to his belly entirely. Now he commands the sinuous body of a tree trunk-thick snake some 28 feet long! Banded yellow and black still, he appears to be one of the biggest venomous snakes in existence. Surely he must be a beached sea snake! A light shine makes his flawless scales all the more radiant, while his lighter-colored scutes reveal that silvery brand, albeit faded. He'd almost appear like a normal if enlarged serpent if it weren't for the primordial hunger burning in his reptilian eyes. Jilal's predatory intent is clear as he slithers closer to dharmic truth.~

OOC: Appearance 0; Pure Breed 4; Glory 7, Virtue 5, Wisdom 3

Vasuki: ~This lithe colubrid slinks through the flora. Jilal winds deftly around all obstacles, making not a sound as his small body travels. His bold yellow and black stripes give rise to the breed of snake: the fearsome banded krait, whose venom is far more dangerous than that of the common cobra. The blunted tail and broader snout help give away his nature, too. A flicker of a forked tongue guides the deaf and limbless reptile closer to his prey. A date with destiny on the end of those tiny but deadly fangs seems inevitable. Why prolong fate?~

OOC: Appearance 3; Pure Breed 4; Glory 7, Virtue 5, Wisdom 3

"The rivers run red with the blood of hatred. It makes it hard to find the currents of blood that weren't shed in hate. But they're there, and in them I swim."

History


Sun & Moon

The summer of 1970 witnessed the birth of Trueborn twins. This incredibly rare phenomenon was made even more unusual by the fact that one son was Mokole and the other a well-bred Kinfolk of the Nagah. Of course, the father, Sanat Onkar, was Vritra Nagah though only Kinfolk. The mother, Lalita Matsya, or "Surya's Breath", was Makara. Both belonged to one of the few hengeyokai Beast-Courts of India. The Court of Autumn Eyes was located not far from Delhi on an island in the river.

Actually, the Dattavalaram boys' parents bred well. They consulted a brood kenner in the Court before mating. Even their caste matched them well, for they were both Ksayirah. Their love united their growing family and Jilal and Ravi were raised together. The river island home of their Court was a wilderness preservation, and afforded a beautiful environment for the twins to grow up in and explore.

Both boys loved the great outdoors. Jilal proved the more athletic of the two, but Ravi had a good-natured charm about him the quieter and more reserved Nagah boy did not. Jilal's quietude misled some of the courtiers into thinking he was the wiser of the two. Ravi was more curious than Jilal ever was. But their parents made sure both received an equal education. They were bright boys and learned general academics quite well. They even received diplomas approved by the government through take-home tutor tests.

Their parents instilled a strong sense of religious value in the twins, too. Ethics regarding dharma and Gaia (or Gaiadharma) were nailed home to both boys. Surya's Breath made sure Ravi understood what would be expected of Makara with their Memory while Sanat insured Jilal understood the moral implications of Nagah judgment and assassination. They learned about the hengeyokai Mandates and what would be involved with daily life in a Beast-Court. Finally, their parents and other courtiers taught the boys had to defend themselves, how to fight, and how to kill.

To temper these lessons, the twins were often brought to town to socialize with other youths their age, typically during Hindu festivals. Ravi made pals more easily; both boys had girlfriends in their adolescence. Though the twins competed over many things, including girls, they always had a special link many expected identical twins would have. They were always aware of each other's feelings and could readily second-guess the other.

While astrological divination and primal instinct indicated the twins would both shed their human facades, there wasn't 100% certainty until they began to manifest certain behaviors in their pubescence. Ravi confided dreams and memories of lives that were not his but of folk from all over Asia. They were strange and mixed-up sensations he couldn't yet concentrate on, but that was surely a good sign of his breeding. On top of it all, Ravi was as quick a healer as Jilal. Jilal likewise had disturbing memories that weren't quite his own, but his were far more limited, and apparently limited only to his family ancestors. More disturbing still was Jilal's frightening urge to sometimes just kill. Small animals he sometimes encountered would be caught and killed with a quick jerk of the neck. It bothered his brother, but their father reassured Ravi that Jilal wasn't a psycho (no more than any other hengeyokai, at any rate!). And both twins demonstrated such regal bearing that their changing ancestry was visible even then, and excused them from many of these minor mishaps.

Midsummer Furnace

Only a month after the twins' eighteenth birthday, the prophesied event occurred. The twins underwent their Change almost simultaneously, in fact. No doubt this was due to the empathic rapport the boys shared. The two were swimming in the river, competing in a race for fun. Jilal was ahead...until an undertow caught the youth and dragged him under. Ravi almost panicked but realized what happened and dove deeper to try and save him. It was a desperate struggle, for Ravi wasn't old enough to drag his semi-conscious brother out of the currents. At that moment, Ravi had a premonition of the future: and a dim future it would be without his brother! Panic became fury, as Ravi's Beast Within clawed its way out and Raged against that doom. He assumed his terrifying Dream-form right there, the Archid Water Monster snatching Jilal out of the currents. Jilal struggled in his brother's two-headed grasp at first, terrified of this beast.

All that struggling attracted a predator, however. A mugger crocodile native to those waters swam up and attacked Jilal despite the much larger reptilian beast holding him. Ravi managed to tug Jilal out of the crocodile's jaws, but the reptile was persistent. Already on edge, Jilal joined his brother in shedding human form. But instead of filled with desperate fury, Jilal felt calmer and more certain than ever before. With this dead calm pervading his spirit, he let that killing urge loose again. Suddenly, the crocodile was trying to bite an Azhi Dahaka wereserpent. And it was the crocodile that was bitten, Jilal's deadly fangs slaying the animal outright.

The twins returned to the island and their Dragon Nest home still in the war-forms. As they approached their courtiers, Regent Nagrai Kolar, also known as "Hails Rain", welcomed them joyously. Their mother aided them in returning to their human shapes. Nagrai handed them little badges made of flint, indicating their Stone Ranks. They would have to spend some time adjusting to their new lives before they would be accepted as full adults. The twins' mother took Ravi under wing while Jilal served under one of the older Nagah at the Court, Venkatakrishnan.

For a year, they studied and trained. Both boys learned the nuances of changing forms. Ravi learned he could become a mugger crocodile while Jilal's serpent heritage was that of a deadly banded krait. They were instructed in hengeyokai secrets they were previously denied. This included various rituals of the Courts as well as duties under the Emerald Mother. Ravi learned how to tap his Mnesis and glean wisdom from those Memories. Jilal meanwhile learned more about the true nature of the Nagah's duties. He hoped he would never have to "judge" his brother for anything. Venkatakrishnan evenly replied that should Ravi ever step that far out of line (not that the good-natured Makara likely ever would, but anything was possible!), he would be judged by the Nagah. But Jilal would not have to perform the execution himself.

In a little over six months, the twins were both prepared for the tests of the Great Burden. Firstly, both had to recite the Mandates of the Emerald Mother. Next, Ravi had to relay the Duties of the Mokole and Jilal speak of the Duties of the Nagah. Thirdly, they had to work together on a project: it was their task to purge the nearby river of all corrupting elements. That included pollutants, litterers, and even Yomispawn. Ravi handled the spiritual cleansing of the area while Jilal worked on frightening away litterers. Through the Dragon Nest, they entered the Mirror Lands and scoured the spirit world for Banes. The few they encountered were pounced together. The boys demonstrated fantastic teamwork in their assaults. Altogether, the assignment took three weeks to complete. When they were done, Nagrai and all the Court of Autumn Eyes welcomed the new hengeyokai with the wooden badges of their first true Rank. Due their similar ancestral memories of war and their hunger to bring peace, they were given reflecting deed names. Jilal was entitled Delivers-the-Unpromised, while Ravi became Dreams-the-Unpromised.

Deep Breath

Once registered as an adult among his hengeyokai brethren, Jilal decided to hone his training even further. So he joined the army! After his basic training, it became clear to the officers that Jilal was too talented to waste in the infantry or even the regular army. He was sent to training for the NSG -- National Security Guards. These specialists were akin to the American Army's Delta Force or Navy SEALs. These special forces were dedicated to anti-terrorist threats and received additional training to handle hostage crises and urban combat.

While Ravi was in college, Jilal was already in the heat of action. He was dispatched to a number of "hot spots" in northern India...or even into Pakistan...over the next several years. He distinguished himself as an exemplary soldier time and again. While Jilal despised innocent-slaughtering terrorists, he intended this whole service as nothing more than a way to rack up experience as a killing machine.

The Nagah didn't entirely neglect his hengeyokai life. He was required, in fact, to report often back to the Court of Autumn Eyes. He belonged to a Nest, after all: the Coiled Hiss. The two other weresnakes in the Nest were not overly fond ot Jilal, however. He was too distant, too inattentive to their social needs and expectations. Jilal may have ignored his fellow Vritra too much, but after 1996 he was constantly working with his brother.

Serpent & Dragon

Curiously, or perhaps purposely, Ravi and Jilal ended up working on similar problems that the government faced. While Ravi was an intelligence-gathering spy for RAW, Jilal continued to exemplify a war hero in the NSG. Northern terrorists from groups like the Tablighi Jamaat and Al-Qaida, as well as separatists like Punjab Sikhs and Jammu-Kashmir jihadi's, all threatened the security of India. And they were all fair game to Jilal; their crusading zeal smacked too much of the fanaticism the Garou werewolves demonstrated ages ago in the War of Rage. Indeed, Jilal secretly suspected that religiously-inspired shapeshifters or other shen were behind the terrorists and separatists.

Yet Jilal thwarted many terrorism attempts. He rescued dozens of hostages over the years. Countless terrorist targets were executed by his silent knife or in a hail of lethally accurate gunfire. Occasionally, when operating alone especially, Jilal used his more serpentine forms to deadly use. However, for the most part, Jilal felt a compunction against "wasting" his venom on human enemies. It seemed inappropiate to him, a violation of his Nagah powers. He had plenty of other means to kill anyway. Fortunately, Ravi and Jilal's missions often brought them together. Their excellent teamwork was put to good use during these dangerous years. More than once, Jilal watched his brother's back. Ravi was a cautious and clever spy, but their enemies acknowledged no laws. Jilal intercepted would-be assassins in at least four different occasions. Other times, the twins even masqueraded as one another sometimes to throw off terrorist enemies' own spies.

The twins encountered shen rarely, however. Luckily, the few times the brothers clashed with other supernaturals, they were nearby one another. Once, Jilal was taken by surprise in the fields of Jammu when a company of separatists turned out to be possessed by demons. These bakemono lusted for nothing but bloodshed anymore and were given deadly powers to exact that end admirably. Jilal was badly wounded by acidic spittle while he held the horde off alone for a half hour. His brother showed up in the nick of time, moments before Jilal was about to be overrun. The Archid tore into the demons and Jilal sprung into the fray in his own war-form. The fomori were all slaughtered. Among both men and hengeyokai were acquiring a reputation for their level-headedness, honor, and the ferocious passion with which they attacked their duties.

All the same, the Dattavalaram brothers (the alias surname with which they both assumed) were starting to become a hindrance. Their faces were becoming too high profile for the secretive work they had to perform. After "9/11" and the worldwide crackdown on terrorism, the twins requested permission from both Court and their human employers to hunt down Osama bin-Laden themselves. However, their requests were denied by all agencies involved. Their rising profiles disabled their effective intelligence-gathering and mission execution. And more importantly to the hengeyokai, the Court of Autumn Eyes was annoyed with their distance from the social and spiritual needs of hengeyokai life. The pair served out the remainder of their contracts to the government, and then retreated to the Beast-Court.

Redeployment

In late 2004, the brothers were commanded to go to a new Beast-Court...in America! The Court of Bamboo Talons in Kansas City's Little Asia district already hosted one immigrant from the Court of Autumn Eyes: Dalal Ghanam of the Makara. Through proper ceremony, Jilal first severed his familial connections to his Nestmates. The Coiled Hiss would replace him with someone more faithful. Meanwhile, he was to join Venkatakrishnan. His old mentor was also moving to the Court of Bamboo Talons to form a new Nest, and Jilal would be the first recruit. Before the brothers left India, they challenged for the next Rank. While they were remiss in their duties, they had still racked up enough heroic deeds to be recognized as Iron hengeyokai.

Instead, Nagrai dispatched Ravi and Jilal both to the Himalayan Mountains. In the high and freezing peaks, they were to meditate and fast for one week. They had to consider the Mandates more seriously and return to the Beast-Court with greater focus before a challenge was considered. This one week was the longest period of time either had suffered, for the environment was harsh and unforgiving. It drew the pair closer even as it enhanced their minds to realization of the spiritual lives they too long avoided.

When they came down from the mountains and returned to Court, they were in for a shock. Nagrai congratulated them: the retreat had been their Rank challenge! They were promoted to the second Rank and both awarded knowledge of a couple more spirit Gifts. As required of all Vritra who joined this American Court, Jilal received the privileged of a scar fetish that would preserve his Nagah nature. Why give the Sunset Wolves an excuse to reinvigorate the War of Rage? Then it was time to go. The Dattavalarams said good-bye to their proud parents and Courtly comrades.

But Jilal had trouble settling into this new land. He felt like he was drifting aimlessly. Jilal could only attend to his Nest and Court's needs so much before he had nothing else to do. The weresnake trained and meditated. He still hungered to kill the enemies of peace and justice, regardless of whether they were shapeshifters or humans. Perhaps, Jilal thought, he was become vigilant in Little Asia. Who knew where terrorists might attack next? Jilal intended to be there waiting, prepared to riddle them all with bullets, steel, and venom.



Past Life


While his twin brother, a Makara, has clear visions of the past dating back thousands of years, Jilal's connection to the past is much more limited. However, his connection is still well-defined, probably due to the blood he shares with Ravi. Plus, like Ravi, Jilal tends to view the past through eyes of warriors. In fact, that's only how he experiences the past. And instead of living in history, history comes to live in the present. He becomes one of his ancestors, able to share wisdom and war with the present. Jilal can attain this state easily, with only a few moments' of practiced meditation. The talent was pretty much in-born.



Fetishes


Scar Fetish
Level: 3
Gnosis: 4
Origin: This fetish was emblazed into Jilal's belly back in the Middle Kingdom prior to his assignment to the Court of Bamboo Talons and the pending Nest.
Description: This is a mystical Vritra glyph branded in silver just above his navel. A Chameleon-spirit was worked into the branding.
Effects: 1) disguise true nature against Scent of the True Form (and similar powers)
Activation: He must simply concentrate to activate the fetish's power. With extra effort (spending a Willpower point), he can attune its magic for 24 hours.



Battle Scars


Class: Deep
Description: Corrosive pock marks scattered over affected area
Location: Chest
Origin: Bakemono spittle
Effects: Aches when the weather is about to change or it's humid; makes breathing somewhat difficult then: +1 difficulty to Stamina rolls



Brothers



Jilal and Ravi are twin brothers. Jilal is the younger of the two by about a minute and a half. Jilal loves his "big brother", but he expects and demonstrates equal respect. Ravi may be older by a few moments in birth and older by eons in nature, but they're in this together. Yet together, they have a quiet camaraderie that almost suggests they're not overly fond. But in truth, their solemn mutual respect is so profound that the silence conveys their deep emotions for each other.

Furthermore, their connection is quite strong. They demonstrate all the superstitious beliefs about twins: they can feel each other's sentiments, finish each other's sentences, and second-guess each other's plans. The two are so inextricably bound to each other in fact that they cannot really be bound to others, not physically at any rate. This is a fact they have not much tested in their few encounters with Kin-jin, for neither of them have been captured and subjected to the Blood Bond. While wholly bound to each other, the twins' lives are not dependant. If one dies, the other will not suddenly keel over. The psychological effects of one's death, on the other hand, could birth a terrible Rage...



Significant Other


The Diwali Festival in late 2004 brought Jilal and Rakhi Jijotiya into acquaintance. Jilal only recently arrived to Little Asia of Kansas City, as had Rakhi. Jilal met Rakhi when his brother, Ravi, brought Rakhi home to revel in their newfound romance. Though they had never shared a woman before, Jilal found Rakhi too alluring. And to the twins' shock, they found Rakhi too willing to indulge both men. So while Ravi thinks Rakhi is meant to be his mate, Jilal basks in the fact that Rakhi is falling in love with him as deeply as Ravi. She will be his mate, too, not just a lover: she is also Vritra Kin, after all! Of course, that rarity had an explanation: they shared parents. They were half-siblings. Jilal recoiled at first, but he and Rakhi shared too much to give up their affair.

Rakhi

Weakness
Soldier's Zeal


Jilal feels too hungry, too eager, to dispatch all the bad guys. Such bloodlust is beneath the honor and obligation of the Nagah. He must put aside his desire to do good, to do right, at every turn, and focus on his true mission. His attitude is dharmically incorrect.

Likelihood of Corruption


Low.

Jilal is canny and self-aware. Though unable to readily cross the Wall, he is not cut off from the Umbra, and can find ways to confront corrupting spirits. The biggest threat to his well-being is his "great war". The bloodshed can accrue too much karmic debt, even for one of Gaia's Assassins.



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