Rai

Rai and Lilith's history found here

mate- Bluebell
nestmates- Lilith
close friends- Bluebell, Lilith, Eclypse, Felly, Dengri and several other Centaur members of the Roaan
((bonded familiars- Chimera, Double-Tailed Warcat))

as current clan leader of Aceraceae, Rai guides any clan-wide decisions and attempts to keep the peace. while he often has help from his mate, Bluebell, Rai is a very capable leader in his own right.

Rai's a stern, not necessarily "friendly" individual, but he makes up for this with abundant patience, respect, and a willingness to listen to suggestions/critiques from his clanmates in order to make Aceraceae a more harmonious place for all. he's still a rather stubborn leader, and will stick hard to whatever path he believes will best benefit all involved. truly, the biggest threat to Rai's will is himself-- he often gets stuck in his own head, constantly second-guessing his decisions and worrying over his clan's safety.

truthfully, Rai never wanted this position in the first place, but the job dropped unceremoniously onto his shoulders after Eclypse resigned (and after the job passed unsuccessfully from dragon to dragon afterwards). even now, Rai's not completely convinced he's the best choice for Aceraceae. however, any dragon can see that the Pearlcatcher's a natural leader-- he's inherently protective and level-headed, with a fierce resolve to provide for his clanmates. Aceraceae clearly thrives under Rai's guidance, even if he can't see it himself.

Rai's become fluent in Centaur language since living with them for several years, though other Beastclan languages are more difficult for him (his Talonok is decent, while his Serthis is atrocious). Rai's also grown adept at reading Fae body language, considering his close relationships with Bluebell, Eclypse, and Felly. Eclypse's spiritual communication is unexpectedly easy for him to parse, though it may just be in his analytical nature to dissect abstract data.

Rai suffers from weak joints, just as his sister does. while not as severe as Lilith's joint pains (as he didn't participate in as much battling as she), baseline joint issues of some sort seem to run in the family. Rai wears supportive bandages over many of his limbs for this reason. Eclypse, Felly, and Bluebell massage his joints whenever the pain gets particularly bad, though he's loathe to ask for help himself.

Rosales often helps the migraine-prone Pearlcatcher wind down through aromatherapy sessions. Ros and Lilith both worry constantly over Rai's high stress levels, but he'll hear none of it. rather than speak to him about his stress, Eclypse and Felly instead wove Rai the lei he currently wears, passing it off as a gift to help him seem more approachable to clanmates. Rai didn't miss the lavender interwoven with the violets, however, and could easily guess the true intent behind the gift (lavender being a common ingredient in Ros' aromatherapy). Rai appreciates the gesture, and treasures the delicate loop of fragrant flowers.

despite his age and failing joints, Rai will sometimes engage some of his Centaur friends in sparring matches when he's feeling energetic, reliving a favorite pastime of his youth. the matches have usually ended on fairly even ground, but as Rai grows older, he's beginning to lose more often.

Rai and Lilith’s original pearls have long been lost to the tides of time, neglected in favor of survival. since these two weren’t raised on typical Pearlcatcher values concerning pearls, they initially found little reason to start new pearls. once Aceraceae split off from the Roaan– and relations with other dragons increased– visiting Pearlcatchers encouraged the siblings to start new pearls, emphasizing their spiritual significance. while Rai and Lilith weren’t necessarily convinced that the pearls were their “souls”, they eventually gave in to forming new pearls. though it was more for the principle of the act– a sign of a fresh start and their ability to indulge in these simple pleasures as they hadn’t been able to in the past. Rai formed his new pearl around a smooth stone he took from the Roaan's inner territory-- a reminder of what he considers his true beginnings.