Kalani Darrow is a 24 year old ferrin with crimson and tan fur. He stands at just over six feet tall with brown hair that has tan highlights. He has darker red "sleeves" on his forearms and calves. His eyes are blue. All across his body are the marks and scars of a combat veteran.
He typically wears a dark gray outfit with a small vest over it as well as two bracers. In his left ear is a simple feather. For combat, he wears armor meant for protection while offering a high mobility. This includes a scale mail chest piece underneath a fabric shirt with armor plates strapped on in key locations. He favors spears in combat and wields them with deadly ability combined with his magic.
Kalani grew up in the barracks of the Fakiha palace. The Darrow family have served the lords and ladies of the desert palace for generation after generation. He began his weapon training at an early age, learning the sword, bow, and quarterstaff. When he was found to be most skilled with the quarterstaff, he was bid to train with a member of the ancient Dragoon order.
Kalani's mother and father still live. His mother serves as a maid while his father lives on a well-earned pension after years of service. Kalani himself took over as the current Lord Nykal's personal guard upon his 20th nameday and has served faithfully for the 4 years since. While there have been few actual threats, his loyalty and alertness has not diminished. He remains ever alert for danger, even when off-duty and enjoying a pint.
Kalani has spent countless hours training combat with his friend, Lord Nykal, and occasionally the king's son, Lloyd, when the royalty would visit.
From about the age of 11, Kalani had shown skill with magic. His family sometimes showed a small spark of sorcerous power through the generations though it had been thought gone with the last sorcerer, his great great grandfather. When the powers began to manifest, he had already been practicing with the spear for a couple years, being pushed through rigorous training by his Dragoon teacher, Victor Consan. Rather than let the training go to waste, the old Dragoon and Kalani had recruited the palace's scholars and uncovered a tome detailing a warrior known as the Spellblade. The tome was a compilation of the discipline's secrets and while some pieces were lost to the ages, at least the beginning was able to be discerned from the yellowed pages.
The ferrin studied the translated pages thoroughly and even picked up on bits and pieces of the language of the dragons that it had been written in. He pushed into the training with vigor, seeking to learn everything he can in order to protect those his noble friend. During their studies, they unearthed a hall partially buried in the Oclos Marshlands. A special knife was required to proper mark the ferrin's hand with the runes to properly master this method of magic. Now 17, the Dragoon, two childhood friends of Kalani, and Kalani himself traveled across the Akago Desert and over the mountains, scouring the marsh until they found the ancient ruins. The hall went deep into the ground but the party was pleased to find the knife still there. Coming back to the desert, Kalani was finally able to continue his mastery of the primal energies of magic itself.
His power differs from other disciplines where instead of invoking words of power, he harnesses the primal essence of magic itself, willing it through the rune on his hand and into the power he needs. This method of manipulating magic can be very taxing and Kalani has needed to spend several long years training to have the mental and physical stamina the elite Spellblades needed before he really could begin to wield the strength they possessed. While he is not yet at the same strength as the ancient warriors, he continues to train every day to gain at least his own mastery over it.
Kalani serves faithfully under Lord Nykal Fakiha, ruler of the Akago Desert. During his service of protecting the lord, he came to be known as The Stinger, his spear always ready to dispatch foes. Fakiha's flags bear the Golden Scorpion on a field of sandy brown. He is fiercely loyal to his liege and friend, having grown up together, learning to fight and often training against each other. The two were pushed together from an early age to ensure a strong bond. Many hours were spent with the ferrin studying his spellblade texts while next to the fennec lord learning economy and army tactics.
When summons came from King Azure of Asadreth, Lord Nykal sent Kalani forth to answer them with the authority of the Scorpion of the Desert.
Kalani is a fiercely loyal friend and defender. He will gladly put his life on the line to protect others. Kalani knows how to act in more proper settings, usually taking a silent observant stance; however, he is more relaxed among friends. He enjoys relaxing in an inn, drinking and carousing as well as the occasional trip to the brothel. He is not stiff, but does observe a heritage of strength and honor, a sort of inheritance from his ancestors. He observes the law, and enforces it at times, but he also knows that during the course of his duties it is not always possible to stay within the bounds of the law. He dislikes killing, but will not hesitate to dispatch an evildoer for the safety of others. He is as true a friend as one could hope for.
Kalani will continue to serve his lord first and his king second. He hopes to explore the world and discover what life is like beyond the desert that is his home. While he looks to the future, he will not ignore his past. He will use the experience away from his liege to improve his abilities and one day return the best defender he can be. His spear is swift and his magic deadly, but for now? Where's that wench with his ale and a pretty boy for his knee?