Badu, Fate's Fortune Giver (Bah-duu)
Summary
Weirdest thing we ever found out on the road, eh? Alright. We were headed from Algo to Horan, business as usual. 'round the time when we came up on that nasty bend in the road–you'll know the one–we found a tiny overturned cart. One of them hand pulled ones. Anyway, this little fluff ball–even as the smallfolk come–was busy trying to flip it rightside up. We stopped to help, but they wanted to hire us instead. Wouldn't let us work until we got something for the trouble. Hend got a fancy knife out of it, and Noam a cooking pot. I got this necklace, little fella said it'd be a protective ward or something. Guild mages said it doesn't have magic though, but it does look nice. The other two were luckier than me. A week later, Noam's pot jumps away. Like, the whole pot just ups and goes. We chased it to the river where it dumped itself out. Did it every time Noam tried cooking something funny. Haven't had a bad shite since, either. Hend's new knife worked great till he cut open this fat lookin' deer. The blade just started screaming bloody murder. Only shut up when we took it out, but started right back up when we stabbed it in again. We ditched that deer right quick. Still not sure what happened with that one, don't want to know, either. Knife doesn't scream that much these days. Haven't seen that fluff ball since. Why? They special or something?All sorts of legends stand tall across Veltrona, drawing to them the easily entertained. Among the shortest, however, is Badu, a humble trader whose timely arrival always brings fortune's tidings. Whatever goods a person might need, Badu has them. Even if such people themselves don't know what that need is, Badu does. The lucky ones may even receive a gift. No matter how strange or unusual, if a trade can be made that Badu wants, the business is bound to be good. Whether people forget the deals or not, such wares inevitably prove themselves invaluable. The hows and whys always astonish people, often in unbelievable ways. Over the course of eternity, even immortals like the jiuweihu and baarham took note of such an odd legend. The same kind of encounter with the generally same person, time and again, throughout the millennia, across the whole world. Some accounts stretched so far back they showed up in ancestral folktales, songs, and primitive artworks. All kinds of debates and scholarly arguments about who Badu actually was ensued–a spirit? A divine being? Some unknown immortal? It became such a vexing question that goddesses themselves started wondering about the matter. Of those known in open record, none claimed Badu as a servant, as a part of their realm, or even knew about them in the first place. Perhaps it didn't matter at all in the end, but it certainly captivated wonder and imagination. Many a heroine have found aide throughout the ages by Badu's timely visits. With their little yet overly stuffed handcart (allegedly named Waggy), they'd gleefully find the heroines' camps, setup shop, and trade in all sorts of goods. Potions, random pieces of armors or weapons, foods, medicinal goods–if it existed at some point, Badu had it. Just as in the legends of old, whatever the heroines acquired helped in some defining way in their struggles. It is from their mouths that great praise flowed, and so Badu became a name of good luck and fortune. Sadly, not all keep an honest heart. Many were simply interested in plunder and thievery. Few, however, were prepared for Badu's seemingly inept, yet terrifying skill at subversion. If ever cornered, Badu, perhaps misunderstanding their intention, handed over all kinds of strange potions that put people to sleep or unleashed itching poxes. More still, laying in ambush, never looked up to see Badu fluttering away over head. Those that tried chasing Badu just as much found Waggy barreling away with a mind of its own. No tale is exactly certain if it is Badu guiding Waggy, or being dragged along with it. No matter how any thieves tried, some horrifically mundane fate awaited them. It helped the good people at large catch such criminals, making Badu something of a 'just' figure in a few folk renditions. Merchants themselves often consider tokens in Badu's likeness to be a good fortune to take on travels. These sorts of tales are the most common among the urni, a migratory people closely associated with Badu. Some urni even regard Badu as their progenitor or protector goddess, leaving scholars quite suspicious at Badu's maybe-actual divinity. In the end, though, if one is lucky enough to meet them, Badu has what they will need–sooner or later.
Physical Description
Body Features
It's rather not clear if Badu is an urni proper, a variant, or some kind of manifestation that is just very similar to them. Their overall physique is markedly similar, being humanoid, having moth-like glittering/shiny wings, and a full body coating of extremely soft, plush 'fur'. Their diminutive stature and plump figure lends them an adorably comfortable visage, making them visually disarming as a whole. Similar to the rachtoh, Badu has two sets of arms.
Badu has two antennae from the forehead, with fairly long, central stalks upon which grow even pairs of feather-like sensing feelers. These organs are quite flexible and can move about freely or curl up, and aide in the detection of mana principally. Two pairs of wings grow from Badu's backside; a top-pair near the shoulders, and another, smaller pair at the lower back. Like the urni, these wings can unfold to great sizes or compact down into a neat, cape-like 'resting' state. They have a snowy-white base coat, but with large, simple streaks of sky blue. When open and from the back, one might confuse them for a cloud in the sky.
Facial Features
Since Badu is head-to-toe covered in fuzzy fur, their actual facial structure is a bit disguised. A wide-set, oval-carved face is rounded off by the facial fur into a more plump, spherical curviness instead. Special care is given to keep the fur under control so their mouth isn't completely covered. Like the urni, Badu's ears are recessed into the head, and so are generally not seen at all. The big, round and expressive eyes, coupled with the round fluffiness of the fuzzy fur make them exceedingly 'cute' by many standards.
Identifying Characteristics
Badu tends to be noticeable wherever they go, especially with their cart. A snowy-white urni can stand out in all kinds of environments, drawing attention even more. It is a truly bizarre sight in the likes of the hot deserts like Sa-kemet, though.
Special abilities
Lucky or Fated? – Badu has a strange, perplexing, and downright impossible-to-grasp relationship with the concept of fate and luck. A predetermined world doesn't exist but they show up at the right time a little too often for some people.
Immortal – Badu is a true immortal, unbound by time. However, how they came about this immortality is quite different from others.
Homekeeping Mistress – Badu can use so many different types homekeeping magic so well, they're an unrivaled mistress in the artform. Much of it is for the raw convenience, but a lot of it can be used for clever defenses, tricks, and other ways of handling dangerous situations.
Apparel & Accessories
Badu's attire could be charmingly called eclectic, for almost all of Veltrona can be found upon them:
A brown crook, bearing the hallmarks of the Sa-kemet Tribes, acts like a walking stick and basic defense tool. While obviously worn in through the ages, it has a regal nobility still nonetheless. Its markings are distinctly of a very ancient style, such most people in Sa-Kemet no longer recogize them. Decorative feathers, chains of scales, and other niceties of age and respect adorn the top of the crook.
A thick, weather-strong shirt and poofy pants from Nerzin. The style is generally simple and functional, with the shirt being a folded and buttoned-togethered affair from the front. The white cloth is padded, and so hugs their figure without being skin-tight. Such airy, comfortable clothes are well-suited to outdoors work.
The collar of a cloak hangs around their neck. The actual 'cape' of the cloak is a composite of many, many bird feathers stitched together. Reinforcing cords run alongside them, letting the cloak be quite flexible while retaining a strong consistency in actually covering Badu. Because of their appearance and latent divinity, it's suspected the feathers come from Seralkono herself. Its strongly wind-aspected nature has done well to protect Badu, from people and the weather alike.
Two thick boots cover their feet, fashioned with reinforced soles and hardy leather. The insulation, make, and designs are distinctly from Fauverngarz. Out of everything they have, there's noticeable wear and tear, so patchwork stitching and rejoined metals visibly replace a lot of the damage. They look rather comfy and homy, being much more practical than fancy.
A dark gold necklace, upon which a layer of artisanal work has woven together into clasps for five different gems. Rather than simply socketing the gems in, the gems themselves are woven with the metal work itself. It vaguely resembles the roots of a tree, and the centerpiece of the necklace is a cut crysium core containing pure mana. The overall style is, while vaguely similar to other works, so distinctive there isn't actually an easy analogue to find on Veltrona.
Mental characteristics
Gender Identity
Agender (they/them)
Sexuality
Asexual
Education
While it's hard to say if Badu's ever been in a place long enough for a teacher to teach anything, they're exceptionally sharp-witted. Set to the whetstone of Veltrona's wilds and ever-changing peoples, Badu knows how to handle people and business with disarming ease. In a sense having more living knowledge than most historians, Badu remembers many of the places they visit, and the people they've worked with. Frustrating to any scholar, however, is Badu's own very colorful recollections. Polite in their own way, differing norms means sometimes what comes out of their mouth is too hot for any pen to write down sometimes.
Anyone looking to pull something fast on them, however, is bound to be surprised by how effortlessly Badu can outsmart them.
Intellectual Characteristics
Naturally curious, good natured, and generally pleasant of mind, Badu is one with the universe in a way seasoned mistresses might envy. It can be hard distinguishing how much is peaceful existence and sheer, unbridled obliviousness, though. Existing very much with their own perspective on the flow of time and existence, Badu's sensibilities can seem bizarrely out of place quite frequently. To them, however, it is simply how life is, and they're quite good at navigating by it.
Morality & Philosophy
Where there's a good opportunity for trade, Badu's bloodthirst becomes immediately noticeable. Where as many merchants are perhaps driven by greed or other covetous ends, Badu works on a 'give and receive' mentality. If someone needs something, they'll give what's needed without a fuss. If there's something they want, though, they're gonna work hard on receiving it somehow. It could be called a very traditional way of bartering, in a sense. Those unused to such mannerisms can find Badu overbearing as a result.
Free-spirited does not mean carefree for Badu, for they understand the struggles Veltrona can throw quite well. For those who cross their path, they try to help as they can; if such people are well-mannered to receive it, of course. Doing the best they can how they can, perhaps then it is why fate seems to throw Badu into all sorts of random situations?
Divine Classification
Divine Being – Immortal
Species
Age
More than 10,000 years
Children
Gender
Agender
Eyes
Big, roundly expressive; black sclera, silvery-sparkly compound iris
Hair
White snowy, streaks of gray, fluffy and wild
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
White snowy, fuzzy fur; pale skin
Height
Small-medium
Weight
Light
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