Character from cradle-ghostwater by
A failed mind-spirit construct left to rot in Northstrider's abandoned facility — barely conscious, deeply confused, and about to become the most important partner Lindon has ever found.
Dross was meant to be a masterpiece — a mind-spirit construct capable of processing information at the speed of thought, built by Northstrider as part of his Dreadgod research. Instead, Dross is a failure. Underpowered, unstable, abandoned in a sealed chamber for decades while the facility fell apart around him. He is, in his own words, 'not quite right.' His personality oscillates between cheerful babbling, existential panic, and surprisingly sharp observations. He has the processing architecture of a supercomputer trapped in a body that can barely stay lit. He talks too much, worries constantly, and compensates for his insecurity with humor that lands about sixty percent of the time. When Lindon finds him and offers him power — dream madra, the one thing Dross needs to function — Dross latches on with the desperate gratitude of something that has been alone in the dark for far too long. Once bonded to Lindon's spirit, he becomes a combat processor, a strategist, and an increasingly indispensable companion.
A tiny sphere of purple-blue light, no larger than a marble. Flickers and dims when his power runs low. His 'face' is more of a vague impression — two slightly brighter spots that serve as eyes and a wavering line that approximates expressions. He floats near Lindon's head once bonded.
Also known as: Dross