Tuhanarak

The vast plains of the Krokhan Desert are a merciless wasteland that can defeat even the strongest of warriors, let alone a child as young as Tuhanarak was when she first roamed the Nomad tracks. Those who survive the searing heat and biting winds must then face the challenge of reaping a living in a climate that takes far more than it gives. Every Nomad in the Krokhan Desert has lost some or all of their families, and with no place to call home, family is all any truly have, and often is whoever is around. Tuhanarak stayed close to her fellow travelers and valued them greatly. With their help, Tuhanarak learned not only to survive, but learned the importance of taking care of others, for they took care of her. The Nomads of Krokhan have more to endure than the indifference of nature — they are also prone to raids. It is one small mercy then, that they have a hero such as Tuhanarak in their midst. Elders in her clan tell how, as a child, Tuhanarak was nearly slain in a brutal raid that left her caravan decimated and her fellow travelers taken hostage. With a sword at her throat, Tuhanarak was forced to her knees by her attackers along with her surviving people. While waiting for her would-be killers to end her life, she prayed to the spirits of her people for help. Her prayers were answered — sand swirled in the air before forming something bright and sharp. It was a glass pendant. Falling into Tuhanarak’s open hand, the pendant burned and shone, seeming to awaken a great force inside her. Though weak from battle, the pendant filled Tuhanarak with new life, giving her the strength to break free from her bindings and fight her stunned attackers, who she finished off with a blinding bolt of lightning that emanated from the jewel itself. Remarkably, those of her people who were captured alongside her that day found their wounds healed and their muscles filled with energy as soon as Tuhanarak freed them from their chains, and all of them lived to tell the tale. Since that day, Tuhanarak has kept that pendant close to her chest at all times, and has tried to learn more about the power it possesses. The weapons she forged out of steel in the style of her people have somehow been imbued with the power of the pendant and have been rendered potent indeed. Though the reach of her knives is short, the blinding forks of blue lightning that can come forth from the sharpened blades extend far further. The few survivors of these attacks speak of how they sensed Tuhanarak’s cold, piercing eyes penetrate their mind and felt the pendant drink in their essence. In the dunes of Krokhan, stories abound of how Tuhanarak’s powers have single-handedly defended her desert dwelling allies against hordes of marauding attackers, banishing all to their doom, no matter their size or skill. Her mere presence seems to give power to even the weakest and wounded among her clan, who find that they can achieve feats far beyond their capabilities when Tuhanarak is near. Her deeds have earned her a place in the hearts of all in her clan, and they have bestowed on her the name Heart of the Desert for the protection she brings to them. Like many of her clan, Tuhanarak has no interest in great wars or empires. She has no grand plans to dominate Teleria. She lives only to serve her clan and prefers if the world would let them be. But when threatened, she will ensure her clan’s survival without regard for the cost, whether physically and mentally. Though her eyes are always focused on the Krokhan plains, Tuhanarak will occasionally work for hire when necessary, to acquire resources for her people. When the word goes out, many will rush to gain her services. For Tuhanarak’s skills and bravery are renowned, and her employers know they will have a much greater chance of survival with her by their side, whatever the challenges they face.