Nargrax Damesguard, King of Dragons
“Brother Trez, Nargrax is a force for Good. He has a heart of Gold.” - Dame Gwion
“…did he just bite that guy in half?” - Trez
“We have a ritual for that!” - Oona
Nargrax Damesguard is a former human, evolved through ritual and a goddess' blessing to a true dragon. Conferred the moniker of King of Dragons by the Realm, he takes his vow seriously to protect all dragons, as well as the Faction Leaders of the Grove.
Biography
Nargrax was a Kingsguard as soon as he could hold a shield. This King was just, as far as Nargrax saw, and he treated the young boy well as he came up through the ranks. While most of his duties involved standing next to the King, observing for potential threats, the king allowed Nargrax venture out into the realm and deal with known threats in his own way.
Upon order of the King, Nargrax, now a young man, was sent to defeat a dragon that was terrorizing the region. He hunted his quarry to the dragon's lair itself, but when he confronted it, the dragon took one look at him and, with a spell, abjured him from the Realm instead of fighting.
Nargrax awoke in another world entirely: Osterra. A hardy warrior, he wandered for a while before finding a faction of strong women called The Grove. The young man felt a strong bond of companionship with the sisterhood, and they accepted Nargrax. The young warrior felt at home.
Age: 28
Birthday: October 24th
Race: Dragon
Faction: The Grove
Path: Warrior
Homeworld: Unknown
Residence: Wyrmwood Hollow, Mundus Ferox
No longer a Kingsguard, Nargrax dove headfirst into the EverWar's front lines on Osterra, where he quickly stood apart. He became known for his fearlessness and physically rigorous feats of arms. He stood toe-to-toe and cowed his opponents, even one against many. Though sustaining many wounds, he soldiered on with singular intent to win the day.
“Not sure this shield is big enough.”
Though he did not crave the notoriety, it did spur him to create weapons and armor to back up his courageous feats. He became a Forgemaster and founded Dinner Plate Forges. He provided equipment for his Faction and those that needed it.
By helping to push back impending demon hordes with a bulwark bigger than most humans, Nargrax's shield was christened by his peers as Dinnerplate. Along the way, Nargrax made a number of pieces for himself, including a new shield, Butterfly, and a massive new weapon yet untested: called the BFP.
Over time and through intense battles, Nargrax developed a strong bond to Gwion Triarta. In turn, she tutored him in patience, kindness to self, and a sense of right and wrong. When Gwion was elevated as a Knight of the Realm, she accepted Nargrax as her guardian. Thus, he became Nargrax Damesguard. He also began profound growth after spending time in the Grove, developing a more a familial understanding of his sisters.
One fateful day, Nargrax was struck by tragedy in journeying with the Dame. Gwion was swallowed by a Portal into another Realm, in as unexpected a fashion as Nargrax arrived in Osterra. His anger and grief were immeasurable; taking it as a personal failing he couldn’t save his charge, he vowed to protect the new Faction Leader, Oonagh Cardot. Both Oonagh and Nargrax particularly felt the Dame’s absence. Nargrax requested tutoring from the Witch-Priestess in understanding her arcane arts and those of other noteworthy arcanists of Osterra. Day and night, he kept his oath to guard Oonagh, and as he did, he remembered the Dragon that brought him to Osterra.
Over the course of months, he pursued a crazy idea - to gain draconic powers to become more powerful, to protect his sisters, and to maybe bring Dame Gwion home.
Character Development
“I only want a little bit of dragon blood.”
In 2023, with the help of the greatest mages and dragon-aligned folk in Osterra, a ritual was conducted in the Summer Months to grant him the powers of a dragon. However, it worked a little too well-- by the grace of the Green Goddess, he actually became a full dragon, his latent ancestry finally revealed. To bring Gwion back, he joined the Mage's Guild to learn portal magic and applied this to his draconic gift from the Goddess. Over time, Nargrax eventually learned to control his new powers and brought his Dame back to the Realm.
In 2024, Nargrax began to build a home for himself under the reconstructed tower in the Grove’s village of Wyrmwood Hollow. Nargrax has focused on stationing Dinner Plate Forges there. With the Grove building the town up, his aim is to play host the Artificer's Guild.
After an encounter with the Vidarian Khanate and learning of other dragons being killed, Nargrax embarked on worldwide travels to find and protect other dragons. After years of travel, he established the Prismatic Accords with dragons across the world. After this character arc, Nargrax was conferred the moniker of King of Dragons by the Realm. Despite this pomp and circumstance, he rarely acknowledges this honor or holding court. Instead, you likely will always see him on the front line, leading the charge for his sisters of The Grove or providing an aegis for them.
Personality
Nargrax prefers to walk quietly and carry a big stick. His actions speak loudly enough: he routinely achieves deeds that many humans have physical difficulty with, even before acquiring his draconic form. He is recklessly self-sacrificing and dutifully protective of his sisters, Dame Gwion and Oonagh of the Grove. He is rarely far from either. Despite his physically imposing stature, Nargrax is gentle and kind, especially to those he protects. He will often give and give until he is exhausted, a trait that his sisters have learned to monitor and redirect toward healthy alternatives.
Nargrax does not crave limelight, preferring instead to serve from the sidelines unless his shield is needed. Rest is not a familiar concept to the guardian. He was born to serve and commit his life to his King. It is slow work, but his sisters are helping him to unlearn this and embrace what they have become: family.
When driven to anger, Nargrax smolders with the fury characteristic of his dragon heritage. He can be stubborn and categorical, often seeing things in black and white-- as friends or foes, allies or threats, desires or disgusts. His loyalty is fierce and untempered. Though he often defers to the judgement of cooler heads, it is not unheard of for Nargrax to launch a fireball to dispatch threats or bite some poor bowman in half if they’re within striking distance. Such is the might of a dragon warrior.
Appearance
Nargrax's appearance and abilities, while atypical, are Organizer approved and have been earned from in-person adventuring across years
Though a true dragon, Nargrax is mostly seen in human form to avoid misunderstanding and unwanted attention. Bearded with long black hair, he strides with careful attention paid to those in his charge. For combat, he is often heavily armored in forest-green plate, even occasionally donning a helm. Ever the craftsman, he is typically accompanied by items of his own design. For shields, he may carry Dinnerplate, a giant golden round shield, or Butterfly, a stylized green kite shield reminiscent of dragon wings. As a Warrior, his weapons have changed, but have featured swords, spears, and an enormous halberd.
In dragon form, Nargrax erupts to towering size, about thirty feet tall with a 60 foot wingspan. With the blessing of the Goddess, he may shift any part of him between dragon and human. A form of chameleon dragon, he is polymorphic, but generally takes the form of green and gold scales: the Grove colors. His wings look like a forest’s canopy, veining branches with sunlight peering through the leaves. He hosts a variety of small fanged spines around his face, but the crown of his head features two massive curved horns not unlike an impala.
