Jilocasin I vi Cieria [APPROVED; 1-1; GREAT]

Basics

Name: Jilocasin I
Title: vi Cieria
ALIAS: Dragon Knight
Gender: Male
Age: ~30
Height: 1.85m
Weight: 100kg

Personality: If you aren't smart, you have to be tough, right? Well, some people go for both, like Jilocasin. You would never guess it from just looking, but he's actually quite the bright individual. As a true citizen of Cieria at heart, he knows his way around dangerous creatures like few others, and likes being in nature, testing his own wits and abilities against predators and disasters. He's always eager to learn about predatory and hunting animals and beasts, and has reportedly wrestled down a few without weapons, all to find out their strengths and abilities by himself. His eagerness to learn extends beyond the wilderness, though, making him well-read in the arts of the arcane and in economics, helping out his realm as good as he can.

But now we get to the reason why he is called the Dragon Knight... Jilocasin makes no secret out of the fact that he is an Elder Dragon, and that dragons - mundane and Elder - are protected and welcomed by him and his country, provided they do not pose a malicious threat to his people. Despite awakening as an Elder Dragon, he is a Cierian first and foremost - and if he has to kill a dragon as the dragon knight to protect his people, then he will do so without hesitation. His honor and understanding nature for dragons may or may not have even gained him a few allies amongst wandering dragons in his lands, at least those that can understand friendship - the others simply respect his power. He is also very humble around those dragons capable of communicating with humans, and respects them all to a great deal - Legendary Dragons and other Elder Dragons are always welcome within his lands, if they chose to visit or even live there. He has no personal students or Disciples, as he feels that he would not be able to dedicate enough time to them for it to be a fair learning relationship.

Jilocasin is bound by honor as well as his thirst for knowledge. As a knight, he finds it wrong to strike the first blow, and he respects enemies and friends alike - although he has few friends, seeing as he has many duties to attend to on a daily basis. In the case of war, he would resent using tactics that are not bound by honor and justice - his antiquated view can be a hindrance in conflict because of that. His fair and just worldview means that everyone, from the lowest peasant to someone from a different country, will all be treated fairly by him, and he will listen to complaints and ideas by them. Keyword being listens, not follows - he takes things into consideration, but acts according to what he finds is the best course of action. There are legends of his temper getting the best of him, but these stem from when he is treated without respect, for he will then give none in return and take challenges by anyone who dares to set them. This blindness induced by honor can make him easy to trick, for even when he smells trickery coming, he will still hold true to his code.

Some evil tongues may then say that he is too simple-minded of a person to even know what 'troubling thoughts' are. Those people are mistaken. In truth, Jilocasin is tired, deeply tired down to his soul. His entire life is one of duty, combat and study, without pause. He doesn't allow himself to slow down, ignoring that his body isn't up to every single task any longer. He feels as though he has to protect every single person in Cieria as their ruler, and has to always be vigilant and thoughtful. This causes him to have few friends - most just know a honor-bound, just ruler and superior. But those that DO get to know him also get to know a different side of Jilocasin...
A really friendly, nice man, wise beyond his years. He loves to have a hearty laugh, even at jokes cracked at his own expense. Drinking together with those he considers his equals is one of his greatest joys, and helping a friend fend off an entire army is as natural as helping him stand up after falling over drunk. Even more, he also loves talking and discussions - no matter the subject! He can talk for days about something as simple as the plans of building a new bridge over a river, or about how a certain match in a sports game went. But how to you become a friend of his? Well, being as hammy and badass as him is a start, for example. Or being a rival to him in some aspect. He finds both intriguing.



Appearance

Humanoid Appearance:

Draconic Appearance:

Draconic Abilities

Racial Abilities:

• Transformation: Jilocasin unlocked his transformation later than usual for Elder Dragons, but otherwise it is identical to the norm. His humanoid appearance is clearly human, not elven.
  
• Full-Flight: Even in human form, the Elder Dragon can fly. They do not have to have visible wings to do this. Normally an Elder Dragon could only fly in its Dragon form, this gives them the ability to fly in both.
  
• Draconic Strength: In both their human and dragon form, an Elder Dragon with this trait has unimaginable strength. In their human form, they have the ability to lift up to the same amount that ten well-built men would be able to lift. Their hits are ten times as strong as a well-muscled man, etc... In their Dragon form, this strength either decreases or increases. Someone of the sprite dragon class won't be as strong, able to lift as much as a single man. With Ordinary and higher, the strength increases to 15 (Ordinary), 25 (Great), and 50 (Legendary).
  

Element: Crystal
Elemental Abilities:

• Breath Weapon: Jilocasin can inhale a large amount of air to then exhale a stream of harmful arcana. In appearance, it looks like a stream of multicolored energy rushing out, in a cone shape. The longer he inhales, the stronger and bigger his breath weapon in human form is.
  
• Restoring Breath: Jilocasin inhales, as if charging up his Breath Weapon, but instead of exhaling a damaging attack, he exhales a cloud of positive energy which heals living beings and restores their arcana partially. The restoration is not strong enough to regrow lost bodyparts, but recently lost ones can be re-attached by holding them against the stump inside of the cloud.
  
• Energy Blade: When Jilocasin is unarmed but doesn't want to summon his full arcane manifestation, he can instead summon a one-handed sword made out of raw crystal energy into his hand to fight with. The blade can be thrown as a projectile and re-appears in his hand in his next post. He can summon one sword for each hand.
  
• Light Flash: Jilocasin sends out a wave of light made from collected arcana, blinding anyone looking directly at him in a close radius.
  

Combat

Arcane Manifestation Appearance: Jilocasin summons forth what is known as the 'armor of the dragon king'.

Arcane Manifestation Abilities:

• Incredible Durability: The crystal armor can absorb slashing, piercing and blunt damage better than any mundane armor ever could, not even getting dented at all. The fact that it is made out of arcane crystal also make it super hardened against arcane attacks, being immune to raw arcana attacks, and reducing all elemental strikes by giving off a strong crystal energy pulse to deflect them.
  
• Draconic Swiftness: In the armor, Jilocasin can use his enhanced strength of an Elder Dragon to move and use his weapon faster than any human could, turning into a whirlwind of white crystal and power.
  
• Longsword of the Dragon God: The blade carried while in the armor of the dragon king is made from crystal that shines like purest steel or Mithril. It cuts through raw arcana like a knife through warm butter, and an aimed attack can cut apart even some of the most powerful elemental or other spells, simply because of the purity of energy within the sword. Attacks successfully cut by the sword are rendered ineffective on Jilocasin, even if they might still damage the surrounding area, giving off the impression that he is invincible while armored up. While that is far from true, he is undoubtedly hard to hurt while wielding his sword. By charging up his blade with energy, Jilocasin can cause eruptions of raw arcana on his slashes, causing intense damage to cut right through any opposition. However, if he is disarmed, his armor loses the protective ability against magic until he can pick up his sword again to rekindle the connection between the two.
  
  

Skills:

• Wise Beyond His Years: While certainly not the youngest, Jilocasin is no old duke. His knowledge of his lands and of his people is incredible, and his advice is taken even by those far older than him. Experience has forged someone able to look at everything from all sides - including combat.
  
• Peak Physical Condition: Jilocasin is the perfect example of someone that is in shape, strong, and without any illnesses to speak of. He is capable of great physical feats, such as fast running or strong blows with sword and shield. Even in full armor, he can march for an entire day without getting tired.
  
• Dueling Master: You'll find it very difficult to defeat Jilocasin in close combat as long as he is wielding a sword in one of his hands. His incredible skill and strength make him deadly and efficient.
  
• Quickdraw Master: Jilocasin can draw his blade so fast and strike at the same time that it appears as a flash of light to the onlooker, combining grace, strength and purpose into a single, incredibly focused and powerful motion. A quick slash, flick to the side to clean off blood, and re-sheathing often leaves the enemy unaware of their own demise until after the blade is fully put away again.
  
• Accurate Thrower: When using his energy blades, Jilocasin can throw up to 40 feet away with pinpoint accuracy.
  
• Battle Command: Excessive training after achieving his rank has given Jilocasin the ability to unite his troops with a single shout, instill hope and lust for battle, and organize complex strategies with the cooperation of his soldiers and generals.
  

History and Roleplay Sample

History: Many years ago, during the rule of the original Magocracy of Cieria, a cruel clan of Elder Dragons terrorized the lands and demanded tribute from all that settled the dangerous lands of the Duchy. One day, the leader of the family was lured into a trap by the grand Archmage and Duke of Cieria, who cursed the Elder Dragon, and through his blood, his entire line - to be confined to the form of humans until the day they realized the plight of all that live in Cieria. So goes the legend of the black wing, a legend as old as the Duchy of Cieria itself.

Jilocasin was born as the third son of a hunter working in the wilds of the jungle, capturing dangerous wild beasts for export and sale. He remembers his man as a brave, stubborn, and boisterous man, who was liable to drinking, but always loved his family. His mother wasn't without work, though, as she was the one managing her husband's buisness, who was completely worthless on the battlefield known as economics. When Jilocasin was born, his oldest brother already accompanied his father on the hunts, while the middle brother was eagerly studying on how to train the beasts of the wild - so the sheltered, youngest son grew up very close to his mother, and learned the ways of both the coin and the wit of economics from her. He was always known as a very bright, intelligent kid.
Unlike his brothers, Jilocasin studied economics and the workings of coin - how to trade properly with the things they won from their hunts, how to haggle the highest prices, and when it was time to sell low before the market got flooded with certain trophies and trinkets.

During his time at school and at home, studying the workings of the market instead of the sword, Jilocasin quickly grew into a young man that knew to ask the difficult questions when needed. But something else happened that would lead him towards the path of becoming the dragon knight during that age. One day, while walking home from school, Jilocasin took a detour for no particular reason, just to walk a bit more - and came across a hurt little being on the ground of a back alley. Taking the little creature home, the young man nursed the animal back to health - and so, the sprite-dragon Calzifer became Jilocasin's 'pet' of sorts, and the small fire lizard hangs around him till this very day.
This started his incredible fascination with dragons, and the old legends that told of dragons ancient and wise enough to outsmart the brightest human minds. Studying the scaled beasts became the ultimate passion of him, and at the age of fifteen, could already be considered an expert on dragons - without ever having met one himself, without counting small sprite dragons like his companion and those that his father sometimes caught in the wild. But that was when his world began to change.

One day, his father didn't return from his hunt. A search party was dispatched, but they only found his older brother, who had apparently been alone and badly hurt in the jungle for days - he died from infections in his wounds only days later. With that, Jilocasin's world was turned upside-down. Forced to use his studies to help the family out, since the middle brother alone could never provide for them all with his beast training operations, Jilocasin became somewhat famous as an organizer and analyst for multiple businesses in town. This work helped him overcome his grief, and strengthened him mentally - even without his family to back him up, he was capable of standing on his own and survive with his own work.
It didn't go as well for his mother and remaining brother, though. His mother never truly recovered from losing those close to her - severe depressions took hold in her mind. And to cope with his own problems, his remaining brother turned to alcohol, and became a violent, unstable man.

And that was when the current Duke of Cieria became a figure in his life. The man had grown old, and was unable to present an heir to the throne - so instead, he presented a challenge to everyone in the kingdom. The man or woman who would present him with the most valuable thing found in his lands would become the next duke or duchess. On the day that the challenge was issued,  Jilocasin grabbed what little arms and armor was left of his father's arsenal - a chain west, a sword, and a shield - and set out into the land. If there was any way to save his family, it would be to find that one, most valuable thing in the wild wastes, jungles and mountains.

Many valiant fighters presented their findings to the Duke in the coming months. The fangs of wild beasts, large, living and trained creatures that the land was known for, but none were deemed worthy. It took two years for someone to step forth that was finally worthy - a changed, grown, and mature Jilocasin.
When he returned, none recognized him at first. The slow buildup of muscle when he left had now turned into a wall of strength, his face had lost a lot of the joy it once held. Only his mother recognized him right away - his brother had disappeared one year after he left on the search, and had never been seen again since. What he presented to the Duke was bold and unique indeed.

"What I present is not some worthless trophy, or caged beast. It is not a treasure long forgotten in an old ruin. No, what I present - is myself. A man forged by this land and by fire. I present to you a knight clad in new armor and with a shining blade to smite enemies. I present to you someone who learned the wisdom of the elder dragons, consulted with the elements, and wrestled down the wildest of creatures. But that is not what is most important. What I present to you, is a man - a man who knows this land, Cieria, and it's plights. A man who left to save his family, but returned knowing that all of this land his his family. A man who understands the people around him, and respects every living being."

And on this day, Jilocasin was named the next Duke of Cieria. His name was changed to Jilocasin, first of his name, and he became known as Jilocasin I vi Cieria - a title given to those who pledge their life to protecting their home as the one on the highest position. His title of Dragon Knight became synonimous with honor, pride, and the little interesting fact that he was, indeed, an Elder Dragon. For the next thirteen years, Jilocasin ruled, right to this very day. His mother passed away shortly after he became the Duke, for the first time since the death of her husband, she seemed content and happy on that day where he was given his title.
Now, the Dragon Knight stands on top of the people that live in a dangerous, wild land, ever vigilant to bring justice and peace to his people for as long as he draws breath.

But how did Jilocasin go into the land as a normal man, only to return as an Elder Dragon? It was not, as one might assume, his 18th birthday alone that gave him such strength. Instead, it was the journey itself. In the beginning for the first two years, the youth made the same mistake as most that were after the title - he hunted beasts, braved the Blighted Vale itself at times, all in the search of treasure and trinkets. On one of his travels, he was injured by the claws of a wild animal, and while recovering in a small village, the first enlightenment of the dragon knight came to him. Sitting on a bench at the market square, after the town healer had just changed his bandages, his eyes wandered over all the people in this small town. Despite the small size of the town, there were still many people around... Some selling wares, others just gossiping between their chores or work. A pickpocket scurried off into a side-alley, pursued by an angry man in the clothes of a rich merchant. Next to him, in the house of the healer, he saw hunters and adventurers, some hopeful and laughing, joking with their companions and friends, others near death, some even conscious and aware of their demise. Some accepting, others full of fear and pain. And then, he understood. Cieria was not just a country. Cieria itself was alive - these people, they were the lifeblood of the nation, the true essence of what made Cieria into the nation of proud warriors, knights and hunters that it was known as. And if he was to become the Duke, then how could he rule these people if he did not know them?
The next years, Jilocasin wandered the lands alone in body, but never in spirit. With Calzifer by his side, he learned of all of the different groups of people living in Cieria. From north to south, he went through all of the major cities and small towns he could find, even visiting a hidden enclave of elves, who, after he proved his good intentions by defending the enclave from a roaming wild beast, shared their wisdom and problems with him. And so, after years of travel, he arrived at his final destination, deep within the mountains. And there, sitting on top of a mountain, under the clear night sky, Jilocasin obtained the final enlightenment of Cieria - and from the mountaintops, a dragon rose, to become the true guardian of Cieria.

RP Sample: A few days had passed since the oddly bright day, on which Toja had been struck down with one of the worst cases of migraines he had ever experienced. It had taken him two days to even be able to leave his room for more than a few seconds - but at least it wasn't oddly bright anymore on any day afterwards.
Now, he was standing in one of the open training spaces given to the Shinigami of the Seireitei. Nobody else was around - some because they had fled when seeing him approaching with an expression so serious you could mistake him for a serial killer, others because he had thrown them out personally. For what he was planning on doing, he needed to be free of annoying distractions, or he'd let out any pent up frustration he had by now on that distraction. So now he slowly walked right into the center of the training plaza, before sitting down on the ground with his legs crossed - in a fluid motion, he drew the Zanpakutō from his back and laid down the blade bare over his legs.

While he was still technicially relieved from duty due to sickness, he wasn't feeling too bad anymore. Considering that his head had almost killed him, that was probably a good sign - the headaches were nearly gone right now. So while he still had a few days off, Toja would use them to further his only personal agenda a bit more... training. But not his usual training, no. There wasn't much left to be gained for him by reciting Kidō Incantations, or firing them at living or dead training targets. You didn't get much better than total mastery of each known spell, after all. Instead, he'd train with her - Hotaru. His Zanpakutō.
Because only through her could he reach a new, higher level of power... even though the petite Shinigami highly doubted he'd be able to actually learn Bankai, even just understanding each other better would cause his and Hotaru's power to increase. When you had virtually no drive in life besides doing your duty, like him, then that was a pretty big deal!

Thankfully there was no rain today, only a few white clouds in the sky. Toja began regulating his breathing as a soft wind rustled his robes and blew his hair into many different directions. Closing his eyes, Toja began to shut out all other senses besides his spiritual one - the sounds of the world grew dull, darkness absorbed his vision, and even the feeling of Hotaru's slightly warm steel on his legs began to fade. Now, only 'spirit' remained...
And with that, Toja dived into his inner world.

Arriving in the vulcano, Toja landed, as if falling into it, on one of the many floating rocks in the lava. Incredible heat engulfed him, a familiar feeling - breathing in the many gasses and nearly burning air, he actually felt somewhat rejuvenated. Looking around, the small Shinigami saw that the vulcano wasn't all that big today - seemed like he wasn't actually angry at anything, not even subconciously. After stretching his arms and legs for a moment, he jumped across the many floating platforms, with the lava below him - his step was secure and controlled, as he had been within this world quite often.
His steps took him right into the middle of the vulcano - the only actually solid island in this sea of fire. Boiling water was running over the stones in the middle like a spring, and right besides it... was a 'girl', waving at Toja with a wide grin. Even a bit smaller than him, she was his Zanpakutō-spirit - the fire fairy Hotaru.
"There you are! Ready, Toja?" Was the greeting he got when he arrived - and he actually returned a slight smile.
"Anytime, Hotaru."

A burning ball of magma was the first attack. Toja quickly rolled to the side to avoid it - only to have to jump backwards. Hotaru was NOT holding back - instead, she was throwing an entire volley of more and more fire after him. Getting close enough to actually score a hit like this would NOT be easy...

On the outside, nothing had really changed. Toja's expression was frozen in thoughtfull seriousness, and it didn't seem as if anything would get him out of this trance anytime soon...