#krow lore

His name

So I mentioned that his legal name is Isaiah. His full legal name is Isaiah Kolan Johnson. Isaiah is a biblical name meaning "god is salvation" and his middle name Kolan as well as sounding pretty fucking unfortunate also means "dove keeper". Johnson I just tried to think of the whitest sounding surname I could lmao. Krow was adopted/fostered by a conservative fundamentalist Christian family that valued reputation more than the well being of their kids. The parents have three bio kids and, not counting Krow, eight adopted and/or foster kids. Essentially they adopted/fostered kids to show to their community and church that they're "such good Christians taking in impoverished and/or PoC kids cause they're SUCH good people" but really the only kids that got ANY positive attention or care were the bio sons (the bio daughter was just expected to look after ALL her siblings). All the other kids were pretty neglected both physically, mentally and emotionally. The parents are John and Esther The names of his fellow foster/adopted siblings are: Jacob, David, Matthew, Noah, Peter, Sarah, Abigail and Leah The bio kids names are Adam, Joseph and... Mary. (: Krow ran away from home before he was set to graduate high school.

Krow's Secret, and his birth family

Before I can really get into what "Krow's secret" is, I need to mention is bio/birth family. As I've mentioned, Krow is Indian and Bengali. His parents are immigrants to America, and Krow was born in America. So his nationality is American, but race/ethnicity is Indian/Bengali. Krow's birth name is Sarveshvara Banerjee. Sarveshvara is a name derived from the god Shiva, and specifically means "determination, energy and confidence". His last name, Banerjee, are from a family of which their caste are descended from priests (so Krow actually comes from a pretty darn important caste back in India and Bengal). His father is named Riyan and his mother is named Khushi. They were essentially a victim to racism and classism in America. Krow was taken from them at a very young age and placed into foster care and that is how he was scooped up by the Johnson's.

Now, what is this big secret? As some of you may have guessed, Krow... isn't entirely human. He is descended from Naga (specifically on his father's side), and specifically... his Naga clan were cursed by the goddess Manasa. A long, long time ago, Krow's Naga ancestors were giving terror to the mortal human populace. Doing what they pleased in torturing and abusing humans within their territory. This angered Manasa. Naga were not supposed to be giving humans such grief.

In retribution, Manasa cursed this Naga clan. Cursed them with each suffering their own personal hell and anguish, just as they had caused the humans. For millennia, these Naga and their descendants have each suffered from a curse of their own personal torment, the only salve being that each generation got a more diluted form of the curse... that is until Krow came along.

For whatever reason, genetics just... played out differently and he got a bit more of the Naga bloodline and their traits, and also got a bit more of the curse. What is Krow's own "personal torment"? Well... family is the most important aspect to him. Essentially, he is doomed to never... really a happy family, or a happy life with family.

There hasn't been a way to break the curse, but there have been ways of mitigating it and managing it. If Krow was not taken from his bio parents, he would have grown up learning of his heritage and how to manage. But because he wasn't...

The curse essentially manifests primarily as extreme jealousy, clinging onto those he loves, or pushing away others (sometimes violently). This also explains some of his other traits (getting cold easily, a bit more strength, his teeth). Speaking of his teeth, Krow IS venomous. It's... a bit more diluted than it would be if he were a full Naga, but it's there all the same. His venom has a bit of an aphrodisiac effect on those affected by it. The more one is bitten, the more this takes effect. In essence, if Dove is one who likes being bitten by Krow, they will grow more and more comfortable in his presence unwittingly, writing off red flags and excusing some of his more problematic behaviors. ...Unfortunately though, it is still a venom. Get too much in your system, and it WILL kill you.

All of this to say, once Krow finds out all of this, that he's descended from a cursed Naga blood line and all these physical quirks, it would freak him out so badly that he would, yes, leave Dove in a desperate hope to protect them.

But yeah, that's the big secret I've been keeping hidden for the past couple years. I do have a hope to draw a "what if Krow was a full Naga" drawing at... some point.

I guess... the ways Krow is manipulative is very much playing to Dove's particular characteristics, traits and personality.

Because of the way Krow grew up, living with the fosters and then also out on the streets, he had to learn how to read people and read them well. What are they saying, what are they NOT saying? What are they telling you with just the tone of their voice, how their gaze holds or flickers away, their body language, all this.

Much like a cunning viper, he moves and sways adapting to his prey Dove. He'll react, say and do things accordingly, all as a means for him to have Dove better like him.

...Granted one can argue that this is just what EVERYONE does in making friends and acquaintances, but with Krow it's like turned up to 11. I'm getting distracted.

While Krow is honest about a good deal of himself (art, birds and all, that isn't a farce nor is his passion about them a means to lure in Dove) other things he'll do or not do to get them more secure with him. They like someone humorous? He'll take on a more comical air, even at his own expense. Prefer someone philosophical and a thinker? Krow will discuss life, the universe and everything with you and give his opinions (I like to think that while he may not be well educated, he's still a smart birb, and he does think about a wide variety of topics.)

I suppose what I am getting at is he kind of crafts an illusion where it's difficult to decipher what is real and what is an act he put on just lull you in. It's hard cause some of it IS real, and some of it... he might even believe himself.

He can also take traditional gaslighting and apply it, and couple that with what he's doing above and it's just absolute mind fuckery for Dove. Krow is also pretty charismatic and personable when he wants to be, and basing on various asks, posts and all on this blog, many have fallen for the serpent's gaze.

He may not (intentionally) physically harm you.

So the yan behavior is actually a part of the curse. Him being partially Naga doesn't REALLY have anything to do with it. It's the fact he is descended from a particular cursed Naga clan is why he's... Like That.

Essentially the curse manifests differently for each affected member, manifesting itself based on the person's own deeply personal wants, loves and/or fears.

In Krow's case, what he wants more than aaaaaanythiiiiing is love, particularly familial love which kind of hones in on a bit romantic. He wants a family that he loves and loves him back, that he is safe, secure and happy with.

The curse isn't really responsible for him getting taken away by his parents or getting placed in with abusive fosters, that's just... a shitty hand dealt in life. It doesn't really kick off in whole until Dove comes into the picture.

And when they do? Hoo boy.

Some of Krow's fears, once he finds out more or less the scope of his curse and heritage, IS that he is terrified he will do something to hurt or kill Dove, either because of the curse or his Naga heritage, cause he has NO fucking clue the full process of either.

Will his curse drive him to do something he'll regret to keep Dove in his life? Technically yes but shh

Or is it his Naga nature that might do it? Like, as you say, would he want to EAT them?

He doesn't know. And he really doesn't have anyone he can ask in detail about it.

He very much fears losing control. And yes, a very real fate Dove could suffer is become hopelessly, mindlessly, envenomed by Krow's venom and have no idea they are, no idea their feelings, infatuation and attraction for him are a byproduct of the venom, and then eventually die of it.

For finding out... mmm. The main way really would involve Naila. Going to their shop, finding a book, or getting a reading from them, something from them gives him an insight... a deep truth.