- Jun 18, 2015
- 10,109
- Gender
- Female
- Pronouns
- She/Her
- Posting Status
- Irregularly
BASIC INFO
Name: Ignatius PaltielAge:
Birthday: October 29th
Gender: Male
Category: Civilian
APPEARANCE
The vast majority of residents on the islands can pass as human with only a bit of effort. Those with less human forms can almost always hide themselves as human, and those who are noticeably not so tend to be a bit rarer. Ignatius is one of the rare ones. While he doesn't stand out as being a non-human, it's also immediately obvious to anyone who looks at him that he's not entirely human. His hair is a fiery red that could pass as natural if it didn't have what amounted to a shock of yellow at the front. He has two faint yellow stripes across the bridge of his nose, and despite the fact that he's yet to show any sign of grey, any facial hair he grows comes in white. All his hair is soft and almost feathery feeling. Most alarmingly, his eyes have black sclera with white irises, and his teeth, while not fangs, are also a good deal sharper than the average humans.
Ignatius is an almost unnatural height, standing at seven feet even. Both of his parents and the majority of his family are over six and a half feet. For the most part, it's simply accepted as part of being from a family of dinosaur shifters. There is the rare shifter that has a smaller shift and ends up undersized, and Ignatius was nearly one of them. By the time he was 14 he was only 4'3", a solid foot shorter than his classmates. Thankfully (or perhaps not so thankfully, depending on how bad his knees are hurting that day), he spent the first few years of his time in highschool enduring one of the most brutal growth spurts in the history of the earth. While a Tyrannosaurus Rex can reach twelve thousand pounds, almost the entirety of that growth is concentrated between their fourteenth and seventeenth years. Ignatius was no different, shooting up almost a foot a year. It means every piece of clothing he has needs to be custom tailored. It means he has to be insanely picky about what cars he chooses to drive. And it means he has to be very, very wary around doorways.
Ignatius is fit from working out when he's not actually working, and has plenty of small scars on his hands and arms. Aside from aches and pains (especially in his knees) due to his massive height, he's in excellent physical health.
Ignatius is an almost unnatural height, standing at seven feet even. Both of his parents and the majority of his family are over six and a half feet. For the most part, it's simply accepted as part of being from a family of dinosaur shifters. There is the rare shifter that has a smaller shift and ends up undersized, and Ignatius was nearly one of them. By the time he was 14 he was only 4'3", a solid foot shorter than his classmates. Thankfully (or perhaps not so thankfully, depending on how bad his knees are hurting that day), he spent the first few years of his time in highschool enduring one of the most brutal growth spurts in the history of the earth. While a Tyrannosaurus Rex can reach twelve thousand pounds, almost the entirety of that growth is concentrated between their fourteenth and seventeenth years. Ignatius was no different, shooting up almost a foot a year. It means every piece of clothing he has needs to be custom tailored. It means he has to be insanely picky about what cars he chooses to drive. And it means he has to be very, very wary around doorways.
Ignatius is fit from working out when he's not actually working, and has plenty of small scars on his hands and arms. Aside from aches and pains (especially in his knees) due to his massive height, he's in excellent physical health.
PERSONALITY
To the surprise of absolutely no one, Ignatius has been called a 'tyrant' more than once. It's so closely connected to his shift that he'd have to be a veritable saint for it not to be lobbed at him at least once, but the simple truth is that it's at least mostly accurate. Ignatius rules his company with an iron fist, controlling the entire thing and demanding perfection. That's not to say he's a bad boss, because the company has done amazingly well under him. He simply makes zero effort to 'play nice' with people, be they employees or other companies. He does recognize those who do well, and if you do well in his company you'll end up far better off than you would have in another company. It's simply the fact that if you do bad, he's not going to let you try and figure it out - you'll be out on your ass before you can finish writing a report about how you'll do better next time.
He's an intimidating man, and he'd describe himself as 'arrogant' if it wasn't at least mostly justified. After all, he is the CEO of one of the largest and oldest companies in the Manta Carlos Islands, and his company has done extremely well since he took over. His sense of high self worth will no doubt rub some people the wrong way, but most people would have a hard time saying it's not true.
In part because of his size and intimidating appearance, there's a general idea among people who meet him that he must be involved in some kind of shady business. It's easy to look at him and assume he's the man behind at least some amount of organized crime based on appearances alone, but the fact is that he's not - everything Ignatius does is one hundred percent by the books and completely legal. He actually enjoys dealing with the police, because it can only go good places for him. He's completely legitimate, but his competitors might not be, and he sees the police as a shield for him and his business more than anything.
He demands much of others, but demands just as much of himself. He works out regularly because he refuses to become one of those 'fat suits' who can't walk down a flight of stairs without getting winded, and he does far more work than a normal CEO does. He's very close to living the life of 'if you want something done right, do it yourself', although his is closer to 'if you want something done right, watch closely and make absolutely sure someone else is doing it right'.
Ignatius was born and raised on the islands, and he has no desire for a life outside them. He does not wonder at the wider wild as some born on the islands may. The islands are his home, and he feels fiercely protective of them. He has little tolerance for those who seek them ill, although that does not necessarily extend to people who mean the population of the islands ill. That's not his business - that would be business for the police.
Ignatius is homosexual, a point of deep irritation for him. Having a biological heir has always been a desire of his, and he finds himself in a very unfortunate situation as a result - he has zero interest in women, but still wants children, and there can be no happy endings in that regard. His homosexuality is a secret, and he frequently dates women in their 20s, using them for their beauty as much as they use him for his money. He always seems to have a different woman on his arm at every social event.
He's an intimidating man, and he'd describe himself as 'arrogant' if it wasn't at least mostly justified. After all, he is the CEO of one of the largest and oldest companies in the Manta Carlos Islands, and his company has done extremely well since he took over. His sense of high self worth will no doubt rub some people the wrong way, but most people would have a hard time saying it's not true.
In part because of his size and intimidating appearance, there's a general idea among people who meet him that he must be involved in some kind of shady business. It's easy to look at him and assume he's the man behind at least some amount of organized crime based on appearances alone, but the fact is that he's not - everything Ignatius does is one hundred percent by the books and completely legal. He actually enjoys dealing with the police, because it can only go good places for him. He's completely legitimate, but his competitors might not be, and he sees the police as a shield for him and his business more than anything.
He demands much of others, but demands just as much of himself. He works out regularly because he refuses to become one of those 'fat suits' who can't walk down a flight of stairs without getting winded, and he does far more work than a normal CEO does. He's very close to living the life of 'if you want something done right, do it yourself', although his is closer to 'if you want something done right, watch closely and make absolutely sure someone else is doing it right'.
Ignatius was born and raised on the islands, and he has no desire for a life outside them. He does not wonder at the wider wild as some born on the islands may. The islands are his home, and he feels fiercely protective of them. He has little tolerance for those who seek them ill, although that does not necessarily extend to people who mean the population of the islands ill. That's not his business - that would be business for the police.
Ignatius is homosexual, a point of deep irritation for him. Having a biological heir has always been a desire of his, and he finds himself in a very unfortunate situation as a result - he has zero interest in women, but still wants children, and there can be no happy endings in that regard. His homosexuality is a secret, and he frequently dates women in their 20s, using them for their beauty as much as they use him for his money. He always seems to have a different woman on his arm at every social event.
POWERS
Ignatius, like all his family, is a dinosaur shifter. While some of his family members could pass for human, Ignatius is not one of them, and shows plenty of physical traits from his shift even when in human form. Shifting for him is physically painful, largely due to his size. He's a bit over average as far as Tyrannosaurus Rex's go, standing about 12 feet tall at his hips, and about 35 feet long. The difference in size between his human form and dinosaur form means it takes almost five minutes for him to completely shift, but he's also capable of more subtle shifts at a much faster pace. One of his favorites is more of a skull adjustment than a true shift, with his jaw lengthening into a snout, his teeth growing larger, and the muscles that control his jaw gaining strength, allowing him to physically bite at anything that might threaten him.
While he's attempted to take advantage of his other forms enhanced eyesight and sense of smell, he's not capable of just shifting his eyes like that - he essentially has to shift half his head to manage that, which has the unfortunate side effect of looking equal parts ugly and hilarious.
Shifting is an energy intensive process, leaving him ravenous afterward (unless he happens to have a bite to eat while shifted). As a result, he seldom shifts.
While he's attempted to take advantage of his other forms enhanced eyesight and sense of smell, he's not capable of just shifting his eyes like that - he essentially has to shift half his head to manage that, which has the unfortunate side effect of looking equal parts ugly and hilarious.
Shifting is an energy intensive process, leaving him ravenous afterward (unless he happens to have a bite to eat while shifted). As a result, he seldom shifts.
BIOGRAPHY
Ignatius's family has been on the Islands for longer than the academy has been. Or at least half of it was. The Paltiel's landed in the 1600s, and remained ever since although they were entirely human at the time. No one is one hundred percent sure what generation started it, but it was clear enough that somewhere down the line, someone married someone who was distinctly not human, and the whole family has been ever since. Being able to turn into a dinosaur seems to be a dominant trait, and even marrying a human is no hinderance to their ability to turn into relics of time long past.
As an only child, it was assumed he would take over the family business. While the Paltiel's dabbled in plenty of fields, they remained the most significant investment firm in the Manta Carlos Islands, dealing out the majority of the loans that make all those small businesses possible. More than one of the island's significant businesses got their start on Paltiel money.
One of the greater mysteries of being part of a group of dinosaur shifters was that it was often a mystery just what one was until they finally managed to shift themselves. Markings and colors gave little indication, considering the markings and colors of most dinosaurs were completely unknown, and beyond the fact that his teeth were a bit sharp, Ignatius remained a mystery. He was small growing up, often a foot shorter than his classmates and remaining so until shortly after he turned fourteen. It was a point of endless mockery, and the general consensus was that luck of the draw had gifted Ignatius Paltiel with one of the smallest dinosaurs known. Perhaps a Microraptor or a Dilong. Instead, fate had other things in store.
Ignatius was a Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the largest predators to ever walk the earth. Just like his shift, Ignatius shot up like a weed, gaining a foot a year and a whole lot of pain in his knees. He first managed to shift when he was seventeen, although he didn't repeat the process for another year afterwards due to the extreme pain.
By the time he was eighteen he towered over most of his classmates at 6'10", and he'd finally settle in at his full height of seven feet when he turned twenty. It meant everything had to be custom tailored, which was an irritating expense, although not a bank breaking one. Graduating from high school, he moved on to take a business degree, graduating in the expected four years. From there, there was no question where he'd go, and he quickly joined the family company. He didn't stay near the bottom for long though - soon he wasn't just climbing up the ranks, he was sprinting through them. One month manager, the next the head of his department... He was perpetually moving upward, in part because of his place within the family, and in part because of how efficient and ruthless he was. He had no time for playing nice and office politics - he'd be the very best at whatever job he was in, constantly finding higher positions.
Eventually there was no higher position - he sat on the board of directors, and the only position that could possibly outrank him was the CEO himself - his father. Most people expected him to settle in there, wait for his father to retire... but of course he didn't. No, instead he spent three long years planning the whole thing out, and then in the span of three days staged a coup, ousting his father from the CEO position and installing himself instead.
His father couldn't tell if he should be furious he'd been ousted, or proud that he'd raised exactly what he wanted in a son. In the end, he split the difference and ended up going into an early retirement, resentful but not making an attempt to regain his position.
The company flourished under him, and he settled in - happy to finally be on top. Of course, everything wasn't perfect - he still hadn't had any children, and as he approached forty, it weighed on his mind more and more.
As an only child, it was assumed he would take over the family business. While the Paltiel's dabbled in plenty of fields, they remained the most significant investment firm in the Manta Carlos Islands, dealing out the majority of the loans that make all those small businesses possible. More than one of the island's significant businesses got their start on Paltiel money.
One of the greater mysteries of being part of a group of dinosaur shifters was that it was often a mystery just what one was until they finally managed to shift themselves. Markings and colors gave little indication, considering the markings and colors of most dinosaurs were completely unknown, and beyond the fact that his teeth were a bit sharp, Ignatius remained a mystery. He was small growing up, often a foot shorter than his classmates and remaining so until shortly after he turned fourteen. It was a point of endless mockery, and the general consensus was that luck of the draw had gifted Ignatius Paltiel with one of the smallest dinosaurs known. Perhaps a Microraptor or a Dilong. Instead, fate had other things in store.
Ignatius was a Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the largest predators to ever walk the earth. Just like his shift, Ignatius shot up like a weed, gaining a foot a year and a whole lot of pain in his knees. He first managed to shift when he was seventeen, although he didn't repeat the process for another year afterwards due to the extreme pain.
By the time he was eighteen he towered over most of his classmates at 6'10", and he'd finally settle in at his full height of seven feet when he turned twenty. It meant everything had to be custom tailored, which was an irritating expense, although not a bank breaking one. Graduating from high school, he moved on to take a business degree, graduating in the expected four years. From there, there was no question where he'd go, and he quickly joined the family company. He didn't stay near the bottom for long though - soon he wasn't just climbing up the ranks, he was sprinting through them. One month manager, the next the head of his department... He was perpetually moving upward, in part because of his place within the family, and in part because of how efficient and ruthless he was. He had no time for playing nice and office politics - he'd be the very best at whatever job he was in, constantly finding higher positions.
Eventually there was no higher position - he sat on the board of directors, and the only position that could possibly outrank him was the CEO himself - his father. Most people expected him to settle in there, wait for his father to retire... but of course he didn't. No, instead he spent three long years planning the whole thing out, and then in the span of three days staged a coup, ousting his father from the CEO position and installing himself instead.
His father couldn't tell if he should be furious he'd been ousted, or proud that he'd raised exactly what he wanted in a son. In the end, he split the difference and ended up going into an early retirement, resentful but not making an attempt to regain his position.
The company flourished under him, and he settled in - happy to finally be on top. Of course, everything wasn't perfect - he still hadn't had any children, and as he approached forty, it weighed on his mind more and more.
EXTRA INFO
- Even in human form, Ignatius has impressive jaw strength. He'll snap through bones to get at marrow without a second thought.
- 90% of his diet is meat. He's a true carnivore at heart, with no taste for vegetables.
- For more info on the Paltiel family, check here.
- Art is made by Honke, and used with permission.
