Kaelen Dross

Kaelen Dross was never one for cities. Long before the Archivian Museum recruited him into the Field Core, his life had been carved into the untamed edges of the map. Born in the borderlands where mountains gave way to forests and deserts stretched into silence, Kaelen’s childhood was one of endurance. He learned to track animals before he could write, to read the weather in the bend of grass, and to know the sound of danger by the way birds fell silent.

When his sister vanished during a wilderness trek, the world tilted. She had been his closest companion, a mirror to his survival instincts, and losing her cut more deeply than any physical wound. No body was ever found, only vague reports and half-formed guesses from those who had searched too late. From that moment, every journey Kaelen took became a search for her, even if he could not admit it to himself. Whether in deserts, jungles, or frozen mountains, he carried the quiet hope that somewhere he would find a sign — a mark, a trail, a clue to explain the mystery.

Kaelen earned his reputation as a guide when he began leading expeditions for scholars and explorers who sought what lay beyond safe paths. Unlike many who boasted of their exploits, he let silence carry his authority. Those who traveled under his lead noticed his uncanny ability to find water in parched lands, to cross treacherous mountains without losing a step, or to vanish into brush only to reappear hours later with a mapped route memorized. His talent for terrain mapping and survival drew the attention of the Archivian Museum, which needed someone who could keep the Field Core alive in places where maps grew useless.

Within the team, Kaelen is both indispensable and difficult. He moves with an animal’s economy of motion, rarely wasting words or gestures. His lean frame, weathered skin, and dark cropped hair give him the look of someone carved by wind and sun rather than comfort. Some team members have grown frustrated at his reluctance to share details immediately. He has a habit of scouting ahead silently, leaving only carved symbols or arranged stones to mark the way. Yet when danger closes in, his instincts prove faster than reason. On more than one occasion, his warnings have spared the team from collapse, whether from a storm, an avalanche, or a rival’s ambush.

Despite his solitary nature, loyalty binds Kaelen to the Field Core. He trusts the courage of his companions, though trust does not come easily. With Marcus Renn, he has a cautious respect, appreciating the leader’s balance of daring and care. With Isolde Maren, he shares quiet exchanges about landscapes and histories, though her obsession with lost civilizations sometimes reminds him too much of his own grief. Tamsin Vale, reckless and improvisational, tests his patience, but her energy occasionally coaxes him from his solitude.

Kaelen Dross remains a man caught between two worlds: the boundless wilderness where he feels most alive, and the bonds of a team that require communication and trust. His personal quest to uncover what happened to his sister drives him into ever more dangerous terrains. For him, every map drawn, every horizon crossed, is more than survival — it is a step toward finding the missing piece of himself.