Meet Irikshan, my second original character. He is another dragon from Elonth, in fact appearing in Mar’s story. He will be, however, getting his own story set over 200 years ago.

A big thank you to ElektronX for the art you see on the ref sheet.

You can read more about Elonth here and Mar here. Both have been updated recently.

Read Irikshan’s Story: Landfall (Chapter 1)


Age: 317

Gender: Male

Appearance: 3.4m (age 317), 1.2m (age 74)

Irikshan has a strong, stocky frame, having kept himself fit and his wings strong since his youth.  

He has a fairly large wingspan and broad shoulders, built more for endurance than quick acrobatics.

His belly plates, horns, spine were all forest green. His scales were a copper orange, with wisps of leaf-green colouration and strips of yellow patterning his torso. His tail spade was also a orange-yellow.

However, with his age, his orange scales have faded to a warm bronze, his green colourations to the dull green of wilted leaves and his yellow has become dimmer.

His stern face gives him a serious look, while his scars – most prominently a large gash on his neck – and chipped horn speak to his experience in war. Yet his eyes still hold a softness and kindness to them.

Magic: He is well rounded and generally highly skilled in magic use, with an advanced ability that allows him to create illusions. He can either make them visible to all present living beings, or project them directly into the minds of individuals. Making them more convincing, complex and bigger requires more concentration and energy.

Personality: The inquisitive nature of his youth has given way to the wizened and knowledgeable image he holds in his old age. Unafraid of leadership or the public eye, Irikshan determinedly works towards his goals whilst doing his best to be mindful of his actions and their consequences.

Although level-headed until his tipping point, in his younger days he was prone to outbursts of anger when he passed the tipping point. It could be hard, even for him, to know when he was nearing that point. Over his life, he has worked to improve this – trying to notice irritations earlier and to catch himself if he does lose his temper.

Family: The Kennissoeker family. Without a mate, Irikshan’s only living immediate family members are two younger brothers both aged 298, Dulfatin and Imerat. Dulfatin is married and has three daughters of the same clutch, while Imerat is also married but he and his partner have chosen not to raise young.

Clothing:

    • College Scarf: A black scarf with 11 stripes on each end that displays his status as a mage at the Raifal Mage College. The scarf also bears the college logo, a stylised waterfall tumbling into the mists created by its own thunderous impact upon the water below.
    • Sentimental Amulet: He wears an amulet “from an old friend” that has been modified to clip onto his scarf. It has an emblem bearing a dragon with crystals floating around them. The workmanship is good, but too messy to have been shaped by magic and too small for most dragons to have done by hand.
    • Jewel of the Elder: Traditionally the elder of each city would bequeath their chest crystal to their chosen successor. In modern days the elder of each city is democratically elected, but almost all elders still honour the tradition and bequeath their crystal to the state upon death. The crystals are set in finely-crafted metal and the most recent one is worn by the current elder while the rest are kept below a portrait of their original owner in The Whispering Gallery and rarely disturbed.
      The amethyst-purple shiridan crystal that hangs around Irikshan’s neck once lay in the chest of Rumaga.
    • Cloak: Irikshan owns a cloak that he wears to ceremonies and formal events. It has simple but elegant patterns and its colours the same as his scales. It hangs over his sides, covering his wings when he folds them.
    • Family Crest: He has the Kennissoeker family crest that he wears around his relani (left) arm, usually also only at formal events and ceremonies.
  • Bags: On a standard work day, he can be seen with a girth around his chest that has bags attached. These bags carry items he might need during the day.

History:

Brought up in a respectable family who encouraged learning, Irikshan strove to live up to the family name. In his younger years, he studied at the mage college in Tumenoord (known as the Raifal Mage College), becoming skilled in his use of magic and honing his talent for illusions.

During his 70s, Irikshan became determined to explore the world. He spent years getting his body into peak condition and preparing for the trips he planned.

His first destination was the Imaaduudin Empire, a new neighbour to Tumenzar who had been expanding across the Vernon Sea. The empire’s borders gradually surrounded Tumenzar’s, but the dragons did not like to meddle in human affairs and the empire respected their borders. In fact, the empire made an effort to foster good relations with the Tumenzarians, sending many of their brightest minds there.

In his tour of the Imaaduudin homelands and its neighbours, Irikshan met many different dragons and humans of various cultures. He learnt much, both good and bad. He does not enjoy to speak about his experiences in Imaadudin because of some memories, but his travels can be found documented in the archives.

Sometime after his journeys, at a low point in his life, Rumaga offered to become his mentor. After some coaxing, he accepted. Under the guidance of the then-elder of Tumennoord, he grew. However, their time together was not without conflict.

When the time came, Rumaga passed on the title of Elder of Tumenoord to another – Cerbarian. During Cerbarian’s time as Elder, Irikshan served with distinction as a teacher, mentor and scholar at the Raifal Mage College. He became known a skilled illusionist and mage.

When Irikshan had become qualified to run for Elder, he won the vote by a landslide. Irikshan came to power, and has been leading the city and college well since. Despite his role of elder formally being more of an overseer, he tends to get involved in many projects – putting in time and effort to as much as he can. It has become his life goal to improve Tumenzar, the state he cared about so much. He would see them continue to lead the world in the crafts, sciences and magics.

However, he has not lived a life without regret. He regrets not exploring more of the world when he was younger and not tied down by responsibility. He regrets that he did not always do everything he could have to help those in need. And possibly one of his biggest regrets is that he does not a wife with whom to share his passions, nor to raise children with.


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