Sostratos

• Build, Looks + Mannerisms: Sostratos was a very skinny cub, with tall, skinny legs and a head that looked like it was too big for such a little body. Random tuffs of fluff seemed to spring up everywhere, no matter how long the cub spent trying to smooth a section down, another would always spring up in the tussle to groom that other spot. His back hooves were smooth to the touch but over time have become rough, with multiple scratches and chips. After his growth, he became bulky, large and solid with his little brown nubs sprouting into long, smooth horns that now sit tall above his head. Sostratos' fur isn't soft but can't be described as coarse either, a mix of the two that is a pain to groom nicely. Whiskers are rather wild, bent out of shape and of varying lengths, sitting below two slitted rich amber eyes. Due to the heavy weight of his horns, Sostratos in a relaxed state lowers his head low and walks with a long, quick paced trot. If challenged/ angered, he will raise himself to his full height and will often paw at the ground with his back feet.
• Voice: Incredibly deep and rough, often doesn't change in tone so he constantly sounds like he is angry. It also isn't incredibly loud, you often have to concentrate when he speaks and words become unrecognisable when his is angry as they blur together. Doesn't laugh, if anything, it is a single clear 'ha' before the frown returns to his face. Speaks in a broken sort of way; using short sentences, prone to growling/snarling in place of words and avoids long words. Mumbles a lot.
• Voice Claim / Inspiration: (older) Clint Eastwood.
• Scent: An almost unnoticeable metallic scent, like old copper.

Predatory + Unstable

"Grrrrrrrrr"
Sostratos is a predatory creature, his mind corrupted by his mother's element of hate after it being used on him for years. A stray movement, a wrong word or a look that lingers for just a fraction too long is a cause for action, usually violent. For Sostratos it is difficult to understand complex situations and feelings. His mind and body work on instinct and in his mind, it is the main reason he has managed to stay alive for this long without the 'protection' of a pride. His mind, however, is constantly in a state of blurred anger and is likely to lash out in frustration if he can't understand something, through either action or words. Would rather fight first, ask questions later. Sleeping seems to be the only thing that calms the lion to feel anything other than anger and stop, at least for a moment, the constant switching between strong, negative emotions.

Irritable + Antisocial + Guarded

"Not one more step."
Sostratos finds it is difficult to understand or even care about what others think of him but even more so, the emotions of others. He grew up away from the social structure of a pride and thus had only had to worry about himself. Being in a constant state of aggravation, it takes very little to irritate the lion from a playing cub nibbling on his tail to someone saying "Good morning".Has a list of pet peeves and will often stay irritated for long periods of time when they are triggered.His lack of social skills paired with his irritable nature makes him a difficult lion to get close to. As a reserved individual, Sostratos rarely shares his personal troubles or willingly sits down to chat about his past with others. And the fact that there are large chunks of his past that he can't remember makes it even harder to open up as it is hard to learn from the past if you can't remember it. To him, they are his issues and to complain about them is a sign of weakness. Sostratos knows that he is a beast but doesn't care.

Reckless+ Violent + Angry

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!"
The hate element wielded by his mother was used constantly in his 'training', manipulating the strong aggressive emotions in the lion so much so that it has poisoned his mind. Because he is so driven by instinct, he is quick to anger and has little aversion to violence. While violent, he doesn't kill for sport, he will fight for his own protection, protection of his thoughts/beliefs, (no matter how scrambled they are ) and to protect his 'territory' from wandering threats. Everyone is a threat to his poisoned state. Sostratos' fighting style is rather like a berserker, unpredictable actions from an unpredictable lion. With very little self-perseverance, he will fight until he has nothing left and doesn't care how beaten up he gets in the process. In his 'clear' minded days, he followed a set style of fighting taught by his mother to incorporate his horns and hooves. Having such a confused mind, Sostartos finds it hard to make clear, thought through decisions, usually just acting on the first thing that comes to his mind which makes him incredibly reckless.

Boisterous + Active

"Okay, what about a friendly spar then?"
As a cub, he was a boisterous and rowdy ball of fluff that enjoyed barrelling into others and singing loudly. Catching Amani was a favoured pastime but due to him being unable to keep quiet for long periods of time, he wasn't a successful hunter as a cub. He was noisy but still good-natured as most young male cubs are. Sparring with his brothers with a goofy smile on his face. Even when his mind was starting to be corrupted, Sostratos was always keen on being active. Racing up rocky faces with relative ease, pushing himself to become quicker, stronger. Nowadays, this is only manifested in the way he constantly patrols his 'area' and his high and fast-paced trot. In rare moments, the boyish rowdiness shines through when batting at small creatures like a cub and racing taxons.

Hard working + Determined

"Get out of my way."
Sostratos defines himself as a fighter. He doesn't shy away from battles and he doesn't take kindly to anybody getting in his way. When he had a purpose, he trained hard to be the best warrior he could be. Spending long days and nights sparring with any lion that would take him on and race beside Taxon to push his bulky body to keep up with the speedy creatures. Sostratos was determined to make his mother proud but nowadays he is only determined to survive.

Drained + Uncertain

"Just, leave me alone."
To be in such an angered state every moment of the day, Sostratos feels drained, a clear thought without a violent origin is rare and few and far between. His role in the world is now uncertain. A routine can't be made as the world that Sostratos lives in is constantly changing, new lions come and go and catching food that are just as tough as lions aren't easy to hunt on one's own. He is unsure where his life will go from here, scared that his life will continue to follow on the destructive life of his mother, driven to insanity. At this moment in time, all he is doing is surviving but in his poisoned state, he can't think straight to inspire to do anything else.

0-5

The small cub entered the world with two other bundles on either side of him, his siblings, Ares and Galvarino. They were born just outside the rebel base, a large forest of bloodwood trees sheltered the young family from all kinds of weather. His parents were base warriors for the rebels and only recently became mates, both wanting to bless their lives with cubs as soon as possible.However, it would become obvious that they each wanted them for different reasons. Sostratos' mother named the children after warriors, believing that a strong name made a strong lion. For the first 5 years the family kept to themselves, getting used to having 3 new cubs to take care of. The little cubs, once they were able, played among the tree roots and placed sticky, red paw prints from the tree sap onto each other's coats. Needless to say, that game stopped quickly when their parents discovered them playing it, the blood-red sap a chore to clean off the light coloured pelts. Sostratos remembers these to be the best moments of his life.

5-25

As soon as the Sostratos turned 6, their parents brought them to the rebel base and their mother, Leeka proudly presented the cubs to the rebel leader." They will be mighty warriors, I promise you", the words echoed in the little cub's mind, not knowing the importance of her statement and how it would shape his life. Sostratos spent most of his days playing with his brothers, racing around with the other rebel cubs and watching the older lions spar. He couldn't wait to see what element he had inherited from his parents. One day Sos was sparing with Galvarino, playfully swiping at his brother before Galvarino pounced, pinning him to the ground. Sostratos struggled to get up becoming more and more frustrated that his older brother wouldn't let him up and gave him a mighty shoove with his back legs and sharply growled. The armour his father was wearing while he watched his sons spar tightened; the older lion yelped and Sostratos quickly released his hold on the metal with a cry. His mother was ecstatic that her son had such an uncommon element and as soon as his siblings discovered their powers, his mother quickly tried to find suitable teachers for them all. But after a few months of searching, she became frustrated, nights spent complaining to her mate that no-one was good enough to teach her cubs how to be the best rebel warriors possible. The cub thought that this was a common occurrence and that is the mother only wanted the best for him.

One morning, before the rebel camp stirred to life, Sostratos and his brothers were picked up by their mother who ran out of the rebel camp in the early morning light. The cub found it strange that their mother would abandon the rebels since it was something she had been so passionate about. He wondered why his father didn't come with them, he tried to ask his mother but she quickly told him to hush. Sitting her cubs down she told them of her intention, to train her cubs harder than any of the cub trainers could in the rebel pride, to show to the rebel leader that their blood was pure and strong. For days they traveled, Sos' mother insisting that their training had to be a secret, to be a 'good surprise' for their leader. After days of walking, the poor cubs with sore paws and suffering from the lack of sleep were finally taken to their new 'home'. A flat rocky plain with a small set of caves to one side, the glow of Umoya trees soft in the distance.

Soon their training would begin.

25-100

Every day was torture for the poor cubs, their mother waking them early in the morning and setting them on their daily training routine. Running for hours at a time, climbing rocky faces that were at a 90-degree angle, injuries often occurring due to a cub not being able to reach a ledge or misjudging a jump. But what was worse was she made them fight against each other, filling them with rage and hate using her element to ensure that the siblings wouldn't hold back against each other. Sostratos was the favourite, so his mother pushed him the most, explaining with his element he was special and could do things only metal lions could. However, with her not sharing his element, his teaching was rather lacking which frustrated him and his mother, who would only push him harder. He asked her why they couldn't train against her or something, anyone else but she would hush the cub quickly with some empty promise that it wouldn't be like this forever. Even with her constant praises, he thought of himself higher than his siblings. Sostratos thought that their elements were just as special as his and every night the three would huddle together, Sostratos telling whispered stories in the darkness.

As the years went on, Sostratos found it harder and harder to shake the deep hatred and anger after a sparring match with his siblings. He started to sleep apart from everyone and grew snappy and defensive whenever anything was asked of him. What was once only quick moments of irritation, soon became hours. His mind began feeling clouded, poisoned by his mother's constant use of her element on her small cubs. Sostratos soon found that he only enjoyed the time he spent running or climbing as the exercise filled him with adrenaline and endorphins that briefly blocked the hate in his mind. Questions often arised about their father, when he would be joining them and his whereabouts but their mother would simply tut, leaving the cubs with more questions than answers.Little did the cubs know that their father, broken by the loss of his family, died in battle.

100-125

Sostratos grew up strong, his small nubs transforming into long horns and obvious that he inherited his father's massive size. He was the tallest of his siblings, a good head taller than his older brother. His hatred to his siblings was stronger than ever, the male hostile to his siblings that he once cherished and loved. They also felt the effects, the three young males unable to be kept in the same space for long without a fight breaking out. Their mother, deluded with the idea that her sons were becoming strong warriors continued to set them up against each other while she judged technique and form.

Sostratos had become extremely predatory, seldom speaking and choosing to isolate himself from the 'threats'. For a couple of years, his mother was the only lion he allowed to get close. One training day, Sostratos lost all control after Ares provoked him, the three large males fighting in a blur of roars, bites, and elements kicking up dust on the rocky plain. His siblings died in the tussle, killed by his own paws. As Sostratos stood over his fallen brothers, he looked up at his mother whose expression never changed. With a deadpan expression, he turned to run into the distance with his mother calling after him.

He ran across the rocky earth until his legs fell from under him and his lungs burned with effort. For a few moments, his mind felt clear. Clear of the hate that poisoned him. He vowed that he would never go back to the rebels because it felt like if he did, he would be fulfilling his mother's wish which made the lion burn with rage, but he could never settle into pride life. So he decided that he would spend the rest of his days alone.

150-250

All the isolation brought back his poisoned state after a few moments of clarity, his mind became clouded again and he reverted back to his predatory state. He made himself a home in the unknown lands, marking out a territory and patrolling it daily, fighting anyone that cames near. Due to his poor elemental teaching, Sostratos has very poor control of his element which only angers him more.

The news came to him about a crazed rebel lioness who ran into the pride to try and led a solo attack only to end up falling in the lake. The male is rather bitter that his mother's soul won't need up corrupted as his will as he doesn't ever see himself in a position to have his soul saved by the placing himself in the Lake. He remembers nothing of the day his brother's passed away, if pressed, he can only just remember he had brothers. He interacts with very few lions and even the ones he does meet, Sostratos greets them with hostility unble to uncloud his mind enough to understand not everyone is a threat. For now, he lives on his own, drained by his corrupted mind and hoping to find some purpose.

250-300

He had fallen into a rut, walking up, patrolling his territory before attempting to hunt for the day and then falling asleep in his cave. Other activities like running and wall climbing where scattered throughout but there was no motivation to do anything more. On a warm day he met a young lioness, she had wandered onto his 'territory' and it looked from afar that she was training. With a bellowing roar, he charged the lioness and tackled her to the ground but she quickly retaliated with a hind kick to his stomach. Both were determined to hold their ground but in the heat of the battle he felt something strange in his mind, like someone was poking around, searching. With a roar he backed up, looking up at the stranger who has a thoughtful look on her face. She introduced herself as Donnett and explained that she was a psychic, future mystic for the pride to be exact and she wanted to work on his mind, explaining that she had never seen anything like it.

He told her no with a growl but every couple of days she would turn up again, stubbornly refusing to let the 'challenge' go and saying that she could let him have control of his mind again. In a moment of clarity, as well as defeat, he agreed. It is unclear whether it will help the burning anger subside but even if it just for a moment, he's hopeful.

Then when he was around 270, she just stopped coming, the male brooding, pacing in his cave. He had grown quite used to her visits, her input improving his control over himself and his element. When news hit that she had passed away Sostratos was hit hard, spending the following week lying in the darkness of his den, not eating or drinking.

A lioness came upon him, a grey pelted female with shards of ice floating around her, poking her head into his den. Sos growled, slowly standing to his full height before using a pair of chains laying in the corner of his den to wrap around her legs, freezing her to the spot. "What do you want?" he growled, somewhat flustered when she responded with a smile and fluttering eyelashes. Her name was Chione and she got lost from her fellow patrol members, oh how she was so scared but how lucky she was to stumble onto such a strong lion. Sostratos rolled his eyes, but this lioness kept showing up, usually with a gift of some sort, a piece of meat or metal for the male to manipulate. And when she said that she was his mate, Sostratos just when along with it. He had never had a positive, or even a romantic relationship with someone before so he thought this was how it worked.

Deep down he felt it was odd as he didn't feel like he did anything to deserve the affection the lioness was handing out in buckets. She would never stay with him long, saying that her parents wouldn't approve however Sostratos felt as if there was something else, something sinister. The metal elemental followed her home, back to the pride, listening to her talk to someone he assumed was a friend about how she had buttered up some strong metal elemental, chattering about how strong her future cubs would be.

Without a word Sostratos decided to move, away from the slab of rock that he had been protecting for the last 200 years. It was time for a change.

300-400

The great war had begun, it had been threating for so long Sostratos was almost surprised it didn't happen sooner. The male was excited to finally sink his teeth into some rebels. It was interesting walking into the Pride, wearing mismatching armour that he had stolen from his kills, striding up to one of the Head Warriors to offer himself in aid of the Pride.

He wasn't burdened by the lions that he killed on that day, in fact he had more armour pieces to improve the armour he had made for himself, his new den now structured with metal supports in his new home just a few miles away from the floating isles. And he is determined not to be used again.

• His wider pupil gives Sostratos the advantage of having a much wider periphery and it lets them see the edges of their vision. Meaning he can almost see behind himself.
• Hates Hate elementals and is very susceptible to their element.
• Very, very food aggressive.
• Has tried several times to construct armour for himself but due to his inexperience with his element, it has always backfired. Giving him bruises, cuts and headaches.
• Detests walking through forests as his tall horns always seem to catch on something.
• Can't swim. He doesn't like the water and it doesn't like him.
• Has a certain space in the middle of his back, that if itched, he will be putty in your hands.
• Can and will sleep for days at a time.

• Mother: Leeka [deceased; grew insane at tossed herself into the lake]
• Father: Aatos  [deceased; died in battle]
• Siblings: Galvarino  [deceased; killed by Sostratos' own hand] , Ares [deceased; killed by Sostratos' own hand] 
• Partner: N/A
• Past Love(s): Chione (more like a crush)
• Children:

Control by Halsey [ x ]

And all the kids cried out, "Please stop, you're scaring me"
I can't help this awful energy
damn right, you should be scared of me
Who is in control?

Demons by Imagine Dragons [ x ]

I wanna hide the truth
I wanna shelter you
But with the beast inside
There's nowhere we can hide

Lost Boy by Ruth B [ x ]

There was a time when I was alone
Nowhere to go and no place to call home
My only friend was the man in the moon
And even sometimes he would go away too