Jascyn
Jascyn is a central protagonist in The Savage Wild (Adventure 2) and a pivotal figure in the later history of The Metalwood Saga. Initially introduced as a scrawny, inept member of the brutal rylak pack of Felgr, Jascyn is ultimately revealed to be a "demisoul"—a half-rylak, half-ellr hybrid.
As a member of the "Triad" alongside the ellr Lysa and the dragon Aena, Jascyn undergoes a profound transformation from an abused outcast to a powerful shockstriker and the "great unifier" of the jungle's warring species. Through his unique ability to empathetically "souljoin" with animals, he builds a massive army to help defend the planet Eryn against the ancient Prime Mage, Calarel.
Appearance and Personality
For a rylak, Jascyn is considered a runt. He is small, scrawny, and lacks the thick, muscular build and dark fur of a typical rylak warrior. His voice is higher-pitched than the guttural rylak norm, and he possesses striking green eyes. Unlike the rest of his pack who rely on brutal spears and fingerclaws, Jascyn carries a metal sword given to him by an elderly ellr slave.
Personality-wise, Jascyn is deeply empathetic, kind, and initially crippled by self-doubt. Assigned at birth to be a "firesake"—a cook and cleaner—rather than a "huntsake," he is constantly bullied by his peers and his father, Thrombir. He harbors a deep disgust for the rylak's practice of keeping ellr slaves, feeling an innate sense of guilt and complicity. Despite his perceived physical weakness, Jascyn possesses immense moral courage, frequently risking his own life to do what he believes is right. Upon discovering his half-ellr heritage, he embraces his identity as a demisoul, allowing him to reconcile the conflicting peaceful and predatory halves of his nature.
Biography
The Firesake of Felgr
Jascyn grew up in the rylak village of Felgr, constantly tormented by the packleader Skond, the bully Hrildr, and his own father, Thrombir. He was paired with the ellr slave Lysa to act as bait during a hunt for a deadly kabul cat, a hunt he failed miserably. When Lysa later killed Hrildr in self-defense, Jascyn lied and claimed the kill as his own, trying to earn the respect of his pack, which tragically resulted in Lysa being thrown into the slavepens.
Jascyn's life changed forever during a massive dragon attack on Felgr. When his sick father attempted to fight a talonwyrm, Jascyn intervened to save his life. Shortly after, the elite huntsake Skorn pinned and tortured a dragon named Ranu. Unable to bear the cruelty, Jascyn grabbed a spear and drove it into Skorn's ribs, killing the elite warrior. The grateful dragon grabbed Jascyn and flew him out of the village.
Aldaron and the Triad
After Ranu succumbed to his wounds, Jascyn wandered the jungle alone until he stumbled upon the hidden ellr city of Aldaron. He was taken before the Council Leader Ashryn and came face-to-face with Lysa, who had also escaped Felgr and initially despised him for his betrayal. Despite his rylak appearance, the ellr recognized that he was different and granted him sanctuary.
In Aldaron, Jascyn bonded with Lysa and a newly-hatched dragon named Aena, forming a group they called the Triad. Jascyn trained in archery and swordsmanship alongside Lysa, and the two slowly transitioned from enemies to deeply affectionate friends.
The Packleader
Seeking Aena's lost parents, the Triad journeyed south into the Kalmansa Wilds. During this trek, Jascyn discovered his unique "souljoining" ability, forming empathetic, telepathic bonds with jungle predators rather than fighting them. He peacefully recruited Kharad (a welak wolf) and Fang (a kabul cat) to his side. After meeting the ancient storyteller Kila, Jascyn also souljoined a massive cavek named Varek.
Realizing a great magical threat was coming, Jascyn rode Varek back to Felgr to recruit the rylak. He challenged Skond for leadership; though he was nearly beaten to death in hand-to-hand combat, Jascyn used his bond to halt a stampeding cavek herd right at the village's edge. Awed by his mastery over the jungle, Skond surrendered, and Jascyn was declared the new packleader. He immediately forced the rylak to free all their ellr slaves.
The War Against Calarel
As the ancient mage Calarel initiated her assault to reactivate the god-machine Xyclami, Jascyn led his massive, unified army of rylak, cavek, vel, and other jungle predators south to the Kryptan Mountains to fight her. During the battle, Jascyn discovered that he was a shockstriker, capable of firing devastating blasts of darkprime elm magic.
During the confrontation, Calarel revealed a horrifying truth: she was Jascyn's missing "huntfather" (having used an illusion), making her his mother and confirming that Jascyn was a half-ellr, half-rylak hybrid. She offered him unlimited power to rule by her side, but Jascyn violently rejected her. Riding on Aena's back alongside Lysa, Jascyn pummeled Calarel with thirty simultaneous shockstriker bolts, fighting in tandem with his father, Thrombir, to finally bring the ancient mage down.
Epilogue: The Great Unifier
Following Calarel's defeat, Jascyn released his massive animal pack back into the wild, thanking them for their service. Ashryn recognized his unprecedented ability to bridge the divide between species and offered the Triad leadership over the effort to permanently unite the ellr and the rylak. Jascyn remained in Aldaron with Lysa, his telepathic and emotional bond with her blossoming into a deep, possibly romantic partnership as they worked to bring lasting peace to Eryn.
Powers and Abilities
- Shockstriker (Dark Elm): After magic returns to Eryn, Jascyn discovers he is Aligned with darkprime elm. He can project devastating, explosive bolts of blue electricity from his hands, eventually learning to fire dozens of bolts simultaneously.
- Demisoul / Souljoining: As a demisoul possessing both an ellr and rylak essence, Jascyn is uniquely empathetic. This allows him to "souljoin" with animals, forming profound telepathic and emotional bonds without subjugating their free will. His pack eventually includes welak wolves, kabul cats, cavek, and even the elusive, energy-based vel.
- Telepathy: Jascyn shares a direct telepathic link with Lysa and Aena. Through this bond, they can share thoughts, emotions, and even offload mental trauma and cognitive burdens to protect one another.
- Swordsmanship: Unlike typical rylak who rely on spears and claws, Jascyn is proficient with an ellr-forged metal sword.
Key Relationships
- Lysa: His closest companion and fellow demisoul. What begins as a bitter master-slave dynamic in Felgr evolves into a profound, telepathic partnership. They share a deep love, and by the end of the war, they are bonded as the leaders of a new, unified Eryn.
- Aena: The pink dragon of the Triad. Jascyn is fiercely protective of Aena, and their friendship proves that dragons and rylak can coexist peacefully.
- Thrombir: His rylak father. Thrombir physically and verbally abused Jascyn for his perceived weakness. However, before his death, Thrombir apologizes, admitting he was ashamed because he knew the world would not accept a half-ellr child. They fight side-by-side to defeat Calarel.
- Calarel: His mother. She masqueraded as an ellr "huntfather" to seduce Thrombir as part of her intricate, millennia-spanning plots. Jascyn despises her for her cruelty and rejects her offer of unlimited power.
- Kharad and Fang: A welak wolf and a kabul cat, respectively. They are Jascyn's first souljoined animal companions and fight loyally by his side until they are tragically killed by dragons during the final battle.