Ainnora

As a hatchling, Ainnora snuck upon the cargo hold of a docked ship on her home island. The vessel turned out to be one of a crew of plunderers and explorers, seeking wealth throughout Sornieth. Impressed at her stealth, the Captain allowed her to join the crew. Ainnora dedicated herself to her work, quickly growing into a massive and powerful young ridgeback.

Years passed, crew coming and going, but Ainnora stayed faithful to the Captain who had taken her in. She earned her place in the highest ranks, working day in and out in any job where she was needed. Her life was steady, a calm stretch within the ocean. The ocean however, is not an inherently calm beast. A ravaging storm overtook the ship, and with no port in sight, the crew buckled down to try and survive the night. A few crew stayed on deck, attempting to keep the ship afloat and on course. The Captain barked orders, keeping everyone in place and curbing the onset of panic. A massive wave rocked the entire ship, wildly tossing all those aboard. Everyone got up as soon as they shook the disorientation, immediately setting themselves to their tasks. In the moment, no one noticed the deafening silence aboard the deck.

As the storm settled, the crew started to notice something was wrong. There were no cheers, no celebrations. The Captain was nowhere to be found. They must have been thrown off the ship when it was violently shook, no one had even noticed over the boom of thunder and crashing of waves. Wailing filled the air, the mourners filled with describable sorrow. Words could not express the sentiment filling the air. Members of the crew gathered the Captain's possessions, and retrieved precious treasures from the hold. One by one, the crew paid tribute, sharing stories of their love for the Captain. After each tale, an item was thrown overboard for their Captain to take to the afterlife, with an accompanying treasure in tribute to the Tidelord.

When the mourning concluded, it quickly became obvious that someone needed to take a leadership position in the crew. A vote was the method used to decide the new captain, it seemed the most fair way, and anonymity would prevent arguments over the choice. When the vote was counted, Ainnora was the undisputed champion. With concealed trepidation, she took the mantle. Her long life in pirating greatly assisted her, and she had intimate knowledge of the workings of the ship, having lived on her for so long.

Life returned to relative normal, crew coming and going, and treasure piling high. However, a trip to the Southern Icefield would soon change Ainnora's life. A simple docking to store treasure led to a friendly exchange with a local clan, the pirates trading treasure for supplies. Supplies were not the only thing the crew left with. A bright eyed young Imperial, Evangeline, struck up a conversation with the Captain. Evangeline loved her home, but she had a taste for adventure and wanted to see all of Sornieth! Ainnora saw a spark of her young self in the Imperial, and invited her to join the crew. Ainnora tried to be an impartial Captain, and assigned Evangeline to the normal tasks any starting member of the crew would take. However, it soon became clear to everyone around them that there was something a little different between them. There was something more than just Captain and a loyal crewmate. It started with stolen glances, then small touches. Soon they were spending more time together than with anyone else.

They danced around truly talking to each other, both scared of what could happen, fear of rejection, of humiliation. Finally, the crew got tired of watching them avoid one another, and hatched a plan. Herron distracted Ainnora, while Erraphor kept Evangeline occupied. Everyone else prepared on deck, getting the perfect scene. Finally, the signal was given, and Ainnora was led from her cabin, while Evangeline was brought up from the hold. Both of them stopped in shock, seeing what the crew had laid out. Pressed flowers had been strung up upon the deck, and upon a makeshift table was a glowing bottle of cerdae sparkle framed by two standard ration meals. When the shock had passed, Herron and Erraphor led them to the table, and they and the rest of the crew all scampered below deck.

Although they both started the dinner with their scales flushed with embarrassment, they soon relaxed, easing into the romantic atmosphere. That evening was only the first in a series of what only could be called "dates". As the relationship progressed, they no longer relied on their comrades to prod them into making moves. After one particularly rousing battle, Evangeline, in a surge of adrenaline asked for Ainnora's eternal love and mateship. That night was one of great celebration, the entire crew indulging to bless their new bond. From then on, nothing could separate them, and anything that tried would meet a grisly fate.

Years passed by uneventfully, the pirates continuing their swath of robbery and destruction. The plunder was fruitful, and casualties were few. Erraphor was the first one to notice something wrong. A trip to the Scarred Wasteland was the likely culprit, it seemed. The Captain's strength waned more and more each day. Her scales were molting off in great chunks, red flesh underneath seeping with blood and pus. The crew was on high alert, with the Captain out of commission, all further plans were put off. As much as they all cared for her, she had to be quarantined, no one knew what was wrong, let alone if it was contagious. Evangeline insisted to be put with her, she simply couldn't let her mate suffer alone. That left Herron and Erraphor, the oldest of the crew in charge of the vessel. Erraphor's student, Ecord, was the first to speak when they came to discussing what to do. He insisted that his homeland, the Sunbeam Ruins might have record of whatever was ailing the Captain, and that they should set sail there with haste. With no other options, the crew set sail, desperate to save their beloved leader.