Name: Desmond
Age: Twenty-four
Gender: Male
Element: Death
Personality: In many ways, Desmond acts as a sort of counterbalance to Eien. He possesses the patience to get along relatively well with (or at least tolerate) most types. Unassuming and personable as he is, most tend to warm up to him without too much trouble. Typically quick to smile and laugh, he's normally easygoing and casual toward those he meets. He's more of a realist than an optimist, but he's still more disposed to keep up a friendly and fairly cheerful attitude than not. Even when being treated with hostility, he does what he can to maintain, at the very least, a civil disposition.
Unlike his dragon, Desmond is constantly trying to keep all sides happy. He's careful with his words, and does everything he can to avoid stepping on anyone's toes. However, this does not prevent him from saying exactly on his mind; he just does so gently. Quite the pacifist, Desmond harbors a strong aversion to fighting. He'd much rather talk things through until some sort of compromise has been reached than duke it out with his fists. As a result, he's frequently played the role of mediator between Eien and other dragons. He will defend himself and others in arms if he must, but only if it has become clear that any other options are out of the picture.
The quiet, thoughtful sort, one can often find him staring blankly off into the distance, lost in his own little world. He rarely discloses what goes on inside his head in such instances, though. He tries to be subtle about it, with some success, but he can be pretty evasive when it comes to sharing the inner workings of his thoughts. He doesn't share anything unless he wants to, and has a habit of avoiding giving direct answers to certain questions. Amiable as he is, forming a strong trust with someone else doesn't come all that easily. But once his trust has been earned, he's persistently loyal.
With a patience that knows no bounds, and a quiet confidence in his ability, Desmond is able to endure hardship quite a bit more than many others. He's very sure of himself, but not in a way that could be interpreted as arrogant. He knows his limits, and can see when he's reached them, but he's not at all insecure. Anxiety is not a problem, and neither is sloppiness. He doesn't rush things, taking the time to carefully go over everything before making a move in order to ensure safety and success. Meticulous would be an accurate description for his actions, as they're always well thought out. In the face of difficult situations or emergencies, he handles himself with a level head, remaining calm, rational, and in-control no matter what.
Appearance: Desmond is only just above average when it comes to height, standing at exactly six feet. He has a rather thin build, bordering on gangly, built more for speed than strength, which suits his fighting style just fine. And while his complexion is considerably pale, he doesn't look unhealthy in any way. Just in need of a little sunshine.
He has a head of somewhat longish, sandy-blonde hair that has a habit of getting in his eyes. He doesn't really do much with it, but he makes a point of keeping it clean and neat at least. His eyes are a dark shade of red-brown. A thin, straight nose, high cheek bones, full lips, a slightly pointed chin, and a hard jawline make up his facial features. He looks like he could be a bit younger that he actually is, but can still pass for his own age. The only sort of identifying mark he has is a round, puckered scar located over his heart, compliments of the mugger who shot and killed him a few years ago.
As far as clothing goes, he tends to lean toward dark and neutral colors, and a mix between casual and formal. A typical outfit consists of a pair of jeans, a plain button-down shirt, a suit vest, and his only shoes- a pair of black sneakers that have seen better days. Occasionally he may also add a tie. He doesn't accessorize much otherwise, but he is never without a simple bracelet given to him by his sister long before he became Eien's Rider; a plain cord made of black leather strung with a row of silvery, block-shaped beads with black letters on each side that spell out the name 'Hanna' (guess who).
Fighting Weapons: During his time with Eien, Desmond has trained to be quite skilled when handling staves and lances in combat. His weapon of choice, which was given to him by Eien shortly after she recruited him, is a wooden bo staff. Enchanted to be unbreakable, it is carved with a design of an eastern dragon that wraps around the staff from end to end. His style is usually more defensive than offensive, and he's gotten to be very good at dodging and blocking attacks. Additionally, he's not all that bad with hand-to-hand combat, particularly in the style of kuntao- although given the vicious nature if this particular form, he tends not to reveal this knowledge unless absolutely necessary. He doesn't stand much of a chance against most of the larger dragons on his own, of course, but against another human, an elf, and even some of the smaller dragons, he can be quite a formidable opponent.
The ability Eien granted him comes in handy as well. Similar to Eien, Desmond has the ability to call the spirits of the deceased into battle. However, the number is limited to two at a time, and there are only two particular spirits he can call anyway. Both former Riders of Eien's, one is a male gryphon by the name of Colm, and the other is a female half-elf called Maura. The gruff, stoic type, Colm fights as either a gryphon or with a claymore, whereas Maura is more of a light-hearted joker and prefers to do battle with a longbow and arrows. Over the years, the three have gotten to be quite the team and, despite their somewhat odd relationship, good friends.
Dragon: Eien
Other: Desmond has a sort of pet that follows him around, although the term is used loosely. He knows it's a spirit of some sort- Eien calls it a wil-o-wisp. It doesn't have a distinctly recognizable form; it's just a floating ball of pale blue light (see that thing in the picture with Desmond? That's it.) He has a loose mental connection with it, somehow forged over the first week after it began following him. No words come from the little ghost, however. Instead, Desmond picks up on emotions and, occasionally, a fleeting image or two. It can't fight or anything, but it can act to alert him of danger or lead him around (it's a rather adventurous thing, he's found). He has yet to come up with a name for it, but he's grown to be quite fond of the wisp.
Very few are aware of the fact that Desmond's not technically alive (he was killed protecting his sister during a mugging shortly before Eien chose him as a rider a few years ago and brought him back). He's not really dead either, but somewhere in between. As such he doesn't really need to eat or drink, although he still can, which makes living in the Death territory a bit simpler. He also doesn't age and heals much quicker than he normally would. The worst of wounds usually only takes a day or two to recover. Humans and elves tend not to notice, but a lot of the dragons can smell that something's not quite right. "You smell of death" is a phrase he hears often. It also tends to make a lot of animals skittish, and most give him a wide berth if they don't leave entirely. In contrast, carrion-eaters like ravens or buzzards seem to be quite attracted to it, and will occasionally follow him around outside of the Death Territory.
Age: Twenty-four
Gender: Male
Element: Death
Personality: In many ways, Desmond acts as a sort of counterbalance to Eien. He possesses the patience to get along relatively well with (or at least tolerate) most types. Unassuming and personable as he is, most tend to warm up to him without too much trouble. Typically quick to smile and laugh, he's normally easygoing and casual toward those he meets. He's more of a realist than an optimist, but he's still more disposed to keep up a friendly and fairly cheerful attitude than not. Even when being treated with hostility, he does what he can to maintain, at the very least, a civil disposition.
Unlike his dragon, Desmond is constantly trying to keep all sides happy. He's careful with his words, and does everything he can to avoid stepping on anyone's toes. However, this does not prevent him from saying exactly on his mind; he just does so gently. Quite the pacifist, Desmond harbors a strong aversion to fighting. He'd much rather talk things through until some sort of compromise has been reached than duke it out with his fists. As a result, he's frequently played the role of mediator between Eien and other dragons. He will defend himself and others in arms if he must, but only if it has become clear that any other options are out of the picture.
The quiet, thoughtful sort, one can often find him staring blankly off into the distance, lost in his own little world. He rarely discloses what goes on inside his head in such instances, though. He tries to be subtle about it, with some success, but he can be pretty evasive when it comes to sharing the inner workings of his thoughts. He doesn't share anything unless he wants to, and has a habit of avoiding giving direct answers to certain questions. Amiable as he is, forming a strong trust with someone else doesn't come all that easily. But once his trust has been earned, he's persistently loyal.
With a patience that knows no bounds, and a quiet confidence in his ability, Desmond is able to endure hardship quite a bit more than many others. He's very sure of himself, but not in a way that could be interpreted as arrogant. He knows his limits, and can see when he's reached them, but he's not at all insecure. Anxiety is not a problem, and neither is sloppiness. He doesn't rush things, taking the time to carefully go over everything before making a move in order to ensure safety and success. Meticulous would be an accurate description for his actions, as they're always well thought out. In the face of difficult situations or emergencies, he handles himself with a level head, remaining calm, rational, and in-control no matter what.
Appearance: Desmond is only just above average when it comes to height, standing at exactly six feet. He has a rather thin build, bordering on gangly, built more for speed than strength, which suits his fighting style just fine. And while his complexion is considerably pale, he doesn't look unhealthy in any way. Just in need of a little sunshine.
He has a head of somewhat longish, sandy-blonde hair that has a habit of getting in his eyes. He doesn't really do much with it, but he makes a point of keeping it clean and neat at least. His eyes are a dark shade of red-brown. A thin, straight nose, high cheek bones, full lips, a slightly pointed chin, and a hard jawline make up his facial features. He looks like he could be a bit younger that he actually is, but can still pass for his own age. The only sort of identifying mark he has is a round, puckered scar located over his heart, compliments of the mugger who shot and killed him a few years ago.
As far as clothing goes, he tends to lean toward dark and neutral colors, and a mix between casual and formal. A typical outfit consists of a pair of jeans, a plain button-down shirt, a suit vest, and his only shoes- a pair of black sneakers that have seen better days. Occasionally he may also add a tie. He doesn't accessorize much otherwise, but he is never without a simple bracelet given to him by his sister long before he became Eien's Rider; a plain cord made of black leather strung with a row of silvery, block-shaped beads with black letters on each side that spell out the name 'Hanna' (guess who).
Fighting Weapons: During his time with Eien, Desmond has trained to be quite skilled when handling staves and lances in combat. His weapon of choice, which was given to him by Eien shortly after she recruited him, is a wooden bo staff. Enchanted to be unbreakable, it is carved with a design of an eastern dragon that wraps around the staff from end to end. His style is usually more defensive than offensive, and he's gotten to be very good at dodging and blocking attacks. Additionally, he's not all that bad with hand-to-hand combat, particularly in the style of kuntao- although given the vicious nature if this particular form, he tends not to reveal this knowledge unless absolutely necessary. He doesn't stand much of a chance against most of the larger dragons on his own, of course, but against another human, an elf, and even some of the smaller dragons, he can be quite a formidable opponent.
The ability Eien granted him comes in handy as well. Similar to Eien, Desmond has the ability to call the spirits of the deceased into battle. However, the number is limited to two at a time, and there are only two particular spirits he can call anyway. Both former Riders of Eien's, one is a male gryphon by the name of Colm, and the other is a female half-elf called Maura. The gruff, stoic type, Colm fights as either a gryphon or with a claymore, whereas Maura is more of a light-hearted joker and prefers to do battle with a longbow and arrows. Over the years, the three have gotten to be quite the team and, despite their somewhat odd relationship, good friends.
Dragon: Eien
Other: Desmond has a sort of pet that follows him around, although the term is used loosely. He knows it's a spirit of some sort- Eien calls it a wil-o-wisp. It doesn't have a distinctly recognizable form; it's just a floating ball of pale blue light (see that thing in the picture with Desmond? That's it.) He has a loose mental connection with it, somehow forged over the first week after it began following him. No words come from the little ghost, however. Instead, Desmond picks up on emotions and, occasionally, a fleeting image or two. It can't fight or anything, but it can act to alert him of danger or lead him around (it's a rather adventurous thing, he's found). He has yet to come up with a name for it, but he's grown to be quite fond of the wisp.
Very few are aware of the fact that Desmond's not technically alive (he was killed protecting his sister during a mugging shortly before Eien chose him as a rider a few years ago and brought him back). He's not really dead either, but somewhere in between. As such he doesn't really need to eat or drink, although he still can, which makes living in the Death territory a bit simpler. He also doesn't age and heals much quicker than he normally would. The worst of wounds usually only takes a day or two to recover. Humans and elves tend not to notice, but a lot of the dragons can smell that something's not quite right. "You smell of death" is a phrase he hears often. It also tends to make a lot of animals skittish, and most give him a wide berth if they don't leave entirely. In contrast, carrion-eaters like ravens or buzzards seem to be quite attracted to it, and will occasionally follow him around outside of the Death Territory.