[Cosmosdex] The Universal Encyclopedia

[Cosmosdex]

Shokkan L'Kang
     

Your Majesty / Supreme Hokkan

Shokkan L'Kang
“MORE MIGHTY. MORE BRUTAL. MORE MAJESTIC THAN L'KANG? THERE IS NONE! TRESPASSERS. STEALERS. FOOLS. THE ROYAL BELLS TOLL FOR THOU!” — Shokkan L'Kang to a group of tourists

Art by, frog

  • Strength-14
  • Intelligence-2
  • Charisma-2
  • Endurance-8
  • Agility-8
  • Luck-6

Age: 40 years
Size: 10 ft tall, 22 ft long
Species: Hokkan

Job: Supreme Champion of the Hokkan, King of the Burning Mountain
Likes: Kings and Queens, Willing Challengers, Song and Dance, The Thrill of the Hunt, The Taste of a Fresh Kill, The Tolling of the Royal Bells, Jingly-Jangly Sounds, Neck Scritches, "THOU"
Dislikes: Cowards, Tourists, People Who Question His Kingliness, People Who Go Down After the First Hit, Being Cooped Up
Notable contributions: A model member of the hokkan species, united the warring clans of the Burning Mountain, said to have downed a starship using only raw strength

Traits
[Destructive] Negative trait
Whether intentionally or not, this character has a habit of breaking whatever they get their hands on. They may be inclined to act out their aggression on inanimate objects and their surroundings.
[Easily Distracted] Negative trait
This character has issues keeping their attention on something. They will commonly lose concentration and become unable to get it back.
[Egotistical] Negative trait
Often going hand in hand with [Narcissist], this character believes that they are so far above everyone else, they would need a periscope just to look them in the eyes. Their treatment towards others reflects this.
[Violent] Negative trait
This character prefers to let his teeth and claws do the talking. He will regularly threaten others with physical violence, and will happily jump on any opportunity to bring harm upon his enemies or anyone who gets in his way.
[Curious] Neutral trait
This character has a general thirst for knowledge and tends to ask a lot of questions. They are more likely to investigate anything that seems out of the ordinary.
[Loud] Neutral trait
LOUDER THAN L'KANG? THERE IS NONE!
[Adventurous] Positive trait
This character will answer the call to adventure more often than not. With this trait they are more likely to run into places with more loot to be found. This character is less daunted by certain situations and morale is raised whenever they're put in an adventurous situation. This character may have fears, but they're willing to meet it face to face.
[Bullet Sponge] Positive trait
This character takes reduced damage from ranged weapons.
[Thick Skin] Positive trait
This character has developed a tolerance for pain, while they can still feel and recognise any pain they may experience it does not break their focus, allowing them to act uninhibited until they choose to address the issue.

Original Creator: Spish


Physical Description

Muscular, battleworn, and huge even by hokkan standards, it's hard to imagine a member of the species more physically imposing than Shokkan L'Kang, King of the Burning Mountain. Displaying many characteristics of the "fire" hokkan subspecies, his feathers are red-orange with sky blue highlights, and a stripe running down his lower back and tail. His ears are lined with golden piercings, with his eyes, inner ear and tongue matching the blue of his highlights. His wings and body are riddled with scars, rips, and even bullet holes, exposing his golden-yellow complexion.

His tail is decorated with golden bells, accompanying each of his steps with a jingling sound. While this might seem silly, its purpose is to give his prey a chance to flee, adding to the thrill of the hunt. The only armor he wears are his banded shoulder pads, decorated with the symbol of two crowns, and decidedly more practical than a real crown. His muscles, claws and teeth are well-honed, and capable of cleaving limbs with a simple strike. He gloats that he could even eat an entire "idiot cow" in one bite if he wanted.

L'Kang boasts that he has never before been bested in combat, and is indeed perhaps the strongest of all hokkans, with the speed and skill to match. Those who have tried to subdue him with projectiles have learned his contempt for "cowards" the hard way. He is far too resilient to be stopped by ordinary firearms, and considers long-ranged attackers worthy of a swift death. Bullets and arrows only seem to make him angrier and more deadly, decades of battling having made him virtually numb to pain.

Personality

Shokkan L'Kang is a fierce warrior-king who, along with his clan, has carved out a quaint kingdom deep within the hellish bowels the Hoxezanian supercontinent. While he shares his intellectual and artistic curiosity with other hokkans, make no mistake, this is a traditional hokkan who takes pride in his brutality. Even in his old age, he is a warrior to be reckoned with, so one can only imagine the fighter he was in his prime. Those with weaker constitutions would do well to avoid invoking his wrath, lest they become his prey.

Despite these appearances, L'Kang is considerably smarter and more knowledgeable than the average hokkan, although this is not saying much. From the day he was a pup, he was exposed to alien artifacts, films, documentaries, and literature. His favorite keepsake of these was the "king's crown," leading his elders to dub him "Little King," and no doubt feeding into his ego. He would raid tourist ships for their stores of knowledge, even keeping aliens alive to read for him. He is able to recite complete sentences with little preparation, sprinkling them with big, fancy words (relatively speaking) to impress his Hoxezanian subjects. He does his best to emulate the speech patterns of a stereotypical royal, a habit likely picked up from soothal culture. Most of the time this simply amounts to him replacing all instances of "you" with "thou," occasionally breaking out "arts" and "thys" if feeling especially grandiose. L'Kang discourages his subjects from copying his mannerisms, insisting that one must be royalty to speak this way.

As loud as hokkans can be, L'Kang insists on being even louder, and is not satisfied until he has proven himself the loudest thing in any room at any given time, or has been decisively bested in that regard. If he declares himself the king of something, arguing with him is ill-advised. If one's words are not carefully chosen, there is a good chance he will see dissent as a challenge. If it comes to blows, he will test his opponents with a nonlethal strike to see if they can even stand up afterwards; those who cannot are deemed to be meat. It's not uncommon for L'Kang to get in shouting matches with inanimate objects.

The S'Hokkan, or "Supreme Hokkan," is the traditional title for the ultimate champion of the hokkan people. While this title is little more than a formality, there are bragging rights and a certain sex appeal that come with it. While any hokkan can claim to be the Shokkan, there can only be one at any given time, and it's customary for the Shokkan to seek out and fight anyone who challenges their title; to the death if needs be. L'Kang, however, fancies himself as more of a king these days. His "court," as he calls it, is an oasis of mossy hot springs below the Burning Mountain. And his "throne" is the massive skeleton of the great feral hokkan who once called it home. He and his kin hoard valuable artifacts there, collected throughout generations from fallen spacefarers and rival clans around the world.

While L'Kang would have you believe otherwise, he is not the sole representative of the hokkan people on the intergalactic stage. Nevertheless, he is certainly the most outspoken. He yearns for excitement, glory, and adventure in the greater universe. However, due to his brutal, and often murderous tendencies, representatives of the hokkan in the Intergalactic Federation worry he gives his species a bad reputation. Thus he is not allowed off the homeworld except by invitation, matter of diplomatic importance, or other special occasion; a treatment which he likens to "being animal in zoo."

The protections offered under "Driima's Right" states that hokkans, as sentient beings with limited control over their feral impulses, cannot be held liable for any injuries or damages they cause due to being provoked, or stemming from a failure to satisfy their instinctual needs. L'Kang is particularly troublesome in this regard, as a protected leader who has been known to attack, and even mercilessly devour people who get between him and what he wants. Due to this, he frequently has to be herded back to Hoxezan for the protection of himself and others. Every now and then, he still finds a way to escape into the Lawless Sector and wreak havoc, leaving the Federation to find him and clean up the mess afterwards.

History

Since he was but a pup, L'Kang has always been ambitious. The hokkans who raised him would placate him by spinning tales of far off lands, ruled by great and powerful hokkans the likes of which no one has ever seen. His clan would raid ships from the sky, bringing back stories, artifacts, and technologies that spoke of monarchs from beyond the stars. But the "Little King" was not content with mere stories. The clans of the Burning Mountain had no leader, they fought amongst themselves in a futile, endless conflict. He dreamed of ruling over this land as its king, to bring the scattered clans of hokkan together under his banner. And so he trained to be the strongest and the most fearsome, the latest and greatest in a long line of Supreme Hokkans.

From a young age he would master the hunt, bringing down fearsome creatures, picking fights with hokkan far older and bigger than himself and feasting on their corpses. He would raid ships from the stars, salvaging all the knowledge he could find, and studying it to better understand and predict his foes. He would learn about the history of kings and queens throughout the universe, both mythical and otherwise, and impressing fellow hokkan with his (relatively) sophisticated vocabulary. He would be the one to single-handedly rid Hoxezan of the dread Og'Ge'Th and her feral kin, using his superior wits to outsmart the Abyssal Terror of the Burning Mountain, devourer of pup and Shokkan alike. He claimed as his court the geothermal oasis that was once Og'Ge'Th's lair, and ushered his clan into paradise. He would go on to tear out the heart of the reigning Shokkan So'Sang, his father, who would die proudly knowing of the great king that was to be.

But L'kang grew older, and ever more impatient. The years passed by, he had travelled all over Hoxezan seeding his bloodline throughout the land. He had seen everything there was to see, even scaling the windiest peaks of Hox Ultima. He had met and killed all manner of strange alien, even accepting them into his kingdom to learn their ways. Yet no one, hokkan or alien alike, could ever match L'Kang's strength. He turned to the stars; perhaps there he could find the glory he sought.

It is possible there is some embellishment involved in L'Kang's autobiography, but there is no one who can refute his claims. No one alive, anyway.

Special

Complicated Progeny: L'kang has fathered many heirs across many clans, and is nothing if not a proud father. Hokkan from far and wide will come for the chance to prove themselves to be worthy successors, and rewarded with a place in his court. Of course, he only accepts the finest of specimens into his family, and it's quite likely that many of those are not related to him by blood. L'Kang has even shown a willingness to take alien species under his wing, if by some miracle they are able to impress him. The following are examples of his most well-known descendants:

L'Fang, Prince of the West Wind: Prince L'Fang is one of L'Kang's oldest and most spoiled of children. His body is tall and sleek, with feathers predominately turquoise in color and an elegant, flowering mane. He is quicker on his feet than any other hokkan, and has even incorporated his love of dance and theatrics into his fighting style. He is vain and arrogant, even compared to his father, and firmly believes he was born to be king. He is named for the decorated sword he carries at all times.

Sa'Sang, Knight of the Iron Leaf: Tenacious to a fault, Sa'Sang would stop at nothing until he had fought his way into L'Kang's court. His feathers are thick and green, and complimented by crude armor made from old ship parts. His many defeats have left him scarred and battered, having even sacrificed his wings in pursuit of his birthright. Eventually, his persistence had won out, and the King was impressed by his unbreakable resolve. Fiercely loyal to the clan, he reminds L'Kang of his father, and is named as such.

K'Ar'Maw, Black Beast of the Burning Mountain: Black as pitch and with piercing red glare, K'Ar'Maw is said to be born from the smoke and fire of the Burning Mountain. She is far and away the largest member of L'Kang's court, dwarfing even the Supreme Hokkan himself. She is not much for words, preferring to stomp and shake the earth to make her point. She cares little for visitors, and is more than happy to feast upon any she encounters on the hunt. She is thusly named for her ferocious appetite.

Those legendary few that have earned his respect continue to vie for his affection, some even training to kill the Shokkan and take his place! But for now, the King remains undefeated in his court.

Trivia

• Despite his ruthless nature, L'Kang has been known to be easily distracted; especially by shiny, jangly objects. Survivors of his court have noted that when the subject loses his interest, he would often stop listening to them and roll around like a cat, playing with the bells on his tail instead.

• L'Kang often speaks of a mysterious "None," a being rumored to be superior to him in every notable way. It's possible he is not referring to an actual hokkan, but the Legend of "None" persists, nonetheless.

• One time L'Kang was at a wedding and... why do people keep inviting L'Kang to weddings? Did everyone forget about the time he devoured the bride and groom so he could be "King of Wedding" and have all the cake he wanted?

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