Shani Wilwhip

- Mouse-kin Warrior

The most loyal guard of the castle. Shani is steadfast and brave, though far too gullible. It’s a surprise she’s never lost a battle despite falling for the simplest of pranks. Still, Shani puts everyone around her at ease. She’ll often visit the other girls of the castle and offer them snacks. Believe it or not, this mouse-kin loves to cook. If she’s not standing guard or in the barracks with the brawny men of the watch, she’ll be in the kitchen making goodies for everyone. 

Speaking of brawny men, Shani loves to test her combat skills with them when they’re off duty, even if those grappling sessions turn into something more. Lots of times leading to a more private rematch. If there’s one thing Shani loves, even more than cooking or combat, it’s seeing who can come out on top. 

As for the other girls, they have nothing but the sweetest things to say about the warrior with a penchant for cooking. Zuzka still loves to get her with a prank every now and then though, and now that her fantasy adventure portal is up and running, she might trick Shani into stepping through…

…

Shani was born in a simple farming village on the outskirts of Mahi’s domain. At the time she was expected to carry on the family business. Live a normal, simple life. The mouse-girl, however, was not destined for a farmer’s life. 

She loved freedom. Loved exploring the woods and dancing with danger. Adventurous and playful.  On several occasions Shani would accidentally bring misfortune to the village. Like the time she brought a rare flower home to show her friends, only for the petals to release a maddening toxin that turned several villagers into blabbering buffoons. 

Or the day she discovered an abandoned crypt deep in the forest where a spiteful ghost followed her to the village. It haunted everyone for a year. Shanis’ parents had to hire an exorcist, using most of their life savings, to handle it. 

The worst, however, was when Shani mistook a giant sleeping ogre as a boulder to climb. It awoke furious and attacked. It even managed to rip the poor girls’ tail clean off while chasing her back to the village. It trampled and devoured the crops. Ruining the yearly harvest and nearly killing several of the townsfolk. Thankfully a swarm of guards managed to take the beast down after an arduous battle.

 The villagers were fed up. After the ordeal was over they demanded Shani leave for good. Only then did the girl start to realize just how much misfortune she brought. To her they were all accidents. Things she didn’t mean for. Shani’s parents were at their wits end, but the constant misfortune soon came to an end when the captain of the guard visited the small town in search of new recruits. The neighboring kingdom threatened war. They needed all the help they could get. Shani volunteered. 

At the time she was not the strong and fierce warrior she is today. She was tall, but far too thin. The captain saw a potential that none other did and accepted her on the spot. 

She was tired of being a burden, despite never trying to be. From day one of training she swore to put her best foot forward. She made plenty of mistakes. Clumsy with most weapons and bad at listening, but never lacking determination. Her lack of tail often gave her issues with balancing properly, but it only seemed to drive her to work harder.  If only all of the captain’s men had that look in their eyes like Shani did.

Up before the roosters and finishing in the dead of night, Shani worked harder than any other. She’d go on to be the most formidable warrior in the ranks. The captain made the tailless mouse who she is today and she feels indebted to him. He knew how to drive her. How to push when needed. If she finished training early she would be given kitchen duties. Free to cook as she pleased for everyone, and cook she did.

 Shani found freedom through feeding the watchmen with the cooking skills she developed back on the farm. Seeing others enjoy something she made helped her  realize she wasn’t a burden to these people. Seeing citizens' pleasant greetings, knowing that they felt safe with her around, reminded her that this was where she belonged. 

When Shani’s in the kitchen, she becomes everyone's mother. When she’s on duty, she’s ever vigilant, and when she’s with a partner, she’s as adventurous and playful as ever.