A supporting character and leader of the Riders of Drake, General Drake is considered to be the creator of the dragons on the Roads of Gaia, and the one human they respect above all else. A Father to his Dragons and a Danger to his Foes, Drake intends for dragons to be the saviors of mankind.
Appearance
General Drake is a six foot, seven inch tall human with dark brown hair streaked with gray, and brown eyes marbled with spots of red and gold, which gives him a very fiery glare. He has a horseshoe mustache and his chin is usually covered in a five o’clock shadow.
Despite being a General, he usually dresses like an aviator pilot, with a black flight suit overlaid by a brown bomber jacket with a white fur collar. One of the sleeves is usually ripped away, showing his impressive bicep, colored by a tattoo of a dragon that winds around his bicep and ends at his fist.
Backstory
Ever since he was a child, Ryan Drake had a fondness for dragons. He respected their size, strength and ability to protect what they considered theirs, but was disappointed by how they were consistently portrayed as either dangerous animals, god-like beings or very powerful pets. He desired a type of dragon that was more than a tool to be used, and yet also one that was less than a god; one that could be a friend.
For a time, Drake let his dreams be just dreams. He joined the military to support his ailing mother, and through hard work and dedication, he rose through the ranks to eventually become a General. But then an enemy came for him; one that sought his death before he even knew of its existence: Myst, the first of many wolf-like monsters.
Drake barely managed to escape with his life; his family and fellow generals weren’t as lucky. Drake’s code would have made him go back and try to join them, but as luck would have it, he was found by a mysterious man calling himself ‘Luco.’
Luco knew of Drake’s childhood dreams, and he told him he had a way to make it a reality. Utilizing a strange book of magic, Luco showed Drake that his magic could create dragons in the image Drake had hoped for; not as a feral animal or a pet or even a god-like being, but as a partner. A friend for him to fight alongside.
Inspired and too wrapped up in his hopes to question his fortune, Drake began working alongside Luco to make more of these dragons. Raising them like his children, Drake instilled in the dragons a sense of public service and nobility. And when he sent his dragons out to fight against Myst and her minions, Drake was able to celebrate. For once, humans finally saw dragons the way he did.
All he would need to do is ensure his dragons destroyed Myst, and then their status as heroes would be complete.
In the alternate fanfiction timelines, he serves as a good counterpart to Luco, being the one who inspires the dragons to make good decisions and not spend all their time fighting. Additionally, he is mentioned to have previously been a special operations soldier known simply as ‘The Black Viper,’ named for his deadly speed and skill with poisons. Though that identity is far behind him, he still retains the same skills, including the ability to bring down even dragons with only a few rabbit punches. And everyone dreads the day he goes back to using poisons. For in hand-to-hand combat, he’ll simply lay his opponents out. But if he brings knives into the fray, someone’s going to die.
Abilities
- Peak of physical training – in order to earn the dragon’s respect, Drake has to train himself to be at the peak of human physical fitness. As such, he’s stronger, faster and more durable than the average human.
- Nerve Point Strikes – as an added bonus, he’s done extensive research on the nervous systems of humans, dragons and demi-wolves. As such, a single rabbit punch from him can bring down even the strongest dragons, causing them to believe he can beat them all in one punch.
- Inspirational – he naturally draws the respect and admiration of his dragons, and they look up to him as a father figure of sorts. As such, he’s easily able to convince them to follow his lead or his plans.
Personality
A military man through and through, Drake believes first and foremost in the protection of mankind. However, he is not fully ruthless; he loves the soldiers under him as his own children – man and dragon alike – and is both devastated and enraged when they are hurt or killed.
Respectful of courage, loyalty, selflessness and duty, Drake is capable of great generosity, though he also is careful to keep one hand armed while offering the other. Headstrong and proactive, Drake does not believe peace with the demi-wolves – or at the very least Myst – is possible. And he does not intend to stop until she and Luco are both dead: Myst for the slaughter of humans, and Luco for trying to ruin the reputation of his dragons.
Stories Involving Him
- Of Scales and Fur – Shiva
- Of Scales and Fur – Rocket
- Of Scales and Fur – Celine
- Of Scales and Fur – Wing
- Of Scales and Fur – Phoenix
- Of Scales and Fur – Jackknife (Plays a minor antagonist role, trying to have Jack captured so as to calm the tensions rising between humans and dragons)
- Friendship is Awesome Forum and Storyboards Forum
Trivia
- Drake was inspired by William Carver from Telltale’s The Walking Dead. Though he has come to lack many of Carver’s personality traits, elements of Carver, such as his jacket and mustache, remain a part of Drake’s design.
- Initially, Drake’s recommended voice actor was Michael Madsen, who also voiced William Carver. However, given Madsen’s death, Drake’s recommended voice actor has been updated to Michael Cudlitz, specifically his role as Sgt. Abraham Ford from the Walking Dead.
- Drake’s recommended theme music would be ‘A Draco Tale’ by Dragonforce.
- His past incarnation, the Black Viper, draws mainly inspiration from Solid Snake of Metal Gear Solid, though his name is derived from the Red Viper of Game of Thrones, and the Black Mamba from Kill Bill.
- Originally, the Black Viper was going to be a separate character entirely. And while he may end up becoming separate, for now, it feels more prominent to have Drake be him before he became a general.