Cholera

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Cholera-Chan, known in life as Zelina (or, reputedly, Captain Zelina) was one of many disease Chans that came about during the Reign of Plagues. Helming the ship The Blue Harrow, Zelina ravaged the seas and ports within her reach, earning the fearsome moniker 'The Blue Death'.

Zelina's essence is a disease caused by the waterborne virus Vibrio cholerae. Victims of this disease suffer from such severe dehydration that their skin turns blue as a result. Zelina is able to spread this disease through her bite, or by allowing her blood to spread through water, infecting it.

With blue skin and a body built for water, Zelina takes on many characteristics from sharks as well. Of these shark-like characteristics, Zelina exhibits: roughly textured skin; multiple fins across the body, giving her the ability to clock speeds of up to 35 miles-per-hour in water; incredibly sharp teeth, with a bite force to match; a layer of tapetum lucidum over the eyes, allowing her exceptional night vision and a glow to them; and an enhanced sense of smell underwater.

Her exceptional power extends to the use of a rather unconventional weapon. A full-sized anchor tethered to a rope and weighing in at 5 tons, Zelina was capable of swinging it with ease. It was most often utilized to throw at, hook, and pull in enemy ships. While surely impractical in most other situations, this unique tool made escape from her all the more impossible.

In her early life, Zelina lived with her adoptive mother and father in frequent solitude. This changed when Zelina caused her mother to fall ill, and her father cast her away. From there she spent most of her youth on the outskirts of a port town, living off scraps of fish and stealing food. Shunned for her appearance, Zelina continued to live further isolated from society.

The turning point for Zelina's life as a vagrant came in the form of a blue coconut crab, washed ashore on a wooden raft. When Zelina approached it, it spoke to her. Harrow- so was his name- conversed with the young Zelina, and after some time the sly creature gave her an idea. She did not have to live as she did, pushed around and scorned by society. With her unique abilities as a Chan, she could take whatever she wanted, could go wherever she liked, and few would dare to oppose her. How could they?

So began a life of piracy. Harrow would pass away during Zelina's 20s, and in his honor she names what would become the notorious ship to sail those seas- The Blue Harrow. Formerly a slave ship, its crew consisted of freed slaves and talented people held captive for their specialties. Cooks, cartographers, linguists, and more who benefitted Zelina in her travels. Those who had nothing to give were thrown overboard, though it wasn't from drowning that they were to die from.

One of the more interesting aspects of The Blue Harrow would be the 20-30 strong shiver of sharks that followed in its wake. Zelina threw crews of the ships she raided to them, leaving one lucky victim to flee and bolster her repetoire with their tale. These sharks will travel with the Harrow for miles, some darting ahead a mile or more. So infamously known did they become that soon the sight of a shark or more became recognized as a warning signal for the Harrow's impending arrival.

Related Chans

Zelina has no currently confirmed relationships with other Chans.

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