Kraklen Pire sometimes wonders if his mother was more of a seer than a bard, claiming to have come up with his name while enjoying an overly warm fire with his father. She was a retired adventurer, not one of much renown or connections though, having retired from the field when she found herself with child, as well as a with man who not only cared for her, but approved of her keeping her skills sharp even after their child's birth.
A turning point in Kracklen's life was when he was seven. A marauding Green Dragon, barely an adult really, targeted his town, demanding food and entertainment. When what they offered didn't appease him, he flew into a rage, and ascended to melt their village to one giant hissing puddle from the air. What no one had known up until then though, was that the lake the town had been built on the shores of served as the entryway to the subterranean lair of a Gold Great Wyrm, who had retired to the comforts of his home for a few years of study on some form of arcane lore. Upon learning of the villager's plight through word from one of his amphibious guards, he immediately set aside his research and emerged from the lake in a blast of superheated steam.
The battle was brutal, and short. Even an adult dragon is no match for a Great Wyrm, especially when they're surprised. Kraklen saw the whole thing, and was awed by the might of the dragon, and how it even took a hit from the Green's breath weapon to ensure that the town and its people were not harmed. After the fight, the Gold Dragon, circling once to ensure that the people who resided in his demesnes had come to no harm, dove back into the lake. He has not emerged since, and no attempts to contact him have succeeded.
Kraklen became consumed with the thought of having power comparable to the Wyrm, and studied everything he could about them. His mother's bardic lore helped his pursuits immensely, and his fascination with the beasts, especially the metallic dragons, soared. He also had a deep respect for helping others, even at the cost of yourself instilled in him from the fight. When he came of age, he left home, with a name to look up from his mother. The man she had sent him to was a Dragon Shaman that she had adventured with for a short time, and who had actually introduced his parents to each other at the tavern. When Kraklen took his first steps on the path of the Dragon Shaman, naturally he chose the Gold Dragon as his totem.
Since then he has adventured, seeking to do good, even if he has to skirt the law (or outright break it in some places) to do so. The gift of the castle from the king after this latest quest was a happy surprise. After all, all dragons needed lairs, and golds were well known for inhabiting castles as well as caves. And if it was occupied by hostiles at the moment? Well, let it never be said that Kraklen Pire ran from a challenge.
Kraklen has blue eyes and brown hair, and stands at a respectable 5' 5". He's well toned, although somewhat skinny, and has small scars here and there on his body, a testament to the battles he's been in. He moves with a fluid grace, and enjoys reading and idly carving wood when not in combat.