Matiu, The Halfling Islander

Matui (Ma-two) Ashworthy - Very happy-go-lucky, covered in a series of Maori style tribal tattoos, one swirling on his shoulder of lines, waves, and shells that extent from his shoulder onto his pec, there is also a cornucopia full of fruit (symbol of deity, Yondalla) etched into the intricate pattern.

Iconic Spell Casting - Performs Haka dance as his Somatic component.

Backstory - Native tropical islander, Matiu follows a long line of halflings on the Nimbral island, where ties to ancestors is everything. Tradition weaves its way into every action on the island, and is slow to change. Symbols of family are passed down through the halfling line in the form of tattoos. Even how these are applied are apart of an ancient practice, and used as a way to further connect to ancestors deep in the past, as the same method that they received these images on their body is the same as how you get yours now. It’s not on a whim that one gets a tattoo, they act as reminders that your behavior and actions reflect your family, past and present, as well as a tapestry of achievements that you’ve accomplished. If the story that follows your actions are grand enough, they are incorporated into the family inheritance tattoo that all Ashworthy’s receive upon reaching maturity.

Matiu, above all else, is a storyteller, as is his father, and his grandmother before him, and so on down the entire Ashworthy line. He adventures strictly for the stories, for these are stories he wants his children, and his children’s children to share ‘til the end of days. It’s always about the journey for Matiu, rewards and trinkets are nice, and may further enhance the story, but it’s not about the rewards, it’s about the adventure.

It’s the thrill of making a great story that often gets Matiu into situations beyond his abilities, but they are even more exciting when he gets out of them. He seeks adventure, and always passes that “Do Not Enter” sign with a smile on his face and burning excitement in his eyes.

He also casts magic passed down from his family line through sacred dances, some of which are used to frighten or intimidate enemies, while others inspire allies. He’s noticed on rare occasions that when his grandmother does a casting dance, the tattoos that she bares will quiver and move.

Matiu is nothing if not naive, eager to believe most everyone who can spin a tale well enough to get his attention. That is his goal in life, as was the goal of his family before him, to collect and spread stories. As a result, he goes without fear into any situation without really thinking it through, and often gets in trouble. His father and grandmother told him the stories he lives by. His father was less curious then Matiu, gathering stories from others rather than try to make grand stories of their own. Matiu has insatiable curiosity, and craves to make his own remarkable stories to bring back home and become a legend among his family.

His grandmother, Rui, was an adventurer, and has amazing stories from her youth. His father, Tai, still carried on the family tradition of storytelling, but did not spend long traveling the world, he instead mastered the art of tattooing.

Matiu and his father would travel up the volcanic mountain to obtain the proper stone to be ground up into the components for ink, this was another of the many tradition that has been going on for generations.