Kabutori

**Kabutori** is an old, stoic Shanno soldier from The Hollow and one of the Chosen, currently serving the nobility of the Hollow in order to climb the social hierarchy and attain the title of Hollow Watcher. His obsession lies in recapturing his former glory as a proud warrior of the Hive.

## History

Born the largest larvae among a brood of humble Beetle Crafters at the dawn of the Hollow's re-emergence into the brave new world, it was clear from the moment of his hatching that Kabutori was not destined for the life of a craftsman. Whether the cause of a mutation, magic, or a simple stroke of luck among thousands and thousands of eggs, this humble beetle was born with a body more reminiscent of a warrior— a fortuitous thing, during a time that the Grubs had a need for warriors the most, in their efforts to expand the Hollow and undertake a mission to create what is now revered as The Strings. Kabutori, as an exception to the rule of caste society, was plucked from the brood of the Beetle Crafters and placed among the ranks of the Stings at a very young age, though his potential as a soldier wouldn't reveal itself through admiration of his body alone.

To be a beetle among a hive of spiders and wasps—to be prey in the ranks of predators—is to learn, very quickly, the value of standing ground and wizening up to the nature of the world. Indeed, earning the right to exist through great effort is the way of the Shanno. Kabutori held this ideal to the highest regard during his training, and bloodied became his horn and blade when those among his own kind challenged his right to exist, through patience and sheer endurance. Waiting for the moment that his enemies can no longer underestimate him, that they can no longer pierce his shell-- only for the beetle's blade to cut them down in their moment of weakness. If they could not defeat a mere beetle in single combat, then they did not deserve the right to be called Shanno.

Kabutori proved himself as a soldier among the ranks of the Stings in spite of who he was, and even furthermore, proved his value as an extension of the Hallow's will on the field of battle. Though during his time the Hallow had not seen open conflict with the peoples of the underground, nor even the surface-dwellers, Kabutori was nonetheless involved in numerous smaller engagements, even acting as an officer at some points, much to the chagrin of his fellow Stings who felt insulted to be lead by a beetle. In his prime, over five decades ago, he could be said to have been an unmatched swordsbug. It was at his peak that Kabutori was chosen, among other "privileged" Shanno, by the Grubs to accompany them on the warpath to the darkest depths of the Hollow, where they would weave the Strings and form the first and last bastion of warriors against the enemies of the Hive— the Hollow Watchers.

Kabutori believed, and still believes, that to be a Hollow Watcher is to conquer one's own destiny. Breaking the cycle of bug-eat-bug and standing at the apex of Shanno society, with the greatest honor of all. Kabutori believed that his presence there meant that he would be given this honor. Though he accompanied the "chosen" and was present for the Great Weaving and the founding of the Hollow Watchers and the Whisperers, Kabutori was not given the rank of Hollow Watcher, nor Whisperer. He was one of a thousand faceless soldiers brought along to ensure the protection of those chosen by the Grubs. His rage was unfathomable, deeper was his confusion, and his inability to do what was expected to him showed this. Kabutori showed a marked decline in combat performance and involvement following the Great Weaving, the years weighing upon his carapace and undoing the work he had done to place himself above the rest of the so-called "predators" in his caste. Within a few decades of slow decline, and a shift in the Hollow's foreign policy strategy, Kabutori's place in the destiny of the Shanno became negligible once more.

What had he done wrong? Why was he not good enough? Where had he failed to make his mark? The answer didn't come to him until the time of the Chosen when the world seemed to move once more. The old beetle gripped his sword, years of questioning bringing him to a conclusion that he'd known for years; he simply didn't go far enough. His service to the Hollow was limited by the boundaries of his caste. The upward momentum among the Stings was nonexistent, and in a dawning age of adventurers, Kabutori chose the path less traveled for Shanno. Rejecting his role in the Hollow's official military, Kabutori became a sword of the nobility.

His demonstrated ability to utilize the Waystones had Kabutori approached by an ambitious lesser noble by the name of Lord Jinima - a sleazy spider-like Shanno who held certain connections within the Glitterwings and beyond the boundaries of the Hollow. Jinima enticed Kabutori with the promise of upward mobility. To gain notoriety as a so-called "adventurer" working on behalf of Jinima's enterprise and enforcing the will of the Hollow on the surface world meant that Kabutori could ascend the hierarchy of the Hollow himself. He would, one way or another, break the cycle forced upon him and claim the title of Hollow Watcher. Kabutori agreed to take an oath of fealty, though under the condition that he would kill Jinima himself if the spider ever gave him an order that conflicted with the interest of the Hollow as a whole. The spindly-necked arachnid nervously gave him his solemn word— however much that is worth.

## Appearance

Kabutori is a towering, imposing Shanno that takes an appearance similar to Rhinoceros beetle. He stands at nearly 200 cm when standing straight, though he often stands at a slight hunch. Kabutori is noted for being exceptionally large and muscular even for a Shanno of his strain, possessing a durable carapace that places his physique closer to that of a Warrior as opposed to a Builder. Most of his body is protected in a thick, blue carapace that extends and covers the entirety of his backside, legs, arms while extending over his head and face and forming a structure similar to an Eastern helmet, where the top of it sports a large, crimson-colored beetle horn. Deep, prominent scarring and weathering decorates the majority of his carapace and unarmored body. Kabutori's face resembles a jagged chitin maw that, similar to the mouth of an alligator, seems to only open when he is eating - otherwise, he speaks through it. One of his eyes appears to be damaged, a deep scar having left a large crack in his facial carapace and exposing the flesh beneath it. His "chin" sports a prominent white fibrous growth similar to a hairy beard, which he often strokes when in deep contemplation.

## Personality

Kabutori is a stoic, stubborn, and prideful Shanno warrior. His is the heart of a soldier, sculpted in hardship and experience for the single purpose of waging war and defending the honor of his people and his nation. He is exceedingly patriotic and even nationalist to some degree, believing wholeheartedly in the mission of the Grubs and the rightful destiny of the Shanno. Though he holds no inherent malice for other races, his experiences in Shanno society compared to the peoples of the surface world leads Kabutori to believe that the denizens of the Hollow are inherently superior through their "kill-or-be-killed" perspective. He rarely holds any true malice for anyone, even his enemies, but he is also without mercy or compassion to those who stand in the way of his goals. Though Kabutori lacks in moral convictions, he possesses a strong code of honor that places value in honesty, martial prowess, and service to the whole, as he fundamentally believes himself to be a servant of the whole. Even in his relentless, almost egotistical pursuit of becoming a Hollow Watcher, the end goal is ultimately attaining a status that allows him to serve the Hollow without any restrictions imposed upon him, to enforce his own law. He has a deep respect for those who are willing to sacrifice themselves to benefit their people or country, even among his enemies, and a deeper respect for those who are willing to fight to attain something.

In spite of his imposing appearance and life as a soldier, he dislikes fighting for the sake of fighting, believing violence to be an (effective) means to some greater goal. In his eyes, to fight for the sake of violence or cruelty alone merely cheapens the thrill of fighting for a cause. Though, when he does engage in violence, he is ruthless and efficient in attaining his given goal, often putting him at odds with those of certain moral leanings as Kabutori rarely, if ever, places his own personal beliefs before the most efficient path to attaining some goal. When he was given no oversight and a full authorization to kill any opposition, he was among the first to begin killing a village of armed refugees who unlawfully occupied a military fort before a more peaceful resolution was reached.

## Friends

* **Bolverk Dyndrake**: Kabutori encountered the outlander in a tavern while passing through Shizukumura, a little while after they had crossed paths at the Rock Adventurer's Tavern hotsprings. Bolverk encouraged the old beetle to reclaim his former glory as a soldier, while warning him about the "war" brewing on the coast with an unknown underwater menace, convincing him that their common enemy poses as much of a threat to The Hollow as they do to the surface world. Kabutori admires Bolverk's selfless attitude and his noble goal, but is unconvinced that he is worthy of the stories told about him, and wishes to meet the outlander on the field of battle - whether as allies or enemies - to gauge his worthiness.

## Goals

* Climb the noble hierarchy of the Hollow and attain the title of Hollow Watcher.
* Test himself against the threats of the surface world in order to return to the same level of martial prowess he had during his peak.
* Serve the interests of the Hollow and the Grubs on the surface world, pursue anything that would benefit the Shanno.