User:Zhaleskra
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[edit] Where did Zhaleskra come from?
Originally, zie was an unnamed, male, stereotypical western dragon who emerged as my fursona on the Diaper Pail Friends (DPF) chat rooms. I was taking college biology when I purchased the World Tree role playing game, and the two played off each other. This is when I decided that Zi Ri were my favorite kind of dragon. So zie shrank, and the feminine personality started to develop in the chat rooms. Besides, I don't know how to role play as a hermaphrodite.
Zhaleskra is a made up word I came up with when naming a Zi Ri character I made for the World Tree role-playing game. I have not played a World Tree game as Zhaleskra, and I even converted zir from my character to a pregen character for a World Tree game that never happened. So, zie's mine again. I have been a draconophile (dragon lover) since before I started playing role playing games.
The concept I had in mind when I created Zhaleskra was a warrior mage, but my choices in spell selection made zir turn out to be more of a magically-augmented fighter. An untypical result for a Zi Ri, but it still fit my concept.
Zhaleskra has collected a few shorter nicknames on message boards I've been on: Zally (I gave zir this one), Zhal, Z, and "Big" Z.
[edit] Zhaleskra's Journal
In November of 2006, I started an in character livejournal as Zhaleskra. Zie has been pen-pals with Sythyry since I started it.
Zhaleskra's Journal
[edit] Zhaleskra's Character Sheet
Zhaleskra was built as a "standard" starting World Tree character: +5/+15/-10 advantages, 20 blocks of 30 experience (i.e. 600 XP). I think only gambled on zir Strength.
Zie is 7 feet long from the front of zir muzzle to the tip of zir tail, 2 feet of neck and head, 2 of body, and 3 of tail. Zie has bright green eyes and zir scales are orange (on top), red (wing membranes), gold (majority of the rest of zir body), and white (underside). Zally is 35 years old and weighs 48.32 lbs.
Strength: +2
Stamina: +2
Dexterity: -1
Agility: +2
Perception: +1
Faith: 0
Memory: +1
Wits: +2
Will: -2
Charisma: -1
Defense: 21 (+12 Natural, +2 Agility, +7 Dodge)
Soak: 1 (+1 Natural)
Magic Resistance: 12
Breath Weapon: Attack +18, Dmg 2, di 2
Claws & Teeth: Attack +28, Dmg 2 (Sharp Claws), di 1
[edit] How I got into furry fandom
As I suppose is the case with a lot of people, I was first introduced to the furry genre through funny animal cartoons: Looney Tunes, Disney animated takes on various legends, and even - I admit it - Care Bears. The taste for funny animal cartoons has stayed with me my entire life so far.
I have also been a role-player for a long time, and as is common with most people, I started with an incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons. For me this was Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition (AD&D2E). One of my purchases did happen to be a 1st Edition book: Oriental Adventures. Since my dad often went to Japan during my childhood and my family had a taste for Samurai movies, the seed for an interest in Japanese culture and myth was planted early. The race that most intrigued me from Oriential Adventures was the Hengeyokai, mostly because I was interested in shapeshifters without the lycanthropy overtones. I still enjoy the "high fantasy" trope, and I have discovered other systems that I feel cover it much better and are at least mathematically logical. My 1st Edition Oriental Adventures has been replaced by the 3rd Edition one.
In college, I found Karis' Playground, and was introduced to babyfur art. Upon realizing that I liked the art, I stepped through my door into the furry fandom. Other influences include various anime and western cartoons, including Inuyasha, Naruto, the Redwall books that were adapted for TV, Sailor Moon, and - I admit it - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
While I like the concept of Redwall, I despise Brian Jaques' adamant refusal to write interesting villains. Bad guys who do things simply because they are evil are not interesting.
[edit] Babyfur and Infantilism
While I have some interest in the babyfur genre, I consider myself more of an infantilist. Zhaleskra, however, has some babyfur aspects. Yes, I wear and use disposable diapers ("pampers") - now and then - but I'm not rude about it. I have entertained the idea of full-time wear as well. My preference is definitely for "cute" pampers, but as long as it does its job well, it's okay by me. I also like to spell diapers as d-y-p-e-r-s because that's the way most people pronounce it, and I feel that silent letters that don't serve to differentiate words are a waste of space.
I have enjoyed the art at Fox Tales Times, and have now since moved on to FurAffinity
On March 9, 2007, I commissioned my first Marci McAdam badge. Even now I have difficulty resiting its cuteness and the urge to wear it. My second Marci badge was commissioned near the end of July and was received in October. I'm clearly getting better at explaining to artists how to draw the character as I see zir.
[edit] Conventions
| This user has attended Morphicon. |
I first attended Morphicon in 2006, under my real name. Events I attended were the Beginning In Fursuiting Panel, and I ran the introductory World Tree adventure Kidnapped!
I attended the first instance of Furry Connection North, essentially going in blind because of the timing of the convention's schedule going up.
[edit] Fursuiting
I have started a written outline for a Zhaleskra "Fur"-suit. There are no pictures at the moment because hands are one of my drawing weak points, and as a Zi Ri, Zhal has four of them. Makeup is a possibility for much of the costume, and I do want to have a mechanism for working pyrotechnics in the head.
At Morphicon 2007: Technofurs, I started my first tail. Not all the colors I wanted were presented at the convention, and I corrected my sewing and finished the tail at home.
I have discovered that suedecloth will give the rough feeling that I want for the costume.
