Cetus

At the edges of Clan LockCharge, there exists a group—or pod as they call themselves—of creatures. At first glance they look like Guardians, but although they come from the sea, they are distinct beings. They have no name for themselves that can be expressed in the common tongue of Sornieth, so the local dragons call them “Aequorrem”—an old name that means “deepsea creature.” Like all species in Sornieth, the Aequorrem come in different varieties, but to the dragons of Clan LockCharge, one Aequorrem looks much like another. Cetus is one of the larger varieties, a trait that made him an excellent warrior during his time in the depths. On land, his battle skills are just as sharp, but he prefers to live out his life peacefully with his mate, Scylla.

Alongside his beloved mate, Cetus is the proprieter of a shop that sells oceanside goods. Many of these have been collected by the Aequorrem during their time beneath the waves, and the various shells, rocks, treasures, and sundry that line the shelves are beyond compare. Still, the shop is mostly populated by visitors and tourists, and of those, few come back for a second visit. To his credit, Cetus does nothing to intentionally cause unfriendliness, but he struggles with the dialect and tone of the common tongue. Beneath the waves, he relied on body language to communicate his intentions, while on land, he struggles not to sound monotone. Unfortunately, to the fainthearted, Cetus’s terrifying appearance and rasping voice become threatening whether he intends it or not.

To those that understand him, Cetus is a good natured being who saves his fury for the battlefield. Scylla alleges that she fell in love with Cetus after seeing him defeat enemies in battle with a barbaric ferocity, but in truth, it is Cetus’s steady nature that won her over. He makes his decisions only after careful thought, and he does not hesitate in admitting his own errors. He became a warrior not for bloodshed or glory, but to protect his pod and his family from harm. Moreso than Scylla or the other pod members, Cetus longs to return to the depths someday, but with the departure of the Tidelord, the Aequorrum are convinced it is not yet safe. Still, Cetus does his best to schedule trips back to the coast so that he may see his homeland again. Thankfully, his business demands that he supply new artifacts and wonders to his customers, and it is this excuse that facilitates these excursions.

Were Scylla and Cetus a less trusting couple, she might suspect something improper about his solitary sojourns to their homeland. As it is, she has every confidence he will always return to her, and Cetus has not disappointed her. Cetus is one of the oldest members of his pod, and as such, he occupies a tentative position of leadership. Although the absolute decisions are made by their leader, Euryale, Cetus is seldom left unconsulted. He also informally handles many of the smaller disputes between members when Euryale is preoccupied with her council duties; however, he leaves disputes between Clan LockCharge members and the Aequorrem to Scylla, as her mastery of the language puts her at an ideal advantage.

Little known to the clan, “Cetus” and “Scylla” are not true names. The native tongue of the Aequorrem is nearly unpronounceable to most dragons, so the couple is unable to use their true names on land. Cetus and Scylla spent one of their first nights on land with their pod bestowing names on one another. The one who would be called Lorelei was the only one with any knowledge of the written word, and she supplied Cetus with a name out of a story she read, saying it was the name of a mighty Aequorrem from times past. For his part, Cetus likes his name, the hissing s comes easier to him than other sounds, and he tends to linger on these a hint longer than the other letters in his name. Still, nothing brings him more joy than hearing Scylla greet him every morning and night with his true name, an act which he reciprocates with her own.

Among the dragons of Clan LockCharge, Scylla and Cetus have few who would call themselves friends. Among the few are Bulk and Undertow. Although the other couple are not Aequorrem themselves, they’ve had dealings with pods in the past and have a passable understanding of the culture. Particularly, Bulk and Cetus share a desperate longing to return to the sea: Bulk to his ship and Cetus to the waves. Furthermore, they are both restrained by love. Bulk stays on land for the good of an ailing mate, and Cetus for the good of a pod. Although they do not complain of their burdens, they do share stories of the sea and reminisce joyfully on simpler times. Bulk is also one of the few dragons who can speak Cetus’s native tongue—with heavy alteration of course—and Cetus appreciates this part of their companionship.

Home is a thought that preoccupies Cetus incessantly. He is never sure when his pod will be able to return, but he hopes that each passing hour brings him closer to that day. In his heart, however, he fears that the pod will fall in love with the land as they once did with the sea and that all the forces of Sornieth will not be able to pull them back. Likely this fear is unfounded, but Cetus worries nonetheless. For this reason, Cetus is reluctant to hatch a nest with Scylla, despite her pleading. He fears the thought of having children who breath the cold, dry air before the salty water; he fears that the land will make them less Aequorrem than Dragon, and above all, he fears they will entice him to stay. No, at night he wishes to dream only of the day when he can sink beneath the waves, and watch the stars go out, one by one, until only the blessed abyss of home remains.