asphodelus
little nightshade
Appearance:
Name: Shrike Lanier
History:
Living Quarters: wherever it would be appropriate to place a traumatised civilian child
Pet(s): n/a
Other: n/a
Name: Shrike Lanier
- after the crested jayshrike
- humans can't mimic the sounds of his native language; he misses his parents; he misses their voices; he misses the sound of his name
- his real name vaguely translates to "flight of the nessus sphinx"
- amphiodrakes generally live long, fulfilling lives compared to humans — some may hibernate to extend their lifespan, but most don't bother and live naturally for about 140 years, though there's variation between bloodlines
- young drakes mature at about the same rate as humans but slow once they reach adulthood — from there, progression is as follows (with slight variation between bloodline): fledgling adult (at ≈ 23 years), middling adult (at ≈ 31 years); mature adult (at ≈ 45 years); drakes peak in their late 60s and begin to fade within thirty years of that; those over 102 may be considered elders and are respected for their immense magical stores
- their biological sex defies the human binary system and amphiodrakes don't have much in the way of gender roles, nor does their native language have gendered terms — conjugations are based mainly on intent and emotional connection
- his parents were both genderfluid as humans would see it — Shrike's human guise takes on a more androgynous appearance but he leans toward masculinity in dress and outlook solely because humans tend to treat him better for it
- he defaults to masculine pronouns for simplicity — he prefers thinking of his identity through the mind of a drake rather than trying to make sense of humans' system
- for all he insist he's capable of outmaneuvering the hunters... he's too young to fight; doesn't stand a chance against adults carrying guns
- besides, it's far too soon after he was nearly caught for him to face the hunters again without freezing up, though he doesn't know that
- he could serve as a scout in due time
- amphiodrakes are quasidraconic beings best described as similar to a human that has taken draconic traits; including slit eyes, horns, and a whip-like tail
- they live just about everywhere, capable of slipping between realms to travel immense distances on earth; most live in tight-knit groups favouring their own kin
- many amphiodrakes are wary of humans; however, some have taken to wearing human guises to experience the joys of large-scale civilisation
- Shrike is the result of a black-slit amphiodrake combining magic with a north-sky amphiodrake — he's inherited attributes of both bloodlines
- systems magic is the specialty of black-slit amphiodrakes — some might describe it as cursed magic, negative blasting, the forbidden manipulation of chance; things that should happen do not happen and things that should not do — it's the manipulation of fate on a miniscule scale; if something in nature has ever strucken you as odd or out of place, it's likely been touched by systems magic
- cold moon magic is the specialty of north-sky amphiodrakes — this is the magic of the frostbitten night; the ability to summon frigid winds and weave nets of celestial binds — wielders of cold moon magic find safety in the moonlight
- although Shrike has the potential to master both systems and cold moon magic, the likelihood of this happening is terribly low without the guidance of his parents — bloodline magic does not come naturally to young amphiodrakes
- Shrike's main skillset at the moment consists of maintaining and manipulating his human guise and his ability to stomach raw meat — in his natural form, his bite is his greatest weapon; his saliva discourages blood from clotting and slows down other bodily functions with the potency of a mild sedative — he's also capable of cloaking himself with magic to hide himself from prying eyes
History:
- Shrike's parents were easy-going fellows; cast out from their tribes for their forbidden romance, they sought to raise Shrike with an open mind
- they were masters of guise and respected humans; they brought him into towns and cities, taught him to speak a number of human tongues — "if anything ever happens to us, go to town," they would tell him
- in the end, it wasn't his choice — hunters after years of tracking finally succeeded in ambushing his parents (amber moonlight; gunshots singing in his ears; heart in his throat, lying like a fawn in the grass)
- they must have assumed he was a human child kidnapped because they took him with them and wrangled him into foster care
- unbeknownst to Shrike, the "hunters" he encountered were regular secret service agents who came after his parents for counterfeit — it had nothing to do with them being magical
- his replacement family was as kind as his parents insisted humans were to their own kind — of course, things weren't perfect (Shrike was undocumented; he wasn't actually human; his skin itched from holding up his guise; he was lonely and hurt and he missed the magic of the woods; he wasn't doing well at school) but his family was supportive
- two years passed well enough... but then the veil dropped: supernaturals rioting, hunters calling for war
- his foster family quickly made their opinions on the matter clear: supernatural folks were untrustworthy and ought to be eradicated
- Shrike kept his head down since his family had no reason to suspect him, but when he heard rumours that hunters were coming to their town and knocking door to door to find supernaturals in hiding, he didn't try to push his luck: he left
- Kea Lau — Shrike's former neighbour and best friend who he views as his big brother; they've been on the run together for a little less than two years now (they both bonded over their unusual circumstances at first, and then Kea learnt of his magic...)
Living Quarters: wherever it would be appropriate to place a traumatised civilian child
Pet(s): n/a
Other: n/a
