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Raine

(#153796)

On Shattered Wings I Plummet

ItsNotGoodbye

Mistyhollow Agent

Energy: 50/50

Personal Style

Apparel

Skin

Scene

Physical Attributes

Battle Stats

Measurements

Length

4.46 m

Wingspan

4.02 m

Weight

755.56 kg

Genetics

Obsidian
Iridescent

Silver
Butterfly

Violet
Stained

Hatchday

Jul 12, 2013
(10 years)

Breed

Adult
Skydancer

Eye Type

Ice
Rare

Level 25 Skydancer

Max Level

STR

127

AGI

DEF

QCK

INT

VIT

MND

Lineage

Parents

none

Offspring

Biography

on shattered wings: raine

"Don't write me off just yet," she breathed. Her body shuddered from the weight of guilt on her shoulders.

status: former queen of Pendulum and Temperance who abandoned Pendulum to pursue her own path. She has since died, but her remains have been lost, leaving her final fate unknown.

determined loyal wary keen attentive snarky lonely betrayer blunt

She was once someone different: stronger, faster, and alive. This she knows well--the marks on her arms, legs, torso, and head are but scarcely covered beyond her shimmering, iridescent scales that line her hide. Her heart beats yet Raine needs not but look in a mirror to see past the artificial life the children of Minerva have given her. There her eyes can fully trace her figure and take in what many consider a breath-taking view. Her extra pairs of wings are fleshed and pulsating yet even as she glances their way the glass-like feathers begin to crack and fall to the ground in a new shower of pieces.

"So much for beauty." She covers the mirror in a cloth.

As Head Monarch of Clan Pendulum the Skydancer Raine is in charge of monitoring and overseeing not only the members of the clan and their prowess in the roles given to them but also the stability of the clan itself and internal problems that may pose a threat to the structure and foundation holding the clan together. Often this leaves her in the background and while all dragons have some degree of knowledge of her existence and influence the majority of Pendulum have yet to encounter her face-to-face let alone in a public setting.

Due to the fact the Symbiotic Shade are thoroughly entwined in Clan Pendulum in addition to being the key to keep her alive Raine often spends what little time she has outside her chambers speaking with Minerva about the status of the Shade. Dragons who attempt to quell Minerva's Shade 'children' are taken as serious and immediate threats and often the monarch's personal assassin Karina will be dispatched to take care of the dragon or clan--depending on the number this can lead Pendulum into short skirmishes that their well-trained battalions and fighters often end within hours of beginning. Bodies are burned or turned over to the Skydancers Mortem and Skydancer Bee for disposal.

The assassin Karina is often the one Raine turns to for monitoring and surveillance matters. Given Pendulum's Shade are a delicate subject for outsiders and newcomers Raine often puts Karina to keeping tabs and recording the arrivals and departures of dragons until a degree of trust has been established by the dragon or dragons in question. This in part can also be contributed to Raine's history: she hatched a Guardian and her protective instincts-especially toward that which keeps her breathing-have not faded. Karina's assistance is also key to helping Raine make decisions regarding trading roles of dragons around or giving out new jobs; with Karina reports of a dragons skill in a certain field or complaints toward certain subjects Raine is often able to deduce or discern the appropriate occupation for the dragon.

Little known to most of the clan the few years Raine spent as a Guardian have left her with one bittersweet weakness: her Charge. The Skydancer has never lost her desire to keep her Charge safe. While her close companions are aware of her proximity to Angel in that regard the fact he is her Charge remains unknown to most of the clan; Raine goes to great lengths to conceal it as the knowledge could easily be used against her and subsequently Clan Pendulum.

The night is soft and the air light. Raine does not dare to step more than a few feet beyond the cavern entrance that leads to Pendulum's labyrinth lair. Her eyes are wide and she peers at the sky as if it were the most beautiful thing on Sornieth.

"We can stay out here as long as you want." The dragon besides her says.

His voice is slightly muffled but comes through nonetheless--it always does, she knows.

"I used to see the stars overhead every night. Years ago. Before this clan--before the clan before that, even: years and years ago. Nyx. I took them for granted. Them and their moon; I was a fool." Raine speaks softly, carefully, as if she is worried the mere act of talking will cause her glass wings to shatter for the dozenth time that night.She stands as still as she can while her eyes trace the line of the horizon. "I never understood Wind flight's obsession with traveling. Not until now."

She cannot see Nyx's reaction behind his layers of clothes but she hears him shuffle over and sit next to her on the marble floor.

"It may not always be this way. Candor thinks he can find a way to make your organs, well. Organs." The Skydancer states with a stiff nod.

Raine keeps her eyes to the sky. "And if he does not?"

She hears fabric move and finds that her wife has pulled down the mask adorning his face along with the hood that usually hides his crest feathers. He moves to her front and sits down so the two are face-to-face. Nyx stares at her intently behind a set of sullen pale yellow eyes. He points to the bone protrusions that cover his snout, his neck, and the very fingers and talons he uses to gesture in the first place.

"This bothers me sometimes. I admit that. But," the Skydancer states calmly and with a smile. "...It does not bother me if it gives me the chance to see you."

"That is lovely, Nyx, it is, but how does that apply to me?" The usual deadpan is not common these days from Raine but her ice nature gets the better of her. She cannot resist staring at Nyx incredulously. "I would like an answer, your highness."

Nyx chuckles and tilts his head. The light casts unusual shadows across his face--scars, wounds, and all. "I would deal with this a thousand times over to see you, Rai. A thousand times. And I would carry you, Minerva, Angel, and this entire clan on my back to the stars each night if it meant you were here. I mean that. Any day, any night--I will be your wings, Rai, you can fly with me. We can go to the moon if you like. I heard the view up there is quite..."

"Nyx, no-!"

"...moo-n-ving." The Skydancer grins; it's unusually goofy with the teeth Raine sees through pockets of open flesh on Nyx's jaw but endearing nonetheless.

She can't hold back her own smile. Raine groans audibly through her grin and sighs in exasperation. "What am I to do with you, Queen Nyx? Monarch of Pendulum? My love, my wings? My so-called roundtrip to the moon?"

"Stay with me." The words are faint but Nyx's eyes are deep and reflect many emotions of the past.

Raine moves slowly-carefully, always, with those shining wings-and reaches to cradle her mate's face in her hands. She smiles and kisses him, whispering against his lips, "Always."

The results of the Symbiotic Shade that taint Raine's physical form instills varying degrees of pain that can change in an instant. More often than not it is overwhelming and without the assistance of herbal medicine and either Angel's or Minerva's magic Raine will be in too much pain to move. When she is mobile the Skydancer takes care in slow steps and breathing out of fear a sudden spasm may fracture the set of glass-like wings on her back and along her head again.

She cannot fly. No matter the level of pain Raine's initial injuries that killed her-the very events leading to the pact made between Nyx and Minerva-have forced the Shade to take residence in much of her body. Their manifestation is that of ice-thin feathered wings that tie into the same nervous system as her actual wings do; attempting to flap or stretch her wings attempts the same for the Shade wings and leads them to cracking and shattering time and time again. While it cannot be cured Raine does not often dwell on it as it can quickly become a depressing subject and put her in a downward spiral.

Her feelings and emotions on the choice Nyx made are a mixed bag. She cannot express in enough words her gratitude for being alive and by his side yet in the same breath Raine often feels guilt or anger at herself for becoming so injured in the first place. In part she blames her inability to be a clan leader to Pendulum's predecessor-Temperance-as the cause for Pendulum coming into being and by extension the Symbiotic Shade being exposed to many dragons she holds close to her heart. Raine does not bear a grudge against Nyx for deciding to make the deal with Minerva as she herself believes that if the circumstances were reversed she would have done the same if it meant saving his life.

While Raine no longer participates in fights or duels in the past she was known to be a feared fighter of ice. Her former devotion to the Icewarden granted her divine strength that aided in decimating enemy clans and tearing dragons apart. Her current state leaves her unable to defend herself without causing her Shade-wings to break but scars of past battles are still visible on her form should one look close enough. The majority of Raine's and Nyx's children often contribute fighting skills they have to Raine, a fact the former is happy to tease the latter over in private.

The overwhelming presence of Shade in Raine's body requires her to have magic users by her side to travel beyond Pendulum's Inner and Outer Sanctums. While her chronic pain is in of itself a major factor in deciding her mobility day-to-day the Shade being present is another variable that is typically curtailed through expended use of spells. There are only a handful of dragons within Pendulum capable of successfully casting the number of complicated spells required to keep Raine's Shade safely under quarantine. Raine has attempted to learn ice magic dozens of times but her lack of magical inhibition due to her Guardian origins have proved it more trouble than it is worth.

She woke one night to her body tossing and turning. Had it not been the strong medication Angel administered to her hours prior the burning flares that shot up her shoulders and upper body would have left her in tears. It was, instead, but a consistent throbbing that she hissed at. Raine heard the sound of footsteps approaching her quarters and the door opening an inch.

"Permission to approach, your highness?" the Skydancer's voice was polite.

Raine sighed. "Yes, Angel. Your grace. Your majesty. Your..."

"That disappointed to see me?" Angel's well-clothed form appeared in the doorway. He lit a lantern and quickly shut the door behind him before walking to Raine's bedside. His face was crinkled in amusement for a brief moment before he straightened upright and spoke quietly. "I heard you screaming again. Raine."

"Did I? Again?" The queen muttered under breath. Her icy white eyes hardened as she started to shift into a more comfortable position beneath her blankets.

"Careful, careful--I am not clan doctor for nothing, you know--here, let me." Angel gently held the blankets above Raine while she moved around; when she was settled the other Skydancer quietly drew the sheets over Raine.

"How can you call yourself stoic and serious when you are this much of a softie, Angel?" Raine could not hold back a snort as she asked. "Am I your patient or your friend?"

"Both, technically." The Skydancer took a seat on a chair nearby. His wings folded neatly behind him. He looked at Raine in earnest. "Beyond the fact I am your Charge, Raine--you are someone very important to me. We have known each other through the rise and fall of clans. Decades of history. Why wouldn't I be worried about you?"

It was a fair point; Raine admitted to that. In the past she would have been too stubborn to accept such but the years had changed her. She huffed instead and looked to the side. "You are too smart for your own good. Perhaps I should call you a birdbrain?"

"And you are a stellar example of tactlessness, your highness." The Skydancer responded without hesitation, smirking behind his glasses. "Look at us here and now. A queen and a doctor throwing petty quips at the other. Can you call either of us mature? Much less worthy to hold high-ranked positions?"

Raine frowned. "Do not share this but I find the role of a monarch quite overbearing at times. I would prefer a council. Perhaps elected officials--a democracy, you know."

"My mother would not approve. Keeping her Shade safe is easier with fewer individuals in command." Angel was blunt and to the point as he continued, "It is not ideal but it works. Besides--dragons are happy; you are much less a ruler opposed to a figure each of us appointed. Even if it were not the case... well--no, no, we should not dwell on that, Raine. There are too many bad things to think of in this life. You and I both ought to reflect on the fact you made Pendulum a prosperous haven for many dragons despite certain circumstances. You have undeniable talent as a leader."

"I suppose."

"Suppose then." Angel stated.

Raine looked at the doctor with a scowl, only half-joking as she berated him, "You have considerable talents too, you know. Talents in waking me up. It is far too early for you to be out and about, doctor."

"It is the duty of a doctor to make sure their patient is safe and sound." The other Skydancer said without hesitation. Then he paused. He was deep in thought for a minute before quietly adding on, "Do you happen to remember any of it, Raine? Any of... back then?"

"You mean before this supposed switch happened? No." Raine said. She let her head relax into her dozens of pillows scattered across her bed. It felt lonelier than usual without Nyx there to keep her warm but the Skydancer tried not to focus on that, instead thinking further to Angel's inquiry. "I still feel a lot of grief. Strange emotions of such intensity the experience is nothing short of horrifying yet... nothing. Nothing, Angel. It is a blank slate. I wonder if it is like this for everyone."

"If I had an answer for you I would give it." Angel said with a nod. He stood up and brushed off his long coat. "Now. As you said--it is late. Or perhaps early according to who you ask! I must return to my own quarters. If you are fine--I will leave you to rest. Even few hours sleep can make the next day bearable, your majesty."

Raine managed a nod--breathing out a sigh of relief when the Shade-wings along her head did not crack. "I will be okay. Please check in come morning. And stop calling me by formalities, Angel, you are making me feel like I'm one of those aliens the Arcane flight raves about."

To Raine's dismay Angel merely smiled under his glasses.

"I'll consider it." He walked to the door and stopped to blow out the lantern before giving her one last look. "Rest well... Raine."

egg found in training fields in the coliseum during ye olden days when lag was abundant and downtime also. occurred one day after joining the website. choosing to keep and hatch that egg instead of selling it changed the way we played FR from that point on--whether we knew it or not thanks to raine we became hooked.

(click x for link to larger)
BLESS EMMY FOREVER AND EVER FOR BEING SO KIND AND GRACIOUS AND CORN TO DRAW US RAINE IN ALL HER BEAUTIFUL GAY GLORY THANK U EMMY (HEART EMOJIS X143545345)

hatched a guardian, turned into a pearlcatcher, and bound to shade as a skydancer.
permanent member of the lair and dearly beloved.
she/her. nb lady. gay. early 40s.
formerly held romantic feelings for hestia
still holds complicated feelings for her ex-wife nyx
theme: "viva la vida" by coldplay
notable lyrics: one minute i held the key, next the walls closed in on me
battle theme: see what i've become by zack hemsey

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Exalting Raine 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.

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