Boreal

**7402** is a genetically enhanced lion turned freelance explorer, calling himself **Boreal**. Alongside his friend Taku and partner Motagua, Boreal traveled the Multiverse to forget the life. Boreal was a test subject on Monster Island prior to the events that lead U.N.T.I.L. and Bureau 17 to intervene, actions that subsequently destroyed much of the compound and effectively ended Manimal creation.

Boreal is a hybridization between an African lion (*Panthera leo*) and a human (*Homo sapien*).

## Biography

*"Ya see, he was picked up from a circus. And not as some high-class act either, this was one shoddy operation. The poor guy was emaciated and ready to die. The only reason we got ‘im was ‘cause the owner had an inspection comin’ and needed to dump his less presentable animals fast. We figured, why waste a bargain, right?"*
―Taku[src]
Subject 7402 was recovered from a circus and brought to Monster Island, where he was genetically enhanced so that he was given sentient intelligence. However, the years of abuse and repetitive genetic rewrite caused him to develop a vain personality. Years later, 7402 escaped from the island and eventually became an adventurer, calling himself Boreal.

### Time on the Island

While held on Monster Island, Boreal was known as "Simba" to the scientists who observed him. After his transformation, Boreal struggled to adapt to his new life; he was slow to re-learn locomotive skills and had trouble learning language due to being isolated from the other Manimals, a result of their fear in him. Prior to Boreal's arrival, the largest carnivores were wolf-hybrids. Eventually, Boreal picked up language skills from the Keybearers, a group of birds with raised intelligence that worked for Moreau as messengers and mobile key rings. The birds became fascinated with Boreal and made a game of teaching the lion how to talk.

Boreal later became involved with another Manimal named Gruff, a Ram-hybrid working for the foxes. Gruff was sent to recruit Boreal for a female canid named Sherepaw. Boreal, initially refusing, fought and was overpowered by the ram and brought to Sherepaw. His time under the fox's dominion was spent mainly as indentured muscle; Sherepaw used the other Manimals' fear of Boreal to curb threats to her domain. Otherwise, Boreal was left alone and spent his time, as most did, surviving the tests set up by Moreau’s scientists.

Boreal was notable for his refusal to eat other Manimals. With rare exception, Boreal only ate fish that he caught, a diet that slowly made him weak. One day, Boreal and Gruff were sent to dispel a conflict caused by the wolves in the Roam when Gruff noticed the declining state of the Felid and instigated a fight with the wolves in order to force Simba to taste blood. It worked and Boreal, now feral, killed and ate one of the canids. The encounter negatively affected Boreal’s distrust of Gruff and he was left deeply uncomfortable knowing that he loved the taste and feel of Manimal flesh.

### A Valued Discovery

Soon after, Boreal, angered by the ram's manipulation of him, challenged Gruff to combat. During their fight, the two of them crashed through the ground and into a ruin that lay below Boreal's home. Gruff, however, quickly recovered from his surprise and attacked the lion again. The fight ranged throughout the complex and culminated in a showdown within an ancient armory, each of them discarding their makeshift tools in favor of the advanced weapons within. Boreal armed himself with two curved swords, while Gruff fought with a halberd. Triumphing once again, Gruff allowed Boreal to keep his swords, cautioning the lion to keep them hidden unless commanded by Sherepaw.

### Survival of the Fittest

A few hours after his confrontation with Gruff, the scientists monitoring Boreal captured him to further analyze his resolve after taking interest in his peculiar diet. He was placed in isolation and denied food for an entire month before he was brought into an observation chamber by Moreau, who asked if he would like to eat. When Boreal agreed, to his shock, Gruff was placed into the chamber. Boreal was then instructed that he would not eat unless he ate the Ram.

Boreal succumbed to his predatory desire and attacked Gruff, much to the disappointment of Moreau. The fight was short and frenzied, with Boreal emerging victorious; however, Simba saw fear in Gruff’s eyes for the first time and snapped back to his senses. Pleased with the results, Moreau released them both. Though each was grievously injured, Moreau did not provide any aid, insisting on maintaining the survival of the fittest approach.

Boreal lost consciousness as broken ribs punctured his lungs, filling with blood. Gruff desperately carried Boreal back into the jungle, trying to reach Sherepaw for help, but a deep gash across his groin was continually bleeding, and soon the ram collapsed just before the plains gave way to the dense undergrowth.

Unbeknownst to the two, one of the Snakemen, a man named Smith had been tracking their progress to help the Manimals. He was accompanied by a Keybearer who was roped into the adventure since he had the key to a medicine cabinet that Smith needed. The small Junco, named E.W.M.A.C (East Wing Medical and Closet), followed along out of curiosity when the Snake ventured into the Roams alone. When Smith arrived he did what he could to help the two, but left certain that Boreal would die, as most of his wounds were internal.

They awoke to a scientist by the name of Dr. Moros, who had met Smith on the trail back, he, much too coincidentally, was driving one of the compounds few mobile medical centers. Moros did little to explain why he was there, but the oddity of it was not apparent to Simba.

Months went by and rumors of a sickness began to spread amongst the Manimals of a sickness in the porcine population. This worried Sherepaw as older Manimals spoke of a purge that befell one of the other roams when a sickness swept through it. Apparently, the Scientists killed all the Manimals to stop the spread of fatal influenza so that future creations would not be afflicted. Sherepaw would not allow the population of their Roam to be exterminated and formed a plan to stop it.

Simba was ordered by Sherepaw to contact the Keybearers and ask for their help, as he was really the only Manimal that the Keybearers spoke to. He was to get the key to a medical cabinet and give it to Sherepaw so she could get the vaccine. E.W.M.A.C., who had the key, was incredulous and told them that the plan was idiotic, that they’d need to know the specific illness first and find out what medication would combat it. Samba convinced Ewmac to help anyway and Sherepaw’s plan progressed.

Snakemen deployed onto the Roams in force, seemingly to euthanize the Manimals. However, another faction was attempting to seize control of the compound. The entire place quickly dissolved into chaos, as the Snakes were ill-equipped to fight heavily armed opponents. Simba recognized that the Snakes were protecting the Manimals as much as the scientists, and realized the hybrids needed to help their captors if anyone was to survive. So, fighting alongside their former oppressors, Simba, Gruff, and several other hybrids drove the enemy back.

Simba and Gruff were felled when saving Moreau. Simba had ambushed the enemy by dropping upon them from a walkway above, and though he dispatched those around him, Gruff never arrived to help as he was shot dead when he charged from below, Boreal was himself easily dispatched by returning gunfire from survivors.

While in a near death stupor Simba saw Gruff and Ewmac were with him. The three were contacted by a collection of unknown beings that spoke to them during a celestial event. As showers of stars shot across the sky and hundreds of comets made landfall, shattering the land around them and casting the two into the starry void of night, the being explained that their story was not over yet, that they were not done with them. They called themselves the Court of Kings, and they required Wayfinders to survey all things of interest to them. The two manimals and keybearer were selected, with great care, for the task; there were many tests that showed their effectiveness.

When Simba awoke he, Gruff, and Ewmac were no longer in the sinkhole, but back in the ruined complex that the two of them discovered months before. They had with them their weapons, as well as simple garb embroidered with an enigmatic crest. Behind them was a door of polished oak and heavy iron freestanding at one end of the chamber, while above they found the Roams had been torn down; Moreau and his scientists were either gone or in hiding; the snakes were mostly dead; and the Manimals had broken into factions that fought for Moreau, themselves, or for the Invaders.

Realizing there was nothing left for him on the Island Simba opened the door, revealing rolling plains on the other side, and stepped through, followed shortly by Gruff and Ewmac.

## Personality

Due to the inhumane experiments that were done to him, Boreal became bitterly, even bitingly, sarcastic and cynical, as well as generally misanthropic, but in recent years seems to have adopted a more temperamental demeanor. He is also easily excited and extremely aggressive, which, in turn, makes him exceedingly volatile with an innate desire for predatory behavior. Despite his toughness, he also possesses a slightly morbid sense of humor.

## Relationships

	+ Motagua - Partner and Ally
	+ Taku - Ally
* Richard
	+ Snakemen

## References

The *Project Hecate Wiki* has a collection of images and media related to ***Boreal***.