Paathak

▽ he / him • aro-ace • healer ▽
paathak the healer / god of pestilence and prosperity
paathak 	paathak
 	
art by 	radar
background information	background information
creator 	radar
attribute 	cowardice, self-preservation
element 	pestilence, sea water, stained glass, marble
animal 	squid
color 	teal blue, seafoam green
song 	aquatic ambience • scizzie
mbti 	istj-t
character information 	character information
nicknames 	the healer, pestilence, brother (shamira, bhavish), the kraken, dominguez (roleplaying alias), he of blight (shamira), the plaguebearer (old title)
age 	unknown
gender 	male
tribe 	sea (sea beast)
occupation 	healer, deity, warrior (formerly)
orientation 	aromantic asexual
residence 	the depths, nightwing peninsula (formerly)
relatives 	shamira (older sibling), raaja (younger brother), bhavish (younger sibling), ouija (younger brother)
allies 	shamira, bhavish, ouija, his followers
enemies 	raaja, heretics
likes 	sea life, beautiful architecture, nature, peace, validation, his comfort zone, the ocean, swimming, tropics, seafood, protection, hot springs, interior design
dislikes 	raaja, put-downs, intimacy, heresy, judgement, coercion, whales, powerlessness, stress, messing things up, fighting, being grabbed or touched suddenly, drying out, being criticized, the cold
abilities 	immortal, can breathe & see underwater, potent animus magic, skilled in combat, immune to sickness & disease
weapons 	swords, daggers, staff, magic, tail, tentacles
weaknesses 	half deaf & generally hard of hearing, notoriously cowardly & selfish, scaleless, stress intolerant, averse to self-improvement & change, very private & reclusive, usually takes the easy way out, not good with emotions
appearance
a god-like creature, beast of the deep oceans of pyrrhia. he shares many traits with the dragons of the sea but has more beastly qualities to them. no scales protect his body, instead only soft, teal blue flesh that gently ripples slightly different variations of the same main color across his entire body.
while it consists mostly of this color, there are slight highlights of a slightly deeper blue fading in around his cheeks, gills, and legs, notably near the shoulders and knees. four tentacles, half the length of his tail, protrude from the base of his tail with two being on each side. the top half of each tentacle is a slightly bluer teal, with the underside being a desaturated seafoam green. light blue suction cups stud the undersides and are serrated.
his horns follow a similar suit, instead of being hard keratin, they are tentacles as well, albeit much shorter. the suction cups on these aren't serrated, not that he would get much use out of them if they were. due to the nature of them being made of flesh instead of bone, paathak is able to move them around, even if the movements are limited. these appendages instinctively reposition themselves depending on his mood in addition to being able to move at will.
they typically curl backwards towards his head when he feels anxious or fearful and perk up when he's surprised or alert. though, normally, they align themselves in a similar position to typical seawing horns. that being short and wavy with gentle upwards arcs that slowly curve downwards and back up again.
paathak's sail is broken up into two sections, one going along his head and neck and another along his back. there is also a single fin on his chest and in color, they are all a light cyan. the sail upon his head begins by swooping around, leaving only a small tuft at the base. as it swoops backwards into a mohawk position, it begins to feather out and descend his short neck.
the sail on his back does something similar, albeit not to such a sharp degree. each arc looks like a feather as each one grows larger in size and, when it reaches the peak, begins shrinking. the fin on his chest is softly rounded, a significant change from his feathery sail. it also looks more like a wall of membrane between the two sections of his underbelly. it ends just before reaching the halfway point of the seawing's body.
his underbelly is in similar color to the undersides of his tentacles, being a desaturated seafoam green. though paathak's underbelly appears to be noticeably greener and is studded, not with suction cups, but with luminous patterns of a very similar color. these are the only luminous spots on his entire person, making him incapable of speaking aquatic.
the god's eyes are dark, large, and round with red, cat-like slits for pupils and are perhaps the most intimidating part of his appearance other than his sheer size. a long, thin scar, presumably from a battle fought lifetimes ago, goes vertically down his left eye, starting at the split in his left ear (now hidden under bandages) and ending at his cheek. though, perhaps the thing most eyes immediately gravitate towards is the sorry state of the beast's ears. they are triangular in sharp and were presumably pointy at some point if both tips weren't torn off.
both ears are in tatters, though his left sustained significantly more damage than his right, as there isn't much of his left still remaining. most of it is hidden under thick and tightly wrapped seaweed bandages, still stained a bit dark from old blood. two sorry pieces of flesh can still be seen poking out from underneath dark green wraps. his right ear, on the other hand, isn't completely disfigured by tears and has kept its shape quite well.
a small chip seems to have been taken out near the tip, with a pale pink, pearl earring clipped a little bit underneath it. going a bit further down, a circular chunk appears to have been taken out, with the seaweed bandages seen on his left returning to hide the base of his ear on his right as well. underneath these bandages lies vicious scaring, though most of the damage is inside his ears rather than out.
stranger still is the addition of an extra set of forelegs, both of which are lean and end in long, slightly webbed talons. this can similarly be said about his hind legs, though they appear a bit more muscular. his body is somewhat round, with noticeable layers of fat around the stomach and neck areas. his tail is also incredibly long, being almost the entire length of his body, and it's just as powerful.
it's not really that hard to tell that he's significantly larger than the average seawing, in fact he quite literally towers over everyone. his size only being rivaled by whales and other such massive sea beasts. covering most of his body is a large, thick, slate grey cloak, held together by a dirty gold collar around his neck. around this collar dirty gold markings akin to bending tentacles encircle it, crawling a short way down the fabric of his cloak.
along the edges of the fabric, the dirty gold cloth continues. the trimmings are ornately decorated in a darker burnt gold color while the rest has only a few strange symbols on it. a slit was made for the feathery fin on his back to stick out. ink stains parts of the cloth, the origins of these stains are unknown.
personality
despite being of high renown, paathak isn't exactly known for being the noblest of creatures, reaching some kind of notoriety for his cowardly and selfish nature. though these traits have blossomed forth due to his rotten relation with death, they aren't something he himself admits to be flaws. his cowardice has especially warped his perception of other people, especially of his followers, whom he sees, in moments of blind panic, as meat shields he can throw under the bus or as guinea pigs he can use to test the waters. his own siblings aren't immune to this either, for he'll do whatever it takes to save his own skin from the cold grips of death.
while he's always been fearful of the mere thought of death ever since meeting death himself, this fear of his has intensified significantly over the years after being maimed. his torn ear... the scars that mark such a horrible event in his life... a constant reminder of his mortality. it is perhaps his greatest fear... intertwined perfectly with his fear of death. just... thinking about it... it fills him with such intense dread. he hates how weak and trapped it makes him feel, for he always tries to convince himself he's above death just to keep himself from worrying. paathak ignores any reminders... anything that makes him remember that... he's not as immortal as he thinks he is.
he's hesitant to make decisions that are in any way risky, especially if the consequences could be lethal for specifically him. it often requires immense social pressure (or the pressure of his siblings), or if it's part of a plan, for him to cave in to such things. let it be known, however, if things ever go awry, the seawing will be very quick to shift the blame to his accomplices, but never outright betray them, instead preferring to just ditch them. in life-threatening situations, paathak gets more desperate and frantic and isn't above pleading for mercy from those who threatened him.
paathak was not one to come up with plans, with such duties being given to shamira in the past, more than he is following them. during high-stakes situations, he'd only ever agree to them if there is a plan involved, some kind of script he can follow if he's uncertain. and since these usually came from shamira, they are the first he turns to for ideas in times of uncertainty. it's when these plans fail that he begins to panic and do the only thing that he knows works, throw someone else in the way and hide away in his temple. though hiding away in his regal carapace never fully wipes away the anxiety and stress. nor the paranoia of his last resort failing.
self-improvement has never been a subject of fondness for him, as he much prefers to stay in the safe shallows of his comfort zone where he doesn't have to face his personal failings. he's quite averse to and even disgusted by intimacy and will do anything to sabotage these moments due to how uncomfortable and stressful they are for him. this aversion to intimacy has made it almost impossible for him to confide in others and vice versa, it's only through persistence that one can break through this and get him talking.
paathak is an incredibly private person who rarely talks about his own struggles or worries in favor of just bottling them up until they're too heavy to hold. he isn't exactly good at dealing with intense stress very well and often copes through isolating himself in his temple, the only place he sees as truly safe, and drinking excessively, opting to self-medicate with alcohol to deal with stress. during these periods he isn't unfamiliar with being stricken with anxiety attacks or complete emotional meltdowns. neither of these are particularly pleasant to experience for both paathak and onlookers. as a means of preventing these from happening, he gives himself days to relax in the form of wallowing in hot springs or visiting bath houses.
over the years after becoming one of the only remaining gods, paathak has been considered quite elusive to the surface world. he typically sticks to the depths, seeing himself safe under the confines of the ocean's tides. he sees safety in water and that, paired with his hesitancy to leave his comfort zone, has made him incredibly reclusive and isolated from the world above. the only way he stays informed is through messengers, with his surfacing being so sparse that it's celebrated by paathak's surface-dwelling followers. his fears has imprisoned him within his domain, with these rare surfaces either being because his kin demand his presence or because he's visiting bath houses.
he likes taking the easy way out, which becomes apparent by his reliance on alcohol to help him cope with all his mental struggles as opposed to finding healthier ways to cope that are much harder. and while his intense fear of death could be, in a way, justified, it has turned him into a coward who wishes to keep himself out of harm's way by shoving others into it instead. he is intelligent enough to not always carelessly throw his followers at a problem, though he isn't above it. it's of his followers to obey him blindly and, paired with his little attachment towards any of them, it was only a natural progression of things that he'd use them as sacrificial lambs or making them canaries in the coal mine if needed.
he typically bonds with others through showing them his projects or bringing them to places he likes to go to or just generally talking about himself, as it's one of the few topics he can confidently talk about. this can make him come off as rather self-centered, to which he is, but he's not one for leaving his comfort zone. paathak isn't the greatest with words... or saying the right thing in important moments, which might play into why he avoids intimacy. usually he relies on scripts rather than improvising, at least then he knows what he's supposed to say and won't... mess things up.
compared to his siblings, the seawing is a little more lenient, and even somewhat friendly with his followers, even so he doesn't care much about actually getting to know any of them and has little to no attachment to them. because of this disconnection, paathak has been known to take out his anger on his followers or demand them to praise him as a way to feel some kind of power that he can only feel within the confines of his own domain. it's only through exerting his power over those who can't refuse him and, in fact, worship him as devoted servants that he can feed this mutilated ego he seems to have.
he's so used to being brushed aside and put-down and generally having his fears discarded when he leaves his own domain to meet with his siblings that he's associated leaving the safety of his world with not being completely respected. for it forces him to confront the fact that he's not the only big fish in the sea and there are others out there who are just as good at leading as he is. even still, he can be cruel when necessary and is very assertive and ruthless in the face of disobedience or heresy. his punishments are nothing short of cruel and unforgiving, spreading pestilence to those who disobey him. these severe punishments have become less frequent over time as paathak's followers uphold his beliefs and enact punishments in his name.
despite how inherently cowardly he is, when the time calls for it he can be very professional, putting on a bold and cruel façade to hide his weaknesses. in this state, he acts similarly to or straight up turns to his more experienced and emotionally mature siblings (particularly shamira and bhavish). he's a lot more outwardly aggressive towards those who defy him and is more willing to use intimidation to demoralize such dragons. of course, due to the fact that this is façade, it only takes either resilience in the face of the hardships he brings or a lack of a fallback solution to cause it to break.
these are the times where paathak falls back into old habits, becoming more submissive and cowardly. to those who corner him and prove themselves to be a persistent threat, he will try to bargain, try to plead, try to do anything to convince them not to kill him. and if push comes to shove and he's at the end of his rope... he'll fight, and he doesn't. hold. back. it's truly a once in a lifetime experience to ever see the seawing in combat, though those who do witness his graceful performance rarely live to see much of it, for they are most commonly the unfortunate souls on the ends of his blades.
combat turns him into a completely different person, more coordinated, more confident, more stoic. this is what he's like if he simply doesn't let his cowardice get the better of him. to act this way does come at the cost of great emotional stress, he's even seen taking deep breaths afterwards to calm himself down. paathak never enjoys engaging in combat due to how stressful it is for him. but he does what he must to not fall into death's grasp. he believes this is the only thing all his siblings will ever respect him for and, as such, he occasionally worries about his performance declining or getting sloppy. paathak doesn't like the rigorous training he'd have to put himself through the keep up his performance, but he knows his performance and, by extension, the respect of his siblings relies on it.
he has been known to, when caught up in making difficult decisions, mutter aloud to himself and pace back and forth pondering what his more experienced siblings would do. he does seem to, in some circumstances, even rely on his kin to tell him what to do, though the circumstances in which he does do this are rare. after all, he's quite self-assured and confident in his own abilities, something he can easily back up with action. in social situations, paathak is also quite confident, if not a bit quiet, not typically being the one to start a conversation, but it's also in these social situations that his more self-centered side shows through. this social confidence sheds itself when he's in the presence of those who intimidate him, to which he's more anxious and quiet.
ultimately, what he truly wishes for is a life free of the looming threat of death, some place where he can just live in peace and not feel so... powerless. 
abilities
a beast of the sea, while his behavior doesn't leave much to be desired, his abilities are nothing to be scoffed at. he carries with him the basic abilities of the tribe he greatly resembles, that being the ability to see and breathe underwater. luminous patterns on his underbelly also give him limited night vision, though are most useful when scouring the seabed. his tentacles appear to be one of his more noticeable abilities. due to them having no bone structure, they're able to reach into incredibly tight spaces which has come in handy when he is looking for things within cracks or tight spaces.
his tentacles also act as pseudo hands, being able to grab ahold of things and keep a decently firm grip on them. the suction cups certainly help, though typically leave temporary, ugly markings behind if the said thing he's gripping is made of flesh or an impressionable material. this can similarly be said about the tentacle appendages on paathak's head that act sort of like horns. he's been seen using these to hold things, usually objects like masks or towels that cover his eyes, to keep them in place.
due to his disability, he's become quite proficient at reading mouths and is fluent in pyrrhian sign language, having been taught it by his younger sibling. even then, those who speak quickly are hard for him to translate perfectly. he can also understand aquatic, but is unable to speak it properly due to an insufficient amount of luminous patterns. while it's rather subtle, paathak has chromatophores that allow him to change the color of his skin a little bit to match with how he's currently feeling. this ability is most noticeable when he's scared, as he goes pale, but a keen eye will notice that the seawing is often shifting colors ever so slightly, especially when curious.
perhaps what he's most well-known for is his potent animus magic that he gifts to his followers in exchange for grand offerings or sacrifices of the flesh, whether it be livestock or dragons. it's said that his magic can cure any disease or sickness and prolongs life to a significant degree, which makes it well-sought after by those in need or those fascinated by the magic held by deities. this, however, is only partially true. while he is capable of prolonging life, paathak is only capable of curing diseases and infections caused by viruses or bacteria.
in the past, he was known to wield his magic as a form of divine punishment towards insubordinate and blasphemous communities. at the sweep of his hands plague would blossom fourth and rot these communities from the inside out till no life remained. even still to this day he does this to punish the heretics and dissenting communities that he sees as a threat to the old faith he upholds and, to them, he's ruthless and unforgiving. root out the change, the rot, the toxins that spread their spores through neurons, a thinking curse, inspiring others to do the same. that's what he fears will happen if he doesn't root it out while its young.
paathak has also been seen using his magic for his own convenience as a form of fast travel when on land. after chanting a short incantation and having complete focus on his destination, the sea beast is able to travel great distances in a blink of an eye. it is said that any mortal who lays eyes on this are stricken with terrible headaches, dizziness, and have their vision temporarily impaired.
he himself is immune to the terrible things he cures and seems to have regenerative abilities. he's able to heal faster than normal and sustain physical damage that would be fatal for any mortal. the tentacle appendages that replace his horns and rest near his tail are also able to regenerate completely if they are ever severed. though this process takes a long time to complete, with the regeneration time varying depending on the severity of the injury.
despite his rather cowardly personality, he is an incredibly confident in combat and has a fighting prowess that demands respect. paathak has proven to be very gifted in fighting a small variety of weaponry, mostly in the categories of blades like swords and daggers, but he does have experience with some magic-based weapons as well. it is also worth noting he's very capable of dual-wielding with all four of his hands and is general unpredictable while in combat due to his use of several different fighting styles.
this is one of the only things that makes any of his peers take him seriously, for his fighting skill is just as deadly as it is graceful. one could even argue him to be one of the greatest warriors in pyrrhia, though the god himself has no comments on it. rarely does anyone ever see him fight, for he only uses it as a last resort to deal with incredibly resilient foes or to uphold the old faith. he was taught by the best, his older sibling, who made him take a vow to never raise his weapons in the name of vengeance, war, or conquest, just self-defense. this is one promise he'll never break.
history
content includes vague depictions of violence / mild gore & emotional abuse + mentions of alcoholism 
*the second eldest of 5 siblings and was old enough to live through the wars that took place on pyrrhia lifetimes ago. the ones that terraformed the lands until they were almost destroyed entirely.
*paathak himself, before reaching godhood, was naught but a powerful sea beast, the ones told of in seafarers' tales. beasts (or monsters as mortals called them, though paathak was never fond of this term) slain by mortals for glory or vengeance.
** though because sea beasts are also creatures of magic, they were also poached for body parts and blood that could be turned into relics for mortals to use magic. additionally, they were poached for oil, food, or for their scales (for the ones that had scales, anyway) that would be turned into jewelry or armor.
**the declining population of sea beasts was caused by a multitude of things, but the main two causes were poaching and ragnarok.
*paathak lived within only a small section of the ocean that contained a flourishing reef, kelp forest, and rocky seabed. with his magic, fish and sea life grew sickness free. fisherman flocked to this area and a large fishing town was built. they believed the sea beasts were the reason why this area was so bountiful, so they worshipped them all. though when paathak soon revealed himself, they began worshipping solely him.
*their devotion made him stronger... he could feel it. and he demanded more. offerings big and small were to be given to him whenever one went out to fish, if not, the fishermen's boats would be sunk and the dragons inside drowned or crushed by large, thrashing tentacles.
** those on larger ships who overharvested would catch horrible "sea sickness," to which they soon called it the kraken's curse. a sickness not one mortal has survived that is said to be horrible. lethargy, dizziness and weakness, cold sweats, coughing fits, vomiting, muscle and stomach pains, dehydration, and the symptoms only worsened within merely a day. this was the punishment paathak gave to those trying to cause imbalances... though it would soon be used to punish dissention or heresy as well.
*most of these sea beasts, perturbed by the war, opted to hide themselves away in the deepest trenches of the sea where strife nor harm would befall them. though others chose to fight by the sides of ocean deities, their creators, to their dying breath.
* paathak only joined the war effort as a warrior because the war, or, more specifically, shamira's forces, was encroaching on his domain. fearing they would destroy his only source of devotion and kill him as well, he joined them.
*he only ever experienced the end of a terrible and bloody war between gods known as ragnarok. he was also the only one out of shamira's siblings to see, briefly, what they were truly like in their glory days. cruel, strategic, calculating, powerful, cut-throat, and level-headed, but also quite close-minded and stubborn. though upon paathak's arrival as their younger brother, they began to... soften a little and be more compassionate. they still seemed a bit distant and closed-off though.
*while a little harsh to him, they respected and protected him. he's still unsure why they decided to show him such kindness, but he's grateful.
*during these times he used his magic freely and plague spread across pyrrhia, communities who disobeyed him rotted from the inside out before his very eyes.
* throughout the lands he was called paathak the plaguebearer, god of pestilence and decay. revered by few, feared by all. though he just did what shamira told him to do for the most part.
*learned to use blades and magical weaponry during his time in the war, though most of his skill he's so renowned for came from shamira, who taught him everything they knew.
*it was during training that he bonded the most with them and got to see a more honest and vulnerable side. this became even more apparent over time after they grew "enlightened." still, to this day, doesn't exactly know what they meant by that.
*his training ended around when the war did and shamira had him take a vow to only use this talent of his to either protect himself or others and to never raise his weapons in the name of war, conquest, or vengeance.
* as a part of this vow, he shed his title of paathak the plaguebearer, god of pestilence and decay to paathak the healer, god of pestilence and prosperity.
*shamira also shed their title as the harbinger of war and god of conflict and strife. instead their new title was shamira the scholar, god of war and wisdom. they'd soon devote their life to enlightening others in the ways of knowledge.
*helped in the rebuilding of the world they nearly destroyed and became one of few deities that chose to remain.
*at some point in time, the others show up. a pact is formed to help prevent wars on this scale of pure destruction from ever happening again, which formed a strong kinship between the 5, and there after they considered themselves siblings.
*was on good terms with most of his siblings, but had a very poor relationship with his younger brother, raaja, who would constantly intimidate, belittle, and undermine him whenever the two were alone together.
*would also put him down in front of the others on some occasions. though he didn't do it often so that the others wouldn't become suspicious of him and think anything was... wrong. paathak never spoke out because... raaja terrified him.
*the others could hurt him, but raaja was different, he was very... cunning... and observant. it was as though he could read his mind. he knew exactly how to hurt him without laying a single talon on him.
* he would... put him down, undermine him, or just spit abrasive remarks his direction whenever the seawing irritated him. he made sure to keep these subtle when in the presence of their siblings, but it was still there.
*would often hide himself away in his temple, a building deep below the sea that was hidden from everyone. found it to be his safe place, somewhere free of judgement and abuse. somewhere free of... raaja.
* was eventually forced to move to the nightwing peninsula as per shamira's request. raaja had... promised them all something... he was the only one to hesitate, but he ultimately agreed. he could never refuse raaja's demands...
*noticed how... disorganized and unstable he was getting. he was easier to agitate, impatient, paranoid, passive-aggressive, and... unwell. all the others seemed to notice the deterioration of his mental health as well.
*paathak was given some sort of council position, along with the rest of his siblings.
*hated living here, it was a stifling prison of rock with a cruel warden stalking the halls. never felt safe around raaja and would be stricken with intense anxiety, fear, and dread whenever he was left alone with him.
* for it was during these times that raaja would say... horrible things to him. he told him he was worthless, a pathetic excuse for a living creature, that it was only his fighting prowess that gave him any worth, that... that... he couldn't understand how a spineless coward managed to survive this long, that he should be thanking shamira for even bothering to keep him alive through the war.
* other times he'd berate him for his... cowardice and selfishness. for abandoning his own siblings to keep himself from getting hurt... for throwing them in the way of danger to take blows for him... for using them as his canaries in the coalmine...
* now raaja began to ask him if... he even cared about them. if he was so willing to wriggle his way out of any dangerous situation they were all in like some cowardly worm... why... why would they even consider him family...? did... he ever truly love them? or were they merely lambs he'd be willing to sacrifice if it meant he escaped safely?
* even if raaja had a point, it was muddied by his intentions to make paathak feel bad about himself and not to help him improve... it was never the intention to help him...
*the nightwing was firm in making sure paathak stayed put and couldn't escape from conversations that made him uncomfortable. yet, despite his firmness, he was never... violent... at least in the physical sense.
*typically shied away from the nightwing in public, keeping a safe distance between him and his brother whenever he was forced to stand beside him. if he could get away with it, he'd switch places with shamira, who typically stood at the end, to create a physical barrier between the two. other times he'd just instinctively hide behind his older sibling just to keep that barrier.
*whenever he got overwhelmed with stress and anxiety, he'd lock himself in his room and drink excessively to calm down. he always viewed drinking as an easy way to cope with his problems and, even now, he still depends heavily on it in times of stress. he'd also used alcohol as a sleeping aid to drink himself to sleep so he wouldn't be riddled with horrible nightmares that would cause him to awake in a panicked state and make him feel physically ill.
* eventually the four, paathak, ouija, bhavish, and shamira, would meet in private and discuss things behind their brother's back. they'd also use this time to form a support group.
*paathak in particular never told any of them about the abuse he received from raaja because he feared his brother would hurt him... or worse... if he spoke out. but it was still... nice. it was during these gatherings that he felt relatively safe, a feeling he had only felt previously when he was locked up in his room.
* would share surface-level feelings with the support group and his innermost feelings with shamira privately. they were the most compassionate... the most understanding, they... cared... and listened... and never judged him... too harshly anyway, which he couldn't say for the others.
*didn't spend much time with them outside of this because they were often with... him.
*at some point... raaja reached his breaking point, going off on furious tirades about how they were plotting against him... how they were talking about him behind closed doors... how they were planning to stop his plans of creating a better world...
*in a fit of pure anger, frustration, and despair, raaja maimed his siblings one by one.
*it was perhaps the most traumatic and terrifying experience paathak had ever been forced to live through, though he doesn't... quite remember exactly how it went. his left ear drum was completely clawed out, damaging most of the outer ear with it. his right didn't suffer as much, but it did sustain a bit of damage.
*can't... quite recall the full picture of this moment... it's become a fragmented memory in his mind with only little flashes of it popping out when he's stressed... or is reminded of these scarring memories in some way. this was merely a self-defense mechanism his brain created to protect him.
**this could be something as simple as mentioning his real name or something like grabbing him suddenly or startling / scaring him.
*was left a sobbing, terrified mess afterwards, agonizing pain in his left ear followed by a shrill ringing. though he finally mustered the courage to just get out, run away... and leave this horrible place behind.
*didn't really know what happened to his siblings at the time, he didn't really care, all he was just focused on getting out. would soon learn of what happened when they regrouped.
*saw the horrible state they were in too and just felt... sickened. ouija had no eyes, only empty sockets. bhavish's throat had been slit and blood was dripping from her mouth like drool. and shamira looked more... unfocused and out of it, their skull caved in and their brain exposed.
* the best solution they could find was a binding spell, something to keep him trapped so he couldn't hurt anyone. paathak was hesitant, but was eventually pressured into agreeing to it. with their magic combined, they formed an almost unbreakable seal that was bound to their very souls. though it would ultimately be shamira who would lock raaja away.
*to this day, the seal still holds though paathak is even more fearful of death, terrified that if he were to be slain, his brother would torture him in the afterlife, assuming the nightwing hates him.
relationships
shamira: they were the brightest of us all, once upon time. they always knew what to do... and they had plans for any problem i ever came to them with. though nowadays they feel less like... themself, more... lost and... distant. i wonder if they... hate me for ignoring them. i just... can't stand being around them anymore... what horrible memories their presence arouses... but they always had the answer... they always knew what to do...
was, at one point, very close with his older sibling and still is to some extent. he considers them very knowledgeable and reliable and will turn to them when he doesn't know what to do. he's depended on them in the past to come up with plans, as he is no good at coming up with them on his own and even now, he still tries to ask them for help when he needs it. they held sacred knowledge once and they kept it in an ancient library now long neglected and hostile. their compassion made it easier for him to confide in them in the past, but it's his guilt, reclusive nature, and their presence bringing back memories of raaja that keeps him away. he wonders if they... hate him because of how rare his visits to them are.
he was fond of them, they were the only one who was truly nice to him. in the past, they'd help take the weight of his burdens off his shoulders as they were the only one he felt comfortable talking about... emotions... with. he never felt judged in their presence, a sentiment he couldn't say for the rest of his siblings. he wants to support them now, knowing they got the worst of raaja's wrath, but he doesn't... know how. when he does, once in a blue moon, actually see them, he often just gives them gifts. mixed - mostly positive
the one who waits: i-it wasn't my idea to cast out the scarlet eye! it was the others, the blame lies with them! h-he's locked away for thousand or so years... a-and his vessels have never once succeeded... i'm safe... i'm safe...
paathak never had a positive relationship with his younger brother and always lived in fear of him when he was still free. he flinches when his name is spoken and never speaks of his past with him. too traumatic. raaja... hurt him... very deeply and he is the root cause of paathak's emotional turmoil. he now can only bear to use the nightwing's aliases to refer to him now, too fearful to speak his name. he genuinely believes raaja hates him for what he did and the seawing's fear of him in the past was what originally caused paathak to become so reclusive and anxious.
the seawing doesn't discuss his relationship with his brother and, in fact, prefers to just never bring him up at all, avoiding any reminders of him as to not arouse unwanted memories. just the mere mention on him is enough to bring down paathak's mood and he noticeably becomes more anxious and quiet, only attempting to keep his composure in professional settings. in more casual settings, he will often steer the subject away from him and back to something more lighthearted.
he can't fully describe... how he feels about raaja... just that... he's terrified of him... extremely negative
bhavish: bhavish... bhavish... bhavish... she's... fine? she can see what few others can... what knowledge has she learned? that is what i wished to know, but she's quite... temperamental about it. i just... want confirmation... that everything will be okay. her hobbies are a curious thing... her taste in scenery, less so.
paathak never was particularly close with his younger sibling, but did find her reliable and her powers... simply incredible. though the two have very different, almost conflicting personalities, they bond over simple things. mostly nature's beauty, with there most... intimate moments being spent admiring it. she was always quite harsh to him as she wishes to force him out of his comfort zone, which is why he keeps away. he just feels... judged in her presence and her critical and dismissiveness leaves a lot to be desired. at least to him anyway.
nevertheless, he always ends up falling back on her when he's at a loss of what to do. he usually looks to shamira for guidance (because they're less critical of him and were very reliable in the past), bhavish always steps in instead such as to not disturb them with "trifle matters." he does find that she has the answers, boosted significantly by the fact that she's a seer, she's just... not as nice. he can't recall too many important or memorable moments the two have spent together as the two rarely meet outside of when their divine duties demand them to.
he wonders if... bhavish even likes him. this is something he's... wanted to ask her about in the past, but... he never got around to it. it feels... weird... asking her that... mixed - strained
ouija: the beast of the rainforest, the youngest of us, and perhaps the most bold. his cabin has a certain eeriness to it, same with his domain. there's a sort of... dark beauty to it all. he was always an incredible storyteller, putting so much effort into something few actually see.
has the hardest time bonding with his youngest brother. they're so... different from one another, only sharing a creative mind. despite his attempts in the past to connect with him, he's rarely gotten past ouija's prickly exterior. he's awed by his brother's domain, finding its eeriness to be oddly... beautiful. enjoys hearing the dark and chilling tales he weaves and is impressed by how easily he can recount old folktales. can both appreciate and respect his passions and thinks he's got great tastes in atmosphere.
rarely the brothers will bond over their shared love of theatre and the arts, with the two occasionally attending plays together. more often, though, they work together to expand the fictional worlds ouija has built over the years as paathak really likes workshopping with him. he also seems to actually engage with the games ouija has created and the two have been known to play a single campaign for days on end. in that regard, the seawing has never been happier spending time with his younger brother.
once in a blue moon, the two might occasionally roleplay together outside of ouija's tabletop game to which paathak has since his brother's passion for roleplaying on full display. neutral
pallas: bhavish warned me about him. surely... it cannot be true... we did everything right... no matter, he'll fall like the rest. extremely negative
remedy: who is this? neutral
trivia
 
*moral alignment is true neutral.
*ambidextrous, doesn't have a dominant hand and just chooses whichever one is most convenient for him. is also very good at multitasking. literally can't imagine that others have a dominant hand or aren't good at doing two things at once.
*thinks squid as a delicacy is barbaric and refuses to consume it unless coerced to. considers people giving him squid to eat as at an insult at best and a threat at worst. 
**due to this, several communities in paathak's domain forbid the consumption of squid, seeing it as sacrilegious. failure to abide by this can result in imprisonment, lynching, or public execution depending on the community.
*loves any kind of seafood that doesn't incorporate squid, octopus, or any kind of cephalopod.
*is symbolized by a squid and is often associated with silver (both in color and in metal). followers of paathak often wear silver jewelry shaped like squid tentacles as charms that promote good luck and health.
*wedding rings crafted in his domain are often made of silver and have some kind of squid design motif to symbolize a long and healthy marriage.
*additionally, squid-shaped charms are often given to the sick as get well soon gifts as it's believed they will chase away the sickness inside and promote good health and faster recovery.
*the kind of person who would see a rat in his kitchen and make it somebody else's problem.
*made uneasy by animals who are exclusively scavengers, especially vultures as he views them as sentinels of death. can't even stomach watching them feed, too busy imagining himself in the carrion's position. desecrated by hungry and savage little creatures.
*used to wear a golden earring in his right ear. lost it along with his ear... though his ear is technically not lost. he keeps it in a small temple located in an underwater grotto called kraken's keep. it's considered sacred land that no mere mortal is allowed into within divine permission.
**his ear is said to be a relic capable of temporarily resurrecting one from the dead if they had a strong enough bond with one another, using the devotion of the dead to the one trying to resurrect them. 
*also once had a relic in his ears but he... lost them a long time ago. they were originally a sign of his divine status, a gift to him by the last ancient god. he still... is looking for them. this relic would help him collect the devotion of his followers and use it more effeciently to strengthen his magic. ever since losing it after the war, his magic has become weaker.
*the kind of guy who would say "ladies first" in tense or dangerous situations not to be a gentleman, but to have someone go ahead of him. to be his canary in the coal mine.
* has a fondness for particularly fruity cocktails (mostly those that contain citrus of some kind), with margaritas and tequila sunrises being his favorite. he also seems fond of rum. often experiments at social events. 
**tends to drink excessively in private when stressed out, sad, or anxious as an easy way of coping. also finds comfort in it.
**he even keeps a relatively average-sized steel canteen filled with vodka at all times in case he has bouts of stress or anxiety. sometimes shares it with others as way to help comfort them.
**has a distinct distaste for red wine due to associating it with... him. this drink was what he self-medicated with during times of intense stress and, when he was unable to sleep, as a sleeping aid when he was living at his temple.
**he can be either a boisterous drunk or a maudlin drunk depending on the environment and his mood.
*cries silvery teal tears and bleeds blue blood. both of these colors have become symbolic among his followers for this reason. though the exact symbolism of these colors changes slightly from community to community.
**since his blood is said to have healing properties, the color blue is often associated with healing and sacrifice.
**silvery teals or teal in general is more associated with pain, grief, and mourning. though some also see it as healing from emotional wounds or past trauma. paathak's followers typically wear teal colored silver jewelry during funerals or days of mourning.
**in artwork, teal is used to depict those who have been through immense pain and traumatic events in the past as a way of respectfully honoring them. paathak is usually depicted in this color because of what it symbolizes.
* in original concepts, paathak was going to be a nightwing with mind-reading abilities as well as bhavish's twin brother, but these were both scrapped.
*in his original design, he was to have two pairs of eyes, but this was also scrapped.
*was originally intended on having wings, but they were scrapped due to me not wanting to draw them.
*when salt makes contact with his skin while he's on the surface, it reacts in the same way snails or slugs would, through rapid dehydration (as he's covered in a mucus to keep his body moisturized out of water). as such he doesn't touch, or go anywhere near, salt when outside of the water.
* he was also originally going to accompany bhavish to her place of work, but this was scrapped so he could seem more independent and less... overtly pathetic.
*wrings or fidgets with his hands or earring when anxious or uncomfortable. also has a habit of putting the second knuckle of his pointer finger to his mouth when deep in thought.
*loves his tentacle appendages and becomes quite distraught if they're significantly damaged in any way. the only thing that reassures him then is the fact that they grow back. has been known to fidget his tentacle horns when nervous, bored, deep in thought, or as a general form of stimulation to keep himself engaged. 
**also likes "playing" with the tentacle appendages he has around his tail. this behavior is usually only seen in private, however.
**he does also seem to grasp them or have them "hug" him during times of private, emotional turmoil. seems to seek comfort in these appendages, as though they are arms belonging to another.
*when overwhelmed with panic and/or stress, he curls up into a ball and becomes unresponsive. presumably this is what he does to stop himself from having a complete emotional meltdown.
*subconsciously begins pacing around and muttering his thoughts quietly aloud when making particularly hard decisions. can be in this state for hours or even days at a time.
* tends to clutch the sides of his cloak closer to his body like a blanket when threatened or unnerved. usually slouches as well as a natural fear response.
*keeps his smaller weapons with him at all times, they're hidden in sheaths that were sewn into the insides of his cloak.
*paathak's design is partially inspired by this character design made by intergalaticfly. this is where the concept of him having tentacle horns as well as silvery teal tears came from. additionally the scrapped concept of him having a second pair of eyes was inspired by this design.
*fears whales. is the most afraid of the sperm whale ever since getting attacked by one when it attempted to eat him whole. is sort of okay with smaller whales, but still doesn't like them. it's mostly their sheer size that scares him as it gives him that feeling that he isn't the biggest thing in the ocean.
* has a habit of personifying different sea creatures and will often talk about them as though he knows them personally. usually only personifies their negative traits, especially judgement.
*instinctively slouches or shrinks to make himself appear shorter, smaller, or less threatening when in the presence of those who intimidate him (and are also of similar height or size). this was a tactic he learned during his time spent living with raaja as a way of not accidently offending the nightwing by being taller than him.
*his love language is gift-giving, because he's not good with words and finds physical affection "too intimate and awkward."
**rarely actively seeks out physical affection from others and when he does, it's for comfort and is typically only given to his siblings (specifically shamira). is more tolerant of receiving physical affection from his siblings. he'll still freeze up if they hug him unexpectedly. that's just his natural response to being hugged in general if he's not the one giving them.
**isn't completely averse to physical touch, but he has specific places that he's comfortable with being touched in. is comfortable with it along the back (of both his neck and body), hands, shoulders, and hind tentacles. is uncomfortable with being touched anywhere on the face or head, especially the ear and horn tentacles, throat, and underbelly. he's more willing to accept physical touch if they're part of a message he asked for, since they help him relax and he actually enjoys them.
***has a limit to how much physical touch he wants to receive in one sitting. after that limit has been reached, he becomes intolerant to it for the rest of the day.
***usually notifies others when he's near or reached this limit.
**physically recoils or flinches from being poked (no matter how gentle) by anything relatively sharp or claw-like. is also quite easily startled by and is intolerant to this form of physical contact.
**any form of aggressive or forceful physical contact, no matter if there is any malice behind it, causes an intense fear reaction out of him. especially hates being suddenly and / or aggressively grabbed, as this is triggering to him and causes him to panic.
**acts of physical violence can be triggering for him if it's from those who he sees, or could pose, as a threat. in those cases, he acts fearful and panicked, making any attempt to flee the situation outright, only fighting as a last resort. can usually handle it if he doesn't view the one doing it as a threat to him.
**being touched by anything solid and cold makes him deeply uncomfortable as they remind him of his talons... which were always ice cold.
** physical touch being linked to his trauma is why he's very particular about this matter. his aversion of intimacy also plays a major part in this, but is smaller in comparison to the other.
** might seek out physical affection from his siblings for comfort when he's very nervous. only seeks it from shamira and, very rarely, bhavish.
* is only really comfortable with "platonic shows of comradery" like handshakes or shoulder pats because they aren't "touchy and intimate." 
**sometimes gives himself pats on the shoulder when no one else will to congratulate himself.
*if one wants to get his attention, tugging on the hem of his cloak, waving in his line of sight, or patting him from the front is the best way to go about doing it. he's easily startled by dragons grabbing him or suddenly touching him from behind, which is the best way to get oneself killed. 
**only six followers have either been killed or badly physically injured by accidently and, in one case, intentionally startling him by touching or grabbing him from behind.
* secretly named all his tentacles, don't tell anyone...
* totally not jealous of ouija's ability to grow magnificent lichen beards.
*loves and envies the nautilus and other shelled mollusks... because he wishes he had his own shell that he could carry around with him wherever he wants.
*finds himself relating to and empathizing with squids and shell-less cephalopods in general, which is why they're his favorite animals.
*enjoys spring and summer and is most likely to resurface during these seasons, especially the summer. hates fall and winter because... he hates the cold and generally associates them with death and general dreariness.
*though he is good at reading mouths, those who speak too fast are way more difficult for him to read. additionally, the outfit his followers wear is designed so the snout of the wearer is exposed, that way paathak will be able to read their mouths. 
**the wearing of masks or using other means of obscuring ones snout in the presence of paathak is considered a sign of disrespect and dishonesty (and, in more religious communities, an act of blasphemy). most see it as intentionally withholding or hiding information from the one you should be completely honest with.
**the wearing of masks is only considered acceptable during certain rituals and ceremonies.
*pays attention to facial expressions and body language to understand how someone is feeling since he can't rely on tone of voice. though he only really does this when he actually cares about how the other party feels.
*doesn't fully remember what his own voice sounds like. after all, he can only hear it faintly when he's yelling. his mind often assigns voices to others, with most of them sounding similar to one another.
**sometimes, to cheer himself up, he'll give those he's talking to funny voices. often he gets so transfixed on giving them a funny voice that he doesn't pay attention to what they're actually saying.
*unsurprisingly, he's a rather loud speaker and tone deaf. despite this he still loves singing sea shanties he remembers hearing in the olden days. he's just... incredibly bad at singing. but you've got to respect the passion in his voice when he does.
**has "sung" (it's more like passionate screaming) at a few outdoor bars or taverns while on the surface... though he's usually heavily intoxicated when he does. his followers cheer and sing with him nevertheless, just happy to see him.
**his voice can be a bit scratchy at times from how much strain he puts on it.
*has a distaste for bright reds and is unnerved by or even afraid of black cats as they remind him of... him.
*larps with his younger brother, ouija. he plays a battle-worn pirate captain named dominguez. ouija, meanwhile, plays an ancient warlock of the woods and a keeper of many secrets that ouija doesn't seem to have come up with a proper name for. he just calls himself the warlock.
*his outfit includes an eyepatch over his left eye and fairly geometric-looking "scars" he painted on to his face.
*has opinions on all of his siblings' temples.
**finds shamira's to have an eerie beauty to it, not to mention it was a place of significance for him and the rest of his siblings for its massive library that has since fallen into disrepair... much like the rest of their temple. it appears to have been "bandaged" together with silk and the librarians (the temple caretakers) do their best to tend to the damage. now when he gazes upon their temple it just... makes him sad... and wistful.
**finds his own temples (yes, he has multiple) to be wonderful. his magnus opuses. he prides himself for their beauty and considers them his safe space, especially that of the deep temple. his siblings now call his deep temple his "shell." never fully felt... safe... he always lived in fear of him and his vessels... but they at least gave him some sense of safety.
**his temple was laid to ruin. for the better, in his opinion, it was a stifling, stone prison. the best things about his temple were the gardens and the easy access to the ocean from a black, stony beach. though he wasn't too fond of the water. way saltier and colder than it needed to be. the sharp rocks close to the shore didn't help either.
**finds bhavish's temple to be... uh... not the finest piece of architecture. ensnared in twisting trees and carnivorous plants... the imperfect asymmetry... it looks like it's been overtaken by nature, not incorporating it into its aesthetic! ugh. she never had the best taste in scenery... or design. doesn't help that vaara isn't his cup of tea either.
**finds ouija's temple to have a similar eerie beauty to it as shamira's. unlike bhavish, HE incorporated the overgrowing nature into his temple's aesthetic. and it's... beautiful. a true jungle temple.
*it's a common misconception that paathak is capable of curing any and all diseases or illnesses. this, however, is not entirely true. he can only cure diseases that are caused by bacteria or viruses as well as any sort of infection. some may be harder to cure for him than others, but he's still capable of it. this also applies to paathak himself, he's only immune to what he can cure. 
*some have said that his magic is capable of helping along the healing process for the illnesses he cannot cure. whether this is true or not isn't fully known, but may be related to how he can prolong life. because of this, those who are aware that his power's have a misconception still go to him for treatment.
*owns a bubble pipe and might occasionally use it while on the surface. he said this was because he didn't want to actually smoke and risk any of the health conditions that come with it. also seems to like the bubbles.
gallery
Paathak concept doodles.png
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Pirate paathak.png
Paathakmarker.jpg
Imhome.jpg
Paathakfullbodyaddam.png|addam
Kallamari damacy.png|addam, w/ cloak
Seafoam and Moonlight.png
Aroace buddies.png|feat. enigma
Paathakdoodlestraditional.jpg
Paathakdoodles5.png
Kallmarcharnotfound.png|fritz
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Across the sea, you and me.png|hyzen
PaathakMezepheles.png|revek
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He of pestilence.jpg
Tone deaf.png|
Hello old fool.png
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Paathakmayuri.png|mayuri
86DF446B-EAE9-4181-BFFC-BC1ED5060CA0.png|chaotic
Los tres hermanos (charlie).png|fritz
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Bhavish and paathak.png|depicted in top left corner
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hebechibi.png|stella
Curious lil guy.png|bay
Hidden curiosity.png|bay
discussing.png
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Category:Characters
Category:Males
Category:SeaWings
Category:LGBT+
Category:Content (Verglas the IceWing)
Category:Status (Leader)
Category:Status (Legend)
Category:Occupation (Healer)
Category:Disabled
Category:Animus
Category:Mature Content
Category:Inspired by Fiction