@GronkTheRock

Gronk Mori

 

Age: Unknown (Roughly 20)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Personality: Loud, somewhat dopey, curious, protective, loves cute/furry creatures because they remind him of his family.
Occupation: None currently 
Home Region: Valara

Powers/Abilities/Skills: Incredibly strong and can lift extremely heavy objects, tough armor like scales, can roll himself into a ball and generate an electric forcefield around himself with the power of his amulet, very good at breaking things, can carry many small fur-folk on his back, very thick skull. Gronk is also very large, standing nearly 7 feet tall.

The Raiju (a race of cute, electric-weasel-like creatures) don't mingle with the other sentient races of Valara. They migrated to this region from the elemental plane very near the dawn of creation, drawn by the maelstrom of fae magics and natural energies. For millennia they lived happily in solitude, playing in their secluded forest home. One day however, one of their pack wandered outside of their usual territory, drawn by the heat of a nearby fire. The fires were the result of the destruction of a coastal Lizardfolk settlement, there were no survivors, but as the curious Raiju searched amongst the rubble she came across a small, smooth sphere. She claimed it and took it back to her pack, who were all fascinated by "fish-stone" as they called it.

The Raiju became very attached to the stone, sleeping with it nearby, infusing it with the heat of her lightning. Many months later, to the Raiju's great surprise, the stone broke, revealing a tiny lizardfolk creature. At first the Raiju was upset at this tiny vandal for breaking her precious stone, but she soon realized it had been him that she had been drawn to, and she loved him as she would a member of her own pack. She and her mate raised the tiny creature, naming him "Gronk!" after the sound he had made when he broke his birthstone.

Raiju grow over the span of millennia, so it seemed to them that within the blink of an eye the tiny creature sprang up, growing into a tall and powerful seafolk hunter. He sought prey with the pack, learned their language of howls and lightning and even brought new sources of food from the nearby ocean, which he took to as a natural second home. 

One day, Gronk was sitting with his mother near the riverbend and he decided to ask her why he wasn’t furry, or small, or “sparky,” like the other Raiju. She let out a whimsical chuckle as her small black eyes gazed up at his. “Because!” She exclaimed, “You were a gift.” She nodded as she spoke, standing up on the rock she had been perched on. “Long ago, I wandered into a field of destruction. To my surprise, I found a beautiful stone! I loved that stone, it was my special stone, the most beautiful stone I had ever laid eyes on” she hugged herself as she spoke, remembering the memory fondly. “And then crack, crack, crack! My stone had broken! And you had come out of it.” Gronk’s eyes widened, it all made sense to him now. “Gronk is…a rock?!” His mother nodded and hugged his scaled arm tightly. “You’re my rock, Gronk. And you always will be.”

Gronk was different, but the Raiju were his family, a kinship even stronger than ties of blood could bring. Though a bit of a brutish character, he loved his furry little family more than he could ever hope to articulate, not that he was very articulate. He put his strength to great use, helping to haul logs and other materials to construct shelters for Raiju, as well as jungle-gym like structures for their young. He was often seen with many Raiju perched on his massive shoulders, and could frequently be found playing with the young ones who often delighted in playing “Gronk Smash!” a game that involved them throwing various objects in the air while Gronk attempted to destroy them using his head. During the warm season, he would let many of the Raiju climb on his back while he swam them around one of the nearby rivers.

This was the side shown to the Raiju, though foes would see a very different side. Though extremely adoring of his family, he had a far more primal spirit within him. Quite frankly, he LOVED destroying things. Maybe a little too much? That’s what the other forest-folk thought after he decided to take down a hundred year old oak tree using only his head anyway. The Raiju knew that one day, Gronk’s thrill seeking spirit would eventually wish to know more of the outside world, a place where his abilities could be tested and honed.

On Gronk’s 18th birthday, when it seemed he had grown to his full, the Raiju brought their immense magical energies to bear and created for him a totem, a symbol of their passion, ferocity, love and power. This they gave to the seafolk, for they knew he could not stay with them forever, and they wished for him to remember them always, and to always stay safe.

Gronk traveled far and wide with his sacred totem, never once removing it from his neck. It’s magics were as powerful as they were sentimental, allowing him to turn roll into an electric ball just as his family could. He learned to battle, finally finding an outlet for his love for destruction. He delighted in the crunching of armor, the sound of breaking bones… Anyone challenging him was swiftly demolished. Though not sadistic in nature, he would take just about any chance he got to display his immense strength and powerful strikes in combat. But really? He’s just a big ol’ loveable goof.