Rakanar

Culmination

• 
  They say, I have an

  explosive

  personality

  
  In the Beginning...
  
  Born to a world in turmoil and strife, Rakanar has known only war throughout the raising of his childhood. He would never know his father on a personal note, though will ever recall the remembrances of his mother’s fondness for the late gryphon. From recollection, it is known that his father was both proud and noble until a bitter end at hand of a society in conflict. Rakanar’s mother would never be the same, but lived on to raise her son in the image of his sire.
  
  From an early age, it became well and apparent that the golden brown gryphon was gifted as many of his kind often are. His development was rapid, and by the tenth summer, curiosity had led him to be noticed by the leaders of his sect. They watched as he grew and became something they believed to be a great asset to their cause in the making. There was no mistake when the day recruitment came for him far earlier than that of others. But his mother, a strong-willed and determined gryphon refused. The dark and bloody side of his race would rear its ugly head after this.
  
  Three more years had passed and Rakanar’s proficiency with a wrench had become something second nature to him. He tinkered with whatever his hands could find, ever determined to tear apart the inner workings of mechanics only to rebuild them superior than they had been before. Clockwork had become something of a friend to him with all its intricacies and hidden tales. Day to day had been spent with old watches, or ticking husks.
  
  The Fateful Day...
  
  Returning home from being sent out, tragedy would grip him like no other had before. He bore witness to the explosion that destroyed his sanctuary. It was the first time his wings would carry him, and form flew irregularly to the burning debris of his former domicile. Mother was discovered, but she did not even possess the energy to speak her final words.
  
  Though attempts were made for help, even a delusional Rakanar knew that there would be no prospect of saving the dying mother. All that could be done for her, was to see her pass in the comfort of her legacy’s arms.
  
  A day that is to forever be burned into the mind of the gryphon. They stared to one another, her grip gradually growing lighter until the rise and fall of her chest ceased. She was gone, leaving him alone in a world of fire. Rakanar would never get over her loss.
  
  Time Heals All Wounds...
  
  Some years would pass until age granted him entry to the ravaging war. Training had been brief, but Rakanar’s analytical abilities lead him to the dwelling of the Xin’Qui. It was a magnificent multilevel air vessel of superior firepower and excellent construct. Flagship and home to him for a forever unspecified amount of time. He knew nothing more, only the churning cogs, the oiled pistons, and unbearable conditions of the underbelly to the steam powered flying fortress. Indoctrinated with a goal, and fueled by a desire for revenge, Rakanar’s days were spent working the ship, and nights spent tuning his domain.
  
  Dawn’s hour of one fateful morning spelled disaster for the crew of the Xin’Qui. The fleet was outmaneuvered and surrounded. It would be a blow so devastating, and so decisive that neither side would recover from it. It was known simply as ‘World’s End.’ Ships fell from the sky, and the bodies of their sky-bound crews with them. In that single few hours, the population of his breed fell to mere thousands. The fleets chased one another, leaving ruins of cityscapes in their wake. It was during this battle that Rakanar made note of himself.
  
  A blast from the enemies capital ship smashed the siding clean open to the Xin’Qui. The main cannon was severed in half, but a smaller sub cannon was left in tack where the hole to the outside had been opened. Rakanar took it upon himself, working the engines to turn the enormous Flagship and align the one chance there was to end the battle. With the smaller gun put in place, the gryphon set about modifying a piece of ammunition. A makeshift design to deliver greater punch than it had originally been envisioned for.
  
  With his burning vessel collapsing around him, the shell had been loaded, and coordinates set. He fired the blast, blowing the gun apart, but sending the payload on its way. The shot that ended all fire. The modified munitions destroyed the enemy’s airship, and with its destruction, came realization. If the war were to continue, the few remaining would simply annihilate their entire species.
  
  An End to All Ends...
  
  A truce was forged, and their military might coalesced into a single unity. The next years would be a period of rebuilding. Rakanar, was dissatisfied. He did not taste the bittersweet revenge he had desired for the death of his mother, nor did he see the benefit to the war he had poured so much blood and sweat into. Packed away into his holdings, he turned to the one thing that brought peace to his ravaged mind. His work.
  
  During this time, what was referred to simply only as, The College, had been founded by once warring parties. It’s intent clear to all from the very beginning. Educate, and allow a sanctified haven for all who seek to realize their ideals. Art, industry, philosophy and everything to and beyond were welcomed. The influence within the gates was beyond measure, and with a once more united, albeit endangered, race saw the benefit and prosperity of their new direction.
  
  From it spawned a new governing council, and endless discoveries. Traditions were born through it, hostilities doused by it. The College had been the ultimate tool throughout their recovery period. A time that yet lingers to this very day.
  
  Branching Out...
  
  Rakanar spend a considerable amount of time here. Lost within the confines of his own mind, he took refuge in producing, tinkering, and finding answers to millennium old questions. So dissolved within himself, the unease he produced gradually became something of a hotly debated issue. Despite efforts to know allow the gryphon knowledge of this, Rakanar would learn early.
  
  The early hours with a lingering moon lighted his way as he finalized construct to his greatest masterpiece. An airship unlike any of its predecessor. He boasted the capability of its workings could allow for one to travel faster, and farther than by any conventional mean. Determined not to be disproven, he made the journey himself with a select handful of chosen individuals.
  
  The incident was a disaster. Within minutes, the ship had burst apart, and burning debris was scattered across the land. Only Rakanar would survive the devastation. Though, it forever painted his paws with the blood of those few followers. Their loss weighed heavily upon his conscious despite a seemingly disregarding attitude of the whole event. The source of the malfunction, however, was not due to poor design of spotty material. But of sabotage. A rival engineer was the most likely source, though proof was minimal and left no grounds for Rakanar.
  He resolved to leave, once and for all.
  
  New Land, New Trials...
  
  Arrival to the outer settlement of Nave as it was so called would be the sky-bound’s domain for the experimentation to continue. Rakanar had felt his mind dulled by the continued trials of mechanical working. Thus, he had begun to dabble in other areas of curiosity.
• 

  
  

  Novice:
  A new area of study in which very little or nothing at all is understood of the concept.
  Perhaps an interest to attempt something new.

  
  

  Apprentice:
  Dabbling within a subject or journey, but has yet to fully understand some of the most
  basic concepts. Interest is peaked and striving for a particular goal of knowledge,
  begun.

  
  

  Journeymen:
  With every step forward, a new variable is introduced. However, enough skill has been
  learned to allow one to venture out and be proficient enough to make a living. A tipping
  point between being good enough, or being great.

  
  

  Expert:
  There is nothing basic left to be introduced, but there are a wide variety of nuances to
  be mastered. At this point, experimentation and honing of current skills are the primary
  area of study. The teaching level.

  
  

  Master:
  Looked upon by his peers for his accomplishments, and revered by his elders, for their
  prowess. Challenge and intrigue are what drives one’s self, not profit or fame. There is
  so little left to understand, that only a fraction will ever venture beyond this point.

  
  

  Grandmaster:
  Everything and all. The most basic comprehension is second nature, and the most complex
  studies are children’s tales. There is nothing left to learn or to be taught. All that remains
  is upholding one’s knowledge, lest they fall into a lesser category.
• 

  Airship Pilot:

  Rakanar is at home upon the skywalks and cramped quarters of an airship hovering above the world. With both a privatized and military career as his credentials,
  Rakanar will impress where he can and improve where he can’t. The gryphon has countless hours working the boiler room of the steam powered flagship that bore
  his home for a number of years. A privatized lifestyle allowed him to design and construct his own vessel, giving him time at the help and fleshing out his abilities.
  Due to his natural ability to fly, he already understands the basics to keep one’s self afloat.

  
  

  Novice Expert
  Apprentice Master
  Journeymen Grandmaster

  
  

  Mechanical Engineering

  Smooth piston operation is as good as any work of art. One wrong calibrated timing belt, one bit of weakened steal, or one tiny misfire in the combustion chamber
  and all will come crashing apart in a brilliant spectacle for all abroad to see. Rakanar not only knows how to get his hands dirty, (quite literally) but believes that if they
  aren’t covered in grime, ash or soot, then that means he simply hasn’t found the problem yet.

  
  

  Novice Expert
  Apprentice Master
  Journeymen Grandmaster

  
  

  Exotic Engineering

  Elemental drives run by unconventional power sources. Steam, hydrogen, reactive powders and beyond have intertwined themselves with the interworking of machinery
  for as long as the hammer has struck the iron. Powder sources that branch out from this and tap the power of the elements is a relatively new study, but one that Rakanar
  has taken a deep interest in. He sees great potential to do both extraordinary and terrible deeds. Regardless of where this study takes him, be aware, Rakanar plans to be
  at the forefront.

  
  

  Novice Expert
  Apprentice Master
  Journeymen Grandmaster

  
  

  Explosives:

  A surprising number of endeavors can be accomplished with a cotton wrap of gunpowder, and a bit of tightly packed sawdust laced nitroglycerin. Not only has Rakanar
  developed many tools to cause mayhem, he uses such questionable devices for his protection and drive. Some might call the gryphon mad, insane or downright malicious,
  he sees himself as a pioneer! “Everything we know today is merely a well regulated and controlled mixture of reactive substance. In other words, without the chaotic
  expression of certain mismanaged compounds, our world would not exist. Accept or resist as you see fit. I myself, choose to embrace it.”

  
  

  Novice Expert
  Apprentice Master
  Journeymen Grandmaster

  
  

  Forging:

  A considerable amount of time has been spent within the confines of the machine shop. Medal must be shaped, cogs pounded into submission, or gearing oiled to a slick
  workable manner. Ideas are born in the minds of the gifted, but designs come alive upon the anvil. Rakanar has know the touch of spark when the impurities are blasted off
  of the cherry red iron. Many of his everyday tools have been the product of the furnace and hammer including some self made protective gear for use in other areas of
  experimentation and discovery. This is not to say he is masterful of the practice for it has never been studied, only applied to make things workable.

  
  

  Novice Expert
  Apprentice Master
  Journeymen Grandmaster

  
  

  Enchanting:

  Few things have intrigued the gryphon yet eluded his change to observe them like that of the unnatural forces of the world. Particularly, the ability to bind them to more physical
  objects such as armor, armament, or otherwise. Magic adheres like an adhesive to almost anything, something Rakanar is keenly interested in learning more about. But with his inability
  to study the art itself, much less conjure the otherworldly forces with his paws, this has thus far remained only an intrigue.

  
  

  Novice Expert
  Apprentice Master
  Journeymen Grandmaster

  
  

  Mechanical Enhancement:

  Great desire stands as a testament to better one’s designs. Such is the case for Rakanar who consistently seeks to further development for already well established practices to inanimate
  products of the mind. Already this has been put to test with some of his equipment including his coat, goggles and otherwise. Still, it is unlikely a trait to ever be mastered for that would
  require one to master every aspect of perfunctory invention.

  
  

  Novice Expert
  Apprentice Master
  Journeymen Grandmaster

  
  

  Analytics:

  Whether in war or peace, few abilities are as underappreciated yet remain as some of the most predominate key factors of change than the simple skill to analyze the situation. Particularly
  useful with the trial and error process, Rakanar is keenly observant to anything he is attempting to accomplish. Even with low combative ability, this one feature has saved his hide on
  more than one occasion, and opened the gates to new foundations. Never underestimate the power of observation.

  
  

  Novice Expert
  Apprentice Master
  Journeymen Grandmaster
• 

• Strength
  Stamina
  Speed
  Armor
  Weapon
• 
  
  Strength: While possessing a degree of brawn through natural traits of his species, it is not a determining factor.
  
  Stamina: His endurance is based off of his ability to negate incoming attacks, rather than absorb them. It is unlikely that he would find victory in a battle of attrition that did not include other variables.
  
  Speed: Rakanar strikes like that of his eagle brethren. Flight is his advantage, and soundless dives, his weapon. He has a distinct advantage in the air when paired against a ground based opponent.
  
  Armor: Woven into his coat a spaced rings of tempered steel. They provide resistance to slashing blows, though crumple under piercing attacks. Additionally, the material of the cloth is designed to resist flame, subsequent the nature of his work.
  
  Weapon: Weaponry comes in two forms. For up close engagements, his largest gage wrench doubles as his weapon. The steel is very tough, and will only bend or break under supernatural circumstances. It is fitted with an interior shock absorber that minimizes the energy absorbed by his body while maximizing output. Additionally, he has varying self-made explosives designed for both damage and disorientation.