Toska (Avis Calvariam)

== Origin ==
The son of a Lieutenant, Toska initially believed his path to be in the same footsteps. He trained hard and learned well beneath his father's instruction, shaping up with the understanding that he might one day join the Crimson Guard of the Morghulis as well. But despite his efforts, the lifestyle never truly clicked and he ultimately decided to leave and find a different calling. This choice was not without his father's understanding and blessing. "You have such potential for greatness in you, and whichever clan or deity you choose to serve will be very lucky to have you. Never forget that."
Not long after his departure, he found his focus in a flock of crows. Quickly becoming obsessed with all things corvid, he started following this particular flock, studying their behavior and writing all his findings in small journals he crafted. Alongside his notes he put sketches that became increasingly detailed over the years. He lost himself entirely in the midst of the flock, and it wasn't until he was plowed out of the sky and almost killed that he rejoined dragonkind to any meaningful degree.
== Meeting the Clan ==
One moment he flew with his crows, the next moment he woke in The Song Bird's infirmary, aching and covered in bandages. A dark grey pearlcatcher rushed to his side, coming into his field of vision with an urgent tilt to her ears. "Please try not to move." She said, touching a paw to his forehead and diving right into an explanation. "You're aboard an airship. You're safe, but you were hit. Your wings are broken and you've been unconscious since yesterday."
The clan laid the story out in pieces before him as he slowly recovered, voices blurring into other voices as he picked up the details: After hours of relentless begging, the pilot of The Song Bird, Wake, had surrendered the controls to a fae by the name of Teiran who could barely even reach them. Wake rationalized that the patch of sky they were flying through was empty enough she couldn't possibly do any damage. By the time anyone spotted Toska it was too late.
"Pipilo saved your drawings." Teiran said, placing the bag of journals and loose parchments on the table beside his bed. "They're really pretty." She and Wake both apologized - the whole clan did - but he wasn't sure he was ready to forgive any of them.
Despite this, he had no choice but to stay with the clan until they reached their destination of the Cloudsong. Though his notes had been saved, he learned most of his crows were killed in the strike. What was more, despite the clan's healers' best efforts, Toska's wing injuries were so severe it was dubious he would ever be able to fly again. His days of roving were over.
It was Arrow who saw him through all this. The older fae made frequent visits to Toska during his stay in the infirmary, bringing with him all manner of books and scrolls to stave off the stifling boredom and heartache. He spent countless hours regaling Toska with tales of his own adventures and listening intently to all Toska's reports as well. The two had a lot in common, and Toska looked forward to the small bit of light his new friend delivered each day.
== Life and Relations in the Clan ==
It took Toska a long time to accept that The Song Bird was his home now, that Avis Calvariam was his clan. After disembarking the Morghulis, he never anticipated he would find himself part of another airship crew.
As his relationship with the crew evolved and blossomed into something more familial, Toska began offering to share his combat training with anyone interested in learning a thing or two. He also became fast friends with the otherwise asocial mirror, Contraband. Though decidedly rough around the edges, he saw some reflection of himself in her almost roguish nature.
== The Cloudsong ==
All was not lost for his studies. The Cloudsong proved to be an ideal location for his field and the crew's onboard flock of streaks provided an intriguing subject, giving him the opportunity to examine the interspecies interactions of the birds and dragons. He was pleased to continue expanding his knowledge from the books on board as well as contribute his own findings to their collection. With Arrow's help, he was even able to get his name out to other clans, who then sent letters from all over Sornieth with requests to answer their questions and share his expertise.
Later, when he accidentally crossed a line banding Aviern's seeker without realizing it belonged to anyone, he ended up with something of an apprentice in her. With her easily flared temper against his more laidback disposition, theirs made for a testy an alliance. But somehow the two became friends, and though she lacked any sort of gift with the birds, she was fascinated by his studies and learned quickly.
Category:Light Dragon
Category:Fae
Category:Male
Category:Explorer
Category:Scholar