KHAN SHERKA



PLAYED BY: amills@gallatinriver.net

TITLE: Legendary Weretiger

RACE: Weretiger

HANDS OF POWER: Animalism and Illusion

MERITS: Enchanting Voice, Martial Arts (Aikido), Finance

FLAWS: Intolerance, Noteriety

HISTORY: The Past - Khan Sherkha was born in northern India during the occupation of his country by the British Empire in the late 1880's. The first son of a noble family, he was instructed in law, rhetoric and the sciences. The young prince was also trained in the arts of violence. Since much of the time he was not allowed to carry weapons, he as trained as an expert in weaponless hand-to-hand combat. Chosen at an early age to be a representative of his people to the British, Khan spoke fluent English and had an understanding of their customs. This was done so that he might kill them more easily.

During the day, Khan was the handsome and affluent Indian subject, guiding the English in his people's ways. By night, the noble was a ravaging Rakshasa, the feared weretiger of legend. With his 'were strength and speed, along with his races' mastery of illusion, Khan led many high ranking English military to their doom. Another favorite tactic was to seduce their woman and lead them astray from their rigid husbands. Khan's mesmerizing voice easily earned him a place in many a bed of the English women where he revealed to them the secrets of the Kama Sutra. Although most Rakshasa are supremely evil, Khan was not. He did these things to rid his country of the corrupting influence of the British not just to kill. And for many years the legend of the weretiger was whispered among the ranks of the British army. When word reached the commanding officers of the rumors, harsh discipline was brought to discourage fear among the Colonial Troops. During the occupation, Khan found sympathetic Englishmen and began an import/export company based in Bombay dealing in the tea which the English so loved. Because of his hypnotic voice Khan easily swayed deals with cutthroat English merchants and within years had earned a fortune.

Then in the early 1930's, Gandhi began to do what even the Rakshasa could not. Through peaceful resistance, one man changed the country and brought the English to their knees. In 1947, India won their independence from Great Britain and became a free state. Which was then torn by religious hate between Muslims and Hindu. Having had enough of the countries violence, Khan gathered his wealth and headed for America. He settled in New York because of the ports and easy access to shipping for his tea and merchandise.

Now, over 100 years after his birth, Khan faces new troubles with the start of the millennium and the growing threat of the Shadows. He guards and protects his business interests fiercely. Many competitors have disappeared mysteriously after having threatened the Indian. Khan protects his native people in New York as well. Many of the local Indians come to Khan when they are hustled or shaken down by the police or organized crime. With his powers of Illusion, Khan seeds dissention through the ranks of any who would harm his people or his interests. Then when they are weakened and confused, he strikes and tears them apart.

But even for all this, Khan is a man of his word. He has already dealt with those who would seek to use his principles against him. And while it was costly to the Rakshasa, the enemies were dealt with and have not been heard from since, serving as a warning to those who would so deal with "Shere Khan".

Because of his upbringing, Khan has a strong dislike for cowardice. It infuriates the Rakshasa to see others refuse to do what needs doing because they fear for their own lives. When in public, Khan appears to be a handsome man in his early to mid thirties. This is just a facade. In private, with just his subjects to see, the Indian prince drops the pretense and shows his true nature. When in this form Khan is the Rakshasa of legend: a nearly 7 and a half foot tall, 500 pound were-tiger. With his bold orange and black striated colors, Khan strikes fear even when not intended. A genetic were, Khan can also shapeshift to a true Bengali tiger, although larger than normal and more powerful. Because of his parentage, both his parents 'were, Khan is in complete control of changing. In spite of this, he still feels the need to hunt in his quadruped form.

Several times a year, the Indian prince returns to his native India to hunt the grassy plains for big game. Because of the vampire's noble blood, Nicholas Giovanni and Khan share a business and personal friendship. Khan finds Nicholas' personal attitudes are akin to his. While not strained, Khan's relationship with Lucien is more formal than anything else. Khan advocates caution when dealing with the new threat from the Shadows rather than openly welcoming it. And with his position as Pride Leader of the city's were-felines, Khan must often go to Lucien with petitions from New York's big cat population.

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