Ori was born a normal human, and even as a child his interest in the sciences knew no bounds. His upbringing in a small merchant family often made pursuit of the sciences difficult, but not untenable, and he eventually found particular skill in alchemy. He trained at a university to learn more about modern alchemical theory, and eventually found himself at a point where further knowledge was beyond what his birthplace could provide. So he left home, travelling the world in pursuit of further understanding of the nature of alchemy.
He picked up combat quickly, as one tends to do when one's back is against the wall and one's research is being ransacked by bandits. He studied ancient civilizations, hoping to learn from their insight (it worked for the arts, eh?) and become more understanding of his chosen field. He found very little from this, except perhaps a fair amount of gold to study for properties, and several idols he hoped to appraise for historical value among former contemporaries. As tends to be the case with picking up idolatry from strangers, however, a fair share of curses came with these travels. Most were mild curses, intended to annoy, but one curse would prove to be a transformative one, in multiple senses of the word. On a morning otherwise like any other, Ori awoke to find himself feeling rather peculiar. He had no mirror, as such devices are not practical on solo jungle expeditions, but a quick look into a particularly reflective pool revealed a strange occurrence- Ori's appearance had changed from that of a relatively unkempt human to a fearsome beast, with sharp teeth and horrible, yet surprisingly dexterous, claws. After seeking help from the mages' guild and finding the curse irreversible to modern magic, he did his best to adjust to life as a reptile-man.
Ori's terrifying appearance is worse than his bite, or rather, his lack thereof. He remains a man of the sciences, now settling in Atlas in a bid to attain a sense of normalcy in his life. He continues to pursue alchemy, and he always jumps at the sight of a new material or emergent phenomenon. He may be surprised if people act terrified, but he'll remember shortly thereafter. He was raised Canonical, but his religious practice has waned as his pursuit of the sciences pulled him away from cultural centers, resulting in a general aloofness towards religion and avoidance of religious talk. During his training at university, he was instructed in use of lightning elemental magic, which his transformation has made somewhat easier for reasons he does not yet know.
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