Quan's Questionnaire

1. What town or city do you live in? Why do you live there instead of anywhere else? Describe your home.

Link Answered before Quan's first Contract.
 

Ah, I see you seek knowledge of my dwelling. I reside in Vakious, a place of dim light and thick shadows, where gas lamps flicker faintly over the stagnant canals. It is a city that whispers secrets in the dark, secrets that fuel my thirst for understanding. Why here, you ask? Vakious is unlike any other place—a crucible of mystery, its very air laced with the unknown. The scarcity of resources makes the people desperate, and desperation, you see, reveals truths that comfort cannot.

As for my home, I dwell in an Old Tower on the edge of the city, rising above the canals like a jagged tooth. Its stone is weathered, ancient—cracked in places, but strong. Inside, it is filled with tomes, scrolls, and relics of forgotten times. The walls are covered in marks of my experiments, wards and sigils. It is a place of power, hidden from prying eyes, where I delve into the mysteries of transformation—into that of a Dragon, to transcend this fragile form and touch the heart of the world's ancient wisdom.

Vakious is my forge, my testing ground, and my sanctuary. Nowhere else would offer such potent challenges, and I would have it no other way.

2. How do you get your money right now? What do you spend it on?

Link Answered before Quan's first Contract.
 

Ah, money. A necessary tool in this realm, though I consider it but a fleeting concern in the grand pursuit of knowledge. Still, even I must partake in the exchange of coin, if only to maintain my work. My methods are... unconventional, to say the least. I offer services of an arcane nature—divinations, enchantments, and remedies for those with enough desperation to seek me out. Those in Vakious, particularly the wealthy who control what few resources remain, pay handsomely for glimpses of the future or protections against unseen dangers. They are blind to the true depths of what I offer, but their ignorance is my advantage.

As for my expenses, I have little need for luxury. Most of my earnings go toward acquiring rare components—alchemical substances, arcane crystals, ancient manuscripts—anything that furthers my quest for transformation. Occasionally, I require new tools or must bribe a merchant for access to materials deemed "dangerous." I also pay for silence. There are those who would find my work... unsettling, and it's best to keep certain eyes and ears unaware of my activities.

In truth, I spend more time acquiring knowledge than wealth, but coin has its uses in securing the means to achieve my ultimate goal.

3. Describe your Ambition. What are you striving for? How far would you go to achieve this? Would you kill for it? How close to death would you come for it?

Link Answered before Quan's first Contract.

My ambition? Ah, it is the very core of my being, the fire that drives me forward. I strive for nothing less than transformation—true and utter metamorphosis into a Dragon. Not a mere mimicry or illusion, but a complete rebirth. You see, dragons are more than mere beasts of legend; they are ancient, timeless, and filled with an understanding that transcends mortality. To become one is to gain access to the deepest mysteries of existence, to master not only the arcane but the essence of life itself.

I seek knowledge beyond this fragile human shell—knowledge that stretches back to the dawn of time, to the very fabric of the cosmos. It is not simply power I seek, though power is a tool in my pursuit. No, I desire understanding. I wish to unravel the hidden threads of reality, to see as a Dragon sees, to know as they know. To be eternal.

How far would I go? To the very edges of sanity, to the brink of death itself. I have already sacrificed much—years of isolation, the comforts of a normal life, even my humanity in some ways. Killing? If necessary. Life is but a transient thing, a fleeting spark in the vastness of time. Should someone stand in the way of my goal, they are already dead in my eyes. Their death would merely be a formality.

As for my own life, I have no fear of death, for to risk death is to risk nothing at all in the pursuit of something far greater. If my path brings me to the threshold of the grave, so be it. I have dabbled in the arts that dance around death, explored rituals that brush the veil between life and the beyond. I would come as close as one could to the abyss and smile at it, for I know that what lies beyond may only serve to fuel my transformation.

To become a Dragon is to defy the chains of mortality, and I will stop at nothing to achieve it.

4. What was the most defining event of your life (before signing The Contract), and how did it change you?

Link Answered before Quan's first Contract.
 

Ah, the most defining event… that moment when everything shifted. Before I signed The Contract and began this inexorable path toward becoming a Dragon, there was a single turning point—one that shattered my naïve ambitions and hardened my resolve.

I was once a promising mage, celebrated for my talents in the arcane arts, serving under a prestigious order known as the Circle of Nine. My gifts with magic earned me recognition and admiration, but I was blinded by their hollow praise. I believed that power alone would grant me the wisdom I sought, that the Circle held all the answers.

Then came the day of the Great Conjunction—a rare celestial alignment said to grant unprecedented magical insight to those capable of harnessing it. The Circle prepared for years, anticipating the event as an opportunity to unlock profound truths. I was chosen to be part of the ritual, brimming with excitement and hubris.

But when the moment came, something went terribly wrong. The ritual failed, catastrophically. The magic we summoned was beyond our control, tearing apart the very fabric of the Circle. Many of my fellow mages perished, their bodies consumed by the raw arcane forces we unleashed. In the chaos, I saw the truth—the Circle had no understanding of the powers they sought to control. Their knowledge was but a fraction of the vast, untamed magic that exists in the world.

I alone survived, but I was forever changed. I was left with scars—both physical and mental—that marked me as the lone witness to the folly of the Circle’s arrogance. That day, I realized how fragile human knowledge truly is, how limited our understanding of the arcane can be. It crushed the naive ambitions I once held, replacing them with a relentless hunger for more—more power, more understanding, more than the mortal shell could offer.

I left the remnants of the Circle behind, abandoning their narrow teachings. It was then that I began my search for deeper knowledge, the kind of knowledge only the ancient beings like Dragons possess. That event showed me that there is no turning back, no safety in the comfort of half-truths. It set me on a path of isolation, desperation, and ultimate transcendence.

It was the spark that led me to the moment I signed The Contract—a decision born out of the revelation that to truly know, I must shed my humanity entirely. 

5. Name and briefly describe three people in your life. One must be the person you are closest to.

Link Answered before Quan's first Contract.

  1. Yenna, the Alchemist
    Yenna is the person I am closest to, though I use the term "close" loosely. She is a brilliant mind, a recluse like myself, whose mastery of alchemical arts complements my arcane pursuits. We have shared many nights trading knowledge and resources, delving into the mysteries of transmutation and transformation. She understands my ambition more than most, though I suspect she doesn’t fully trust it—or me. Yet, despite the guarded distance between us, there is a respect that binds us. She has provided me with the rarest of materials, and in return, I offer her insights she could never attain alone. Our relationship is one of calculated reliance, but in the darkest moments, she has been an ally I cannot deny.

  2. Master Arvian, the Blind Seer
    Once a mentor, now a shadow of the past. Master Arvian was the one who first recognized my potential within the Circle of Nine. He was a wise but rigid man, bound by tradition and a cautious approach to magic. When the Great Conjunction shattered the Circle, he was one of the few who survived, but at a great cost—he was blinded, both physically and spiritually. He now lives in seclusion, bitter and broken. Our last meeting ended in harsh words, with him condemning my quest to become a Dragon as madness. He believes I walk a path of destruction, but his warnings only strengthened my resolve. His fear of what lies beyond the limits of human knowledge holds him back, and I refuse to share his fate.

  3. Krev, the Mercenary
    Krev is not a friend, but a tool. He is a ruthless, pragmatic man who handles tasks I would rather not dirty my hands with—acquiring forbidden texts, silencing those who pry too closely into my affairs, and securing rare artifacts that are too dangerous for most to touch. He cares little for the reasons behind my requests, as long as the coin is right. There is no loyalty between us, only mutual benefit. Yet, his efficiency and discretion make him indispensable. Krev has seen enough of my work to know I am dangerous, and I suspect he fears me on some level, but his greed always outweighs his caution. He has served me well, though I know our partnership will one day reach its end—perhaps when my need for him has passed, or when he becomes a liability.

These three—Yenna, Arvian, and Krev—represent the spectrum of human interaction I still tolerate. They play their roles in my quest, willingly or not, but none can follow me to the heights I intend to reach.