Keoki

His dog-like qualities give him extraordinary hearing and heightened sense of smell. He is very good with other dogs, possibly because he exudes a youthfulness that dogs understand as non-threatening.

He can be seen as fearless but in reality he doesn’t always consider all the dangers around him.

Learning how to write has exposed Keo to pen and ink, and he has shown an amazing ability to reproduce what he sees. Studying anatomy directly from cadavers, he has proven to be quite the artist, rendering in gruesome detail the inner workings of the human body. Taking this a step further, he can recreate landscapes and portraits in beautiful displays of light and dark.

Weaknesses include foolishness around sweets, particularly cupcakes. Also, he isn’t too fond of women or girls, there is something strange there that alludes to the problems he had with his parents. He still has problems being touched, even from a friendly hand. There are times when it appears that the dog curse overpowers him, and it robs him of his sense of self. Moments like this are rare, but come at inopportune moments, like when he needs to keep his wits about him to recall his spells. Over the years, Keoki has suffered several concussions, each one a little worse than the previous one. Any blow to the head can leave him dazed, and the worst can render him witless with no recollection of who he is or how he got there.

He is quite lazy given the chance.

It has been discovered that perhaps this “Curse of the Dog” is more than skin deep. Since being cursed, there have been numerous times when he blacked out. The cause thought to be because of the head injuries he sustained. But, with reports of a mad dog man attacking women, and the growing fear that he might have something to do with this, he’s started to wonder if the curse secretly has started to take over his mind. It’s a fear that grows stronger each day as more evidence is discovered that he has done things while not remembering any of it.

Life in Auvrynon: After escaping from his parents, he wandered the woods for several weeks until he eventually stumbled into The City of Gates. Lacking any survival skills, he was soon captured by the city guard and sent to live in an orphanage. It was there where he met a fellow homeless kid named Sox. The orphanage was not kind to either child. Forming an alliance, they escaped and fashioned a living of their own. Relying on each other, they formed a strong friendship and took turns watching each other’s back. At one time, they took pride in their thieving skills. As adequate cat burglars they had no problem swiping food or possessions for themselves.

Education: Sox proved to be the better fighter of the pair, and also the more willing to get into a fight. Sox’s numerous injuries lead Keoki down a desperate path to find ways to keep his only friend alive. What started out as extra time studying under an alchemist friend, Keoki quickly discovered a natural aptitude in herbology and first aid. Magic was avoided, until one night when Sox and Keoki crossed paths with one of Auvrynon’s morticians, a man of multiple secrets, Mortimer Monroe. Mortimer forced Keoki into working for him, perhaps just on a whim, but what the necromancer ended up with was a hard-working, highly intelligent young man that eventually Mortimer took as his apprentice.

The Followers of Hede: Simple on the surface but complex inside, Keoki absorbed everything Mortimer would teach him. This started with simple spells to keep the morgue clean and he eventually grew to develop his own spells. Already, Mortimer had been dancing across the harsh line cast between a Death Priest and Necromancer, one step to either side would either save the life of others or damn his own soul. With Keoki’s positive influence, the two chose to preserve the natural life cycle by joining the followers of the God of Death, Hede, and respect death rather than find ways to exist past it.

Now: Though an adult, Keoki has been adopted by Mortimer and he has taken his Master’s last name as his own. He lives in an apartment on the top floor of the mortuary with his best friend Sox. Mortimer’s health has become an issue, and Keoki is aware that without magic Mortimer will not live much longer. The question is, how tolerant is Hede? Sox’s life has become unstable. And there are these two Sunlords wandering around. Meanwhile, Keoki is taking on more of Mortimer’s work with the city to help his father recuperate. While balancing family and job, life and his future, his past whispers through his dreams, reminding him of a family that he abandoned years ago.