Baobab (Moon)

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King Baobab was the ruler of the SandWing tribe about one hundred years after the reign of Queen Scorpion and the events of Legends: Darkstalker. He came to power by using a fake Eye of Onyx, created by Jerboa II. As a ruler, Baobab was known for being greedy and demanding; however, the general public saw him as glorious, because he had manipulated them via propaganda. However, this would cause an uprising in the lower class (especially those from the Scorpion Den), and the entire kingdom turned on him, as it was no longer taboo to speak out. On the tenth anniversary of his rule, he was killed by Jerboa II, whose animus magic he had abused for years, in front of the entire kingdom.
After Baobab's death, a new monarch took over, who was an ancestor of Queen Oasis. Jerboa II ran away and lived out the rest of her life quietly, while the Kingdom of Sand remained in a state of relative peace until the War of SandWing Succession.
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=Appearance=
Appearance
King Baobab was primarily known for one thing: gold.
Not only was he ludicrously wealthy, but the gold was part of him. His most distinguishable feature was his gold talons―according to a popular tall tale, he had gotten his natural scales plated with the shiny mineral.
Baobab's natural scales were a shade of brown similar to that of walnut wood; from afar, one might have mistaken him for a MudWing. His underscales were lighter, with a slight cool tint to them, almost making them look somewhat purple. This purplish-brown color faded into dark brown as the end of his tail met his poisonous barb.
The wealthy king was rather pudgy; in his time, this was a sign of status, because only the rich could afford copious amounts of food. His wings made him look even larger, as they were broad and ebony in color, with off-white leopard spots clustered at the tips. Furthermore, Baobab was incredibly tall; he loomed over you like a statue about to crumble, and the giant fragments would have crushed you with their force. But he did not crumble. Instead, he just stood there, inducing the fear that he might.
Baobab’s sail was a sandy color, like the sky during a sandstorm. His eyes were black with mustard-yellow pupils, and his subjects often said that they saw right through you. He could regularly be seen wearing pounds upon pounds of jewelry made of gold, silver, and jewels. He had rings on every claw, solid metal wristbands, several ornaments in each ear, a nose piercing, a tail band (which was popular in his time), and golden wing chains. But most notably, Baobab wore a fake Eye of Onyx around his neck. According to him, “To always remind my subjects that I am the one with the power.”
=Personality=
Personality
Baobab was unquestionably evil, but he was no fool. Like a dodecahedron, he was multifaceted. On the outside, he put on a charismatic persona. He propagandized his kingdom into thinking he was a glorious leader because of all the great cultural contributions he had made. And indeed, Baobab was a patron of the arts, having founded the first Royal SandWing Marching Band. But in comparison to the atrocities he committed, this looked like a small dove next to a flock of vultures.
It was a well-known fact that Baobab had an incredibly large ego. His incredible hunger for power and wealth had clearly gotten to his head, and he had little to no respect for non-nobles. He especially hated poor dragons from the Scorpion Den and hybrids. Though despite having several ignorant opinions, Baobab was well-educated. He typically spoke with facts or philosophy. He just chose to use this knowledge for his own personal gain rather than the common good. When he lost an argument, he would have the other dragon beheaded for treason. The royal courtyard was lined with skulls.
An account from the memoir of Sand Hopper, a former royal guard member, claims that “Baobab loved pretty things. He showed these pretty things to the world so that they would think he was pretty, too. But to tell you the truth, he was uglier than the headless corpses he buried in the sun-scorched sand.”
Finally, Baobab was controlling. He was obsessed with the concept of animus magic. And he had a pawn that he could use. But perhaps this would cause his downfall…
=Abilities & Weaknesses=
Abilities & Weaknesses
 | TRIBAL POWERS
Like most SandWings, Baobab had firebreath, a poisonous tail barb, camouflage, and a sharp sense of hearing. Though not commonly known in his time by those outside of the Stronghold, when he got bored of the guillotine, Baobab would use his fire and venom instead. It was much more entertaining, according to him.
 | LACK OF STEALTH
Due to being non-physically fit and always adorned in copious amounts of jewelry, Baobab was not stealthy in the slightest. You could hear the gold jingling from a mile away, and some said they could hear his bones creak as he walked. Though this was definitely a weakness if he was trying to sneak around, he was definitely the kind of dragon who wanted his presence to be known.
 | MANIPULATION
Baobab manipulated many dragons during his years in the Stronghold. By using his charm, he could get into others' heads and make them do his bidding. He was also able to manipulate his kingdom with propaganda, which is how he was able to keep the throne for a decade.
=Stats=
Stats
Strength
Charisma
Endurance
Loyalty
Agility
Intelligence
Stealth
Perception
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=History=
History
Baobab was born to Alluaudia, a Scorpion Den escapee, and Oryx, a SandWing noble. He had a twin sister, Hamada, and an elder sister, Pitaya. They lived a relatively regular life in Queen Fennec's Stronghold, though Baobab's mother faced discrimination for coming from the lower class. Unfortunately, the dragonets were not free from this, and were often made fun of in school, but regardless of this sad part of their lives, they still had loving parents and three meals a day. Yet Baobab was still resentful.
Alluaudia always told her dragonets stories about how awful life in the Scorpion Den was. "It's hard to have dreams when you are constantly surrounded by crimes," she once said. She wanted her dragonets to understand that no one can control the circumstances of their birth and that they should be grateful for the life they had. But Baobab misinterpreted this; he thought that his mother was trying to teach him to hate everyone associated with the Scorpion Den. He most definitely hated the fact that he had "criminal" blood in him. The bullying he received made him hate himself. So, he completely rejected this part of his ancestry and joined in on the tormenting of those from the Scorpion Den and the lower class.
As a young adult, Baobab became an advisor to Queen Fennec. She often played harp in her free time; this is how Baobab gained his respect for music. Around this time also, he gained an interest in SandWing history. He once read a scroll about SandWing treasure, which had a section about the Eye of Onyx. He learned that is was enchanted by a dragon named Jerboa to choose the most worthy candidate for ruler. So, he thought, why would that have to be a queen? Why couldn't it be me? And this is where Baobab's hunger for power begins.
For many years, Baobab would try to get into Fennec's head. "Oh, but you don't want to be a weak ruler, don't you?" He would say whenever she consulted him about an opinion that he disagreed with. Lucky for Baobab, Fennec was not a confident queen. Over time, he was able to manipulate her into doing his bidding. After all, the bullied become bullies.
One day, Queen Fennec and several nobles traveled to Possibility to watch an orchestra concert. (At this point, the queen was elderly, and Baobab had his first daughter, Khaki, whose mother was unknown.) While the rest of the group headed back to the Stronghold afterward, Baobab got sidetracked and came across a luscious oasis in the desert. But when he landed, he discovered it was a mirage. In its place, there was a tiny golden dragonet with triangle patterns on her wings.
"You're an animus," he said. "You used your magic to bring me here." Being knowledgeable about SandWing history, Baobab figured this dragonet was a descendant of Jerboa, the creator of the Eye of Onyx. When she told him her name was Jerboa the Second, this only confirmed his speculation.
"My mother did not want me anymore," the tiny dragonet had explained, "so she cast me away to the dunes."
Baobab was impressed by Jerboa II's literacy. "Do not worry, tiny dragon. I will give you a very good home indeed."
It was not a very good home indeed. The first thing tiny Jerboa knew when she arrived at the Stronghold, she was a murderer. And this was all because of Baobab's evil scheme. He manipulated Jerboa into doing his bidding, making her kill Queen Fennec with and make it look like an assassination. The queen had no daughters. Additionally, Baobab had Jerboa create a fake Eye of Onyx so he could become king (he knew the true one would see him as unworthy); when Fennec's sons put it over their necks, they were both obliterated. So, naturally, Baobab became ruler of the SandWing tribe, because when he put the fake necklace on, nothing happened. There's no way the Eye could be wrong!
Very soon after "earning" his kinghood, Baobab married a dragoness named Sagebrush. They had two sons together named Sunray and Okapi, however Khaki was still Baobab's favorite dragonet. He would constantly spoil her, buying her expensive things and telling her she would become queen one day.
Around this same time, Baobab founded the Royal SandWing Marching Band as a subdivision of the military. He had heard stories (and witnessed while in Possibility) about community-organized marching bands parading along the streets and lifting spirits with their sound. As someone who appreciated music, he thought this would be a wonderful thing to officially raise to a professional level. Additionally, he believed that a royal marching band would help the kingdom raise money. Thus, the first royal brigade, the Sun Regiment (followed by the Eagle and Scorpion Regiments) was born. This was one of the most culturally impactful moments in SandWing history, as the tribe still loves music to this day, however, it is generally seen as the only good contribution Baobab ever made as king.
As Baobab's rule progressed, he became increasingly paranoid. He did not trust his advisors, and he would become furious if they did not reciprocate his opinions. He went through advisors very quickly. He even went as far to imprison his eldest sister in the dungeon under the Stronghold and send his mother and twin sister to the guillotine. The way he justified this to his kingdom was by saying that they had betrayed the SandWing tribe. Baobab believed that he was the SandWing tribe.
Over time, he continued to abuse Jerboa II's magic; primarily spells to create self-defense weapons and protective jewelry, as his fear of backstabbing advisors grew worse and worse. However, after being stabbed in the talon by an enchanted knife at a royal feast, Baobab knew that Jerboa was the real traitor. However, he couldn't get rid of her, as she was too much of an asset. So, he publicly revealed her as his "long-lost daughter" so she would be pressured into being obedient by the public eye.
Khaki was furious. She envied the fact that all of her father's attention was on Jerboa instead of herself. She wasn't even his real daughter! So, she hired an assassin by the name of Dimglow to kill Jerboa. However, Jerboa's body was nowhere to be found the following morning. Baobab sent out search parties for weeks, but it was as though she disappeared without a trace.
However, about six months later, on the eve of Baobab's tenth anniversary as king, a mob of angry dragons raided the Stronghold. They were sick and tired of having to pay ridiculous amounts of taxes to fund the kings greedy lifestyle and watching their relatives die at his claws. This group was led by Jerboa, Dimglow, and another dragon from the royal marching band, Sand Hopper. The mob stole from the SandWing treasury, which included Baobab's enchanted weapons. A very bloody battle ensued between the lower class rioters and the nobles in the palace, though not a soul twitched when Jerboa confronted Baobab.
She cast a spell to make the fake Eye of Onyx appear in her left talon and the true one appear in her right. The fake eye shattered as she threw it to the ground. In a fit of rage, Baobab grabbed the true Eye and put it over his neck. Instantly he was obliterated to ash.
The majority of the kingdom rejoiced; however, fighting between the social classes continued, and it took eleven months of searching until the right queen could be found. It was a Stronghold kitchen assistant named Saguaro―she was known for being kindhearted and gentle. At long last, the Kingdom of Sand was in good talons.
=Relationships=
Relationships
 | ALLUAUDIA
Alluaudia was Baobab's mother. She grew up in a particularly rough part of the Scorpion Den, constantly surrounded by crime. She managed to escape and marry Oryx. When her dragonets were young, she would tell them stories about her own dragonethood to teach them to be grateful for the fortunate life they had. However, because of the bullying he received for being "part Scorpion Den," Baobab grew to resent that part of himself and his mother. He viewed her as weak due to her sympathy for others. After he became king, Alluaudia made many attempts to change Baobab's mind about the lower class. He refused to listen and executed her.
 | DIMGLOW
Dimglow was one of the riot leaders during the siege of the Stronghold. Baobab only knew her face, but disliked the SandWing-NightWing hybrid for being a threat to his power.
 | FENNEC
Baobab advised Fennec for many years while she was queen. He found her easy to manipulate because she lacked self confidence. After discovering Jerboa II in the desert, he used her magic to murder Queen Fennec and become king.
 | HAMADA
Hamada and Baobab always bickered as dragonets; they were not the stereotypical twins who always got along. Similar their mother, Hamada wanted to push Baobab away from his path of greed, but it was already too late for him. She was also killed.
 | JERBOA II
The dangerous asset. Baobab brought Jerboa to the Stronghold after her mother had abandoned her in the desert. However, he kept her secret for many years. He would make her use her magic to do his bidding and emotionally manipulated her. But after realizing how much of a threat she was, Baobab officially made her his "daughter." The more time passed, the more rebellious Jerboa got. Baobab valued Jerboa for her magic and her magic alone; deep down he was afraid of her because he knew the extent of her powers. Ultimately she killed him in retaliation for all the years of abuse she had to endure from him.
 | KHAKI
Khaki hatched two years before her father became king. Her mother, contrary to public belief, was an unknown dragoness. Anyone in the Stronghold could see that Khaki was Baobab's favorite dragonet. He constantly bought her expansive things (rather, made Jerboa create them) and told her she would become queen one day. However, after Baobab made Jerboa his "daughter," his relationship with Khaki became rocky, as she was extremely envious. Though she still defended him during the siege on the Stronghold because she too was power-hungry. Baobab's relationship with his daughter was likely the most positive he ever had, even if it was far from being a healthy father-daughter dynamic.
 | OKAPI
Okapi was Baobab's younger son; appearance-wise, they resembled each other exactly, though they were not very alike. Okapi was very timid and tended to fade into the background. His father mostly ignored him.
 | ORYX
Baobab's father was a noble. Oryx was rather distant during his dragonethood, so he did not have much influence in Baobab's life. After his son became king, Oryx ran away to the far reaches of the Sand Kingdom.
 | PITAYA
Baobab was afraid of his older sister. He knew she would speak out against him like his mother and twin sister. But for some reason, he did not execute her. Instead he locked her in the prison under the Stronghold. He never saw her again, though he occasionally had guards go down and check on her.
 | SAGEBRUSH
Sagebrush was Baobab's wife and mother of his two sons. He never really loved her; rather he married her for "honor." She spent most of her time out of the public eye, raising Okapi and Sunray. Luckily, they were able to lead normal lives after their father's passing due to their mother's influence. If only Baobab would have listened to his mother...
 | SAND HOPPER
Sand Hopper was another one of the riot leaders alongside Dimglow and Jerboa. Baobab recognized him from the Sun Regiment because he kept destroying things in the raid with his giant baritone saxophone. Baobab instantly disliked him for being so careless with an expensive golden instrument.
 | SUNRAY
Baobab ignored Sunray much like his other son, Okapi. He described him as being "boring."
=Trivia=
Trivia
*Baobab is the main antagonist in The Shadow King.
*He draws loose inspiration from several tyrant rulers I've learned about in Honors World History class.
*The songs in the infobox (in order) are "Don't Tread On Me" by Metallica, "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden, and "Symphony of Destruction" by Megadeth.
*He would have gotten along well with Queen Scarlet.
*Baobab's intelligence is supposed to be ironic compared to his ignorance, like Beatty in Fahrenheit 451.
*He is probably the most developed OC I've made to this day.
*Baobab got on popular pages from 11/28/2023—12/04/2023!
=Family Tree=
Family Tree
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=Excerpts from The Shadow King=
Excerpts from The Shadow King
I will add to this section after I am finished writing the book. For now it will stay blank.
=About the Royal SandWing Marching Band=
About the Royal SandWing Marching Band
Pretty much the same applies here.
=Gallery=
Gallery
Baobab Joy Ang head.png|Joy Ang
Baobab Max Meinzold.png|Max Meinzold
=Coding Credits=
Coding Credits
*Layout inspired by Sunfyre's page (w/ permission from Eunoia)
*Eunoia also taught me how to make family trees!
*Wheatproduct (namely headings, statbars & palette)
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Category:Mature Content
Category:Characters
Category:Males
Category:SandWings
Category:Status (Royalty)
Category:Deceased
Category:Content (Moonwatcher908)
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