spocksocks' Clan

[clan lore under construction!]

The Forgotten Eyrie
If you were to walk the stretch of sandy beach that separates Wind from Water you may come across a burbling river that empties itself into the sea. If you followed that river deep into the woods, where bamboo competes with trees for sunlight, you will find yourself at the convergence of several streams. Follow the narrowest beck, to the north, to the foothills, to the cliffs of the Ascent. If you make this journey on foot, you will eventually be met by a furiously thick forest of bamboo. Its impenetrable mass will make travel impossible. You might attempt to ford the stream, but you will eventually be turned back by the first of many waterfalls.

If you have come by air, then you see the true nature of the place. This quiet creek is but the retirement of a crashing, rollicking streamlet that splashes down the face of a craggy cliff populated by bamboo thickets. The sheer mount is wreathed in fog, obscuring its peak, but perhaps you distantly spot two dark, indistinct shapes wheeling slowly through the clouds.

If you choose to seek the summit, your flight will be an uneasy one; the going is unknowable, the thick mist clings to your wings, the air thins, the chill sinks through to the bone. But through the swaths of white cloud, you spot it- the FORGOTTEN EYRIE.

A crumbling stone tower, moss-felted and wind-worn, prominates from the peak of the cliff like an extension of the land. The bamboo grove has taken up its growth once more, from where the cliffsides offered no purchase. The stream burbles from a spring-pool with billowing clouds of steam rising from it. Curious creature-eyes watch you from within the forest. Hardy birds ride the rising thermals from the pool, flickering in and out of the cloying fog, flitting through the paneless tower windows. And oh! in that tower-

HERE BE DRAGONS.

Mountain and tower
The Eyrie may only be reached by flight. Any of the clan's flightless hatchlings not born in-clan have been retrieved by Sen and taken to the tower. Energy and Mast usually keep watch over the skies of the tower, but sometimes it's Bean and Zeph.
Dragons of the Eyrie are used to the gloomy cold and spend much of their time soaking in the hot spring. A well-engineered series of ditches channels the water throughout the tower's ground floor, which allows the tower to be kept somewhat cozy.

Migration
Eyrie dragons mostly keep to the cliff, though they have a thirst for knowledge that sometimes sends them wandering further. Expeditions of several dragons set out every few weeks, to explore the surrounding lands and gather various baubles and trinkets. Most contact with the outside world is conducted on wings of messenger birds that live alongside the dragons in the tower.

Holidays
A party sets out from the mountain to travel to the realm of the current festival. Any dragon who wants to go can, usually it includes the dragons who were born in that flight and their mate/close friends. There they visit with their old flightmates and family, catching up on news and sharing stories. They buy festival favors and trinkets to bring back to the clan. Some dragons go along just to learn more about the culture of other flights and spend the whole festival exploring.

While the explorers are gone, the remaining dragons like to tidy and decorate their sleeping spaces as a thank-you for all the glorious, glorious presents they will return with. When the dragons return on the last day of the festival, there's a big celebration on the mountain with gift-giving and retelling of traditional flight lore.

Exalting
Many dragons who stumble upon the Eyrie are on a soul-searching journey for a higher purpose. Some have lost their way on the search for the Windsinger. Under the tutelage of Miri, Tez and Shii, they will reach noodlepop as stronger and wiser dragons.

Dragons exalted to the Windsinger have the unique opportunity to communicate with their friends and families. Should they please or impress a Sprite from the Windsinger's entourage- an infamously difficult task- they may ask her to carry a missive to one recipient. Eyrie-exalted dragons have had a disproportionate amount of opportunities to "write home," which some attribute to the clan's particular dedication to communication.

Mated Pairs
There is no formal bonding ceremony for Eyrie dragons. Though there is not a lot of intermingling between single dragons- you're either mated or you're not- it's understood that a commitment is as lengthy or brief as a couple is willing to sustain. However, some couples may choose to wear flourish jewelry in one of their mate's colors. It is in no way a measure of the strength of a relationship, and more often demonstrates a dragon's fashion sense and disposable income. For example, both Nez and Eloise are decked out in full color, but their relationship is hardly deeply emotional or committed- Nez simply has a lot of treasure to throw at pet projects. On the other hand, Juke and Tzo are close as close can be, but Tzo wears none of Juke's colors because she thinks it would be ugly. Juke wears his mate's color, but this doesn't signify that her love for him is weaker than his for hers.