Tartirus

Tartirus
A rudimentary depiction of Tartirus as he appeared in his quadrupedal dragon form.
Species	Manumarian
Factions	None
Age	1,458 Galactic Standard Years
Status	Deceased
Height	Varying
Weight	Unknown

Tartirus was a pesky Manumarian who meddled in--but (debatably) never harmed--the lives of others. Most of the time he was either close to Ty Omand, or off somewhere deep in the forest behind Vespid Heterodonyx's home.

Early Life

To be added.

Appearance

Due to his ability to shape-shift, very few really know what Tartirus's species looks like--let alone his own appearance. If one were to see him, he would have appeared as a typical dragon-like creature as a ruse to conceal his true form. However, it was notable that each form he took reflected the colors of his "default" black dragon-like form.

Abilities

Tartirus was capable of many things not possible by any other non-Manumarian, including:

Shape Shifting

Tartirus was able to shape-shift by physically manipulating his bodily cells, as all Manumarians are able to do with a combination of dedicated training and age. There are pros and cons to this, of course:

Pros

• Shape-shifting allowed Tartirus to live forever, provided he had access to proper nutrition.
• Tartirus could infiltrate almost any area by simply shrinking down.
• Vital organs in Tartirus's body could be actively re-arranged, potentially protecting them from damage.

Cons

• Each time he transformed, Tartirus risked damaging his brain.
• If he shape-shifted too often without eating or drinking, Tartirus would fall into a malnutrition-induced coma.
• Despite proper nutrition, if Tartirus shape-shifted too much, he would have needed to hibernate for a whole week.

[Note: Brain cells can be moved or condensed but never separated.]

Telepathy

As many who have seen and gotten to know Tartirus were aware of, he could see into the minds of others, but almost never realized (or cared) that he exposed his own memories in the process. Tartirus was able to utilize this ability using unique organs that were connected to different parts of the brain that stimulate his thoughts when others are nearby.

Pros

• Tartirus was able to learn whether or not someone is a threat before they even show physical signs.
• Tartirus could literally and metaphorically see through the eyes of others.
• Tartirus was able to gather vital information from those who refused to give it.

Cons

• To be able to read foreign minds he had to be around them for a while, this is especially true for new species. This prosses is similar to that of learning a new language.
• When Tartirus is able to read a mind, he opened the door for his victim to see into his own mind.
• Tartirus had to be within a rough 15-meter range to read a person's thoughts.

Fire Breath

One of the lesser-used abilities Tartirus had in his arsenal is the ability to "breathe fire," which was actually a mix of his stomach acid and some other unknown liquid that, when expelled and mixed, became flammable. There were glands in his mouth that secreted this fluid; when it reacted with stomach acid, it caught fire. These glands were similar to those of a snake's venom glands--aiming down instead of forward. The force of the ejected stomach acid was more than enough to project it out; his throat contracted as his stomach acid was forced out, manifesting as a fine mist to maximize efficiency. However, Tartirus had to be conservative, for he had a limited supply of the reactant liquid.

Pros

• Tartirus could cook food of his own volition; however, many who ate the resulting product complained of a strange taste.
• Tartirus was able to breathe fire. Breathe. Fire.

Cons

• Oddly, Tartirus could receive heartburn if he breathed fire either too often or with poor form.
• Tartirus risked burning his lungs and other internal organs if he breathed in while spewing flames.

Personality

Tartirus was often curious of the pasts of others and hence would look into their minds to learn such. If he found something of interest, he would typically tease and torment the person about it. It is worth noting that Tartirus had a soft spot for children. He loved to play tricks on those who were gullible enough to fall for them (though those who had been around him knew this and didn't fall for his tricks as easily). Oftentimes, when Tartirus was "sleeping" in the Drunken Sniper, he was, in actuality, mediating and silently looking into the minds of the building's occupants. It is unknown what he did when he was in the forest by himself, although it is perceived that he simply mediated there as well. He was rarely angered, save for any moment when his intelligence was insulted.

When Tartirus found any kind of technology foreign to him, he would examine it and note it uses. He may also have stolen foreign technology from its owner; however, the owner could expect it to be returned. Usually.

Trivia

• Despite his typical personality, he was an exceptional babysitter to Tanner Omand. In fact, Tartirus was protective of the entirety of the Omand family and acted as their guardian against the perils of Root Universe.
• Due to his ability to shape-shift, Tartirus was often thought of as a Singularity--although, that assumption is incorrect.
• Tartirus is FUCKING DEAD, and Nikan killed him. No, really. I'm not even joking. It's canon.