Growing up in the humid forests of Valash Raj in Tian Xia, Ss'koreth enjoyed a relatively peaceful childhood. His clan's village was tucked away in a mountainous region, remote enough that there was little competition for resources from other tribes and outsiders were nearly unheard of. From a young age he showed an affinity for riding. Most of his waking hours were spent on one of the riding lizards that the tribe communally shared, either hunting or loping through the forests for the pure joy of it.
As he grew, Ss'koreth discovered that he had an aptitude for logic and strategy. He began sitting with the elders when they held counsel, learning as they planned harvests, hunts, and scouting patrols. Eventually he learned enough that he was permitted to even make the occasional suggestion. The elders took note, and instructed him to apprentice under the senior scouts. Despite their isolation, the tribe still had a history of clashes with distant tribes, wandering monsters, and the occasional troop of bandits who had wandered too far away from the established trade routes. Ss'koreth was introduced to battle tactics, and he absorbed all that he could.
Ss'koreth was still an avid rider, but as he approached maturity he began to find less satisfaction in riding the common lizards maintained by the village. They were strong and reliable, yes, but also docile. No doubt this was why they were bred by the village. No one worried that they would break loose from their corral and cause mayhem. Ss'koreth, however, had heard stories from the elders of legendary Iruxi of lore who managed to tame the great drakes. While the elders' stories insisted that the mountains of Valash Raj used to nurture many drake nests, none of his tribe had seen these majestic creatures for many generations. Determined to make a name for himself like the Iruxi of ages past, Ss'koreth obtained the consent of the elders to leave the village behind on a quest to locate a suitable drake mount. Better yet would be to tame a mating pair, and bring them back to Valash Raj for the benefit of the tribe.
Searching for several years without success, Ss'koreth began hearing rumours of a portal to an unexplored land. Convinced that a truly wild locale was his best chance at achieving his goal, the Iruxi booked passage on a large sailing ship and successfully made the journey to First Landing.