THE PHYSICAL:

Hair: Somewhere between wavy and curly. Snow-white. Thick. Grows just past his shoulders and stops there naturally like a lion’s mane. He doesn’t do anything to maintain it.

Eyes: Wide-set. Long but not particularly wide. Resemble narrow, upslanting slits. No visible pupils or irises, with surfaces of featureless shiny red. Bushy white eyebrows.

Nose: Broad and black and somewhat resembling a lion’s.

Mouth: No visible lips, large, sharp teeth with lower canines that stick up and sometimes give the impression that he is smiling.

Skin: Light brown, but also covered with a moderate coating of light tan fur.

Face: Square-ish and squat with a powerful jaw. Has a little white curly goatee. Has a pair of small, tan vestigial horns poking out just in front of his ears, which are long and floppy like a goat, with pink insides.

Age: Late thirties.

Height: Very tall, at least 6’6”.

Weight: Very heavy.

Body: Muscular and solid body, broad chest, slightly short arms and legs whose extremities end in sharp black claws. Has a body resembling a mix between a thickly-built human and a lion. Has no preferred hand—functionally ambidextrous.

Ethnicity: He’s from an extremely distant alternate dimension. Unknown.

Distinguishing features: Somehow, even though he looks like a mix between a mythological beast, a lion, and a little bit of goat, Dax can seem very familiar and human-like. All of his features distinguish him, but most humans would be most startled by his eyes because it is impossible to tell if he is looking at you.

Voice: Low and rumbling, but easy to understand. Laughs are rare, low, and short-lived.

Gestures: Silence. He is very good at making silence a speech aspect. When nervous (which isn’t often), he might wind his fingers in his hair. Also has a very eloquent sigh.

Clothing and style: Large tee shirts and big, roomy men’s pants and shorts fit him. He will wear whatever fits, and normally chooses shirts with cheesy advertising. Never wears shoes.

THE PERSONAL:

General mood: Extremely calm and fair. It is usually difficult to tell what he is feeling because he is so quiet, but generally he is complacent and laid-back. Subject to occasional brooding if something is bothering him or if he is bored.

Talents and abilities: He is very physically strong and has amazing endurance for running, walking, and lifting. Can walk and run on two legs or on “all fours,” running like a lion. Also known for his patience, his eloquence, and his ability to say what needs to be said and nothing more. Often represents the voice of reason in an argument involving more passionate people. Can be nurturing. Tells good stories.

Weaknesses and shortcomings: Sometimes he is so complacent that he gets stepped on by people with stronger wills. He does not understand jealousy, but he does sometimes get sad when others have a good time and he is not included, but instead of trying to include himself he would rather withdraw.

Interests: Hearing and telling stories. Quietly exploring his faith. Meditating. Finding ways to prepare food. Talking to others about deep subjects.

Pet peeves: Being left alone just because he does not insist on being the center of attention. Being held to human standards when they just don’t apply. When people arrive in a bad situation due to their own bad choices and then whine about wanting pity.

Phobias: He has no phobias and no real fears. The only person who could overpower him physically is Ivy, and he used to be a little in awe of her and wary, but after she was obviously no longer a threat to him Dax returned to his “nothing can hurt me” mindset.

Eating habits: Loves meat of nearly any type, stews, barbecue, and any sort of food that you can sink your teeth into.

Education: Can read and write, and has an adaptable mind so if he were to be taught human educational subjects he could absorb them. Understands systems and structures—the big picture—more than the details.

Language abilities: Speaks English, but knows it is his second language without being able to remember any of his first.

Political affiliation: Obviously doesn’t give much attention to the outside world. None.

Occupation: Used to be a prime hunter for the group’s meat sources, but once they changed to living in a house he really doesn’t do much as a “job.”

Religious beliefs: Has a spiritual philosophy geared toward honoring “the Mother.” He meditates, he communes with Her, and he gives Her offerings and prayers.

Sexual orientation: Is attracted to females, even if they’re human. It’s more that he senses their femininity rather than being interested in their bodies.

Marital status: Unattached, but for a while had a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship with Zoe.

Family information: Parents and family are obviously in another dimension. He doesn’t remember them. He considers Weaver a brother and the rest of the original crew his cousins.

Friend information: Before the arrival of Ivy, Weaver was his closest friend, and it was mutual, uncontested. He made very good friends with Alix and enjoyed teaching him, but it aggravated Weaver, and then after Ivy came and Weaver latched onto her because she could fly, Dax was left on his own more or less. Except for Zoe for a while, no one pays much attention to him unless they need a task done and Ivy isn’t there or they just want someone to talk to—he doesn’t often feel that he is a popular member of the house.

Other information: Doesn’t really enjoy being indoors, but finds it strangely comfortable. That is to say, he feels cooped up, but enjoys surrendering the always-on-your-guard feeling to the comfort of walls. If he sleeps indoors one night, he prefers to spend a long time outdoors the next morning.

THE STORY:

Dax came through to this dimension for unknown reasons and his mind was very close to a blank slate. After some wanderings and interactions with particularly open-minded groups of people, he got the beginnings of a semblance of language back, and escaped the city to the forest, where he met Weaver and the magic began. Dax and Weaver formed a brotherly partnership, choosing names for each other and creating and refining belief systems. They both had an innate understanding of “the Mother” and wanted to construct a way to worship Her. Through their eating habits, hunting habits, and general daily life, they sought to honor their Mother, honor each other, and have some fun as well.

Alix came into their lives one day and they spent time teaching him how to live. Then when Adele came along a lot of their responsibility was taken away because she assumed a motherly role. Eventually, when Ivy was found, Dax cared about her quite a bit even though he was sad that she took away the attention of his best friend. He tried to treat her like a father or an uncle would, but she turned out to be a child not particularly suited to being nurtured, and his silence and lack of forceful behavior made him gray in her mind. He didn’t feel particularly important in her life.

After they acquired a house and all that, the rooms started filling up with roommates. Dax avoided them for the most part—he thought they would find him disturbing, and mostly did not interact with them. This changed when one of the last girls, Zoe, was added; she sought HIM out and was curious about HIM, and he couldn’t help but respond. She treated him so much like any other guy that he responded in kind, and they had a relationship like any two humans for quite a while. Then they started having arguments because Zoe, in typical teenage girl fashion, started insisting they’d never been as close as he’d thought they were, telling him she saw other men. He didn’t like not being taken seriously and they called it off.

After Ivy began pursuing her own life (about Book 3 in the series), Weaver expressed an interest in a return to their roots and they took up previous practices together. Dax is happy to have him back around, but feels that it isn’t the same.

FAVORITE DAX QUOTES:

“‘Things’ can sometimes be in need of changing.” –Book 0, chapter 2

“The land isn’t ours. The Earth belongs to Herself.” –Book 0, chapter 5