Cypher

AHHHH! MY BOY IS HERE. I LOVE HIM!





LORE IS NOT FINISHED! WORK IN PROGRESS<<< I NEED TO GET MY BUTT TO WRITING
Blurb- Cypher is a boisterous, rowdy, and intense dragon. Always willing to get in the thick of things, he’s never one to back down from a challenge, and is always ready to stand up for his friends. He has the tendency to come off as confrontational and rude, but those in the clan know he doesn’t alway intend to. Despite his abrasive and crude personality, he is very loved by the clan, and loves them in return. He never goes anywhere without his trusty sword, and despite it’s banged up appearance from many many years of use, he will not replace it, and takes great care in making sure it stays sharp and deadly. He is also a genius when it comes to mechanics and robots.

Backstory- Cypher was born on an island, far out to sea, and far from any shreds of civilization or class. For the place he was born was filled with the worst kinds of scum in Sornieth. Pirates, mercenaries, smugglers and assassins fill the worn and shabby streets. It is a hub of the worst kinds of people and dragons around. With more bars and brothels than actual houses or stores, it’s no surprise why they flock here. That and the fact that there is no kind of law or order, no king or ruler, to stop all the illegal activity that goes on in this place. {Need to figure out name of town} as it is dubbed by those who know it, is no place for a child to grow up. However, it is this unfortunate place where Cypher was born.

Cypher never knew the love of parents. All he knew about his ancestry was the fact that while he was in his egg, he was abducted and stuck on a smugglers ship. Bound for a life of chains, abducted dragon eggs were highly sought after. Wealthy humans raised the dragons, and used them for many different things, but the most common was entertainment. Pitting dragons against each other and forcing them to fight to the death was common sport amongst humans.

The smugglers who stole him from his family stopped here for a refill on provisions. While they were docked in the port, enjoying what the town had to offer, a tiny hatchling cracked his egg. Electricity sparking, he struggled out his egg. Breathing hard, his nose was instantly filled with the stench of his surroundings. Opening his eyes, he took in the new world around him. He was in some sort of dark room. Filled to the top with all sorts of crates, boxes, and around him, other eggs. Trying to stand, he continually toppled over. Exhausted from the struggle of hatching and trying to stand, he finally lay back down and drifted off to sleep, lulled by the gentle rock of the room.

He awoke with a start at a loud bang and the sound of voices drifting down.

“Hurry up and git those crates down here ya oaf.” A whiney voice yelled. “Half our crew arr enjoyin’ women and ale. I don’t wanna be spendin’ any longer with your sorry *** than I have ta.”

“Yeah yeah, I’m going.” The other grunted in a deep gravelly voice. Thudding footsteps made their way down the stairs. Plopping the heavy crates down, he quickly left to grab another, passing the other man as he went. The other man went farther back, carefully putting his load in the far corner. Turn to go back, he suddenly spotted the young dragon.

“Heh heh heh.” He laughed. Walking over, he stared at the young dragon. “Look what we have here.”

Little Cypher stared at the strange creature before him. The man reached out a hand and grabbed him roughly by the neck. “We best be shown’ you ta the cap’tin.”

Cypher struggled to no avail as the man carried him up onto the main deck. Hollering for the captain, another scary looking man appeared before them.”

“Look at this Cap,” The weasley man said, grinning a half toothless grin. Holding up his squirming captive, he held him in front of the captain.

“Hmmm,” Cap said, stroking his patchy, matted beard. “A little scrawny if ya ask me.”

Roughly inspecting him, he let out an angry growl. “Look at this rat!” Turning him over he revealed Cypher’s flaw. “This useless piece of trash is missing a leg. And to make matters worse he’s a wildclaw! He won’t even be able to stand.”

To prove his point, Cypher was plopped roughly to the deck of the ship. In fear, he struggled unsuccessfully to find his legs and run away from these scary men.

“How annoying. There goes hundreds of pounds. Nobody will buy such a useless hatchling. It can’t even stand.” Shaking his head, he looked with disgust on the squirming baby before him. “Throw it overboard, let the sharks have a little feast.”

The man who brought him up carefully picked up the pitiful little dragon, being sure to avoid the sharp teeth, and threw him carelessly into the water. Gasping, Cypher tried to stay afloat. But the churning waves were too much for his little body. Black spotted his vision, until consciousness slipped away, and he began sinking beneath the waves.

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Choking, he opened burning eyes. Blinded by the bright sunlight, he quickly shut them. Finally managing to get his bearings, he found himself on a beach. Littered with bottles, trash, and debris, and stinking with the rotting smell of dead fish, his stomach rolled. Rolling over, he tried to stand. Remember that he couldn’t, he found a new way. Half crawling half slithering, he made his way off the beach, and toward the tempting smells of the nearby town.

Days were tough for Cypher. He scavenged for food amongst the filth of {Town Name} And fought with dogs and other wild creatures for the smallest scraps of food. He was constantly cold, hungry, and tired. If humans saw him they would beat him, chasing him away from wherever he was. Often merchants and smugglers would catch him, only to realize his disability and throw him out with disgust. Skin and bones, most ignored his filthy and skeletal self, leaving him to scratch out a living amongst the trash. However, despite the dismal and dank surrounding he found himself in, one thing he would never do- give up.

As he grew, he began to learn more about himself, and even figured out, with time, how to shift into a human form. This came in very handy, and he was able to beg and communicate better with the humans, and even figured out a walking stick that allowed him to move around town easily, despite his missing leg. He started to watch closely and learn from those around him, determined not to be a trash eating beggar forever. And every day, he would make his way to the beach, and stare out to sea. How he longed to see what lay beyond the waves, to figure out where it is the ships came from. He dreamed of having his own ship, of riding the waves and discovering what lay beyond.

Despite his disability, Cypher didn’t let it slow him down. He had witnessed many fights amongst the drunk of the various taverns around town. He too had been in many fights, but mostly he had been beaten. He hated feeling weak and useless. So he studied the fights between people, and trained as much as he could, constantly improving his strength, as well as honing his skill with a sword.

As soon as he was old enough, he began seeking work. He would do whatever anyone would pay him to do. Cleaning, gathering intel, stealing- anything that would allow him to have a decent meal. He didn’t have much experience building, and therefore lived in a falling down shack, that was little more than a few old boards nailed together and some branches as a roof.

One day, while he was on the docks unsuccessfully trying to find work, he noticed a peculiar ship. The cargo they were loading wasn’t your typical smuggled goods and forbidden luxuries. It was boxes and boxes of strange metal pieces, wires and metal plates. He noticed a crate a bit farther away from the rest. Curious, he walked over to it. Looking around, he realized no one was nearby, and no one was looking. A sly smile touched his lips, and he quietly picked it up and limped his way as quick as he could back to his hut. Safely hidden inside, he went back to the docks to watch and try and figure out what they were doing with their strange cargo.

As he was watching, he noticed a man. He was tall, and his right leg was completely metal. Fascinated, Cypher watched the robotic leg move perfectly with his body, in sync as if they were one. It was much skinnier than a normal leg, and filled with wires. Before he could go and try to talk to the man, they boarded the ship and began to set sail. Disappointed, he made his way back to his little shack. Opening the box he had stolen, he was shocked to find not just random components, but a whole leg- in pieces, but it was there. Excitedly, he got to work. He had one goal in mind. To make this leg work for him.

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It took months of trial and error for Cypher to figure out how to assemble the leg. But he never gave up. He learned much, and realized he had a knack for building with metal and wire. Finally, It was time to test the leg. Nervously and painfully, he attached the leg to his stub and managed to link the wires to his nerves. Sweating and wincing in pain, he finally got them connected. He willed himself to move the foot- and it moved.

“Yes!” He yelled, and jumped up to stand on two legs, only to crash a second later, yelling in pain.

“Hah hah, ok. Looks like we’ll have to take things a little slower.”

Over the next few weeks, he learned to use his new leg, and the more he did the less painful it became.