Notes

BACKSTORY:

Born to a loving and kind family that was part of a small romp of kushtakas that thrived in a village nestled in the river basins of Fuschia, Tavik’s started out life full of warmth, happiness and care. His parents were dedicated to teaching him the ways of their kind, including wilderness survival and the art of shapeshifting into three forms—human disguise, fully feral otter and an intermediate anthropomorphic form.

Tragically, when Tavik turned five, disaster struck. A haughty and narcissistic female kushtaka was driven by frustration into performing actions that led a group of mercenaries that are well known for trafficking monsters and humanoid beings, to discover and plunder his village. Tavik’s parents, in a loving act of sacrifice, his Tavik in a secret underground burrow, providing him with a supply of food. They then instructed him to stay hidden and safe.

For several days, Tavik resided in the hideout, surviving and rationing on the supplies his parents left him. His parents haven’t returned for him yet. But as the food ran out, the pup was forced to venture out into the forest opening. Lost and scared, he foraged for food as best as he could, his heart heavy with worry and confusion on why his parents were taking too long.

Unfortunately, Tavik was captured by the very mercenaries who had destroyed his village. Confined in a wagon, he overheard the mercenaries boasting about their successful raid and the riches they had acquired, which unfortunately included the implication of his parents' deaths. This revelation shattered Tavik’s spirit. He cried and wailed in grief, but his sorrow only provoked the mercenaries, who took out their frustrations on him by kicking and rattling his cage.

The mercenaries intended to sell Tavik to the mines in Hickory, believing they could profit from him as a youngster that can be adapted and moldeded into a decent laborer. However, due to a scam for a travel fee, the party had to stay in Silver while they resolved the issue. During this time, one of the mercenaries, a werebear, vented his anger on the captive after being publicly humiliated by a headstrong woman he failed to court. In his rage, the werebear accidentally smashed Tavik's cage against a lamppost, freeing the young kushtaka.

Seizing the opportunity, Tavik fled, narrowly avoiding the mercenaries who pursued him. Though more to his luck, his escape exposed the mercenaries and their cargo of captives to the kingdom’s law enforcement, leading to their capture and downfall.

Now an orphaned wanderer, Tavik roams the streets and alleys of Silver, using his two lutrine forms sparingly to avoid drawing attention when scavenging for food and shelter. Each night, as he sleeps in whatever makeshift shelter he can find, he dreams of finding a family who will love him, not to replace his lost romp but to give him a sense of belonging and safety. The only remnant of his family being the wooden otter-paw pendant given to him by his mother.

TRIVIA:

Despite Fuschia being heavily Asian oriented, many of the fauna and monsters that inhabited the kingdom are from other regions like Europe and North America. In conjecture to this, Tavik’s otter form was based on the North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)..

Kushtakas based on other species of otters do inhabit Fuschia, but are largely based upon that thrive in taiga and temperate freshwater regions. But may hail from different villlages from the one Tavik is born in..

The kushtakas of Lapis and Juniper may also have ones based on tropical or marine species.

Kushtakas are one of the fanon races I’ve added to the world of Permilla..They are present in largely Juniper, Lapis, Fuschia and Animalium.

Tavik’s final design was given shades of magenta to not only show his ties to Fuschia (pink kingdom), but also to differentiate him from Scallop, my Penguettes OC who is a Northern Sea Otter.