TIME FOR BACKSTORY

repost of the edited version of the current re-write of Rick's lore

it's a novel BUT still very much a bare bones basics version
 

I'll break it down like this: Think of him like a protagonist from the Triggerverse/Kamiyaverse/Grasshopperverse. A kind of uber-powerful, ultra charismatic dork who uses their capability, profession, and hobbies to escape their shortcomings as people (until the setting forces to reconcile that).

There's a few things you gotta know about DS lore to understand the basics:

-The order of the scale: Religion/Network of religious groups who held a large amount of influence in the Mythic age but has been fractured following a Schism. They are now considered a fanatical cult

-The Thirteen: The Thirteen (formerly Twenty-One) great heroic archclans are families who boast incredible amounts of social, economic and political power. They claim an impressive heritage that seems to contain almost all historically/mythically important persons. While there was once a time in which they quite literally ran the world; they have since released the grip they had on global affairs in favor of influencing events publically and privately. The Thirteen train young members quite brutally & extensively in education & leadership in addition to any area of expertise they choose to focus in. No matter what the field is; a "crop" or young noble from one of the thirteen will be considered as a extrordinary talent in that field

-Zoan  : Alternatively known as "Zoanth" "Zoanthrope" "Zoman" "Chimeric-Human" "Chiman" "Demi-Human" "Tiryag" and the less favorable "Beastman" The Zoan are an ethnic group apart of the "Three/Four Core Races of Terra" along with Man [humanity] Fae [the various fae races & communities] and Kin [Unseelie fae, daemons and their descendants. Simultaneously considered as both a  part of the fae and their own group]. Zoan are born with animal features and other abilities via a "Beast gene" which manifests these mutations in utero. One of the ultimate goals of the Zoan as a culture is the never ending work to unify all races through compassion and education; a noble pursuit characterized by the mantra "One World. One Tribe. One Love" a common utterance in Zoan communities. They are fierce combatants and place high importance on the proper use of legal and martial force


the Basics-

Rick Ryder is a "Zoan" (B̶e̶a̶s̶t̶m̶a̶n̶/̶D̶e̶m̶i̶-̶H̶u̶m̶a̶n̶ ) born with the beast-gene of a dragon and chimeric soul thanks to remote metaphysical experimentation preformed on him in utero. Through heretical alchemical procedures his young human soul was combined with the essence of two dragons, one an ancient Ur-Dragon, the other; hardly a hatchling. As a result he mutated into a anthromorphic reptilian-human organism. An abomination. 

To make a incredibly long story short: 

-Rick was adopted by the current acting Patriarch and Matriarch of the Ryders, one of 'The Thirteen'. This was done once he was discovered to protected him from the order, who would soon come take him, with the child being the second of their many successful attempts to birth a mythical Zoan in the modern age

-Rick was raised isolated from his siblings as a unwanted secret. His appearance, with pale gnarled skin as a result of being diagnosed with a severe and unqiue case of Ichtyosis   As a result he did not participate in the vigorous training and education other members of his 'crop'. He did receive education and affection from the staff assigned as his handlers. Despite this; he developed a talent for problem solving, pattern recognition, and making well-informed inferences. It was noted that his logic & reasoning capability was abnormally accurate

- A little over a decade later, The Order staged a raid on the Ryder estate and compound in upstate New York, where they accurate suspected the dragon-child was kept. In the ensuing chaos. Rick executing a plan to escape; chancing a life on the road to being captured by the assailants or being recovered by the Ryders and living as a basement child. His death faked, he embarked on a new life living on the road as a grifter. Over the course of the next few years he'd live as a con man, grifter, and thief. One who only takes from those who takes from others but still a rogue who lied, stole, bartered and fought for everything he had. Puberty hit him like a freight train as he developed into a veritable mountain of a man

-Racking up a trail of friends and enemies as he treks around across the country; Rick decides to settle down under the alias of Roy Rhodes and pursue a quiet, peaceful life. While working as a mechanic; he met a young woman free spirited woman who shared his desire for tranquility and their friendship budded into romance. It seems like Rick was on the cusp of the life he always wanted.

-Rick loses the love of his life in aftermath of a tragic hit in run the night he planned on proposing to her. As she drifts away in his arms he feels the last bit of hope in the concept of a place where he is accepted and a person who loves him die with her. Rick leverages his intelligence and above average strength to become violent and unhinged vigilante; taking his pain out on others during the course of his own private investigation into the whereabouts of her killer. Rick is able to reasonbly discern who hit his beloved and tracks them down; merciliessly beating them within an inch of their life; He feels modicum of restrain flow through him before he could strike a fatal blow. Rick escapes into the night; and soon after uproots himself again in favor of a solitary life of mourning.

-During his grieving he is contacted by the monk Taka under the alias of Monkshood. Monkshood asks that he come to train with him in his remote village on the other side of the world; telling him that the only way past his pain is to seek to hone his full potential. This reminds Rick of his loves' last words to him and he accepts. Monkshood seeks to tutor him in the martial ways but his training is quite brutal on even Rick's wretched body. 

-After months of brutal training in physical conditioning, martial arts, survival skills, meditation and the occaisonal small adventure or training excursion; Taka senses Rick is ready for the the next phase in his growth. He reveals that he is a excommunicated and slightly disllusioned apostate of a splinter sect of The Order and how Rick must realize his extraordinary destiny of discovering the essence of his soul and becoming the avatar and second coming of The Order's god, the trickster-turned-dragon sage, Sel'Khan. Rick refutes an refuses to do no such thing, but agrees to continue his training as long as Monkshood will continue to have him

-Taka prepares the ritual that will temper Rick's soul and bring his mind, body and spirit into balance, this will cause manifestation of his 'Third Eye', a increased sensitivity to the world's ambient metaphysical forces and will open his meridians, shocking his nervous system awake. The ritual puts Rick into a week long coma during which Rick goes on a kind of journey within his own mind. 

-Rick awakens from the coma and the first of many metamorphosis, With his mind, body, and soul being brought into harmony his body reformed itself into it's most perfect form. No longer held by by gnarled skin, partial blindness and a gaunt visage; the man that emerged from his coma was a different person. Taka shows Rick that this is only the begining and starts to add qigong to thei training regimen. 

-Rick is a studious learner but not unaided by talent. It took him a while to gasp the basics of sensing, harnessing, and manifesting qi but once he became proficent there was massive jump in his cultivation abilities. Taka praised this as an ability to reach and even succeed sages with proper training. Soon after Taka received an ill omen. The Malichi was coming. Taka ends Rick's training early and sends him away, forbading him to return. Taka told him that despite his newfound strength he was no match for The Malichi, the first successful dragonsoul created by the order. Rick held fast intitally; he wasn't going to let the man who saved his life in more ways than one just face this down alone. Evenutally Rick was convinced to leave, resigning his master to what was assured to be his death. Rick stole away with monk vestments/training gi and as many scrolls, books, suppiles and artifacts at remote temple and sought to return to the states