~ Watchers Of The Night Skies ~
"A migratory subspecies of Skydancer originating from The Windswept Plateau, these black-feathered dragons are in search of new lands where they can be closer to the night skies."
Lore: Originally hailing from The Windswept Plateau, a small clan of black-feathered Skydancers migrated from their peaceful highlands in search of a home closer to the night sky. That home was the Tangled Woods, domain of the Shadowbinder and the Forum of the Obscured Crescent. Ever since the creation of these dark woods, the impenetrable mist has rendered the night sky unseen by the inhabitants of the land, though that didn't dissuade the migratory Nightdancers from settling in and trying to train their eyes to see clearly enough and be able to look upon the eternal stars glittering high above the region.
One pair has recently settled into the Wispwillow Grove, migrating all the way from the gentle Zephyr Steppes to these distant murky groves. Here they have made a nest, in the hopes that their children will develop sight strong enough to peer through even the Shadowbinder's murk and be able to watch the night skies for all time...
Behavior: Typical in size and form, Nightdancers usually behave more differently than they look. Always born with black coats, a Nightdancer fares best at nocturnal hours, making the best use of their dark plumage to blend into the night skies. Armed with exceptional night-vision, a Nightdancer is an effective sentry for any clan at dusk; their vigilant natures make them protective and loyal watchdragons, if not the most joyous company to have around. Indeed, a Nightdancer can be brusque or even bellicose with other dragons, though are usually good-natured to the clans they ally themselves with.
Unique to this breed, the brighter a Nightdancer's spines, the more aggressive they are due to being more conspicuous than their darker-spined counterparts. Darkspines tend to be scouts and lookouts, while brightspines are more likely to be hit-and-run combatants against trespassers and aggressors. One thing almost all Nightdancers have in common is an ancestral hatred of all Talonak - Tengu in particular. Generations of conflict at the Bamboo Falls bordering their original homeland (and later within the Tangled Wood) have led to a great distrust of these Beastclans, though it is not impossible for a Nightdancer to set aside their distaste and ally themselves with one. Similarly most Tengu despise Nightdancers on sight, and will more often than not target them upon learning of their presence close by...
Colours: Nightdancer coats are always standard Black, while their wings come in shades of either Shadow or Midnight. These are the three colours most suitable for their nocturnal habits, allowing them to blend into the night skies as well as the darkness of the Tangled Wood canopy. Much like the brambled overgrowths they call home, Nightdancers are always born with Spines. These thorn-like protrusions come in a variety of colour ranging from Magenta to Thistle; Spines within the black range are the most common variants, though white and pink are also common.
Markings: Vipera/Daub/Spines. Vipera is as much a warning to other creatures as it is camoflage; the solid black markings act in turn with daubed feathers to lend a strangely-mottled appearance, allowing a Nightdancer to blend into the forest canopy as readily as the shadows. Even the Glowshrooms of the Wispwillow Grove will not illuminate their forms so easily, effectively allowing them to meld against the scenery.
~ Original thread begins here. Special thanks to @jeanbean and @psychofruitcake for their original suggestions and interest in this subspecies; additional thanks to @Kationi and @kizmetto for contributing their beautiful graphics for this thread! ~
