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my bird man from my first oneshot ever
Backstory: (very traumatic because it was my first time and I didn't know how else to give him motivation LOL)
Kruk hatched in the small Sun Chasers tribe located in a small mountain range and spent the first year of his life there, though he has limited memory of this. Many of the strongest warriors of the tribe happened to be away helping another nearby tribe when the Sun Chasers tribe was attacked by a dragon, causing much destruction and many to perish. The survivors ended up fleeing, but Kruk, one of the only younglings at the time, was presumed to be dead and was left behind. He ended up hiding well enough in the wreckage that the attacker never found him.
A few days later, a human ranger named Burton Devultrud stumbled upon the charred ruins of the tribe after seeing the smoke, since the tribe happened to be on a mountain near the forest he resided in. While surveying the wreckage and piecing together what had happened, he heard noises coming from under some fallen branches and found the young Kruk, unharmed but weak from dehydration and hunger. With no other soul in sight, Burton decided to take Kruk back to his camp with him and take care of him for the time being. Burton lived alone in the nearby forest, content to live in solitude after his past experiences which are a whole different story. The ranger continued checking back at the tribe’s old home regularly for months, but he never saw anyone return.
Under his care, Kruk grew up and was raised as his own and learned from him the ways of the ranger. His mentor Burton was a gruff, stone cold man, but even he developed a soft spot for Kruk over the years and was glad to have someone living with him. They hunted together and took care of the forest, whether it be protecting the fragile ecosystem or driving out intruders. They also valued only taking what they needed from their forest and not letting anything go to waste. Over time Kruk became very skilled with a longbow and memorized the terrain of the large forest surrounding their home. He enjoyed solitude in the forest and liked to sit and watch the passing wildlife for hours. He taught himself to fly and became an expert at weaving around trees and navigating the dense forest. He also taught himself to draw and spent a lot of his time sketching the scenery.
Four years after his rescue, Kruk was fully grown and settled in the forest when a group of attackers invaded his camp. Burton had been there alone and attained serious injuries, though he managed to fight away the attackers. When Kruk returned to camp, he was shocked to see his mentor on his last legs and losing a lot of blood, with the ones to blame nowhere in sight. He stayed with Burton until he passed and vowed to avenge him. The only clue left at the site about the attackers was a worn piece of parchment with an unknown language written on it. After that Kruk left the forest, unable to stay there after the prior events that tainted it. He explored alone for a while, visiting villages and meeting new people while looking for information about who was responsible for his mentor’s death. He eventually came across a group of friendly fellow Aarakocra, who took him in for a few months and taught him about their language and culture, which he previously had little recollection of.
Now, Kruk travels around the world looking for clues, while stopping every so often in new places along the way. He also tries to track down any surviving members of his tribe, which he is curious about after he met the other Aarakocra on his travels. Kruk has an irrational fear of fire and dragons thanks to knowing how his tribe was scattered. He also fears losing those he cares about, which is why he is reluctant to make any close friendships or relationships. He is very quiet and appears uncaring and cold to strangers, but he actually has a big heart and kind nature.
