Kuri

(DISCLAIMER: The pics on this profile are not my own and I don't claim them to be; they are purely for reference and the sources can be found here. link link link)
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Basic Information

Normal Height - 5'9
Normal Weight - 160 lbs

Chibi Height - 3'
Chibi Weight - 50 lbs

Height Comparison: link
Eye Color - Orange-Brown
Age Range - 16 - 25

Theme Song
link
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Origin

Very little is known about Kuri before he became known as the Guardian of the Forest. He has no recollection of his parents; the elder of his small village found him as a newborn in the woods while hunting, and the community took the child in to raise him. Neither the elder nor anyone else could explain the horn on the left side of his head. He always had a penchant with nature, always loving the outdoors and would often sleep on large, low-hanging tree branches at night. He ate a lot less than his peers, and never thought much of it. One of his favorite hobbies was to explore the large forest situated at the northern end of Nexus park. Kuri felt drawn to the lush trees and foliage, as if this were his own paradise on another world.
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The Ancient Cathedral

While exploring the forest one day, Kuri came upon an interesting site where a church had been erected centuries before. The forest had claimed it since the inhabitants migrated or died off, so much so that it was barely visible through the thickness of the area. Moving inside of it, Kuri stood looking at how the church was mainly in one piece. Great branches had grown around the huge, marble pillars, making it seems as if it had been a creation of nature itself. There was a single hole in the roof, near the far end of the cathedral, which had been covered above by a great crown. The few stained-glass windows that were visible told of people and what seemed to be gods, living together in harmony. Sunlight streamed in through these, giving the large room where Kuri stood a wonderful glow. Kuri was amazed by this beautiful hideaway, deciding that this would be his new home while not journeying around the Nexus. It was at this point that something extraordinary happened; the branches and plants near the floor began to creep up toward him. The boy looked down to see what was going on.

That's when he noticed that his hands had a fiery, green glow to them.

He had subconsciously called upon his gift for the first time, for Kuri had the ability to control nature itself. He was speechless as he moved a hand up and around, seeing a few branches curve, trying to imitate him. Some of the older, more withered plants around the cathedral were given new life, sporting flowers almost immediately. Now, Kuri's affinity with nature made sense, and he vowed to use his powers to protect those who did not have the willpower or ability to fight.
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Discovering His Purpose

Over the next few months, Kuri defended his domain from all who would cause harm, which caused his forest to gain quite a reputation. Caravans could pass through relatively unscathed, though there were a number of bandits who were reported to have limped out of the forest, badly bruised and delirious as they muttered gibberish about 'the trees coming alive'.

Kuri would also spend time in the cathedral, and he used this time to study the markings on the walls, and anything else he could find about the building's origin. One of the images disturbed him; some dark creature was depicted as rising out of the ground, which then tried to fight what looked to be soldiers. These soldiers seemed to be from this earlier group of people, and the image stuck in his head.

From time to time, Kuri would venture out of the forest briefly under the guise of a normal peasant, walking around the small neighboring villages to see what was happening. Upon returning one afternoon, a shiver went down his spine. It had been overcast and drizzling all day, though the plant life all around was...dying. An uneasy, grayish mist hovered over the surrounding area, nearly making the boy sick to his stomach. Something was causing his poor forest to die, and he had to stop it. Breaking into a sprint, Kuri followed the dying plants until reaching this nearly bottomless chasm in the middle of a clearing. The dark mist seemed to be pouring out at a steady pace, and right as Kuri attempted to look down it, the ground began to shake.

Two enormous claws grabbed ahold of the top of the pit, and as Kuri fell back onto the ground, a horrible beast began to emerge. The closest description would be that of a shadow-clad hellhound, as the creature was far more feral than human. Kuri's hands immediately began to channel his powers, and after stabilizing himself, slammed the ground with them. The shockwave was able to briefly revive the surrounding plants, but he also drew the attention of the massive menace. With an ethereal roar, it attacked. It was nearly three times Kuri's size, and he found himself constantly on the run as the beast tried to crush him. Kuri summoned roots to fly out and throw the creature off-balance; he could not let this thing fully emerge, as who knew how much destruction it would cause. The battle continued, and Kuri's strength began to wane to the point where he didn't dodge one of the monster's swipes; the force of the blow sent him flying with a crash onto his back.

The boy struggled to stand up, as he was thoroughly exhausted. The drizzling of rain stung on his face, and the roars of the beast terrified him. He noticed, however, that the rain was slowing down, and at that moment, a miracle seemed to happen. The clouds parted, and sunlight blasted down through the trees. The hellbeast was stunned from the brightness, and Kuri took a chance to summon two long vines, each wrapping around the forearms of the beast and pinning them to the edges of the pit. The beast roared and attempted to break free of its bindings, and Kuri glanced to his side. A large, decaying tree towered over him, and he knew what he had to do. "I'm sorry, my friend...", he whispered to himself, before pointing his hand towards the tree. He struggled as he put all of his last energy into uprooting it, and with a final cry of might, threw his hand towards the beast.


The tree fell, slowly at first, but very quickly picking up speed as it descended on top of the creature. The chained monster could do nothing as the extreme weight of the tree crushed it, sending it spiraling back down into the chasm, however far it went down. The tree nearly covered the entire hole, and for a while after that moment, all was quiet.

Kuri panted, laying sprawled out on the ground with his eyes closed. He had done by himself what it took ten or more men to do in eons past. After he finally managed to pull himself up to his feet, he looked around at the wreckage. The mist had waned, and despite much of the surrounding forest looking dead and defeated, all was not lost; the plants would grow again in time. The boy returned to the cathedral after attempting to revitalize the troubled grounds, where he would rest and return to his duties the next day. He was unsure when the beast would rise again, or even if it was the only one of its kind. The roots slithered up to him, wrapping themselves around him gently in what seemed to be a hug. Kuri smiled, feeling extremely confident in his task.



Next time, he would be ready.