Norjalac, the First Dragon
Appearance
Norjalac's form is that of a colossal serpent with scales the colour of pale blue ice. His eyes are a darker blue and jagged grey horns extend out from the back of his head. Lacking wings or hind legs, he instead moves by slithering like a snake and by using his two forelegs to propel himself. Norjalac is nearly 100 feet long from head to tail, and in life weighed well over eight tonnes.
However, untold ages spent encased in ice have not been kind. A skeleton is all that remains of the First Dragon, reanimated by the necromantic energy visibly swirling around inside him and lighting once empty eye sockets with an eerie glow. Norjalac frequently employs magic to create an illusory skin over his bones, allowing him to assume his appearance as it was when he was still alive.
However, untold ages spent encased in ice have not been kind. A skeleton is all that remains of the First Dragon, reanimated by the necromantic energy visibly swirling around inside him and lighting once empty eye sockets with an eerie glow. Norjalac frequently employs magic to create an illusory skin over his bones, allowing him to assume his appearance as it was when he was still alive.
Skills and Abilities
Norjalac was an extremely powerful being in life, as befits his claim to being the first dragon. Though many of his brood grew to be larger, stronger and faster than their progenitor, few if any could ever hope to match him in wealth or skill at magic. Being dead for tens if not hundreds of thousands of years has nevertheless taken its toll: All his treasures have been scattered across the world or outright destroyed, and the magical power he commands in undeath amounts to not even a fraction of what it once was.
Primordial Magic - As a mage hailing from the "days of the world's youth," Norjalac possesses vast knowledge of the forgotten magics of that era, far more potent but also far less fuel-efficient than most modern forms of magic. He currently lacks the power to use most high-level spells in his arsenal but magic such as flight, illusions and weaker combat spells are still within his grasp.
Blizzard Breath - Norjalac is capable of exhaling a line of supernatural cold, ice and snow, ten feet wide and ninety feet in length. Anything caught in the breath will be frozen solid by the cold and then shredded by a barrage of ice shards. A natural ability that seems to have carried over into undeath, even though Norjalac no longer has the organs to produce the breath.
Enhanced Durability - His new undead state has left Norjalac incapable of feeling pain and he no longer has any vital organs to target, making the dragon an incredibly tough foe to take down both at range as well as in close quarters. Bludgeoning weapons are still very effective against him. He no longer requires any sustenance, nor does he need to breathe or sleep.
Enhanced Agility - The loss of his flesh has rendered Norjalac far lighter and more agile than he ever was in life. He can twist and contort his body in almost impossible ways, and his newfound speed allows him to dodge projectiles and blows with ease.
Resurrection Sickness - Norjalac has been heavily physically and magically weakened due to the long period of time between his death and his resurrection. It is clear that undeath has taken a heavy toll on his powers and strength. Norjalac himself believes this effect to only be temporary, but he is not sure when it will wear off, and he secretly worries it never will.
Ranged Combatant - Though he is a (weakened) dragon and his claws are sharp, Norjalac is relatively inexperienced in close quarters combat, having always preferred to cautiously stay at long range and bombard his enemies with spells. Even a weak assault at close range is often enough to overwhelm the dragon, disrupting his focus and placing him on the defensive.
Primordial Magic - As a mage hailing from the "days of the world's youth," Norjalac possesses vast knowledge of the forgotten magics of that era, far more potent but also far less fuel-efficient than most modern forms of magic. He currently lacks the power to use most high-level spells in his arsenal but magic such as flight, illusions and weaker combat spells are still within his grasp.
Blizzard Breath - Norjalac is capable of exhaling a line of supernatural cold, ice and snow, ten feet wide and ninety feet in length. Anything caught in the breath will be frozen solid by the cold and then shredded by a barrage of ice shards. A natural ability that seems to have carried over into undeath, even though Norjalac no longer has the organs to produce the breath.
Enhanced Durability - His new undead state has left Norjalac incapable of feeling pain and he no longer has any vital organs to target, making the dragon an incredibly tough foe to take down both at range as well as in close quarters. Bludgeoning weapons are still very effective against him. He no longer requires any sustenance, nor does he need to breathe or sleep.
Enhanced Agility - The loss of his flesh has rendered Norjalac far lighter and more agile than he ever was in life. He can twist and contort his body in almost impossible ways, and his newfound speed allows him to dodge projectiles and blows with ease.
Resurrection Sickness - Norjalac has been heavily physically and magically weakened due to the long period of time between his death and his resurrection. It is clear that undeath has taken a heavy toll on his powers and strength. Norjalac himself believes this effect to only be temporary, but he is not sure when it will wear off, and he secretly worries it never will.
Ranged Combatant - Though he is a (weakened) dragon and his claws are sharp, Norjalac is relatively inexperienced in close quarters combat, having always preferred to cautiously stay at long range and bombard his enemies with spells. Even a weak assault at close range is often enough to overwhelm the dragon, disrupting his focus and placing him on the defensive.
Personality
As a being that sees himself as naturally superior to all others, Norjalac possesses a certain arrogant temperament. He takes great pride in his abilities as both a mage and a dragon, sometimes to the point of abrasiveness. The dragon gives insults out freely but does not tolerate them in return, and he is not above threats of violence toward those who offend him. As his usual style is that of being self-serving, it is a rare occurrence for Norjalac to act without it benefitting himself in some way.
He is not a truly malevolent force, however, and those who earn his approval and respect are shown a different side of the first dragon. Though still abrasive even toward allies, Norjalac generally changes his behavior to become a sort of "wise old mentor." He enjoys sharing his knowledge of magic and the ancient world, regaling any who would listen with tales of an age before ages. Though he would never admit it, he does take the concerns of those he trusts into account and will go about showing kindness in roundabout ways to avoid discovery. Norjalac believes himself to be the father of all dragons, and cannot stop himself from acting like a strict but proud father to any descendants of his that he might come across.
He is a scholar and collector at heart and will naturally preoccupy himself with magical research and the hoarding of treasure if left to his own devices. Magic duels are a great source of pleasure, giving Norjalac the opportunity to reaffirm his own power as well as test new spells and artifacts.
He is not a truly malevolent force, however, and those who earn his approval and respect are shown a different side of the first dragon. Though still abrasive even toward allies, Norjalac generally changes his behavior to become a sort of "wise old mentor." He enjoys sharing his knowledge of magic and the ancient world, regaling any who would listen with tales of an age before ages. Though he would never admit it, he does take the concerns of those he trusts into account and will go about showing kindness in roundabout ways to avoid discovery. Norjalac believes himself to be the father of all dragons, and cannot stop himself from acting like a strict but proud father to any descendants of his that he might come across.
He is a scholar and collector at heart and will naturally preoccupy himself with magical research and the hoarding of treasure if left to his own devices. Magic duels are a great source of pleasure, giving Norjalac the opportunity to reaffirm his own power as well as test new spells and artifacts.
Biography & Lore
No records remain today of the first dragon to walk the world of Arethil. All that is known is that one such creature must have existed long ago. This "first dragon" is Norjalac, a sorcerer from a truly ancient era. That is what he claims to be, at least.
Born hundreds of thousands of years ago in a place lost to the passage of time, Norjacal was for a long time the only one of his kind that he could find. Many centuries in his youth were spent searching the world for any signs of others like him, but he found nothing but lesser races. He eventually accepted his solitude, and this acceptance grew over time into the sincere belief that he was the first dragon in the world.
His quest for companionship having failed, the dragon dedicated himself to studying the higher mysteries of magic, showing a remarkable aptitude for the craft. He had quickly learned all that any mortal mage could teach him and the rest of his life would be spent learning on his own. Learning how to craft his own spells, Norjalac set out to collect magic items and artifacts to fuel his increasingly powerful and fuel-hungry creations. He robbed whole kingdoms of any valuables they had, only to convert it all into magical energy to fuel his experiments with immortality and spells of mass destruction. As the dragon's power grew, so too did his arrogance.
Having ascended to the top of the food chain, Norjalac eventually grew bored. He began seeking increasingly unorthodox ways to amuse himself: he destroyed many kingdoms and led just as many to prosperity simply because it amused him. He used magic to impregnate himself and spawn more dragons into the world, though he had no real desire to continue his lineage. He crafted increasingly bizarre and complex spells that had no practical uses just to occupy himself with something. Yet it was not enough. His true goal gnawed unceasingly at his mind: learn to control time and reach the realm of Gods.
Fittingly, it was his own arrogant, lofty ambitions that led him to his death. The dragon did indeed make the attempt to wrest time itself under his control, believing himself to be above the laws. Many years, even centuries, were spent on the preparing the ritual, but it would all be for nothing. As soon as the ritual was completed, Norjalac knew he had failed. On that day, as his life's flame was snuffed out, he learned that not even dragons could approach the realm of the Gods.
Born hundreds of thousands of years ago in a place lost to the passage of time, Norjacal was for a long time the only one of his kind that he could find. Many centuries in his youth were spent searching the world for any signs of others like him, but he found nothing but lesser races. He eventually accepted his solitude, and this acceptance grew over time into the sincere belief that he was the first dragon in the world.
His quest for companionship having failed, the dragon dedicated himself to studying the higher mysteries of magic, showing a remarkable aptitude for the craft. He had quickly learned all that any mortal mage could teach him and the rest of his life would be spent learning on his own. Learning how to craft his own spells, Norjalac set out to collect magic items and artifacts to fuel his increasingly powerful and fuel-hungry creations. He robbed whole kingdoms of any valuables they had, only to convert it all into magical energy to fuel his experiments with immortality and spells of mass destruction. As the dragon's power grew, so too did his arrogance.
Having ascended to the top of the food chain, Norjalac eventually grew bored. He began seeking increasingly unorthodox ways to amuse himself: he destroyed many kingdoms and led just as many to prosperity simply because it amused him. He used magic to impregnate himself and spawn more dragons into the world, though he had no real desire to continue his lineage. He crafted increasingly bizarre and complex spells that had no practical uses just to occupy himself with something. Yet it was not enough. His true goal gnawed unceasingly at his mind: learn to control time and reach the realm of Gods.
Fittingly, it was his own arrogant, lofty ambitions that led him to his death. The dragon did indeed make the attempt to wrest time itself under his control, believing himself to be above the laws. Many years, even centuries, were spent on the preparing the ritual, but it would all be for nothing. As soon as the ritual was completed, Norjalac knew he had failed. On that day, as his life's flame was snuffed out, he learned that not even dragons could approach the realm of the Gods.