Chaga

Chaga is a red kuparkuke from the planet Fungaia, and the current chief of the Enoki tribe.

Having become chief only recently, Chaga is inexperienced, and lacks the wisdom of his predecessor, the legendary Chief Astraeus who has now retired, and he has yet to gain the love and approval of the Enoki tribe. He struggles with measuring up to Astraeus’ incredible legacy, but he is determined to be a good and worthy chief nevertheless. After all, it was Astraeus himself who selected Chaga as his successor, which means he must have seen something in him, even if Chaga (and, in his mind, the rest of the tribe) doesn’t.

Insecure in his post, and feeling unworthy of Astraeus’ former position, Chaga has a deep-seated need for validation. He needs to be in control at all times, and quickly loses his temper when things don’t go his way. He fears being seen losing his grip on the tribe, and having his authority undermined. He depends heavily upon Astraeus’ guidance.

Physical appearance

As a red kuparkuke, Chaga’s fur is primarily red, although he has teal stripes on his arms, legs and ears, whilst large parts of his ears, tail and stomach are golden. His eyes and nose are also both a dark teal.

As chief, Chaga gets to wear Astraeus’ old regalia: the mushroom sceptre and the fungal crown. As chief, Astraeus only ever wore these pieces on the battlefield and when meeting the leaders of the neighbouring tribes, but Chaga seems to take comfort in wearing them as often as possible, maybe because they make him look bigger, or maybe because they help him feel like a proper chief.

Personality

An outsider might think that Chaga just gets angry and shouts all the time, and it’s true, he does do that a lot. Red kuparkukes are known for their intense emotions and fiery outbursts, and that’s exactly what you get with Chaga. He’s deeply passionate about his tribe, and he really does want to be a good leader. He’s just insecure in his role, and paranoid of anything that might undermine his authority and make him look unfit to lead.

Whilst Chaga gets along great with more mature kuparkukes like Astraeus and his ‘brother’ Angel Wings, his relationship with the likes of Kinoko, Neemal, Cosmo and Hanton is strained. He considers kuparkukes like those a nuisance, and is afraid that they will get the tribe – and, thus, himself – into trouble. He also dislikes Stinkhorn, who nevertheless considers himself the ‘right-hand man’ of the chief.

Skills and abilities

Even though his temper often gets the better of him, Chaga has all the makings of a good chief – even if he cannot see it. Someone who cares as much about his tribe as Astraeus wouldn’t have selected him as his successor if he didn’t. Merely by taking on the role in the first place, he’s shown tremendous adaptability. The role of chief in a tribe of kuparkukes is a duty, and one of the most difficult ones at that. It’s not an honourific. Despite all the shouting, he’s deeply empathetic, and he knows how to build strong relationships both inside and outside the tribe. Perhaps that will be useful now that aliens have begun to take notice of Fungaia.

Chaga himself cannot deny that he has skill on the battlefield, not just as a battle-hardened warrior (he has spent years fighting off feline raiders and leading counterstrikes into the jungle) but as a leader too. He hasn’t won any major battles yet, because under Astraeus the tribe enjoyed many long years of peace and prosperity, but with intergalactic war brewing, his chance to prove himself may soon come.