Alter

Partner: Forfax Best Friends: Zohar, Joel Relatives: Daisy Elemental Alignment: Plague Alignment: Neutral Good MBTI Type: ISTJ Theme Song: Where is Your Rider Name meaning: Yiddish "old." Given to sickly children in hopes of a long life.

Pronouns: He/Him/His Role: Chief of Guard Likes: Mystery novels, fried foods Dislikes: Swimming and water, caffeine Hobbies: Woodcarving Hoard: Feathers "You can fool a lot of yourself but you can't fool the soul. That worrier."

Home's solemn and terse Chief of Guard, Alter is responsible for managing the coliseum team, training fighters, and helping escort pilgrims towards the Beacon of the Radiant Eye (which, by charging a reasonable fee, is a steady source of Home's income, especially during the time leading up to Brightshine Jubilee). Despite his gruff exterior, he is known as a reliably gentle and patient teacher. He and his husband Forfax have a daughter, Daisy.

- Biography
One of the more unlikely members of Home's faculty board, Alter grew up an orphan deep in Plague. A natural at defensive magic, swordplay, and archery, he joined the Boneguard at a young age, and it's said that he was a general before he had grown into his wings. Alter never seemed as if he was made for Plague. A focus on survival above all else is well and good, he thinks, but Plague's relentless pursuit of survival of the fittest causes many purists to ignore or outright reject such "soft" things as poetry, music, stories - all the things that make life worth living. He was eventually forced to leave the Guard due to chronic health problems - he's always had a bad heart - that were made worse after a traumatic near-drowning incident. Nowadays, he's loathe to even go near a body of water. Though Alter has long since left the Boneguard behind, he is proud of his position as Home's chief guardian and devoted to keeping his home and family safe.

- Life at Home
Everyone at Home knows Alter simply because he's such a constant presence. He can often be found patrolling the perimeter, sitting in on his husband Forfax's classes, or walking his daughter Daisy to class, and he's a frequent volunteer to guest lecture on various topics such as swordplay, archery, or defensive and offensive magic. His practical and hands-on approach makes him a go-to lecturer for Home's professors who worry about students getting bogged down in theory. Alter's level-headed nature means he's also invaluable when it comes to negotiating and dealing with any legal issues - issues that often crop up when running an orphanage. He is not one of Home's legal experts but does know what he is talking about, and he can be counted on to make sure things are done properly without cutting corners.

- Relationships
Though he likes to present a front that is very world-weary and battle-hardened, Alter is one of Home's gentlest teachers. He can often seem irritable and impatient, but he's also reliable for his gentleness when dealing with young dragons, especially struggling students or hatchlings from difficult backgrounds. He doesn't have much patience for nonsense, and he does have a bit of an awkward side in social situations, but he always knows when he needs to be compassionate and speak gently to someone. Despite his cold and aloof exterior, he hates to see other dragons upset and is often the first to break tensions with a well-placed smart remark. Though not always the most emotionally available dragon, he cares deeply about his family at Home and does his best to ensure they all know he's always there for them. He's working hard on getting better at talking through his emotions, something Forfax has always been happy to help him with, and cares very much about being the father he never had for their daughter. Students at Home, especially those who are old enough to have had classes with Alter before, frequently look forward to his lectures, and some have been known to actually count down the days on their calendars - something Daisy often brings up to embarrass her father in public.

- Personality
Solemn, serious, and often tired, Lothur sometimes describes Alter as looking pretty much exactly like a pub carpet. Most dragons who know him best know that his perceived unfriendliness is just because he's genuinely awkward in unfamiliar situations. He takes pains to never let the young dragons at Home hear him get upset and tries to set the best example he can, and most of Home's young dragons truly do look up to him. To those who don't know him well, Alter can often seem very stoic, strict, and sarcastic, though the dragons he's closest to admire his level head and quick wit, as well as his natural sense of optimism and tenacity. He often comes across as very taciturn and difficult to get along with, and he's notoriously fussy, always picky with everything from food to music. He's the bane of the rest of Home's leadership for his absolute disregard for his own health, and the leadership board actually take turns making sure he's taking his medicine and eating appropriately. A very sickly dragon if he's not careful, Alter often worries about feeling like a burden, leading him to disregard medical advice. Cielo has threatened many times to sic Daisy on him if he doesn't keep up with his medicines. Alter still has a bit of a chip on his shoulder from his days in the Guard, and cold days when old scars start acting up are the only days he can be found to grow truly grumpy. Though he tends to be a self-contained dragon, Alter is respected and loved around Home for his dedication to keeping Home safe.