Himself (Nai'ven Moon-Shifter)

Physical Appearance:

Hair: dark brown with black lowlights, long and curly, messy circa forest living, tidier and well-kept now that he lives in a society, adorned with several trinkets of gold and bone

Eyes: yellow, they glow when he's feeling particularly emotionally charged

Height: 6'3"

Weight: approx. 150lbs

Notable Features: a scar on his lip from a former wild-shaped escapade, septum ring, pierced ears, druidic facial tattoo in faded brown ink, runs hotter than your average elfin temperature-wise, very expressive ears for an "elf"

Face Inspo: Kim Jongin - Kai (EXO)

Voice Inspo: no singular voice claim but he speaks with a Brummie accent

Background:

Himself started out in the forest, in a Circle of druids that were primarily responsible for stewarding a certain set of ruins near the city of Dragonshaw. He didn't always live there, but he had been there for at least a hundred years. Long enough to make lasting connections with his comrades. He ended up being kidnapped, in a sense, for an evil design.

At the onset of the campaign, he is trapped in his wolf wild-shape by means of an evil amulet, and surrounded by the bones of the people he once called friends and loved ones. As part of the so-called "evil design," he was pitted against them, and killed them all. At the time of his rescue, he remembers very little of the event. With nothing else to do in this area, he joins with a group of adventurers to stop the evil plot before it can result in destruction by Armageddon (the will of the angel Alerion).

Over the course of his adventure, he meets a half-elf that quickly becomes his world. Their name is Merynn. Unfortunately they're very perfect for each other. Himself's gentle nature calms Merynn's rather reserved one. Merynn is not only understanding of Himself's situation, but provides the forgiveness that he so desperately seeks for his past actions. They're in love, your honour.

With the evil temporarily defeated, they move first to a quaint cabin in Verdant (where they're interrupted by the call of adventure yet again), and finally Green Hollow, a small druidic gathering place in Sundermere. It is here where Himself embraces his Vae'lari heritage and learns more about his own history. He takes up the leadership of the druid Circle, though he still doesn't feel as if he deserves it. In reclaiming his heritage, he becomes known to locals and companions as Nai'ven Moonshifter (his true name), though his friends and lovers still call him Himself. He and Merynn adopt one child (a void-touched tiefling boy) and name him Cosmos. Their twin son and daughter are named Ylem (ay-lem) and Zenith, respectively. A drow fighter named Buster eventually joins their relationship and also makes a home with them in Green Hollow. The kids call Buster "Uncle," and Himself and Merynn "Puppa" and "Tuppa," respectively.

Himself is a fierce lover, friend, and companion. He is quick to laugh, and to blush, but tends to hide his deeper emotions behind a carefully practiced smile. He tends to be surprised that people warm to him so easily, though he isn't a hard person to like or to talk to. Relies on practical wisdom rather than sharp, learned wit. Always has a parable or an anecdote to share.

Quotes:

"You've never prayed like this, toots, trust me."

"Well we should say something to the kid, like... 'We noticed you lost your amulet and you looked particularly rough'."

"Shit, you undead fucking [a very derogatory term for a prostitute in Elven]."

"Who in the hells is Nerzulak?"

"It feels good to have people to care about, that's all."

(to Merynn) "If we die, I want you to know that this has been the time of my life. I wouldn't trade it. Not a single moment."

(to Kavfka) "Do not," [...] "Start speaking unless you have come up with a solution. Keep your damned judgements to yourself, for once."

(to Merynn) "I mean it, love. Whenever I'm not near you, I start to get nervous. Maybe the others see it as possessiveness, but I can't help it."

(to Buster) "I'll be here for as long as you want me, sweetheart. I promise." [...] "Promise me something in return? When everything burns down, don't... forget about me."

(to Merynn) "...You were the one who took me in and gave me a home, love. If I weren't already so head over paws for you, I would at least owe you everything."

Further Lore:

Modern!AU

Age: 23

Birthdate: 12-13-1982

Zodiac: Sagittarius; Year of the Water Dog

Occupation: Bartender, Barista

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Fun Facts:

  • Grew up in Birmingham, England. He went to a stuffy boarding school until eleventh grade, dropped out, did correspondence school, took a gap year to work, and then moved to the US.
  • Has both a bachelor's and master's degree in horticulture, and specialized in pollinators and migration patterns. He's currently burnt out on higher education (and academia in general), and is putting off getting his PhD.
  • Still keeps in contact with his colleagues and friends at the New York Botanical Garden.
  • Everyone assumes he's a vegan. Despite his hippie attitude and generally granola-guy appearance, he eats and enjoys meat. Is very passionate about ethical farming and animal husbandry practices.
  • To that end, he's very good friends with some folks in farming co-ops upstate. This man will never run out of fresh meat and fresh vegetables.
  • Lives in a condo he inherited from his great aunt, in Brooklyn. I have a location picked out.
  • Speaking of his condo: he's what you would call a Luddite and favours older technology.
  • He owns a very well-taken care of record player and his favourite album is an original pressing of Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. Favourite song? You Make Lovin' Fun (He adores Christine McVie).
  • Has a soft spot for 70s MOR bands and 70s music in general. Favourite band is probably a tie between Heart and Fleetwood Mac. Loves Led Zeppelin and Hozier in equal amounts. People look at him and assume he's a big fan of Hozier, and in this case? They're 100-percent correct.
  • Has a flip phone, and an MP3 player.
  • His barista job is at Hungry Ghost Coffee in Lower Manhattan. His bartending job is at a purely fictional dive bar named Skinner's in Queens.
  • He does freelance modelling. He hates talking about it. Merynn only finds out because he extended plus-one invite to a friend's photography exhibition.
  • Fun fact within a fun fact: Hungry Ghost (Brooklyn) is two blocks away from Joe's Pizza. If you know, you know. Himself was originally hired there but he got transferred.
  • Had a one-night stand with Roiben that resulted in a months-long crashout because the asshole never called him back. He does not like to think about this too much.
  • The one-night stand in question actually took place at Merynn's apartment (before he knew them). The first time he visits in the aftermath? He has a total faggot crisis.
  • Was friends with Merynn for a long time before they officially started dating. Friends who have casual sex. Friends who get high and watch The Joy of Painting at three AM. Friends who hitachi wand and strap each other and sleep in the same bed and shower together. Give them a break, they're both a mess.
  • Did I mention he's a werewolf? It doesn't affect his day-to-day life too much.
  • When he gets involved with Merynn, Roiben, and Moonie, he becomes the dog pile master (all of those three are colder than your average bear).