Styk

⇺ ⇻
◈ he / she / they ◈ demi-ace ◈ alchemist ◈⇺ hors de vue, hors de l'esprit ⇻
a strange mudwing who, after having his last cult fall apart due to freethinking, has created his own followers using alchemy. he's wanted dead by the god of knowledge, shamira, after stealing tomes containing sacred knowledge from their library. this did come with a cost, however, for he also lost two of his siblings to the beastly guardian that protected the decrepit building.
styk 	styk
 	
Art By 	radar
background information	background information
Creator 	radar
Attribute 	control, starting anew, not learning from past mistakes, denying yourself
Element 	swamp water, spring storms
Animal 	mongoose, crocodile
Color 	pale green, swamp green, grey-green
Song 	it's alright ◈ jack stauber
MBTI 	istj-a
character information 	character information
Age 	47 (hy)
Gender 	genderfluid
Tribe 	mud
Occupation 	alchemist, leader, thief (formerly)
Orientation 	demiromantic asexual
Residence 	northern vaara, pau (hometown)
Relatives 	foras (younger sibling), camio (younger sibling, deceased), valac (younger sibling, deceased)
Allies 	their creations, siblings(?)
Enemies 	anyone
Likes 	obedience, power, control, efficiency, perfection
Dislikes 	opposing opinions, the unexpected, remorse, failure, abandonment, spiders
Abilities 	normal mudwing abilities, black magic, powers of creation
Weapons 	magic, various knives, summons
Loves 	"je ne pourrai jamais en aimer un autre."
appearance
swampy, pale greens of many shades cover the body of the false idol, styk. a distant look of disinterest and coldness is worn on their face, no sign of emotion shown clearly visible in them. covering most of their body is a como green, with a spattering of dark green dappling this color every now and then. though hints of blue start peaking in as the plates go further down their body. an opal underbelly lies just below these thick-plated scales, separated only by a row of dark blue grey scales.
this opal coloration will show up again on their face, covering most of their head. and, as though they are drawn to one another, the como green follows, appearing on the top of their head. flat, dark jungle green spines go from the head down their back, while a darker shade protrudes from the back of their head in the form of a pair of horns. these horns are wavy and bent, curving upwards at the tips. turquoise green eyes glitter dully in their sockets with slits for pupils.
thin scars and lacerations cover their body, with some being seen on their left cheek and snout, with more appearing on their legs. perhaps one of the most noticeable injuries they have is a missing left arm, gone from just below the shoulder down after getting bitten off by a beast. though they've considered making a prosthetic with black magic, they haven't gotten around to it. for now they hide it with the half cloak they wear.
in regards to accessories, they wear an aforementioned dark green cloak that covers the left half of their body only. thick shoulder pads rest upon both shoulders, keeping them safe from most harm. a thick leather-bound belt wrap around their waist, several small blades held within small sheaths. a bell, usually silenced with a cloth of sorts until they wish to use it, is held in this leather belt as well. this is used to command their followers.
styk holds themself tall and straight, walking with stoic confidence. their build is considerably lean, a frame that isn't as common as the more traditional bulky and muscular mudwing build. their shoulders are a bit broad, but not to a very noticeable degree, making it rather unremarkable and normal-looking. their ears are a little large and are a fleshy pink on the inside, though a darker pink can be seen, a blossoming birthmark on the insides of their ears.
personality
styk, a being known for their dissonance and need for control. to an outsider looking in, they're very aloof and distant from... everyone, not social enough to meet new friends and not caring enough to visit the old. most don't stick around them for too long, though this is likely what they want. those who have gotten to know them admit to regretting it, describing styk to be very controlling, self-centered, and unempathetic.
they don't seem interested in forming any kind of meaningful relationship with another for they have a lot of trouble being around those who don't share their exact opinions. styk seems to want everything to go their way, which might partially explain why they focus so heavily on making sure they're the one in control. and, because of that, they demand unquestioning obedience.
but such things don't exist in this world... not naturally at least. for you cannot bend the minds of sentient creatures to your own. they're all born with free will, after all, which is why they've instead turned to alchemy. if they cannot force others to bend to their will, then they'll simply create something that doesn't have will to begin with. and such is the birth of their creations, voiceless creatures of darkness and bone that styk can control and manipulate without any pushback.
as cold and stoic as they be, they do have a more sensitive, emotional side that they keep buried deep. ever since an incredibly traumatic event in their past left them guilt-ridden, they've become determined to not let control slip from their talons. for that way they can ensure things will never go awry, refusing to stare into the face of callous entropy. they refuse to let themself properly heal from this event and has instead opted to just keep moving forward without learning from their mistakes.
styk also isn't one to be... attached to anything, for attachment means they'll have to be vulnerable and being vulnerable leaves one open to getting hurt when something bad inevitably happens to them. so if their initial cold and uncaring demeanor doesn't scare one off, their insistence on neglecting relationships until they crumble will. whenever they do make genuine bonds with others it ends up making them more... nervous and less lonely. just thinking about how much energy they'll now have to devote to maintaining this relationship with another person is just... too much for them.
to their... "followers" they are just as cold and stoic as they are to everybody else. though their more merciless side shows through more as they're more willing to hurt, punish, and berate their own creations, either to blow off steam or because they're angry with them. styk doesn't, and never did, view their creations of sentient creatures or truly people, always seeing them as servants who are obligated to work for them... as is their nature to serve the mudwing.
they like experimenting with their creations, using them like guinea pigs to see what will happen or forcing them into relationships with one another before promptly ruining them to see their reactions. they play with their creations like toys, for as much as they don't treat them with care... they are fascinated by them. plus... there are no consequences to hurting these creatures... for they can't get mad at them for being too cruel or heartless. they don't have opinions... or at least they believe they don't.
sometimes they might accidently bond with one of their followers or... get attached to their stupid obviousness like one would a cute animal for... the comfort. though they are quick to snap out of it and give the follower they bonded with the silent treatment until their relationship crumbles from neglect. they hate being abandoned or left out of things, though they always act nonchalant about it, like they don't care... so it hurts less.
styk was never the greatest with complicated strategizing and fully thinking about the potential consequences to their actions. they aren't even a good leader either... they only know how to lead the charge and force others to do exactly what they tell them to do. they strive for perfection and hate being critiqued which has led to them being quite arrogant at times. they think they failed to start a successful cult the first time because freethinkers conflicted to much with their ideas... and also because they weren't good enough.
they seem unwilling to fully think about why they failed in the past and, as mentioned before, learn from their mistakes. for often than not, they tend to blame others instead of self-reflecting, that way they're less hard on themself and don't have to constantly think about their many mistakes and faults. they'd much prefer to ignore the issue rather than face it head on, fearing the consequences such things could do to them mentally.
despite their ineptitude in leadership, they are very intelligent and capable... they just aren't emotionally supportive. styk is very observant of the world around them and listening out for potential dangers, but is unable to fully understand others' emotions. they aren't particularly creative, having a more practical-wired mind, and typically, in the past, relied on their siblings for creative solutions or ideas.
emotional outbursts from the mudwing are very rare as they are quite good at remaining level-headed and serious. even then they aren't charismatic because of their controlling nature and distaste for hearing out the opinions of others, which appears to be one of the main reasons they make for a terrible leader... and perhaps why they failed in the past. though they are hardly one to acknowledge that as they don't like thinking about their personal flaws.
while they try to remain stoic in the face of immense stress or danger, they can crack quite easily when actually under pressure. genuine danger comes to them infrequently, as they're quite good at avoiding it entirely, but when it does... it overwhelms them with stress and panic. most of the time in these situations they just wish they could disappear... or teleport away... anything to get them out of their current predicament. despite this inner turmoil that occurs, styk is very good at hiding it and remaining calm... at least on the surface.
abilities
Charisma 	●○○○○
Intelligence	●●●●●
Strength 	●●●○○
Perception	●●●●○
Agility 	●●●○○
Luck 	●●○○○
most styk's prowess isn't considered particularly noteworthy and is often overlooked in favor of the only eye-catching ability he has. like all mudwings, he's capable of holding his breath underwater for up to an hour, though he has only capped out at about 25 minutes. he's also capable of breathing fire, but only when his body temperature is warm enough. usually he only uses this ability for rituals that demand it... or to light campfires.
he's also quite physically strong, as part of the natural build of mudwings, though he'd be considered on the smaller, leaner side. this makes him quite agile, but at the cost of his brute strength, which he never really invested in anyway, so it doesn't hinder him. outside of these abilities, styk has quite a few learned skills that are his main drawing point.
namely styk's ability to harness black magic is quite impressive, which he uses to create his own followers from inanimate objects. he's also become quite proficient at summoning demons or spirits to fight by his side, though it's worth noting that these creatures don't do it willingly. that is... perhaps, styk's greatest trait, often overlooked in favor of his more flashy skill, his keen sense of observation. he always plans things three steps ahead and he's very aware of his surroundings while going out into the hostile wilds.
history
content may include mentions of violence / gore + death
*hatched to a group of four siblings and was the bigwings of the troop. grew up, along with the rest of their siblings, in pau, a small, old village in southeastern vaara that still spoke their native tongue.
*was the eldest out a troop of 4. from the very start they were supposed to be a leader... but they weren't very good at it. they had no trouble giving orders or leading... they were just bad at thinking ahead and coming up with strategies.
*was also bad with emotions and understanding them. was only good at providing their siblings with their physical needs, not their emotional needs.
*despite this, they lived peacefully there for their early childhood. until... they came. the scarlet toad's followers wished to "educate" this village they saw as savage, primitive, and sinful into the light of the old faith.
*styk and their siblings would become victims of this forced conversion, being forced to attend a mission school that didn't allow them to speak their native tongue or practice any of their culture's traditions. they learned how to speak and write in traditional pyrrhian dragonese, the dominant language of the old faith, and pyrrhian sign language (because bhavish speaks in sign language) here. though, due to how poorly they and their siblings were being treated, they soon planned to escape with their troop. flee this indoctrination.
*"dropped out" (aka broke out) of mission school when they were around 12 (hy), choosing to flee north to the skywing territories with their siblings in tow.
*learned how to harness magic for themself fairly early on from a spell book they... borrowed from a cultist. would later on teach their siblings how to use it too once they themself knew what they were doing.
relationships
foras ◈ "seulement ils demeurer." - "only they remain."
the second eldest of her siblings. they are the only one still alive, though the two have grown estranged from one another after their final heist... after she began to neglect their relationship to work on her studies. how can she even talk to them now? she doesn't even know where they went. oh well, there's nothing she can do about it now. out of sight, out of mind.
camio ◈ "la vie était leur huître..." - "life was their oyster..."
the second youngest of her siblings. like the rest, they were loyal to her to the very end. they were a brave fool, living life to the fullest... always so... happy. their scream for help, echoing down the hollowed halls of a rotting library of ancient knowledge before being cut off prematurely by a horrid crunch. she'll never forget it.
would even argue that he would've been a much better bigwing than her.
valac ◈ "à quoi ressemblaient-ils déjà?" - "what did they look like again?"
the youngest of her siblings. they were loyal to her... loyal enough to follow her to their death. that damn library... now a haunted tomb of past regrets she longs to forget. can't... remember what they... looked... like... it's been so long... she still sees them in her dreams... a faceless ghost, saying a hundred words with their silence.
dissenters ◈ "ils sont tous partis... cela n'a plus d'importance maintenant." - "they're all gone... it doesn't matter now."
those fools... they all left her. too controlling, they said. too oppressive, they said. she doesn't care about these non-believers anymore. now... she has her own followers... her own creations... who will follow her obediently and without question to the ends of pyrrhia. she doesn't need living, sentient creatures... she doesn't need them...
found hearing their opinions, their thoughts that were so different from her own to be tiring anyway.
creations ◈ "voyons ce que je peux faire." - "let's see what i can do."
feels little to no attachment to any of them, but still acts playful with them. is proud of her accomplishments and often "plays" around with them by testing how they'd react to different situations. mercilessly kills any that she deems as "gaining sentience" ever since an incident that occurred where one broke free of her control and disappeared into the wild, never to be seen again.
doesn't care about them... it's for the best... now she can't loose anything else that is important to her.
pallas ◈ "le maudit chevalier..." - "the cursed knight..."
is very indifferent to him and his taken aback by his... kindness. even when he didn't understand what she was saying... he welcomed her. she calls him the cursed knight, for the strange relic he wears around his neck arousing suspicion in her. his duty means nothing to her and their departure from one another didn't hurt in the slightest. but she is... oddly respected in his presence, even if they barely interacted when they were together.
bhavish ◈ "le méchant du marais!" - "the wicked one of the marsh!"
it truly earned its title as the wicked, for it is just as uncaring as it is cruel. it is because of its will that she had to flee her hometown, to escape indoctrination into its cult, its "old faith." she doesn't think much of it now, but she certainly doesn't have anything nice to say when its name is brought up. refers to it as the wicked one, for that's all it'll ever be to her.
shamira ◈ "la nature’s moquerie." - "nature's mockery."
the savage god of the skywing territories, hidden behind a guise of shifting wisdom and dazed stupor. their bestial creations stalked the halls of their decrepit library, spiderlike phantoms guarding tomes that bear no use to its archiver. one day she'll slay them, for a boiling vengeance rises up from inside, no matter how hard she's tried so hard to repress it. they took everything from her. her siblings, her arm, her pride.
once stared them in the eyes on a expedition into their domain and are fear-struck by eight wide, crimson eyes that bore no inherent hatred or malice towards her. their striking resemblance to their abominable creations is... uncanny and she couldn't help but weep uncontrollably once they had left.
trivia
*moral alignment is true neutral.
*love languages are gift giving and acts of service.
*if he could have any power, he would want mind control. fantasizes about becoming an all-powerful being capable of mind controlling everyone in pyrrhia to follow his will. believes that if he could accomplish that, he'll be able to create of utopia.
*he speaks, in-universe, a "foreign" language spoken by a few small, but old communities in southeast vaara that were still are determined to stick to their traditions while slowly accepting some traditions from this encroaching religion. 
** is capable of speaking in traditional pyrrhian dragonese as he was forced to attend a mission school that tried to "educate" these "savage and primitive dragons" (aka the local populace of these traditional communities) to the old faith (which has traditional pyrrhian dragonese as its dominant language), but isn't naturally fluent in it.
**also understands a... tiny bit of pyrrhian sign language, though is very... rusty. recognizes only a few basic signs.
* right-handed.
*has a noticeable distaste for spiders or spider-like creatures. has been seen capturing small, spiderlike beasts from the skywing territories and mutilating or experimenting on them. tearing their features from their body one by one.
*smashes any spiders he sees on his desk or near him and spits on their bodies.
*tends to clutch his cloak as it rests around his left shoulder when upset or scared. this is the only sign he'll give to tell that he's scared, as his face remains stoic and distant, masking his fear.
gallery
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