Bright_Ops

Grimm Noir [Rebooting~]

Damn. I wish you luck going forward then.

Grimm Noir [Rebooting~]

Is it too late to join or are there still openings?

The Masque of the Dragon || Fantasy Dragons hiding among Humans

Droka

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.

The Masque of the Dragon || Fantasy Dragons hiding among Humans

Droka

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.

I've edited both the appearance and history. Hopefully this is better suited.

The Masque of the Dragon || Fantasy Dragons hiding among Humans

@Martian

I will admit, the idea I was going for was that Droka's 'human form' defaults into a humanoid dragon form because on some deep, central level there is a part of him that refuses to pretend to be human, therefore the closest it can get is something that would be closer to 'dragonkin' in other settings.

That being said, if you're not happy with that I can easily just have his 'ascended' form be an illusion.

As for the Masque, I feel like the reason that he's managed to escape being hunted down by them is because he hasn't broken the letter of the law; My understanding is that it is taboo to revel that magical creatures can take on a human form, but Droka has created his cult on the principle that humans can become magical creatures. It is also by its nature pro dragon... and I feel like if results towards 'ascension' can be established and proven, the rich and powerful would flock to it in droves. After all, it promises and promotes power and long life while being somewhat light when it comes to morality or values such as 'generosity' or 'charity'.

The Masque of the Dragon || Fantasy Dragons hiding among Humans

Droka

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:


Unlike most of those blessed with the ability to take a human form, Droka's form in vastly different due to just how inhuman it is. He has both horns and scales and in truth appears more akin to a human that has managed to acquire dragon features then a normal human; This was intentional in order to lay the groundwork for his great work.

The scale like golden armor that covers most of his body is in fact actual armor that can be removed, reveling that his natural flesh is covered in smooth, black scales while the pair of horns on his head remain a dark red. His eyes are still black and dragonic. He does not have wings in this form and his tail is more for balance then anything else as it follows in his wake.

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

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. On the sunset of the second day, 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 his 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 from human to dragon 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.

Droka has spent the decades since working on building his cult and striving to gather the resources and knowledge needed to achieve his goal of turning humans into dragons; His 'extended lifespan' in that he seems to have barely aged in over fifty years has given his end goal a great deal of weight among Nihn and his following, a lack of success in regards to 'recreating' the process that ascended Droka successfully has risen frustrations within his ranks.

Deciding that now seemed like a good time to recruit other dragons to his cause to get more input and rekindle enthusiasm in the project, Droka made a show of having a vision to go on pilgrimage south in order to 'seek out the guidance and wisdom of the ancient dragons of old'. With a cover story in place, Droka has finally started to head back home.

The Masque of the Dragon || Fantasy Dragons hiding among Humans

I will develop a character for this shortly. Through I suspect that the Council isn't going to like them or what they've been doing the last few decades.

A kings' political marriage plan- closed

@Mistress Dizzy

Once a girl starts talking about the finer points of rapiers, while an assumption is not assured to be correct an educated guess can be made.

A kings' political marriage plan- closed

@Mistress Dizzy

It was an interesting thing, watching the contrast between the shock and horror that was on her face as he told her of a sample of the political realities of Tushina to the spark and joy that came into her eyes as she spoke about her homeland. He privately made a mental note that she was somewhat obsessive about weaponry and that if she was to be his bride, it would be a good idea to do some study on the subject.

As she faltered, he couldn't help but feel the need to try and comfort her a little. "Don't be too harsh on him. If it was up to him I suspect he would have let you follow your heart when the time came, but alas he sits on the throne of Apura. It is the nature of thrones that while you may use one to impose your will on others, the throne imposes its will on you in turn."

A kings' political marriage plan- closed

@Mistress Dizzy

It appeared that letting the Princess have a say in what they did was the right option. Droka couldn't help but chuckle softly as he answered "For what it's worth, it's likely for the best. Because between you and me, I don't really know that many dances."

The question about his home country and why it might hurt him to talk about confused him for a moment... before he remembered mentioning the death of his half brother earlier. Perking up as understanding reached him, he chuckled again before explaining "Oh, you're not familiar with how Tushina... okay. I won't go into the full, in-depth details of the history of Tushina inheritance laws because it's so tangled up with religion and politics that I would literally need to give you the full history of Tushina in order to give everything the context it needs to make sense." The look on his face suggested that he was completely serious about that as well, but he took a quick breath as he slipped into teacher mode.

"The short, relevant briefing of it is that when it comes to inheritance, lands and titles are equally divided among the sons of the deceased... with it being split among the daughters only if there are no sons. Now this is all well and good for most people, but when it comes to the ruling family of Tushina it becomes something of a problem because historically it's a fairly fast way to kick start a civil war over succession. So the general practice is that the current ruler will go through their current selection of valid heirs and select one to be the heir of the throne. This decision can be changed with time and circumstance and isn't locked in... until either the ruler believes the end is coming or they suddenly die. Either way, standard procedure is for all valid pretenders and any male offspring they might have are to be executed as swiftly as possible to prevent the possibility of a succession crisis."

Despite the fact that most people would have been horrified by just hearing about such a brutal practice, let alone be one of the people who has to live with the possibility of being caught out by it, Droka seemed completely at ease. "Even without that hanging over our heads, my half brother was a complete ass and we didn't get along all that well. The fact that he's dead and I'm here to marry either yourself or one of your sisters more or less locks me in as the heir of Tushina so... if it looks like I'm strangely joyous about the death of my half brother and the possibility of an arranged marriage, it is because for the first time in my life the shadow of the executioner is not hanging over me."

"I would love to hear more about you and your kingdom through." He added, deciding to try and lighten the mood just a little.