SH: Styx

Name: Statistics or Ihtiriekko, referred to as Styx for short.
-Fighter Record name: GC HC Overturns Expected Statistics.
Age of Death: Vague, but at most 18.
Species: Shiniko (Death Echo)
House: House of Chance, run by a Dema of Odds and Statistics.
Forms: Dog (Mutt) and Anthro Dog

Powers:

Feral Exposure.
Benefits: Styx can call upon the animal forms he has gained to manifest their bone structure to his original form. This tears his skin, but the wounds heal faster than normal. He can, for example, call upon the talons of an owl or the jaws of a dog. He can only manifest bones and not the attached musculature at this point, though it is possible he could one day do that.
Drawbacks: The bigger difference between a human and the animal anatomy wise, the more energy these changes take. The powers also still tear his skin and expose his musculature, as such Styx needs to heal between changes. Styx also lacks any knowledge of anatomy, and as such he can try to give himself things that will cause massive internal damage (wings, for example).

House Power- Random Number God.
Benefits:  As the world is random and chaotic, Styx can use this to his advantage. Anything that relies on chance, Styx can change its outcome.
Drawbacks: Sadly, only as far as giving another possible result. It could, therefore, go really well or really badly for Styx. In addition, as Styx has not developed this power much and has trouble thinking beyond today, he does not yet understand to stack the odds in his favour.

Personality: Ruined before he could be built, his Dema usually says. Styx could be said to lack personality entirely to outsiders. To ones that have been around him a while start to notice what counts as Styx's personality. Styx is not withrawn, choosing to just wait quietly for an order. Because of his childhood being mentally dominated and trained to be desirably weak, Styx hasn't yet figured out that he is no longer starving or weakened. He will cover when someone yells and failure drives him to hide in fear of a punishment.  Styx actually doesn't acknowledge his fellow 'siblings' and they often ponder if Styx knows they exist at all. He does, but he sees it beneficial to not form bonds, bonds can get you hurt.

Underneath this fugue, Styx seeks power and control. Though his person is subdued, these two things drive Styx to survive and better himself. Power over others and control over his fate. As such, Styx in the ring is a frightening mess of claws and teeth that rarely stops until either he or his opponent is knocked-out. There is no rage in Styx, just drive. Due to lacking any other way to control others, Styx has chosen to be a fast and brutal fighter. He does not actually seek any other way to hold onto others, seeing anyone outside the ring as greater in their station than him. That is, frighteningly, for the best.

Beyond the ring, Styx is saddeningly predictable. He stays in his room, unless he is told to clean or polish something. He really shouldn't, but his Dema felt he needs to do something during the day. As such, Styx is paradoxially  one of the highest ranked Shiniko in the house and the most dedicated maid. This is actually on purpose by Styx, as he learned early in life that his best bet to survive with least amount of harm was to lay low and stick to the jobs he could do. Making waves meant attention was on you and attention from the masters is bad news.


History:
He really didn't have it good in life, born prematurely to a serf, sold to be owned by a noble who liked pretty boys. Never given a choice or a chance to be himself, the boy succumbed to his injuries and starvation in his cell. Easily forgotten and his carcass disposed of aftwards.

Even after his death, the boy saw no hope as a shiniko, captured by the Black Market and kept as a servant for various Dema. He never had a permanent master, not that he cared or even knew to care. All that mattered was that he was given his peace.

Then someone bought him as dross to be thrown into the fighting rings for a quick amusement between more serious matches. That was the boy's life then, beating after beating. Until one day it stopped, as the boy decided to just tear into his foe with his bony claws and teeth because he was told. This was both unexpected by his owner and the boy himself. His foe stood no chance and it was a lucky break the poor sod was dragged out alive at all. The boy had not expected to win, he had just fought because that's what he was supposed to do.

So the boy was thrown into more fights, ones that he easily won. He simply did what he was told and did not think much of it. This was just life, this was just what they wanted of him. But the Black Market Dema were clearly impressed and began to shower the boy with gifts. From fancy clothes to good food, the boy accepted but never truly understood why. Things only got stranger when he was bought by another Dema, one who valued their pets and fought them sensibly.

The sudden freedom of movement confused the boy, more so when his master got tired of him just staying inside his room. They started taking the boy to see various sights near them, to ease the boy's mind. Soon,however, the Dema realised that the boy just wasn't aware of his surroundings like a regular Shiniko would be. So he was simply left to his own devices to be and not cause trouble, his owner being far too aware how easily their precious fighter could break if too much pressure was put on him.

The boy, despite all of the freedom and chances to live, existed in his fugue state for a good while. His master let him, providing food and shelter but not asking the boy to do more than he needed to. The boy fought at fights, gathering up trophies and prize sums easily. The very few times he lost, his Dema often had to coax him out of his room to eat. They and the rest of the house shiniko often spent hours discussing the boy, trying to find ways to heal his wounds.

The boy had no wounds, though. There was nothing that time could heal in the young man so easily forgotten. But he was changing, even if his fugue was blinding him. The boy slowly realised he lacked any fresh wounds from punishments and he began to hear the chants his fans called at his matches. Maybe he could relax a bit?

Tidbits and other miscelania;

• *Ihtiriekko is an old Finnish word for a ghost of a bastard child. Given Styx gives this name to this day, it is entirely possible he is Finnish or his first Dema was.
• *The nickname Styx came about both to sound scarier and to be shorter for the announcer to say during fights. Plus, given Styx' gloomy and frightening way of behaving, it fits.
• *The titles on his record name are short for 'Grand Champion' and 'House Champion'. Grand Champion for not losing 10 fight events in a row, House Champion for having the best record of his house.
• *His dema really does care for their shiniko, as they all are either proof of statistics or execptions to them. As such, each one is precious.
• *Styx is a bit awful when it comes to the modern world, much to the amusement of his housemates. Until one day he threw an expensive phone to the trash when it stopped working. After that, he was not given anything beyond a beeper.
• * Had no formal training in combat, but  after being bought, has been dragged to classes almost constantly. Now knows the basics of kickboxing, capoeira and karate. Has some Japanese dog fighting experience as well, to make him more useful in that form.
• *Fighting style is very mobile, with kicks and punches/slashes. He comes on like a freight train and can last a while due to his high pain resistance. Once he has a hold onto you, he will start slashing and biting until he is called off. In fights that restrict powers, Styx instead chooses to tire his opponent out with dodges and feints.
• *Like with everything, has not trained his powers beyond the level they are useful. Getting him better himself is one heck of a task.
• *In truth, even the Black Market is a bit unsure of his origins. They found him, put him to work and that was that.
• *There is some serious discussion in his house if Styx is a memory shiniko because he retains things from his life. However, the point is moot thanks to Styx' conditioning. It is very likely that Styx never had any memories to retain and may not even know he died.
• *Actually, he doesn't quite know. He knows he hurt -badly-, but then he got better. He does know that others are dead, though.
• *Refuses to accept he can read, because that would mean he would be put to tasks he cannot do as well.
• *In fact, Styx refuses to accept change because change is scary and the world is dangerous. As long as he does as he is told and is praised, he can survive