Ashkar
bailysis
Info
Profile
Ashkar
About
Likes
- Sunlight
- Meat, Fish
- Competition
Dislikes
- Silence
- Loss of control
About
Ashkar is a loud and powerful dragon who is always looking for a thrill. She's competitive, a little aggressive, and a show-off. She is quite outgoing and driven mostly by her impulses, which can lead to recklessness. Ashkar likes meeting new people, friends and foes alike. She is caring and protective towards those she cares about and can't say no to a challenge.
Ashkar was cursed with immortality aeons ago. Instead of organs, Ashkar's insides are made of a glittering black substance - her core - that usually rests in her midsection. It flows like a liquid but can harden upon contact or by will to reinforce parts of her body. Ashkar is unable to reinforce her entire body, but focused areas will become unbreakable by known means. Ashkar still has normal bones, muscles, and blood above her core.
The sun dragon goes by many names. Galactic lord, The Sun King, Protector, demon, mother - but her official title is Overseer. Her role in the universe is to protect and maintain her galaxy, which she inherited from her father, the previous Overseer. The health and stability of the planets and stars in her galaxy is important to Ashkar, as it is her main source of power.
Design Notes
- upper canines can extend into large fangs
- two scars over her left eye + one down her left flank. not optional!
- webbed talons
- blood and insides can change at will
Powers
Source of Power
As an Overseer, Ashkar draws power on the cores of planets and stars in her galaxy. Stable planets and healthy stars grant her power. Planets with life are a nice bonus, but are not necessary to gain power. Any food or water Ashkar ingests is also converted into pure energy.
Planet Creation
Being an Overseer grants Ashkar the ability to create and destroy planets on a whim, both of which require a great deal of energy. Ashkar can also summon a miniature planet or star to materialize in her palm for her to observe, which takes little energy.
Fire Breath
Ashkar is a dragon, after all! She has various colors of flame which correlates to higher power. Red/orange fire < blue fire < white fire < black fire.
Elemental Manipulation
Ashkar can draw on a planet's energy to manipulate it's surface. She is strongest with earth, wind, and lightning elements, able to summon hurricanes with the beating of her wings or earthquakes with a mighty roar.
Regeneration
Ashkar can use power to regenerate physical wounds as long as her core is unaffected. It takes a considerable amount of energy to heal others. Ashkar is unable to regenrate the scars on her face and flank, as she earned them before she became immortal.
Shapeshifting
Ashkar is capable of shapeshifting into any species that she has ingested the blood of. She usually uses this to blend in with the lifeforms of various planets.
Mind Control
A minor power of Ashkar's is the ability to control minds. Through unbroken eye contact or touching one's forehead with her palm, Ashkar can influence another's thoughts and actions. She doesn't use it often, and isn't very good at it.
Story
CONTENT WARNING for family abuse, strong language, and death
TORMENT; 0 - 10,000yr
Ahriman (Ashkar and Hirosian's father) was the previous Overseer and he desired dominion over the entire universe. He was The Sun King. Some revered him as god, to most he was a demon, a lord of destruction, the devil itself. He's been slowly building power, conquering galaxy after galaxy, and on the side trying to breed a successor. Ahriman is a sun deity or smth like that, he finds a dragon that's a moon deity or whatever, and Ashkar + countless siblings are born from that. (side note: i was like 10 years old and in a dragonvale phase where breeding two dragons creates a third, unique species of dragon. so thats why Ashkar and Hiro are Like That) Ashkar was one of the youngest siblings but strong enough to catch Ahriman's attention, except she didn't care about him At All and wanted to do her own thing and he didn't like her rebellious nature (both of them are prideful and full of themselves and basically destined to never get along). Ahriman wanted someone to stand by his side while he claimed the universe, not a competitor for the throne. So their relationship is never great.
During her youth, Ashkar is exiled from their home (she was in the middle of running away anyway) and finds better father figures. Comes back, raises hell, gets absolutely squashed bc shes just a kid and Ahriman is already like 2 billion years old and unstoppable. Rinse and repeat, Ashkar leaves to train and get stronger, she challenges her father, he sends one of his sons (too weak to be a successor, strong enough to be a pawn) to kick her ass. During this time, Ashkar earns the dual scars across her eyes. She doesn't give up, instead she's getting stronger, and it's pissing Ahriman off but he's too busy to actually fight her so he punishes Ashkar in other ways. He first takes Hirosian's sight, then he kills their mother and earns Ashkar's undying hatred of him.
Eventually Ahriman realizes that maybe the competition could be a good thing and curses Ashkar with immortality. That way he can keep beating her into the dirt for the rest of eternity and flex his superiority over her (again, Pretty Terribly Guy). Fatal mistake on Ahriman's behalf. Now that Ashkar can't die, she doesn't have to worry about her limits. The fights get more intense. Planets that house their battlegrounds end up destroyed - mass-extinction level of severity or they actually break apart and explode. Same with stars (ahriman draws too much power or whatever and they destabilize), which end up obliterating entire solar systems. Eventually, after thousands of years of struggle and torment and wreaking havoc across the universe, Ashkar masters her Godkiller form and defeats Ahriman. She doesn't kill him - souls can be revived - she basically... condenses his spirit into a massive stone? Like an egg? And places it on a meteor and sends it hurtling into deep space, known to her and only her (Hirosian knows it exists, but he doesn't know where it is, nor has he visited). This leaves Ahriman stuck in emptiness, alone with just his thoughts, for the rest of time, which Ashkar thinks is a suitable punishment for him.
LIBERATION; 11,000yr - 40,000,000yr
Unfortunately this leaves Ashkar as the new Overseer of a universe (or at least, a chunk of the universe) in utter shambles. She spends a very long time cleaning up. Her immediate, primary goal, unfortunately, involves a lot more destruction, as she intends to completely eradicate knowledge of her father. Ahriman isn't his real name, I haven't thought of one yet, but any living thing that thinks of or, more importantly, speaks of Ahriman's real name gives him power, which over time would give him enough strength to break out and rise again, which is the last thing Ashkar wants. So she travels, planet by planet, playing exterminator. Pretty much any planet with sentient life that Ahriman drew power from knew his name and had to be destroyed. Even the slightest mention of a Sun King made Ashkar paranoid and she had to erase all evidence of him existing. Hirosian doesn't approve of this at all, it's needless destruction of thousands of cultures, but he's also completely powerless to stop her. Ashkar doesn't like it either but she needs to do it, it's her job, she can't have any risk of Ahriman returning, and at this point in her life Ashkar fully believes that it's just her nature to destroy things. It's instinct. She was born to kill things, it's in her blood. She's willing to bear the weight of billions of innocent lives if it means her father never sees the light of day, or breathe fresh air, or possess a physical form again. Full paranoia and desperation.
ETERNITY; 40,000,000YR - 450,000,000YR
Eventually she calms down. She retreats, back to her home galaxy, letting other Overseers take claim to Ahriman's former reign. She's terrified of becoming her father, and doesn't desire ruling an entire universe, so she's perfectly content with staying in her own little corner of it and truly making it her own. Starts learning how to create instead of destroy and nurture life and heal, both herself and the absolutely ravaged galaxy (that is pretty much lifeless, it's why aliens haven't found Earth yet, because Ashkar fucking killed them all). Continue for the next few hundred million years until present day.
There are a few hiccups - even after all this time there were still remnants of Ahriman's legacy that gave him enough strength to appear as a "voice" inside Ashkar's head. Drove her fucking insane when it happened, went on another rampage (not as severe as the first, but pretty significant). He didn't gain any more power, but it also didn't shake his voice. He remains a quiet presence in the back of her mind, patiently waiting.
Ashkar also tries sleeping for long periods of time, because she's trying to find some way to spend the rest of eternity. Except it backfires horribly because she wakes up like 200 thousand years later significantly weaker and with a million problems for her to fix.
She establishes a long-term goal - maintenance, basically. Hop from planet to planet, check up on them, re-stabilize if needed, see what's changed, and do something fun and exciting and new. She also monitors the borders of her turf and keeps other Overseers away. She's got quite the reputation for defeating the Sun King and for generally being unkillable so plenty try and absolutely fail to defeat her.
Trivia
- Created in 2008/2009
- Inspirations for her design include geckoes, komodo dragons, lions, and night furies
- She loves to sunbathe! She spends most of her time outside and may refuse to go inside if the weather is nice. In her downtime she likes to find some soft grass or a rock to lay on, stretch out her wings, and take a lil nap
- Good with children! she is a great mother and has probably raised dozens of children in her long lifetime, most being dragons of her species. If presented with a baby, she would be happy to take care of it, and would become very protective of them.
- Classpect is Muse of Space
Has Ashkar's aggressiveness / impulsiveness ever gotten her into trouble?
Every. Single. Time. It's what sparked the major conflict in her story and pretty much all the ones after that. Ashkar is quick to act and is very much driven by her emotions and impulses - even after millions of years, she's still learning how to control herself and maybe think before she does something. Planning just isn't as exciting as diving right into trouble and seeing what happens!
Does Ashkar WANT to be immortal? Is it a perk, or something she just sorta has to deal with, knowing it won't change and she's here forever?
Initially, no. Immortality was cursed upon her, not something she chose to have. There were many times in her life when she enjoyed immortality and many times when she hated it. Immortality is just something that she just had to deal with. By now she knows how to break the curse, so death is an option for her, but she's satisfied with her life and her purpose and is choosing to stay alive. She has no plans of dying anytime soon, either.
If your OC fights, on a scale of dead silent to screaming banshee, how loud do they get during a fight?
Not quite screaming, but Ashkar gets quite loud. She's throwing out plenty of snide remarks to egg the opponent on, laughing in their face and threatening them in the same breath. She's incredibly taunting. In her dragon form, Ashkar snarls and roars and all sorts of stuff in order to intimidate the other and to let out some energy.
Your OC is given a piece of paper, and they are told to write anything on their mind on the paper. What exactly do they write on it? Do they prefer to use pen or pencil? Do they write big or small? Messy or neat handwriting? Given that the paper does not have lines on it already, does their writing begin to slant a little or do they keep it straight? Or, do they just draw on it?
Dragon Ashkar eats the paper or just rips it in half. She can't be bothered to write lol. Human Ashkar would pause to think then probably write her own name in big, bold letters, thinking you wanted her signature, or doodle a fish, or a little >:) face. Sorta messy handwriting but definitely still readable. Her preferred writing utensil is one of those super thick Sharpies.
If your OC can be provoked to fight without any physical initiation (i.e. there are no punches thrown first, maybe only verbal or psychological provocation) how exactly does your OC deal with it? Do they fight back with words? Do they fight physically? If so, how violent do they get?
She can't just say no to a fight! Ashkar is ready to throw hands at anyone and any time for any reason. She'll start with words and very quickly escalate into physical violence, and probably finish with bloodshed if her opponent refuses to surrender.
How well mannered is your OC at the dinner table? Utensils? Chews with their mouth closed? Drinks out of a chalice or a “#1 (dad, mom, world destroyer, etc)” mug? Eats slow or fast?
Absolutely nonexistent manners. Dragon Ashkar is just scarfing down everything in front of her, barely taking time to even taste what she's stuffing her maw with. Human Ashkar has the decency to hold a fork, but it's honestly not that much better. Why use a knife to cut food into bite-sized pieces when she can just tear off chunks with her teeth? Talking with her mouth full, reaching over the table to grab seconds, stealing from her brother's plate (which he loathes). She's a menace.
What is the main focus of your OC? What have you poured the most effort into developing them? Personality, backstory, design, powers, message/theme, relationships, universe, etc.
I've been putting a lot of energy into solidifying her general vibe and character? I know her history but it's long and complicated and what I have already is good enough for now. I'm confident in her powers. Same with her history, I know very well the relationships she has with Hirosian (brother) and Nephaphem (partner) but I don't have the brainpower to actually write it down. Just trying to nail down her personality and how she thinks and behaves.
Can your OC handle compliments well? How do they respond to them?
Ashkar loves compliments! Any sort of praise goes straight into her super-inflated ego. Her initial response is probably a big toothy grin and it's unlikely she will compliment you back, preferring to bask in her own pride.
How sensitive is your OC to emotion? Is there anything specific (eg. people, objects, experiences) that causes them to feel a certain emotion? Is there anything that your OC is desensitized to? For ‘desensitized’, it doesn’t have to be in a ‘shock’ kind of way, it could possibly be something that could have made them happy, angry, sad, etc in the past but it doesn’t anymore.
One of Ashkar's main struggles is controlling her emotions. She's driven entirely by her impulses and feelings, and it's very hard for her to slow down and think before she acts. She feels, very intensely, and it's difficult to restrain herself and do something about her emotions that isn't explosively reactive. She's especially sensitive to anything that excites or angers her. If she sees something (or someone) running, she has the urge to chase it, as she loves the thrill of a hunt. If anyone approaches her with an intense emotion, she's going to copy it and reciprocate it tenfold. If there is an emotion she's desensitized to, it's probably a quiet, sort of miserable sadness that can't be replaced by anger or shrugged off. Ashkar has experienced incredible loss and feels sort of numb to it, plus she doesn't allow herself to get sad like she allows herself to get joyful or angry, so it's a lot easier for her to stamp down sad thoughts and move on. Thoughts of dead family or seeing catastrophic destruction before her has more of a sobering effect than anything as she shelves away those feelings to worry about them some other time (which is never).
Does your OC know what’s good for them, or do they hype themselves too much for something that’s way out of their league?
Once she starts Ashkar just does not know when to quit. There have been countless times where Ashkar bit off more than she could chew and suffered greatly because of it. She never learns, though, because she sees failure was a challenge; a limit to her abilities that she is now determined to push through.
If your OC has a major power, did they have to work to get to that point or was it already given to them as is? Can that power slip away if they don’t use it the way that it should be, or otherwise neglect it?
Yes, Ashkar spends a lot of time honing her various powers and strengthening them. There are some abilities she will always have, such as her shapeshifting and regeneration, but there are others which atrophy if she doesn't work on them, such as how to draw power from planets and stars without destabilizing them.
Is your character an appreciative person? Do they always appreciate the small things or things other people often overlook? How do they show appreciation, other than saying thank you?
It depends! Ashkar doesn't care much for "the little things" in life and doesn't dwell on the details. She likes to focus on the big picture. She doesn't quite know how to accept gifts - while the thought is meaningful, the item itself ends up becoming worthless to her. What she does appreciate, however, is spending time with someone she cares about and having fun with them. Ashkar remembers hobbies, favorite activities and locations, and tries to recreate those happy moments and put a smile on another's face. She's incredibly loyal to friends she makes and is more than willing to fulfill favors, offer protection, and just be in their company so that they stay happy.
Does your character spend a lot of time in their own head, perhaps a little too much? Are they well aware of their strengths, flaws, and limits? Do they spend any time on self-improvement?
Ashkar doesn't spend a lot of time mulling over her thoughts and feelings. When faced with a challenge or obstacle, Ashkar is quick to analyze the situation and start planning for her victory, but even then her thoughts are rushed and she ends up switching directions, improvising, and listening to her gut instincts more than her head. Ashkar is well aware of her own abilities, her strengths and flaws, and regularly pushes her limits. When it comes to strength and mastering control over her powers, Ashkar strives to get better and better every day. However, she stubbornly believes that she can't change who she is, and doesn't need to in the first place, so aspects such as her emotions and impulse control are left to run wild as she's stuck thinking she'll never gain control over them.
How good is your character at setting boundaries and saying no? Will they happily stand up for themselves, even if others may not like that? Or are they a bit of a doormat?
Nobody stands in Ashkar's way! She does whatever she wants, when she wants, how she wants, and makes that abundantly clear to everyone she meets. Anyone that gets in her way, or tries to stop her down, or pushes her buttons becomes just another wall she needs to burst through.
What's in her pockets?
Bones that she's gonna munch on later. Dragon Ashkar has a tendency to swallow things and spit them back up later - cool rocks, magical items, etc. Human Ashkar definitely carries a lighter, small random items (cool rocks, gum, some pennies), a pocket knife. She doesn't carry much and it's usually not that useful (much less useful than like, an ID or a wallet/cards/cash).
Links
Ashkar's older brother and one of her few remaining family members. They bicker constantly but are an inseparable duo - Ashkar depends on him to keep her sane.
Ashkar's life partner. The beginning of their relationship was fairly loose, but they have become more and more dedicated to each other as time progresses. Ashkar will never tire of his charming, doting nature.
