Hokwing Silvergild

Hokwing Silvergild
Information
Title(s)	Brother of the Jade Order, excommunicated
Archetype	Half-dragon
Hair Colour	Silver
Eye Colour	Jade
Height	Seven foot one inch
Build	Lithe, extremely fit
Notable Features	Extremely scarred torso, vertical scar on left wing
Born	139 AR
Died	182 AR
Profession	Tracker, guide, escort.

Description

Hokwing is a very tall, lithe form of a half-dragon with silver-fair hide. One might think of a half-dragon as bulky, think, and scaled; however, Hokwing debunks those assumptions to favor the form of a cat-man rather than lizard-man. Those who don't find him outright monstrous or to be feared may marvel at how the combination of human and dragon could create something both feral and handsome at the same time. Hidden well by his generally optimistic and laid-back disposition is the fact that Hok seems to be built as much of a tool of death as any other wild creature: carnivorous teeth, talons, claws, ivory-like horns, and a kind of physical conditioning that you don't find in civilization.

Born from a human mother and thus is mammalian in nature: there are no scales, only a pale hide covered by a very thin layer of silver hair much like a human's epidermis. This gives an illusion of a silvery tint, especially in direct sun or moonlight. His hair is a brilliant silver and when in civilized lands he keeps it short and spiked, parted on each side of his head slightly by his bone-white horns that curve gently back after originating just over his temples. His ears are similar to that of his father's kind but are easily mistaken as elven but there is no doubt of his heredity as he certainly has a snout, maw, and jade draconic irises sitting in almond-shaped eyes. While his face is often sporting a friendly or placid expression it can turn to pseudo-feral upon a swing of moods.

Draconic, clawed, wings that seem to be leathery in nature have three pronounced joints that originate from the apex elbow. His wings are about his height and raised slightly off the ground; however, they do not allow for flight. They do aid him in leaping, sprinting, and allow a very small amount of gliding if the wind is favorable for it. There is a tail shaped similarly to that of a lizard that protrudes from his lower back and if let completely relax would barely drag along the ground as he walked. While most of his limbs and digits are humanoid his feet are definitely digitigrade in bone structure, an odd hybrid with the rest of him but he apparently makes it work very well for himself. There are short, carefully-cared for claws upon each finger and toe which he is ever-careful of and like his horns, the color of sun-bleached bone.

Background

Youth and Adolescence

Hokwing was born many continents away through the mating of a silver dragon and human mother. His mother's whereabouts have long-ago been forgotten; however, his father remains with his kin as an outcast: a monster and antithesis of his metallic clan-mates. Because of this the very young half-dragon was abandoned in the wild outskirts of human lands: if not for his draconic heritage the child would have been lost immediately to either the elements or predators. Dragons are resilient, magical beings however, and the child thrived by becoming an animal. He learned to track as a predator and avoided encountering the nearby civilization for decades. Much of this time was predominantly spent as a beast, only occasionally stalking those who traveled through his territory. There were few hardships for this young apex predator- survival came easy to him and the company of some sentient wildlife seemed to be enough for him.

As time went on the young half-dragon became more curious of the visitors that passed through and hunted in his territory: humans. Culture, civilization, and the marvels of collective ingenuity. As much as he loved the natural world he lived in he would know a lonliness that wthe wisps and beasts of the forests couldn't quench. Friendly, wordless meetings were had with visitors of the forest until rumors of his presence spread into the fort within the city. Men in steel, gold, and emerald would hail him on day and they were quite surprised by the amiability and curiosity of Hokwing as well as the grasp of any language thrown at him. His father's name long lost on him they dubbed Hok "Silvergild" due to his natural aesthetic. Those men swore to protect the natural land and insisted his territory had always been their ward. It seemed like a wonderful relationship and so Hokwing would start spending much more time from the wilds, learning the wondrous ways of these men: culture, morality, and family.

The Age of Man

The half-dragon also learned of responsibility, duty, and religion. These men were paladins under the faith of a god that strove for the power of "Good" and preserving the natural world. They would indoctrinate the naive Hokwing while the contradiction of building war machines and battling their neighbors was lost on him. He would learn martial combat, he would learn war. When there was no war he learned murder: there were dark abominations and sorcerers that perverted the world he was tasked with dispatching over the years. He was not the only one: he had brothers in arms in the Order that became the family he never had. The questionable violence was well-covered by his need to belong and be accepted. Hok found love there as well, marrying a human scholar named Lillany who after years, began to question the legitimacy of the Order's motives and what it put her husband through.

With such a seed planted it didn't take long for the clever and ingenious Brother Silvergild to learn the truth: the Order had been doing nothing more than selfishly war against different ideologies while sending him to assassinate political and powerful threats. Heart on his sleeve as always Hokwing would bring this information to his Brothers and High Paladins. They would turn against him, call him turned, call him heretic. They had no interest in the truth, only in maintaining the lie. Hok had spent nearly thirty years calling these people family and refused to fight back as they moved to slay him, his heart already quite broken. Death would take him but not keep him.

Wanderlust

As best as he could guess Hok only half-died. The magic that was his draconic heritage seemed to have bled out of him that night and there was no telling how long he had been asleep. There was no sign of his former Brothers or wife. No sign of his lifetime before except for a burning distrust for the things that put him through those bittersweet years. He would wander, then, lost and actively avoiding any sign of humanity. Decades passed as he traveled continents and met many who were kept at an arms-length. He learned no the trust over and over again, especially when he met the egos of his draconic heritage. Years were spent avoiding abuse while he learned they operated similarly as those that had previously betrayed him. Perhaps the only exception was his father: a monstrous soul that waded through corpses in the name of Draconic Superiority- but at least he was straight-forward in the genocide he waged.

Disgust in how things treated each other eventually landed the disheartened Hokwing in the backwater province of Amasynia where he might find comfort in the wilds while knowing, this time, he was wiser. He arrived in Myrken years ago, living in it's forests and took up the mantle of a guardian. Innocents may be led home while the violent and poachers may never be heard from again. He is sought after as an escort and guide in the area, knowing it like the back of his hand, and has the reputation of thing of integrity within the town in spite of being outspoken about the lifestyles of humans.

Personality and Duality

The Man

If one could describe Hokwing Silvergild in one word it would be moody. While the half-dragon does his best to remain in high spirits and present himself as optimistic and amiable to the general public he's known to go into spells of depression and the occasional fit of violence depending on social cues and how they strike the current season. There's catch-22 regarding participating in human culture: he knows loneliness without it and despair with it. As much as he loves being a free spirit in the natural world it's only so long before he looks for the company of people who can speak and share ideas, often becoming grossly disappointed or disgusted with the lifestyles of those around him before long. It's a cycle he is quite aware of and has come to accept he cannot escape; such self-awareness is a bittersweet thing that does not always lend to cordial behavior from someone with his past.

Hokwing wears his heart on his sleeve; he knows he is a terrible liar and after the deception he's known he figures it's best that he be as straight forward and honest as he can be. There is little filter when the half-dragon speaks and lets his feelings be known. As for encountering the lies of others they are often taken at face value with little weight: he does not expect others to show similar integrity and finds little to no offense when circumstances and stories change. Considering the distance he keeps between he and most Hok feels there's little consequence to buying into the falsities others spew.

The Beast

Violence is a tricky topic with Hokwing; one that he avoids speaking of with anything but outright disgust. This is the ex-paladin's one true lie, the lie he believes himself until he is confronted by the realization of it, then goes back to denying it once again when the dust settles and bodies are buried. He loves every second of physical conflict, the threat upon his life and proceeding usually victorious in such an encounter. What the half-dragon actually abhors is the conflict with his morals when confronted by unjustified violence. This is an old war hero held in the highest regard when it came to battlefield combat and assassinations of high profile targets. The lingering sickness of regret that follows him is that he learned that he was being used as an unjust tool in retrospect; however, while he was deep in the lie of his Order's ways he embraced his bloodshed with a murderous conviction that came second to none. He is aware and withholds from such acts these days in his wiser days but if a situation tweaks him the wrong way he has made some truly violent decisions.

In reality and mostly unknown to Hokwing there is a hereditary leaning towards carnage and death given to him by a father that has almost entirely succumbed to madness. As much as the half-dragon sometimes despises his human half it is his moral and ethical guide that has most likely saved him from maturing into a savage, bloodthirsty monster.