Adiran


157


Male


Adiran stands at a little over 10ft with a 45ft wingspan and 33ft from nose to tail. His body is covered in sharp, overlapping scales that are a mix of silver and white with icy blue eyes. A spiny ridge of many scales runs from his head all the way down his back in between two large horns that end at his tail where it flares out into a series of spikes at the tip. His body is fairly slender, focused more on dexterous maneuvers and flexibility than brute strength.


While in human form Adiran has the same slender build that his draconic form has. He also retains the white coloration to his hair and icfy blue of his eyes. He has a pale complexion due to living most of his life in the Kingdom of Nihn and thankfully most scars that mar his skin are covered by the clothes and armor he wears. Clothing wise he wears mostly natural tones of dark leathers mixed with blacks and whites that are common in his homeland. Much of what he wears is lined with furs that can be removed when he travels southward. Across his back he has crossed sheaths for his two short swords as well as several daggers on his belt.


Observant, ambitious, curious, charismatic, impatient


Hailing from the frozen north in the mountains surrounding Jorgun, Adiran, and his family, have a particular affinity for frost and cold. He can breath a sheer cold that flash freezes most that it touches or sends jagged spikes of ice jutting out from the ground. While skilled in the air, when it comes to combat, Adiran prefers to force his enemies to the ground where he can lash out with teeth, claws, and spikes while using his slender build to avoid heftier blows. In human form he also retains his skill with frost magic, sending spikes of ice or freezing the air around his foes. When not utilizing his magic he prefers the quickness of dual-wielding daggers or short swords in rapid strikes.


Adiran grew up high in the mountains in the Kingdom of Nihn nearby the capital city of Jorgun along with others of his kind. He spent a great deal of time with his parents and siblings, and learning how to survive in the snowy peaks. Since the peaks of the mountains were so far removed from the human civilizations he spent most of his time in his draconic form, as did the rest of his family, well outside the view of humans. Unfortunately, that meant that he had little to no experience actually utilizing his glamour and blending in with the humans, and his family had a general degree of distrust as it was the humans who ran magical creatures of the world away.

Despite his family's general disinterest in mingling with humans, except for when necessary, Adiran found himself intrigued by the Kingdom and its people that lived below the mountains and the wealth that they were gathering. He wanted to learn about them as much as he possibly could. They were different from dragons and it interested him greatly. Once he reached adulthood and found himself free to go where he wished he spent some time in the capital city of Nihn learning everything that he could about humans, and somehow made it by without revealing himself despite the inexperience. He spent several years learning the common trades of the kingdom to a degree that pleased him before moving on to something else.

Combat, in human form, was one of the few things that he had not been able to learn in his general exploration, but his zeal caught the attention of a retired soldier from the kingdom's army who agreed to mentor and train him, provided he showed potential. It took several more years in the tutelage of his mentor before he, and his mentor, felt that he had learned all there was that the older man could teach him. It was suggested he join the kingdom's army and fight for the King to expand Nihn, but Adiran wanted to travel and continue to learn, and he now had the capability to do so.

He ventured to the Empire, the United Clans, and the Province of Kaelis in his travels. Kaelis in particular grabbed his attention do to the number of dragons that had set up settlements within the area, though the warmer temperatures didn't agree with him as much. He did spend a few years living within one of the settlements known as Whistle Hill where he served to help protect the city. Inevitably he got bored with living in one place and moved to continue his journey around the continent.

He struggled with finding a purpose for his travels, beyond just seeing the world and learning about its people. While he enjoyed himself he wanted more from the world. He could hear the rumors of every nation gaining interest in the Province of Kaelis and when he learned of the concerns of the Council and the fact that Whistle Hill was potentially in danger he planned his return to the city to protect the friends that he made there.

Name: Lumia of Taubu
Age: 135
Gender: Female
Dragon Appearance:

Standing close to 10 feet tall, Lumia’s dragon form, her truest form, is slender and long- reaching 30 feet from her nose to her tail. Her wingspan is about 42 feet. She has iridescent scales of shades of blues and purples. Her head and face are narrow and rather than ears she has two fins extending from the side of her head, just under her two long black horns. Her fins in combination with her body type allow her to better swim and her species as whole is known for being almost amphibious, though they could never live their whole lives in the water. Her wings also have a horn each, both a measure of self defense and a physical marker of her species. Her legs are muscular but still slender and she has 3 toes on each of her front feet, 4 on her back.

Human Appearance:

Lumia’s glimmer casts the form of a young adult human woman, who is about 20 years old. She has thick, curly hair that is kept in braids. Her skin is a dark bronze, her eyes a deep brown and her plump lips sit nicely beneath her rounded nose. She is a little tall by human standards, standing at 5’8” and weighs about 160 pounds, and has a more athletic build, strong arms and thighs.

Personality Traits: Independent, quiet and reserved. To friends she is playful, loving, generous and protective. Not quite the “mom” friend per say, more like an older sister- always there for you, and always on your side because no one’s allowed to mess with you except her. Her negative traits can be found in her stubbornness, and at times she can come across as a little gruff.

Magic/Abilities: Dragons of her species all have the ability to breathe underwater for much longer than average, able to remain below for up to several hours at a time, many of them with the ability to manipulate the waters. Lumia’s gifts are of the water but also of the air, as she has the ability to form and manipulate clouds alongside her water abilities. Instead of breathing fire, she is more like a water cannon, and steam rather than smoke leaves her nostrils. In her human form, she is a healer and purifier, able to remove sickness from natural things.

History: Lumia was born and raised in the small Southern island nation of Osmines in a small mixed village called Taubu. No humans lived in Taubu, yet but their own towns and villages crept ever closer every year, causing some of the residents of Taubu to consider seeking a new home elsewhere while others felt motivated more than ever to stand their ground and protect their home. While not happy about the growing human presence, they maintained a relatively peaceful relationship with the nearby villages- Taubu’s leadership having decided that was the best way to not attract attention.

As for Lumia herself, her childhood was spent wandering the many beaches and caves near her coastal town. She’s too young to remember the days before the humans found their little island but surprisingly still has not encountered too many humans in person yet but has made friends and acquaintances of many of the other beings who live in her village and nearby. This is mostly in part due to her parent’s protective nature over her, as she is their only child and a female at that, which made her a bit rare in a world where their birth rates were declining. As she got older she spent more time in the water, watching as elders of her kind worked the water & sometimes used a little magic to deter humans from finding the island, knocking them off course so as to slow their spread. Occasionally, though not always the intention, a ship would wreck and she and her best friend would explore them and be fascinated by treasures from the distant mainlands she had only ever heard about. She loved all the little trinkets and things, finding ways to repurpose them- one of her favorites being jewelry and charm making.

When not on the beaches, she was roaming the forests and climbing trees. Her father made her learn to fight when she was just barely a teenager so that if she ever ran into trouble, she could handle herself. The rule was always to stay away from the human settlements but one could never be too sure who they might encounter outside the safety of the village. Her mother also passed around this age, which caused her father to try and be too overprotective and ended up smothering her a bit which is why now in her young adulthood she seeks to leave and find their people on the mainland. She knew they could not keep waiting for their people to go to them, but that they must still come together if there was any chance for their kind to survive in this world. She was sad to leave her village, and her heart remains heavy still about it as she knows she might not be welcome back. Without her, there were only 2 other females left in the village who were not elders and those who remained saw her as leaving as betrayal, her father taking it the hardest.

Name: Sangu

Age: 92

Gender: Male

Dragon Appearance:
Sangu belongs to a breed of dragons much more serpentine in appearance, with slender bodies, forked tongues and a tail longer than their torso. They also have less limbs than most of types of dragon. Instead of the standard two pairs of legs and a pair of wings, they only has hindlegs (with webbed feet), and instead use their wings in place of forelegs to crawl along the ground, similar to a bat. Due to this somewhat unusual limb set-up, they also tend to stand less tall than the average dragon.

Sangu himself is about 6ft tall and 30ft from nose to tail. While his breed end to have very wide wing spans, Sangu was born with underdeveloped wings, and his preference to swimming or even slivering as a form of transportation has caused them to never reach their full strength, and now Sangu is an adult, they likely never will. He can still fly, just not as strongly or quickly as an average dragon of his breed.

His scales are naturally silver with a greenish-yellow underbelly and wings, though due to both the environment he grew up in and his affinity for plant-life, he is constantly covered in patches of moss and lichen, tinting him more greenish. His eyes are a bright, acid green, and both his head and tail are adorned with large fins to furthur aid in swimming.

Human Appearance:
In human form, Sangu looks to be in his mid-to-late twenties, and is very tall and gangly, standing at a little under 7ft, though he often looks a little shorter due to constantly slouching. He's olive-skinned with shoulder-length silvery-brown hair that is often tied up in a ponytail. His eyes are hazel, but will change to the acid green of his dragon form's eyes when he's using his magic. He has long and semi-gaunt facial features, and slight points to his ears.

In terms of clothing, he prefers long, flowy clothes like robes and such, often with bright colours and fun patterns. He also tends to wrap up warm as he can't stand the cold. And don't be surprised to see a flower or two adorning his hair.

Personality Traits: Quiet, empathic, nurturing, proud, self-doubting, lonely

Magic/Abilities:
Instead of elemental breathes like other dragons, Sangu's breed instead spit a corrosive acid capable of doing severe damage to both organic and inorganic material if not dealt with immediately. They also, in the same way fire-breathing dragons may expell smoke from their nostrils, can form a gas while, not particularly dangerous unless in very large quantities, is foul smelling and acts as a deterrent for unwanted company. Sangu's breed are also strong swimmers, and while they don't have gills, they can hold their breath for longer than most terrestial animals.

As for magic and abilities more personal to Sangu himself, ever since a young age he has had an affinity for plants. In particular, plants tending to grow quicker and healthier just by being in his presence, and he is able to detect what plants are and aren't safe to consume. Because he was embarrassed by his powers when he was younger due to being not as flashy or powerful as those of his peers, he never sought to really develop them until adulthood when he first started donning his human guise. These days, he has sought to learn much more about his magic and plants in general, learning about their properties and using them to create various elixirs and medicines. He's also capable of manipulating plants and getting them to grow and act in abnormal ways, but this is still a new ability that he is experimenting with and is still uncertain about how best to use it.

History:
Born and raised in a tropical swamp on one of the small Southern islands, Sangu was the youngest of a very large clutch of hatchlings. He took so long to hatch from his egg that his parents almost wrote him off as stillborn, but he eventually pushed through the shell and was born. He was weak with undersized wings and prone to sickness for the first couple of months, but he was alive.

His parents were very protective of him early on and were hesitant to let him play with his older siblings, especially the eldest three who had a habit of getting into mischief and playing pranks on each other. When pranking their younger siblings stopped being fun, they turned their attention to the human village on the other side of the island, and would often go over there either to prank or simply to watch them go about their daily lives. Whenever they returned home, Sangu's elder siblings would tell him and the other younger hatchlings all sorts of stories about what they'd seen, often exagerrated for the purpose of frightening and shocking them. That, along with his parents' warning about humans, made Sangu too scared to go anywhere near the human village, and was plagued constantly by nightmares about these horrifying beings coming into the swamp and attacking them.

As Sangu grew, he remained the weakest and clumsiest flyer of his clutch, and his magic was so subtle he didn't even realise there was anything unusual about the way plants grew around him or how he knew what berries not to eat until his family pointed it out to him. His family all had magic based in manipulating forces of nature, such as one sibling being able to communicate and control insects and another having the power to shape water, but his seemed to unimpressive he never really made much effort to improve it. Still, despite this, his childhood was a mostly happy one, and in later years, other than his weak wings, he was just as capable as any of his siblings. Still his parents worried about him and his siblings, while loving, did have a tendency to tease him, and this sense of being flawed or inadequate in some way remained at the back of his mind for his whole life. His self-doubt was so pervasive that even as his siblings started to fly off to start families of their own, he remained for a few years afterwards. His parents continued to support him, but Sangu couldn't help but wonder if he was causing them trouble by remaining. When they decided to have a second clutch of eggs, Sangu felt he could no longer stay with them. After all, they would have their claws full with young hatchlings, and didn't need to worry about him. So, with a farewell, he decided to leave the island. He wasn't sure where he was going and he didn't trust his wings to carry him there, so he decided to swim through the ocean until he reached land. However, swimming in rivers and lakes is very different to navigating the sea, and when a storm occurred, he was tossed about and nearly drowned.

However, he survived, and ended up washed on a beach on the main continent. He was very battered, one of his wings were broken and he had no idea where he should go next. In his attempt to find shelter, his wounds caused him to pass out. When he woke up, he found himself outside a large hut, with an elderly human woman tending to his wounds. Remembering his old nightmares about humankind, he struggled and lashed out against her like a wounded animal. He was too weak to put up much of a fight, so he ended up using his acid spit and severely scarred her. Despite this, however, she didn't attack him, and after tending to her own wounds, continued to nurse him. Seeing her kindness toward a creature that had attacked her made him confused and he allowed her to heal him. Once he was in a decent enough condition, he slipped away in the middle of the night, into the forest. His wing was still too damage to fly on and this land was strange to him. He remained in that forest for a few nights, uncertain of what to do and too afraid of what might await him to travel elsewhere. He also felt guilty for lashing out at that woman. It was at that point he remembered something his parents has told him, about the glamour of man and how dragons had the power to disguise themselves as human. He'd never tried it himself, but he'd seen his older siblings take on human forms during their pranks on humans. After a while of mulling it over, he made up his mind.

One morning, he took the form of a human and approached the elderly woman, saying he was a stranger to these lands and asked if she could give him shelter and perhaps advice on where to go. It was only meant to be a one or two night stay until he could form a plan of where to go next, but without either of them saying anything, he ended up staying for several years. The woman, who's name turned out to be Rona, was a healer who provided help for the neighbouring villagers. She didn't have any magic, just an aptitude for herbs and remedy making, but she was quite adept. She noticed Sangu's aptitude for plants and persuaded him to learning how to properly use it. He became her apprentice and began learning how to identify the new flora of this land and how best to utilise it to craft medicine... and while Rona never said anything, Sangu often wondered if she knew what he was, or at least knew he wasn't human. There was just something about her mannerisms that seemed like she was more aware of what was happening than she let on.

Before Sangu knew it, he had stayed with Rona for over a decade. Sadly, all things must come to an end. While Sangu seemingly remained the same age, Rona got on in years, her health getting worse and her memory for certain ingredients and recipes starting to slip. As Sangu had never had experience with old age, he didn't think any of it until one day, when Rona collapsed while working. Sangu didn't know what to do, was uncertain what was wrong and felt utterly helpless. He called round to the local villages, asking for help. While none of the healers there were as renowned or skilled as Rona, they recognised the problem immediately in the way Sangu couldn't: Rona's age was catching up to her, and her current way of living was not sustainable. Once Rona came to, even she admitted as such to Sangu, and told him that she had been aware that something was wrong for a long time. She told him she could no longer stay here. Sangu told her not to worry, that he could help her and look after her, but she told him, gently but firmly, that she'd made up her mind. She was going to move in with some of her younger relatives a few villages over. During this conversation, she told Sangu that she thought it was better that they take care of her, as she felt Sangu might not know how to handle it. At the time, Sangu thought she was, for the first time since he’d met her, doubting his abilities, and stormed off upset. It was only much later he realised this was yet another hint that she knew what he really was, and that she was simply stating she knew this was something he was unused to and was simply trying to spare him the pain.

The next few days before Rona left, he was a wreck, swinging between anger and sadness, but Rona remained patient with him, and while he was still furious with her, he did accompany her to her new home, just to make sure she got there safe, though even when she said good-bye to him for the last time, he couldn't bring himself to say good-bye in return. He returned to the hut, spent the first few days shut in alone, not willing to see or speak with anyone. He did eventually return to his duties as healer, but he kept all the villagers, even the ones he was friendly with, at arm's length. After a while, he couldn’t stand staying in that hut alone much longer. Plus, he noticed that some of the villagers had started to act odd around him, likely noticing how he had barely changed in the last decade he had been there. So he packed up what little he had and left.
He has been wandering ever since under the guise of a travelling doctor, stopping by various villages to aid them before returning on journey, never staying in one place for too long. Through his time, he’s managed to encounter a couple of other dragons in disguise, who mentioned Kaelis and how a lot of dragons using the glamour of man tended to settle down there. Longing for his own kind after so long, especially after being too afraid to form any proper friendships with humans after Rona, he had decided to head that way, towards the village of Whistle Hill, in hopes of finding true companionship.

Name: "Uerkopulos" (Dragon) / "Urik Pullos" (Human)

Age: 117 Years Old

Gender: Male

Dragon Appearance: . . . Uerkopulos, much like his magical counterform, is a wide, hulking mass of a creature with an exceptionally large gut and an earhole-to-earhole grin to match (easily akin to that of the cheshire cat). His scaly exterior is a dull medley of various greys, greens, browns and the occasional curious blue dot or three. Oddly abridged in length compared to his superior width, he sports a nub of a tail long since shortened down to little more than a scaly round stump, and thick legs and claws like that of the elephants of Azai; Except, however, that each leg is about one of the dwarfed beasts in size - all the more convenient for pilfering away with such tasty treats!

Human Appearance: . . . Urik Pullos, much like his natural counterform, is a wide, hulking mass of a man with a rotund belly and an ear-to-ear grin to match. Broad shoulders, limbs like tree-trunks, and a long swaying silver-&-brown mustache mirroring a dangling mane of mahogany matted hair up above: It isn't every day that a human could so closely resemble the tree he's caught sitting under. Bizarrely resplendent are the clothes adorning him, however, which mismatch his otherwise shaggy visage in a dizzying array of bright greens and oranges and blues. Geometric patterns of increasingly sophisticated complexity wind down long, wide robes from draped-shoulder to shoed-toe. A bright silver buckle secures the leather belt at his waist, pinching inward and further exaggerating the mighty extent of his typical afternoon appetite.

Personality Traits: . . . Uerkopulos is above all else, an animal of principle. His personal motto is the old adage: "Waste not, want not" - whether it's a scrap of food left on the table, or an opportunity to turn a good deed, Urik takes nothing for granted and leaves no stone unturned. This tenet applies to his relations with others as well - so far as he'll have it, every beast of this world should live to their comfortable fullest, and will, if he has anything to say. Such a penchant for the altruistic side of life is tempered by his relatively humble character, and in keeping with the will of the Masque, Uerkopulos has a fond heart for doing all that he does with a gentle push, a way by inches, a meager might.

Magic/Abilities: . . . When push comes to shove, this wingless, tailless behemoth retaliates with a bizarre combination of offence and defence rolled into one organ - his tongue. Fueled by an internal charge of electricity, Uerkopulos lashes out his elongated twin forks like whip-like tendrils, knocking opponents aside or grappling them as other dragons would with their tails, and then rippling currents of voltage along them to stun enemies into submission. Uerkopulos invests his whole body into the flick of his tongue to control the power, time and even direction of said currents, leaving himself vulnerable in the process. However, this relative weakness is not to be underestimated, as he can produce a torrent of electrical power capable of fusing steel should any significant threat decide to get overly cocky. While in the Glamour Of Man he can reproduce this feat to a lesser degree, but lacking many adversaries bold enough to confront his overwhelming frame, Urik has only ever learned how to magically amplify the electrical current over his own skin - a useful perk nonetheless against those in need of a reminder to keep their hands to themselves. His great physical strength, both as dragon and human, is around one and a half times that of the average contemporary, making him a formidable presence against other dragons and even the most experienced dragon slayers. In his spare time or his human form, he prefers to spend his hours admiring nature and the fascinating phenomenon the humans call "Mat-hem-a-tics", especially "Ge-ome-try" for its artistic values in aforementioned nature. He can weave clothing in his human form, taking great inspiration from the opulent styles of the Azai, but gets easily bored by the process and thus stretches it out by weeks or months longer than he really should. It is ironic that he cannot read, but sees shapes and patterns quite easily, sometimes even mistaking what should be an obvious observation for another wholly irrelevant.

History: . . . Uerkopulos descends from a long line of the aptly nicknamed "Hoard Dragons", those whose magical prowess is only less potent or on par with their physical strength - that being said, as his figure implies, they are known for said size and strength. What they are less known for is kindness, for Hoard Dragons descend from when the Fae first left the world behind, choosing to indulge in excessive greed at the great wealth of resources in a brief age when humanity had yet to claim that role for themselves, and there were fewer magical beasts than before to share with. Hoard Dragons were quick to spurn the warnings of the Masque, and when humanity collectively began to establish the mantle of empires, it was this breed who were the first and most devastated by the smaller species's cunning ability to learn and exploit the habits and weaknesses of the natural world. Intentionally mingled over generations for raw strength, Hoard Dragons are awkward fliers at best, mere "levitators" at worst, and arrogantly lacking in the skills their lesser-sized cousins would use to stay safe and elusive from the plight of humankind. Uerkopulos's own grandmother, "Uerkopulos The Greater", an enormous dreadnaught among dragon-kind, acted as a firm precedent for all following her own downfall at the hands of the Empire Of Huldern. Though his own parents always told these stories of their ancestry with an air of confidence and inevitable return to the glory days, on Uerkopulos it had the opposite effect, and he spent much of his childhood infiltrating and investigating the ways of humanity to best learn how to blend in among them. He took to travelling throughout the realms of the Azai clandoms in his teenage years, admiring their unique approach to imitating the patterns of nature in their artwork and clothing. This inspired the young dragon, who now sees the world not as a fall from grace in the manner of his parents and lineage, but instead as an evolving organism in which new patterns and ideas can be cultivated given the right circumstances. He hopes, in his elder years, to have acquired the knowledge and wisdom to have made the world a better place for all manner of beasts...though this is perhaps too lofty a goal for one dragon alone to achieve. Most important of all, he does not wish to abandon the future as had happened in the final era of the Fae.

Name: Dundurth

Age: 105

Gender: Male

Dragon Appearance: Stoic and tall, he carries himself with his head up and chest arched at a height just shy of 10ft. When including his tail, which is barren of any garnish or spikes, his length reaches 15ft. Instead of the spikes most other dragons yield, he is donned with the large ivory ram horns associated with his breed as well as two lines of plates on his back and underbelly that run from the top of his neck to his hips. Then as the dull maroon plates on top are blended into the leathery texture of his legs and tail with petal-shaped scales, the silver and gold plates underneath continue along the bottom of his tail to further shield his underside. The structure of his torso and legs are similar to a tiger’s, apart from the dark elongated paw pads and the thicker claws extending from his toes, built to deliver powerful blows.

Human Appearance: He stands at 6’5, rectangular in form, average in build. His head amounts to a healthy dark brown straight hair cutting off around his forehead, angular eyebrows with big angular brown eyes to suit, two stiffs of hair under his nose constituting as a mustache and a beard weaved into one braid. If anything else were to stand out about him it would be his hands, palms big enough to cover the face of a rabbit and fingers thick enough to balance two gold coins stacked on top one another. Back in his homeland his clothing was especially meant to blend in with the peasantry, donning simple clothes made of wool and boarhide. However as life goes on he might start to take on more vibrant, elaborate clothing.

Personality Traits: Righteous, Prideful, Good-willed, Naive

From the customs imprinted on him throughout his life, Dundurth grew up to have the black and white mentality of a soldier: disciplined and respectful to those alongside him, devoted to those above him, merciless to those against him. This mentality shows prominently in his behavior, remaining humble in interactions with strangers and friends but not always considerate as he settles on one task at a time without regard to much else. Alongside this he has the tendency to submit to stronger dragons that seem to align with ideals of equity and righteousness, this loyalty dropping at the drop of a dime if they ever play dirty; he opts for fair fights between warriors rather than deceptive mind games or rounds of cat and mouse. At times however, something arises that tempts him to deviate from the honor code ingrained in his subconscious, gnawing away at its influence. In the past the reasons mainly stemmed from his lust for glory. A lover for eyes staring in awe of his deeds, the promise of glory and recognition paired with valor fuels the inner ego within him. Though he did his best not to seem vain and selfish as that was not a good look on anyone, he was always more inclined to test his odds if it meant compliments.

Having only lived on the southern islands and seen few dragons that deviate from them, his bloodline is naive to the cultures found on the rest of the continent. To try to counter this inexperience and abide by his given mission, he seeks to learn more about the world and the other inhabitants he shares it with, starting with the stories they tell. It's possible that in the future his experience in travelling could wear away what his home culture has taught him and reveal more of his true nature.

Magic/Abilities: Unlike many island-based dragons, his species adapted to take on powers relating to the earth and remained wingless. Despite this all dragons in his bloodline can take to the sky through the radiating magic on the soles of their feet, which allow them to ‘gallop’ through the air and maneuver just as they would on the ground. They’re able to match the same- possibly better agility than they have on land, however any missteps or trips could result in them falling out of the sky which is why they’re less inclined to be reckless while on air.

Dundurth’s own magic centers around heat, capable of breathing fire like many other dragons yet he’s able to heat his body up to about 300 degrees Celsius without causing any severe damage. Not only does this allow him to sear anyone who comes in contact with his skin at the wrong moment, but he recently realized that it gives an extra surge of concentrated firepower to his breath, unleashing a powerful laser that has caused great destruction in the past. While he does have magic in human form it´s considerably limited, only capable of heating the palms of his hands. Though it still helps since he is not as adept in the martial arts or weapon training as those back at home, usually resorting to the grapples, throws and palm strikes that mimic his feral fighting style in dragon form. Lastly he’s able to withstand temperatures up to 600 degrees Celsius in both forms, steam streaming from his skin as magic deflects the excess heat.

History: A wounded dragon, weak and exhausted, was soon to meet death much too early. Yet he was approached by an empathic man who had once been on the verge of death as well. The man took him into the vast emptiness of the sea, to an island that housed the man’s own family hidden away in the deep forage surrounding the mountain. There they cared for the dragon’s wounds until he gathered enough strength to stand, continued caring for him until he gathered enough strength to walk, and when he had gathered enough strength to leave they bid him farewell. Touched by the man’s selfless actions, the dragon watched over the man high in the mountaintop. Several months later the family was attacked by a wild boar which threatened to kill the man. And as the boar was about to finish him, the dragon descended from the mountain and in one powerful smack swatted the boar away, sending it flying and running back into the woods.

This tale has become the baseline for the way of life on Hayermeda island. Deemed ‘Guardians’ by what is now Hayermeda’s village, the ever elusive dragons only reveal themselves in times of danger, protecting the village from those that wish to cause harm. However their presence is always looming, shrouded by fog where they stalk in the coverage of the forest. Their proud stature demanded respect from all inhabitants residing within Hayermeda, and in turn respect was given. The people didn’t inch any further with the territories of the dragons that overtook the north half of Hayermeda, leaving said territories as safe havens for magical creatures both native and foreign. In perpetuating the Legend of the Wounded Dragon through acts of subtle intimidation and dramatic heroics, the guardians have managed to maintain peace in their small piece of the world.

As the nations of humankind began to grow around them however, the number of newborn guardians were decreasing year after year. Alongside the decrease of guardians came a decrease in faith. Faith in the legend that the dragons were meant to protect them as the onslaught of foreign merchants over the centuries diminished its strength with their own draconic rumors and tales from their lands. And thus Dundurth’s training began earlier than the previous generations in order to keep up the fragile peace between humans and magical creatures within the island. Along with the rest of his sisters and brothers he learned the basic principles of their role and how to properly carry it out, honing his skills in the claws, bite and brutal charge either meant to intimidate or if all other means failed, to kill. Though it took him longer than his siblings to realize his magic affinity, it wouldn’t take long for the signs to show: The footsteps imprinted on charred rock, the streams of steam flowing from underneath his scales, the burning forage he’d desperately try to put out before anyone noticed. He was proving to be more of a clumsy nuisance as the days went, and a dangerous one at that. It came to the point where he was held back from visiting the base of the mountain in fear that he might be tracked.

When he finally gained better control over his heat, his parents were quickly approaching the last years of their lives. It was only a matter of time, considering they have been keeping up the status quo diligently for the last 3 centuries. They trusted that their last cluster of children would be able to uphold their legacy, and their descendants made the promise to honor that trust. So by the time they took their last breaths, they’ve taken to their obligations as soon as they could. Some took on the lives of humans to live on as vigilantes while others kept within the territory and kept humans from wandering too far up the mountain and too deep into the forest. Dundurth kept to the outskirts of the island with two of his best brothers: Torrance and Tormier. Together they patrolled the perimeter of the island, preventing blood from spilling before it ever had the chance to. Little did they actually travel through Hayermeda’s village as they felt proud to stride as the towering dragons in the forest and bath in what they perceived as admiration from the humans. If they were to go they could only go in the village as inconspicuous no-names, only interacting if any trouble was to stir and then immediately disappearing.

By the 104th year of his life, life at home became much more restless. With work divided amongst the dwindling dragons to protect both magical creatures and human, the humans were pushing into the territories where the fae were supposed to be kept safe. In turn, creatures are becoming distressed and fearful which has resulted in humans getting harmed. And in turn, the humans pushed even further than before. The pressure of the situation had weighed down on his eldest sister Alsandare the most; being the new leader of the family she became prone to carrying responsibility for all that happens on the island, building a burden in her mind that fueled her temper. No one intervened when she unleashed it against her siblings, being part of an unspoken code not to resist from the leader’s judgement. Hope diminished that they could gain control over the direction the humans moved, and it became evident that the lesson in the legend was not only forgotten within the humans but within the guardians themselves.

Yet Dundurth remained hopeful that they could still keep harmony within Hayermeda, proposing an idea to help ease the tensions between all parties. He aimed to rekindle faith in an indirect approach, patrolling closer to the village in dragon form and letting them realize that they were to value them and the other creatures. She didn’t like the idea since only a few would be able to get close as to not arouse suspicion of their sentience, and it would have to be done in a way that seemed natural. Though at this point Alsandare was willing to test anything that could result in reclaiming a calmer life. So the dragons that were already patrolling the area edged closer to the humans. The plan went in motion for the next few days, though they were unsure if it was actually working as intended. Then when nightfall fell, a grand opportunity exposed itself in the form of a big boar moving towards the village. A quick roar would’ve scared it away, but it was too good of an opportunity not to exploit. They let the bear come into view and put on a brief show of theatrics, excited to relish in awe-inspired gazes and relinquish the lost respect. Everything was going swell: the people looked on as they snapped at the boar, pushing it around before allowing it to run off into the woods. Dundurth was to finish off the routine with the roar he was praised for as they chased after the boar and disappeared into the darkness. But instead of a mighty roar, out came a blinding laser which blew up the path of forest and chances of winning over the village’s hearts into flames. The people ran back in fear and panic. Helpless to salvage the progress they made, the only thing they could do was retreat back to the mountaintop and face the ever so generous wrath of their leader.

In the next moments, he was verbally beaten down by his sister in the presence of the rest of the clan. They sat with heads lowered while she screeched in rage, screaming that he killed their chances of ever regaining control. Whether it was true or not, no one dared to confront her about it. She was angry, outraged, but then out of nowhere, she grew quieter. Her face unnerved into a mix of unease and agitation, as if a thought lingering in the back of her mind reared its ugly head. A still minute passed before she stared him in the eyes and spoke again. ”Here’s how you can reclaim your dignity…” She gave him a set of demands that have never been spoken amongst the siblings before. Though he was hesitant as it meant the others would have to solve this worsening problem alone, he couldn’t back down from his sister. Not with the shame cutting into him. And so he raced across the sky high above the ocean, her orders resonating in his mind, ”...Head towards the north. Observe the state of the world, soak in all you can. Only then can you return to us.”

Name:
Droka

Age:
124

Gender:
Male

Dragon Appearance:


A relatively small dragon, Droka is only 8' tall with a 31' wingspan. While part of this is due to his relatively young age, the sad truth of the matter is that he was always somewhat of a runt when it came to his kind. Covered in beautiful obsidian scales that reflect light with a beautiful sheen to them, it is a point of pride for Droka that if he decides to sit down and stay very still for an extended period of time that he can (and has) been mistaken for an awe-inspiring piece of sculpture. There is a frill that travels from the top of his head to the tip of his tail that takes on a deep red color, contrasting beautifully with his black scales.

His eyes are black, a fact that often causes them to blend in with his scales and makes them hard for others to see or figure out what Droka is truly focusing on at a given moment.

Human Appearance:


Droke's human form is rarely seen by the naked eye these days. He looks like a somewhat older gentleman who has lived a life of not only having to make hard decisions and sacrifices, but who has also had plenty of time to consider the larger, daunting questions of life as well. It does still occasionally see use since, much like beggars and the mentally ill, few actively want to see him.



His preferred 'humanoid' form is the hybrid illusion that he has crafted for himself and uses in relation to his cult. Physically speaking by human standards he would be flawless and beautiful... however, 'human' standards go out the window due to the presence of his dragonic additions; The horns on his head that at a glance appear just to be hair sticking up, his clawed hands and the various scales that run along his body. While the effect is clearly inhuman, it still presents a majestic and awe inspiring visage.

Personality Traits:
Cunning, Manipulative, Long Seeing, Survivalist, Devote, Romantic, Prideful

Magic/Abilities:
A breather of fire and able to fly in his dragon form, Droka's real strengths as far as magic goes lays in illusions and rituals. While his illusionary magic tends to be more complex and powerful when he is in dragon form, he finds the enhanced ability to refine the details of ritual circles and runes that his humanoid form offers him to be a great boon.

History:
The dragon race was dying. It was a slow death that would take the course of generations to finally come about, but it was a death that was coming all the same. The signs were their and Droka's parents ensured that their son saw them and understood what they meant; Each generation less dragons were born and thus there would be less dragons to create a new generation to follow after them. The fact that there were more male dragons then female in his home region made it difficult to ignore the issue as the young drake matured and discussions turned to him making a family of his own.

Exactly why this was happening wasn't that well understood either. Some pointed to there being less of their numbers while others suggested that the ascension of humanity and their push back against magic and nature that was somehow the root of the problem. Regardless, the Masque was clearly not offering a long term solution and appeared content to continue the current state of affairs until there were no dragons left to govern.

So Droka spent a lot of his youth thinking of the issues facing his kind and what might be done to solve them. Aware that he was still a child in the eyes of his people, he offered his elders the respect they believed they were due and asked them for their wisdom and guidance about the world and what path he might walk in it, rarely reveling his actual thoughts while they were still in development. When he finally reached adulthood, he left his family behind as expected; He did not however, join in the fight to find a mate and make a family of his own through.

Instead he traveled north to Nihn to set the groundwork for his grand design. Slipping into one of the oldest settlements of the region, Droka quickly claimed one of the abandoned manors of the upper crust that had moved to the recently finished capital of Jorgun and got to work prepping the stage for his entrance into the society of the kingdom itself. He would spend decades exploring and learning about Nihn and its culture in order to tailor his approach to best win over the locals. When the time was deemed right, the building he had claimed for his plans exploded in a destructive surge of incredible magical power that was heard and seen all throughout the settlement, through the damage itself was limited solely to the estate in question.

When the locals came to investigate the wreckage and what caused it, they discovered Droka in a strange humanoid form... and he had quite the story to tell. He spoke of a simple hedge wizard who started to have visions of rituals and rites that were complex and unknown and beautiful to behold. Of a trance like state as he followed these visions to a location where they claimed the resources he needed could be found. Of the dazed like state in which he completed the final rune and triggered the surge of magic that ascended him beyond his former frail humanity and turned him into something far greater. And finally of a promise that, despite the knowledge of how he achieved the first step towards ascension had been misplaced or destroyed, with time and effort it could be done again...

The promises of power (both physical and magical) alongside a major extension of the length of their brief lives were temptations that few salesmen would have struggled to sell to humans and Droka proved a very good salesman. Before the night was over, he had already developed the groundwork for his grand innovation and established a cult following in Nihn dedicated to the goal of ascending humanity into dragons... through his followers were kept blind to the truth glory that he desired for them.

After a few years of establishing the cult to the point where he could leave for a period of time and it wouldn't unreval in his absence, now seemed like a good time to recruit other dragons to his cause to get more input and other magical talents in the project since those humans of Nihn both higher rank and stronger magical connections proved somewhat more... resistant to the dragons pitch then expected. Droka made a show of having a vision to go on pilgrimage south in order to 'Uncover ancient magical secrets of Huldern long abandoned and forgotten in Kaelis.. and to get the most answers from the trip as possible, he needed to go alone'. With a cover story in place, Droka has finally started to head back home.