firebirdy | (no subject)

full name Leo Paragon

alias n/a

age Centuries

d o b Unknown. He's been debating picking a 'birthday'.

zodiac He hasn't decided yet

pronouns he/him

hometown His hatchplace was a small village that is long-since lost to history. He claims Seoul, South Korea as the easiest explanation now.

species Phoenix

department/job Head ~~Apothecary~~ Pharmacist

connections His fellow snow globe buddies

LEO PARAGON

Leo is a phoenix who, most recently, spent over a century trapped in stasis in the snow globe collection of a particularly maniacal vampire. For someone whose entire existence depends on cycles, being in stasis has been particularly hard on him, both physically and mentally.

As a phoenix, he can never really die, but has been reborn in flame over and over again. His existence has been somewhat nomadic, travelling the world and learning new languages, cultures, flora and fauna. Every time he is reborn, he changes bit by bit. Though his core being stays the same, one iteration may be quicker to anger, another may be lazier, and another finds a sweet tooth where once he enjoyed spice. He carries most of his memories and knowledge with him each time, but though he has a more thorough and extensive memory than any true mortal, nothing sticks with him forever. The further back he remembers, the more dreamlike it becomes.

Leo Paragon takes on a new name every few centuries; after enough birth and rebirth cycles, he's a Ship of Theseus, with new parts replacing the old until there is nothing left of his original self. Leo is a brand new moniker he decided upon after rising from stasis; Eryx, his most recent name, was short-lived and never felt quite right, anyway.

He previously served as the Apothecary for the Adventure Society, tagging along on missions only when there was a promise of new flora to study. He has a lot to learn about the new world of medicine, but he's excited, not scared, by the challenge.

personality

eager to learn . gentle . ~~over-~~focused . courteous . humble

more inclined to follow than lead . quiet . non-committal . old-fashioned . plants are better than people

–

sometimes struggles to understand the stakes . detached . naive . finds difficulty in reading people . always feels like he's just passing through

appearance

Leo has an unassuming look about him; one likely wouldn't be able to tell, from just seeing him, that he's seen centuries--the rise and fall of cities and civilizations. His eyes are always expressive and taking in the world. His smile, when it's genuine and earned, can light up a room.

Subtle things change in his appearance each time he is reborn. Sometimes his hairstyle changes or his facial hair takes a new shape. Scars fade over time until, someday, they're gone. It would be the same with tattoos, if he ever got one, like a new healthy layer of skin smoothing away the flaws of the last. He generally reads as someone in his mid-30s to mid-40s.

height 5'10"

build Generally average

eyes Brown

hair Black

abilities

species-related abilities

Resurrection. Phoenixes resurrect by flame. Sometimes this happens because of an early death by misadventure; sometimes it's just part of the necessary cycle. As a result, he is essentially immortal.

Avian physiology. Can take the form of a fiery-colored bird. He'll always be reborn in this state, and it can take anywhere from two days to a week for him to regain his ability to take human form again, depending on the circumstances of his most recent demise.

Fire manipulation. Phoenixes can control their own body's flame, but it's not without drawbacks -- or pain. It's easier in bird form.

~~Healing tears~~. Over the generations, the legend of the phoenix has grown and evolved. Leo was a renowned healer in his day, notably skilled with healing plants and potions. But though his body healed itself cycle after cycle, he cannot use it to heal others.

bonus ability

Parkour

mundane abilities

Potions and Healing Medicines. This is true for both magically-enhanced concoctions and fully natural healing supplements. He will be astounded by the current state of pharmaceuticals.

Plant Knowledge. Through many years of study and travel, Leo has a remarkable sense of flora.

Vest wearing. The wearing of vests.

background

Phoenixes are incredibly rare creatures, and are often very solitary birds. It is not uncommon for one to go through several lifecycles without encountering another Phoenix. And Phoenix eggs can exist for years without hatching; they neither rot nor progress until placed in the hottest flames.

Leo, as he is now known, remembers very little of his earliest life. He was raised in a small village, taken in by an elderly pair of healing women. He proved to have an affinity for their work, and would continue it on in every life cycle. He has come to believe that the first time he died, he was 42; this is the longest any life cycle goes for him, though many are much shorter. He returns to an adult body within a few days of cycling.

His existence has always been on the nomadic side. Sometimes, he finds a home among other supernatural beings and stays with them as long as half a century, but sooner or later, he cycles into a more restless version of himself and moves along. When among humans, he never stays so long he seem suspicious for never ageing.

Some four or five hundred years ago, Leo (or Ki, as he was known then) settled himself into the court of a powerful sorcerer. He lived there quite happily in the small, protected fortress—until he made a mistake and fell in love with the sorcerer's Favorite, an air spirit paramour. Ki and the spirit made plans to fly away together, but they were caught. The sorcerer found himself at a loss. He couldn't execute the Phoenix; he would just be reborn. Imprisonment meant nothing if the apothecary could turn himself to ash and escape, and Ki's own suggestion of banishment was immediately rejected, as it's what the Phoenix wanted in the first place.

A more clever form of captivity was required. The Phoenix was spelled into stasis and imprisoned in a large ruby. It was never meant as a permanent punishment, just long enough he would learn his lesson. But not long after, a plague swept through the city -- a plague their apothecary could have help battle. The fortress fell into decay and ruin and was all but forgotten.

Until a brave group of Adventurers were sent there to investigate reports of a haunting. There were no ghosts, but they did find a trove of treasures -- including a ruby that, when exposed to the sunlight, disintegrated and revealed the sickly Phoenix within. Ki--who shortly changed his name to Eryx--was deeply grateful and deeply loyal to the Adventure Society and especially those who took part in his release. He quickly took up his old work, acting as the apothecary for the society and willfully ignoring any signs that anything could be wrong.

He rarely ventured into the field, but the promise of a mission in the Amazon and the incredible flora to be found there pulled Eryx along for the ride. Unfortunately, such a mission was only a cover. They were not lost in the wilds of Brazil, but trapped in Cadmus Scantlebury's collection.

He had only just finally settled in to his new century when all of a sudden he finds himself transported again. Repeated entrapments have left Leo very wary and extremely claustrophobic. He is suspicious to the point of paranoia, but still so excited to have so many new things to learn and experience. It's complicated.

miscellaneous trivia

!! anything else you want to include (eg. aspirations, pets, whatever) !!

player megtoo (she/her)

pb john cho

contact see contact page

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