Name: Valdrin (Val) Vanhanen
Nickname: "Val", "The Hound"
Age:34
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Occupation: Police detective
Physical Description: To put it simply, Val cuts a striking figure. He's good looking in that old-fashioned sort of way, where he might not exactly have a specific feature that's exceptional all on its own, but still somehow manages to have that something which makes him magnetically attractive. Charm, suave and class, all wrapped up into one person, he has mastered the art of using the intensity of his expressive blue eyes and the tiniest of smirks to sway people to his side or intimidate them into submission.

He's a bit on the tall side, with wide shoulders and a well-defined torso, sliding into slim hips and a pair of nicely shaped legs. There are a few silver streaks at his temples, the first sign that he stepped into those more mature years of his life, but he still maintains the physique of someone who trained hand-to-hand combat for years, as well as hitting the gym regularly. (Needless to say, he ended up being rather strong, despite not being overly muscular.)

Val can usually be found wearing shirts, slacks, and coats, mostly in place of his work uniform, while usually ending up wearing jeans and leather jackets during his off-hours, all combinations looking as if they were probably planned ahead. (No man with that amount of pressed shirts in his closet could ever pull off the old "I just throw something on and go" schtick). He enjoys wearing neutral and darker colors, aware that they simply look good on him. In addition to that, Val rarely hunches over and his posture always somehow demands recognition, as well as adding an element of trust and confidence in stressful situations.

He speaks in a smooth baritone and with a hint of an English accent. It's not overtaking his speech, as he's really trying to keep his accent neutral, but it's there just enough to make him slide over some word pronunciations. On the other hand, he swears a lot when in a foul mood, and at those times, his accent becomes much more prominent and here and there, a few odd words slip out, ones which he claims are in his native dialect. When asked where he's from, he usually mutters something about "a Scandinavian village in the middle of nowhere" and waves it off.

Face claim: Michael Fassbender

Personality: Valdrin Vanhanen is many things. Complex and layered in personality, the most obvious one would be the fact that he's charming. With merely a few words and a well-placed smile, he can leave a group of giggling teens in his wake, as well as a flock of flustered old ladies, commenting on what a nice young man he is. In addition to that, he often comes off as a bit of a flirt, dropping a line here and there, especially if he comes across someone he finds physically attractive or wants something from them.

In opposition to that, Val still comes off as a proper English gentleman, an aura of confidence and class surrounds him, influencing the way he walks, talks, dresses, and treats other people. There are times when he appears cold and distant, on occasion even downright terrifying, though most of those broody moods are closely tied to his job, which he takes seriously and perhaps a bit more to the heart than he should have. The work-related frustrations sometimes bleed into his personal life, making him appear pissy and irritated for no apparent reason, but he's learning to control that.

Further down the rabbit hole, Valdrin actually feels things very deeply. He cares about people close to him, he struggles with the realization that he sometimes has to do things that are morally questionable for the greater good and is aware that he has little to nothing to offer in certain aspects of his life, especially when it comes to adequately expressing his thoughts and concerns.

When put in a tight spot, he becomes exceptionally focused and resolves things quickly, even when that includes him getting down and dirty to do it. He abhors people who take unfair advantage of others and those who prey on the weak. This often manifests as him coming off somewhat strong in attempting to protect people, which earned him a few disciplinary hearings over the years, due to reports of misconduct. Only one of them earned him a three-month suspension without pay, but the perp that caused it eventually regained the use of his legs.

Though people most often describe him as emotionally closed off, deep down, Valdrin actually has a bit of a goofy side. He loves dry, deadpan humor, making fun of friends and terrible puns, while on the other hand, has trouble defining some of the finer emotions. When it comes to expressing them, he doesn't speak much, but things are easily read in his expressive, somewhat troubled eyes. On occasion, he can be genuinely sweet, though that's a side only a few people had ever witnessed.


Likes: Rainstorms, good food, dogs, spending long amounts of time on open bodies of water and brainteasers
Dislikes: Hot and stuffy weather, disrespect towards people, his office nickname (Created due to someone saying he's like a hunting dog when he goes after a suspect. It's stupid and cliché and he's going to strangle the twit who came up with it.)

Special Skills/Abilities:
Mind-games: There was no small amount of talent and natural intelligence which landed him in the prestigious position of being one of the top three police detectives in his precinct. Despite the occasional bad temper flare, no one can deny that Valdrin is a master of psychological profiling and is able to connect dots where most other people can't even see them. He can read most people pretty easily and adjust his attitude by it, usually using it to either defuse a situation or make people blab out things they didn't intend to. It's not exactly fair, so he doesn't do it often, but the results are still undeniable. He has yet to find a law-breaker who evaded him for long.

Physical prowess: Equally proficient with firearms, as much as his own fists, Val is a trained fighter, though not one to drag anything out. No unnecessary movements, no wasted time, no hesitation. Anything he faces needs to be disarmed and disabled in the shortest amount of time and in the most efficient way possible. This often gives him the upper hand, as it catches people by surprise and doesn't give them enough time to get their bearings and react, before they are already on the floor, with a heavy knee digging into their spine, one arm twisted behind their back.

Made for the sea: One thing that Val simply doesn't remember where it came from is his deep love for open water. While he prefers not to be caught outside while it's pouring, he's an avid sailor and often rents a small boat during his vacation period, just to go out to the sea for a couple of days and sail around. There's just something deeply soothing about the infinite blue surrounding you and nothing but the roll of the waves keeping you company and, at times, he could almost swear he can see another sky reflected in the waters, instead of the one that's above him.

Personal Goals/Secrets: While his memory is quite jumbled, Val remembers that, at some point in his life, he was... someone else. The people that surrounded him were wild, strong and tough and-... He had to stop them, before they consumed the world. So, he did, but was banished for it. Presumed dead, he felt a cold hand pull him into the waves and the next thing he knew, he emerged near a shoreline and the scent of humans. Many, many years had passed since then and Val changed, adapted... Forgot some things. So many things lost, tethering just there, beyond his reach, coaxing him to reach out and claim them once more.

Background/History: When asked about the early years of his life, Valdrin often either completely avoids the subject or simply swiftly ends it by merely describing them as "bad". No one had ever been able to draw anything more than that from him and any attempt to look into his childhood somehow ends up a dead end. Though, there are records of him receiving an extensive education, traveling a lot, and even owning a number of real estates, there is never anything that would color him as suspicious, most people just concluding that he must have been a "system brat", possibly an orphan or from an abusive family, from which he was determined to separate by any means necessary.

The earliest one can trace his records is his enrollment into the education system and earning himself a degree in Criminal Justice. Due to his impressive skill with reading people and being well versed in finding every nook and cranny in the law, he became very familiar with how a criminal mind works and thanks to that, paired up with his natural talent, he climbed ranks with ease and finally earned himself a title of "detective".

Over the years, Val had a lot of time to reflect on all the hardships that formed him as a person and realized that he was tethering on the verge of reverting back into his old ways; where anger had the spotlight and would often flare up in the most unexpected situations. The realization hit him like a truck and since then, Val quit drinking, realizing that the alcohol not only made his usually very sharp mind sluggish, but it had become difficult to control his emotions. That was the first step. The second was to learn to not re-learn how to curb his temper, to consider others before himself, and to never, ever allow someone to harass those weaker than themselves. He'd never admit it openly, but the path towards self-betterment is a long and winding road, with plenty of ups and downs, a long string of psychiatric sessions, reading, and self-reflection. It took longer than expected, but bit by bit, Valdrin could feel the constant anger dissipate and eventually remain as nothing but a slightly sore spot on his personality, firmly controlled whenever it flared up again.

He still struggles with some things, primarily due to his intense dislike for the aforementioned unfair and hostile advantages, which can sometimes manifest as overprotectiveness or at the opposite side of the spectrum, though he truly is attempting to remind himself regularly that he can let loose the tight reigns he has on his life and that not everyone has to submit to what he thinks is right.

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The Alternate
True Name: Valstrathaz the Blue, The First Monarch, The Traitor (by some)
True Age: 13 700 years old
True species: Blue Dragon
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Occupation: None

Physical Description: A massive Blue dragon, with dark blue scales and intense azure eyes; Valstrathaz is one of the First - the initial group of seven Dragon colors, each possessing a specific set of abilities. Valstrathaz himself was - though smaller than the First Red and the First Black - still impressive, the entirety of his Dragon form seeming sleek and elegant, as if he was built for speed and maneuverability, rather than head-on fighting.

Personality: If there was ever such a thing as an Anti-villain, Valstrathaz would fit the description completely. His intentions were noble, he was working for the greater good, trying to protect those who could not protect themselves, yet... His actions had been deemed traitorous and ended up being devastating for his kind. Were it done by a lesser Dragon, he would have been punished and stripped of his position. However, this erroneous decision had been done by none other but the First Dragon Monarch - the act of the worst kind of betrayal.

Despite the verdict ended up being complete stripping of his power and position, as well as banishment until death, Valstrathaz still managed to do one last thing as the Dragonking... name his successor, carefully chosen, based on the fact that she had compassion, where he had cold calculations. That she shook extended hands, instead of handing them weapons. That she looked and saw all Dragons as her children, where his critical, military mind saw soldiers and beasts of war.

Due to all these things, Valstrathaz understood where he lacked as a leader and withdrew on his own, to isolate and contemplate the ill fate he rained down upon his kin, helpless to stop it now, unable to reverse it, but carrying the sin of it until the day of his supposed death.

Special Skills/Abilities: cold (blue) fire-based powers, ability to project thoughts and memories via touch, empathy, short bursts of telekinesis, potent in arcane magic and military strategy. Highly intelligent.

Background/History: Considered to be one of the first Dragons in the known existence of the world and the very first ruler of Dragons. He was the one who gave the Waldgraves their power and revealed them the secret on how to entrap Dragons in human form, during the First Dragon War, turning their clan into so-called Dragonslayers.

In Ibrarhia, Valstrathaz is thought long deceased and has been considered as one of the Ancestors, regardless of what he has done. Though there are a few Dragons who understand what he was trying to accomplish, seemingly none of them approve of what he has done and many have openly called it a genuinely terrible idea.

A short time before his banishment, he was succeeded by Xsalistrazah, who devoted herself to trying to repair the damage by taking away the reason for the Waldgraves to use the power given to them, as the power could no longer be removed once it was granted. Peace treaties with other races were signed and the peace lasted until 40 years ago, when the Sigil scened out a Dragon attack on the last two surviving members of the Waldgraves, starting the struggle anew.

At the moment of his "death", he has been transferred to Earth by Minanthe, in order to atone for his sins and earn his place in the Well of Souls.