Hophesia Colland

*"People talk about the old adage of having a 'heart of stone'. The opposite could not be more true- Never have I met one with more fire burning in their soul."* - Dorgis Splinter, High Marshall, 142 AT

Hophesia Colland (Or Hop, to her close friends) is the Dragon/Elf Hybrid born from Kah'Alune. Over the centuries of her life, she had come to be known as a few different things. But today, she serves as one of the core members of the Empire's Schollar's Guild. Hop is the leading expert of astronomical sciences, and is the reason that maps of the night sky and constellations for the world exist to this day.

## Biology

Hophesia is a woman of mixed blood. Her father was a Stoneheart Dragon of Kah'Alune, while her mother was an elf hailing from Gwynnsa. In terms of size and appearance, Hophesia kept her mother's genes, being humanoid in shape and height. The elements of her father that she kept were her wings, tail, horns and eyes. Hophesia also kept some of her father's scales, but would only cover some of her body (namely her legs, arms and neck). Upon her collarbone, a few cracks seep into her skin. This is where Hophesia claims is the origin point of her scales.

As they seem to appear, the scales on her skin are quite jagged and hard to the touch. Similar to a Stoneheart Dragon, these scales are made of Dragonstone. Dragonstone is an odd substance; It is less durable than regular dragon scales, only being a similar strength to regular steel. But, they are incredibly absorbent of magic. Hop has the ability to alter her skin to force the scales spread to the rest of her body, encompassing her entirely. Though, this is a temporary change that requires quite a bit of energy.

Hophesia's wings also seem to serve very little purpose. Being quite heavy and ill-placed upon her body, they don't function well for flight.

## Personality

Your opinion of Hophesia is going to be dependent on how you act around her. Hophesia has the capacity to be a friendly, caring and gentle person, but anyone who knows her well knows that she has a very strong personality. She has very little tolerance for poor behavoir. If you are kind and gentle to Hop, you are likely to be treated as such in return. If you show aggression to Hop, expect that aggression to be returned two-fold. Hop is a natural born leader, ready and willing to take charge wherever she goes. Hop carries a strong distrust of dragon kind. She will not immediately show aggression towards a dragon, but will obviously distrust them until proven.

Her natural ability to think clearly and precisely at any time is what made her an effective leader during her military days. Her mind is what she considers to be her most powerful tool, and is what she would come to lean on after her days of military service. Using her interest in stars and celestial bodies to carry her into a life of a scholar, her attitude towards people would not change.

## History

### Birth - Early Life

Hop was born within the deserts of Kah'Alune by her elven mother, named Annabelle. How this elf came to bare the child of a Stoneheart Dragon is something not even Hop knows, as she never met her father. Stoneheart Dragons are notorious for being incredibly prideful, and scornful of other races. It was likely that her father was killed for this act- Hop never found out.

Hop's earliest memories were being on the run with her mother. Her own existence was treason to this clan of dragons, so she and her mother constantly needed to be on the move. Hop spent her early years moving and living from place to place, either in caves they could find or in the houses of generous folk willing to help keep them hidden. Hop got to know many people on her early travels. Eventually, the dragons discovered the location that Hop and her mother happened to be hiding in. Her mother was killed in the attack, but Hop managed to survive with the help of a mage, who used illusion magic to fake Hop's death for the dragons to see.

With no parents and no home, Hop joined this mage on his travel back to the Feydore Empire. Here, she was properly raised in civilized culture- At the age of 14, Hop began living a normal life under the foster care of her savior.

### Early Adulthood - Military Career

Hop's savior was a man known as Julias Baraal, who was the Court Mage under the Emperor at the time. Hop began to live a very comfortable life now under the care of this man, who would begin to give her a proper education. Hop began to learn of her love for- well, learning. She loved the feeling of discovering something new. Even when her adopted father was busy, she spent much of her time reading and learning about the world and building up her knowledge.

When the time came for Hop to choose what it was she wanted to do with her life, she tried out her luck within the city guard. She believed her gained intellect would be of most use to the defense of the city she had come to love. Hop was a quick learner, being trained in the art of combat, and her natural armor-like skin also very much helped. Her natural talent for strategy and combat is what quickly rose her through the ranks to eventually end up as one of the Guard Commanders.

One of her most famous stories was the story of the 'Battle of Sapphire', where Hop famously used her strategic abilities to defend the Earnwold Docks from a raging Sapphire Serpent with her squadron of guards, with no civilian casualties. This earned her the title among her own guards of 'The Stone Commander', a title she would carry with her, even when she was moved into the Empire's proper military.

At the age of 43, Hop was now an acting Marshall within the army. She now very rarely got to see the field of battle, but would command a legion of soldiers and lead them into many victories with her strategic prowess. During her service, Hop also worked on inventions. Binoculars and telescopes that would give her soldiers the ability for them to look upon foes at a distance. This of course, is where Hop would begin to dabble in the area she is most known for today.

### Transition - Today

After spending 70 years in service to the Feydorian Military, Hop received an Honorable Discharge from her position. Hop welcomed this change with open arms- as she was well and truly ready to start doing something new with her life. Though, she didn't believe she was finished with using her intellect to help the world. Though her adoptive father had long since deceased, Hop believed it would be best to pick up where he had left off. Not as a mage, but as a scholar. Making truly new discoveries that would help the world for the better. And so she took the idea of seeing distant objects with her telescope, and took it to the next logical level. To gaze upon the furthest objects the universe had to offer. Bodies outside the world.

Hop began creating new variations on her telescopes. More powerful versions, that would allow her to see up into the night sky. Hop began to develop maps, and inventing constellations. Hope began making discoveries about the stars and the planets in the solar system. All these things were records she kept, and would publish as informational books. Hop's work within the astronomical world would be revolutionary to scholars and scientists alike. She became the foremost expert on extraterrestrial bodies of the hundreds of years she spent gazing up into the night skies.

To this day, Hop still travels the world. As a formerly recognized Professor and Researcher under the Feydorian Empire, she travels to keep the maps of the night sky updated for libraries, as well as developing new scientific inventions for her fellow scholars. The name Hophesia Colland became a symbol of hope, to anyone wanting to exceed with nothing but wit.