Nothopanus

_-___Nothopanus ___-_The Mathematician

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Nothopanus has always had a knack for patterns. He spent a lot of time with his mother as a hatchling, learning about physics and electronics in her lab, but he was mostly interested in the theoretical background and the equations and proofs behind everything. It didn't take him long to begin studying mathematics. His siblings found him a bit confusing-- he played with them, but was very easily disengaged, and he didn't really come alive unless he was playing around with maths. His chemist brother Zephirus used equations when he needed to, but viewed them as more of a necessary evil. For Nothopanus, everything but equations seemed like a necessary bore. He knew the value of other dragons, however-- as much as he would have liked to be a loner, he wasn't always great at taking care of himself-- so when he noticed that his siblings or clanmates were starting to drift too far away he would do something to draw their attention, such as building an entertaining or useful machine.

His studies sometimes led him to interesting and unforeseen discoveries that allowed him to have a few tricks up his sleeve. Often this was in the realm of physics or electronics, some seemingly strange but true equality that would allow him to produce lights and motion that seemed like they should't be possible. But occasionally he'd stumble across something that showed how physical energy was related to magic, and he'd be able to physically cast a spell (or at least mimic its effects) despite having no natural predisposition for magic. As much awe as this garnered from others, Nothopanus was only mildly interested in these applications, and soon went back to the equations in his mind and on his scrolls.

After staying in his birth clan for a fairly long time, Nothopanus packed up his things and disappeared. He didn't tell anyone of his impending departure, although he didn't try to hide it either. It was as if he simply didn't know that it was standard procedure to inform others of such things, or he didn't know he was going away until he actually did, and it never crossed his mind that he or anyone else should care that he was leaving. Eventually he showed up in another clan, somehow securing a place to live, and settled there. He still dabbles regularly in things like engineering and even a bit of minor sorcery, but always returns to mathematics as his main focus, surprisingly eager to set aside diversions like robot-building in favor of his increasingly complicated proofs.

Other dragons never seem to be able to pin down exactly where Nothopanus's loyalties lie or where his motivations come from. He's obviously uninterested in applied math, but he still applies it much of the time. He exhibits no personal preferences or loyalties, leading many dragons to assume he's driven by money. But while he will sometimes build things in return for money or favors, other times he can't be bothered with payment or bribery. Some of his proofs and findings are eagerly shared with anyone with enough math knowledge to understand them, but others are hoarded and kept as secret as a private diary. To most other dragons, his chaotic behavior seems at odds with the ordered, structured nature of his work-- although some see it as an inevitability caused by a requisite balance of order and chaos, or perhaps his behavior follows such a complex pattern that it is virtually indistinguishable from chaos itself. Regardless, nobody can deny that he is a mathematical genius, and Nothopanus continues to solve incredible and complex problems while he baffles others and follows his own inexplicable whims.