Appearance

Physical Description

Diomede is slender and lean. He doesn't have a strong physique and appears fairly frail.

Body Features

Diomede has vibrantly blue feathers crowning his head and an azure feathered tail. He has a black beak, white face, and black feathers framing his eyes. His face resembles a crested jay or a bluejay.

Facial Features

Diomede, as is characteristic of his ethnic group of kenku, resembles a blend between a crested jay and a bluejay in facial features. He has a black beak with black feathers, a white face, and black feathers framing his cheeks and eyes. His head is largely azure feathers with an expressive crest and "cow-lick".

Mentality

Personal history

Diomede was born as Sky (Nyke /ˈnyke/ in Auran) and raised in the Elven Empire of Umenor. He was part of a kenku community on the outskirts of a major elven city where he and his people were largely kept separate from the rest of the population. His community was insular and sold craftwork to sustain themselves.
 
When he was a young adult (about 11 years old), Sky was lured into the Faewyld (with two of his friends) by the Winter Court. There, he spent an untold amount of time being a court musician and entertainer to the Winter King. For reasons not fully understood by Sky, he was released back to the Prime Material.
 
It is not uncommon for a fae-stolen child to be sent back to the world, especially with enchantment magic woven deeply into their minds to encourage them to lure more children back. Sky was gravely afraid of being a sleeper agent for the Faewyld, so he spoke to his Cantor and agreed to go into exile from his community. For his people, Sky was gone for a few days. For Sky, it could have been years.
 
Sky adopted the name Diomede on his upcoming travels and wandered Umenor. He was turned away from wizardry apprenticeships (he had no money and was neither elven nor human). He refined the magical skills he gained in the Faewyld with many more cultural arcane traditions that became his bardic training. He met many experts in the bardic crafts and forged bonds with them.
 
Eventually, Diomede met a lone kobold named Og Ironscale. Og was bright, kind, and also a wanderer from a communal culture. Diomede bonded quickly with Og and, together, they fled to Jhordheim to avoid the fae and to find a new life.
 
Diomede managed to persuade the First Mate of the Drek to allow him and Og onboard. In exchange for performing entertainment and keeping the sailors from getting bored, Diomede and Og would be given a small closet to make their "library" and live together. This arrangement worked well, until the Marines adventures began.

Education

Diomede was very intelligent and clever. He had not much of a formal education in an institution, but he collected and consumed books greedily. Og and Diomede had together studied arcana, history, religion, and natural philosophy.
 
Diomede was trained in a wide range of magical arts and musical instruments.

Employment

Diomede was employed as an entertainer and thespian for taverns, inns, and even Jhordheim ships. Later in his life, he had the "adventurer" occupation.

Mental Trauma

Diomede was deeply traumatized by his experience with the Winter Court. He fears the fae, their influence, and their magic. This fear shapes his refusal to use enchantment magic.
 
Diomede had died once in his adventures when fighting a death tyrant. The experience of meeting an afterlife, barganing for his soul, and resurrection had changed him and hardened him.

Morality & Philosophy

Diomede was largely non-violent. He believed in the sanctity and value of life while fearing the responsibility to end it.
 
Diomede's view of magic was one of spiritual awe and wonder. He could understand arcane formulae and the rigor of academic study, but true magic seems beyond a mortal's scope. Rite, ritual, and cultural lenses helped him understand magic on a more deep level. Magic also was a reflection of the soul of the caster -- to kill or harm using magic was a dangerous act. If you used your soul to end a life, it will forever be marked.
 
Diomede rarely actively judged his comrades and their more violent tendencies. He considered himself a coward and a "non-adventurer" in the group, so the more lethal and severe actions of his allies were out of his scope. In the end, he ended up enabling many acts of great violence without actively participating in them.
 
Diomede considered the act of creation, artistic expression, and creativity to be spiritually euphoric.

person.sexuality

Diomede was asexual and panromantic.

person.gender_identity

Diomede considered himself male.

Taboos

Diomede would not kill, cast enchantments upon unwilling people, or threaten another's autonomy. Diomede also avoided drugs, alchohol, or anything that could impair his fragile sense of mental control.

Known Languages

Diomede learned Auran and Common as a child. While in the Winter Court, Diomede learned Sylvan. Later, Diomede learned Celestial.

Personality

Motivation

Diomede was driven out of Umenor by his love of his community and fear of what damage he would unintentionally do.
 
While on the Drek, Diomede was earning a living and seeking any amount of satisfaction through his craft.
 
While with the Marines, Diomede was driven by curiosity, admiration, and wonder.
 
While in his early days of adventuring, Diomede felt a deep responsibility to his new social circle to help them, protect them, and record their exploits.
 
After his death and resurrection, Diomede was bound by a divine quest to (ambiguously) "live the life worthy of saving". He interpreted this as a divine commandment to fight against the Illithilich and help bring peace to Cannae. If he failed, he would die and his soul would find no peace in an afterlife.

Virtues & Personality perks

Diomede was charitable, kind, and welcoming to anyone he considered a stray. He would project his needs for strong community onto his social circle and try to tend to people's needs.

Vices & Personality flaws

Diomede had severe anxieties, fears, and insecurities. He did not trust in his own power and too readily accepted responsibility and burden that was not his to carry.

Personality Quirks

Diomede did not like being referred to as a "bird", "bird boy", or any animalistic metaphor. For Diomede, being called an animal stripped him of his personhood and rights. It made him lesser.

Hygiene

Diomede was fastidious with hygiene. He loathed being dirty and doing physical labor.

Social

Birthplace

Nation of Umenor, Continent of Menia

Honorary & Occupational Titles

The Etherquill

Wealth & Financial state

Diomede had looted the hordes of at least two dragons. He used many of these funds to pay for the new commune for his kenku community.

Family Ties

Diomede had two living parents and seven siblings. He was not in contact with them, but knew where they are and funded the community that ensures their safety.

Religious Views

Diomede was observant of the "old gods" -- the original pantheon of divinities in Cannae. He was especially fond of Etonae (arts, music), Pheatia (peace, prosperity), and Zindraaldein.

Social Aptitude

Diomede would readily thrust others into the spotlight, but he did consider the social and public field his arena of battle.

Mannerisms

Diomede's body language was characteristic of a kenku -- less about eyebrow and mouth articulation and more about body language, feather engagement, and posture. Since kenku do not often interact with people outside of their communities, not many people are proficient in interpreting the non-verbal communication.

Speech

Diomede was unable to vocalize his heartsong and true voice. Instead, he largely speaks in the "vulgar tongue", which is an amalgamation of numerous voices he's heard spoken simultaneously.
 
Diomede has a form of sign language he used to communicate complicate ideas that would not readily be articulated in the vulgar tongue.