Howdy there everyone! Welcome to my first Pinkerlocke, The Catacombs! This is my first pinkerlocke - I've been getting into reading a bunch of them lately and they seemed like far too much fun to pass up! So uh, here we are!
Basic rules:
1.) A death in the coliseum = that dragon must be exalted. This is the most essential rule of a nuzlocke.
2.) All loot obtained in the coliseum is irrelevant, as is the loot obtained from gathering.
3.) There are no restrictions about applying apparel to your dragons. Do whatever makes sense to you. Same goes for familiars.
4.) And, most crucially, all nuzlocke activity corresponds with the loot you obtain daily from Pinkerton's plundered pile!
5.) If a dragon reaches level 25, it may join the ranks of your main lair (and is immune from death, as it is "retired.")
Hardmode: You must select coliseum challengers in your lair using a random number generator. Then, select the coliseum arena that corresponds to the highest level dragon of that group (For a 'medium' mode, select the venue that is one tier down from that of highest level dragon). If your dragons level up while in an area, you can still stay there for the whole day. You can quit your battle streak at any time to regen health, and flee from battles if it is appropriate. Don't try do 50 matches in a row unless you want a wiped-out dragon!
OR
Easymode: Choose whichever team and venue you want and go for it. Running from battles, using health pots, and ending the battle streak is fine, as I explained above.
(These ranges can also be altered to suit your level of activity/personal preference.)
Materials and Trinkets: Flex your creative muscles! Note that there is currently a glitch in which Pinkerton mislabels materials as trinkets. If you obtain a "trinket" from Pinkerton, double check to make sure its not actually a material!
Materials: Do some writing for your nuzlocke. How does your new nuzlocke clan change and develop? What are your dragons like personality-wise? How do they get along? How do they die? Is there an antagonist in this nuzlocke, or are they merely struggling against the forces of nature? Write dragon bios! Make a blog, or a thread for your challenge in the creative forums! Write short stories or paragraphs, or add to one big one adventure!
Trinkets: Do some art for your nuzlocke! Digital or traditional, use whatever medium feels best for you. Draw deaths. Draw dragons. Draw humanized versions of your dragons (if that's your sort of thing). Draw familiars and dragons together. It doesn't have to be that good or elaborate. If you make a nuzlocke thread, post your art there.
Obviously, you might not have time in your day to do something creative. If that's the case, don't worry about it. This challenge is meant to be fun and heartwrenching, not a chore.
Rare Drops: Wildcards
Familars: Familiars: Buy the cheapest dragon in the auction house of a specific breed. Use a random number generator (between 1-14) to determine which breed you will get! (Optionally: attach the familiar to the new dragon.)
Apparel Breed two of your dragons. The dragons you pick are up to you. You can also change one of the genes on a dragon, or use a scatterscroll if you are rich and crazy.
Note: You must flip a coin for each hatchling once they hatch. If tails, the dragon is dead and you must exalt it. This is in keeping with the origional Nuzlocke thread's rule, because I really like it.
Battle items: Uh-oh!!!
Flip a coin.
Heads = DEATH STREAK
Tails = Nothing happens
DEATH STREAK Rules: Randomly select three dragons using a random number generator. Fight in the coliseum using the "food" rules 10 rounds consecutively (ie. you cannot leave that arena), quitting midway if a dragon dies. If you are using the easymode rules, switch to the hardmode rules for battlestones.
Starting Out:
Using the method I detailed in the "familiar" possibility above, obtain a small number of dragons (I suggest 2 or 3). If they already have names, keep the name! If not, name them whatever you like. The challenge starts once all of the dragons, if they are hatchlings, grow into adulthood.
Alternatively, choose 2-3 existing dragons in your lair to participate. This has certain advantages (eliminates the need to wait for maturity and breeding cooldowns) but also some disadvantages (less random=less exciting).
You may want to "partition" your nuzlocke dragons away from your regular dragons so you don't get them mixed up.
Losing
If your dragon count falls to zero you have a few options
1. Declare the challenge a "loss" and give up
2. Wait for Pinkerton to drop a familiar
3. Just say "welp" and buy another dragon from the AH without waiting for Pinkerton because you lack patience.
Howdy there everyone! Welcome to my first Pinkerlocke, The Catacombs! This is my first pinkerlocke - I've been getting into reading a bunch of them lately and they seemed like far too much fun to pass up! So uh, here we are!
Basic rules:
1.) A death in the coliseum = that dragon must be exalted. This is the most essential rule of a nuzlocke.
2.) All loot obtained in the coliseum is irrelevant, as is the loot obtained from gathering.
3.) There are no restrictions about applying apparel to your dragons. Do whatever makes sense to you. Same goes for familiars.
4.) And, most crucially, all nuzlocke activity corresponds with the loot you obtain daily from Pinkerton's plundered pile!
5.) If a dragon reaches level 25, it may join the ranks of your main lair (and is immune from death, as it is "retired.")
Hardmode: You must select coliseum challengers in your lair using a random number generator. Then, select the coliseum arena that corresponds to the highest level dragon of that group (For a 'medium' mode, select the venue that is one tier down from that of highest level dragon). If your dragons level up while in an area, you can still stay there for the whole day. You can quit your battle streak at any time to regen health, and flee from battles if it is appropriate. Don't try do 50 matches in a row unless you want a wiped-out dragon!
OR
Easymode: Choose whichever team and venue you want and go for it. Running from battles, using health pots, and ending the battle streak is fine, as I explained above.
(These ranges can also be altered to suit your level of activity/personal preference.)
Materials and Trinkets: Flex your creative muscles! Note that there is currently a glitch in which Pinkerton mislabels materials as trinkets. If you obtain a "trinket" from Pinkerton, double check to make sure its not actually a material!
Materials: Do some writing for your nuzlocke. How does your new nuzlocke clan change and develop? What are your dragons like personality-wise? How do they get along? How do they die? Is there an antagonist in this nuzlocke, or are they merely struggling against the forces of nature? Write dragon bios! Make a blog, or a thread for your challenge in the creative forums! Write short stories or paragraphs, or add to one big one adventure!
Trinkets: Do some art for your nuzlocke! Digital or traditional, use whatever medium feels best for you. Draw deaths. Draw dragons. Draw humanized versions of your dragons (if that's your sort of thing). Draw familiars and dragons together. It doesn't have to be that good or elaborate. If you make a nuzlocke thread, post your art there.
Obviously, you might not have time in your day to do something creative. If that's the case, don't worry about it. This challenge is meant to be fun and heartwrenching, not a chore.
Rare Drops: Wildcards
Familars: Familiars: Buy the cheapest dragon in the auction house of a specific breed. Use a random number generator (between 1-14) to determine which breed you will get! (Optionally: attach the familiar to the new dragon.)
Apparel Breed two of your dragons. The dragons you pick are up to you. You can also change one of the genes on a dragon, or use a scatterscroll if you are rich and crazy.
Note: You must flip a coin for each hatchling once they hatch. If tails, the dragon is dead and you must exalt it. This is in keeping with the origional Nuzlocke thread's rule, because I really like it.
Battle items: Uh-oh!!!
Flip a coin.
Heads = DEATH STREAK
Tails = Nothing happens
DEATH STREAK Rules: Randomly select three dragons using a random number generator. Fight in the coliseum using the "food" rules 10 rounds consecutively (ie. you cannot leave that arena), quitting midway if a dragon dies. If you are using the easymode rules, switch to the hardmode rules for battlestones.
Starting Out:
Using the method I detailed in the "familiar" possibility above, obtain a small number of dragons (I suggest 2 or 3). If they already have names, keep the name! If not, name them whatever you like. The challenge starts once all of the dragons, if they are hatchlings, grow into adulthood.
Alternatively, choose 2-3 existing dragons in your lair to participate. This has certain advantages (eliminates the need to wait for maturity and breeding cooldowns) but also some disadvantages (less random=less exciting).
You may want to "partition" your nuzlocke dragons away from your regular dragons so you don't get them mixed up.
Losing
If your dragon count falls to zero you have a few options
1. Declare the challenge a "loss" and give up
2. Wait for Pinkerton to drop a familiar
3. Just say "welp" and buy another dragon from the AH without waiting for Pinkerton because you lack patience.
-----
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[center][font=antiqua][size=7][size=6]The Story[/size][/size][/font][/center]
[i]Legend has it that deep below the ground, beneath the deep rivers and chasms that separate Tangled Wood from Viridian Labyrinth from Dragonhome, is an ancient, beautiful place none have seen for thousands of years - since before, perhaps, the coming of the Third Age. They say it is a place unlike any other. A paradise. A world both beneath and above the ground; a realm all its own. A twilit sky made of glowing stones in the ceiling far above, luminescent oceans and rivers twisting lazily through rich, vibrant grasses and subterranean glades. Weather laced with enchantment that followed no logic save for the energy and magic of Sornieth alone. It was once thought that entrances to such places lie with Sornieth's deities - a twisted staircase within the Pillar of the World; crypts beneath the Forum of the Obscured Crescent; a maze hidden beneath The Behemoth; hidden within the mysterious clutches of the Hewn City. The stories were endless, as were the amount of adventurers who sought such a place. It was said that the most forbidden treasure to ever exist lay within the aptly named [u]Catacombs[/u], though what that was, was also debated. Some said it was the power to become a god oneself. Some said it was the ability to control all elemental magic. Some said the treasure granted control or power of the Shade itself - or that the treasure, and the Catacombs themselves, were home to the horrendous black monster beyond the sky. None that searched for the catacombs, for the treasure, succeeded.
But that didn't stop dragons from trying.
This is the tale of a group of wayward vagabonds. They dreamed big - and discovered the tale of a thousand lifetimes. But little did they know, things in the Catacombs are not always what they seem...[/i]
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[center]Table of Contents[/center]
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[quote][columns][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414#post_28706244]Prologue[/url]
[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414#post_28723015]Prologue II[/url]
[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414#post_28723567]Day One[/url]
[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414#post_28837360]Day Two[/url]
[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414#post_28849966]Day Three[/url]
[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414#post_28871276]Day Four[/url]
[nextcol][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414/2#post_28907746]Day Five[/url]
[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414/2#post_28908459]Day Six[/url]
[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414/2#post_28929672]Day Seven[/url]
[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414/3#post_28950408]Day Eight[/url]
[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414/3#post_28967429]Day Nine[/url]
Day Ten[/columns][/quote]
[center][u]Pinglist[/u][/center]
[quote]Silverhame, Legetha, Petall[/quote]
Legend has it that deep below the ground, beneath the deep rivers and chasms that separate Tangled Wood from Viridian Labyrinth from Dragonhome, is an ancient, beautiful place none have seen for thousands of years - since before, perhaps, the coming of the Third Age. They say it is a place unlike any other. A paradise. A world both beneath and above the ground; a realm all its own. A twilit sky made of glowing stones in the ceiling far above, luminescent oceans and rivers twisting lazily through rich, vibrant grasses and subterranean glades. Weather laced with enchantment that followed no logic save for the energy and magic of Sornieth alone. It was once thought that entrances to such places lie with Sornieth's deities - a twisted staircase within the Pillar of the World; crypts beneath the Forum of the Obscured Crescent; a maze hidden beneath The Behemoth; hidden within the mysterious clutches of the Hewn City. The stories were endless, as were the amount of adventurers who sought such a place. It was said that the most forbidden treasure to ever exist lay within the aptly named Catacombs, though what that was, was also debated. Some said it was the power to become a god oneself. Some said it was the ability to control all elemental magic. Some said the treasure granted control or power of the Shade itself - or that the treasure, and the Catacombs themselves, were home to the horrendous black monster beyond the sky. None that searched for the catacombs, for the treasure, succeeded.
But that didn't stop dragons from trying.
This is the tale of a group of wayward vagabonds. They dreamed big - and discovered the tale of a thousand lifetimes. But little did they know, things in the Catacombs are not always what they seem...
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[center][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414#post_28706030]Previous[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414#post_2249414]Main Page[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2249414#post_28706244]The Story Begins[/url][/center]
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[center][font=antiqua][size=7][size=6]The Adventurers[/size][/size][/font][/center]
To avoid spoilers, dragons here will be shown in hatchling form, and as they are updated or things change, they will be shown those forms in said post where things happen!
[center][size=4][u]Alive[/u][/size][/center]
[columns][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34929271]
[img]https://orig12.deviantart.net/3625/f/2017/228/e/6/_f__meredian___delightful_curiosity_by_minthuu-dbkajq8.png[/img]
[/url]
[nextcol][b]Meredian[/b] -
Curious, friendly, and full of energy. Meredian had no idea of the stories of the Catacombs - she simply had been adventuring and sating the curiousity to figure out what every little thing she came across was. This curiosity gets her into trouble - and the biggest adventure of her life.[/columns]
[columns][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/349254/34925359_350.png?mtime=WYQtvQACP_w.png[/img]
[nextcol][b]Tarrey[/b] -
A young dragon with a sharp temper. Tarrey has a lot of trust issues and anxiety. His paranoia and fear of others, on top of self preservation, manifests itself in a sharp tongue and explosive angry outbursts. In reality, he's just scared of others and everything around him - and it led to him leaving his home behind, chasing tales of a legendary underground paradise.[/columns]
[columns][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34923168][img]https://orig13.deviantart.net/7a3f/f/2017/230/6/a/hayate_locke_portrait_by_minthuu-dbkk3j5.png[/img][/url]
[nextcol][b]Hayate[/b] -
Calm, collected, and near emotionless. Hayate is a clinical dragon that even inside the egg soaked up legends and history and information. Nothing could keep him from researching knowledge even as a hatchling, and when he stumbled upon the legend of the Catacombs, nothing would prevent him from trying to find such a place. [/columns]
[columns][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35296508][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/352966/35296508_350.png?mtime=WZkPpgACMIg.png[/img][/url]
[nextcol][b]Nabira[/b] -
Experienced and quick witted, Nabira thinks on her feet, and that's what has allowed her to survive for so long. She has a bit of an aggressive streak, and tends to bite first and ask questions later, but beneath her attack-dog attitude, she's a very snarky and humorous dragon with a deep love for awful puns. But to see her off her guard doesn't happen - not lately, anyway...[/columns]
[center][size=4][u]Dead[/u][/size][/center]
[center]All alive so far![/center]
To avoid spoilers, dragons here will be shown in hatchling form, and as they are updated or things change, they will be shown those forms in said post where things happen!
Alive
Meredian -
Curious, friendly, and full of energy. Meredian had no idea of the stories of the Catacombs - she simply had been adventuring and sating the curiousity to figure out what every little thing she came across was. This curiosity gets her into trouble - and the biggest adventure of her life.
Tarrey -
A young dragon with a sharp temper. Tarrey has a lot of trust issues and anxiety. His paranoia and fear of others, on top of self preservation, manifests itself in a sharp tongue and explosive angry outbursts. In reality, he's just scared of others and everything around him - and it led to him leaving his home behind, chasing tales of a legendary underground paradise.
Hayate -
Calm, collected, and near emotionless. Hayate is a clinical dragon that even inside the egg soaked up legends and history and information. Nothing could keep him from researching knowledge even as a hatchling, and when he stumbled upon the legend of the Catacombs, nothing would prevent him from trying to find such a place.
Nabira -
Experienced and quick witted, Nabira thinks on her feet, and that's what has allowed her to survive for so long. She has a bit of an aggressive streak, and tends to bite first and ask questions later, but beneath her attack-dog attitude, she's a very snarky and humorous dragon with a deep love for awful puns. But to see her off her guard doesn't happen - not lately, anyway...
Dead
All alive so far!
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[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/2WGhNHW.png[/img]
[size=7][font=antiqua][u]Prologue[/u][/font][/size]
[img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/349293/34929271_350.png?mtime=WYRe1QACQYo.png[/img][/center]
Meredian scrambled forward after the small butterfly before her, small claws digging through the loamy dirt and kicking up clouds of dust. So close... almost got it, almost--! And then her gangly, oversized wings she still hadn't quite grown into got tangled with her feet as she tried to use them to propel herself forward, and the small nocturne went sprawling across the ground. She stuck her tongue out with an annoyed [i]pbbth![/i] as she watched the butterfly flit away.
"Oh, darn... It looked so delicious, too... Ah well."
The mangled mass of limbs named Meredian pulled itself off the ground, and straightened itself into a shape more dragon in form. She raised a hand to dust off the crest of horns about her head, before shrugging. She smiled, "Well! That's that, then. Off to- oh, oh hm. I... wonder where I am?" The youngling looked around, a bemused expression on her face. She hadn't realized quite how far she'd gone, chasing that little snack. And now she had no idea where she was. ...Again.
Lost in thought about how she had come to this, Meredian had taken to the air, gliding low over the grass-less, dry ground. She wondered idly how to proceed, and hours later, she found her answer. Up ahead stood the towering, magnificent ruined beauty of the Pillar of the World. [i]Dragonhome.[/i]
And below, a- a dragon! Or, she hoped anyway. There was what looked like a temporary lair or camp down below, and a fairly blocky form moving about it. If she hadn't been looking, Meredian would've missed the whole thing, in the shade of the Pillar. Thanking the Windsinger's blessings under her breath, she swooped down, kicking up more of the canyon dust before gently touching down some feet away from the other person - certainly a dragon.
"...Um- hi there- pardon me, I'm a bit lost and..."
[center][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/349232/34923168_350.png?mtime=WYQjAwACU3Q.png[/img][/center]
Hayate was on a lead. He [i]knew it.[/i] Knew it this time. Weeks and weeks of reading and searching and asking questions in the right places with the right disposition and tone of voice. Being...young, certainly gave one an innocent advantage, as it were. He’d spent the last few days without sleep, working relentlessly on his research; plotting points, moving camp, compiling information and rumors and legends from many a different clan.
Oh, to his surprise when the final piece came from his own clan. His father, particularly. The stout snapper was an architect, a miner. He’d lived in Dragonhome for years, despite being from the Starfall Isles. He’d been more than happy to tell Hayate the old stories and songs that the elden earth dragons sang. [i]“Below, below, that grand old pillar, hidden beneath Earthshaker’s feet; a paradise, The Catacombs, unknown to us all, a dragon’s treasure was ne’er so sweet.”[/i]
[i]So,[/i] Hayate thought, looking up to the ruins that towered above him, [i]here we are.[/i] It had been no surprise to his clan, when the young snapper bowed his head in thanks, and left them behind. His parents watched him slink away with a wistful sigh. His nest brother… well. It’d only ever been the two of them. But his brother wasn’t like him, wasn’t...calculated, cold. His sweet brother would be fine without him. Hayate sighed, flexing his toes, before shifting and moving to walk back to his...tent, if it could be called that. It could take him forever to find a way in to the Pillar, if there was one. A fabled entrance to the Catacombs…
“...Um- hi there- pardon me, I’m a bit lost and…”
Hayate stiffened; the only sense of surprise, before he lowered his shoulders and turned. A nocturne stood before him - all out of sorts and too big wings and too lithe and model-like a body for the short legs she possessed. [i]Young. Like myself.[/i] He scrutinized her further until he came about her eyes. Pale, rich green. A playful, boundless color. The color of bamboo. [i]A wind dragon. Sornieth.. That is precisely what I need in this expedition.[/i]
He must have been quiet too long, for the nocturne flicked her tongue anxiously, not unlike a coatl. “I uh...sir? If I’m a bother, I can-”
“Oh, no. No, my dear. Of course not.” Hayate put on his most pleasant smile and gestured for her to join him, as he twisted and continued to walk back to his makeshift tent. “No, perhaps I might.. Come now.”
Surprisingly, she followed immediately, prancing at his side. [i]How naive.[/i] Hayate chose his words carefully. “...From what I have surmised, those of the wind alignment have a very strong sense of direction. How does a dragon such as yourself find yourself… lost? Miss…”
“Meredian! Dia is fine. Well. I never had such a good sense, see. I just travel where Windsinger takes me- he’s never been wrong yet, and his blessings in my life…”
At the mention of one of Sornieth’s fabled ‘deities’, Hayate tuned out the Nocturne - ...Meredian’s - voice. He cared not for tales of the Eleven. There was no evidence suggesting they existed, or had ever lived. They served nothing for the sake of all Sornieth, and yet hundreds, thousands of dragons threw themselves to death in wars fought over ridiculous imaginary paragons. Absurdly foolish.
As they reached his tent, and took refuge in the shade of the muddled, torn canvas, Hayate poured them some tea. As he delicately passed a cup over to Meredian, he cleared his throat and interrupted her rambling about some wind blessing to speak.
“You know you are now at the foot of the Pillar of the World. Dragonhome, the Earth Flight’s territory. Where do you intend to go, then?”
“Anywhere, I suppose.” Meredian smiled sheepishly, her tongue flicking out as she brought the cup of tea up for a sip. “I just go wherever I find anything of interest. You know? Wherever the wind takes me.”
Well, wasn’t this just perfect? It felt like all the puzzle pieces were falling into place for Hayate; his ducks in a row. He was so young - as young as she, maybe more - and yet, he felt as if he’d found himself more fortune than even many lucky dragons found in a lifetime. Oh, if only he believed in the Eleven. They would bask in his praise - but he didn’t, and wouldn’t. Instead, he only pulled his lips back in an amused grin, and pulled from a satchel seated at the corner of the piled rocks that made up a wall of the tent, an old, hand-drawn map. He slid it over, and Meredian pulled it to herself, looking in curiosity and then back at Hayate with puzzled eyes.
“Miss Meredian, I do believe we can help each other out. Have you ever heard of the legends of the Catacombs? You follow adventure, yes? And I have been sorely searching for a partner…”
Meredian scrambled forward after the small butterfly before her, small claws digging through the loamy dirt and kicking up clouds of dust. So close... almost got it, almost--! And then her gangly, oversized wings she still hadn't quite grown into got tangled with her feet as she tried to use them to propel herself forward, and the small nocturne went sprawling across the ground. She stuck her tongue out with an annoyed pbbth! as she watched the butterfly flit away.
"Oh, darn... It looked so delicious, too... Ah well."
The mangled mass of limbs named Meredian pulled itself off the ground, and straightened itself into a shape more dragon in form. She raised a hand to dust off the crest of horns about her head, before shrugging. She smiled, "Well! That's that, then. Off to- oh, oh hm. I... wonder where I am?" The youngling looked around, a bemused expression on her face. She hadn't realized quite how far she'd gone, chasing that little snack. And now she had no idea where she was. ...Again.
Lost in thought about how she had come to this, Meredian had taken to the air, gliding low over the grass-less, dry ground. She wondered idly how to proceed, and hours later, she found her answer. Up ahead stood the towering, magnificent ruined beauty of the Pillar of the World. Dragonhome.
And below, a- a dragon! Or, she hoped anyway. There was what looked like a temporary lair or camp down below, and a fairly blocky form moving about it. If she hadn't been looking, Meredian would've missed the whole thing, in the shade of the Pillar. Thanking the Windsinger's blessings under her breath, she swooped down, kicking up more of the canyon dust before gently touching down some feet away from the other person - certainly a dragon.
"...Um- hi there- pardon me, I'm a bit lost and..."
Hayate was on a lead. He knew it. Knew it this time. Weeks and weeks of reading and searching and asking questions in the right places with the right disposition and tone of voice. Being...young, certainly gave one an innocent advantage, as it were. He’d spent the last few days without sleep, working relentlessly on his research; plotting points, moving camp, compiling information and rumors and legends from many a different clan.
Oh, to his surprise when the final piece came from his own clan. His father, particularly. The stout snapper was an architect, a miner. He’d lived in Dragonhome for years, despite being from the Starfall Isles. He’d been more than happy to tell Hayate the old stories and songs that the elden earth dragons sang. “Below, below, that grand old pillar, hidden beneath Earthshaker’s feet; a paradise, The Catacombs, unknown to us all, a dragon’s treasure was ne’er so sweet.”
So, Hayate thought, looking up to the ruins that towered above him, here we are. It had been no surprise to his clan, when the young snapper bowed his head in thanks, and left them behind. His parents watched him slink away with a wistful sigh. His nest brother… well. It’d only ever been the two of them. But his brother wasn’t like him, wasn’t...calculated, cold. His sweet brother would be fine without him. Hayate sighed, flexing his toes, before shifting and moving to walk back to his...tent, if it could be called that. It could take him forever to find a way in to the Pillar, if there was one. A fabled entrance to the Catacombs…
“...Um- hi there- pardon me, I’m a bit lost and…”
Hayate stiffened; the only sense of surprise, before he lowered his shoulders and turned. A nocturne stood before him - all out of sorts and too big wings and too lithe and model-like a body for the short legs she possessed. Young. Like myself. He scrutinized her further until he came about her eyes. Pale, rich green. A playful, boundless color. The color of bamboo. A wind dragon. Sornieth.. That is precisely what I need in this expedition.
He must have been quiet too long, for the nocturne flicked her tongue anxiously, not unlike a coatl. “I uh...sir? If I’m a bother, I can-”
“Oh, no. No, my dear. Of course not.” Hayate put on his most pleasant smile and gestured for her to join him, as he twisted and continued to walk back to his makeshift tent. “No, perhaps I might.. Come now.”
Surprisingly, she followed immediately, prancing at his side. How naive. Hayate chose his words carefully. “...From what I have surmised, those of the wind alignment have a very strong sense of direction. How does a dragon such as yourself find yourself… lost? Miss…”
“Meredian! Dia is fine. Well. I never had such a good sense, see. I just travel where Windsinger takes me- he’s never been wrong yet, and his blessings in my life…”
At the mention of one of Sornieth’s fabled ‘deities’, Hayate tuned out the Nocturne - ...Meredian’s - voice. He cared not for tales of the Eleven. There was no evidence suggesting they existed, or had ever lived. They served nothing for the sake of all Sornieth, and yet hundreds, thousands of dragons threw themselves to death in wars fought over ridiculous imaginary paragons. Absurdly foolish.
As they reached his tent, and took refuge in the shade of the muddled, torn canvas, Hayate poured them some tea. As he delicately passed a cup over to Meredian, he cleared his throat and interrupted her rambling about some wind blessing to speak.
“You know you are now at the foot of the Pillar of the World. Dragonhome, the Earth Flight’s territory. Where do you intend to go, then?”
“Anywhere, I suppose.” Meredian smiled sheepishly, her tongue flicking out as she brought the cup of tea up for a sip. “I just go wherever I find anything of interest. You know? Wherever the wind takes me.”
Well, wasn’t this just perfect? It felt like all the puzzle pieces were falling into place for Hayate; his ducks in a row. He was so young - as young as she, maybe more - and yet, he felt as if he’d found himself more fortune than even many lucky dragons found in a lifetime. Oh, if only he believed in the Eleven. They would bask in his praise - but he didn’t, and wouldn’t. Instead, he only pulled his lips back in an amused grin, and pulled from a satchel seated at the corner of the piled rocks that made up a wall of the tent, an old, hand-drawn map. He slid it over, and Meredian pulled it to herself, looking in curiosity and then back at Hayate with puzzled eyes.
“Miss Meredian, I do believe we can help each other out. Have you ever heard of the legends of the Catacombs? You follow adventure, yes? And I have been sorely searching for a partner…”
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[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/2WGhNHW.png[/img]
[size=7][font=antiqua][u]Prologue, Part II[/u][/font][/size][/center]
[center][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/349254/34925359_350.png?mtime=WYQtvQACP_w.png[/img][/center]
“Witchchild!”
“Monster!”
“Shade touched fiend, you taint of the Light!”
“Filthy little demon! Away with you!”
The words had hurt, deeply. But not quite as much as the claws, and the stones, and the fiery licks of fear and resentment.
So he was the child of the infamous Witch of the Wilds, a powerful sorceress in his birthclan in the beautiful citadels in Lightweaver’s territory. So he could use more than one type of magic, if he concentrated and tried very, [i]very[/i] hard. So his mother bewitched his father, used him, threw him back to the clan battered and bruised and confused, memory clouded. So they feared her. So he’d been living in the Hewn City - the haunted, shade-touched land within the Sunbeam Ruins, where no dragon tread.
He was but a hatchling, and… he didn’t deserve this, did he? He wasn’t a monster.
But the witch hunters had found where Tarrey had hidden within the skeletal ruins of the city. Found him, and renewed their assault. They hounded him, and so, forsaken by the Lightweaver, he fled. He ran, and ran, and ran. Flew with his pearl clenched tightly between his claws. Tarrey flew, an outcast exiled from his clan, into the only haven from the light; the Tangled Wood. His scales caught on the brambles, and yet he ran still until his legs gave out.
The pearlcatcher dry heaved, and coughed, his gangly body wracked with shivers as he curled pathetically around his scratched up pearl. He laid there for some time, exhaustion paralyzing his limbs, until sleep fitfully took him for a few hour respite.
When he awoke again, Tarrey made sure to quietly pull himself from whatever indent he’d fallen into, slinking to obscure himself within the Foxfire Brambles, the thorns pulling at his scales and the thin leathery skin of his wings painfully. He ignored it. He had to gather his thoughts, and proceed… that was all.
But as Tarrey caught his breath, and made mental thought of what he needed to do in his head, he nearly lost it again as he realized where exactly he had run to.
Not far below him, twisting in black scrawl and damaged stone, was the Forum of the Obscure Crescent. In his retreat from the Sunbeam Ruins, the pearlcatcher had landed himself in the one place that might hate a dragon of light more - the epicenter of shadow. Shaking quietly in apprehension, he pulled himself up, ignoring the pain of the brambles digging through his skin. But as he began the walk through the thick forest, he heard it. Quiet, unassuming at first. [i]Crk. crrrk….[/i]
Tarrey blew it off as nothing. Just birds in the trees, creatures he could easily avoid wandering around in search of their next meal. Nothing ominous, or strange, or offsetting at all.
And then the grass and stone gave out beneath him, and Tarrey began to fall.
“Witchchild!”
“Monster!”
“Shade touched fiend, you taint of the Light!”
“Filthy little demon! Away with you!”
The words had hurt, deeply. But not quite as much as the claws, and the stones, and the fiery licks of fear and resentment.
So he was the child of the infamous Witch of the Wilds, a powerful sorceress in his birthclan in the beautiful citadels in Lightweaver’s territory. So he could use more than one type of magic, if he concentrated and tried very, very hard. So his mother bewitched his father, used him, threw him back to the clan battered and bruised and confused, memory clouded. So they feared her. So he’d been living in the Hewn City - the haunted, shade-touched land within the Sunbeam Ruins, where no dragon tread.
He was but a hatchling, and… he didn’t deserve this, did he? He wasn’t a monster.
But the witch hunters had found where Tarrey had hidden within the skeletal ruins of the city. Found him, and renewed their assault. They hounded him, and so, forsaken by the Lightweaver, he fled. He ran, and ran, and ran. Flew with his pearl clenched tightly between his claws. Tarrey flew, an outcast exiled from his clan, into the only haven from the light; the Tangled Wood. His scales caught on the brambles, and yet he ran still until his legs gave out.
The pearlcatcher dry heaved, and coughed, his gangly body wracked with shivers as he curled pathetically around his scratched up pearl. He laid there for some time, exhaustion paralyzing his limbs, until sleep fitfully took him for a few hour respite.
When he awoke again, Tarrey made sure to quietly pull himself from whatever indent he’d fallen into, slinking to obscure himself within the Foxfire Brambles, the thorns pulling at his scales and the thin leathery skin of his wings painfully. He ignored it. He had to gather his thoughts, and proceed… that was all.
But as Tarrey caught his breath, and made mental thought of what he needed to do in his head, he nearly lost it again as he realized where exactly he had run to.
Not far below him, twisting in black scrawl and damaged stone, was the Forum of the Obscure Crescent. In his retreat from the Sunbeam Ruins, the pearlcatcher had landed himself in the one place that might hate a dragon of light more - the epicenter of shadow. Shaking quietly in apprehension, he pulled himself up, ignoring the pain of the brambles digging through his skin. But as he began the walk through the thick forest, he heard it. Quiet, unassuming at first. Crk. crrrk….
Tarrey blew it off as nothing. Just birds in the trees, creatures he could easily avoid wandering around in search of their next meal. Nothing ominous, or strange, or offsetting at all.
And then the grass and stone gave out beneath him, and Tarrey began to fall.
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[center]
[size=6][font=antiqua][u]Day 1[/u][/font][/size]
[item=damaged battlehorn][/center]
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[size=3][i]Woo! So between being like, debilitatingly sick and not online, and the babs growing up, here we go! Finally get to start! Today's item was a trinket, so as well as posting some art, I'll write a little bit here for the story! Without further ado:[/i][/size]
[center]---[/center]
“So, let me get this right.”
Meredian tapped her claws against the ground, and narrowed her eyes in vague confusion at the snapper across from her. “There’s old legends - nothing more than hatchling tales, mind you - all over Sornieth about a… [i]paradise[/i] beneath our feet. Something no dragon has ever seen, ever lived to tell the tale of; no physical proof it even exists beyond old rumors. And you… want my help to find it?”
“Yes, Miss Meredian, that is precisely what I’m asking.” Hayate’s expression remained carefully blank, if not mildly friendly, as he rolled his shoulders and leaned forward, moving a paw over the table (rather, a large, flat rock that Hayate had been putting things on) to tap at the map he’d passed over previously. “I think I’ve discovered it, you see. There are supposedly doors to the Catacombs all over Sornieth,” he spoke as he tapped his claws over marked points on the old map, “and each territory has a different riddle. But there inlies the problem, yes? I am a snapper - a dragon with no capability of flight. As close as I am, there are simply some things you just cannot see from my height; my perspective. But you are a [i]wind dragon[/i]. One born to the skies. Surely… you would see things I cannot, from so high above; just as I may see things you do not, from my place on the earth below.”
Meredian looked pensive, tongue flicking out in that irritatingly coatlish way as she thought about Hayate’s words. With a flick of his tail, Hayate lunged to seal the deal.
“Besides, Miss...Dia, correct? Did you not tell me that you were but a wanderer moving on the whims of the wind? You have no prior engagement to be at anyway…”
The gangly nocturne laughed, suddenly, with a shudder of her wings. She shook her head and looked at Hayate with mirth in her eyes, mouth arranged into a joyful grin. “By Windsinger, I wasn’t going to say [i]no[/i]!” She coughed quietly, quieting her amusement before continuing. “This adventure sounds quite amazing! I can feel how… [i]right[/i] it feels, down to my bones! The Windsinger must have guided me here for a reason - to meet you, to do this. Of course, we’ll find the Catacombs together!”
If Hayate felt any severe irritation at the mention of any ‘godly intervening’ in his life’s hard earned work, it didn’t show on his face. He looked as calm and passive as ever.
“[i]Perfect.[/i] Well, then let us get started, shall we? Without delay.”
[center]---[/center]
When Tarrey woke, all he could feel was pain lancing up and down his side. His leg was absolutely burning with pain, and his fingertips and shoulder were numb. His nose horn felt as if something were entirely wrong with it, and he knew his wing should not have been contorted under his body the way it was… [i]Am I dead? Did I…. did I die?[/i] Tarrey coughed quietly, before choking on his own lungs as oxygen demanded it make itself present within his body. [i]Being dead hurts, a lot…[/i]
The pearlcatcher simply lie where he was for a while, collecting his thoughts as he caught his breath. Had those witch-hunters from his clan caught up to him? Had they done him in - or had he gotten away into the Foxfire Brambles… only to be torn apart by monsters in the dark, or had the Shadowbinder herself--
[i]No sense in lounging around wondering about it. Come on now Tarrey… get ahold of yourself. You aren’t safe yet.[/i] With a wince and a grunt of pain he couldn’t quite hide, Tarrey pulled himself off of the ground, shakily righting himself on three legs incredibly long and lanky for a still young dragon. His fourth leg - his forearm that now felt as if it were screaming in pain, no longer numb - held tightly to his beloved pearl. Somehow, he hadn’t lost it, whatever had happened to him. He pulled his wing gingerly up to fold against his shoulder. Not broken, he decided… but certainly sprained. He wouldn’t be making any quick escapes by air anytime soon. Finally, Tarrey opened his eyes.
“What in the…”
Eyes widening, the wounded dragon stumbled backwards, his tail lashing behind him. This - this wasn’t the Foxfire Brambles, or the Forum of the Obscured Crescent - or the territory of Shadow at all. The sky (was it the sky?) above was filled with stars. But were they? The sky seemed so… black, so unnaturally dark, and no moon could be seen. No clouds either, though there was a soft mist trailing through the air, pleasantly cool. A deep breath through his nose brought both the scent of the earth, and something…[i]more.[/i] Like life itself. But far moreso, the flowers upon the grassy path on which Tarrey stood positively [i]glowed.[/i] And it wasn’t figurative - bioluminescent light shone in a myriad of brilliant colors, lending light to the shadows sprawling beyond. Tall, beautiful trees that blew delicately in an invisible wind.
Tarrey couldn’t see much, and he hesitated to expend any of his magic to light what he could see up further - just in case of monsters or horrors, he told himself. [i]Or imminent witch-hunters.[/i] But this place…
It was a paradise on Sornieth, wherever it was.
“Where… where [i]am[/i] I?”
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[center][img]https://orig10.deviantart.net/e2be/f/2017/223/7/2/tarrey_headshot_by_minthuu-dbjr2an.png[/img][/center]
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This is today's artwork! I drew a headshot of Tarrey (I might resize this, it's a little...smaller than I expected?). As art days come by I'm gonna try to draw headshots of all of the main cast! They'll take the place of the 'here's the cast' post on the main page.
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[center]@Silverhame @Legetha[/center]
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A chipped battlehorn that no longer produces sound. Can be patched up and turned into a drinking horn if the need arises.
85
Woo! So between being like, debilitatingly sick and not online, and the babs growing up, here we go! Finally get to start! Today's item was a trinket, so as well as posting some art, I'll write a little bit here for the story! Without further ado:
---
“So, let me get this right.”
Meredian tapped her claws against the ground, and narrowed her eyes in vague confusion at the snapper across from her. “There’s old legends - nothing more than hatchling tales, mind you - all over Sornieth about a… paradise beneath our feet. Something no dragon has ever seen, ever lived to tell the tale of; no physical proof it even exists beyond old rumors. And you… want my help to find it?”
“Yes, Miss Meredian, that is precisely what I’m asking.” Hayate’s expression remained carefully blank, if not mildly friendly, as he rolled his shoulders and leaned forward, moving a paw over the table (rather, a large, flat rock that Hayate had been putting things on) to tap at the map he’d passed over previously. “I think I’ve discovered it, you see. There are supposedly doors to the Catacombs all over Sornieth,” he spoke as he tapped his claws over marked points on the old map, “and each territory has a different riddle. But there inlies the problem, yes? I am a snapper - a dragon with no capability of flight. As close as I am, there are simply some things you just cannot see from my height; my perspective. But you are a wind dragon. One born to the skies. Surely… you would see things I cannot, from so high above; just as I may see things you do not, from my place on the earth below.”
Meredian looked pensive, tongue flicking out in that irritatingly coatlish way as she thought about Hayate’s words. With a flick of his tail, Hayate lunged to seal the deal.
“Besides, Miss...Dia, correct? Did you not tell me that you were but a wanderer moving on the whims of the wind? You have no prior engagement to be at anyway…”
The gangly nocturne laughed, suddenly, with a shudder of her wings. She shook her head and looked at Hayate with mirth in her eyes, mouth arranged into a joyful grin. “By Windsinger, I wasn’t going to say no!” She coughed quietly, quieting her amusement before continuing. “This adventure sounds quite amazing! I can feel how… right it feels, down to my bones! The Windsinger must have guided me here for a reason - to meet you, to do this. Of course, we’ll find the Catacombs together!”
If Hayate felt any severe irritation at the mention of any ‘godly intervening’ in his life’s hard earned work, it didn’t show on his face. He looked as calm and passive as ever.
“Perfect. Well, then let us get started, shall we? Without delay.”
---
When Tarrey woke, all he could feel was pain lancing up and down his side. His leg was absolutely burning with pain, and his fingertips and shoulder were numb. His nose horn felt as if something were entirely wrong with it, and he knew his wing should not have been contorted under his body the way it was… Am I dead? Did I…. did I die? Tarrey coughed quietly, before choking on his own lungs as oxygen demanded it make itself present within his body. Being dead hurts, a lot…
The pearlcatcher simply lie where he was for a while, collecting his thoughts as he caught his breath. Had those witch-hunters from his clan caught up to him? Had they done him in - or had he gotten away into the Foxfire Brambles… only to be torn apart by monsters in the dark, or had the Shadowbinder herself--
No sense in lounging around wondering about it. Come on now Tarrey… get ahold of yourself. You aren’t safe yet. With a wince and a grunt of pain he couldn’t quite hide, Tarrey pulled himself off of the ground, shakily righting himself on three legs incredibly long and lanky for a still young dragon. His fourth leg - his forearm that now felt as if it were screaming in pain, no longer numb - held tightly to his beloved pearl. Somehow, he hadn’t lost it, whatever had happened to him. He pulled his wing gingerly up to fold against his shoulder. Not broken, he decided… but certainly sprained. He wouldn’t be making any quick escapes by air anytime soon. Finally, Tarrey opened his eyes.
“What in the…”
Eyes widening, the wounded dragon stumbled backwards, his tail lashing behind him. This - this wasn’t the Foxfire Brambles, or the Forum of the Obscured Crescent - or the territory of Shadow at all. The sky (was it the sky?) above was filled with stars. But were they? The sky seemed so… black, so unnaturally dark, and no moon could be seen. No clouds either, though there was a soft mist trailing through the air, pleasantly cool. A deep breath through his nose brought both the scent of the earth, and something…more. Like life itself. But far moreso, the flowers upon the grassy path on which Tarrey stood positively glowed. And it wasn’t figurative - bioluminescent light shone in a myriad of brilliant colors, lending light to the shadows sprawling beyond. Tall, beautiful trees that blew delicately in an invisible wind.
Tarrey couldn’t see much, and he hesitated to expend any of his magic to light what he could see up further - just in case of monsters or horrors, he told himself. Or imminent witch-hunters. But this place…
It was a paradise on Sornieth, wherever it was.
“Where… where am I?”
This is today's artwork! I drew a headshot of Tarrey (I might resize this, it's a little...smaller than I expected?). As art days come by I'm gonna try to draw headshots of all of the main cast! They'll take the place of the 'here's the cast' post on the main page.
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[center][size=6][u]Day 2[/u][/size]
[item=ambush][/center]
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[i]Really, Pinkerton? The second day of the challenge, and you're like- well. At least it rolled tails! So that's something at least! Our kiddos live to fight another day. Without further ado:[/i]
[center]---[/center]
It had been a week.
Meredian was beginning to find that her adventure of the Catacombs was less of an adventure, per se... and more of a cataloging job in dry, arid, and dusty conditions, with a dragon that really did not care for conversation or company. But she wouldn't complain. This was the path that the Windsinger had chosen for her - and her deity had not been wrong yet. She would not question the winding wyrm's wisdom.
Her partner didn't... like it, when she brought up the Wind territory's god. Or any of the Eleven, for that matter. There had been an argument a few days prior about it - and Meredian was certain it had been the only emotion the snapper had showed so far in the week she'd known him.
The little nocturne still couldn't fly quite so high, mostly relying on slipstreams and the wind to raise her higher than her still-clumsy wings could carry her. But it was with an uncanny ability that she could sense such breezes; she hadn't been wrong yet in her life. She attributed it to the Windsinger looking after one of his beloved children. She'd mentioned as such to the snapper once, when he'd mentioned [i]'as high as you can fly, I'd think our ultimate goal should be the bird's eye from the top of the Pillar. You can do that, surely.'[/i]
His response... Meredian sighed quietly, flicking her tail dejectedly. It hadn't been the best.
[i]"I am tired of this nonsense. Have you ever met the Windsinger?"
"...Well, no- not personally-"
"Ever seen him?"
"No...?"
"Know anyone that has seen him - or any deity, in the flesh, outside of stories? At all?"
"....no..."
The snapper's eyes tightened at the corners, mouth pulled into a thin line. It was this extremely subtle change of expression, the sharp tone of voice, that was so huge for the otherwise emotionless, expressionless dragon.
"Then for Earth's sake, stop floundering about that anything you achieve in your life is attributed to a fictional fairy tale! There is no proof they exist, and no evidence! I do not wish to hear it again, do you understand?"[/i]
She hadn't brought up the Windsinger since - nor did she argue back. But she did continue to thank the Windsinger... and listen to the signs he threw her way. She wouldn't forsake her deity - or pretend he didn't exist - just because one dragon had stuck his head in the dirt and wouldn't believe.
But alas. Thinking on such things had dampened Meredian's thoughts. She let out a breath of irritation and pulled herself from her little cot made of threadbare canvas and dusty rock. [i]'I'm not going to stick around here today and dwell on this. If he's so keen on my flying, I'll show him! I'll fly higher and faster than I ever have yet! I'll have so much for his old scrolls that that rot-eyed jerk will have no choice but to sit back on his laurels and apologize for downtalking my abilities![/i]
Meredian snapped her teeth with finality then, storming out of the makeshift camp - the third this week - with the rage of a tempest. The snapper was outside, his maps spread about him; scrolls of notes lay over his hide, and he appeared to be charting the shadows of the Pillar like a sundial for one reason or another. A smaller scroll case sat at his feet, the scrolls she'd filled with notes from the day before last's flight set atop it. Meredian snatched it up as she walked by, biting back the angry hiss in her throat. Her partner looked over at her impassively as her movement set sheafs of paper fluttering about the ground.
"And where are you going?"
"Out."
She didn't wait for a reply. Without a further word, Meredian leaped into the air. A violent downward snap of her wings propelled her up and away, spiraling little cyclones of green wind magic in her wake; the loose scrolls, so meticulously laid out, blew everywhere chaotically.
It wasn't until some hours later, when Meredian would stop for a break at a small spring for a drink and to note what she'd seen from above earlier on her wild flight, that she would realize that not only had she not grabbed a quill... but that the scroll case was pathetically empty.
[center]---[/center]
"Oh, blast it all," Meredian sighed. She peered into the scroll case again, hoping she'd just not looked right - but no, empty as ever. [i]'Ah well... I'll just have to fly out again in the morning.'[/i]
It had been quite a few hours since she'd left in such an angry rush that morning. The nocturne had had plenty of time to think and calm down. It hadn't been that he'd done anything... wrong? Well, he had treated her and her beliefs badly, which wasn't kind. But Meredian had to respect his own beliefs as well. If he didn't believe in the Eleven, that was his business. But he had to respect her beliefs in her deity and the others as well.
[i]'And...he didn't really deserve for me to just blow all his work away like that...'[/i]
For [i]that[/i], at least, Meredian felt the need to apologize. She looked up at the sky, and found herself surprised to note that it was near sunset. She'd... been out quite a bit longer than she had expected to be. It wasn't as if she minded - the dry heat of Dragonhome was sometimes unbearable on her dark scales during the day. The cool winds of nighttime felt much more relaxing. But her partner had always been...very insistent that she not be out flying around after night fell; especially around the Pillar itself.
"I should be back. Well, alright then! Off we go."
Meredian took off at a canter across the ground this time, picking up speed with enough momentum to pull herself off of the ground and into the sky. She glided upwards quickly enough, and soon found herself in a slipstream of wind that carried her the way she needed to go. Trusting the wind to guide her, Meredian soon lost herself in thought again.
"Well.." she mused, "I suppose when I apologize, I can ask him to apologize too, for what he said, right? We all have our reasons, and I mean..."
She paused, and her eyes widened as she flapped her wings stiffly.
"I mean.... he must... my [i]gods[/i] I don't know his name."
She felt a bit more than idiotic right now. She didn't know his name. They'd been working together, [i]living[/i] together, for a [i]week[/i], and she didn't know his name. She had so much more to apologize for. "I should get back as soon as possible..."
The slipstream was carrying her away from the Pillar. It was a long route back to camp, if she continued with it... Meredian had a feeling it would curl around eventually, but it would be hours and well past dark when she returned. That wouldn't do at all... She glanced again at the Pillar towering a ways to her side. She felt... strangely uneasy, but- [i]'Earthshaker guide me...'[/i]
She turned and dove out of the slipstream, turning towards the giant pillar. She knew if she flew close to its sides, she'd make far quicker time getting around to camp. It would take a matter of less than an hour, rather than half the night.
So Meredian continued, against her better judgement, with no wind beneath her wings along the side of the ever vast Pillar of the World. The further she got, it felt so much more...wrong. It was so quiet. So serene, but not. There was no noise, no wind, no... anything.
[i]This isn't right.[/i]
Meredian could do no more than think this, when she heard a noise behind her. She twisted her head back and up, banking through the air. ...Nothing. The nocturne frowned. That was weird.
Another noise sounded from somewhere to her left. Meredian's heart began to pound, and she sped up, folding her wings in slightly to dive closer to the ground. Camp was in sight. She was so close, if she could just...
A flurry of noises, suspiciously like flaps of wings.
And suddenly, Meredian felt annoyed again. "I swear to god, you- you... if you're pulling a prank on me because I messed up your papers this morning, it [i]isn't funny![/i]"
No reply. She didn't figure there'd be one. Just another flurry of noises - closer this time, and from above her. The irritation slowly faded away from Meredian's face as her mind quickly worked, heart thudding in her ears. The dark dragon paled.
[i]...Wait a minute- snappers can't fly--[/i]
With a loud screech, followed by a sharp whistling noise, it was upon her.
Talons dug sharply into Meredian's shoulders, and with a sharp screech, she twisted in the air, trying to snap at whatever it was that was attacking. Her wings couldn't right her in such chaos, and she and her assailant began to fall. [i]Peck! Peck peck![/i] Something sharp sank into her back again and again as she tried to see what was on her, trying to wrench it off. But it [i]hurt- by Gods, it hurt![/i]
Throwing safety to the wind in lieu of fear and pain, Meredian twisted herself around like a spiral and sank her teeth into [i]something.[/i] With a loud squawk of pain, the stabbing agony was gone from her back, and the talons along with it, and she flung whatever it was away. Meredian only had enough time to register the coppery tang of blood in her mouth before she crashed into the ground, upending over her wings much like she had when she'd been chasing butterflies but a week ago. [i]Oh, how times change.[/i]
The nocturne quickly twisted herself to her feet and stumbled at the pain in her back. There was a moment of dizzy confusion, and she felt like she was choking, and spat- ...feathers? Bright, bluejay blue feathers, matted with saliva and blood. [i]What-[/i]
She looked up, and felt as if her heart stopped. A small swarm above, screeching and circling over the prone body of the ragepuff she'd bitten into. ...A whole flock of them; ragepuffs and sweetpuffs alike. She'd been ambushed.
Meredian twisted, scrambling away. The camp wasn't far! She could run the rest of the way- the two of them, she and her partner, had dug it deeper into the ground for convenience and relief from the hot air. Surely, the birds would not deign to dive under the ground after a creature that barely posed a threat! But luck wasn't on the dark dragon's side this time, and she didn't make it far before her oversized wings became hindrances once again. A large claw caught under her feet, beaks and claws at her flanks, and she tripped, sprawling across the ground and skidding some feet.
[i]'No- no no no no nonono--'[/i] She turned belly up to watch the birds whirl down at her, fear shaking her body relentlessly, as oh, she was going to die, this is it, this was how she-
A large shadow leapt over her head, and there was a deafening roar in front of the helpless dragon. It was her partner- the snapper. He had come to her defense! Feet planted in front of him, he'd roared - and the birds tittered and parted to circle away, startled. One glance back at her was all she needed.
As the snapper stood his ground, Meredian picked herself up off of the ground and fled to the safety of the tent. Collapsing inside, she didn't dare move, breathing heavy and labored and [i]so scared.[/i] If he hadn't - if she hadn't- she'd almost [i]died![/i]
Some time shortly after, the snapper returned. He didn't look too much the worse for wear, but he did look... for once, a bit worried, brow crests drawn together and a scowl over his features.
"They're gone. Fled. I told you not to be out at night - and especially not at the Pillar."
"I'm sorry- I... I just - it was late and quicker and I wanted to- and be back- and - oh I'm sorry, I'm so sorry it won't happen again, I'm sorry!!"
He sighed quietly, any tenseness in his stance fading as he walked across their small living space to lift aside a few rocks to a cubby he'd been keeping. He walked back over to the nocturne with clean bandages in claw. "It's...fine. You are safe. Turn over, if you would, so I can..."
She complied without question, and the next while was spent in silence as he took care of her wounds, concentration in his eyes. After a while, she dared to speak again, voice quiet and dare it be said, a bit fearful.
"...I wanted to apologize, for this morning. It wasn't... I shouldn't have. I've...spent a lot of time thinking. And it occurred to me... I don't even know your name."
The snapper sighed, and the pressure on her back eased for a moment.
"...I've had a lot of time to think as well. I did not treat you the best these past couple of days. I am sorry as well. ....And, ah. It's Hayate."
"Hayate..." Meredian tasted the name in her mouth, and nodded, smiling up at him. "Nice to formally finally meet you then, Hayate. And thank you."
[center]---[/center]
[i]Whoops, I uh... wrote a lot more than I meant to. I'll try to tone it down a bit from here, but ah well. I was originally going to stop it with the mention of her realizing sometime later that the case was empty, but then I decided I wanted to do something about the ambush stone anyway in writing - and this whole long scene happened. Sorry about that![/i]
-----
[center]@Silverhame @Legetha[/center]
------
Grants a dragon the ability to strike first when a battle begins. After this attack, they will fall to their normal place in the turn line-up.
500
Required Level: 9
Really, Pinkerton? The second day of the challenge, and you're like- well. At least it rolled tails! So that's something at least! Our kiddos live to fight another day. Without further ado:
---
It had been a week.
Meredian was beginning to find that her adventure of the Catacombs was less of an adventure, per se... and more of a cataloging job in dry, arid, and dusty conditions, with a dragon that really did not care for conversation or company. But she wouldn't complain. This was the path that the Windsinger had chosen for her - and her deity had not been wrong yet. She would not question the winding wyrm's wisdom.
Her partner didn't... like it, when she brought up the Wind territory's god. Or any of the Eleven, for that matter. There had been an argument a few days prior about it - and Meredian was certain it had been the only emotion the snapper had showed so far in the week she'd known him.
The little nocturne still couldn't fly quite so high, mostly relying on slipstreams and the wind to raise her higher than her still-clumsy wings could carry her. But it was with an uncanny ability that she could sense such breezes; she hadn't been wrong yet in her life. She attributed it to the Windsinger looking after one of his beloved children. She'd mentioned as such to the snapper once, when he'd mentioned 'as high as you can fly, I'd think our ultimate goal should be the bird's eye from the top of the Pillar. You can do that, surely.'
His response... Meredian sighed quietly, flicking her tail dejectedly. It hadn't been the best.
"I am tired of this nonsense. Have you ever met the Windsinger?"
"...Well, no- not personally-"
"Ever seen him?"
"No...?"
"Know anyone that has seen him - or any deity, in the flesh, outside of stories? At all?"
"....no..."
The snapper's eyes tightened at the corners, mouth pulled into a thin line. It was this extremely subtle change of expression, the sharp tone of voice, that was so huge for the otherwise emotionless, expressionless dragon.
"Then for Earth's sake, stop floundering about that anything you achieve in your life is attributed to a fictional fairy tale! There is no proof they exist, and no evidence! I do not wish to hear it again, do you understand?"
She hadn't brought up the Windsinger since - nor did she argue back. But she did continue to thank the Windsinger... and listen to the signs he threw her way. She wouldn't forsake her deity - or pretend he didn't exist - just because one dragon had stuck his head in the dirt and wouldn't believe.
But alas. Thinking on such things had dampened Meredian's thoughts. She let out a breath of irritation and pulled herself from her little cot made of threadbare canvas and dusty rock. 'I'm not going to stick around here today and dwell on this. If he's so keen on my flying, I'll show him! I'll fly higher and faster than I ever have yet! I'll have so much for his old scrolls that that rot-eyed jerk will have no choice but to sit back on his laurels and apologize for downtalking my abilities!
Meredian snapped her teeth with finality then, storming out of the makeshift camp - the third this week - with the rage of a tempest. The snapper was outside, his maps spread about him; scrolls of notes lay over his hide, and he appeared to be charting the shadows of the Pillar like a sundial for one reason or another. A smaller scroll case sat at his feet, the scrolls she'd filled with notes from the day before last's flight set atop it. Meredian snatched it up as she walked by, biting back the angry hiss in her throat. Her partner looked over at her impassively as her movement set sheafs of paper fluttering about the ground.
"And where are you going?"
"Out."
She didn't wait for a reply. Without a further word, Meredian leaped into the air. A violent downward snap of her wings propelled her up and away, spiraling little cyclones of green wind magic in her wake; the loose scrolls, so meticulously laid out, blew everywhere chaotically.
It wasn't until some hours later, when Meredian would stop for a break at a small spring for a drink and to note what she'd seen from above earlier on her wild flight, that she would realize that not only had she not grabbed a quill... but that the scroll case was pathetically empty.
---
"Oh, blast it all," Meredian sighed. She peered into the scroll case again, hoping she'd just not looked right - but no, empty as ever. 'Ah well... I'll just have to fly out again in the morning.'
It had been quite a few hours since she'd left in such an angry rush that morning. The nocturne had had plenty of time to think and calm down. It hadn't been that he'd done anything... wrong? Well, he had treated her and her beliefs badly, which wasn't kind. But Meredian had to respect his own beliefs as well. If he didn't believe in the Eleven, that was his business. But he had to respect her beliefs in her deity and the others as well.
'And...he didn't really deserve for me to just blow all his work away like that...'
For that, at least, Meredian felt the need to apologize. She looked up at the sky, and found herself surprised to note that it was near sunset. She'd... been out quite a bit longer than she had expected to be. It wasn't as if she minded - the dry heat of Dragonhome was sometimes unbearable on her dark scales during the day. The cool winds of nighttime felt much more relaxing. But her partner had always been...very insistent that she not be out flying around after night fell; especially around the Pillar itself.
"I should be back. Well, alright then! Off we go."
Meredian took off at a canter across the ground this time, picking up speed with enough momentum to pull herself off of the ground and into the sky. She glided upwards quickly enough, and soon found herself in a slipstream of wind that carried her the way she needed to go. Trusting the wind to guide her, Meredian soon lost herself in thought again.
"Well.." she mused, "I suppose when I apologize, I can ask him to apologize too, for what he said, right? We all have our reasons, and I mean..."
She paused, and her eyes widened as she flapped her wings stiffly.
"I mean.... he must... my gods I don't know his name."
She felt a bit more than idiotic right now. She didn't know his name. They'd been working together, living together, for a week, and she didn't know his name. She had so much more to apologize for. "I should get back as soon as possible..."
The slipstream was carrying her away from the Pillar. It was a long route back to camp, if she continued with it... Meredian had a feeling it would curl around eventually, but it would be hours and well past dark when she returned. That wouldn't do at all... She glanced again at the Pillar towering a ways to her side. She felt... strangely uneasy, but- 'Earthshaker guide me...'
She turned and dove out of the slipstream, turning towards the giant pillar. She knew if she flew close to its sides, she'd make far quicker time getting around to camp. It would take a matter of less than an hour, rather than half the night.
So Meredian continued, against her better judgement, with no wind beneath her wings along the side of the ever vast Pillar of the World. The further she got, it felt so much more...wrong. It was so quiet. So serene, but not. There was no noise, no wind, no... anything.
This isn't right.
Meredian could do no more than think this, when she heard a noise behind her. She twisted her head back and up, banking through the air. ...Nothing. The nocturne frowned. That was weird.
Another noise sounded from somewhere to her left. Meredian's heart began to pound, and she sped up, folding her wings in slightly to dive closer to the ground. Camp was in sight. She was so close, if she could just...
A flurry of noises, suspiciously like flaps of wings.
And suddenly, Meredian felt annoyed again. "I swear to god, you- you... if you're pulling a prank on me because I messed up your papers this morning, it isn't funny!"
No reply. She didn't figure there'd be one. Just another flurry of noises - closer this time, and from above her. The irritation slowly faded away from Meredian's face as her mind quickly worked, heart thudding in her ears. The dark dragon paled.
...Wait a minute- snappers can't fly--
With a loud screech, followed by a sharp whistling noise, it was upon her.
Talons dug sharply into Meredian's shoulders, and with a sharp screech, she twisted in the air, trying to snap at whatever it was that was attacking. Her wings couldn't right her in such chaos, and she and her assailant began to fall. Peck! Peck peck! Something sharp sank into her back again and again as she tried to see what was on her, trying to wrench it off. But it hurt- by Gods, it hurt!
Throwing safety to the wind in lieu of fear and pain, Meredian twisted herself around like a spiral and sank her teeth into something. With a loud squawk of pain, the stabbing agony was gone from her back, and the talons along with it, and she flung whatever it was away. Meredian only had enough time to register the coppery tang of blood in her mouth before she crashed into the ground, upending over her wings much like she had when she'd been chasing butterflies but a week ago. Oh, how times change.
The nocturne quickly twisted herself to her feet and stumbled at the pain in her back. There was a moment of dizzy confusion, and she felt like she was choking, and spat- ...feathers? Bright, bluejay blue feathers, matted with saliva and blood. What-
She looked up, and felt as if her heart stopped. A small swarm above, screeching and circling over the prone body of the ragepuff she'd bitten into. ...A whole flock of them; ragepuffs and sweetpuffs alike. She'd been ambushed.
Meredian twisted, scrambling away. The camp wasn't far! She could run the rest of the way- the two of them, she and her partner, had dug it deeper into the ground for convenience and relief from the hot air. Surely, the birds would not deign to dive under the ground after a creature that barely posed a threat! But luck wasn't on the dark dragon's side this time, and she didn't make it far before her oversized wings became hindrances once again. A large claw caught under her feet, beaks and claws at her flanks, and she tripped, sprawling across the ground and skidding some feet.
'No- no no no no nonono--' She turned belly up to watch the birds whirl down at her, fear shaking her body relentlessly, as oh, she was going to die, this is it, this was how she-
A large shadow leapt over her head, and there was a deafening roar in front of the helpless dragon. It was her partner- the snapper. He had come to her defense! Feet planted in front of him, he'd roared - and the birds tittered and parted to circle away, startled. One glance back at her was all she needed.
As the snapper stood his ground, Meredian picked herself up off of the ground and fled to the safety of the tent. Collapsing inside, she didn't dare move, breathing heavy and labored and so scared. If he hadn't - if she hadn't- she'd almost died!
Some time shortly after, the snapper returned. He didn't look too much the worse for wear, but he did look... for once, a bit worried, brow crests drawn together and a scowl over his features.
"They're gone. Fled. I told you not to be out at night - and especially not at the Pillar."
"I'm sorry- I... I just - it was late and quicker and I wanted to- and be back- and - oh I'm sorry, I'm so sorry it won't happen again, I'm sorry!!"
He sighed quietly, any tenseness in his stance fading as he walked across their small living space to lift aside a few rocks to a cubby he'd been keeping. He walked back over to the nocturne with clean bandages in claw. "It's...fine. You are safe. Turn over, if you would, so I can..."
She complied without question, and the next while was spent in silence as he took care of her wounds, concentration in his eyes. After a while, she dared to speak again, voice quiet and dare it be said, a bit fearful.
"...I wanted to apologize, for this morning. It wasn't... I shouldn't have. I've...spent a lot of time thinking. And it occurred to me... I don't even know your name."
The snapper sighed, and the pressure on her back eased for a moment.
"...I've had a lot of time to think as well. I did not treat you the best these past couple of days. I am sorry as well. ....And, ah. It's Hayate."
"Hayate..." Meredian tasted the name in her mouth, and nodded, smiling up at him. "Nice to formally finally meet you then, Hayate. And thank you."
---
Whoops, I uh... wrote a lot more than I meant to. I'll try to tone it down a bit from here, but ah well. I was originally going to stop it with the mention of her realizing sometime later that the case was empty, but then I decided I wanted to do something about the ambush stone anyway in writing - and this whole long scene happened. Sorry about that!
-----
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[center][size=6][u]Day 3[/u][/size]
[item=tin ore]
[/center]
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[i]Well, here we are! Gonna update a bit earlier in the day instead of right before rollover haha! Just a material today, so we've only got some writing! We spent quite a bit of time with Meredian and Hayate yesterday, so let's check in Tarrey, shall we? Without further ado:[/i]
[center]---[/center]
Pearl still clutched delicately to his chest, Tarrey let out a soft sigh of air before pausing at the top of the hill he'd been climbing. His claws tapped quietly against the glassy surface of the pearl, setting off quiet bell-like peals into the darkness. He wasn't too concerned about noise anymore. He knew he wasn't being pursued anymore.
Tarrey wasn't entirely sure how long he'd been down here in this beautiful wherever it was. He'd begun to call it the Dark World, on account of the fact that the sun never shone. And it was because he had no sun to tell what was day and what wasn't... he had no idea how long he'd been here - whatever here was.
It had been surprisingly quiet through the duration of his stay. No dragons baying for his blood, no witch-hunters with the fighters' beastclan friends in tow... Just the eerie sound of birds he'd never heard before, and the song of magical wind through the grass and trees. There'd been a few run-ins with some monsters and animals that had thought a wounded, lost dragon was an easy meal... but they really hadn't been a problem. They feared the light - feared his magic.
Tarrey sighed again. "It figures," he told absolutely nobody, "Doesn't matter where I go. Everyone, everything... it's all scared of me, one way or another."
The trees didn't reply, and Tarrey was thankful for their peaceful silence.
He continued on then, his three legs not holding his pearl leaving faint indents in the grass. He bent his head to blow gently against the shimmering object, and it appeared to come to life, pulsing with a faint golden light to match the pearlcatcher's eyes. It was enough to light the area around him and prevent him from falling or hurting himself worse. And now that he wasn't afraid of other dragons finding him, it was also useful in keeping unwanted creatures away as well.
"Ah, there you are...." He murmured softly as he saw the light of his pearl reflect off of something shiny that moved and flickered the light back at him. It was the river he'd been following - pristine and pure and so beautifully blue. It was shallow here - clear water that showed the pebbles and earth at its bed - and thankfully slow moving. He could rest here for the moment.
Coming to a stop at the river's edge, Tarrey gently set his pearl down and waded into the mild waters, until they came partway up his leg. He lowered his sprained wing into the water and let the lazy current open it to its fullest length so that the river could clean out any hurt still within the membranes. Plus, the water helped it feel better faster. He wasn't going to chance it, but Tarrey was willing to bet if he tried, he could at least probably glide now.
He sat back on his haunches in the water and used his good arm to gently clean and wash his wounds on his hurt limb. It ached from carrying his pearl, but he knew it was healing. That was what mattered. But as he continued to clean himself off, taking a slow drink from the river while he was at it, the dragon couldn't help but frown at his own reflection. Dirty, haggard and losing weight, and his front horn was half broken off. [i]'What a mess...'[/i]
Something warm and [i]light[/i] and distinctively [i]golden[/i] shone off of the magenta scales of Tarrey's face. He blinked in confusion for a moment, ducking his head to look under him at the shore he had waded in from. His pearl was still there, still shining softly, not in front of him. Not intensely bright, either. And if it wasn't a fish or something in the water... Tarrey's head shot up, and he looked in front of him, at the other side of the bank.
[center][img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/familiar/art/23302.png[/img][/center]
A...rabbit? - stared back at him. Or... as much as the masked creature could stare. Tarrey could feel it's gaze steadily upon him as those long ears swiveled thoughtfully, sending streaks of light magic swirling at the movement. But more than anything, the pearlcatcher couldn't stop staring at the emblem of light that pulsed brightly at him from the rabbit's mask.
Slowly, cautiously, he rose to his feet. The rabbit didn't move.
"...Hello..?"
Turning swiftly, it ran. Trails of light streaked after it, leaving glistening afterimages in the dark. Tarrey sprang backwards, grabbed his pearl, and crashed through the water and into the trees in pursuit.
"No wait, no- I wasn't going to hurt you, come back, please!"
He chased the rabbit through the trees and underbrush, never seeing the creature, but following the glimmering trails of light it left behind regardless. It was hard to keep up on three legs, but he did it anyway, panting for breath. He could see the light getting closer- closer and closer and--
And he burst out of the undergrowth onto a cliffside ledge overlooking the world below. The rabbit was gone. Tarrey skidded to a stop, clawtips curling over the cliff's edge, wings spread wide to stop his momentum.
"Darn it! I- I....[i]woah...[/i]"
He stopped, and looked up at the beautiful sprawling expanse below him. Winding woods and ancient stone pathways gave way to rock-chipped canyon and steppe, and the river below carried on and widened into an immensely large lake, before continuing on its way out of sight in the horizon. Tarrey couldn't help but think that Dark [i]World[/i] was an accurate statement for this place now. Far off in the distance, mountain tops sprawled, backlit in glittering lights high above, and winding clouds and flocks of birds. A volcano ranged to one direction, and the intense light the magma within gave off warm orange light to everything for miles. And even further beyond, to the west, lit by something that Tarrey couldn't see, was a beautiful range of peaks covered in snow and ice, stormclouds drifting lazily over the frozen heights.
The rabbit had led him, to this, Tarrey realized. There was so much... [i]so[/i] much more. And somewhere far below him, far below the cliff and beyond the woods, he could see buildings. The tops of buildings, rather. Ruins. Beautiful, beautiful ruins the likes of which he'd never seen, an architecture unique to itself.
Tarrey sat down where he stood, eyes wide with awe and amazement at the beautiful sight of the world before him. And it was all... all just him - his world, this Dark World where no other dragon tread - but maybe they had, maybe they did! The ruins surely belied that, perhaps?
For the first time in his life, Tarrey didn't feel fear, but rather, the curiosity and wonder of the world that had been denied him as a hatchling. For once in his life, Tarrey wanted to [i]explore,[/i] and see all this world had for him. His wings fluttered in excitement.
"Wow..."
[center]---[/center]
[i]I had a lot of fun writing this, honestly! Tarrey grew on me really quickly as a character, and although he'll be away from our other two for a bit yet, he really is beginning to show quite the personality all his own. Hopefully y'all like him as much as I do! Thanks for reading!
-----
[center]@Silverhame @Legetha[/center]
-----
This metal is extremely malleable; it is used in trinkets and jewelry due to its ability to be shaped easily.
55
Well, here we are! Gonna update a bit earlier in the day instead of right before rollover haha! Just a material today, so we've only got some writing! We spent quite a bit of time with Meredian and Hayate yesterday, so let's check in Tarrey, shall we? Without further ado:
---
Pearl still clutched delicately to his chest, Tarrey let out a soft sigh of air before pausing at the top of the hill he'd been climbing. His claws tapped quietly against the glassy surface of the pearl, setting off quiet bell-like peals into the darkness. He wasn't too concerned about noise anymore. He knew he wasn't being pursued anymore.
Tarrey wasn't entirely sure how long he'd been down here in this beautiful wherever it was. He'd begun to call it the Dark World, on account of the fact that the sun never shone. And it was because he had no sun to tell what was day and what wasn't... he had no idea how long he'd been here - whatever here was.
It had been surprisingly quiet through the duration of his stay. No dragons baying for his blood, no witch-hunters with the fighters' beastclan friends in tow... Just the eerie sound of birds he'd never heard before, and the song of magical wind through the grass and trees. There'd been a few run-ins with some monsters and animals that had thought a wounded, lost dragon was an easy meal... but they really hadn't been a problem. They feared the light - feared his magic.
Tarrey sighed again. "It figures," he told absolutely nobody, "Doesn't matter where I go. Everyone, everything... it's all scared of me, one way or another."
The trees didn't reply, and Tarrey was thankful for their peaceful silence.
He continued on then, his three legs not holding his pearl leaving faint indents in the grass. He bent his head to blow gently against the shimmering object, and it appeared to come to life, pulsing with a faint golden light to match the pearlcatcher's eyes. It was enough to light the area around him and prevent him from falling or hurting himself worse. And now that he wasn't afraid of other dragons finding him, it was also useful in keeping unwanted creatures away as well.
"Ah, there you are...." He murmured softly as he saw the light of his pearl reflect off of something shiny that moved and flickered the light back at him. It was the river he'd been following - pristine and pure and so beautifully blue. It was shallow here - clear water that showed the pebbles and earth at its bed - and thankfully slow moving. He could rest here for the moment.
Coming to a stop at the river's edge, Tarrey gently set his pearl down and waded into the mild waters, until they came partway up his leg. He lowered his sprained wing into the water and let the lazy current open it to its fullest length so that the river could clean out any hurt still within the membranes. Plus, the water helped it feel better faster. He wasn't going to chance it, but Tarrey was willing to bet if he tried, he could at least probably glide now.
He sat back on his haunches in the water and used his good arm to gently clean and wash his wounds on his hurt limb. It ached from carrying his pearl, but he knew it was healing. That was what mattered. But as he continued to clean himself off, taking a slow drink from the river while he was at it, the dragon couldn't help but frown at his own reflection. Dirty, haggard and losing weight, and his front horn was half broken off. 'What a mess...'
Something warm and light and distinctively golden shone off of the magenta scales of Tarrey's face. He blinked in confusion for a moment, ducking his head to look under him at the shore he had waded in from. His pearl was still there, still shining softly, not in front of him. Not intensely bright, either. And if it wasn't a fish or something in the water... Tarrey's head shot up, and he looked in front of him, at the other side of the bank.
A...rabbit? - stared back at him. Or... as much as the masked creature could stare. Tarrey could feel it's gaze steadily upon him as those long ears swiveled thoughtfully, sending streaks of light magic swirling at the movement. But more than anything, the pearlcatcher couldn't stop staring at the emblem of light that pulsed brightly at him from the rabbit's mask.
Slowly, cautiously, he rose to his feet. The rabbit didn't move.
"...Hello..?"
Turning swiftly, it ran. Trails of light streaked after it, leaving glistening afterimages in the dark. Tarrey sprang backwards, grabbed his pearl, and crashed through the water and into the trees in pursuit.
"No wait, no- I wasn't going to hurt you, come back, please!"
He chased the rabbit through the trees and underbrush, never seeing the creature, but following the glimmering trails of light it left behind regardless. It was hard to keep up on three legs, but he did it anyway, panting for breath. He could see the light getting closer- closer and closer and--
And he burst out of the undergrowth onto a cliffside ledge overlooking the world below. The rabbit was gone. Tarrey skidded to a stop, clawtips curling over the cliff's edge, wings spread wide to stop his momentum.
"Darn it! I- I....woah..."
He stopped, and looked up at the beautiful sprawling expanse below him. Winding woods and ancient stone pathways gave way to rock-chipped canyon and steppe, and the river below carried on and widened into an immensely large lake, before continuing on its way out of sight in the horizon. Tarrey couldn't help but think that Dark World was an accurate statement for this place now. Far off in the distance, mountain tops sprawled, backlit in glittering lights high above, and winding clouds and flocks of birds. A volcano ranged to one direction, and the intense light the magma within gave off warm orange light to everything for miles. And even further beyond, to the west, lit by something that Tarrey couldn't see, was a beautiful range of peaks covered in snow and ice, stormclouds drifting lazily over the frozen heights.
The rabbit had led him, to this, Tarrey realized. There was so much... so much more. And somewhere far below him, far below the cliff and beyond the woods, he could see buildings. The tops of buildings, rather. Ruins. Beautiful, beautiful ruins the likes of which he'd never seen, an architecture unique to itself.
Tarrey sat down where he stood, eyes wide with awe and amazement at the beautiful sight of the world before him. And it was all... all just him - his world, this Dark World where no other dragon tread - but maybe they had, maybe they did! The ruins surely belied that, perhaps?
For the first time in his life, Tarrey didn't feel fear, but rather, the curiosity and wonder of the world that had been denied him as a hatchling. For once in his life, Tarrey wanted to explore, and see all this world had for him. His wings fluttered in excitement.
"Wow..."
---
I had a lot of fun writing this, honestly! Tarrey grew on me really quickly as a character, and although he'll be away from our other two for a bit yet, he really is beginning to show quite the personality all his own. Hopefully y'all like him as much as I do! Thanks for reading!
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[center][size=6][u]Day 4[/u][/size]
[item=copper ore][/center]
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[i]Soooo I'm on a bit of a time crunch today! Instead of writing a big thing, we're gonna hear a bit about one of our character's backstory/personality today! Without further ado:[/i]
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[size=4]Tarrey[/size]
Tarrey was born in the Sunbeam Ruins, a hatchling with eyes gold as the Lightweaver's scales, to a dragon of nature and a dragon of wind. As such, he's always had a very large predisposition to nature, animals, and being outside and free and wild, rather than stuffing himself up away in a dusty library with musty scrolls and books, being some philosopher or scholar or something. It just wasn't ever his way.
His mother (who insofar as I know is actually Morrigan from Dragon Age, and so a fandragon, so I'm sort of going off of that but also deviating) was a well known and feared witch, or "The Witch of the Wilds" as she was better known. She taught Tarrey so much about his magic and how to control that which was away from his own natural abilities.
As such, while he doesn't tell anyone, Tarrey is able to control magic outside of his element, due to teachings from his mother. He doesn't know much about his father, as the ridgeback was never quite part of Tarrey's life - though he does share similar traits to the ridgeback such as the much sharper, sturdier spines on his nose and spine, atypical of a pearlcatcher.
His pearl is where he focuses his magic from, and is what he uses to hide his talents from others. It was someone catching him practicing his "forbidden shade-touched magic" that caused his clan to hunt him down. They feared that a dragon that could control what wasn't his was surely shade-controlled, because it was so unnatural. He was a juvenile when this happened - somewhere between hatchling and adult. Like his father, Tarrey was always a wonderful flier, but there's only so much you can do when dragons so much stronger than you are trying to do away with you, right?
So he hid in the cursed Hewn City for weeks, where he wouldn't be found.
And when he was found? Well, you know the rest....
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[i]I'm gonna expand on this and kind of clean it up a bit later, but as mentioned, I'm on a huge time crunch and this is all I can do for the moment. See y'all around the river bend![/i]
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[center]@Silverhame @Legetha[/center]
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Soooo I'm on a bit of a time crunch today! Instead of writing a big thing, we're gonna hear a bit about one of our character's backstory/personality today! Without further ado:
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Tarrey
Tarrey was born in the Sunbeam Ruins, a hatchling with eyes gold as the Lightweaver's scales, to a dragon of nature and a dragon of wind. As such, he's always had a very large predisposition to nature, animals, and being outside and free and wild, rather than stuffing himself up away in a dusty library with musty scrolls and books, being some philosopher or scholar or something. It just wasn't ever his way.
His mother (who insofar as I know is actually Morrigan from Dragon Age, and so a fandragon, so I'm sort of going off of that but also deviating) was a well known and feared witch, or "The Witch of the Wilds" as she was better known. She taught Tarrey so much about his magic and how to control that which was away from his own natural abilities.
As such, while he doesn't tell anyone, Tarrey is able to control magic outside of his element, due to teachings from his mother. He doesn't know much about his father, as the ridgeback was never quite part of Tarrey's life - though he does share similar traits to the ridgeback such as the much sharper, sturdier spines on his nose and spine, atypical of a pearlcatcher.
His pearl is where he focuses his magic from, and is what he uses to hide his talents from others. It was someone catching him practicing his "forbidden shade-touched magic" that caused his clan to hunt him down. They feared that a dragon that could control what wasn't his was surely shade-controlled, because it was so unnatural. He was a juvenile when this happened - somewhere between hatchling and adult. Like his father, Tarrey was always a wonderful flier, but there's only so much you can do when dragons so much stronger than you are trying to do away with you, right?
So he hid in the cursed Hewn City for weeks, where he wouldn't be found.
And when he was found? Well, you know the rest....
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I'm gonna expand on this and kind of clean it up a bit later, but as mentioned, I'm on a huge time crunch and this is all I can do for the moment. See y'all around the river bend!
