Rosso

Physical Appearance

Basic design and color scheme based on the Pokémon, Gyarados, specifically a shiny one.

• Red and white "hair" that is more fin-like in texture
• Red eyes
• Skin primarily a cream/light yellow-ish color with various markings of red and orange across body, notably on face and around eyes
• Pointed ears with a slight red to cream gradient and slightly finned tips
• Rigid red head crest on forehead
• Various white rigid scale ridges along spine and tail
• Has numerous scars from fights and harpoon injuries

(sea monster form design TBA)

Clothing Style

The sea monsters of Aaquanixie have no need for clothing, so Rosso doesn't wear any. His body is primarily covered with scales in his humanoid form.

Personality

Rosso is the mysterious and aloof red-scale of Aaquanixie, sought out by hunters due to his rarity. Like other sea monsters, he is aggressive toward strangers and can be very territorial. However, he is also very introverted and is rather socially awkward since he intentionally avoids interaction with others and is basically a recluse. He doesn't speak to others often and is slow to trust, but when he does speak he is always blunt and to the point. He doesn't enjoy talking too extensively and tries to end conversations as quickly as possible in most cases. Rosso can be a little naive about how most societies work, especially for the world outside of the ocean. He enjoys exploring new areas, but he gets anxious about encountering other people. Very few know him on a deeply personal level since he is always wary and skittish around strangers, but no one should make him out to be timid due to his shyness. He is a fierce fighter and can be very competitive, and he will not hesitate to tear any foe to shreds should they threaten him, although he is smart enough to know his limits and will cut his losses when his odds are stacked poorly. He has no social anxieties about encountering dangerous people or things he may have to fight, but he does get rather nervous about anyone he has no qualms with and would have to interact with peacefully.

Rosso has a mild fear of the world above water and a severe hatred of hunters seeking him out for his rarity. He dislikes swimming near the surface and prefers the safety of the ocean floor and the various underwater caverns. After a few rather traumatic encounters with hunters, he has quite a strong prejudice against surface dwellers and doesn't care to interact with any of them. For this reason he finds his mate's decision to live on land rather perplexing, although he didn't question her. He's a bit tired of being seen as either some mythological creature, a marvelous scientific anamoly, or just a terrifying monster in general. He tends to be rather mellow when people don't approach him aggressively though (unless conversation is initiated), and he usually acts a little tired when others react in fear to him. He also gets a little gloomy when left to his own thoughts for long periods of time, since he's sick of being alone all the time despite disliking other people. He deeply desires close relationships with people he can bond with enough to feel trusting toward, which is why he tends to treat Regina with such adoration since she's one of the only people he's made a deep personal connection to.

When interacting with Regina, Rosso tends to be a bit more subdued, and although he can be aggressive with her, it's only because she's even more aggressive with him. He's not a submissive person, but he doesn't mind when his mate is dominant over him, since she is the more dangerous and fearsome monster. He doesn't want to come off as too soft to her, but he appreciates when Regina treats him affectionately first so he can freely reciprocate.

Abilities

• Watyr rifting - rank 2/5
• Fire and ice breathing
• Shapeshifting - sea monster
• Giant in size and skilled in hand to hand combat
• Capable of catching harpoons in motion, both in and out of the water (taught by Regina)

Strengths

• Imposing size and strength along with his demeanor
• Fierce, works best with competition, but also knows when to cut his losses
• Well coordinated and precise even when it seems like he's violently thrashing around while fighting
• Observant, quick witted, and surprisingly quick and elusive for his size

Weaknesses

• Rather socially awkward and extremely slow to trust
• Naive about the world apart from the deep sea and has a fear of the surface world
• Very mistrustful of surface dwellers and refuses to have anything to do with them/will promptly eat them on sight if they don't leave immediately
• Gets down on himself when left to his own thoughts for too long and seeks company/companionship despite his mistrustful nature

Backstory

Rosso grew up the lone red scaled sea monster of his clan, and he later realized that red scales were comparable to a mythical trait throughout the history of Aaquanixie. He stood out among his peers, once leading to being bullied, but he became such a fierce creature as he grew up that no one dared to cross his path. He lived a somewhat reclusive life, avoiding hunters seeking him for his legendary red scales, and he only seldom interacted with a small handful of his childhood friends when roaming the deep oceans.

One day though he encountered Regina Maelstrom, the most notorious and feared monster on Aaquanixie. Despite knowing that no one fought her and lived to tell the tale, he fought with her for nearly a week before just barely being defeated. However, to his surprise she opted not to kill him and remarked on the good fight before leaving. None of his peers believed him when he returned to tend to his wounds that he survived a fight with Maelstrom. A few months later, Rosso encountered Maelstrom again, and they fought again, although both sensed they were holding back a bit and the conflict stopped quickly. They ended up talking for a short while, Maelstrom wondering about his unique scales and he wondering how she became Aaquanixie's most feared beast of the deep.

They encountered each other many other times afterwards until they eventually stopped greeting each other with battle. To Rosso's surprise, despite her roughness and aggression, Maelstrom began treating him with some affection which he found himself returning. At some point, Rosso encountered a group of skilled hunters that managed to incapacitate him with charged nets and a harpoon that left him gravely injured. To his surprise, Maelstrom came to his rescue and tended to his injuries. It was after this that the two became mates.

Currently Regina lives in Emdrica. Although somewhat confused by her motives, Rosso didn't question Maelstrom's decision to venture out to the land and the city. He is uncertain what she is up to now, but he hopes for her return one day. He is kept busy with an increase in hunters seeking him out, and he's noticed they've started closing in on him.

Trivia: