OC Spotlight: Thulani // mostly sfw

People often think of water as peaceful, serene, and soothing. Water nourishes the earth, gives life to all living beings, cleans the body and cleanses the soul. It’s an element that’s intertwined with the pearly beauty of the moon, inseparably attuned to her push and pull, gentle waves glimmering in her light. They say water is a healer, ever willing to softly embrace your aching body and letting you soak in its mellow care.

But if you ask Thulani, he'd say that you're an idiot if you think water is just gonna coddle and pamper your naive ass. He'd remind you that water isn't just the calm lake that lays still as a mirror, the gently flowing brook, or the shallow little pond.

Water is also the raging river that would tear you limb from limb and crush you against the rocks, should you fall in. Water is the tower waves of the stormy sea, capable of smashing massive ships to pieces and condemning all hands on its deck to a dark and murky grave. Water is the treacherous undercurrent that pulls you down like countless invisible hands, and the riptide that sweeps you out of salvation's reach. Water is the rainstorm that destroys crops, the unknowable and terrifying depths of the ocean, and the flood wave that drowns both people and their land.

In short, water is a changeable and untameable element that can be extremely dangerous. You’d best remember that water is a natural force that can bring ruin and death as much as any other. And in case you forget, Thulani is a walking reminder of the more stormy aspects of his element.

For most of his life Thulani has lived among the Scoundrels, an organisation of criminals that also provides community for those who have fallen through the cracks of society. It’s divided into a bunch of different, specialised camps, each led by a so-called Royal. Some of them focus on a self-explanatory type of crime (such as the Thieves and the Assassins) while others give its members somewhere to belong (like the camp of Oddities, which is a safe haven for social outcasts and misunderstood cryptids).

And then there’s branches like the Magic camp, which serves as both a gathering point for crime-oriented mages and a training ground for magic-oriented martial arts.

Some people join this branch because it’s where their talents are best put to use. Here they can find the best practical application of their magic, whether by defending the communities under Scoundrel protection from bandits and unwelcome Imperial interference; using elemental abilities for catastrophe and crisis relief; or working with members of the other camps to carry out a variety of missions and jobs.

Others temporarily enlist with the mages to learn better control of their magic, whether to keep unfortunate accidents from happening (like an earth mage causing an accidental ground tremour when they get pissed off), or simply to hone and perfect their craft. Once they’ve learnt what they wanted to, they can move on to work elsewhere in the Scoundrel community.

Others yet choose to join the guild of Magic after being rescued from one of the “facilities” where the Empire sometimes institutionalises mages whose abilities are deemed too dangerous -- or in other words, prisons. Progressive politicians are working to abolish these institutions, fighting against both conservatives senators, corrupt officials, and greedy aristocrats. The Scoundrels take a more … practical approach, by infiltrating or outright invading such prisons in bold rescue missions. The royal who leads the Magic camp, an icy rhaajim named Juda, is especially invested in liberating people whose magical abilities are misunderstood and discriminated against. It doesn’t end at simply breaking them out; Juda and the others reunite rescued mages with their loved ones and make sure they find a safe place to live, whether among the Scoundrels or elsewhere.

This is never more true than when they rescue children who were institutionalised for having “volatile” magical abilities. Sadly, not all of these kids have a family to return to. Some of them were taken from their homes by imperial officials, but others were surrendered by superstitious parents who feared their child’s powers, and some were orphans from the very start. In the latter two cases, they are taken care of by the Scoundrels and many of them grow up in the Magic camp. Here they find a sense of belonging, in an environment where their skills are viewed as a useful blessing rather than a dangerous curse.

Thankfully, Thulani doesn’t have such a sad background. He hails from a loving family and the only reason he moved to the Magic camp dorm rooms at a young age was because he was gifted with a disproportionate dose of elemental powers. Even as a little kid he had dreams of going on cool adventures, saving people, fighting monsters, "and awesome stuff like that." What else should he be using his magic for? He wanted to reach his full potential and craved more guidance than any of his relatives could provide, so they let him seek out the Scoundrels for training.

He couldn’t be more excited about growing up among other people with magical abilities and the most talented students among them -- Thulani included -- were tutored by Juda himself. As years of training went by, they all grew up into an elite group of fighters who combine magic with martial arts. Thulani’s ambitions gradually matured from childish dreams of adventure to a more realistic view of the world and what he can do to help people, so he ends up staying with the Scoundrels for good.

Speaking of his family, Thulani is part merman and part water dragon.

Our original species of draconic shapeshifters is called the rhaajim and there's much diversity to what they can look like, but the three main varieties are based on winged western dragons, wingless eastern dragons, and kirin. The draconic side of Thulani's family are river dragons, closely associated with water and weather. According to the myths, these rhaajim originated from the two huge rivers that bless the land with fruitful alluvial plains, and many oases sprung from the spots where ancient water dragons once died.

As for Thulani's merfolk ancestry, this setting is home to many types of waterdwelling peoples. Nehaneru's lover Wansa is a Sea Crescent, famed for their prophetic abilities, and the Starbeasts once built wondrous underwater cities (long since abandoned after a cruel elven kingdom whittled their numbers down to a single individual).

Other types of merfolk defy easy definition, but borrow from many real world myths. Some of them can cry tears that turn into precious gems or pearls, and some weave fabrics that seem like liquid silk. Some share a history with bird-of-prey thajir and rhaajim in that they once used to hunt and eat other people, usually by luring sailors into their murderous arms through spellbinding song. That was thousands of years ago, though, and culminated in the so-called Eating Wars. Devouring others has been massively illegal ever since, and those who dwell in the rivers and the seas are no less citizens of the Empire than those who walk the land or soar through the air. That said, many superstitious seafarers still treat merpeople with some caution.

River dragons in their humanoid forms often share many attributes with merfolk, such as shimmering scales, fin-like features, sharp claws, and predatory fangs. These are all present in Thulani, but he ultimately seems more merman than rhaajim. He's got eyes like the ocean, hair like the tropical sea, and soft, fish-like scales that shimmer in every imaginable shade of blue. What initially looks like pieces of azure fabric wrapped around his waist and blending in with the rest of his clothing is actually a pair of large fins sprouting from his hips. He inherited the horns of his draconic relatives -- resembling a coral wreath that is polished and smooth to the touch -- but unlike rhaajim, he can’t shapeshift into a dragon.

Instead, his appearance changes when he goes into any body of water. The fins on his hips grow longer and stiffer, a thin membrane sprouts between his fingers, and his feet turn into long fins. What once looked like discreet frills along his neck and ribs are revealed to be gills, and a transparent, horizontal eyelid eliminates the need to blink.

Seas, lakes, and rivers are Thulani's natural habitat, and his health would start to deteriorate if he spends too much time on land without submerging in water. Gradually, he’d feel more and more sick, and his magical abilities would weaken. The Scoundrel town he lives in is a green oasis in the middle of a vast and unforgiving desert, so thankfully Thulani has easy access to bodies of water and goes for daily swims. Sometimes a quick dip is all he has time for, but he loves going for long dives and (literally) immersing himself in his element.

Ultimately, he's pretty far away from the turquoise oceans and the massive rivers that are the homes of his ancestors, so wearing clothing and accessories that draw a lot on traditional merfolk garb is an important way for Thulani to stay connected to his heritage. His outfits are made from cloth woven by his merfolk relatives and dyed in the colours of the sea, with jewellery made from shells, pearls, and stones like aquamarine. He also enjoys singing the ancient songs that have been passed down through generations, but has to be careful not to accidentally mesmerise anyone with the enchanting tunes.

Whether in or out of the water, Thulani is a force to be reckoned with. He measures no more than 5'4'', but that's 5'4'' of lean, powerful muscle. And if you could somehow ignore his very aquatic appearance and judge only by attitude, you would sooner think that Thulani's element is fire, rather than water. A stranger's first impression would be of a pretty aggressive, combative, and competitive person with a short fuse.

That same fiery energy also makes him passionate, spontaneous, and adventurous. He’s fearless and bold in a way that can be very inspiring for people who lack the same drive, and it’s usually fun for his friends to be swept along. Speaking of friends, Thulani’s always got your back. If someone tries to give you shit, he will be at your side in a heartbeat, ready to verbally and/or physically rip that douchebag a new one.

In that same vein Thulani is quick to take things personally and never back downs from a dare or a challenge, but is even more likely to challenge others. It doesn’t help that he’s blunt verging on insensitive and always speaks what's on his mind, even if it antagonises people. In fact Thulani is ever ready to pick a fight -- and follow through, armoured with the skill to back it up. All he’s ever known is pushing forward and giving his all, at full speed and with full intensity. This quality has landed him a place among Juda's top students, as one of the best fighters of his class.

It's not just that he's acrobatic and agile, with well-tuned reflexes and excellent coordination. His movements are explosive and powerful, packing far more punch than you might think if you judge solely by his short stature. Some fighters turn their opponents’ strength against them, but Thulani doesn’t need to -- he’s got more than enough strength of his own, and he's never more focused than when he fights.

More often than not he comes out on top and if Thulani is a sore loser, he’s also an even worse winner. Cards on the table, he can be petty and prideful, and never hesitates to rub his victory in your face. He's loud, proud, and insults comprise both his love and hate languages. Just as he’ll cuss at his friend while giving them a peptalk, he’ll also grin while talking shit straight to his enemy’s face. But at least he’s more likely to forgive and forget than hold a grudge; a yelling match or fist fight might leave him cranky for a bit, but after a good meal and a night’s sleep he has usually moved on.

Nobody is better acquainted with Thulani’s changeable nature than the Magic camp students he grew up with. This is especially true for his best friend Mahamu, whose grounded, calm, and even lazy demeanour always served as a foil to Thulani's combative intensity. The rest of them are a motley crew of (as Thulani might say) magical dumbasses. 

The front-runner for one day succeeding Juda is a stoic orc Masaru, who wields lightning and thunder as his weapons. More often than not you’ll find a clayborn named Shion at his side, combining his control of air and wind with Masaru’s storm magic. Baako is an eccentric illusionist and then there’s Otso, who doesn’t possess the same exceptional magic as the others but who makes up for it through strategic thinking and coordination skills. Rasha is a determined and promising but foolhardy earth mage who also happens to be Thulani’s roommate. As you can imagine, their shared living space is usually a disaster.

Last but not least there’s Koma and Kato -- a pair of fire-wielding twins. They moved to the Magic camp dorms when they were all around ten, and Thulani and Koma's first meeting had the energy of two stray cats squaring up for a fight. Thulani thought Koma's cockiness was extremely annoying and had great fun kicking his ass during their first sparring session. This interaction set the tone for the next few years, with the two of them constantly arguing, fighting, and getting up in each others' grill.

Then all of a sudden they turned into teenage sweethearts, seemingly skipping the middle step of "friendship" that ought to have come between "rivalry" and "puppy love." Perhaps that's why their relationship continued to be tumultuous, with the two of them constantly breaking up only to inevitably get back together again.

It doesn’t help that they both have strong, passionate, and impulsive personalities but poor communication skills, with Thulani being too aggressive for his own good and Koma harbouring more insecurities than his brash facade would let on. It really doesn’t take much; in the blink of an eye they can go from swearing to never again fall for each other’s charm, to vowing that nothing can tear them apart.

They keep going like that into their twenties. More often than not it would be Thulani dumping Koma, leaving the latter to wallow in lonely sadness while Thulani is in denial of wanting him back. Every now and then they try dating others, but it never works out. It’s like they can’t stay together, but they also can’t stay apart.

One time they have such a huge fight that Thulani rage quits the Scoundrel town and heads out on a journey, with a few other friends in tow. There's a point to this trip -- to hone his craft by learning from other water mages -- so it’s not completely random, but he soon regrets leaving without making up with Koma. Every day he misses him more and it really couldn’t be more obvious, even though he tries to act like he doesn’t care. Showing vulnerability was never his strong suit, but as soon as he’s back home the tough facade crumbles, with Thulani crying pearls into Koma’s shirt.

Their relationship actually hits a more stable and balanced point after they "accidentally" have a threesome with Okoro. It leads Koma to discover he's vers rather than a top, and Thulani realises he adores watching Koma be at Okoro's mercy. The merman never shared Koma's emotional connection with Okoro, though, and eventually loses interest in the arrangement. Regardless of that he's perfectly happy to keep sharing Koma with the serpentine assassin, so Okoro turns into his boyfriend's boyfriend. At the same time, Thulani develops something queerplatonic with his boyfriend's boyfriend's boyfriend -- or in other words, with Okoro's lover Chenhua.

Thulani isn't self-aware enough to realise it, but he doesn't know how to turn off and it can be exhausting. Chenhua and Mahamu both serve as emotional oases next to whom he can actually relax and lower his guard. Thanks to years of experience Mahamu has perfected the art of de-escalating Thulani’s fighty attitude, so he can usually make him cool off before he does something too thoughtless. Chenhua, on the other hand, embodies the soothing and healing aspect of water that Thulani himself finds so unrelatable. If Thulani is the stormy sea, Chenhua is the gently flowing brook. His presence feels like soaking in a clear lake and letting the water carry all your worries away, and Thulani tends to subconsciously seek out Chenhua when he can't get his thoughts and emotions in check.

In sum, both Thulani and Koma expand their support networks and start clumsily dealing with their own shit. It makes it easier to compromise, communicate, and try to understand each other better. It might seem cliché for wielders of their respective elements to have a stormy relationship, but in the case of Thulani and Koma it’s not because they’re too different -- rather, they’re too similar. They both love with the intensity of a flood wave or a wildfire, and couldn’t stop it even if they wanted to. Sometimes it’s difficult and turbulent, but it’s a love that both of them hold so dear that it’s worth it.

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aaand that’s thulani! he’s part of a new generation of scoundrels that me and kubi have been developing over the past months, along with characters like okoro (who i wrote about in may) and kha (who i’ll be writing about in august). in pop culture terms, thulani is basically a water bender who fights more like a fire bender, and i’m having lots of fun exploring his element from that angle! if you have any questions about him, feel free to comment below -- i’ll be happy to elaborate.

also, here are some recent sketches of thulani’s design -- and for some NSFW doodles of him, koma, and okoro, click here and here.

// art + thulani + okoro © me; juda + chenhua + koma © kubi.