Llas

Lellas Arroyo is a leaper mer recently retired from law enforcement. He became well-known as the sheriff of Rambla, a formerly small town in northeast Nevada. His career lasted about three decades before he retired.

Childhood
Llas was born on the east coast of Nicaragua. He had a fairly ordinary childhood with a family life that wasn't the closest or most tight-knit. His parents begn having marital problems when he was young, and when he was around seven and his kinetics showed up, they got worse. The only part of the family wiht any kinetics in their past was the father's, and his mother blamed him for Llas. It wasn't long before she flaked out and left them.

Meanwhile, his father worried about the fairly combat oriented kinetic skills Llas possessed and the reputation of hot-blooded tropical leapers and tried to get Llas to go far the other way. Llas was every inch the aggressive, hot-blooded, passionate Hispanic mer, however, and so chafed terribly under the constant admonitions to calm down, be peaceful, be soft, be quiet. He went behind his father's back to learn everything he could about how to use his abilities and learn to fight and shoot.

When he was sixteen, his father found out and washed his hands of him and kicked him out, so Llas joined the military. He soon found that the structured life was't his style, and left after two years. He made his way north, thinking that the Great Western Wilderness (the American west, minus California) would be just the place for a young rebel to make his mark in the world. He bounced around, having fun, getting into fights, being a hyperactive monkey, for several years.

At the age of 21, he happened on the town of Rambla in northeast Nevada. They were currently beset by a gang of toughs and bandits, and for a lark Llas decided to kill and capture them all and save the town. They were so grateful, they offered him the position of sheriff, and Llas thought, 'Why not?'

Sheriff
Llas went big when he became the sheriff of Rambla, deciding to use dramatics to his advantage. He set out first and foremost to create a reputation. He advertised his skills, his race, everything. Before big fights, he'd often paint henna spots and patterns all over himself to match his leaper skin, but soon stopped because so little of it could be seen under his clothes. The effect had been accomplished by then, however, and it became part of his mythos. His reputation kept away the small fry and kept the town far more safe day-to-day than it ever had been before, but it also attracted the much bigger fish, just like Llas wanted. Rather than hunt down the worst of them, he drew them in, and he defeated one famous criminal after another to keep Rambla safe.

After about 5-7 years, he was a legend of the Great Western Wilderness, and a little bit known on the west coast as well. But during that decade, Llas had also grown up. He'd hardened and matured, losing that youthful aggression and idealism after seeing so much of the worst of people. He'd also grown more compassionate, caring about Rambla and its people as his own, not just the place he happened to live and the backdrop to his adventures. He shifted his focus to becoming a proper lawman, not some hotshot hero, and started encouraging other like-minded individuals to Rambla. Soon began a rotating roster of police in the town, many of them famous to varying degrees in their own right. Enough stayed around, however, as did plenty of non-legends, that Llas built up a full police force as the years passed.

Under this new influence, Rambla began to boom. Over two decades later, it was a haven of peace and prosperity, and became large and stable enough to acquire a cell tower. Rambla was now a major outpost of civilization in the wilderness.

Retirement
About five years before his retirement, one of his longest serving lawmen and closest friends was killed in the line of duty. Miller had been the center of the police force's morale, always ready with a joke or a smile or a story, always taking pride in their work and having a grand ole' time at the same time. With his death, some of the light went out of Llas. Rambla was now civilized and Miller was dead, and the adventures and fun had gone. Llas began to grow restless. He'd been sheriff for 32 years, built up a strong, modern police force, and created a legends and a city. He felt out of place and unnecessary now in Rambla -- bored and restless without the fight but too tired and depressed to go find a new one.

Not wanting to stay where he was, yet unwilling and exhausted at the thought of starting it all over again, Llas decided to hang up his hat as Sheriff at the age of 54. He stayed in Rambla for a little while getting his ducks in order and making plans, deciding what to do next, then pulled up stakes and trekked northeast to the Great Salt Lake. There he intends to forcibly acclimate himself to civilization and technology and adjust to first world conditions. He is 57 when Ro finds him in 378, backsliding terribly, angry and frustrated with himself, and feeling lost.

Description
He's 6'2" with chocolate brown hair to his upper back and blue green eyes. He's slim with broad shoulders and a nicely tapered waist, and very very well muscled, but in a nicely compact way. (Similar to Jenson/Captain America).

His left arm including the shoulder has been replaced, as has his right leg partway up the thigh.

He still looks physically in his twenties, but between the weather-beaten skin, the worn-down lines in his face, and the age in his eyes, he looks like he's in his forties.

His leaper form is spotted with rosettes, similar to the anaconda or the leopard bushfish from the Congo basin, and he has a jaguar shape as well.

Magic
Llas has a specific skill in all four categories of magic.
 * Internal Energy: Energy conversion of kinetic or solar/heat energy into fire. He is also able to store a small amount of solar energy.
 * External Energy: Manipulation of fire energy.
 * Internal Matter: Manipulation of skin and bones to increase resilience and endurance.
 * External Matter: Manipulation and movement of very small pieces of metal, usually not more than a few ounces in weight.