Raven
Oct 29, 2022 22:36:34 GMT -5
Post by raven on Oct 29, 2022 22:36:34 GMT -5
Raven
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Race: Dragonkin
Nationality: Zeinav City, Zeinav Desert (Currently, originally Sky Peak in Dragon’s Cradle)
Appearance:
While Dragonkin take many different shapes Raven is of the particular variation that bears a primarily humanoid shape with the notable exceptions of the draconically shaped head and tail. Standing at an imposing 8 feet (244 centimeters) tall with overlapping black scales coating his entire body he has a bulky physique with large shoulders, barrel chest, broad back, and strong limbs. His scales are neither rough nor dull but smooth and gleam slightly like polished obsidian, lacquer, or wrought iron. Along the edges of the scales where they flex and rub when Raven moves some of them seem to have taken on a silvery sheen, perhaps from the wear. His tail extends 4 feet (122 centimeters) and is just long enough to brush the ground unless held specifically to prevent that situation, this can sometimes prove a nuisance both to himself and others. While he both can and does choose to wear cloths in the human fashion Raven neither has nor understands a sense of modesty when it comes to nudity since, as with most reptiles, his reproductive organs are contained internally beneath his scales until needed. Thus even an undressed Raven is still, in a manner of speaking, dressed even if most other species would not understand the logic of it at first. As a result a somewhat baffled Raven has taken to this human custom as a matter of courtesy, but has been notoriously unsuccessful in acquiring a sense of fashion. His choices in attire vary but seldom adhere to common sense, much less normal custom, unless someone else lends a helping hand in picking out his cloths.
Looking at him in greater detail Raven’s elongated snout contains a fearsome set of crocodile like teeth along with a long/facile snake like tongue set in a crocodile like jaw capable of both crushing force and unhinging to bite/swallow large prey. Those large teeth are only somewhat covered by a set of semi-mobile and semi-rigid toughened lips. Two nasal slits rest in the center of the front of the snout above the upper lip, but as with snakes their function is secondary while drawing air over the tongue is the primary means of detecting smells. Set behind and to either side of the snout in gaze hunter position are a pair of multi-lidded eyes with both a tough outer lid that is opaque and an inner semi-firm transparent membrane that both protects the eye and cleans it without impairing vision when needed. The eyes themselves have a sclera of a purple so deep that in low light it can easily be mistaken for black and a vertically slit pupil surrounded by a golden iris. Just above the eyes is a slight horizontal ridge of bone extending into a protective bulwark just above the eyes. Extending from this ridge of bone in two parallel ridges of cartilaginous material covered in scales reaching from the forehead over the crown and down the back of the neck to either side of the spine while only an inch or two in height acts as display, a hearing organ through bone conduction, and a secondary support structure for the neck which must support a larger/heavier head than most humanoids. These ridges as well as the powerful jaw and thick neck muscles are tied into the large back and chest muscles to add additional support.
Raven’s hands consist of 3 primary fingers and an opposable thumb. Each of these fingers is slightly longer, thicker, and stronger when compared to a human’s fingers individually. This is largely evolutionary due to each of Raven’s fingers being tipped with a claw and needing the strength to use them as weapons. His feet however have evolved in a slightly more humanoid shape. While still only possessing 4 digits (all with claws) they all point in the same direction just as human feet do. Raven’s tail tapers from the small of his back/his backside for about 3 feet (about 1 meter) before flaring out into a blunt arrowhead like shape at the end. This odd shape is due to the somewhat larger and denser bone that caps the end of the tail, both protecting it and making it a formidable weapon.
When in motion Raven’s head, neck, and tail move and position in very reptilian ways while his torso and limbs move in a manner partway between reptilian and feline despite their humanoid configuration. This feline grace combined with unusually strong but hollow bones and abnormally large lungs allow Raven to move more lightly and with greater ease than his size would initially indicate. When still however he holds to the unnatural stillness of the predator poised to pounce. Some common body language cues include: a ducking of the snout to guard the throat while spreading arms/legs slightly when defensive/feeling threatened, rapid flicking in and out of the tongue and/or twitching of the tail back and forth when either very interested and/or focused, short sharp side to side cocking of the head when confused or uncertain, and the scraping together of claws/snaping of jaws/strong whipping of tail often indicates tension or frustration.
In the circumstance where Raven is injured and bleeding his blood is purple rather than red, as is typical for humans and many other species. A healthy arterial flow is a deep dark purple while a weaker or unoxygenated flow would be paler. When unhealthy, poisoned, or otherwise contaminated the color can be tinged somewhat and thus aid diagnosis. When recovering from injuries Raven regrows his scales and the thick leathery skin they are attached to more easily than one of his true dragon ancestors would have, ironically his branch of Dragonkin’s fall from the majesty of dragons led them to acquire certain more terrestrial reptilian qualities including that of skin shedding/regrowth. Thus the outer layer of scales and thick leathery purplish skin beneath are protective layers over a pale and significantly more vulnerable inner skin that is not shed but grows with the Dragonkin. The amount of time it takes to regrow and get used to new skin/scales depends on the degree of damage, how badly the Dragonkin is injured, the availability of food/water in sufficiently large quantity, and any potential magical assistance.
Personality:
As in most people, whether they know it or not, there is one primary factor that drives and corrupts all that Raven is/does/believes. That force is the desire—one might even call it obsession—to be more than he is, gain more than he has, and accomplish more than he has. In short it is both a desire to improve/better himself (which is entirely laudable) and a fiercely driving sense of greed (which is decidedly not laudable at all). These two aspects, intertwined and interchangeable, are two sides of the same coin which Raven both gambles with abandon and hordes like a miser. This sort of drive is perhaps not too surprising in one from a race descended of dragons with their legendary greed but then again few individuals had either cause or reason to spend extended periods of time socializing with gigantic monsters that saw them primarily as “clever meat.”
While Raven’s personality (as any individual’s would be) is multifaceted with each facet itself being multilayered it can, in the most general terms, be summed up in four broad categories. Those categories are predatory, prideful, ambitious, and tenacious. All of these categories possess positive, negative, and neutral qualities but still only scratch the surface of who Raven is as a person.
A predator through and through Raven is always observing, calculating the angles (physical or mental), and can become quite ill tempered when something interferes with accomplishing his goal. He is intensely focused when interested/motivated but distinctly distracted/distractable when uninterested/unmotivated. As with all predators Raven enjoys the hunt itself every bit as much as the accomplishment of the kill at the end; as a result the mental/psychological battlefield of manipulation and trickery are just as enjoyable as an actual hunt. It is the thrill of a challenge that drives him and the greater the challenge the greater the drive. This tendency to thrive off of challenges has it’s downside as it can cause Raven to be reckless at times.
As one within whom the blood of dragons—no matter how diluted or distant—flows Raven feels an immense sense of pride and even arrogance. He believes that suffering indignities is only acceptable when they are in service of a greater goal, in which case they are not merely acceptable but a badge of honor as they demonstrate that you are a superior creature capable of withstanding hardship for a greater goal. When such a goal is not served by accepting/enduring indignities Raven can be both intolerant and vengeful. At the same time his sense of pride causes him to hold promises/oaths as sacred and inviable, willing to do and sacrifice anything to fulfill one. Of course the corollary is also the case where he expects others to keep their word just as assiduously with dire consequences to those who do not.
While neither ebullient nor outspoken about it a quiet fierce ambition burns at Raven’s core and underpins all else that makes him who he is. The core of this ambition is an unreasoning, and perhaps unreasonable, ambition to become a powerful and magnificent true dragon rather than some watered down offshoot branch descendant race. From this all of Raven’s other ambitions to improve himself and his circumstances arise, and circle back…eventually. Although he is unsure how he will accomplish his goal, or even if it can be done, every choice gets factored into a complex everchanging equation factoring what will and what will not aid his long term goals. As the accomplishment of those goals is fairly mirky those calculations could be called “convoluted” at best and “insane” at worst. As a result Raven tends to prefer to gravitate towards people who’s ambitions could align/aid his own, these typically being people with grand ambitions regardless of their chances of success.
Of all qualities perhaps the most widely commented on is Raven’s tenacity. Whether it is the patience of waiting for something to happen without allowing himself to falter, facing a fearsome foe regardless of the wounds suffered, or tirelessly debating a clever opponent for hours on end his determination and grit is clear. Sometimes, however, this tenacity can rear an uglier head in the form of stubbornness and/or ruthlessness when his ire is roused. For Raven when the going gets tough he just needs to be tougher, when a wall gets dropped in his path and there is no easy way around it he just needs to knock it down, and when someone says he can’t do something…clearly a challenge! Then of course there is the stubborn way in which his sense of greed is displayed; once he decides something is his, whether that be property or friendship, it is his forever and god help you if you try to take it from him!
History:
Raven’s story began with an elderly mystic of Sky Peak village called “Old Wan” who lived near the edge of the village and would often trek down into the mountains alone and without explanation or word to anyone to the exasperation of all. One day he stumbled upon a cave during a storm and was about to seek shelter when a large humanoid shape with a dragon shaped head came to the entrance and tossed something out. It rumbled words that Old Wan could hear only faintly as “Ill luck, let the ravens feast on you.” With this the creature retreated and Old Wan moved to examine what seemed to be a leathery egg. Being a kind thoughtful man at heart he took the egg and made the long trek back home despite the storm.
With a bit of common sense and careful application of his abilities Old Wan managed to hatch the egg after some time. While there was some consternation and confusion there was little concern with the matter as the village was perfectly capable of dealing with the new little creature if need be and they were quite used to eccentricities. Growing up Raven was educated by Old Wan but had no name until he was 5 as his mentor believed that one either selects their own name or is simply called something. When Raven asked about himself Old Wan related the story of his finding and the only words he had heard Raven’s supposed parent speak. With this Raven grew thoughtful rather than angry or sad as Old Wan had expected before saying “Then I will swallow that insult and use it to become stronger, I will be the Raven they wished to feed me to and feed on the strong to become stronger still.”
As Raven grew to full stature he learned many diverse and strange things from many of the villagers but primarily he became used to his own body and the healing arts which were one of Old Wan’s areas of expertise. He constantly told Raven that healing was a valuable talent to have, not only because it could aid oneself but because others would value it when otherwise they would see only a potentially violent monster. This made sense to Raven: anything that helped to advance his goals was to be pursued and he took to the lessons with unusual concentration. When Raven reached adulthood he no longer felt he could remain in the self-isolated village if he wanted to ever see his ambitions come true. So he set out to explore the world for a number of years before finally deciding to set up a basecamp in Zeinav City from where he would have equally good access to anywhere in the continent he might need to go to accomplish his goals.
((NOTE: I will be improving on his history soon, I just wanted to get the basics posted up.))