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Jorasos of the Ironmane
Leonin
22 years of age

Appearance

Jorasos is an imposing 7' 2" tall, weighing in at 280 lbs. As a Leonin, he appears to others as a humanoid lion with red-brown fur, a charcoal mane and honey-gold eyes, over the left of which is a deep scar that trails down the entire left side of his face. In terms of build, he is largely muscular but also lean and chiseled, not unlike a professional athlete.

He carries with him a large bronze shield emblazoned with the image of a feral lion sat upon a great anvil at the center of a savannah, the symbol of The Gavel of the Ironmane. From The Gavel he also inherited his blade, a hoplite xiphos. The handle carved from white marbled stone, the pommel in the shape of a lion's head and plated with gold. The crossguard fashioned like two feline claws, the blade solid steel and plated with pure silver.

He is clad in an iron breastplate fashioned to look like the torso musculature of a man, beneath which is a bruised-plum purple 'skirt' with gladius-shaped leather tassels embroidered with silver and gold.

Backstory

The Leonin are a simple-yet-diverse people, the golden savannahs of Oreskos divided amongst various groups of tribal nations known as Prides. There were six of these Prides; Embereye, Flintclaw, Goldenfield, Ironmane, Starfeller, and Sunguides. Of these, the Ironmane served as the strongest and fiercest warriors, as well as the finest smiths.

Among the Ironmane was a champion who knew no equal, referred to as 'The Gavel,' for it was his sacred duty to uphold the law and dispense justice amongst the other tribes. Jorasos, as a cub, looked up to The Gavel as a hero, and an example to follow. His eyes wide and starry whenever he would be regaled with tales of The Gavel slaying a great beast, or single-handedly wiping out a large company of mercenary bandits.

Naturally, when he came of age, Jorasos sought out The Gavel and asked to train under him. Impressed by Jorasos' bravery in approaching him and iron will of determination, The Gavel agreed. Those few years of training were the best of his life, and The Gavel had even begun to consider him a successor.

But a fleet of ships landed in Oreskos, within Ironmane territory. The introverted and untrusting Leonin viewed the 'travelers' as invaders, and they were conversely seen as savages and brutes. Conflict came quickly, with the overwhelming forces of the fleet of travelers the Ironmane Pride was wiped off the face of Oreskos.

The last surviving Pride member, Jorasos was taken prisoner as an oddity to be sold. Devastated and enraged, he broke free of his shackles and through sheer strength alone killed the entire crew of the brigandine he was on before taking the helm. Breaking away from the fleet, Jorasos was no sailor, and the brig inevitably beached on a shore far from his home.

Scavenging the wreckage, he made his way inland on a quest to learn who these invaders were, carrying with him their sigil: A cloaked skeleton atop a black steed, under a palm tree with one leaf shaped like a scythe.

Personality

Jorasos is reserved, usually only saying what he needs to when he needs to. It isn't easy for him to trust strangers, and he's a fish out of water in a land of strangers. But, share a flagon of mead with him and he'll likely start to open up, though memories of home still likely hurt too much.

He'll help anyone in dire need without hesitation, even if he knows he's no match for the threat before him. Those who do right by him will find a loyal protector and fast friend, those who do wrong will know a wrath greater than any Hell in any plane of existence.

Favorite food: Ham.
Favorite musical instrument: Steel Drum
Favorite drink: Mead or Wine in terms of alcohol, tea otherwise
Loves: Action, honorable duels, board/card games, traveling, training, arenas, fist fights/wrestling, tests of strength, carnivals/carnival games, Autumn
Hates: Dishonor, dirty fighting, backstabbing, mercenaries, thieves, assassins, enemy spellcasters/archers, the invaders who wiped out his clan

Main character theme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UND5wgnIino

Jorasos' battle theme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miwmCI7VS58

Eulogy (death) theme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVY4_lqLe3c

Oreskos and Ironmane Culture

Oreskos is a moderate-sized volcanic island continent, roughly the same size as Texas in terms of square miles. At its center is a huge stratovolcano known to the Leonin as Ancestors' Fury, that remains dormant for centuries at a time. Around the Fury are rich, dusty savannahs and amber waves of grain, broken up by the occasional river or lush idyllic grove at the Fury's base.

The various Leonin Prides occupy a portion of these savannahs, with the Ironmane controlling the largest. With their land accessing the richest deposits of iron, and being the best and most talented smiths as a result, The Gavel was chosen from the Ironmane Pride as agreed upon by the council of Pride alphas known as Kings.

While in theory the Ironmane King held the most power on the Council of Kings in terms of territory and military strength, the needs of the Leonin people as a whole were catered to by each Pride and their entire economy was based entirely on trade goods, and thusly they remained balanced for centuries. For example, the Goldenfield Pride controlled the richest farmland, and thus the food, but without the Ironmane smiths to forge them their tools, farms could not function.

Being creatures of the land, the Leonin made poor sailors whether on the sea or in the sky, and as a result became an introverted people of honor and tradition. They came to view gold as a worthless metal as it was far too soft to be used in weapons or tools. As a result, Oreskos has remained largely undiscovered and uncharted, even the gods themselves rarely venture there, and thus the Leonin are beholden to no gods.

Leonin religion instead reveres their bravest and most honorable ancestors, the most influential and change-inducing of which came to be known as Paragons. As a title, The Gavel was often seen as the most consistent, reoccurring Paragon since their deeds often carried such weight.