Aijo (Fukutsu no Seishin)

*"The power of a deity is absolute; we would do well to remember it."*

## Background

As a hatchling, and continuing on through his adolescence into young adulthood, Aijo was a sickly dragon.  Born as a Coatl, he found communicating his needs difficult, and his pale plumage did little to encourage assistance, many considering him to be unlucky and avoiding him.  He does not recount, or even like to think about, how long he lived in his isolated home, growing weaker and weaker, before he was finally rescued by a Mirror who found the whole thing ridiculous and all but dragged him back to her home lair.  There, he found himself the centre of attention, looked over by many dragons, including the lair’s healer, also a pale Coatl.  He was unused to all the attention at once and became a recluse, intimidated and overwhelmed by the clan’s greeting.

The Mirror would not leave him alone, however, staying by his side and bringing back various foods from her hunting trips to try and find something he could eat.  This persisted even as he lost more colour from his feathers, areas bleaching totally white. Somewhere along the way, she had become his mate.  He still does not know exactly how she wormed her way into that position, but he does not regret it at all, returning her feelings in full.  And so it was that she was with him when the healer finally realised the source of his illness, and took it upon herself to find the cure - a spell that would change him so that his body reflected what he really was.  It was a strange sight to see a Mirror, fierce and often sporting bloody claws, feverently studying magic, which only her flight gave her any affinity for at all, until finally she succeeded.  His taste for plants, and the at times failing memory, lent the revelation that he was truly a tundra little surprise.

He is still gaining strength again after a lifetime of illness, and prefers the company of few, but his long experiences have drawn him towards an unshakable belief in the deities’ power.  It is only the Flamecaller, whose created breed gave him so much grief, that he cares little for and has not studied in great detail.  Conversely, the Arcanist whose power saved him, and the Icewarden whose breed he truly was, he devotes the most time and energy towards.

## Personality

Aijo is a recluse who prefers the company of his shrines to other dragons.  He will see anyone who wishes for his help in their spiritual journeys, be they visiting dragons or fellow clan members, but he does not seek company.  Even Tsubomi, his mate, is normally the one to approach him.

Despite this, he is kind and can hold a lengthy conversation with anyone, although he prefers intelligent conversation to idle chit chat unless it’s Tsubomi.  Hatchlings exhaust him if around him for too long, as do spirals and other more hyperactive dragons.

## Role Within The Clan

His unshakeable belief in the deities and their powers naturally led him into the position of cleric, and if anyone needs help with their spiritual life, he is the voice of wisdom they will come to.  He is no prophet or seer, and will not stand for being referred to as such, but he has a way of calming agitated dragons that few can match.

When it comes to festivals, Aijo is the one that will prepare the clan for the appropriate celebrations, although many members of the clan do little more than casually acknowledge any of the festivals.  The most active is understandably Starfall Celebration, which is also the one Aijo puts the most effort into preparing for.

## Appearance

His illness bleached the pigment from his feathers as a coatl, and even after he made the transformation to tundra the vitiligo remained.  He cannot say he is fond of the reminder, and covers himself in pink apparel in an attempt to disguise it.  Tsubomi constantly assures him that it adds to his beauty, and he is slowly coming to appreciate it, although he still will never be fully confident in it.

## Abilities

### Mélée

Aijo’s illness weakened him physically, so he would prefer not to fight head-on, but he is still capable of holding his ground if he must.  He would rather hide behind Tsubomi in a physical altercation, however.

### Magic

Both his birth breed and his true breed are magically inclined, if not as much as say a fae might be, and he is confident in his powers.  He rarely uses them for combat, but prefers to use them to help prepare the lair for festivals or to maintain the shrines.  He is strongest with Ice, particularly around the time of the Crystalline Gala, but spending so long in the Starfall Isles has increased his affinity for Arcane magic too.

## Relationships

### Tsubomi

His mate, and the dragon who first brought him to the lair, he owes his treatment to her tireless research and loves her unconditionally for it.  She is the only dragon he can hold a lengthy conversation about nothing with, and when he is feeling down enough to want company, she is the only dragon he will approach.