Studying the ancient dragon tongue
In the official profile, Hei Yao devotes himself to ancient draconic language and forgotten dragon history, and his hand on the rune stone is his defining image.
Portrait·Character assets
Character profile
Hei Yao · Dragonkin Scholar
More fantasy character cards →Reusable comic characterDragon FantasyScholarPrincipledTruth Seeker
At a glance
- Role
- Dragonkin Scholar
- Genre
- Fantasy
- Gender
- Male
- Form
- Dragonkin
- Art style
- Japanese-style illustration
- Main colours
- White, black, gold
- Home scene
- A dragon-script rune stone by candlelight
Appearance
Long black hair in a braid down his back, a pair of swept-back black dragon horns, faint scale patterns at the temple and the corner of the eye, golden eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses on a fine chain, darker skin and a cool, incisive expression.
Signature outfit
A long white coat with gold filigree at the stand collar and cuffs, a black high-collared shirt and a black waistcoat patterned in gold, a star-shaped brooch at the collar, fine chains and a gold belt at the waist, and dark trousers.
Where you will find them
A dim, candlelit ancient library. Hei Yao rests one hand on a massive black stone carved with glowing golden dragon-script runes, with heavy leather-bound tomes stacked beside him, a brass astrolabe at his feet and white candles burning in the shadows.
Personality and what makes them interesting
Refusing to rank lives by blood
He has dragonkin blood himself, yet firmly refuses to judge the worth of any life by its lineage.
Sharp words, real insight
He challenges prejudice and blind deference based on bloodlines, seeking truth and justice in tangled relations between peoples.
Characters that pair well
Suggested pairing: a dragon noble proud of pure blood
The noble hopes Hei Yao's research will prove dragons superior, but his conclusions point the other way.
Suggested pairing: a gifted human apprentice with no lineage
The apprentice is brilliant but constantly dismissed for his origins, and Hei Yao is the first to take his notes seriously.
Story hooks
The last line on the stone
A possible opening: Hei Yao finally deciphers the last line on the rune stone, and the history it records contradicts the dragons' official account.
The torn genealogy
Several pages have been neatly removed from an ancient dragon genealogy.
A public debate
Hei Yao is invited to debate bloodlines at the academy, before a hall full of people waiting for him to fail.
Character card FAQ
What kind of story suits Hei Yao?
Dragon fantasy, academy and archaeology stories, and fantasy politics exploring equality and prejudice.
Which details matter when drawing Hei Yao?
The swept-back black horns and scale marks by the eye, the long braid, golden eyes and chained gold-rimmed glasses, the gold-trimmed white coat and black-and-gold waistcoat.
How strong is his dragonkin blood?
The profile only says he has dragonkin lineage, not how powerful it is. Given his refusal to rank people by blood, not emphasising it fits him better.
