Dray is emotional but charming, often gullible and demanding. Very, very curious, too, like all cats tend to be and because being locked away for ten years makes you highly interested in the outside world. This, of course, leads him to be drawn to anything that’s aesthetically pleasing or noteworthy and often also gets him in trouble. Any activity that helps him pass the time is of great interest to him and he’s very excited about learning new things.
Just because he’s been locked away most of his life doesn’t mean he’s stupid. Knowledge and intelligence are two different things. Given his confinement and interrupted education, Dray doesn't know about many things that might be common knowledge, but he is highly intelligent and uses his instincts to make decisions. One of the reasons why the Guardian's plans to keep him locked up backfired on them so spectacularly was because no one expected Dray's memory to be so dependable or for him to be so skilled with the few things he had available. He’s a fast learner, usually a good judge of character, and capable of recognizing danger when he sees it.
He’s concerned about his appearance and might come out looking more shallow that he actually is. The only times Dray bothers to get dressed is at the request of others and because he’s excessively sensitive to criticism or disapproval. When he lived in the Red Bastion, disapproval meant he got beaten up for going against his captor's wishes and, while Dray still fought with them, he had learned to play along when it looked like it wasn’t worth the trouble.
He has a deep need to feel close to people and a strong sex drive. For the last ten years most of his experiences interacting with others had involved sexual contact, unrequired or not, and normal interactions were scarce, ignored or trampled upon. That led to Dray coping with a dysfunctional system in a dysfunctional way. He thinks that if he's not getting attention, there must be something wrong with him.
He shows sign of histrionic personality disorder, but focused mostly on his partner rather than a larger group. He doesn’t want everyone’s attention, but he wants his current partner to be focused on him and his needs. The idea that the only way to get attention is by exploiting himself is ingrained in his mind. Dray becomes depressed and upset if he feels like he’s losing the interest of the person he’s bonding with, or if he’s feeling unworthy. Dray controls his partners through emotional manipulation or provocative behaviour while at the same time being dependent on them on another level. He’s not always consciously aware that he’s behaving that way, he’s just trying to survive using what had worked for him so far.
Dray doesn’t regret using sexual manipulation because when he was trapped in the Red Bastion it was the only leverage he had, the only way to ensure his life wouldn't get any worse.
Mostly, Dray needs reassurance. He's so consumed by the idea that he's worth nothing that sometimes he gets grouchy, needy and highly anxious. Because of his time in captivity, sex is the first thing on his mind when it comes to being useful. His assortment of issues and PTSD mixed with his low self-esteem blend together to create a constant need for attention. Sex gives him the illusion of emotional closeness and boosts his self-esteem.
Avin is aware of Dray’s manipulative ways and tries to help Dray to see himself as a person rather than something to be used. That said, it's not like Dray wants to have sex all the time. In the Red Bastion he rarely had visits that didn't end that way; now that he's free it's taking him a while to adjust to the idea that some people might want his company because they like to spend time with him. Avin wasn’t used to having a partner like Dray, but as their relationship progressed the Tryad started to become aware his moods and reacted accordingly. That helped Dray understand that it's okay to say no, that he's more than just a body, and that sharing a bed with someone can happen just for the sake of sleeping near your loved ones. In essence, his relationship works because Avin learned how to stop being a solitary grouch and Dray was able to grow into his own person.
Dray, who reacts badly when someone gets between his child and him (that being his berserk button), surprisingly warmed up almost immediately to Cara Ree. They both had their offspring taken away from them, they had been shaped beyond repair by the experiences and they are very protective of the youngsters. From one mother to another, they get each other.
It’s worth noting that while Avin, as well as meeting Cara Ree, helps Dray’s emotional growth and maturity, it doesn’t miraculously make his issues go away. Dray’s a very emotionally compromised person with long-lasting trauma and will never truly be able to get over the years of imprisonment and abuse. He understands desperation and the need for survival but he won't forgive what the Guardians did to him and his children. However, Dray understands why the war started and how both sides were wronged. That's also why he mostly avoids other members of his own species, even regular Eidions.
Issues aside, he’s generally kind, easy to get along with and very protective of those he cares about, especially children. He might be wary and shy around strangers and new environments, but he grows out of it pretty quickly if he feels he’s safe and that people aren’t going to try to trick him. Because he owned nothing when he lived in the Colony, not even his own life, he's defensive of the little possessions he has and overprotective when it comes to people.
He wants to see the world, experience new things and grow as a person but at the same time he’s afraid of it. Living in The Red Bastion was an occasional nightmare but it also meant that he had shelter, regular food and was relatively safe from threats. The world outside meant freedom but it was also really big and scary. Sometimes Dray gets tired of being social, being outdoors, and likes to hide in a place he considers safe and save up his energy.
Dray rarely loses his temper, when he does the most primal parts of his personality take over. Eidions are, after all, more animal than anything else. He will claw, bite and aim to maim his enemy in the worse possible way. He dislikes killing and will show mercy, unless his foe is trying to hurt his offspring or any other young creature. When that happens, his need to protect overcome his insecurities. As an example: Vaaros Barh came to Avin’s house asking for help when he discovered that an Eidion was in his house. He didn’t know how to take care of his newborn children after their mother had died during childbirth. Upon seeing the babies, Dray growled at Vaaros, who was known for being one of the strongest and biggest fighters in the Tryad’s clan, and took the children from his hands to take care of them. Needless to say, that didn’t sit well with Vaaros. But Dray put his foot down and the Tryads were impressed at how someone who was half their size could adamantly protect their babies. The misunderstanding was cleared up soon enough and Dray helped to keep the babies alive and nursed them back to health. Thanks to that, the rest of the Tryads started accepting him as part of their tribe.
He has many fears, too. First and foremost is the fear that his children will be lost forever or hurt, suffering the same fate he did or worse. The fear that he will be caught and locked away again is deeply rooted in him. He’s terrified of fire because his village was burned down during the Guardian’s attack. Just seeing smoke makes him uneasy. Most of all, he’s scared of being deemed useless and being alone. Deep in his soul, he longs to form stronger bonds with people and a peaceful existence.
Abilities:
He has the regular Eidion abilities:
- Accelerated healing, perfect night-vision and keen hearing. Regular Eidions and Queens are also extremely fast because their survival depends on it.
- Eidions are builders and highly imaginative. They can climb anything and build nests everywhere if they have the time and raw materials. Dray also has a very good memory, and an incredible eye for detail.
Abilities specific to Queen Eidions:
- Hive mind / bond telepathy [Only works with members of his species]: His most special ability without a doubt. They can create mental links with Guardians they have shared fluids with (blood, semen, vaginal fluids and breast milk, but not saliva), or who are their direct relatives. The ability allows Queens to influence other individuals, calm them or inspire them, as well as demoralize them or enrage them.
If their bond is strong enough, they can control the individual’s actions. The hivemind makes them natural leaders but can cause mistrust and resentment. The resentment is totally justified, some corrupted Queen Eidions used it for their own benefit instead of for their community.
III
Dray is emotional but charming, often gullible and demanding. Very, very curious, too, like all cats tend to be and because being locked away for ten years makes you highly interested in the outside world. This, of course, leads him to be drawn to anything that’s aesthetically pleasing or noteworthy and often also gets him in trouble. Any activity that helps him pass the time is of great interest to him and he’s very excited about learning new things.
Just because he’s been locked away most of his life doesn’t mean he’s stupid. Knowledge and intelligence are two different things. Given his confinement and interrupted education, Dray doesn't know about many things that might be common knowledge, but he is highly intelligent and uses his instincts to make decisions. One of the reasons why the Guardian's plans to keep him locked up backfired on them so spectacularly was because no one expected Dray's memory to be so dependable or for him to be so skilled with the few things he had available. He’s a fast learner, usually a good judge of character, and capable of recognizing danger when he sees it.
He’s concerned about his appearance and might come out looking more shallow that he actually is. The only times Dray bothers to get dressed is at the request of others and because he’s excessively sensitive to criticism or disapproval. When he lived in the Red Bastion, disapproval meant he got beaten up for going against his captor's wishes and, while Dray still fought with them, he had learned to play along when it looked like it wasn’t worth the trouble.
He has a deep need to feel close to people and a strong sex drive. For the last ten years most of his experiences interacting with others had involved sexual contact, unrequired or not, and normal interactions were scarce, ignored or trampled upon. That led to Dray coping with a dysfunctional system in a dysfunctional way. He thinks that if he's not getting attention, there must be something wrong with him.
He shows sign of histrionic personality disorder, but focused mostly on his partner rather than a larger group. He doesn’t want everyone’s attention, but he wants his current partner to be focused on him and his needs. The idea that the only way to get attention is by exploiting himself is ingrained in his mind. Dray becomes depressed and upset if he feels like he’s losing the interest of the person he’s bonding with, or if he’s feeling unworthy. Dray controls his partners through emotional manipulation or provocative behaviour while at the same time being dependent on them on another level. He’s not always consciously aware that he’s behaving that way, he’s just trying to survive using what had worked for him so far.
Dray doesn’t regret using sexual manipulation because when he was trapped in the Red Bastion it was the only leverage he had, the only way to ensure his life wouldn't get any worse.
Mostly, Dray needs reassurance. He's so consumed by the idea that he's worth nothing that sometimes he gets grouchy, needy and highly anxious. Because of his time in captivity, sex is the first thing on his mind when it comes to being useful. His assortment of issues and PTSD mixed with his low self-esteem blend together to create a constant need for attention. Sex gives him the illusion of emotional closeness and boosts his self-esteem.
Avin is aware of Dray’s manipulative ways and tries to help Dray to see himself as a person rather than something to be used. That said, it's not like Dray wants to have sex all the time. In the Red Bastion he rarely had visits that didn't end that way; now that he's free it's taking him a while to adjust to the idea that some people might want his company because they like to spend time with him. Avin wasn’t used to having a partner like Dray, but as their relationship progressed the Tryad started to become aware his moods and reacted accordingly. That helped Dray understand that it's okay to say no, that he's more than just a body, and that sharing a bed with someone can happen just for the sake of sleeping near your loved ones. In essence, his relationship works because Avin learned how to stop being a solitary grouch and Dray was able to grow into his own person.
Dray, who reacts badly when someone gets between his child and him (that being his berserk button), surprisingly warmed up almost immediately to Cara Ree. They both had their offspring taken away from them, they had been shaped beyond repair by the experiences and they are very protective of the youngsters. From one mother to another, they get each other.
It’s worth noting that while Avin, as well as meeting Cara Ree, helps Dray’s emotional growth and maturity, it doesn’t miraculously make his issues go away. Dray’s a very emotionally compromised person with long-lasting trauma and will never truly be able to get over the years of imprisonment and abuse. He understands desperation and the need for survival but he won't forgive what the Guardians did to him and his children. However, Dray understands why the war started and how both sides were wronged. That's also why he mostly avoids other members of his own species, even regular Eidions.
Issues aside, he’s generally kind, easy to get along with and very protective of those he cares about, especially children. He might be wary and shy around strangers and new environments, but he grows out of it pretty quickly if he feels he’s safe and that people aren’t going to try to trick him. Because he owned nothing when he lived in the Colony, not even his own life, he's defensive of the little possessions he has and overprotective when it comes to people.
He wants to see the world, experience new things and grow as a person but at the same time he’s afraid of it. Living in The Red Bastion was an occasional nightmare but it also meant that he had shelter, regular food and was relatively safe from threats. The world outside meant freedom but it was also really big and scary. Sometimes Dray gets tired of being social, being outdoors, and likes to hide in a place he considers safe and save up his energy.
Dray rarely loses his temper, when he does the most primal parts of his personality take over. Eidions are, after all, more animal than anything else. He will claw, bite and aim to maim his enemy in the worse possible way. He dislikes killing and will show mercy, unless his foe is trying to hurt his offspring or any other young creature. When that happens, his need to protect overcome his insecurities. As an example: Vaaros Barh came to Avin’s house asking for help when he discovered that an Eidion was in his house. He didn’t know how to take care of his newborn children after their mother had died during childbirth. Upon seeing the babies, Dray growled at Vaaros, who was known for being one of the strongest and biggest fighters in the Tryad’s clan, and took the children from his hands to take care of them. Needless to say, that didn’t sit well with Vaaros. But Dray put his foot down and the Tryads were impressed at how someone who was half their size could adamantly protect their babies. The misunderstanding was cleared up soon enough and Dray helped to keep the babies alive and nursed them back to health. Thanks to that, the rest of the Tryads started accepting him as part of their tribe.
He has many fears, too. First and foremost is the fear that his children will be lost forever or hurt, suffering the same fate he did or worse. The fear that he will be caught and locked away again is deeply rooted in him. He’s terrified of fire because his village was burned down during the Guardian’s attack. Just seeing smoke makes him uneasy. Most of all, he’s scared of being deemed useless and being alone. Deep in his soul, he longs to form stronger bonds with people and a peaceful existence.
Abilities:
He has the regular Eidion abilities:
- Accelerated healing, perfect night-vision and keen hearing. Regular Eidions and Queens are also extremely fast because their survival depends on it.
- Eidions are builders and highly imaginative. They can climb anything and build nests everywhere if they have the time and raw materials. Dray also has a very good memory, and an incredible eye for detail.
Abilities specific to Queen Eidions:
- Hive mind / bond telepathy [Only works with members of his species]: His most special ability without a doubt. They can create mental links with Guardians they have shared fluids with (blood, semen, vaginal fluids and breast milk, but not saliva), or who are their direct relatives. The ability allows Queens to influence other individuals, calm them or inspire them, as well as demoralize them or enrage them.
If their bond is strong enough, they can control the individual’s actions. The hivemind makes them natural leaders but can cause mistrust and resentment. The resentment is totally justified, some corrupted Queen Eidions used it for their own benefit instead of for their community.