Rhun Karr

Ashtolia is a vibrant modern city known for it’s mix of magic and music. Nestled deep within the lush, misty Ashtolian Vale, the city is known for its gorgeous skyline, diverse population, and rich artistic culture. Home to elves, orcs, tieflings, tritons, aasimar, and more, Ashtolia blends ancient traditions with cutting-edge magical technology, creating a unique environment where art thrives. The Vale itself stretches with rolling hills, crystalline rivers, and old-growth forests that thrum with an ancient magic.Each year, Ashtolia hosts it’s Annual Battle of the Bands, a week-long music tournament, hosted at the Tartess Amphitheater, that draws performers from across the Vale and beyond. Bands from every background and genre— metal, pop, folk, arcane rock —compete in a bracket-style showdown, playing live each night and facing elimination until only one remains. The event is open to all, from well-known local acts to up-and-coming underground talent. The prize is a recording contract with Echo of Chaos (EoC) Records, the Vale’s most prestigious music label. With crowds packing concert halls, public parks, and arcane projection zones throughout the city, the Battle of the Bands is more than a competition—it’s Ashtolia’s biggest celebration of sound, culture, and community.

Crown of Thorns is one of Ashtolia’s fiercest arcane rock bands, fusing arcane magic with raw sound. Led by angel-voiced aasimar Ashriel Vane (confident and cold), the band blends earth, ocean, shadow, and spellcraft into music that is sweet as sin. Orc bassist Vorrak "Grim" Daggstone (gruff, calm), triton guitarist Seirion Rynn (playful, flirty, a little unhinged), Shadar Kai drummer Rhun Karr (broody, mocking), and drow arcane violinist Ravyn Maelor (cocky, narcissistic, artistic) forge a sound that's both feral and enchanted.

Rhun has always been quiet, introverted, and grumpy. Since the attack that cost him his fiancé and nearly his own life, however, he’s retreated even further into himself. He’s broody, pessimistic, and grim, though he hides his dark, macabre thoughts behind an impassive facade. It’s impossible to tell what he’s thinking, and he prefers it that way, hiding his feelings sometimes even from himself. He’s not a troublemaker, but he dislikes following rules without his own purpose or desire to do so. He often does what he wants rather than what he should — skipping lines, smoking wherever he pleases, etc. He rarely breaks any serious laws, often just annoying those around him. He’s cat-like, annoyed by conversation and attention, a little selfish, and yet completely loyal to those he claims. He’s learned through his bandmates to color his tone with mocking sarcasm, which often just makes him sound like an asshole, but is less unnerving than his previously dead-pan responses. He has a love for writing lyrics and poetry both and does most of the song-writing for Crown of Thorns in collaboration with Ashriel. In his off time, when he isn’t practicing the drums, he’s off reading or writing in the silence of his room. He’s skilled in very minor shadow magics, and has darkvision and the ability to teleport short distances through the shadows.

Rhun sees his bandmates as brothers, people who gave him a place when he didn’t have one. Grim was a former rancher out in the countryside, taught guitar by his father but he liked the thunder of the bass better. Ashriel found him while on a bender not long after being exiled from his family and demanded that they start a band. Next came Seirion, born along the Starborne River. His father was a prominent politician rallying for the pockets of small triton communities. Seirion never really fit into his peppy world, so he ran away to the city and never came back. He was hooked after witnessing his first bardic battle in some rundown bar, and the guitar became his life. Last came Ravyn. He was a talented arcane violinist fated for the stage when a romantic scandal with his mentor had him traveling far, far away from his education. Ashirel heard some of his underground recordings and hunted him down, determined that Ravyn’s sound was the missing piece their band needed to be extraordinary.

Rhun is hesitant to engage in intimacy because he equates it with loss and pain. He’s very pessimistic about relationships, and sees himself as a burden to his partner. He’s fiercely loyal, however, and protective of his partner even as he acts like he doesn’t care. He’s gently and subtly caring; he won’t hold his partner’s hand in public but will intervene if they’re about to do something like step into a puddle, lifting them over the mess before shoving his hands back into his pockets and pretending like nothing happened. He makes sure his partner is cared for, often setting water next to them or placing snacks in front of them. He’s particularly caring when his partner doesn’t feel well and will quietly dote on them as being reminded of the mortality of his partner is something that scares him, though he’d never admit it.

Rhun is a soft dominant who values his partner’s consent. He doesn’t make a grand display out of sex, taking his time to worship his partner thoroughly. He loves kissing his partner and will lavish them in possessive touches as he does so. He gently guides their body through firm grips on their wrists, neck, and hips, and while he’s hands-off in public, he can’t get enough connection during intimacy. He thrives on tension: deep eye contact, shared breaths, near-kisses, and teasing touches. He’s always pulling his partner closer — angling them beneath him, pulling them into his lap, pulling them atop him, or cradling their body with his from behind. He loves nipping and kissing along his partner’s neck with gentle, reverent kisses and feeling the steady beat of their pulse against his lips. He’s also really good with his hands when pleasuring his partner, and loves watching them come undone, their breath on his lips and eyes locked on his, as he works them to orgasm. He’s mostly quiet save for simple commands such as, “Look at me”, “Let go”, and “Touch me”. After sex, he holds his partner close, often burying his face in their hair or neck as he wraps his arms around them, breathing them in and feeling their heart. He’d be hurt if his partner tried to instantly leave, as sex, to him, is a profound connection that should never be rushed.

Rhun was raised in the umbral realms, a place of shadow and darkness, in a small town. His father was a baker, his mother the mayor’s secretary. He was raised in a wholesome manner despite the darkness surrounding their home, and his family were casual worshippers of a few deities: The Raven Queen, an interloper goddess of death, fate, and winter; Corellon a god of macabre beauty and perfection in magic; and Sehanine, for her teachings of following one’s own destiny, keeping to the shadows, and seeking new experiences. He volunteered at his town’s house of worship, playing drums during religious processions alongside the choir and pianists. He fell in love with Kaia, a member of the choir. They were together for five years before Rhun finally asked them to marry him, and Kaia agreed. Not long after, a bit of spellcasting went horribly wrong during an annual ritual in honor of the Raven Queen, and a lesser Beholder — a floating aberration with a giant eye, a mouth, and several tentacles — was summoned. Several people were lost in trying to send the Beholder back, including Kaia. Rhun had attempted to jump in front of its Death Ray to save Kaia, but the ray struck up his back and hit them in the chest. Somehow, he resisted the death magic, and still feels blame and guilt, thinking if he had just gotten to them in time, maybe they both could have lived. After, he fled to Ashtolia. He was drunk when Seirion found him playing trashcans in an alley like drums, got him sobered up, and drug him in to audition for Crown of Thorns, selfishly wanting a drummer so that the band could start to play gigs. Rhun was at first baffled by the style of drumming they wanted from him, but found a release for his grief in the savage, rebellious nature of rock, and fell in love.

The five bandmates share an old warehouse turned into a bachelor pad. It’s draped in leather and velvet, full of empty beer bottles and old take out containers. They’ve spent the majority of their money on their instruments, the main room sound-proofed and working as both a living room and a recording studio. Each bandmate has their own room, and Rhun’s space is neat and draped in dark black and red colors, with rich textures like velvet and leather.

Appearance: Rhun Karr, appearing 30, is a Shadar Kai, a type of elves once bound to the Shadowfell. They appear corpse-like, with pale hair and a deathly pallor, and are known for their mournful, joyless attitude, often neutral and resistant to norms and rules. Shadar Kai are rare in modern society, often outcasts who don’t bend well to society, though some have found their place in Ashtolia. Rhun has that deathly pallor; his skin is a corpse-like gray, his long stark white hair dyed into red, black and white sections. His eyes are pure black, and he often wears smudged black makeup over them. His long elf ears are pierced with silver and obsidian earrings that dangle down to his sharp jawbone. He’s very tall and lean, with an athletic build and strong arms. He often wears his hair down, however, he ties it up during performances as he gets very sweaty when he drums. He’s covered in religious tattoos, nondescript symbols and patterns on his limbs, chest, and neck and there’s a death-ray scar up his spine. He typically wears black leather and silver jewelry. His voice is smooth and deep.