Tharion Araelor
Tharion Araelor is a disgraced scion of the Great House Araelor, once destined to uphold their legacy as breeders and riders of the mighty Tsonye dragons. Exiled for conspiring with an ambitious Minor House to rig a royal Rising and secure undue favor for Araelor influence, he fled with his bonded dragon Garruk rather than face execution or demotion.
Now a stubborn, cynical sellsword roaming Malakath's wilds, Tharion clings to his pride and his unyielding partner, taking contracts that let him wield devastating earthquakes while evading Thanasian bounty hunters. His arrogance remains, tempered by hardship, as he burns with quiet resolve to one day find retribution on those that exposed his plot.
Appearance
Tharion cuts an bold figure: athletic, with sharp aristocratic features softened only by the scars of exile.
His long dark hair falls past his shoulders, often tied back in a practical knot, framing a face dominated by intense emerald-green eyes and a neatly trimmed beard that hides old abrasions from dragon scales and mercenary brawls.
He wears faded black-and-emerald noble leathers (Araelor colors stripped of sigils), patched and travel-worn, with a high collar and subtle gold threading hinting at his lost heritage. His movements carry the grace of a born rider, but his gaze is hard, defiant, and ever-watchful.
Skills and Abilities
- Expert Dragon Rider & Aerial Combat: Years in the Thunder of Thanasis honed his skill commanding Tsonye dragons in battle, directing precise strikes from the saddle.
- Earthquake Mastery (via Garruk): Directs Garruk's signature tail club to trigger localized quakes, collapsing terrain, toppling structures, or burying foes - a weaponized gift from the breed's burrowing origins.
- Tactical Warfare & Mercenary Experience: Skilled in siege tactics, survival in Malakath's wilds, and reading battlefields; stubborn resolve makes him hard to outmaneuver.
- Draconic Bond: Deep telepathic link with Garruk allows seamless coordination, shared senses, and mutual stubborn defiance in the face of authority.
Personality
Tharion is stubborn as ancient stone. Once he sets his mind to a course no force sways him. He carries the ingrained arrogance of a Great House heir now laced with dry sarcasm and bitter cynicism from exile.
Quick to anger when pride is insulted, he hides vulnerability behind a lone-wolf facade. Deep down burns a fire for redemption or retribution against the council and houses that betrayed him.
Biography & Lore
Born into the prestigious House Araelor, breeders of the Tsonye dragons famed for their earth-shaking power, Tharion was raised amid the opulent estates and hatcheries of Thanasis.
As a scion, he was trained from childhood in draconic lore, riding, and politics. At 12, he bonded with Garruk during a family ritual. Garruk is a willful, heavy-set Tsonye whose stubborn streak mirrored his own.
Their partnership proved formidable: Garruk's bulbous, spiked tail club could summon quakes that shattered enemy lines, earning Tharion respect in the Thunder of Thanasis and lucrative mercenary campaigns.
Ambition, however, proved his undoing. In a bid to elevate Araelor's dominance (or settle a family slight), Tharion entered a forbidden pact with an ambitious Minor House.
They conspired to manipulate a royal Rising, rigging selections to ensure an Araelor-linked rider gained undue favor and influence over the king. The scheme unraveled when a dragon rebelled mid-ritual, exposing the treachery.
The Ruling Council deemed it high treason against royal authority - a direct threat to the hierarchy. Titles stripped, family disgraced, Tharion was sentenced to permanent exile under pain of death if he returned.
Rather than submit, he took Garruk and fled into Malakath's wilds, becoming a wandering sellsword who takes contracts far from the Unknown Sea's shores.
Now, years later, he survives by his wits and Garruk's might, always one tremor away from drawing Thanasian hunters. Whispers of Araelor's ongoing schemes reach him, fueling a slow-burning desire to reclaim honor.
As a scion, he was trained from childhood in draconic lore, riding, and politics. At 12, he bonded with Garruk during a family ritual. Garruk is a willful, heavy-set Tsonye whose stubborn streak mirrored his own.
Their partnership proved formidable: Garruk's bulbous, spiked tail club could summon quakes that shattered enemy lines, earning Tharion respect in the Thunder of Thanasis and lucrative mercenary campaigns.
Ambition, however, proved his undoing. In a bid to elevate Araelor's dominance (or settle a family slight), Tharion entered a forbidden pact with an ambitious Minor House.
They conspired to manipulate a royal Rising, rigging selections to ensure an Araelor-linked rider gained undue favor and influence over the king. The scheme unraveled when a dragon rebelled mid-ritual, exposing the treachery.
The Ruling Council deemed it high treason against royal authority - a direct threat to the hierarchy. Titles stripped, family disgraced, Tharion was sentenced to permanent exile under pain of death if he returned.
Rather than submit, he took Garruk and fled into Malakath's wilds, becoming a wandering sellsword who takes contracts far from the Unknown Sea's shores.
Now, years later, he survives by his wits and Garruk's might, always one tremor away from drawing Thanasian hunters. Whispers of Araelor's ongoing schemes reach him, fueling a slow-burning desire to reclaim honor.
Garruk
Garruk is a mid-size tsonye (green) dragon. He is as stubborn as Tharion.
He is not built for agile or long distance flying but short sprints and dives. His crest is built of thick bone with vicious horns. He was built for up-close brawling.