Garreth

Like many Gaolers, Garreth's life was more or less planned since his egg was laid. He would one day be apprenticed until he could function in Gaoler society as a contributing member. In his case, he was told since he was a hatchling that he would become a part of the Sentry order. Like everyone else, he accepted it as a fact of life, never questioning it nor arguing against it. Life beneath the ice was quiet and orderly, and tradition passed on to the next generation immaculately. It was more or less the same routine every day without variance, and no one really ever showed their emotions, but it was peaceful and (for the most part) safe.

Garreth was in his apprenticeship when the ice separating the Gaolers from the rest of the world cracked. Gaolers began to leave the prisons, and venture into the world above. Some of these were Seekers just doing their jobs. The other majority, however, were younger, curious Gaolers who were suddenly presented with the possibility of a life other than the one that had been planned for them. Garreth, himself, was curious. Tradition is a powerful thing, however, and he wasn't so sure about the world above. He knew nothing about it, after all, whereas everything below was familiar. He continued his apprenticeship.

One day, while patrolling the prisons as he always did, he heard a commotion further down the caves. The Keepers and the Overseers always did a great job at keeping their prisoners contained, so it was surprising to think that one of the things they guarded may have escaped. Garreth hurried to assist his fellows. By the time he reached the cause of the commotion, however, it had already been dealt with. Three Gaolers had pinned down and partially frozen one of the dragons from above. This one had two horns on his face, long ears, and a mane running down his neck. He was snapping at everything and screaming incoherently as he struggled against the ice. His eyes were completely black, and he stunk of Shade.

Garreth felt an uncomfortable knot in his stomach. It was like the rumors he had heard said: the Seekers were out en masse because the Shade was rampant in the world above. This poor dragon had been captured and used by it... Garreth hoped that the Seekers could contain it soon. After asking if the others needed any assistance and being assured that the situation was handled, he returned to his patrolling of the caves.

As he walked, however, something caught his eye. It was an unusually large, beautiful sphere which reflected light in a soft array of beautiful colors. It was an alluring orb, and Garreth found himself drawn to it. Normally, the first thing he would do with such a thing is smell it, but for whatever reason, this time, he placed a paw on it. It was oddly warm. It wasn't radiating its own heat, but it certainly wasn't ice. Normally, the thing to do would have been to tell someone about it. Thinking nothing of it, however, Garreth wound up picking up the sphere and taking it with him. He finished his patrols before returning to his little lair. That night, he slept with the ball next to him.

It was after that that things began to change. Garreth began wondering about the outside world more and more. He felt a strange desire to leave the caves he knew and see what alternative life the world held for him. His future in the caves was certain, and would be just like the lives of all other Sentries which came before. Over his years, Garreth had learned to become cold to his emotions and live life logically. Now, however, he felt a strange sensation... He felt...angry. He felt resentful. Suddenly, all those years of ignoring his emotions bubbled up like a hot spring in his stoic, cold heart. He felt restrained. Repressed. There was no future for him here. He was just another servant here. Garreth grew spiteful of his fellow Gaolers. They were robbing his life from him, weren't they? Well, he would have none of it.

Unaware of the Shade bits that had transferred into him from the Shadetouched Pearlcatcher's pearl, Garreth packed up his one belonging -- said pearl -- and abandoned his duties then and there. He traveled to the world above...and then stopped. He had no idea what he was doing. What was the world out here like? Where would he go? How far did the world above expand?

Again, he felt the compulsion to go. He decided that it didn't really matter where he went, as long as he decided for himself where that would be. And so, without so much as a goodbye, Garreth ventured out, eventually coming to the Tangled Wood, where he met a young female Nocturne who had a similar, bitter disposition on authority and life's unkindness. The two became fast friends, and Garreth became the first dragon to join her band: Eldritch Rust. He never thought he would have a talent for music, but something about the sounds of the bass guitar came naturally to him. Perhaps it was because it was similar to the deep sounds of his old home under the ice of the Southern Icefield.

He also met another Nocturne named Edgar, and a fellow Gaoler named Shiv. He and Shiv had a lot in common, both being Gaolers from the Southern Icefield who rebelled against the plans their society had made for them. He found himself attracted almost instantly. This attraction only grew as she began to look more like him and his bandmates: with a sharper edge to her style. She had seen so much of the world, and had a hunger for knowledge and experiences. She made him shy, and want to open up to her at the same time. Having never really learned how to express his feelings properly, however, realizing this and then trying to tell her how he felt was awkward at best. Thankfully, she was gracious about it, and expressed that she was attracted to him, too. Now, they are a firm couple.

No one ever really asked about the pearl Garreth -- also called by his stage name, Rose -- had in his possession. He still doesn't keep many belongings around, but Garreth never got rid of that pearl (he eventually figured out what it was, but didn't make the connection to the Shadetouched Pearlcatcher. He's more or less completely forgotten about that incident, really.) His pearl is his prized possession, and he always keeps it nearby, as though he were a Pearlcatcher himself.

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Bits about Garreth:

His real name is Garreth, but his stage name is Rose. Turns pages aggressively. So aggressively that they clack. And yet, as he's turning the pages, his form is relaxed. Despite his aggressive actions, he's actually a very quiet dragon and won't say or do much if left on his own. He's mysterious like that, but it's really just from having a hard time knowing how to express how he feels. Comes off as cold, and maybe even intimidating. Sometimes he doesn't even realize how he feels about things, and his emotions just come out, as as much a surprise to him as to anyone else. Shreds on electric bass guitar and likes to play with a lot of reverb on those steel strings for a maximum strong and gritty sound.

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Human appearance: He's about 5' 11" tall and has broad shoulders, but is otherwise kind of lanky and skinny. His face his defined and angular, and is a bit on the long side, including jaw and the bridge of his nose. He has black hair that drapes over his shoulders, going about three inches down before ending. About two thirds of the way down the length of his hair, it starts fading to a lighter hue (as seen on his mane as a Gaoler.) Garreth has extremely pale blue irises and black sclera, and he's always at least wearing eyeliner, if not mascara and black eyeshadow (and, of course, BB cream to even out his skin tone.) He has naturally pale skin.
He wears a thin pinstripe button-up collared and cuffed shirt. The vertical stripes are thin and alternate between a warm, very light gray and a charcoal black color. Over that he wears a black leather jacket (he has both a version with sleeves and a version without them) with a dusting of metal spike studs on the shoulders.

I'll put more here as it comes to me, but probably expect belts and leather pants or something. Dude's a rocker.

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Forum stuff.

- Uncomfortable Dragons participant.

- Pinstripe Perfection
Lowkey based on Vampire Rose from this video.