Gwazi Ibubesi

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• Gwazi • Ibubesi •

Gwazi Ibubesi W31

Name: Gwazi Ibubesi
Nickname: Gwazimvikile
Age: 32
Weight: 297 lbs
Height: 6 feet 8 inches

Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Black
Race: Human
Residence: Kwazulu, Zulu Nation
Nationality: Zulu (African)
Affiliation: Mvikile: Order of The Guardians
Occupation:Mvikile (Guardian) of Sangoma Summoner Jamila Ibubesi

Face Claim: Michael Jai White

• all in the details •

Appearance:
Standing six feet eight inches tall, and weighing two hundred and ninety seven pounds, Gwazi is a mountain among men. Having been raised by the Mvikile from a young age, their training practices were a way of everyday life for him. Constant exorcise, harsh environments, and ceaseless training have made him a solid obelisk carved from onyx. Dark brown eyes with an intense gaze and a strong jaw even give his face the appearance of being carved from hard stone. Despite his intimidating appearance, when Gwazi isn't in battle or his wife and Sangoma Jamila is not in danger, his lips are more than willing to smile. For someone so potentially dangerous Gwazi's smile is disarmingly endearing.

Gwazi is very particular about his appearance, and stays well groomed at all times. His hair is kept cut short, or shaved completely, and his goatee is meticulously edged. His body sports a number of faded scars that were either too severe to be healed completely by the Sangoma, or wounds that Gwazi decided weren't worth the effort of magical healing. Aside from the battle trophies he's accumulated over the years, there is only one mark that he has willingly subjected his body to. On his muscular back, Gwazi has an intricate tribal scrollwork tattoo that spans its entirety save for the area above his spine. This is the Bonding tattoo that is given to the Mvikile and their sworn Sangoma. When the artwork is examined in relation to the tattoo his wife bears, it becomes apparent that if overlapped, the two would fit together perfectly to create one design.

Personality:

Stubborn is a world that could easily be used to describe him, but it only scratches the surface of who he really is at his core. Gwazi's upbringing has instilled him with strong values and beliefs, and the will to see them through without bending or breaking. The Mvikile believe that it isn't enough to harden and train the body to be a weapon, the mind must be hardened and honed as well. He is a thoughtful pragmatist that possesses an inquisitive nature and a keen intellect that most people never expect because of his physical size. He gladly accepts this underestimation and uses it to his advantage. He also has a very strong sense of community which is the cornerstone of Zulu culture.

The death of Gwazi's parents early in his life is one of the most important events defining who he became as a man. At five years old, he was old enough to know and remember them, and understand how great the loss of them was to his world. In the tradition of their order, the Mvikile and Sangoma adopted Gwazi into their ranks, and raised him as one of their own. Even if there was a demanding life, Gwazi experienced no lack of love or neglect. Because of this Gwazi knows the reality that his service to the Nation and his Sangoma will one call for him to make the ultimate sacrifice, his life. He accepts the inevitability of his death, and lives every moment of his life to its fullest. It is his greatest wish to live a worthy life, and one day join his ancestors with his head held high.

Abilities:

Peak Physical Conditioning: Unlike other humans who have been magically altered or enhanced to gain advantage over their enemies, Gwazi has chosen to remain pure. Every ounce of power, speed, and stamina he possesses is the result of decades of hard work and dedication. His body is in peak physical condition, and is capable of performing on Olympic levels. He also benefits from military training and conditioning which push his levels of endurance to extreme limits. Gwazi will push himself until he collapses from complete and utter exhaustion. Despite how much he has trained, Gwazi is still only human so there are limits to what he is capable of.

Mvikile Bond Tattoo: This is the only magic that Gwazi has allowed to be made a permanent part of him. It is one half of a magical tattoo, that is magically bound to the other half which is born by the Mvikile's Sangoma. This magical bond gives both parties a general sense of the physical and emotional state and well-being of one another. The magic of the bond also allows the bonded pair to know the general location of their other half: which direction they are in, and roughly how far. This sense of connection can also be used by one party to find the other. The magic of these paired tattoos is always in effect, which means the awareness of one another is always present. With time and practice the awareness can be pushed to the edge of notice.

Equipment:

Muncu Zakaza (Acid Edge of the Spear): The Iklwa style spear is the traditional weapon of Zulu Warriors. Its razor sharp, broad, elongated head, and short thick handle would classify it more as a medium blade sword, but it is still aerodynamically perfect for being a thrown weapon even though such a thing would rarely be done. Like all Zulu blades this one bears enchantments crafted to fit their owner's needs. This particular blade is enchanted with a corrosive magic that allows the blade to deteriorate anything it comes into contact with, as if it were covered in powerful acid. Enchanted blades are characteristically stronger, more durable, and sharper than their mundane counter parts. This particular enchantment further enhances the cutting capability of the blade. If the blade meets a substance that it cannot through, prolonged contact against the acidic surface will cause the magic to start eating through the substance. As a safety precaution, the wielder of the blade is immune to the effects of the corrosive magic.

This particular weapon bears on it a secondary enchantment that is strictly for utilitarian purposes only. When not in use, the spear can be transformed into a necklace made from its component parts, wood, steel, and leather, and safely worn as an article of clothing. When the time comes to wield the spear, the wearer must simply pull the necklace from his neck, triggering the transformation into its true form.

Ubani Isihlangu (Light Shield): The Light Shield is a bracer worn on the forearm. When activated it creates a solid energy barrier twelve square feet in size, with shape being determined by the will of the user. The strength of the energy barrier is on par with metallic glass (Palladium, silver, metalloid alloy), meaning it can withstand the same amount of damage before being destroyed. In times of need, the Light Shield can be expanded to form a complete dome over the wearer, but the strength is diminished by one half during this time. In the event that the shield is destroyed, the magical item cannot be reused again until the dawning of a new day. In extreme cases of desperation the wearer can force the bracer to recharge, but at the cost of his own life force. The equivalent of one day of life is consumed, shortening the wearer's lifespan. The transference is quick and extremely painful.

Duma Casa (Thunder Stone Gauntlets): Gauntlets that are affixed with magical crystals. The crystals structure focuses the mana they hold into a blast of destructive energy that is accompanied by a rumbling boom that gives them their name. Each crystal holds a large enough charge to yield 200 blasts of equivalent range and damage of a .44 caliber round, set off 20 blasts yielding damage and range equivalent to a heavy gauge shotgun round, or 2 charged blast that explode with same destructive force as one pound of plastic explosives. Firing the device is a matter of mental action, so the rate of fire is variable from single shot or fully automatic. Aiming the output of the device can be done along the back of the hand or along outstretched fingers for greater accuracy in the case of the lowest strength discharge. These thunder stones recharge over time by absorbing mana from the surrounding area. Each stone requires roughly 8 hours to recharge from a completely depleted state. Stones can be changed out to reload gauntlets quickly, instead of forcing wearers to remove and replace entire gauntlets. Gwazi carries two gauntlets, one for his left hand and one for his right. He has a total of four stones in his possession, two for primary use, and one replacement for each gauntlet.

Morrlying Clothing: Morrlying skin is a thin and very flexible substance that has a higher density than Kevlar making it extremely durable. Over time Gwazi has been able to harvest enough of this material to fashion pants, boots, and an overcoat. These garments are extremely durable, waterproof, and have been treated to mute the metallic color. Now they simply appear dark grey, almost black in color. The flexibility of the Morrlying skin makes it ideal armor, as it does not hinder movement at all.

Skills:

Iklwa Fighting System: (Pronounced- Ick-lee-wa) Iklwa's beginnings are found in the days of Shaka Zulu. It was the name given to the new style of spear he created, and the fighting system used to wield it in war. Iklwa revolutionized warfare in Africa's past, and was reborn when the continent was plunged into warfare once more. Over the two centuries Iklwa has evolved from its origins of spear and shield combat and military maneuvers. It has become an expansive combat system that grew and adapted as new ideas and methods were discovered, and new weapons became available. Each practitioner over the years added to the Iklwa, and the battlefield ensured that only the best and most effective became the standard passed on to others.

The foundation of Iklwa is the hardening of the mind and body into a weapon. Training begins by sharpening the mind to be open, observant, adaptable, fluid, and quick thinking. The will is strengthened to endure pain and discomfort so that it can push the body to its absolute limits. The body is strengthened, conditioned, and hardened so that it is capable of great feats of strength, speed, and endurance while being able to withstand great amounts of abuse. Once the mind and body are prepared, they can taught how to fight.

The unarmed fighting system is the foundation for Iklwa combat. It uses the body's natural strength, physical make up, range of motion, and innate physics to create a damage dealing machine. Head, shoulders, elbows, forearms, palms, fists, fingers, knees, shins, feet, heels, and toes all become striking weapons, and all almost all defensive maneuvers function as either strikes or set-ups for counter strikes. The unarmed Iklwa system also has an extensive close quarters grappling system which teaches practitioners how to use the muscles and natural physics of their bodies in concert to produce greater amounts of leverage and force to their opponents.

The Iklwa fighting system treats any items used for offence or defense as extensions of the body. The mastery of the body lends itself to wielding and understanding the mastery of a weapon, because weapons were made to be used by the body. This philosophy is the foundation of all weapon mastery in Iklwa. The principles of unarmed combat extended to the weapon creating an evolution of fluid style that the body is already conditioned for. This practice is also makes Iklwa dangerous and unpredictable, because when an Iklwa master is presented with a new weapon, they must familiarize themselves with it. As they gain proficiency with it, it will yield an unorthodox style that could seem unnatural to all but an Iklwa practitioner.

An example of this phenomena would be presenting an Iklwa master with a Katana sword. Even if he is familiar with the traditional methods of wielding a sword, he would take every aspect of the blade into consideration. Because of its long, thin, and curved blade he will chose to wield the katana in a reverse grip as its primary stance. While unorthodox and thought inferior to a traditional stance by most masters of the katana, he chooses it for the following Iklwa reasons. 1. The length and curve of the blade make it ideal for augmenting his natural elbow and forearm strikes. 2. Using it in reverse grip offers a wider defensive range for the body, and more time to react because it is closer to the self, and requires less movement to intercept incoming attacks. 3. Reverse grip offers more leverage to parry and throw an attacker off balance. 4. Reverse grip keeps the blade out of the way allowing the rest of the body to be used in attack, once range is closed. 5. The pummel of the sword handle becomes a striking surface, and the blade can still be used to slash and stab at close range. 6. In cases where distance is needed reverse grip allows for smooth and quick transition to standard grip in opposite hand, utilizing the ambidexterity trained into Iklwa practitioners.

Puzzle Solving: In addition to traditional teaching techniques, the Zulu people subscribe heavily to problem based learning. This system not only involves the acquisition of knowledge, but also its application to various situations in real time. This yields the advanced ability of an individual to apply what they know to any given situation under pressure, and come up with innovative solutions. Most Zulu people also give their children puzzles of increasing difficulty as they develop in addition to traditional toys, often using the toy as reward for solving a puzzle. This influences the development of their cognitive skills as well as their view of the world. Gwazi is a prime example of this teaching process. His natural intellect is put to full use by seeing the world as a collection of puzzle pieces he his driven to understand. By understanding those individual pieces, he can understand how they can be fit together in various ways in order to solve the problem before him. Even as an adult he has not lost his childhood love for puzzles, and enjoys the increasing difficulty of puzzles that his life and service presents him with.

Harvesting/: Being the Mvikile of a Summoner Sangoma has many benefits. The many safaris that they embark on to hunt live rift beasts as potential summon beasts, offers the opportunity to acquire new materials with wondrous qualities, that can be put to practical use. Like most tribal people of history around the world who have existed in harmony with nature, the Zulu have kept alive the art of utilizing the entirety of anything they kill. Because of the varied nature of rift beasts which are alien to Terra, the Mvikile have become masters at identifying special qualities, harvesting these materials, and putting them to use.

• the tale of a lifetime•

History:
Gwazi was born to loving and devoted parents, Gomani and Xolile, an Mvikile and Sangoma who fell in love and married. Thanks to the centuries long war raging on, leaving the fight to raise a child was not an option. When they were strong enough to return to the fighting, Gomani and Xolile did their duty without hesitation, and returned home every time, until the battle of Glass Sands. Gwazi's parents along with another pair of bonded Sangoma and Mvikile and small band of soldiers, were charged with escorting a large group of civilians who were returning from pilgrimage. They were ambushed near the Zulu boarders by a large group of blood thirsty Fey soldiers. The warriors stood their ground and fought valiantly against the larger force, but it was not a battle that they could win. With the last of her strength Xolile summoned Sa'Umlilo, the Great Fire beast that few Sangoma were strong enough to even call, to hold off the Fey and give the civilians a chance to escape. Gomani stood by her side to fight and protect her as long as she could hold the beast in thrall. When reinforcements finally arrived, they found ashes on the wind, and a field of sand that had been melted into glass, earning the battle its name.

Upon learning of their death the Sangoma, already knowing that Gwazi did not possess the gift of magic, placed the grief stricken with the Mvikile to be raised by his father's order as was their tradition. In time Gwazi coped with the death of his parents and accepted the surrogate family that was no less caring and nurturing. Over the years that followed he was trained by his father's brothers in arms and closest friends to follow in Gomani's footsteps.

Gwazi took to his new life allowing the discipline to fill the void left by his parents, and embraced all that he was given. By age eighteen he was a battle tested warrior, and a master of the Iklwa fighting system. It was then that a young Sangoma by the name of Jamila approached him with the invitation to become her Mvikile. According to tradition, the two traveled and fought together, to test the strength of one another and the bonds that formed between them. After less than a year, Gwazi was impressed by the young Sangoma and pledged his life to her. Four short years after they were bonded to one another, Gwazi and Jamila acknowledged the love that grew between them, and were married.

Gwazi and Jamila took part in the final years of the war when the fighting was most desperate and both sides wanted only to put an end to the opposition by any means necessary. Even though Gwazi has seen hardship and atrocity as everyday occurrences, it was not enough to break his spirits. Even during the carnage and upheaval of the Enlightenment, he refused to admit defeat. Through it all, Gwazi has held firmly to his love, his duty, and his people for the strength to persevere. Whatever battle came, he fought it with his all. When the land turned against those who depended on it, he did what he had to ensure Jamila's survival as well as his own. Even now that peace has come to the world he continues to fight hard to rebuild, and understand the new world that was created in the aftermath of Terra's sundering.

Notes:
Languages Spoken: IsiZulu (Official Language of the Zulu Nation), English (a common tongue kept alive for use with merchants and the Egyptian kingdoms to remove the constant need for translators), and French (a slang language used in the lower quarters as is tradition started by the members of the French foreign legion so they did not dishonor the Zulu language while gambling and carousing during their down time). **There are no other tribal languages spoken by humans in Africa, as they were all absorbed into the Zulu and assimilated completely.

Is this a Canon?: No

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