Rafael was a resilient person who was forced to grow in difficult circumstances. By nature he was private and reserved, preferring to quietly pursue his interests rather than go against the status quo like his sister Lilia, or steal the spotlight like his brother Salvador. As they grew older, Rafael and Salvador were tasked with taking care of Lilia, whose string of sicknesses early in life had left her weak, and Rafael took to this duty to heart. He was blamed for the unfortunate circumstances of her death, an event that continued to haunt him for the rest of his life. Rafael was ever well-intentioned but too proud to refute the claims made against him, unwilling to run away despite the corruption of the trial. He allowed himself to be imprisoned, and it was only by Salvador's conniving that he was forced to escape Onuba prior to his trial. At his best, Rafael was responsible, self-effacing, loyal, and held a strong sense of duty to the people he cared for, even when it came at his expense. At his worst, he was a conformist and self-involved, only rising to challenge or defend a person or cause when something personal was at stake.

• Demeanor: Reserved, aloof, taciturn
• Speech: An average masculine pitch with a moderate Spanish accent.
• Scent: Willow, wood, floral
• Outlook: Pessimistic
• Alignment: Lawful Neutral

• Likes: Violeta, sword-fighting, riding horses, reading
• Dislikes: Socializing, parties, people, cowardice

Rafael was raised in Onuba and internalized many of their biases and prejudices, such as disapproval of non-luperci or primitive lifestyles. Rafael was also initially uncomfortable with homosexuality, despite his brother and later, his niece, being homosexual; in these cases, his love for the individuals forced him to broaden his understanding, and he became less intolerant over time.

He also had a more patriarchal perspective of packs/groups, holding the belief that men should be caretakers of women. He was gradually disabused of this line of thinking during his time in the highly matriarchal society of Salsola, where his superiors were all extremely capable and strong women.

All of these biases and developments went largely unnoticed by those around him, since he was an intensely private person and never openly expressed anything more than ambivalence towards the relationships or lifestyles of other people.

Rafael was mainly preoccupied with his duties as a Salsolan soldier and caring for Violeta. After meeting her, his fears tended to revolve around her safety or his own failure to attend to her needs. Yes, he was a simp for Vio.

Rafael was probably more along the asexual spectrum. He was mostly disinterested in sexual matters, although he had strong emotional attractions to others.

An extremely committed individual, to maybe an unhealthy degree depending on how you look at it, once he was with Violeta he was devoted to her entirely.

A teetotaler with little trust for substances other than alcohol.

Rafael was not a zealot nor particularly spiritual, but he had his own code of honor which he took as seriously as a pious disciple of religion. He mostly avoided Salsola's coven, neither understanding what they were about nor willing to mess around and find out.

• Combat (High Level of Experience)

• Language and Literacy

• Equine Care

Credit: San

Balanced like a blade himself, Rafael's shape is overall sleek and hard-edged. His eyes are slender and the color a sharp purple, and his short-haired coat is a blend of earthy browns and light creams. His dark hair is kept in a tidy bun with the sides trimmed, something like an undercoat pony-tail. With tall, upright ears and a thin tail, he clearly resembles a blend of hunting and hound dogs. Well muscled and strongest in the chest and quadriceps, Rafael can cover great distances with relative ease and carries himself with a confident, graceful gait. He prefers a humanized form and rarely takes to his four-legged one, although this does happen from time to time.

Forms

• Lupus: 27.6 in (70.1 cm) ↔ 100 lbs (45.3 kg)
• Secui: 36 in (91.4 cm) ↔ 120 lbs (54.4 kg)
• Optime: 6ft 3in (75.6 in / 192 cm) ↔ 180 lbs (81.6 kg)

Clothing

• Deep purple velvet shirt
• Dark trousers that end at the knee
• Thick leather Belt
• Dark cotton cape lined with satin and stoat fur
• Painted Vest made by the D'Angelo siblings, Fire and Hope
• Black doublet with gold flower motifs

Accessories

• Amethyst Studs

Weapons

• Spanish Rapier: Named Sin Luna, the sword has a Willow Tree inspired hilt. Pommel is a simple dog head with open mouth.
• Spear: Gifted by Bane D'Angelo during Secret Santa '15!

Please note that Rafael's color palette may be artistically exaggerated in his depictions.

Fur and Optime Hair

Eyes

For the full gallery, click here. Hover for image credit!

• Mother: Leta Salcedo (née Acosta)
• Father: Eliseo Salcedo
• Siblings: Lilia, Salvador
• Mate: Violeta Rose Soul
• Children: Casimir Soul, Nymeria Soul, Rhaegar Salcedo

Rafael belongs the Salcedo family; as such, many of their members are directly and indirectly related to him.

• Grandparents:
• Aunts & Uncles:
• Cousins:
• Nieces & Nephews: Mateo Salcedo, Lilia Salcedo, Rita Salcedo, Maribel Salcedo
  • Grand-nieces/Nephews: Clementine Salcedo, Lyra Salcedo, Magnus Salcedo, Baltasar Salcedo

Family Relationships

Parents

• Rafael's quiet nature meant he got along well enough with his busy parents, who were mostly uninvolved with raising him and his siblings. After Lilia's death, they were in shock and at a loss for what to do, leaving most of the damage-control to Salvador's shoulders. Following his visit in 2016, Rafael was surprised to find that they welcomed him back, and less surprised to find that they refused to talk about the matter. They were people who were more interested in keeping up appearances than connecting on a deeper level, which Rafael came to terms with, for better or for worse.

Siblings

• Rafael and his brother Salvador were complete opposites in terms of disposition, one dark and the other light, but this division inspired closeness between them rather than distance. Salvador was Rafael's most trusted confidant, and Salvador in turn relied on Rafael's strength of character and honesty. They had their share of squabbles and petty disagreements, which had often been mended by their sister Lilia. After her death, circumstances were such that Rafael and Salvador were separated for a long period of time with little contact. Salvador searched to clear Rafael's name, and eventually was able to secure a pardon for him, allowing Rafael to return home.

Casimir, Nymeria, and Rhaegar

• Rafael was proud to welcome his children to the world, and prouder still when all three of them showed great promise as soldiers. When the children were old enough to shift, he and his niece Lilia guided their training at the Salsolan Outpost. Rafael strove to be involved in their lives as much as possible, which meant more discipline than was appreciated by his children. They were often pushed to their limits, and conflicts were resolved under his watch. He sought to be fair most of all, favoring no child over the other. Rafael cared deeply for them, and would protect them without a thought, but he was not especially giving as a father and his restraint often came off as coldness.

Lilia Salcedo

• Rafael's niece, named after his late sister, quickly became like a daughter to him. Restricted and stifled by Onuban society, she desperately wanted to return with Rafael and the Salsolan delegates to Salsola; Salvador was initially against this, but Rafael was able to convince him to let her go.

Violeta Rose Soul

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Former Relationships

Salsola

• Osrath Eternity
• Indra Winters
• Hyacinth Silevue
• Loki Helsi
• Itachi Lykoi

Other

• Naenia Ortega
• Akantha Amaranthe
• Semini Amaranthe

The Eastern Watchtower was among a handful of ruins to be refinished in the modern human era, leaving it slightly more in tact following the apocalypse. The interior is primarily wood, specifically cedar and teak, and uniquely the whole watchtower is constructed with a complex and intricate wood-only joinery system. The exterior consists of brick and stone, though the eastern side has grown a large wall of ivy. Due to the lack of occupancy and care, some areas of the tower have suffered the effects of aging and weathering, although the durability of the wood has lessened these effects. There are three stories: the ground floor, which has a hearth for fire and passage to the stables and storage shed; the second story, which was repaired and now a bedchamber, and the topmost floor which provides access to the roof. A straight and narrow staircase connects all the floors. Fresh flowers are kept throughout the home, and drying herbs are hung around the hearth. The bedchamber windows were fitted with wooden shutters, though they are frequently left open to allow light and the breeze off the bay into the room.

2017 ➤

2016 ➤

2015 ➤