Tues » Hibernal Den » Zera

Zera

(#13284435)

Level 25 Skydancer

Petros

Animated Statue

Energy: 50/50

Personal Style

Apparel

Skin

Scene

Physical Attributes

Battle Stats

Measurements

Length

3.16 m

Wingspan

4.61 m

Weight

381.38 kg

Genetics

Silver
Giraffe

Emerald
Daub

Grey
Runes

Hatchday

May 18, 2015
(8 years)

Breed

Adult
Skydancer

Eye Type

Shadow
Common

Level 25 Skydancer

Max Level

STR

121

AGI

DEF

QCK

INT

VIT

MND

Lineage

Parents

none

Offspring

Biography

■
zera

coven queen

Some witches are born of smoke and shade, bursting forth from the ether with spells already coiling across their tongues. Others rise in plain day, wreathed in flowers and flowing water, beautifully deceptive in appearance, deeply dangerous in practice.

But there are other witches in the world, witches who choose their path instead of being born with the road already beneath their feet. These witches are the most dangerous, the most cunning. The most careful. These witches are the ones that have survived against all odds only to make themselves anew, and they have not done so without great personal cost. They are hardened souls, unafraid of the world and all its challenges, and they do not yield to lesser forces.

Worst of all, they do not forget.

Zera, of course, does not forget the earliest days. The coarse rip of brambles against her wings haunts her, and when she flies, she sometimes feels like the compact Fae she once was. But likewise, she does not forget what she has become, and so she does not forget the hot magic brewing in her veins, nor the rush of air beneath her wings.

Once, she eked out her existence as a thieving Fae. Barely bigger than an Imperial's front claw, she made herself at home among the dense knots of the Foxfire Bramble, flitting where others dared not go. The thorns were her castle, and she their ruler. What she wanted, she took, and she did so with impunity. Few dragons could ever dream of pursuing her in such dark, tight spaces, while she knew the brambles as well as she knew each one of her claws.

But her reputation preceded her all too soon, and rewards were placed on her head by clans that lived nearby. They felt wronged, and demanded the thief be brought to justice. Reward-hungry hunters began to flock to the Foxfire Bramble, and before long, the thief could no longer safely fly about. There were always watching eyes, listening ears, and worst of all, she was no longer the smallest creature in the thorns. Other Faes wanted the bounty on her head dearly, and so her ability to squeeze into small spaces became all for naught. The thief was forced to move.

It was a difficult decision. If she had chosen to flee southward, there would be no civilization to plunder, but fleeing to the north meant there would always be someone waiting to catch her. But all she knew was petty theft, and so abandoned her home in the brambles and started toward the legendary Forum. She had heard the stories about the great Shadowbinder residing within the Forum's walls, and it came to her that maybe the trickster goddess would grant her favor to such a brilliant, tricky little thief.

It was not to be, though, because as she neared the Forum's dilapidated walls, the thief was trapped. A grey Guardian, unmovable and stern, captured her in a well-hidden metal trap. The thief did not know then that she was blessed with the magic to bend it apart, and so she had no option but to accept whatever fate the Guardian doled out, expecting to be turned in for a treasure reward. But the Guardian never did that. Instead, she kept a close eye on the thief, bringing her into the Forum to work at restoring the crumbling edifices. Sometimes, they scavenged for new materials to help the other dragons hard at work, and other times, the Guardian would vanish for days on end, leaving the thief at home, trapped inside her lair by magic, but not without plenty of provisions to get her by.

The thief changed in the time she spent with the Guardian. At first, she still tried to steal bits and bobs when her supervisor wasn't looking, but the Guardian had a keen sense for mischief and always caught her, giving her a solid reprimand without fail. But as the months passed and the thief's freedoms were extended, she found herself choosing to work at the Guardian's side. From there, it was apparent she had a lot to learn. Though the temptation to steal and hoard was strong, the Fae resisted, instead working diligently at the tasks assigned to her. It was a better time for her, safer than living alone in the Foxfire Bramble, and more honest than stealing to get by. Living with the Guardian, she was happy.

It came to an abrupt end. One day, the Guardian was hearty and hale. The next, she looked near her death bed. For the first time, she asked something of the Fae: she asked that wherever she went next, the Fae would not follow her. At first, the Fae obeyed out of ignorance. When the Guardian went into the Forum, the Fae assumed it was a daily errand. But days went by without a word, and the Fae knew that the Guardian, like all the Shadowbinder's children, had returned to her divine mother. Desperate to have her mentor back, to have her friend back, the Fae scaled the walls of the Forum, but she was not strong enough to reach the clouded pool. She prayed to the Shadowbinder that night to bring the Guardian back, but the goddess must not have heard.

And so the Fae spent the next few months alone, falling back on old habits without the stable Guardian to guide her. She became reckless, zipping back into the Foxfire Bramble to have some fun on her old stomping grounds, except it wasn't fun. It was tedious and mind-numbing, and it only just kept her occupied. At some point, she realized that she was drawing nothing from it but trouble and misery, but for another month or so after that, she continued swiping that which was not hers to swipe. It took a massive effort of will to leave the brambles behind, and this time, unable to return to the Forum, the Fae soared to the Driftwood Drag, where she began to make a small nest for herself in the hollow of a towering pine. It provided plenty of sap, which she cured into a proper nest, praying all the while that maybe the Shadowbinder would come this time, just this time.

Sap and prayers, however, are no protection from justice. As quickly as she had fallen into her old habits, the Fae was captured, and this time, no one offered her the same clipped mercy her mentor had. All her strength and wit could not save her from hordes of angry dragons, cheated by her clever claws and quick wits, and they sentenced her with no hesitation: she was to be cast to the flames, and Sornieth would be rid of yet more scum. Her captors and keepers believed that the stake was worthy retribution for her crimes, and no one intervened to stop them from kindling the embers beneath her wings.

There is a particular trouble with witches, though: they are immensely difficult to burn.

The stake was an end for the Fae and the beginning of Zera. With the heat of the fire licking against her sides, something awoke in her blood, something heady and fierce and powerful. It shot through her veins like lightning, and even if she had wanted the flames to claim her, her magic refused. In a shower of burning coals and shredded ropes, she soared from the stake, a new dragon with new purpose. Earth magic rushed forth to swallow her captors in their own personal chasms, and shadow magic crept from the wood, wreathing her wings in darkness as she flew away, not to plunder and steal, but to plan and wait.

Thus began the legend of the Driftwood Witch, a Skydancer born from fire and fury. Zera has embraced the role fully, honing her magics to suit the careful, calculated image that Sornieth has crafted. Her shadow magic cloaks her effortlessly, and the earth opens soundlessly at her whim. Metal twists and straightens with her command, and the rumors claim that candles bow before her, almost imperceptibly. The Tangled Wood amplifies her reputation by way of rumor, and she shrouds herself and her coven at the very heart of it all, patiently waiting.

One day, she will find the rest of the dragons who put her to the stake. The ones that escaped will see what they created, and they will regret their harsh judgment, their swift verdict. They will know the fear she felt, trapped in the heart of the fire, and then, she will leave them to whatever fate awaits them. They will not meet death at her hands; they will merely wish she had never found them.

For now, she bides her time within the coven, gathering in other witches who have been persecuted. As their queen, she guides them in exercising their powers and protecting themselves from further attacks, just or not. From this vantage, she is able to bring a delicate peace to the Wispwillow Grove, protecting the surrounding land from whatever misfortunes might chance a visit.

Part of her is loath to ever surrender her role as guardian of the grove; some nights, she lies awake and still thinks of the Guardian who saved her life so long ago, and of the Shadowbinder who never answered. It is hard to keep faith after being abandoned time and again, and if she must become the protector the Shadowbinder never was, so be it.

In her experience, dragons live longer if they don't waste time praying for a god to save them.

notes

: 15

: woman king by iron and wine

: "long live the godless"

directory concept conceived of by disillusionist #254672

clan navigation

Nyx Coven is a complex place, built on the backs of many dragons and many places. To learn more about the Coven, consult with the following dragons.

Aethos sees to it that all dragons who leave Nyx Coven behind do so honorably. He manages all Coven sales and exalt policies.

Ge knows Nyx Coven's flight representatives well, having spent so much time with them. Being unable to forget is useful in keeping their secrets as well.

Psyche is capable of reaching into the void at will, and stores Nyx Coven artwork in her secret pockets of space as a result. If you wish to browse the works curated, be mindful that you do not step too close to the voids she creates.

In Hiareth's absence, Gelus keeps record of all allies and enemies the coven has ever made. It is a thankless task in some ways, but it is the best he can do to honor her.

Nathan has spent a great deal of time out and about while finding new samples for his garden, and has detailed knowledge of where to obtain key materials for brews and trades.

If you feel that this content violates our Rules & Policies, or Terms of Use, you can send a report to our Flight Rising support team using this window.

Please keep in mind that for player privacy reasons, we will not personally respond to you for this report, but it will be sent to us for review.

0/1000

Click or tap a food type to individually feed this dragon only. The other dragons in your lair will not have their energy replenished.

Exalting Zera to the service of the Lightweaver will remove them from your lair forever. They will leave behind a small sum of riches that they have accumulated. This action is irreversible.

Do you wish to continue?

Name

Names must be longer than 2 characters.
Names must be no longer than 16 characters.
Names can only contain letters.

Name

Names must be no longer than 16 characters.
Names can only contain letters.