Creative Corner

[center][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2538126]>>Start the Tour<<[/url][/center] [center][b][size=5]Intro[/size][/b][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/DKh8OWp.gif[/img][/center] [center][size=2] Original map by [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2145780/1]Llanai[/url][/center] [size=3]Two towering obelisks stand before you at the mouth of a cave in a contrast of blue and green scales. At first glance, you would think they were statues, if not for the light breeze gently ruffling their colorful fur. [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/71381112][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/713812/71381112p.png[/img][/url] "Hi there, small one," the runed drake speaks softly, "You've found yourself in Clan Daybreak." You give the goliath dragon a timid nod in response. [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/71503346][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/715034/71503346p.png[/img][/url] "State your business with the clan," the blue one states flatly, "Or begone." You tell the pair you are here in the pursuit of knowledge. The ground shakes beneath you as their massive forms step aside, permitting you to continue. [center]—[/center] [center][size=1] You have unlocked:[/size][/center] [center][size=7]Clan [color=#581845]Da[/color][color=#B75736]yb[/color][color=#DC9344]re[/color][color=#FFCD5A]ak[/color][/size][/center] You carry yourself apprehensively through the entrance of the cave, which appears to cut through the cliffside in the cove of a beach. Looking behind you for a moment at the shimmering blue waters lapping at the coastline, you take in the view. A few small shacks can be seen outside, nestled into the sands of the beach, but the majority of the activity can be heard deeper inside the cave you are soon to enter. After only a few moments of uncertain treading through the underpass, and a sharp left turn, you face an ornate metal door, which appears to shine with a bright pink aura, as well as the brightly colored coatl posted near it. After a stern conversation with the other dragon, the protective magic cloaking the door is lifted, and you are free to enter the heart of the clan. Immediately upon your entrance into the large, cavernous parlor, you notice the clusters of dragons going about their affairs, weaving in and out of the tunnels, most of which happen to be coatls as well. The chirping melodies of their foreign language is unfamiliar to your ears, although you can make out a few others speaking the common tongue. You had heard stories of this somewhat-infamous clan, and were curious to hear of it's backstory. After asking around inelegantly, being scoffed at for disturbing conversation, you eventually are led through one of the cavern's many tunnels to a door marked "[i]Archives[/i]". You rap against the wooden frame gently, before entering, and acquainting yourself with it's inhabitant. [center]—[/center] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/181550/18154980p.png[/img] "So, you wish to learn more about our clan?" the pearlcatcher, known as Fluorite, speaks. You nod timidly in response. [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/181550/18154980p.png[/img] "Well," she leans over the desk, reaching for a large tome, "This is the best place to start." [center][size=1]Added to inventory[/size][/center] [center][Item=Aged Tome][/center] Placing it in front of you, she quietly adds, "I wrote it myself." You move closer in order to read the title: [center][size=5]"[i]Clan Daybreak / Sunpine: History of Events[/i]"[/size][/center] Intrigued, you open the face of the book to the first page: [center][size=5][b]Table of Contents[/b][/size] [center][u][size=4]The Past: Clan Sunpine[/size][/u][/center] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2388365#post_32002649]The Beginning[/url] - [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2388365#post_32344475]The Era of Willow[/url] - [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2388365#post_32344481]The Era of Iris and Lilyanna[/url] - [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2388365#post_32344490]The Era of Anastasia[/url] - [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2388365#post_32344511]The Era of Wisteria[/url] - [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2388365#post_32344520]The Era of Calanthe[/url] [size=4][u]The Present: Clan Daybreak[/u][/size] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2388365#post_32344525]The Beginning[/url] - [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2388365#post_32344536]The Era of Citrine[/url] - >>[url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2388365#post_32344541][b]The Era of Laccaria[/b][/url]<<

[center][size=7][color=#ffff80][b]The Past: Clan Sunpine[/b][/size][/center] [center][size=4][b]The Beginning[/b][/center] [center][img]https://eaglevisiontimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20180401124244737.gif[/img][/center] One can say with near certainty that the old clan began with a ragtag group of dragons from the Starfall Isles, traveling far across Sornieth until reaching the East end of the Sunbeam Ruins, joining up with a handful of dragons here and there, before settling down near the cliff face. The Arcane progenitors eventually broke away from the group in order to pursue exaltation under their new goddess, the Lightweaver. In those early, leaderless days, one dragon known as [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/6957218]Sangre[/url] rose to fill their role, if only temporarily. The Skydancer, young at the time, had begun to receive visions of the divine leader they were in need of- a Coatl by the name of [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=8105311]Willow[/url] had just been born in a nearby clan to their Lightweaver-appointed leader, [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=5148496]Calypso[/url]. So, building a relationship with said clan, Sangre adopted the young dragon and put him at the head of their new Clan "Sunpine", named for the golden-colored pines throughout its territory.

[center][size=4][b]The Era of Willow[/b][/center] [center][img]https://68.media.tumblr.com/081b4d5ca0de482806e0aed77f496003/tumblr_inline_or7qlc1LQJ1qitufs_540.gif[/img][/center] Willow was an extremely congenial and endearing leader, and it was clear he devoted his entire life to the well-being of the clan. He used his faith in the Lightweaver to shine light upon his subjects, purifying them in her embrace. It's believed at this time that clan affairs were at their height- prosperous and harmonious. He was the first to start the tradition of appointing a council in order to help him serve his clan. Caves were built deep into the bluff of the cliff, lavishly furnished and bustling with activity. [center]Sugar Subplot[/center] Midway through his rule, an unspeakable tragedy occurred. During a rainy night, while the entire clan rested in the comfort of their cave den, curling up with one another in warm piles, [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/7651822]Sugar[/url], a council member, left to clear his mind and have a sip of rainwater. While he was gone, he felt the ground shake violently, so he returned to the cliffside only to find that the cave had collapsed on itself during the earthquake, turning his clan into nothing but a rain-speckled pile of rubble. He dug away at the rocks desperately, but to no avail. He looked on hopelessly as the lifeblood of his clanmates trickled out from beneath the rocks. What could he do in his broken state but plead with god, with the Lightweaver? What would bring her attention to his god-forsaken clan, his entire life which had just been crushed before him? Well, he had an idea, as drastic and gruesome as it was. The sweet and charming Sugar, with his soft pink pelt, set out that night on a dark mission. He found as many hatchlings as he had clanmates- 30, at the time, from nurseries and small villages, rounding them up, and slaughtering them all before the Lightweaver's eyes, begging for her to save his clan. And Sugar got his wish, but not without its consequences. There was now an unseen curse on Willow, and every leader that was to come after him. The destruction of the cave was reversed- broken walls and rubble being lifted and restored, and half-dead dragons being healed and returned to bed. [i]After that event, Sugar scarcely spoke, telling not a single soul the events of that night.[/i] [center]-[/center] You wonder if Fluorite was aware of the events with Sugar at the time, or if she learned later. She leans over the desk to peek at the chapter you're reading with a melancholy expression. [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/181550/18154980p.png[/img] "It took me a long time to understand what the visions meant," she senses your question, "But I could feel his pain." You are not sure what she means. Is she a psychic? [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/181550/18154980p.png[/img] "Here," she says, taking your hand. [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2554161#post_35961398]Somehow, in an instant, images pass through your vision, her voice echoing in your mind.[/url] [center]-[/center] [center]The Curse[/center] Ever since Sugar's unspoken sacrifice, there was a drastic change in Willow's psyche- although he remained his loyal and devoted self, his drive had become tainted by a deranged desire for purity. He began to act cruelly towards the most minor of infractions, punishing his subjects viciously, even going as far as murdering an innocent dragon. Then, he realized his mistakes, his deep hatred for himself growing by each day. Near the end of his rule, he became extremely self-critical, misled, and depressed, believing that he himself was [i]impure[/i], and unworthy of the clan's love. He planned to leave behind an heir to replace him, before leaving the clan behind forever, so he hired the harlot [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=12417571]Lilyanna[/url] to provide a brood for him. Moments after he learned his children were hatched safely, he hiked to the edge of the clifftop, held his wings in tight, and [i]jumped[/i]. [img]https://gyazo.com/b1a41f639f9482f8fc5d42a321dc1b4c.png[/img]

[center][size=4][b]The Era of Iris and Lilyanna[/b][/center] [center][img]https://media.giphy.com/media/Zy4Aw72WahnUY/giphy.gif[/img][/center] A female heir was prophesied to take the throne, so Iris, the eldest female, was to be crowned queen once she came of age, her other siblings put up for auction. But, as she aged, Iris became rebellious and rejected her upcoming role as queen, though promised to provide an heir before leaving. However, Lilyanna, the "queen regent" at the time, had other plans for her, believing that if she killed her own daughter, that she would be the defacto leader. So, soon before Iris was to reach maturity, Lilyanna lured her off into the gardens on false pretenses and slit her throat with a single claw-swipe. However, her attempts to disguise the incident as an accident failed, and she was exiled to a nearby clan. With the heir dead, Iris' sister, [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13545884]Anastasia[/url], was luckily able to be recovered from the auction house, and was named queen.

[center][size=4][b]The Era of Anastasia[/b][/center] [center][img]https://media.giphy.com/media/wLx2MBzC1ckak/giphy.gif[/img][/center] Although in shock from the death of her father and sister, and the betrayal by her mother, Ana dedicated herself to her role as clan leader the best she could. She was remembered as thoughtful and selfless, if not a bit distant and cold at times. Regardless, she held the clan together in a time of instability and conflict, despite her rule being short and interrupted. [center]Necromancy Subplot[/center] [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/17112643]Veronica[/url], a young necromancer obsessed with the legend of Willow, desired to practice her skills in black magic in a way that had irreversible effects on the clan. To put it as cleanly as possible- she researched where he was buried, dug up his corpse, and performed a "ritual" that resulted in the birth of a new heir between him and herself, named [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=17927075]Wisteria[/url]. [center]-[/center] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/181550/18154980p.png[/img] "You wish to know the true details of the cursed contents of this chapter?" You nod. [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2554161#post_2554161]She takes your hand, forcing images- fragments of her memories- to flash in your mind.[/url] [center]-[/center] Of course, his half-sister, Anastasia, was ruling at the time, however, since he was young he had plotted to overthrow her. He was far more ambitious than her, gifted with dark magic from his mother, and had equal birthright to the throne. So, when he came of age, he capitalized on Anastasia's tendency towards depression, and murdered her with his magic, framing it as a suicide. Because of Willow's history, the clan believed him, and soon after he was crowned as king. [center][img]https://i.gyazo.com/83b17618e33ebaaa6b4c3fdadad6c956.png[/img][/center]

[center][size=4][b]The Era of Wisteria[/b][/center] [center][img]https://data.whicdn.com/images/224860663/original.gif[/img][/center] It is known by very few that Wisteria, given the responsibility of burying his sister, instead chose to cannibalize her, in attempt to absorb her power. Such actions are representative of his demeanor as a dragon overall. The clan was yet again thrown into chaotic and tempestuous times under their new ruler. Unlike the leaders before him, Wisteria was malevolent and tyrannical in his rule, taking the role only so that he could revel in the power he held over his subjects. [center] The Ethereal Subplot [/center] As the clan grew, so did it’s population of watchful spirits and energies. By this era, they had become a substantial force in the clan, watching over its affairs, but rarely partaking in them. However, observing the defacement of the clan by it’s new leader, they decided to take action. They learned of a new child born to Willow’s mother, Calypso, who had been the source of his divine bloodline. With their assistance, this young Coatl, known as [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/18870340]Calanthe[/url], was imbued with the power to overthrow Wisteria’s rule. The ethereals nurtured her in secret as she came of age, before she was to face the enemy king. She was Willow’s half-sister, and Wisteria’s aunt. The moment she first laid eyes upon her nephew, she was engulfed in an intense battle of divine magic, putting them both to the ends of their abilities. But at last, he was slain, and upon his death she decreed her reform- to bring the clan back into the light and cast away the shadows.

[center][size=4][b]The Era of Calanthe[/b][/center] [center][img]http://backgroundcheckall.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/anime-background-scenery-gif-2.gif[/img][/center] Calanthe’s rule ended the long period of darkness that had followed Willow’s death- great attempts were made to devote the clan to the Lightweaver’s service. She was seen as the most virtuous and holy of all the leaders, always able to bring the positive qualities of others to the surface. The ethereals who had been assisting her told her of the curse that had been put upon her station, and it was in this era that steps were made to break it, as it had already begun to weaken as Calanthe was not a direct heir of Willow. Things drastically changed when she met Erebus- born of Willow’s father, Haru, of no blood relation to her. He was sadistic, cruel, and manipulative, and it was believed he became close to her in an attempt to hurt the clan. However, the purity in Calanthe’s heart allowed her to see past his faults, and she fell in love with him anyway. The birth of their children as heirs to the clan simultaneously lifted the curse, while also reversing the blessing the Lightweaver had given to Sugar all those years ago. It is believed that their union and the attempts to break the curse had displeased her, resulting in the removal of her protection. As a result- the event that was fated, only postponed by Sugar’s sacrifices, happened again. During the night, an earthquake caused the collapse of the lair, a second time. Foreseeing this inevitable event, Calanthe sacrificed her divine soul, so that the entire clan’s life force may exist together on the ethereal plane, but without her. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=18154980]Fluorite[/url], like Sugar, had left the lair that night before sensing the earthquake, returning to see her clan desecrated before her as easily as one could crumble a ball of dirt. Sugar had the fortune of dying alongside his clanmates, while she was left to witness their bitter end, powerlessly. In the end, the clan was reunited with past leaders and loved ones on another plane of existence, their energies destined to persist in clan territory for centuries, like ghosts going through the motions of clan life for the rest of time.

[center][size=7][color=#ffff80][b]The Present: Clan Daybreak[/b][/size][/center] [center][size=4][b]The Beginning[/b][/center] [center][img]http://25.media.tumblr.com/168891a111a2fb0ca27c5b4fd491ece8/tumblr_mke9aqObVA1qejvrxo1_500.gif[/img][/center] Many years later, reconstruction of the clan began with four traveling juveniles; [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=31360711]Clover[/url], [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=31697297]Salvia[/url], [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=31478220]Beryl[/url], and [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=32013254]Reverie[/url], who had left their home clan in search of adventure across the Sunbeam Ruins. In their journey, they came across the crumbled cave ruins of the old Clan Sunpine at the base of the bluff, the energies of the deceased still present in the air. Despite their young-spirited desires to explore as much of Sornieth as possible before settling down, something about the ruins urged them to stay. So, in those early days they camped on the beach beneath the cliff-face, scheming away about Clan Daybreak. They met Fluorite, the only sane remaining survivor, though she was hesitant to speak about the clan, and two Wildclaws, [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=8314021]Cloud[/url] and [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=8314021]Karobi[/url], mindless slaves who had been used in the coliseum. Other dragons slowly filtered in, joining their new clan. Soon after, prophetic visions came to Salvia, showing her a light-born hatchling destined to be leader of their new clan. A few days later, a young pearlcatcher with shining yellow eyes and glowing runes etched into his hide was found aimlessly wandering the ruins. The group named him [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=32229351]Citrine[/url], and soon after, he was crowned as ruler of the new clan.

[center][size=4][b]The Era of Citrine[/b][/center] [img]http://78.media.tumblr.com/5db1e95614acea7edf2775e7e5dabdbb/tumblr_ncot80xFFF1rydwbvo1_500.gif[/img] It is believed that Citrine's soul is made up of the collective spirits of the previous leaders of Clan Sunpine, guiding his rule from beyond the grave, and many of their traits are recognizable in him. In line with tradition, he appointed the four founders as members of his council, with himself at the helm of leadership. Under his rule, efforts were made to restore the lair to its former glory, structures being re-built and fortified into the cliff-face, tapering down to the beach below. The founders weren't the only ones attracted to the energy of the old clan's territory- many other traveling dragons found the new clan for the same reason, and settled in because of it. Such energy was particularly enticing to witches and necromancers, and very quickly a loosely-affiliated gathering of these dragons formed. [center]Lightweaver's Curse Subplot[/center] Citrine, although revered as a mighty and divine leader, over time seemed to grow weak and fragile, suffering from internal bleeding and organ damage, eventually becoming partially blind. He spent more and more time in solitude, rarely even allowing himself to be seen by his council. The clan's local diviners and clairvoyants could sense this change in him, struggling to understand what ailed him. The council confided in [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=32444452]Laccaria[/url], an early member of the clan and their resident alchemist and healing mage, about the state of Citrine's health. Many unsuccessful potion attempts later, their leader's condition seeming to worsen, Laccaria thought back on the tales he heard of an old and wise mage, [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=39670944]Amanita[/url], who had settled in the forests near their territory, like mushrooms growing on a sick and dying tree. After finally making contact with the venerable Amanita, he learned of their leader's inevitable fate; the vessel containing his holy soul had begun to corrode, far too weak to bear it. It seemed the blessing of divinity itself was also a curse, a mortal consequence of the Lightweaver's displeasure in seeing the revival of a clan she had laid to rest, after manipulating and misleading them for decades. Citrine's body was already too far gone to be repaired, but Amanita, who was in fact a powerful necromancer, offered an alternative; deny the Lightweaver's wishes, and reject her "divine" blessing, removing it from Citrine entirely. Then, he suggested, put those gifted with witches' blood at the head of the clan, so that they could use their energies to deter any curses put upon the land by the deity they had broken faith with. In fact, Laccaria's own immense potential as a witch was revealed and nurtured by Amanita, which fueled his desires to take the crown for himself, with good intentions, of course. It was a drastic decision, but even after being denied by the council, Laccaria knew what he had to do in order to save their clan, and Citrine's life. Laccaria gathered the most powerful and legendary witches he could: Amanita, [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=32275266]Decay[/url], Fluorite, and [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=33050180]Phlox[/url], in order to perform the ritual. Within an hour that night, Citrine was stripped of the curse that ailed him, left as a living, yet sickly, mortal dragon. Having experienced the Lightweaver's cruelty firsthand, Citrine congratulated Laccaria for the controversial decision that had saved his life, and chose to transfer his leadership unto him.

[center][size=4][b]The Era of Laccaria[/b][/center] [center][img]http://78.media.tumblr.com/5fd993e91683607fb8b66d62f5f47b67/tumblr_nr36qtGvWS1ua73u2o6_r1_500.gif[/img][/center] Laccaria is known as a practical, dependable, and compassionate leader, with a revolutionary streak. His subjects doubted him at first, believing his blasphemy towards the Lightweaver would lead them into darkness, but they soon realized that they had merely been caught in her shadow the whole time. He encouraged the clan to give up their faith in exchange for self-empowerment, prioritizing the use of the clans own magic to protect themselves, rather than putting faith in a god to whom they were nothing but playthings. Laccaria unseated the previous council, which was made up of the clan's founders, giving them respectable roles within the clan and replacing them with the powerful mages who had helped him cure Citrine. The new council, Decay, Fluorite, Amanita, and Phlox, advise his rule and assist in decision making on clan affairs. Extensive protection and ward magic has been cast on clan territory in order to prevent any interference from the deities they had left behind. Magic of all forms has grown in popularity, attracting witches of many creeds to the clan, as well as those who wish to live under the benefits that it brings. Necromancy, although once frowned upon, has become commonplace, though not officially. Many of the clan's newest members are outcasts or rejects who would otherwise not be accepted, or other non-religiously affiliated folks who have turned away from the gods.