Ref: Connor Segarus

I apologize in advance for wordiness.

Name: Connor Segarus
Height: 6'1" (human); 4'2" at shoulder (carnifex form)
Age: 24(ish)
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Town: Sen'nahat Desert

Personality: Connor is friendly, outgoing, and willing to put himself at risk for the sake of others. In pursuit of a good time or in support of a good cause, he can be somewhat devil-may-care with his own safety. He likes being around people, and likes to talk about his adventures, but astute listeners might notice that he never tells a story the same way twice.

Connor has retained some of his past memories upon entering Hetherev – enough to consider it an affliction rather than a blessing, as these memories continue to haunt him. He remembers nothing of his childhood, whether he has family, or even who he was as a person up until he was cursed.

In his own world, Connor was a priest investigating the history of his religion, focusing on the conflict between the twin goddesses of the sun and moon (known as the Mother and the Night Mistress). While studying a ruined temple of the Night Mistress, he disturbed something ancient and suffered its curse. Labeled 'witch' and 'heretic' by his fellows, while in search of a cure for his condition he has been constantly on the run. Only Hetherev has proven absent of fanatical witch-hunters looking to burn him at the stake, although he's keeping one eye open just in case.

Perhaps due to his 'condition', Connor is surprisingly accepting of others, even beings that seem weird or monstrous. He's willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt – except himself. Because he cannot control his feral form, Connor fears and quietly despises it. He never talks about his curse. When he can't trust himself, he can't believe that anyone else would trust him if they knew about it.

Connor has been on the run for a very long time, and is no stranger to surviving on his own. Though he was once a priest, necessity made him a thief; he is particularly adept at picking pockets and other sleight of hand. He is also a skilled swordsman, but thinks of combat as a last resort and mostly relies on his wits. Unfortunately, his glib tongue seems to get him into trouble almost as much as it gets him out of it.

As a side note, Connor is extremely courteous and somewhat deferential toward women, as he comes from a predominantly matriarchal society.

Powers: Connor is a shape-shifter, of sorts, although he can't transform at will and is mostly at the mercy of his curse.

Connor's 'curse' causes him to transform into a large beast, a carnifex, when night falls. He has very limited control over this form, his personality and identity subjugated by predatory animal instinct. As a carnifex, his main concerns are eating and self-defense, which usually involves attacking smaller threats or fleeing larger ones. Connor has been able to temporarily regain his senses in this form, but only when he's about to do something that utterly violates his moral conscience.

In order to maintain some degree of control over when he shape-shifts, Connor wears a chain of purest silver around his neck. The proximity of silver weakens his curse, preventing transformation except under stressful conditions. Even so, exposure to direct moonlight has adverse effects, usually resulting in Connor acting as if heavily intoxicated or drugged out of his mind. This, he puts up with; losing the silver chain would be much, much worse.

Whatever Connor is wearing at the time disappears when he transforms – he's not sure where his clothes go, or how they come back. His natural form has no special strengths or abilities; he is an average human male in all regards.

Is there anything you feel very STRONGLY that your character NOT be drawn doing?:
As a human, he won't kill except in defense of himself or another person, and he'll only steal to avoid starving, or to help someone else out. Or, sometimes, for a joke. As a carnifex, he cannot speak, and acts like any large predatory cat would under the circumstances – but it's rare that Connor is in this form, as he takes every precaution to avoid it.

Other Notes: In Connor's world, therianthropy is usually the result of witchcraft (i.e. practices involving taboo magic or worship of the Night Mistress). It can also, more rarely, come about from a curse. Unfortunately, few people care about the distinction, classifying anyone who can change their shape as a witch, and thus evil. Silver does not harm them, and the curse cannot be passed on to others through any form of contact.

The carnifex is a combination of traits from Thylacoleo carnifex (the Marsupial Lion) and Panthera leo atrox (the American Lion).