Nero

True Neutral

”Hidden talent counts for nothing.”
~ Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus

Nero is a flamboyant, fragile, insecure dragon with a façade of charismatic confidence. He experienced trauma as a hatchling and from then on had mild paranoia. He tries to be down-to-earth, but his natural state has an air of arrogance. He does not like being insulted or refused. He used to be the king of a mighty clan, but was exiled under threat of death for what they considered to be his faults. He did not fit the mould of his predecessors; he was not much of a fighter, he wasn’t masculine or heroic and didn’t have any military victories. Instead, he preferred singing, writing poetry, and playing instruments. He was a convenient scapegoat to blame for all of the problems in the clan. He wandered for a while as a traveling bard, but life on the proverbial “streets” just wasn’t for him. The Clan of the Twisted Serpent accepted him as he was. He had a little trouble adjusting to not being the clan ruler anymore, but he enjoyed having less responsibility and being able to focus on his poetry and music.


- Callistus: His boyfriend is Callistus. They met when Nero was still king of his former clan, and Callistus encouraged him to follow his passions (namely, music) and do the things that made him happy, even if his overbearing family did not approve. Nero had never been in love before, and all his previous relationships had been superficial. When he fell in love with Callistus he did not bother to hide it or try to ignore it. He told Callistus straightaway and Callistus, who was not used to being loved himself but had been in love with Nero for a little while now, was more than happy to reciprocate. At first Callistus had been surprised by the intensity of how Nero loved and was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to give Nero everything he needed, but as he got used to the idea of someone genuinely valuing him he realized that he himself was exactly what Nero needed and wanted.
- Lucilius: Nero’s best friend is Lucilius. Whenever Lucilius is feeling down about himself Nero will sing him a silly song or something to cheer him up.
- Jaskier: Nero is very close friends with Jaskier. The two of them like singing duets and talking about music and poetry. They are both naturally chatty dragons, and got along right away. They have a queerplatonic relationship.
- Agnes: He gets along well with Agnes. She knew all about his past, which at first scared him, but then he realized that she was someone he could confide in about things that not even Lucilius knows.
- Mercutio: Nero finds Mercutio mildly amusing. Sometimes they go drinking together, and on one such night Nero got blackout drunk and cannot remember anything that happened.
- Adam and Eve: Nero is good friends with Adam and Eve, and he likes helping Adam pick out nice bows to wear. When the clan was fairly new, they accepted him without asking too many questions about his past. They are the first dragons other than Callistus who made Nero feel completely accepted for who he really is.
- Melkor: Surprisingly, Nero gets on decently with Melkor. Nero annoys the heck out out of him, but he was always kind to Mairon about his OCD and Melkor appreciates that.
- Blandinia: Nero once tried to carry a conversation with Blandinia after he saw her glaring daggers at him, but before he had hardly said anything she found some other pressing matter that needed attending to. It baffled him, but in his view she was inconsequential and he didn’t make any efforts beyond that. Honestly, he pretty much completely forgot about her.
- Vespasian: Vespasian is everything Nero is not, and he resents him for it. Vespasian is a born leader, is just, intelligent, and rule-abiding. He is strong physically and emotionally, and could lead an army into battle in the blink of an eye. He is stern and disapproves of laziness. Vespasian thinks Nero is a silly and inadequate leader, and tries to avoid him to prevent confrontation.


~ Portrait by: deersoup


~ Portrait by: Thancred


~ Moodboard by: Bishkebab