Croph

Solitary and abrasive, Croph was no one's best friend.

As a hatchling, Croph was often at the bottom of the dragon-pile. He started out smaller and didn't grow as fast as his siblings, so the normal play fights of his clutchmates soon grew dangerous. The others realized it too, and he became the victim of merciless bullying. The adult dragons of his clan dismissed it as harmless teasing.

In response, Croph grew bitter, but also shrewd. He watched the other hatchlings run about and fight, observing their weaknesses and strengths. He also taught himself different strategies from tattered bits of manuscript he found buried deep in his clan's hoard. At first, he focused only on defending himself, but the idea of vengeance was too tempting. He learned how his size could benefit him rather than making him more vulnerable, and adapted his own rigorous training to focus on speed and accuracy.

One fateful day, he attacked his past antagonists. No longer were they hatchlings, and the damage he left was devastating. They would all survive, but his clan cast him out. There was no place for premeditated violence.

Croph stalked the land near home for a short time, growing more unkempt and disheveled by the day. He picked fights with everything he could, becoming stronger and more twisted. Fighting was where he found his joy.

As violent as he was, Croph still grew lonely. He eventually set out for a new land, one as twisted as he. The diseased lands called to him. He settled down with a young clan of travelling entertainers, not telling them of his past, though the unhinged look in his eyes told enough.

In time, he gained the trust of his adopted clan, and in turn grew to trust them. Though he would never admit so to any of them. He quietly took on the role of beast-tamer, using his fighting skills and agility to train even the most fearsome creatures for the travelling show.

He didn't want friendship, but perhaps he could find family in these wastelands.