Ryukotsusei

Basic Lore:

With his shadow scales, bright-red Plague eyes, and a seemingly ever-present scowl, it's no surprise that Ryukotsusei has been branded a "lone wolf." He wears the name with pride. Ever the cocky and confident troublemaker, this Imperial does more than recognize his inborn strength and prowess-- he utilizes it at every chance he gets. Ryukotsusei is known for picking fights, simply for the adrenaline rush of being able to test his abilities against anyone, be they stronger or weaker. It is no surprise either to say that Ryukotsusei throws caution to the wind at any chance he gets as well.

However, ironically, his "lone wolf" tendencies are often the cause of Ryukotsusei's downfalls, and he has had many. Due to an engraved sense of self-reliance he learned as a hatchling, Ryukotsusei's trusting abilities are poor, to say the least. When asked about this detachment, he simply responds with a scowl, "If I were to trust someone, what would happen if they disappeared?" This response hides a deeper, more vulnerable side of Ryukotsusei that no one has seen for a long, long time.

Yet, this soft side of Ryukotsusei is one that hides real strength. For the people he cares about, Ryukotsusei is a protector and confident. He is content to listen to others problems (a trait that has made him almost a therapist in this clan) or even simply sit in content silence. These lucky dragons would find themselves a gruff yet kind friend who would do anything to keep them safe.

Backstory Begins:

From a young age, one lesson was engraved into Ryukotsusei's mind: you can only rely on yourself. He grew up in a rough, detached plague clan with a reputation for doing unspeakable acts to get what they desired. The members were unfeeling and emotionless. Ryukotsusei received no pity and was expected to give none. He learned how to fend for himself in the harsh terrain, be it stealing, cheating, or fighting. This sort of lifestyle was addicting. He began to disobey more and more, awaiting the thrill of fighting as a reward, until one day, his clan had had enough.

He was hunted down by his "family." After fighting for his life, Ryukotsusei only had one option he had never even considered before: fleeing. So, the will to live spurring him on, he ran, leaving behind the only home he had ever known for the world outside.

From there, Ryukotsusei became a bit of a nomad. You see, he never could stay trapped to one place for too long. It felt unnatural to him. Now, that isn't to say he didn't long for a stable lifestyle, yet, all the life he had ever known had been one of dangerous risk, and he wasn't emotionally ready to give that up yet.

In the Southern Icefield, he met a fiery, troublesome dragon named Red. Instantly, he was smitten-- yet, the two were too much alike, too stubborn and charged to ever have an encounter without clashing. After having two hatchlings, he found himself drifting away with no notice. There too, he met a kind dragon named Meghan, whose scales shimmered like the sun. He charmed her with his bad boy attitude, yet she was too frightened by him to ever try and break down the barriers he had set up, and she eventually left him after having four hatchlings.

From there, he drifted to the Starfall Isles, and met a wise dragon named Aquarius. She was sharp and witty, and saw through Ryukotsusei's lone wolf attitude immediately. However, she was too focused on her research, too consumed with her own life, and eventually left Ryukotsusei to serve her Diety after having three children.

Ryukotsusei even made his way to the Sea of a Thousand Currents, desperate to find somewhere where he could be content. He met a kind Skydancer named Moelwen of noble birth, yet after having three hatchlings with her, Ryukotsusei found he couldn't stay any longer, and left.

Eventually, he made his way to the Shifting Expanse. Tired and weak, he did not know if he could go on any longer in the arid plane-- until, a kind tundra happened to come across him and nursed him back to health. When he came to, he discovered he was in a clan. Instantly, Ryukotsusei tried to fight, but was quickly stopped by a gruff guardian, who explained that Ryukotsusei could stay for as long as he liked if he did not cause any trouble.

Their kindness astounded him. Though he found himself in a clan of nomads, all the dragons seemed to have a sense of community-- a sense of home that Ryukotsusei had never felt before.

He traveled with the clan-- albeit, grumpily. For many months, only kind Toret was brave and compassionate enough to try and talk to him. Gradually, extremely gradually, he found himself talking to the tundra, who seemed to have a way with words like no other dragon he had met had. She eventually convinced him to come and talk with the other clan mates. Ryukotsusei was adverse to the idea at first; they would hate him, scorn him, not even bother. Yet, to his surprise, though the dragons weren't as kind as Toret was, they were all excited to meet him.

Ryukotsusei became close with Violet, the clan's Warrior, and they spent time training and sparring with one another. He met Aranya, the clan's head of espionage who had taken an interest in him, and her dream-wraith mate Jade. He chatted with the nervous Lucian, and was amazed by the graceful Quetzal. They taught him that, while being proud and ambitious was fine, relying on others was also fine-- of course, Ryukotsusei had yet to take this lesson to heart, yet he wanted to protect these dragons.

This ragtag clan had become... almost like a family for Ryukotsusei.

Almost.

As much as he had grown to love these clanmates, this was not the right home for Ryukotsusei; he knew it in his bones. Toret could see this too. While everyone was devastated to see him leave, Ryukotsusei knew it was the right choice. So, he set off for his homeland to try and find a home that he could rely on.