Hyzenthlay

Hyzenthlay has a special talent the rabbits refer to as 'a second sight' in which he has small premoniions on the future. It's usually snippets, out of context, and she can't really explain the significance, but she has seen places and rabbits she'd never met before.

If ou would like her to gt a sense of somethig hapoening to your character, or someone they may know, let me know here and we can plot something out!

PERSONAL
NAME: Krakatau
PERSONAL JOURNAL: krakatoa
EMAIL: themetalovesyou at gmail dot com
AIM: EleiShar
CURRENT CHARACTERS: Agent South Fucking Dakota


CHARACTER
CHARACTER NAME: Hyzenthlay
SERIES: Watership Down
CANON POINT: Just after Thryaonlosa's death, on the flight from Efrafa
LOSS: The scars identifying her Marks in Efrafa

ABOUT THE CHARACTER: “Bigwig realized he had stumbled quite unexpectedly upon what he needed most of all; a strong, sensible friend who would think on her own account, and help to bear his burden.” -Chapter 35

Hyzenthlay is a young doe wild British rabbit living in Hamshire, Britain. She was born into a strict and militaristic warren called 'Efrafa', and knew only cramped and tyrannic rule. Her impressions of the outside world came from stories her mother told her, of her previous life in Nutley Copse warren.

She is wary of Men, and the things they make; they were among the many elil - or 'evil' – things that rabbits had to hide and run from, in order to survive. However, rabbits are social creatures and if anyone has the time and patience to devote to proving humans (or, in such cases as Paradisa provides, humanoids and ecetera) as something other then elil, she will prove a steadfast and compassionate companion.

She is very effected by her time in Efrafa, literally and psychologically. It was her home warren, to which she was born into, but her mother was a native of Nutley Copse, who General Woundwart – Efrafa's Chief Rabbit - had attacked and taken control of in his journey for power (relocating them to what is now Efrafa and setting up his strict Mark system). Hyzenthlay's mother would tell her about her time before Efrafa, about playing in the meadow and feeling the sun and the breeze.

As warrens go, Efrafa was very large, and under strict rule by General Woundwort. It was divided up into 'marks', ascribed by the Owsla captains in charge of each by a scarring on the appropriate site on the body; right hindquarters, left shoulder, neck, etcetera. The captains would dictate when each mark could be above ground to feed, made sure hraka (feces) was passed in the appropriate areas, and covered, and maintained a watch over every member of their mark. As reward, they were given their choice of does.

Hyzenthlay was one such rabbit, but the overcrowding was making the does of Efrafa infertile and aggressive. She, her friend Thethininang, and two other does of her Mark, and encouraged by a disgruntled buck by the name of Blackavar, sought permission from the council to leave Efrafa and start a new warren. When the Council turned them down, the group became aggressive and attacked, but were quickly subdued and relocated to separate Marks (this was how she came to be in the Near Hind Mark).

By the time Bigwig had arrived, going undercover with the intent of rescuing as many does as possible, Hyzenthlay's spirit was nearly broken. He gave her hope, and together they devised a plan to escape from Woundwart and his Owsla. She, with the help of Thetheninag, convinced what does they could trust and were ready to go when the time came. Their plan was nearly ruined by one young doe who proved to have more mouth and pride then sense, Nildro-hain, made one snark too many to the Owlsa and, when brought in for questioning, spilled all the news she'd been told. Bigwig was able to turn the tables and use it to his advantage, but wouldn't have been able to if it weren't for Hyzenthlay's dependability, ability to act and think independently, and alert him to the nuances of Efrafa life that he hadn't been privy to in his short time there.

ABILITIES: As a rabbit, she has excellent scent and hearing, and is adept at running, dodging, and jumping. She also has an ability among rabbits called a 'second sense', which is a sort of telepathic/clairvoyance to future events. Her talents here may not be as extreme and dramatic as Fiver's, who has, in the story, gone a little crazy-eyed, made weird noises, and gone more or less catatonic at times. Hyzenthlay's ability occurs almost as if she's talking to herself; dictating snippets of visions she recieves about events that are yet to be. She believes it is somewhat dulled from her time in Efrafa.

THIRD-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE: [Bigwig had promised her this; to eat when she wanted, to dig and exist of her own free will. But, it felt very oppressive without any other rabbits to share it with. Going from an overcrowded warren to – this – was disconcerting to say the least.]

[She did what she could, moving away from the castle and starting a burrow on the edge of the forest. She'd explored far enough to find the land stretching away, filled with the trappings of Man, and had stayed far away from that as well. The forest seemed the safest point in between.]

[In between working diligently on the burrow – taking some pleasure from being able to dig, which she'd been deprived her whole life in Efrafa – she settles to nibbling on the lush green grasses and clumps of flora that abound Paradisa's grounds.]

[Still, every so often she stops, sniffs, swivels her ears to catch any sound of prey. Being a warren of one was tough business, especially when surrounded by men.]

FIRST-PERSON JOURNAL SAMPLE:
[Rabbits are natural storytellers. Tales of their kin, or of their legendary predecessor El-ahrairah abount. Sharing these stories, these verbal bits of history, was part of Hyzenthlay's world as much as her ears, or whiskers.]

[It may have taken her a while to warm up to the journal, even if she still doesn't quiet understand it, having something or someone to share stories with is something she has missed.]

Little doe, little doe
Bring out your litter on the fields to play
The yellowhammer sings and Frith warms the meadow

Strong buck, Owlsa buck
Stretch your belly on the cool burrow's soil
Your patrol is done and your chief rabbit safe.

Rah, rah
Watch your warren grow, your rabbits strong and proud.
The land and air and breeze Frith blessed and Inle guarded.

INTENT: I like the challenge of playing someone who's concept of the world is limited to a few scant miles, and she's always been my favorite Rabbit! Also, her 'second sight' is going to be an interesting thing to poke at, methinks!