#kihod

ANIMAHENASYON: Original Filipino Character Design 2011 Finalist! 

Yes, that was incredibly shocking considering I made my character just 2 days before deadline AND it had to be delivered by plane. It was kinda late when I found out about the competition but I felt compelled to give it a go, so I did. I was practically running out of time and 'drive' but thankfully my mom was there to cheer me on and stayed up in the weee hours of the morning to check up on me, bring me my favorite snack, and loads of encouragement. lol 'That's your real calling. Never give up on what you love.' Thanks, Ma! Love you heaps! we made it! :D

So, before I introduce Kihod, here's a little disclaimer:

This character's name and place of origin was inspired by a local legend.

Alrighty! Before you raise (and hurl) your pitchforks and torches in rage and call it UNORIGINAL, please take time to READ the next paragraph AND the character description. ^^

Just a 45-minute boat ride from Dumaguete, where I live, is the island of Siquijor. It is known for being the center of magic and sorcery in the country. However, very little is known about its history before the Spanish arrived. What I found was but a smidge of info regarding its name's origin. There are two versions. One of them is this:

'As one version of the legend recounts, they met the island’s ruler – the legendary King Kihod while they were docking their ship at one of Siquijor’s bays. When asked his name, the king replied “si Kihod” (I am Kihod). The Spaniards, thinking he meant it as the name of the island, adopted the name Sikihod which was later changed to Siquijor because the Spaniards found it too difficult to pronounce.' - Wikipedia/Siquijor

  Unfortunately, King Kihod is only associated to this one particular event in the supposed prehistory of Siquijor. 

The word kihod, however, is a Visayan dialect for 'limping'. LINKY! >> http://www.binisaya.com/cebuano/kihod

So I thought, a limping, badass sorcerer might actually sound cool. lol

So yenywayz, here's Kihod the Sorcerer:

Name: Kihod

Address: NPA (No Permanent Address)

Occupation: kutsero (Kalesa driver)

Height: 5’7”

Weight: 165 kg

Age: unknown (‘collecting cobwebs’, most definitely)

Dumaguete City. The year is 2011.

Kihod. Manong Kihod. Many call him Mang Kiang. One, because he limped. Two, because his limping made him walk like a monkey – and Mang-Ki some people called him. No one knows exactly how old he is. He appears to be in his late forties. He has kind of a rugged look to him, has medium to longish hair. It's dark, but has light streaks in areas where it has started to grey. Salt and pepper stubble – he rarely has time to shave. He’s fairly built, but not huge, almost frail. He always wears an old, worn out bluish coat to keep him warm during the chilly evenings. He also always dons a wide brimmed straw hat that almost shadows his entire frame.

         Kihod sleeps, eats, and pretty much spends most of his time in his kalesa with his shape-shifting (usually as a horse) Sigbin of a familiar, he lovingly calls ‘Miming’. For most people, he’s just the local kutsero, a kalesa driver. His real business, however, is shrouded in secrecy and often accompanied by danger and mystique.

   After his self-imposed exile hundreds of years ago, he returns to the Island of Fire, now called Siquijor, to search for the Sidlakang Bungo, the one in popular 

myth, is also called the Crystal Skull – one of the 13 Crystal Skulls that were hidden away in different parts of the world by the ancient Mayans, made its way in the mystical island of Siquijor. The strange item, which the ancients gave to Kihod a long time ago, brought him unnatural long life and supernatural powers. Until the beginning of the Spanish scourge in the Philippines, he and his band of fellow sorcerers, witches, and shamans, held close to the Bungo before eventually losing it to the Spanish Inquisition, who tried to destroy it but failed countless times. Today, rumors still speak of an ancient artifact buried deep in the caverns of the mystic island –an artifact that belonged to the once powerful warlock, Kihod.

Kihod’s real motives for retrieving the Crystal Skull are still unknown.

         Otherworldly foes threaten to bring a halt to Kihod’s quest for the Crystal Skull. Having mastered the magical arts, Kihod has an arsenal of powerful spells under his belt (particularly pyrokinesis and weather control). However, he generally prefers to keep his powers closely guarded. Also, being apart from his ultimate source of power has slowly dulled his sorcery. Now, he relies on Miming and mostly on his immortality to, well, survive the impending dangers ahead. He pretty much has to make almost every mission a ‘kamikaze’ mission, as he frequently goes up against powerful and decidedly more ‘magical’ opponents. This is kind of necessary because he is not the most skilled fighter, not to mention the fact that he has the body of a guy who has definitely seen better days. Because of his suicidal fighting style, after battles, he almost always ends up mangled horribly. Unless his head gets cut off, he will survive. He heals a little faster than normal humans, but he'll still be covered in bandages for a few days after particularly brutal ‘deaths’.

         Kihod has a sense of heightened awareness and seems to know everything. He has been around for ages, after all. He is often quiet and stern but also has a soft side as he enjoys weaving straw bags and carving wooden toys he gives away to children in his wanderings. 

         Kihod wears reading glasses (he's old!). He loves to read. Especially when the whole immortality thing sets in and he gets bored with life.