( @Nahashsan )

Deep in the jungle, a mysterious pool sat, undisturbed by person or beast. It glowed softly, casting an eerie green light on the lush vegetation surrounding it. Occasionally, a bubble broke the surface of the viscous fluid.

Suddenly, the lone, screaming figure of Connor Evans plummeted out of the sky. He splashed into the pool with a thick schlurp. Panicking, he fought his way to the surface and spilled out onto the shore. Rising to his hands and knees, he proceeded to wretch and spit up a sizeable amount of both the mysterious substance and his dinner.

"Oh God, what is this shit..." he moaned queasily.

When he finally looked up and saw jungle, he muttered, "The fu... How-where?"

Physical Description
Connor is an out-of-shape young man with brown hair in a bowl cut. He has tired, green eyes that seem to belong to someone much older. His complexion is clear, save for a few freckles.

Personality
Connor hated nearly everything about his life in his world. When you're told you've "always been a loser and will always be a loser" enough times, you start to believe it. So, above all, he dreams of escaping his circumstances. He just lacks the resolve to make something of himself in a world where he's always felt like an outsider. He's not the brightest, the strongest, the most attractive, or even remotely popular.

He compensates for his unhappiness with irreverent humor, which often gets him into fights he can't win. What friends he has are on the internet, because he can't stand the people he actually knows. Maybe if he got out of his parents' basement, he'd actually get some traction.

Magic/Abilities
Well, the damn goo did something.

Relationships

History
Connor grew up in a small suburb in Colorado, in the good ol' USA. Chronically unpopular in school, he passed through his childhood practically invisible to his peers and even most adults. College was better, but he couldn't handle the pressure and dropped out. Ever since, he's drifted from one dead-end, minimum-wage job to another, seemingly unable to keep one for more than a few months.

This changed when he rode his motorcycle home after being fired from his latest job. It was dark and rainy and he was miserable, so he didn't see the railing until it was too late. He crashed headlong into it, sending himself flying over the edge of a cliff into the dark.

He splashed down into something thicker than water. Upon climbing out, he found himself deep in what he would later discover to be the Kishahn Jungle. The odd tingle on his skin told him that he had landed in—and swallowed some of something strange. Disgusted and confused, he began trying to figure out where the hell he was.

Physical Description
Siegfried is a moderately tall man with lighter-than-average copper skin. He possesses medium-length dark hair, bright red eyes, a chiseled jaw, and is generally considered a handsome man.

Zyrvanak Is a rare breed of dragon with dark, metallic gray-purple scales that glitter blue in the right light and silvery blue ventral scales. He possesses a pair of curved horns and a bright blue fin running down the length of his neck.  The edges of his wings match his fin. The end of his tail curiously resembles the tailfin of a tiger shark.

Personality
Sieg isn't as dedicated to duty as his military family would like. He will follow orders but has little interest in doing any more work than is required. What he does show interest in is using the allure of his position to impress men and women alike, though his tales of daring adventure are almost certainly untrue.

Zy, however, lives for action and adventure. He is never happier than when in the thick of battle in service of a noble cause. He does his best to keep Sieg on task and the two seem to argue half the time, but he would die for his partner and the feeling is mutual.

Magic/Abilities
Siegfried
 - Military Training
 - Skilled with blunt weapons
 - Beastspeaking: Able to speak to dragons, birds of prey, and cats.
 
 Zyrvanak: Lightning breath weapon

Relationships
Zyrvanak - His bonded mount and best friend.
House Fulbright - Sieg's noble military family
 - General Abel Fulbright: His father
 - Lady Elizabeth Fulbright: His mother, a distinguished dragon rider herself.
 - Hyandanar: The Lady's partner, Zy's mother.

History
Born into a prestigious military family, Sieg was always under intense pressure to excel. And he did try; he joined the dragon rider corps at an early age and did quite well for himself.  He loves his dragon, he loves flying, and he truly loves serving his country. But it was never enough for his father. The General expected greatness, not simply success. Eventually, Sieg stopped trying to meet his father's expectations and began giving his duties the minimum effort. He is content to advance no further.

Zy met Sieg as a mere hatchling, born to Lady Fulbright's dragon partner. He is a special breed, instantly setting him apart from the dragons provided to commoners joining the corps. Seeing Sieg as a brother and as a friend, he was sad to see his rider lose his ambition and will never forgive the General for driving it out of him.

Physical Description
The form he presents when attempting normal interaction is that of a tall man with long blue hair, dressed in dark, old-fashioned finery. His face, however, appears, at first glance, to be hidden behind a small dragon skull. But that is his face.

Personality
Despite being many souls combined, Mulciber is a lonely being who longs to become truly alive but knows that can never be. Ever since he became aware of his own existence, he has done his best to be a friend to those who find themselves in his home─or to be a hospitable host if not that.

Magic/Abilities
Shapeshifting - As a mass of spiritual energy, his shadowy body can take a variety of forms. Aside from size, his head cannot change.
Matter Manifestation -  He can create anything that any of his individual spirits died with, including bones and occasional limbs. These always melt back into his mass when they are no longer needed.

Relationships

History
All but lost to the forest, Bloodwood Keep has lain abandoned for centuries. According to legend, the House of Bloodwood was a noble family true to the word. The people of their lands adored their lord and his family, for they were generous and kind. But there was a dark ambition behind that kindness. Some say the lord went insane; others say that one of the sons had an affinity for necromancy. What all can agree on is that an explosion of power washed over the castle, killing everyone within. Ever since, the locals have treated it as a haunted, cursed place.

They are right. Within its walls exists a dark spirit born of that tragedy: Mulciber. Yet, contrary to local superstition, it is not malicious. Those who venture inside with no ill intent are either left alone or treated as guests. Most of the dead were servants, after all. However, those with ill intent are shown just how much of a horror he can be.

[ @DragonSong Continued From ]

After saying their goodbyes to Rosamund, the trio set off into the mountains. They intended to hike to the Skyspear and, well, figure out the rest when they got there.

Currently, they were passing through a small, windswept valley between two jagged peaks. It was desolate, devoid of any signs of life. Or so they believed.

Physical Description Ivan is a large beast possessing a leonine head, four triangular ears, a muscular body, the front legs of a dragon, the hind legs of a lion, and a long and powerful tapered tail ending in a toothy secondary maw. He is covered in dense red fur with an orange razor-mane and a reddish-orange underside. His head is decorated by a pair of curved horns made of a hard material resembling obsidian, engraved with magical runes of an unknown language.

Personality
Ivan is, understandably, going through Some Shit (tm). He was a good, God-loving, magic-fearing Connloathian, a proud warrior for Ansgar, and a loving fiancée. He is deeply troubled by suddenly finding himself as a being of filthy magic, a monster to be cleansed. Yet the power inside his bestial frame didn't feel wicked; it felt like a natural part of him. He was always taught that magic was an inherently unnatural force, draining life from the world. Now, he has doubts but tells himself that those aren't his true thoughts; he is simply processing feeling forsaken by his god.

Ivan is brave, loyal, and intelligent. He has long taken pride in being forgiving and open-minded, even if he put his faith before those things if there was a conflict. He loves nature and animals, but obviously he didn't want to be one.

Magic/Abilities
Fire Beam - He can launch a beam of fire from the space between his horns.
Regenerative Healing
Night Vision
Fireproof

Relationships
Maerwynn - The woman he was to marry.

History
Ivan was an Ansgarian cleric whose order was dedicated to the cataloging and cleansing of ancient sites in Connloath. Sometimes this involved merely nullifying enchantments, but other times it involved slaying monsters, so he had to be a priest, a warrior, and a scholar. His life was dangerous, but good. He was a rising star in the order and had won the heart of a woman above his station.

Then he lost everything. While exploring a ruin that had been uncovered by miners, he entered the wrong chamber at the wrong time. Bathed in reflected moonlight, the chamber's magic was activated and he was washed in flames. However, they did not burn. Instead, they twisted his flesh into a monstrous new form and he found himself outside. Unable to yet speak with his new mouth, he could do nothing to explain himself to his comrades as they tried to kill him. Injured and not wanting to die, he fled into the mountains to seek refuge elsewhere.

[ Continued From ]

A week into the voyage aboard the Adamant Lady, Hana and Thrax were given the rare opportunity to enjoy each other's company on deck. The bard held her close as they watched the waves roll by. Remarkably, his seasickness had yet to rear its ugly head.

Physical Description
At first glance, Solomon appears to be a tall, well-toned human with deep-set steel blue eyes, a strong jaw, a smooth scalp, and a short, black beard. But if one's gaze lingers, they will notice a gray cast to his bronze complexion, a sharpness to his smile, and webbing between his digits.

Personality
Solomon is a man of powerful will, determined to aid those his homeland would prefer to erase. He is loyal to his crew, treating them like family, but not to the point that he won't severely punish those who step out of line. While not always nice or even kind, he strives to be as noble as he can be and still maintain the respect of his crew and the fear of his enemies.

Magic/Abilities
Waterbreathing
Expert Swimmer
Water Magic - Being the son of a sea god grants him a large pool of power to draw on. So, he can do a great many things with water.
Shapeshifting - He has inherited the ability to change into either a humanoid shark creature or an actual shark. However, he hasn't yet learned to entirely suppress the animal bloodlust such forms bring.

Relationships
Riptide Marauders - His crew.
Teura - Yoreiqi shark god, patron of hunters. His father.

History
Solomon was conceived by a widowed Connloathian tradeswoman during a trip to Yoreiq, after a brief relationship with a local. He neglected to tell her he was, in fact, one of the many Yoreiqi sea gods. When the boy was born, she was shocked to discover his grayish skin and webbed digits. Yet, to her credit, she chose to raise him even when her family demanded she abandon the half-breed child.

As soon as he was old enough, she returned to work and gave her strange son a job as a deckhand. At least, until she died slightly into his fifteenth year. Needing work, young Solomon joined up with the Connloathian Trade Alliance, a loose affiliation of merchants and the mercenaries they task with patrolling the coast.

His captain, preying on his desperation, tricked him into signing a contract that put him in a position only a step removed from that of an indentured slave. Over the next few years, he was forced to use his supernatural strength to fight and kill, and he was very good at it. The cruelty and abuse he was subjected to over those years slowly stoked a fire within him that could only be quelled with blood.

Then came the civil war and, with it, his chance. Unrest grew among the mages on the crew, and, along with other crewmen the captain had swindled, a plan was hatched. The resulting mutiny resulted in the deaths of every member of the crew who refused to denounce Ansgar or his hypocritical, misguided followers. And so, the heretical Riptide Marauders were born, with Solomon as captain.

Over the next ten years, the Marauders grew rapidly into a small fleet, targeting ships of the Trade Alliance, other pirates, and anyone that saw fit to oppress others. They grew enough to funnel money and supplies into various underground movements. Captain Solomon "Sawtooth" Newgate, the man his men called the "Duke of Hivan" had become a force to be reckoned with.

Physical Description
Styg is a hulking crocodilian humanoid with black scales and, oddly kind, blue reptilian eyes. There is a long scar along the length of his snout, giving him something reminiscent of a permanent sneer.

Personality
Styg is, or at least tries to be, a nice guy. But the temper of an Rah-Souk is a thing best not tested. The fact that he doesn't kill anyone who angers him says volumes about how different he is from the rest of his kin. He just wants to live in peace, but he absolutely will thrash you if you start breaking shit in his establishment. Or, you know, if you try to kill someone.

Abilities
Skilled Warrior
Brewmaster

Relationships
Ember Sunreaver - Father. High General of House Sunreaver.

History
Born under an eclipse and with rare black scales, Styg was supposed to be the ideal Rah-Souk: big, strong, merciless, a god king who would usher in a new age of empire. But it was not to be. As a child, it became evident that he didn't have the killer instinct of a true Rah-Souk.

His father, Ember, High General of House Sunreaver, tried everything to put his son on the right path. It worked for a time; by the time he was of age, he was killing and pillaging with the best of them. But, as time rolled on, he grew more and more dissatisfied with the life of a Rah-Souk warrior. When others caught wind of his weakness, Ember had no choice but to send his disappointment of a son into exile.

Styg was happy to leave his life of violence behind. So he traveled to Essyrn in search of a way to provide for himself without distasteful barbarity. Selling his, admittedly ill-gotten, valuable, he purchased an inn. But although he tried to build up a reputable business, the simple fact of his strength and menacing appearance attracted a certain kind of rough clientele that he could never manage to dissuade.

Racial Description
The Rah-Souk are a large, powerfully built race of crocodilian humanoids with broad snouts that are somewhat shorter than their animal counterparts. Males range from 6'8" to 7'4", while females range from 5'9" to 6'5". They come largely in greens and browns, but they have also been known to come in other colors. Those of rare colors are often venerated, especially black. As for their eyes, they come in a wide variety of bright colors.

Society
Rah-Souk culture is savage, brutal, and cruel. Strength is valued above all else, and the weak are either exiled, if they are lucky, or culled, if they aren't. They prefer to live near bodies of fresh water but have been known to travel great distances for food and conquest.

They generally despise human society, not hesitating to kill humans on sight if they think they can get away with it. This is because they resent humanity's rise to dominance over stronger races like themselves. They also believe the lands currently ruled by Essyrn and other Moraki cultures are rightfully theirs, for they are descendants of an ancient empire lost to the desert. And they will rise again.

They live in clans modeled after the great houses of their supposed Black Sun Empire, each led by a High General who rules with an iron fist. These brutal leaders brook no argument and, unless defeated in combat, are allowed to do whatever they want to whoever they wish.

Names
Given names are based on a distinguishing physical characteristic, while family names usually reference the sun and/or something violent.

Gender and Sexuality
By virtue of physical power, males dominate Rah-Souk society. Females are viewed as mates and mothers, except in cases where one proves herself stronger, usually through magical means. Those who are anything outside of binary gender are seen as an unwelcome aberration contributing to their decline and are, at best, shunned.

Diet
They have a purely meat-based diet but eat far less than their bulk suggests.

Views on Magic
Magic, most typically fire, darkness, or primal, is most prevalent among females and is thus seen as a female pursuit. True Rah-Souk warriors fight with toot, claw, and weapon.

Style
They tend to wear little so as not to impede their ability to swim more than necessary. What they do wear usually has a defensive or other martial purpose. However, those living in exile tend to follow whatever fashion is preferred by the land in which they find themselves.

Religion
The Rah-Souk primarily worship a warrior sun god they call Vashtept, who they believe is best served through battle. His counterpart, the moon goddess Tamanet, rules the underworld, where the weak are purified and the strong are rewarded with an existence of unending war. Eclipses are said to be when Vashtept and his mate are in communion.

Physical Description
Ghaej hides his face under a bronze mask. Likewise, he hides every inch of his body under desert travel clothes. This is because anyone who looks directly into his eyes is slowly drained of energy. He is tall, with a dark complexion, sharp facial features, and red eyes. His cheekbones, the bridge of his nose, and the line of his jaw are marked with thorns.

Personality
Ghaej has lived long enough to become somewhat apathetic about the lives of people around him. Worse still, due to his curse's effects on others, he is feared and hated by society. However, that is not to say he doesn't care enough to act if the given situation speaks to his former heroic aspirations. Though desperately lonely, he is simply afraid of getting attached to anyone he'll eventually have to watch die or who might become attached to him. Once you get past his emotional armor, he's a kind soul who wants to do good. He just needs help to break through lifetimes of desperately trying to stop caring.

Magic/Abilities
Expert Swordsman
Immortality - He can be wounded, even severely, but cannot die. He always heals, though, and far faster than any normal man.
Moonblade - A school of combat light magic specializing in conjuring or enhancing shields and weapons on the fly. Practitioners may also extend the reach of swords by launching crescent blades. This school is strongest at night, and stronger still under a full moon.
Draining Gaze - Anyone who looks into his eyes is slowly drained of energy. They cannot break eye contact without a strong will, or if he looks away.

Relationships
None yet.

History
Once upon a time in Essyrn, there lived a captain of the Immortal Guard. He was brave and true, beloved by both the people and the Shah. But he had a secret; he was in love with one of the Shah's wives—the most beautiful, in fact—and she was with him. The affair went on for years without the Shah suspecting a thing.

One day, he was ordered to travel to a remote oasis to retrieve the heart of a monstrous tree that legend referred to as The Marrowsapper. With his skills with magic and the blade, he triumphed over the monster. However, when he returned, it was not to a reward for a job well done, for the Shah knew he had been betrayed.

The captain's love was executed before his very eyes, and he was forced to eat the heart. This is because, once eaten, it would render a person immortal but cursed to a lonely existence, unable to show their face without being seen as a monster. Anyone who meets their gaze will suffer. The captain was forced to eat it and thus became an eternal wanderer, seeking companionship but being forever afraid of both hurting the people around him and being hurt by them.

But that may just be about to change...

Physical Description
Einhardt is a large, stocky man with more than a bit of muscle. He has somewhat wild, shoulder-length dark red hair, bright orange eyes, sharp teeth, pointed ears, and hairless eyebrows adorned with broad spikes. He also possesses a quartet of horns that appeared to be made of the same dark granite-like material as his skin. There is a broad spike upon each elbow and knee, and fingers and toes tipped with sharp claws that blend seamlessly into his flesh--five fingers, but three toes at the end of digitigrade legs. From his back extend large draconic wings and, from his torn pants, a long, tapered tail with a webbed spade at the tip.

Personality
Einhardt is a bluntly honest, hard-working soul with a bullish temper. He is racked with guilt over the sins of his past and seeks a new life that he can't quite secure.

Magic/Abilities
Inhuman Strength
Tough Hide
Flight
Accelerated Healing

Relationships
Vander - a farm dog turned into a creature by a combination of a parasitic infection and the ingestion of Eins's blood.
Nani - A Yoreiqi paladin bound to him.

History
Einhardt lived most of his life as a human, ignorant of his true self. He was once known as The Crimson Ogre, the leader of a bandit gang operating out of Tintintin. He was feared throughout the area for his strength and ferocity, and he enjoyed every minute of it. One day, however, everything changed.

While on his own one day, he came across a young boy being attacked by wolves. He didn't know why, but he suddenly found himself jumping between the boy and the beasts. He fought them until they gave up, saving the boy. The child, amazed by Ein's strength and fearlessness, celebrated him as a hero.

Later, the men on watch sounded the alarm as an intruder was found. He gave the order to kill the poor fool who would dare spy on them. He was too preoccupied to give anyone a chance to question it. It wasn't until later that he saw the body.

He had told the boy to go home. He had seen the boy head towards town. Why the hells had he followed him? The man had taken pride in the fact that they never truly hurt innocent people. But the boy was dead, and his belief that he was still fundamentally decent was broken beyond his ability to mend.

So he quit.

Looking for a fresh start, he went east. There, he used what honestly-gained money he had to buy a small patch of land. He used his strength to build a humble home and began life as a simple farmer. And that is what he was until a terrifying blight ravaged his town, transforming man and beast alike into ravenous monstrosities. If it wasn't for his strange new friend from Yoreiq, he would have perished.

Traveling with her, he has finally begun to forgive himself. And, reaching his hometown, he has discovered the reason for the anger that led him astray; his mother had him enchanted to hide what he really is. Now free of his human shell, he seeks to discover his roots high in the Thunderblacks.

Physical Description
Watt is a squat suit of steel-gray armor whose front resembles a stove or, in another time, a furnace. His hands are wrapped in yellow leather mittens, and he wears a red cape.

Personality
Curious and kind, Watt is a pacifist who is eager to be friends with anyone and anything. That is, unless one of his friends is sufficiently endangered, then he can be quite violent and destructive.

Magic/Abilities
Opposing Elements: Watt is a being of water and fire; his ability to actively wield one or the other depends on his mood: water and gentle steam when peaceful, and fire and scalding steam when enraged.

Relationships
None

History
Watt just kind of woke up one day without memories.

@Rhindeer

---

Zephyr drifted into the town of Valen, on the border of Vythe and Highheart, as if with the breeze. He hadn't been separated from her for long, but already he missed his daughter. For this reason, his hair and clothes were a little more gray than usual. Touching the stone hidden under his shirt for reassurance, he closed his eyes and wished he could still touch the soul that dwelled there. But it was enough to tell him he wasn't alone.

With a sigh, he headed towards the tavern to find out what was happening around town. There was always a reason Fate led him where it did—some injustice he was meant to correct. It was a role he had begun to hate.

Physical Description
Aeris is a looming humanoid wolf with gray-brown fur and golden eyes. He wears leather armor and simple hide clothing, along with steel pauldrons harvested from a fallen enemy. He also wears a red cape, a sign of his status as leader.

Personality
Aeris is a noble soul burdened with having to do ignoble things to protect both his pack and all the packs of the Kilanthro wolves. He is a terrific ally to have, but a terrible enemy to make. Even out of battle, he doesn't relax; a crisis could come at any moment.

Magic/Abilities
All the strengths of wolf and a man combined. But unlike a true werewolf, he doesn't regenerate wounds and isn't capable of spreading the curse to anyone but his children.
Highly proficient with an array of large melee weapons.
Also highly skilled in fighting with a pair of large daggers strapped to his arms.

Relationships
Adoptive big brother of Shyla Ulfar
Alpha of the Red Howlers

History
When he was nearly ten years old, he discovered a small child wandering through the mountains. She was blind and helpless, so he brought her back to the pack. She quickly became like a sister to him.

Having someone to protect drove him to become the best warrior he could be. Through intense training, he became the best fighter and tactician of his generation. At twenty, he rose to the position of alpha when the previous one, his uncle, fell to his death.

Four years later, he is nearing his twenty-fifth year. With fewer than five years left before the family curse takes him, he has redoubled his efforts to break the spell plaguing his bloodline. He doesn't plan on leaving Shyla yet.

Physical Description
He's a crow, not much else to say.

Personality
While not suspicious and opportunistic by nature, life on the street has taught him to suppress a kinder nature in order to survive. But, underneath that, he is brave and fiercely loyal to those he considers friends.

Magic/Abilities
Beastspeaking
Bird Stuff

Relationships
The Black Coyotes: A small-time band of street kids trying to survive in Ketra by whatever means they can. These means are usually illegal.

History
Grimr was born the son of a prostitute in Ketra. She did her best to raise him alone, but when he was six, she got sick. It wasn't long before she died, and he found himself sent to an orphanage. His years there were miserable; the staff was cruel, the food was scarce, and nearly nobody ever got adopted. It was a place to pack away the unwanted, nothing more.

When he was twelve, he and his few friends escaped with the belief that they would be better off living on the street than spending one more minute in that place. And they were right; they were less hungry as thieves, and infinitely more free. They joined up with a few other kids and called themselves the Black Coyotes, after the animalistic features of their leader.

Things were good for the next three years, with Grimr rising in the ranks above some of the older kids. He was clever and quick, almost as quick as the boss himself. He was skilled enough that when a mage offered to pay the gang to steal something from a rival for him, the boss sent Grimr.

It was supposed to be an easy job: get in, find the spellbook, get out. No one was supposed to be home, but the owner returned early. A fight ensued, and when the dust settled, Grimr's knife was in the mage's chest. With their dying breath, they cursed the boy to spend the rest of his days in a form befitting his crime: a crow.

Beastspeaking may be common among mages in Adela, but nobody he knew could understand it. So he fled the city to live in the countryside and search for anyone who could make him human again.

[ @DragonSong ]

[ Continued From ]

---

It was a nice cool day when Kit touched down in front of the Caviin home. The house wasn't exactly a manor, but it was large for a commoner in that part of Serendipity. The location, however, was a dream; the view of the modest port that stretched out below the cliff was every bit as breathtaking as Grav had said it was.

Grav breathed deep the salty air and sighed happily, "Gods... I missed that smell."

[ @DragonSong ]

[ Continued From ]

---

The campfire danced in Grav's blue eyes as he watched the flames. He was busy trying to wrap his head around his near death and the fact that he was fresh out of excuses to not confront the issue of Kiara's feelings for him. And Kit was doubtlessly about to ask again about the former.

[ Continued From ]

Thrax stepped off of the ship and set foot in Thanatos for the first time. Immediately, he dropped to quickly kiss solid ground. He had spent half of his first sea voyage hugging the deck rail and was extremely relieved to be on land again.

"Oh, sweet Mother Earth, how I missed your firm bo--" don't say bosom "--how I missed you!"