Ren

Full Name: Kyuuren Hisakawa
Other Names: Ren, Sovereign of the Twin Seas, Lord of the Deep, The Vermillion Dragon, The Midnight Sun, Kyuucumber (by Onarumi), Princess (by Nyra), Prince Kyuuren (formerly)
Birthday: July 11
Occupation: Emperor, Dragon of the Moon Raider
Domain: Oceanic Empire (The Twin Seas)
Family: Ryouga Hisakawa (father, deceased), Onarumi Hisakawa (mother, deceased), Moroyama Hisakawa (grandfather, deceased)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
MBTI: ESTP
Theme: Dance of the Sun by Peter Crowley

Species: Greater Krocean (Nephroceadon)
Ethnicity: Mainland Oceanic Krocean
Gender: Male
Age: 24 years
Height: 7'3"+ / 221cm+ (never stops growing)
Weight: 310lbs+ / 140kg+
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Orange ombre
Voice: This is very close (Voice 8, Monster Hunter Language)
...maybe Channing Tatum lmao
Face: Miyavi

• Has a diamond face shape (example), meaning the face is widest at the cheekbones and narrower at the chin and forehead. Eyebrows are triangular (example). Large heart-shaped lips. Straight nose. Slightly pointy ears (within human range! They aren't elf ears). He has some kind of Southeast/East Asian ethnic range, but he is a fantasy ethnicity so take that with a grain of salt. When he smiles (or grimaces) you can see his dimples (you will probably forget them like I do 99% of the time).
• He is a giant! His proportions are gonna be on the longer side (somewhere around 8.5-9 heads tall is fine). Toned, mesomorphic, swimmer's physique, rhomboid shape. Muscular, but not burly. Delicate hands for a man.
• Setting is very similar to what you typically find in medieval fantasy. Don't draw him in any modern settings with modern props unless you are intentionally pulling him out of his world as an AU.
• He has so many outfits for so many different points in the story that I haven't even settled on a final design for. Don't feel like you need to draw him in his main palace robes I know they're complicated lol.

(HIS WHOLE PAGE CONTAINS OUTDATED INFORMATION AND BAD WRITING SORRY 🤡 highlighted in red so I remember what to fix)

Being born and raised in the luxurious Emperor's palace on the rich mainland of the Oceanic Empire would not set you up to be a very empathetic or open-minded person, as it did not do so for Ren. Raised with a golden spoon in his mouth, Ren developed quite the carefree attitude about life and people. When his father was still alive, Ren had not a single responsible bone in his body and it showed. He built up the habit of throwing lavish parties, fooling around, and neglecting his duties, and he was woefully unprepared for taking on the role of Emperor, despite his father's best efforts. Ren's pigheadedness made it nigh impossible to discipline him, and thus these bad habits of his stuck.

To say Ren is full of himself and an unapologetic egomaniac would be putting it generously lightly. He is the center of the world in his eyes, and he makes it known. He is horribly vain, and will do just about anything for the sake of his pride. This can often lead him to make poor decisions if he ever felt his ego was being threatened. He has an obsession with showing off, and always feels the need to prove himself and impress every living person that is lucky enough to be graced with his glorious presence. This reflects in his flirtatious nature, as he has the unrealistic expectation that every woman should be throwing themselves at his feet with the utterance of a few sweet words. He is quite successful with the ladies because of his clever words, good looks, and status, however any semblance of a romantic relationship he's had has been about as deep as a puddle. After all, they're simply a means to an end. As far as he's concerned, there's no value in marriage or vulnerability.

Despite his loud and abrasive personality making him not your first pick for a leader, Ren is by no means a bad Emperor. On the social aspect he has more than a lot to learn about compassion and humility, but in terms of military prowess and resourcefulness, he is unrivaled. He is a favorite among the citizens who support or participate in the war, as his power and ability are undeniable. People like to win wars, and that's what Ren does best. He is extremely clever in the right circumstances, and his quick wit has always been a prime component of their military success. It's simply a shame that he seems to only extend his gift of sharp intellect towards warfare.

However, if you can manage to look past his problematic temperament and dig deeper, you would simply find a broken kid not ready to replace his father and assume the crushing weight of expectations and responsibility. He truly does care about his people and wants them to prosper, but he hides it under layers and layers of pride because he doesn't want anyone to know how lost he feels or how stressed and scared that makes him. How could anyone get behind a fearful leader? Keeping people at arms length has always seemed to work just fine for him and he's done an excellent job convincing himself that he doesn't need meaningful and fulfilling relationships. Yet for some odd reason, he can never find that satisfaction he craves. The Emperor supposedly has it all, yet he is perhaps the loneliest soul.

Ren is the only child and heir of Emperor Ryouga and Empress Onarumi Hisakawa. Ruling together, Ren's parents were beloved by the entire Empire for their benevolent nature and peaceful disposition, which had been yearned for after centuries of the traditional militaristic and war-obsessed Emperors. In the reign of Ryouga and Onarumi, the people of the Twin Seas knew prosperity, and had even begun healing their tense relationships with the other nations through trading and open borders. Unfortunately, this did not last long. The tribes of Tellar had been struggling with severe illness and disease for ages, and it made their numbers dwindle and their people weak. With their technology being quite lackluster in comparison to the grandiose Oceanic Empire, they didn't have the medical advancements to take care of their people, and many afflicted with illness would die of a simple infection. This changed when a discovery was made that Krocean blood had invaluable medicinal properties, the kind of antibacterial properties that could prevent infections. Though the Oceanic Empire had been making small efforts to help the Tellarians with their blights, it wasn't enough. Through an act of sheer desperation, a historic genocide of Krocean people took place. Countless innocents lost their lives to the blood harvest, including the Empress Onarumi. It was a declaration of war.

Though the task was not easy, Lord Ryouga was able to cease the genocide through force, and the people of Tellar were taught the consequences of messing with the warlords of the Twin Seas. Having given the Tellarians violent justice for their atrocities, the two nations entered an era of mutual bitterness and animosity. The Oceanic Empire closed all doors to other nations and retreated inward, many citizens who were directly affected grew to hate outsiders, and passed it along to their offspring. Focus was put into enhancing militaristic offense and defense, and the Twin Seas once again entered into another era of war, tension and strife.

This was the world Ren grew up in, and he too learned to hate foreigners and distrust outsiders. Having been directly affected by the genocide at a young age when his mother was taken (and nearly having been taken himself), he festered contempt for the beast people of the Earth and carried on his father's war with them when he took over as Emperor. Though many citizens share Ren's experience and feelings, there are also many who yearn to go back to the days of peace and want the endless fighting to stop.

Ryouga (Father, deceased) Ren had a tense and complicated relationship with his father. Ryouga was the beloved Emperor known for his endless kindness and compassion, but seemingly this kindness extended to every single person, except Ren. Ryouga was incredibly strict with his son, and would explain that it was for the sake of preparing him to be the next Emperor, which Ren didn't really understand. No matter how much Ren longed for a tender word or warm embrace from his father, it never came. Ren would burn with jealousy whenever he saw his father show concern or affection towards strangers, yet all he ever knew was Ryouga's steely gaze. When his mother died, things only seemed to get worse. Ren convinced himself that he hated his father, and would always remind Ryouga how much he despised him whenever he got the chance, but Ren knew it wasn't true. He loved his father dearly. He didn't quite understand fully until after his father's death all the things that Ryouga actually did for him. Through retrospect, Ren is beginning to see the ways his father expressed his love, as tough as they might have been. The idea that his father really did love him often fills Ren with intense regret and confusion, so he tries his best to bury those thoughts down.

Onarumi (Mother, deceased) Ren's mother was taken from him at a very young age, so there aren't many things Ren can recall about his mother. But the few memories he has, he clings to. His mother is the picture of tenderness and warmth in his mind, and he so vividly remembers all the times she would hold him and kiss him and tell him how much she loved him, and he can distinctly recall her beautiful golden hair, but for some reason he can remember little else. A sense of guilt comes over him whenever others talk about the great Empress Onarumi and what they talk about sounds foreign to him. He feels so bitter when others have more stories to share about his mother than he does. Her death left a void in him that he has been desperately trying to fill for so long, yet nothing has been sufficient. He misses her so much.

Nyra (Captain, frienemy) In the first few seconds of meeting Nyra, Ren was enchanted. She was unbelievably beautiful, and quite intriguing considering she had successfully infiltrated his birthday party whilst being wanted renegade scum. All just to request an urgent audience with him. Rewarding her effort (though mostly because he was smitten) he waived her arrest and agreed to entertain her bold request. However this infatuation lasted all until they officially spoke. As it turned out, she might as well have been the most foul, disrespectful, and unbearable woman he had ever met. She managed to beat him at his own game of words, and Ren hated that. She had come with an odd request, going on about needing someone with a Dragon's Blessing to accompany her on a journey for whatever reason, and considering Ren is the last one alive, it needed to be him. However, it was a preposterous request coming from a ridiculously annoying woman, so he denied her swiftly and brutally. He allowed her to return to her ship so long as it was never seen in empire waters again. Little did Ren know that in his greatest time of need he would find himself washed up on that very pirate ship, being nursed back to health by the same woman he had denied and ridiculed just a few months prior. Funny how life works. Begrudgingly agreeing to accompany her journey for a time, Ren began to discover all the unique ways this so-called Captain Nyra could get under his skin. However, there was still something about her that intrigued him and puzzled him, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It made it quite easy for him to speak his mind and be himself. Maybe this is what real friendship is like?

Mundakoda (Mentor) WIP

Qaziem (Crewmate, frienemy) WIP

Junichi (Royal advisor) Junichi has been the royal advisor to the Emperor for quite some time, so he's more than familiar with the antics of the Hisakawa family. He was also a close friend to Ren's father and got to know Ryouga very well. When Ren's father passed, it hurt Junichi too, but as advisor to the Emperor he knew it was his duty to serve Ren just as he did Ryouga. Junichi was not, however, prepared for how much Emperor Ren was going to be a pain in the neck. Junichi does his best to do his duties, but he acts more like Ren's caretaker than his advisor. He often feels like he's raising an adult child with how stubborn and ridiculous Ren's behavior can be. It doesn't help that Ren knows exactly how to push Junichi's buttons and make his life miserable. But Junichi understands it's out of a place of love, so he really doesn't mind much. He can see how much Ren needs him and cares about him, despite the fact that Ren would rather die than admit that. Junichi has even found himself seeing Ren as a sort of grandson figure, so despite all the crap that he puts him through, it's worth it.

Daigo (Teacher & Councilman) One of the highest ranking officers of the emperor's army. He was like a brother to Ryouga, as they fought side-by-side in many battles. Hardened by his experience, he's been fighting in wars before Ren could even hold a sword. Because of this, he trains Ren directly in his private training facility, teaching him battle tactics, martial arts and helping train his body. Although despite being his teacher, he has a strong distaste for Ren. He can only see him as a pathetic irresponsible brat that doesn't deserve how good he's got it. The worthless son of the real emperor. But because of his teacher's naturally stoic demeaner, Ren has no clue he feels that way about him.

• His mother always made puns, and she gave Ren the endearing nickname "Kyuucumber" when he was young. He's embarrassed of the nickname now.
• Ren adores spicy food. The hotter, the better. His favorite dish in particular is a massive legendary fish called the Qillagon (otherwise known as Oni Fish) seasoned with the regions hottest spices.
• Ren hates shoes and prefers not to wear any if given the choice. It's a bother to have to constantly get bigger shoes, anyway.
• The color red often symbolizes victory in the Oceanic culture. Kroceans historically have a natural tendency for war and comprised a large amount of the oceanic military, so it was sensible that if you see more red blood on the battlefield than blue, it means you're winning.
• "Swallow the pearl" is a common expression used in the Oceanic region to refer to the act of getting married, and most often used when urging someone to hurry up and get married already. It originates from an old Krocean marriage tradition where the male would search the ocean for the largest most beautiful pearl he could find, and offer it to his desired bride as a token of his love and dedication. If she accepted his marriage offer, she would swallow the pearl to show her approval. Other Oceanic species adopted this now common marriage tradition, although nobody actually swallows the pearl anymore. Rather, it is often put on a piece of jewelry or displayed in the household.
• The ocean is an incredibly holy and precious symbol to the Oceanic people, and contains many meanings. It is powerful, life-giving, ancient, beautiful, a guardian protector, and pure. Being compared to the ocean is the highest compliment you can give to an Oceanic.
• The heart and your blood is a sacred concept to Oceanic people, though more prevalent among Kroceans. Your blood flow is often associated with your health and energy, and blood is seen as your natural connection to the ocean. This idea is felt stronger among Kroceans because their blood is actually the same color as water. A brave person might be referred to as having "veins like a rushing river" or "a powerful heartbeat," while a cowardly person might be referred to as having "hollow veins," or "a weak heartbeat." Some might also refer to themselves as "feeling dried up" if they are feeling exhausted or weak.
  • Unfortunately this causes there to be some stigma against heart disease. Heart diseases are referred to as "coward's sickness," as it is believed that you must have had a cowardly heart to have it get so frail and sick.
• Greater Kroceans and Lesser Kroceans can reproduce with each other, since the only real divide between them is a genome that causes continual growth. Although that growth genome is recessive, so they would likely produce more Lesser Kroceans. However, tainting a Greater Krocean bloodline is seen as highly taboo and sacrilegious, so this does not happen often. The Greater would be shunned for having soiled his/her blood.
• All Kroceans experience molting, which can be seen through the peeling of the horns and armorskin. This process only happens once a year for Kroceans.
• The majority of the Oceanic population is Piscan, which are fish-like people. Unlike Kroceans who see eating lobster and crabs who they view as their kin as highly offensive and repulsive, Piscans do not mimic this sentiment towards fish. It is simply seen as the circle of life, and a necessary food source (like how fish eat smaller fish in the real world).
• Greater Kroceans have always been a revered and respected species. Because they are seen as favored by the ancestor dragons, as well having natural advantage over others through their general size and power, they have remained the de facto upper class for generations.
• Kroceans are known for their famously extravagant beards. The extra hair they grow on their cheeks aids in that fact.
• Kroceans live 50% longer than humans. However, since Krocean women are not very fertile, their population remains quite small.