Thewarywatcher13 » Clan | Lair | Nesting Grounds

Thewarywatcher13's Clan

Ancient Lair

carved into the

Clan Info

Dragon bios and clan lore are all an ongoing process, and there is a ton more is in my head than is written. Fantasy words used in the clan largely come from a language in an unrelated project of mine that bleeds into my flight rising clan for convenience.

My avatar tends to change often; sorry if this makes me harder to recognize!
This is an exalt-free lair!

Clan name: The Grottoris, which is the lair's name combined with and the suffix -ris, which basically refers to a particular group or type. If pressed, members usually would avoid giving a specific clan name and might vaguely say "of the Grotto."

Rank and Governing:
The clan is lead by its founders Aural and Rhea, and of them Aural takes the most active role while Rhea takes a quieter role, keeping records and being a mother figure to all. While they started as a young couple, they've gotten years of experience as the clan grew and have proven their capability as leaders many times over. Below them are dragons selected to be consuns, who serve as an advising council and who are entrusted to serve as leaders in their absence There is some loose hierarchy among the consunsu, as well as among the remaining dragons, but it's based on merit and has no named ranks.
The rank wanderer is given to members who spend very little time physically present, and who often have no dwelling of their own in the Grotto. Some of them consider themselves as members and some do not, but they’re still acknowledged and allowed to come and go. Dragons are give the title risunif they have a permanent dwelling in or near the Grotto and rarely leave the territory.
The structure of the clan was made when it was still young and little more than a found family, and as such is lacking in formal taxation or strict governance. So far this has been working for them, even as membership moved from tens to over a hundred.

Travel and Clan Emblem:
Life among the Grottoris is rather different from most clans. The founders grew up as nomads, and the clan never really lost it's nomadic roots as it grew. As little as the third of the clan typically resides in their territory at a time, with traveling bands forming and dispersing all of the time. Most dragons know the Grottoris not as a clan, but as the occasional traveling band of explorers and traders. The existence and location of the main lair is a closely guarded secret to protect both their privacy and the occasional dragon who joins in order to escape the rest of the world. Because of this structure, it's rare for dragons to have actually met every member of the clan. Most members carry an item or article of apparel engraved with the clan's emblem, which resembles a twisted feather, to help recognize each other. Such emblems are usually small and not attention-grabbing.

As the clan grew larger and more involved in events outside their borders, it became harder to keep the clan a secret. These days many dragons and other sentient species are aware that the Grottoris is an organized group, but their lair remains a secret. A few groups of beastclan whose territory overlaps with theirs know the approximate location of the main lair, but even they would have difficulty finding it without an invitation. Thanks to an enchantment formed in the early days of the Grotto and maintained by Naiad, its exceedingly difficult to approach the lair without getting turned around unless she has specifically released the approacher from its effects.

Rites of Passage:

Initiation: The only required rite, which grants official admittance into the clan. Any member is welcome to accept a fellow dragon into the clan, but they are not officially recognized until they have been cleared by Aural, at which point Rhea records them in her library and Naiad is called upon to release them from the Grotto’s enchantments. Further instruction into the history and philosophy of the clan, as well as training under one of the clan's skilled craftsdragons is encouraged, but not required.
Chasing the wind, also called the windchase, in which a dragon is goes off on their own for days or months on end. Be it going back to their roots, or exploring a region they have never seen before, it is viewed as a sacred sort of soul-searching and most members of the clan can claim to have done it and become stronger for it. Thus, it is quite common for dragons to wander off and disappear for a while, and unless they are in apparent danger it is improper to search for them. Some dragons come close to wanderers in status because of the sheer amount of time they spend windchasing.

Outlying Groups:

(Name here): A band of traveling thieves recognized by the clan but not official members--occasional trading partners. Consists entirely of nocturnes and is led by Mapache.
(Name here): Dangerous group in the Carrion Canyon who work towards yet unknown ambitions; enemy of the clan from whom several members (Conifer and his band) have been rescued
(Name here): Ancient, mysterious, and very powerful group that keeps a fortress in the Cloudscrapes. Very little information is known about them, and knowledge is kept mostly among those who have been affected by them (Mani, Pruino, Kilauea, and potentially Siku); excepting only close friends of the affected (ie Marco) and those who have a knack for learning secrets (ie Hipp and Aural)

Lair: Called the Grotto, It is protected by an enchantment that makes it extremely difficult for outsiders to find it or even notice its existence. This largely serves to protect members that settled there in hope to get away from their pasts or the rest of the world.

It's important to note that, by my own lore, Sorneith is huge, traveling across a region can take weeks even by wing, and there's a lot of land that isn't fully explored. This allows my clan to be fairly remote even though the territory is large, and well-removed from any cities in the Plateaus.

The lair itself, as the name may suggest, is inside a ravine burrowing into one of the many plateaus on the ~~borders of the Zephyr Steppes and Reedcliff Ascent~~ map update messed with location, most likley western Reedcleft Ascent. It is narrow at one end, called the Lute's Neck, and gradually widens as the sides get lower, until they are like walls on either side of a wide clearing. These walls eventually give way to sloping hills, the sheltered area inside containing a few small to mid-sized buildings, like the library, and the homes of some of the larger residents. Along the whole ravine are caves and dwellings carved into the sides, and the clan has gradually created a complex system of caverns and tunnels to suit their needs. Their are several rivers and other ravines nearby, and the ocean is a short flight away.

Allies:
-the sisterclan in Earth
-Small light family
-probably others, but not official- the clan likes to keep to themselves

Looking for more lore? I have a thread for short stories from my clan here.There's only one now, but others are in the works.

a little about me: I use she/her pronouns, and I am an artist with passions for books, writing, biology and the environment, and everything speculative or fantasy. I always welcome in-character interaction with my clan, be it sending letters, roleplay, random gifts, or whatever.
I also have social anxieties and the occasional struggle with depression, so if I'm taking awhile to reply to someone that may be part of the reason.
You can find me Deviantart account here! Its not very active, but it exists.

Upcoming Birthdays to remember:

April 1: last-day ‘claw
April 2: Nephrite + Euclase +Aries
April 4: Hainu hatch
April 14: Venus + Hush
April 18: Serthis hatch
April 19: serthis hatch
April 21: Hirun

Interested in Art? My art shop is Journeyman's Grotto Art Shop.

For those who may seek to gift me: wishlist is here

Personal Coli Challenge: Gather all the familiars (and preferably vistas, apparel, and accents as well)
Current venue: ~~Blooming Grove~~
~~Back to the Delta!~~
Back to Woodland Path!
Still need: