Just in time for FWA 2022 (rushed somewhat for it, actually) here’s a new ref sheet for my spooky boy. I’m going through a burnout it seems, so I haven’t posted much of him lately, but there are doodles here and there, but nothing even remotely presentable quality-wise.

Basic info
Pronouns: Any are fine, folks typically use masculine/neutral, but so long as he knows you’re talking to him, it doesn’t matter either way.
Orientation: Asexual
Age: 20,000+ (it seems like I add at least one or two digits every ref sheet, but it’s canonically the same fuzzball)
Species: Spirit Demon (Ascended Boggart, Conditionally Benevolent)

Design notes: His clothing is technically part of his body and can phase in/out of existence at will. Pants are poofy at the top but become hose-like just below his knees. Ends of his sleeves/pant legs are tattered partially because he thinks it looks cool and adds to his spooky motif. His eyes glow in the dark, generally dimly, but if he’s excited, they (as well as his teeth) glow brightly. He carries himself seriously, but not overly so. Has a tendency to stick his tongue out (blep) when he’s happy or thinking of something pleasant. Mood can turn incredibly violent on a dime if something threatens his forest or the lycanthropes peacefully living there.

Overly specific lore info (for those who care)
Raegal always knows more than he lets on and is far more intelligent than his silly way of speaking can lead you to believe. He is over 20,000 years old and has knowledge far older than that. He vastly prefers diplomacy to violence, but he will not tolerate anything that threatens the incredibly rare flora and fauna that make up his home of Wicked Forest and will typically respond with lethal force using absurdly potent void magic to skewer, crush, or mentally destroy would-be hostile invaders.

The forest itself is covered in a complex spiderweb tapestry of enchantments designed first to deter outsiders harboring intent to deface the forest or it’s inhabitants, typically by making them first feel discouraged or regretful towards their intents, followed by a creeping sense of intense dread should they continue. If they ignore the dread and press further on, Raegal will get involved personally, invisible, but accompanied by a chill wind and foreboding atmosphere as a final warning. Pressing on at this point will result in him appearing before the intruder, his form amorphous and terrifying, like a living curtain of void with razor sharp teeth and spike-riddled tendrils. If the intruder does not flee immediately, they are never seen again.

By sheer contrast, if one enters the forest with no ill intent whatsoever, and Raegal happens to be nearby, he may appear as himself (depicted above) and amuse himself and/or the visitor with conversation. The only deterrent Raegal and the forest presents to non-hostile visitors is a subtle feeling of “I’m going the wrong way, I should turn this direction” if they get too close to either Raegal’s lair or lycanthrope tribal grounds, as while the lycanthropes will not attack intruders, knowing it would mean more trouble than letting Raegal handle it, it would be just as problematic if a visitor stumbled upon a village or the typical play areas of lycanthrope cubs whom aren’t old enough to recognize the danger of unfamiliar scents.

Raegal’s typical mannerisms are friendly, but with an flair of spookiness, and if you’re not prepared for the latter, or aware that it’s all an act for his own amusement, he can come across as mentally unstable or dangerous. An example of this being him very animatedly discussing his plans to chase down a random creature he saw earlier and give it a belly rub, but with a very maliciously excited tone of voice.

Raegal (jokingly) believes his power is directly derived from a combination of how cute/scary he is, and thus he takes great pride in both aspects of his physical appearance, thus for now, he has hyena ears because he thinks hyenas are dangerous when angry, but also relentlessly adorable. He openly admires these traits in others as well and will try to prank individuals he finds cute by stealthily petting them when they least expect it, or indulging the individual if they happen to love being pet. Raegal himself may not seem so, but he absolutely loves being pet and told he’s cute.

Raegal values those peacefully seeking knowledge and has been known to very rarely tutor individuals in basic void magic, assuming they have a good sense of humor and appreciate the finer points of both cuteness and spookiness. They must also organically play along with Raegal’s antics, as his favorite type of person is one who is strong (or wishes to be), but doesn’t take themself too seriously and is open to spontaneous creativity and fun. Unbeknownst to the individual, Raegal specifically cares about how seriously you take yourself, as void magic is very psychological by nature, and a swollen ego is a void mage’s worst enemy, since it can cause spells to rebound and corrupt the caster, amplifying the negative aspects of themselves.

Raegal dislikes genuinely rude behavior, bullying, and people who would rather drown their sorrows in substance abuse than exercise their own power to better themselves. Spooky and silly though he may be, he is a staunch ally of individual mental growth. Raegal also despises having his demonic heritage thought of as a sure sign he means harm. Him being a demon simply means he is a magical being born of the void who has the capacity to be far more powerful and live far longer than other species. It has zero bearing on his morality. Same goes for void magic in general. Some call it “dark magic”, which is accurate; however “darkness” is often mistaken for “evil”, which is Raegal’s biggest pet peeve. Darkness is merely an absence of light, whereas evil is an absence of compassion and morality. An evil mind is very poorly equipped to properly handle the mental strain of void magic. This doesn’t mean there are no evil void mages, just that their magic is necessarily pathetic in comparison to others, as the greater the potency, the greater the risk of self-destruction, the defense against which is undermined and sabotaged by ego. Void magic requires basic mental tranquility at low potencies, and an absolute unwavering understanding and acceptance of oneself and the reality one is a part of for high potencies. It is a poor tool for a despot.

Despite what some communities near Wicked Forest may believe, Raegal is not at all bound to the forest and may come and go as he pleases, but it’s to his benefit that others think he’s always there, as it creates a scarecrow effect that keeps both residents and non-residents safe and honest. That said, Raegal intends to stick around (generally) until the lycanthrope tribes feel ready to integrate with the other communities on the planet and have managed to do so successfully. After that, the role of guardian will be passed onto the tribes and Raegal will eventually wander off-world, likely with a certain Protogen friend of his, but there’s no telling how long it will be until then.