'N e a t h the surface [warning; potentially disturbing images]

May 22, 2010 - 9:06pm — Apeldille

Disclaimer, contact, etc

This bio will obviously contain dead things, mentions of dead things, violence, blood and gore. There is a picture of a rotting deer at the bottom, don't look if that's not your thing.

Neath is a character, don't take his actions personally.
Body donations are always welcome, as is interactions and roleplay. Want to use him in a plot or something? Feel free to ask. B)

Discord: Apel#9645

(Play!)

N e a t h
there is something in the water

Updates »

"Hhrmmrk?"

21st of August, 2019

Has smelled a lot of blood in the forest as of late. Becoming a little more active in his habits, especially during the rainy and misty weather. Prosperous times; with an abundance of food, is growing larger.

Was dozing in the deep when he heard a commotion above, and suddenly a carcass was thrown into the water by Umay, much to Neath's surprise and satisfaction. Tore it apart, eating most of it and hiding some for leaner times.

Deep down the murky waters,
a shadow emerges from the mud.
Its slow, fluid movements makes it blend into the water, rendering it almost invisible. Suddenly it becomes very still, as if listening intently, and a moment later it lazily floats towards the light.

"If you stare into the abyss long enough,
the abyss will stare back..."

... and so, two yellow eyes gaze up from just beneath the surface.

Name: "Neath" x
Age: Unknown
Sex: Presumed male
Species: Unknown
Size: Quite big
Set: Skull mask, kirin pelt, peacock feathers
Scent: Musty pond water, death & rotting things, reptile
Origin: The black waters of Tsea-Hua
Sounds like this
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• Toyhouse

The eater of all things dead and rotting

Crocodilian, Rotmaw, Serpent, Water-shadow, God-eater.

A being of many names, most spoken with fear, loathing, or caution. He follows the wounded, the dying, the ill and the weak; he is never far behind when someone draws a rattling last breath. The terrible offspring of Mater Heshemsu and a nameless, now deceased and forgotten, minor swamp god. No one but the creature himself knows his real name - if he even has one - but most people know him simply as Neath.

Watching, waiting, a lurking shadow. He is persistent, but can be chased off; especially by a group. Threatened, he will probably just back away and sulk in the water, but if you actually attack him, he might fight back - especially if cornered or if he has something to gain from it. He'll bite and scratch and whip his fat tail, and your wounds will ooze with pus and infection while your body burns with blood poisoning. A diet of putrefying flesh and a saliva that is faintly corrosive will not make clean wounds...

...and Neath does not forget nor forgive. He will feel fierce joy when he finds your dead body.

Neath is, through simple biology, mostly resistant to magic. He still doesn't like it, as it makes his nose itch, and he is likely to avoid those who show excessive magical qualities.

His most refined sense is that of smell - he is incredibly sensitive to the scent of blood or sickness, and by sniffing someone he can tell a lot of things about them.

Friends and relationships are alien concepts to Neath. He cares about no one but himself; you might be a face he recognizes, but he is at best indifferent to your company. The only time Neath might be considered 'friendly' is if someone is wounded or dying, offering what he thinks is words of comfort. It would not seem wise to willingly go close to a creature like Neath, but some do, for various reasons, and some have brought 'gifts'. Neath feels no gratitude and gives no thanks, but he never forgets.

Unfriendly »Neath is not a friendly creature. He has no 'friends' and he'll likely never have. You might be an aqcuaintance but he probably doesn't like you or look forward to your company. Unless you are close to death, of course; then the rules change. To the wounded and dying he can be almost polite. Clever »He is quite intelligent, grasping many abstract concepts, but not in a plan ahead way -- he lives in the present with few thoughts about the future. Unforgiving »Neath does not forget nor forgive. Have you wronged him, he'll likely remember it for a long time -- he has a very good memory. Indifferent »He does not care for anyone but himself and most things that happens in the forest are of little interest to him, unless they involve him or potential food in some way. Patient »It can go months between feeding opportunities. A large carcass can keep him full for at least two months, more if he isn't very active. And if you are dying he'll wait patiently beside you, until you draw your final breath.

Notes on Behaviour

Neath is usually a scavenger, not a predator. Think of him as a vulture - following and waiting until the thing that caught his interest is dead. This means that he will not attack your deer/creature unless attacked first or severely threatened or cornered. He is under such circumstances very unpredictable.

The only time Neath might be considered friendly is when someone is very hurt or dying.

He seems to avoid sunspots and sunny areas, unless they are close to water. Usually he does not venture into the Birch Forest unless it's foggy or rainy. Weather has a big impact on him in general; moist weather like fog or rain makes him more active, as do night and twilight (unless paired with cold weather), while snow makes him slow and sluggish.

He can usually be found somewhere in the pond or around the Ruins, digging the earth for bones.

In a Fight

Neath is generally trying to stay out of fights, rather being a watcher from a distance and then following the one who lost the fight. Sometimes he finds himself in them anyway -- even if it would seem quite unwise to attack such a creature.

Strengths Brute force - he's very strong. Powerful jaws and sharp teeth. Hard scales covering his whole body. Spiky growths on back and tail. Long, thick tail, can be used to knock people over. Claws. No conscience tells him when to stop. A bite will likely cause infection.

Weaknesses Slow runner. Not a very tactical fighter. Would rather try to flee than fight for a long time. Will not make the first move.

He has an obvious advantage in water, being much faster and more agile there than on land, and of course the danger of drowning.

Biography

Apeldille's blog
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June 18, 2012 - 11:49pm — swampmouth

finally saw him lurking in

finally saw him lurking in the water. thought i would track this c:

June 18, 2012 - 11:50pm — Kaoori

is it weird that when I first

is it weird that when I first heard of Walter dead at the edge of the pond I thought of "food for Neath!"?

|D

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June 19, 2012 - 1:21am — Evern

He's so... morbidly

He's so... morbidly beautiful. ♥ Defo tracking.

June 19, 2012 - 5:33pm — Gustiro

lol Hey Kaoori, I thought

lol Hey Kaoori, I thought along the same. Or rather my mind went "Oh! Maybe we'll see Neath around for a bit! Yay!" XD

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June 19, 2012 - 8:25pm — Sapphire

^ same here LOL

June 19, 2012 - 9:46pm — Verdalas

Walter's death was not an

Walter's death was not an elaborate hoax set in place to lure Neath out. >_> Nope.

<_<

Did he taste nice? :3

June 19, 2012 - 10:13pm — Apeldille

swampmouth: Thank you :) I

swampmouth: Thank you :) I should play him more often...

Kaoori: Hehe, not at all! Neath is like the cleanup crew. And it feels good to know that people think of him sometimes.

HolographMoon: Thanks!

Gustiro and Pinkpaws: Hehee. A big stag dead in the equivalent of Neath's backyard? That's like winning the lottery. ;D Only much more smelly.

Verdalas: Haha, I wasn't really certain about how you'd react to have your character's body eaten, but I figured, if he's just lying there... >.>

And I believe Neath thought Walter tasted very good! Like nectar and ambrosia. He's only had the remains of a tiny fawn and some rotten fish to eat in the last four months, though, so his sense of taste might be a bit off.

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June 20, 2012 - 2:12am — Kaoori

Like nectar and

Like nectar and ambrosia

KLSDJKLFHS

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June 20, 2012 - 2:18am — kileah

-tracks- surprised i haven't

-tracks- surprised i haven't done this all ready xD love the character. ouo
Kileah must so have met him.. O..o

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July 6, 2012 - 12:33am — Mis

Yesyess! This looks great! I

Yesyess! This looks great! I love the updates!

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July 6, 2012 - 12:48am — GlobalBeauty

It's nice to see Neath about

It's nice to see Neath about again! I always find him interesting. <3

—

Siggies by Carry & Amazengalo

July 7, 2012 - 12:58am — Apeldille

kileah: Oh, thank you

kileah: Oh, thank you :]

Mis: Thanks! I'm really happy with how it turned out acually! Managed to get everything to work too.

GlobalBeauty: Feels good to have him out again. Haven't been playing him very much lately.

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July 7, 2012 - 1:02am — alcinda

he scared the crap outta me,

he scared the crap outta me, haha. really love all the art in this bio.

July 22, 2012 - 9:04pm — Rhhya

I see little Vittani will

I see little Vittani will have a competitor in the aquatic environment.

- - - -

Luxury beast!!!

July 29, 2012 - 11:16am — Ravus

Made my deer's night! I love

Made my deer's night! I love this beautiful character. Track!

August 27, 2012 - 9:36pm — sable.

gotta track neath, not sure

gotta track neath, not sure why i'm not. looove him ;o;

—

never you mind, death professor
love is life, my love is better

August 27, 2012 - 9:47pm — Waning-Sun

God, I love him. I haven't

God, I love him. I haven't even met him yet, but he's so awesome. He reminds me of a prehistoric croc/water serpent thing and the art is absolutely gorgeous, Apeldille!

—

Avatar by Meadow. Siggy © Shey & Squeegie

September 10, 2012 - 6:28pm — Pandoras

And would you look at that, I

And would you look at that, I could have sworn I'd tracked this.
Haha.

September 12, 2012 - 4:50pm — Apeldille

Hehee, thank you everyone!

Hehee, thank you everyone! Have been neglecting him a bit.

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September 12, 2012 - 5:26pm — Relixa21

Track, this is the

Track, this is the interesting deer in the pond, hmm? My little fawn was one of the four fawns.

November 25, 2012 - 6:52pm — Apeldille

Sorry for the extremely late

Sorry for the extremely late reply, didn't see your comment, sorry! Yes, that was Neath.

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April 15, 2013 - 11:55pm — Pandoras

Can I just say I'm totally

Can I just say I'm totally Neath's biggest fangirl.
No more back-fingers~

April 22, 2013 - 9:54pm — Apeldille

B) Neath is very

B)

Neath is very disappointed in the current lack of dead bodies.

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April 22, 2013 - 10:04pm — Xemi

Neath had quite the crowd

Neath had quite the crowd there rofl :'D
He's one popular dude uvu

May 2, 2013 - 10:25pm — SoliloquyChryseis

Stalking this hardcore.

May 2, 2013 - 11:11pm — Hraeth

'Perhapsss Neath will have a

'Perhapsss Neath will have a whole pile of little quills eventually'

Fffffff. We can only hope, Neath. :I

May 2, 2013 - 11:27pm — Apeldille

Wishful thinking on Neath's

Wishful thinking on Neath's part a_a
I'm not sure he'll be happy or disappointed when he realizes they'll just come back. On one hand - more potential food! On the other, wtf food doesn't stay dead? Witchery!

e: forgot to reply to the other comments augh.

Xemi: Haha popular yes, that's one way to put it. Next time he'll grab them by their necks :I

SoliloquyChryseis: Thank you.

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May 6, 2013 - 9:16pm — Necrosie

curious track

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Siggy made by Mary13

May 12, 2013 - 10:47pm — Kaoori

apel, would it be okay to rp

apel, would it be okay to rp on here? I think Isobel would be kind of fascinated by him.
Her bio just in case. I usually tend to miss you in game.

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May 12, 2013 - 10:56pm — Apeldille

Roleplaying is totally fine

Roleplaying is totally fine :) Could be an interesting interaction, hehe.

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May 12, 2013 - 11:22pm — Kaoori

awesome. I'll come up with

awesome. I'll come up with something soon and post. ^^ always admired this guy.

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May 14, 2013 - 5:05pm — Kaoori

She'd been carrying the hare

She'd been carrying the hare around for two days now. She'd chased it, caught it, played with it like a cat, with the intentions to eat it afterward, but her appetite after the recent events had waned so much that she couldn't bring herself to eat it, and no one around her wanted it either. Unsure of what to do with it, she dragged it around. It was starting to be in pretty rough shape. For her, it would be a good meal. For something larger, just a snack.. but it would stave off hunger for a time.

Isobel dragged the hare into the water with her as she stopped to take a drink and let it float, 'rescuing' it if it went too far or started to sink. But she refused to eat it.

—

May 14, 2013 - 11:27pm — Apeldille

Deep down the pond's murky

Deep down the pond's murky waters, a creature lurks. Nestled in the mud, it is but a shadow among the seaweed and sunken forest debris, unseen by most. It floats lazily, with large, slow movements sometimes interrupted by a violent flick of a thick tail. There isn't much to eat down here, save for the occassional dying koi fish, and - very rarely - the young and dumb and unlucky, the nameless and overlooked that nobody will miss. And so, the creature looks for food elsewhere. But this forest is not kind to those who eat the dead and dying; few die and fewer are left undisturbed.
But the creature is patient: he has to be.

Neath knows his surroundings. He knows every little nook and hole and stone in the pond, and when the surface stirs, he investigates. The surface ripples slightly, and a pair of cold, yellow eyes emerge together with two horns and a scaley weed-like crest. It blinks once, twice, before carefully making its way over to the small deer at the shallow end. Nostrils and neck frills flare slightly at the smell of the dead hare in the water... but he also intently watches the young deer.

—

May 14, 2013 - 11:53pm — Kaoori

Isobel had been

Isobel had been half-heartedly playing with the hare at the point Neath had arrived, swirling it back and forth in the water. She noticed his eyes before she noticed the rest, and she backed away at first, but didn't go far. She pulled the hare closer to her, examining what she could see of Neath's face- and one of the first things she noted were the frills on his neck. Her own, too, along with the quills on her back, lifted slightly at the recognition.

"You have them, too."

She loosened her grip on the hare, but continued to hold it close.

—

May 15, 2013 - 2:47pm — Apeldille

"Hmrgk-krrrr." With a deep,

"Hmrgk-krrrr."
With a deep, wet purr, he lifted his head from the water; large teeth clicking sharply against each other. Others' physical appearance was something he tended not to give a lot of attention, save for the most important aspects - big or small, dangerous-looking or not - and so, for a moment, he stilled. Then he seemed to take notice of her lifted neck frills, and his own moved slightly, as if realizing what she was talking about.

"Mahrgh-k-k, yes." They were just another way to communicate; if one knew how to decipher the colours and movements of them. He narrowed his eyes, rustling his crest against the frills as his gaze went from her to the hare. "Will it eat?"

—

May 15, 2013 - 3:38pm — Kaoori

At first, the mention of the

At first, the mention of the hair instinctively had Isobel begun to cling to it again, protecting her prey. But the feral side ebbed away again and curiosity once returned; she hadn't wanted it, really, and it was getting bothersome to carry around. Maybe this interesting fellow -could- have it after all. She released her hold on the hare, nosing it forcefully so it would float out to the other, keeping a safe distance. She may be curious, but she was still cautious.

"You eat."

—

May 15, 2013 - 5:16pm — Apeldille

The large reptile moved

The large reptile moved forward to meet the floating carcass, eventually snatching it up. Holding it almost gently by its back legs, he threw his head backwards, the hare landing neatly in his mouth. The sickening crunch of teeth against bone was brief as he swallowed it down with just a few chews; eventually he sank back into the water. Not really a creature particularly acquaintanced with the concept of thanks or gratefulness, he merely dipped his nose the slightest bit, a small sign of appreciation before settling back in the water. Now merely content with watching the quilled youngling, he shifted slightly to catch the warmth of the sunspot-warmed water.

"Neath hasss seen other quilled oness... mrghrk. They smelled of death." A simple statement accompanied with a click of teeth.

—

May 15, 2013 - 5:32pm — Kaoori

When most others would run,

When most others would run, Isobel watched with hesitant fascination as the Neath swallowed his meal, not one flinch as the bones crunched in the beast's mouth. She too, often ate the bones of her own meals. As Neath settled back in the water and didn't seem to pose much of a present threat, Isobel sat slightly in the water to watch the other, snapping at a dragonfly as he spoke. She was pretty certain of which 'quillbacks' he spoke of.

"This family always smells like that."

Isobel flattened her ears, stomping the water with her hoof, still angry and upset at the resent events she'd had to endure. She shook her head violently, then stopped, sniffing pointedly in Neath's direction.

"And you smell like death and rotten too. And muck, and darkness. Things fawns should stay away from. Things that give others nightmares."

—

May 15, 2013 - 7:38pm — Apeldille

"Isss not a bad smell, kch",

"Isss not a bad smell, kch", the creature answered, expressionless. "Smellsss of food and prey. Good things, mhrrk."
He watched lazily the fawn's display of unhappiness. "Mhrgk, yes", he answered. Neath didn't mind, after all, it's what he did. Ate the dead and the rotten, lived in the muck and the darkness of the pond. It made sense to him that smells were an accurate portrayal of how things were. The last word made him perk up and he tilted his head slightly.
"Hourhmgh? What isss 'night-mare'?"

—

May 15, 2013 - 7:44pm — Kaoori

The older fawn perked her

The older fawn perked her ears forward, then tilted one back in thought, trying to think of a way to explain what a nightmare was.

"A nightmare is a bad dream. Do you dream, big creature?"

Her head tilted as she waited for a response.

—

May 15, 2013 - 7:54pm — Apeldille

"Bad dream. Hrmgh." He seemed

"Bad dream. Hrmgh." He seemed to think for a while. "Like when hehm-rkagh, the Mad Eye shiness upon the deserving, hmrchk." He rumbled slightly, seemingly content with this new knowledge. "Neath dreams of black waterss and golden skies and the Great Eyes. Of... thrice-old memories of when the world was younger, hmmrkscgh, of hot watery jungless when the earth breathed fire... rrrschk-k. What do little red-frill dream of, hchrmgh?"

—

May 15, 2013 - 8:38pm — Kaoori

Isobel listened, fascinated

Isobel listened, fascinated at what the other had to say. She tried to imagine these.. jungles.. whatever that was.. and the earth breathing fire. How could it do that? It breathed water, so she supposed it could breathe fire. Anything happens here. She shrugged it off.

"Why do you dream of so many eyes?" She wrinkled her nose, confused.

"I don't dream. I have bad dreams. Of Mama. And the ones that left. And bad darkness. There are bad shadows, bad things that come to get me."

Isobel slid a little closer, but still left enough room for her to bound away should she need to change her mind. Her voice lowered into a near whisper.

"I think I like you. Can I bring you more dead things? And will you talk to me sometimes?"

—

May 16, 2013 - 12:43pm — Apeldille

The reptile huffed. "Iss not

The reptile huffed. "Iss not just eyes. Iss the Good Eye and the Mad Eye, ever-shining over the earth. Hrghmk." He looked towards the sky and blinked slightly in the sharp sunlight. "It hass... night-mares", he said, apparently pleased over having a new word to play with. "Perhaps it hass been caught in the Mad Eye's gaze." Turning back at her, he lowered his head into the water again, staring intently, perhaps with a shadow of puzzledness in his eyes.

"Neath always likess food, mahrouhmgh" he replied eventually, with a pleased growl behind his words, then a moment of silence. "If it wants, Neath will talk to it."

—

May 16, 2013 - 5:10pm — Kaoori

Isobel looked up at the sky,

Isobel looked up at the sky, as if she figured the Mad-Eye was looking at her now. She squinted, narrowing her eyes in the sung's bright gaze. "If the Mad-Eye is watching me, he can stop now."

She blinked her eyes slowly as she lowered her head again to stare back at Neath, rubbing her eyes with her forelegs to rid them of the blur of the sun.

"I will bring you food. I will talk to you. And if I know where Death waits before you do.. maybe I will bring you to it."

—

May 16, 2013 - 9:34pm — Apeldille

"Perhapsss it will, archszk,

"Perhapsss it will, archszk, perhaps not. The Mad Eye is not known for mercy, mrhgk-k-k." A solemn nod, followed by teeth clicking together and narrowed eyes. "Neath will hope the Mad Eye stops watching it. Will take good care of its bones, not let the Mad Eye see them, if it would die." A promise in return. Not a fair one, the reptile knew, but it would do for now. With a deep purr he sank even further back into the water until only a brief sliver of his head was above the surface.

—

May 16, 2013 - 9:51pm — Kaoori