Ritual

Tone-deaf, nearsighted musician seeking to break his curse.

Ritual is often seen as fierce and disturbing due to his intently scaring eyes and off-putting markings, but in truth, he has always been a clumsy artist in search for a cure. Many in his clan suffer from an curse that manifests similarly to albinism, making them soft scaled and susceptible to sunburn, with only their wings to shield them. To combat the worst of it, the clan has painted themselves with the blood of prey and enemies. At the same time, this curse is characterized by a powerful immune system and inability to carry diseases after contamination, which has allowed these dragons to thrive in the Plaguebringer's domain. Throughout the ages, most of their clan have therefore become immune to a wide variety of diseases, and they have made a living selling a powerful medicine and antidote produced with their member's saliva.

Yes, that sounds quite gross. It is, but who cares as long as it works.

Ritual never wanted to be a saliva peddler. From a young age, he had had a passion for singing and music. This occupation was looked down on by those who followed the plague bringer and on top of that, Ritual proved to be tone-deaf, something he suspects his whole clan has suffered from for many generations. This caused him to be shunned in his youth. Ritual suspects his tone-deafness is correlated with his albinism, the result of a curse. Initially he left his nest to find a cure in the light aligned clans. Not only did he search for doctors, he spend many years in his youth advancing his practical study into the supernatural, the spelled and the cursed. However, the many hours he spend studying under candlelight took their toll, and soon he found himself holding the parchment increasingly closer to read.

His search for knowledge brought him to the Gladeveins, known for their natural growth and restoration. There he met the love of his life, Graphite, a fellow artist who loved him regardless of his flaws and appreciated the out-of-tune music he created. With her, he realized that he had spend most of his adolescence quietly instead of doing what he loved. Only for the sake of others and under shame for his own creations. Good music didn't equal appreciation and acknowledgement by many. In the teahouse, he re-discovered his joy in simply playing, the fun of creating what he himself loved. Since then, Ritual has composed many haunting melodies with pleasure, occasionally showcasing his talent to create a spooky ambiance in front of a teahouse audience.