A Brief Description

This dramatic and imposing figure that stands before you is the size of a troll but with none of its awkwardness; he is fierce, poised and wholly monstrous. Great wings spread from his broad back and a tail vaguely like a scorpion's casually flicks back and forth, complete with stinger. His strikingly pale and disturbingly humanoid face is accentuated with an impressive mane of quills. He grins widely, showing multiple rows of saw-like teeth.

Backstory

Born to a jungle dwelling tribe of man-eating beasts deep within the jungles of Cerberose, Creyroos did not have the most educated or priviledged beginning to his life. In fact, it was often filled with hours of fighting amongst other younglings for any number of reasons what with Manticores being what they are. While certainly not the most mighty among the youngest generation of his kind, giving as well as he got gave him a relatively stable childhood. At this point in time, when the young monsters' brains began to develop their intellect drastically, Shardmaws of the tribe would teach the adolescents the rites and knowledge passed down by word of mouth. Lessons in mimicry and hunting, of crafting and plotting were the main course.

Creyroos however always liked a bit of something more on the side. It wasn't just enough to simply be crafty, one needed an edge. Though his skills in mimicry suffered for it, he began tutelage under a willing elder in learning something considered far less useful; how to sing. As one might expect, when this was discovered by his peers his favor in their eyes took a nosedive that'd leave a peregrine falcon impressed. While he was able to finish his tutoring to a point, Creyroos came to the conclusion it'd be best if he sought fulfillment elsewhere and imposed his own exile.

Life for a Manticore with aspirations to be a Bard at that point was harsh and strange, though not as strange as the tales told by those who managed to escape his clutches. Stories arose among travelers in the jungle of a fearsome and odd monster who forced travelers to listen to his singing and quickly turned temperamental against an unappreciative audience. Fortunately for Creyroos, he eventually managed to catch an actual Bard by chance. While it'd be a stretch to say the traveling Bard agreed to teach the young monster, it'd certainly be accurate to say that the traveling minstrel would have a hard time convincing anyone his tale was true.

As life has a tendency to allow, misfortune followed not too far behind its brother. The next travelers to fall into the clutches of the Man-Eating singer were not just well-armed, but expecting to encounter monsters. Through no will of fate Creyroos managed to fascinate his would-be slayers with his eerie, flute-like singing. It became clear to him later on that a more civilized approach to an audience would be necessary, lest he lose both the listeners as well as his head.

Days sank into his footsteps as what seemed like hopeless years flowed by. Many tactics of improving were tried, from simple practice to imitating the College Bards he was able to eavesdrop on occasionally. In the end, nothing short of a true tutor could mold such an odd voice into a pleasing and mesmerizing sound. One day, an impeccably unscrupulous Bard took a keen interest in the would-be singer. A man by the name of Jalenco "the Fenshire Slicker" Smottersson used his manipulative skills to convince the Manticore to serve the ends of his gang of bandits and part-time mercenaries in exchange for teaching.

This stretched on for years, and Jalenco's Hijackers rose to levels of infamy in Aquili not seen by any ragtag group of robbers. Some attributed their success to the incredible leadership of The Fenshire Slicker, who's singing was fearsome to his foes and innervating to his allies. The plots of Jalenco ran far-reaching and deep, and it was suspected that more than a few trading companies had his hand in their pockets. Yet, tales also told of something more sinister and deadly among the Hijackers. Something dwelling within one of the caravans that sang a dirge of death and devoured men alive.

The time came however when Jalenco overstepped the line where confidence and foolishness divide. Thinking that he had taught the monster enough, the bardic bandit was unwilling to give Creyroos the lion's share of the spoils despite his continued use of the manticore's fearsome physical prowess. In what was perhaps the most stunning display in the Hijacker's history, Jalenco fell prey to his own bardic abilities and was removed from the gang without dignity or trace. When none arose to challenge him, Creyroos declared himself the new leader of the band of brigands and came to be known as Creyroos the Warlord.

This very infamy served him well, but it also landed the singing highwayman into more trouble than he ever imagined possible. Years of plundering and territorial dominance later, the band grew into a force to be reckoned with and drew the attention of a general of one of the armies embroiled in the civil war in the province of Riverdale in Aquili. Creyroos was more than happy to sign into a deal that would enrich he and his marauders for the rest of their lives in exchange for their incredible might in the conflict.

This very conflict proved to be more than even Creyroos could handle. Forces the likes of which he never dreamed existed erupted from corners of the world and beyond to contest, and the manticore warlord found himself among the company of Tengu, Yata-Garasu, Fox-Fae, L'tahr, and worse from the realm beyond. The band quickly fell to tatters as the war raged on, with Creyroos alone presiding as a warlord for forces he no longer knew.

Not long after this, the army he served took a critical turn as one of the more ancient Yata-Garasu took the place of the previous general. The Warchanter quickly found himself serving as scout and interrogator under the power-crazed and unfathomable goals of Tos'Saan. Life is always filled with glimmers, however. One such interrogation brought him face to face with a Virrg, a type of forest dragon, scholar known as Quinrothee. Though the knowledge was unknown to Creyroos, this timid librarian was integral to the plans of the Yata-Garasu and as Creyroos earned her trust and edged ever closer to encouraging her to talk the rebel forces unexpectedly freed her.

Charged by Tos'Saan to track down and retrieve Quinrothee, Creyroos found himself captured in enemy territory by beings whose might he could never hope to match and on the receiving end of interrogation. Unbeknown to the Yata-Garasu the manticore harbored no loyalty to the new general and considered his original deal null and void, the riches now considered lost to a cause that likely could not be trusted to deliver and his followers dead.

Though his captors were not cruel, they were not kind either. However, to the manticore's surprise the librarian he had previously questioned found the courage to read to him from across the bars from her impressive collection of books. This was something the man-eater was not accustomed to, and spent many nights in his prison dwelling on this idea after she left him. A sense of something he had never known but understood well from when he had watched others; the sense of companionship. A feeling that could not be found in the life he lived.

The moment came however when escape became possible, and though part of him was loathe to leave the scholar he was eager to spread his wings and escape his captors. His mind racing, Creyroos eventually settled into a role that none expected; as a double agent for both armies. Years of cleverness and manipulative deception had taught him to play the ambitions of others to his own ends, and to ends of his own he fed both armies information in hopes of predicting the winner.

What Creyroos could not have anticipated was the depths of madness to which Tos'Saan reached, and before long the war took a turn for the worse as the spirit began unleashing powers capable of causing great magical cataclysms upon areas linked by enchanted rods that claimed the lives of all within. Fearing the heights of power that the Yata-Garasu had achieved, and for the future of his own homeland, he fully defected to the side of the rebels and played a key part helping and protecting Quinrothee as she uncovered the means to stop the mad spirit.

When the war finally came to an end, Creyroos found that his life had changed. His bond with the still timid librarian had grown strong indeed, and the pair happily began traveling and researching together. Though he greatly enjoys the life of archaeology and natural research and cataloging, old embers burn hard. Word has it that a new band of mercenaries has begun forming around a fearsome war hero...