Uzome Obike

Black Bones
aka Uzi Tripp
Kiwanja of the Ajaba
Night of the Calls of Dusk

Description


Homid: ~Murder, murder, mo’ murder. It burns in Uzi Tripp’s dark-brown eyes. The lean African-American swaggers like a thug, thumbs hooked into the pockets of his low-hanging designer CK blue jeans. Uzi sports a brand name wifebeater, brand name sneakers, and even brand name underwear. None of it displays any known gang colors. He makes little effort to hide the bulge under his shirt; where he rolls, ain’t nobody gonna say nothin’ about it. Little scars etch his brown brow, knuckles, and even visibly his scalp (thanks to a short cut). Where he marches, the air itself almost seems to roil in his presence. Fury, savage and brutal, is a conflagration just under the young man’s skin. Uzi seems to be just another bad egg destined for a life ending in the gutter or on death row.~

OOC: Appearance 2; Ferocity 6, Fidelity 5, Cunning 4

Crocus: ~Obviously inhuman, Uzi’s (dedicated) clothing stretches or vanishes to accommodate this near-man form. Thick twists of muscle pack onto his dark skin along with an iron-gray hirsuteness. His hair lengthens but sticks straight up like dark spines. The skin of his face tightens a bit over a thickening jaw, giving him the sloped appearance of a cave man. The slight hunch of his back doesn’t help that image. Wider teeth, longer nails, and blacker, beadier eyes drive people off, if the seething, heaving fury barely restrained doesn’t first.~

OOC: Appearance 0; Ferocity 6, Fidelity 5, Cunning 4

Crinos: ~Now Uzi springs up even larger than Crocus. There is something primal and terrifying here, and yellowed razor-sharp fangs flash in anticipation of the kill. Humanity flees his gaze, leaving only the cunning hunger of a true predator. His face reshapes into a distinctly bestial form. The werehyena’s musculature thickens but almost invisibly, as the hairiness explodes into a thick coat of iron-gray fur dotted with black spots along his back and sides. His belly has lighter-gray fur, but is carved up with tribal scars few would recognize. The African’s spiny Crocus hair thickens and spreads down his spine into a black mane. He stands on his hind legs with only a slight hunch and an underestimated swiftness to his gait. While clothing vanishes, not all human accoutrements are gone. Quite often, Uzi maintains his namesake in this primeval war-form: a full-sized Uzi machine gun in each clawed hand!~

OOC: Appearance 0; Ferocity 6, Fidelity 5, Cunning 4; Partial Delirium

Spela: ~The Ajaba collapses to all fours but does not shrink. His mass stays the same even as his face elongates into the muzzle of a terrible beast with teeth that bring down elephants. The huge hyena’s mane seems to stand on end like a long, thick black hedge. Hatred burns in those monstrous eyes and drools from his salivating jaws. Even his spots seem infused with rage! Few can withstand the primitive terror this killer inspires.~

OOC: Appearance 0; Ferocity 6, Fidelity 5, Cunning 4; Full Delirium

Hyaena: ~In this shape, Uzi cannot be mistaken for anything but a wild animal or zoo escapee. Even if he were back in Africa, spotted hyenas are not known to roam the oily, poorly-lit streets of the city. His dark-gray fur seems clean but blends well into the surrounding night. No fear-induced ‘hyena’s laugh’ is heard, only the low rumble of a devilish snarl. Claws click on the concrete as he prowls closer: dark eyes filled only with the zeal of a savage beast.~

OOC: Appearance 2; Ferocity 6, Fidelity 5, Cunning 4


"Peelin' caps, peelin' hides, s'what I do."

History


Growing Up in the Ghetto

Uzome “Uzi” Obike was born in the ghettos of Detroit in 1987. His father was named Ahmbisu, a Kenyan national. His mother was Monique, a hard-working lady that held three minimum-wage jobs just to pay the bills. Contrary to popular belief, Uzome’s father stuck around and taught the boy much. Ahmbisu never kept his true nature a secret from his family: including Uzome’s younger brother and two little sisters. Ahmbisu was Ajaba – a werehyena. And they were all Kin, born to help preserve his supernatural race that was now on the endangered species list. They saw him change and they knew it was true.

And Uzome didn’t know what to make of it. All his childhood, he just played in the ‘hood with his other rugrat pals. They went to school and gave as much effort as the school gave in teaching them: not a lot. Uzome never expected to do much, except maybe be a rap star. All his friends together wanted to do that. They’d practice and write new songs, but they were never all that good. It was a pipe dream, a fantasy to escape poverty.

Six Feet Deep

The fantasy ended in 1997 when Uzome found out he was more than Kin. At twelve years old in the worst part of Detroit, Uzome was already exposed to the bleak future of crime and violence. He and his buddies started a scuffle with an older group of teenagers. Those kids were strap and shot he and his friends down. Uzome remembers lying there in a puddle of blood commingling with his pals’ blood. They stared back, eyes sightless, mouths agape in shock. The shooters were running. He heard them distantly. Then it all went…red. Not black. Red, like blood. Like fire. Like Rage.

He sat up, calm at first. He peered down at his bullet wounds as they vanished when his sight faded to red and he transformed. And then he was in his Spela form, terrifying even as a cub, and hounded the other kids down. They shot at him again in absolute dread but he shrugged the bullets off and ripped into them with monstrous hunger.

Uzome regained his breed form and stumbled home, naked and bloody. His father received him, embraced him, cherished him, calling him a “blessing from Siracca”. Thus began his tutelage in the ways of the Ajaba. Uzome, a Trueborn, born in America far from the Massacre back in Kenya, would help rebirth the Rainmakers.

Shadows Under the Moon

Still just a boy, he welcomed his father’s guidance and learned all he could. He heard who was responsible for his people being near dead. He learned his race’s true purpose. And he was kept under his father’s wing for longer than usual because of his youth. True, Uzome proved his worth in a series of tests that his father administered and the spirits observed. It was not the most traditional Rite of Passage, but it passed. Not much room for tradition since the Diaspora, Ahmbisu said. Still, his father meant to keep him longer. Then true tragedy struck the Obike family.

In an effort to stay on top of his situation, Uzome’s father had made tentative allies with the local Ratkin and Bone Gnawer werewolves. Without even realizing it, he was dragged into a shadowy war between those Changing Breeds and the local vampires. An unusual and unholy alliance between Nosferatu and Gangrel Clans set upon the urban shapeshifters. Ahmbisu was caught up in the conflict and fell against the undead’s concerted efforts.

Robbin’ ‘Hood

Now, Uzome was alone. The fifteen year-old boy swore to survive for his family’s sake. He got tougher and more streetwise. He made new friends only among humans, whose internecine conflicts he could more easily survive. Uzome never joined any official gang. Instead, he and his crew just carved out their own little niche in the ‘hood. Drive-bys kept out rival bangers and dealers. And Uzome made sure only reefer was passed around the ‘hood. No crack, no meth, none of that. That was how he ruled for the next seven years.

Uzome soon went by the nickname of Uzi for his favorite firearm of choice. Despite his borderline Robin Hood care taking of the family ‘hood, the cops still had a beef. Eventually, his whole crew ended up dead or arrested. The cops almost got him, too, and he had to go Crinos to put five of their asses down. But once he killed so many 5.0 busters, it was time to get out of town before someone got wise to who and what he was.

Rollin’

So, he said good-bye to his mother and siblings, packed his bags, and rolled out of Motor City. Leery of being IDed by Bastet wanderers, Uzi didn’t linger in many places for long. When he occasionally came across the taint of Asura, he did his business. He ripped apart more than a few fomori on his journey, and the few spirits friendly to his kind made sure he got the right respects. He never met any of his kind on the road though. He hit up Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, New York. And then he headed back west.

Finally, Uzome settled in Kansas City. He heard from some Tunnel Runner Ratkin that there once had been an Ajaba presence in the area. Though he failed to locate any of his brothers and sisters, Uzi elected to stick around and carve out his own place in a new ‘hood. Already he had connections and potential takuya. Yeahhhhhh, boy!

That clan soon transformed into his own personal harem. With an assortment of ladies with a variety of their own influences and capabilities, Uzi established himself as a dark underworld boss -- a small-time crook with tendrils of influence that by far belie their outward appearance. The thug was now ruling his 'hood.

Past Life


Uzome possesses a vivid connection to his bloodline’s ancestors. However, none of them were particularly honorable and storied heroes of the Ajaba (which means they were especially lowlife scumbags). Though his connection to this past is strong, Uzome rarely taps it for immediate guidance (such as in battle). When he finds himself some quiet time, he uses the connection to think back to the true ways of the Ajaba before the Diaspora, and thereby keeps them alive even so far from home.

There is only one problem with his strong past life connections. A Dark One turned to Asura in his past. This villain still infects the blood legacy, sending Uzi monstrous visions of rapacity and carnage. He resists this unnamed villain purely out of rage for its attempts at subverting his very will and personality. But it may only be a matter of time, without spiritual guidance, before this mad ancestor conquers his psyche.

Fetishes


Blinding Blood (talens)
Gnosis: 6
Origin: This fluid is made from a mixture of special blessed herbs and Ajaba blood.
Description: This talen is contained in a black onyx flask. When uncorked and activated, merely splashing a bit of its contents in an enemy’s face will enact its effects.
Effects: 1) temporarily blind victim for several crucial seconds.
Activation: Uncorked the talen and briefly inhaling its pungent contents, before tossing a splash in an enemy’s face, suffices to activate it. He has used the talen twice now, so the flask contains one last use.

Battle Scars


Class: Superficial
Description: Minor gashes
Location: Face, hands
Origin: Various scuffles with various Killi and Shadow Folk
Effects: none

Class: Superficial
Description: Ritual tribal glyphs
Location: Belly (only appear in Crinos)
Origin: Carved with a spirit-blessed silver blade after his Rite of Passage
Effects: none

Class: Deep
Description: Bullet wounds
Location: Belly
Origin: Silver bullets from a Pentex hit squad
Effects: He suffers ulcer pains (+1 difficulty to all rolls) if he overeats or overdrinks

Significant Others


Uzi has increased the number of his liaisons over the years, adding all kinds of Shadowfolk to his "harem". The ladies can all be found here.

Weakness

Poppin’ Caps


Uzi is a crazy, trigger-happy, psychopathic street thug. He’s is as liable to kill you than look at you, and he won’t likely even change forms (spoiling the Veil) to do it. He’d just whip out his namesake SMG and go to work. Such sociopathic villainy is wrong on so many levels, and poses a danger to his own life, that it’s impossible to list them all with brevity.

Likelihood of Corruption


High.

Uzi’s morality is obviously not subject to human demands. By Ajaba laws, most of those he would kill have it coming anyway. Like a Red Talon, he doesn’t necessarily kill from blind rage, but rather a detachment from supposed morality. However, he is nevertheless at risk from corruption thanks especially to his insane past life (c.f.).

Links

Character Stats

Character Profiles

Moon Lake Protectorates

Changing Breed: Ajaba

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