Kururin » Lair » Marrow

Marrow

(#17534995)

Level 25 Imperial

Familiar

Bloodfang Watcher

Energy: 47 50

Personal Style

Apparel

Skin

Scene

Physical Attributes

Battle Stats

Measurements

Length

19.88 m

Wingspan

20.47 m

Weight

7640.89 kg

Genetics

Tomato
Bar

Aqua
Daub

Mulberry
Spines

Hatchday

Oct 10, 2015
(9 years)

Breed

Adult
Imperial

Eye Type

Nature
Common

Level 25 Imperial

Max Level

STR

115

AGI

DEF

QCK

INT

VIT

MND

Lineage

Parents

Offspring

Biography

The Monster Inside Me

They called him a monster. A monster with an insatiable bloodlust. Some were concerned he would turn on his own kind - perhaps it was only a matter of time before he became a cannibal. His teeth, his jaws, and claws, were stained with the blood of his prey. Rumors about this imperial spread like wildfire, hysteria and chaos following in their wake. Was he an emperor? But - no, despite embodying the terrors feared by all of Sornieth, he had hatched from an egg. Besides.. He only had one head.

As a hatchling Marrow ate through much of his clan's food stores. The clan elders were concerned, but only for the loss of their reserves. After all, newborn dragons often consumed more than their weight in food. Many of the warriors marveled at the young imperials ferocity and eagerly awaited the days when he would join their ranks, they knew he would make a fine addition to their numbers. Sure enough, Marrow became an accomplished fighter. It was when his training began that their concerns returned. On the field, facing off against his fellow clan-mates Marrow held nothing in reserve. It was almost as though he wanted to draw blood. When he began initiating battles outside of his training, it was decided his temperament was bet suited to the battle field, no matter that his training had not yet been completed.

Against the beast clans it seemed he grew more vicious by the day. Though his skill and brutality as a warrior was only surpassed by the eldest and most highly trained and battle hardened warriors of his clan, even those dragons watched him with a keen - if not wary - eye. In time Marrow became as strong as the others, only the combined might of several of the eldest warriors could keep him in check. On the possibility that battle was only exacerbating Marrow's blood lust, he was reassigned to fulfill other duties within the clan. It did nothing to curb his aggression… He began to keep to himself, biding his time. He knew as well as anyone that he was one of their best warriors. The time would come when they would need him, when they would call upon him for the help that only he could provide.

Though Marrow had never been able to control himself in the past and gave into the fierce joys of battle, he now exercised a degree of self restraint he hadn't known he possessed. The strain it placed upon him became greater than he could manage. Combined with the mounting desire to sink he teeth and claws into his prey, he could barely function. Concealing his feelings and his mounting frustration from the clan members became increasingly difficult, though they suspected nothing. It was as if removing him from the warrior's ranks had quelled their fears.

One afternoon he awoke trembling and fled the clan's lair at once. Every ounce of self control was thrown to the wayside when his eyes landed upon the first living creature beyond the clan's boundaries. The bloodlust was upon him like never before. In a mindless fury he gave into his primal instincts. His thoughts became clouded, and all he knew was the satisfaction he had for so long desired. The moon rose in the sky above him, and yet he hardly noticed its unusual appearance. Perhaps it was fate, a cruel coincidence or something that had always lurked within him that awoke that night. When his eyes fell upon the moon in the sky above him he barely registered its unusual color. Yet the appearance of the blood moon sparked fear and awe in dragons from the shrieking wilds to the shifting expanse. Old clan rivalries were revived and skirmishes broke out in small clusters around Sornieth.

The roars of his clan mates fell upon deaf ears as Marrow continued in a haze. It was only when one of his nest-mates cries for help reached him that he became lucid once more. In moments he had arrived at the battle field and entered the fray. His sister Inya, relieved that he had come to their aid felt the ice cold grip of fear clutch her heart when she realized the sheen covering his hide was blood. At first she had overlooked it, attributing the appearance of his scales to the bloody light the moon cast on everything that night. She saw the fury in his eyes, and as she watched in horror it was as though she could see him slipping away, losing his self control, as he had earlier that day. Even at a distance, she saw the light fade from his eyes as a terrifying glaze slid over them. It was then that the tide of battle shifted, and their clan gained the upper hand.

In the midst of the battle, Marrow roared with fury and delight. It was as though pleasure and pride were coursing through his veins. He had known this day would come, at last when they would need him to return to battle and he would prove himself. As the battle raged on, he lost track of time and grew focused only on the tissues within reach of his claws and teeth. Enemy before enemy suffered grievous wounds at his talons, their only choice was to retreat. When none stood before him he arched his neck and called his victory to the moon above him.

Relieved that their clan had withstood the battle and hoping against all odds that the bloodlust had left him, Inya approached her brother. "Thank goodness you came when you did Marrow," she said. What reached his ears was not the voice of his sister, a voice he had known all his life and knew better than his own, but the voice of a threat. He acted on impulse, lashing out blindly with tooth and claw. As he went to close his jaws upon her throat, talons slammed into him, driving the breath from his body and forcing him against the blood-soaked ground. "A great deed you may have done by winning us this victory. Yet I had always known we could not trust you… And though I hoped you would prove me wrong, I knew this day would come…" Marrow struggled upright, gazing around in confusion. When his eyes fell upon Inya, and he realized what he had done he unleashed a roar of agony. A deafening roar came in response. His vision faltered as he gazed at the battle ready forms of his clan-mates circling themselves around him. Several younger dragons bore a torn and bloodied Inya away from the battle field. His heart tore and he moved to go after them, to help. "You have done more than enough already Marrow." It was the same voice from before. His head turned in the direction of the clan's patriarch. Marrow bared his teeth in a grimace, and a low growl escaped him. Those gathered around him, the warriors he had fought alongside all his life, snarled in response. "Be gone," the voice thundered. "As mighty a warrior as you were, you have fallen, so far. There are more than enough of us here to easily overpower you." His patriarch, the dragon who had provided for him and his clan all their lives turned away. "Never return…"

Marrow fled then, agony clutching at his heart and guilt flooding his stomach. What had he done… For days and nights, he wandered in anguish, stopping only to sleep when he could no longer stand to be awake with his thoughts. His rests were fitful and ravaged by nightmares that were worse than the thoughts warring in his mind during his waking hours. Try though he might, he could not scrub the blood from his claws, his teeth. The blood of his sister had stained his soul. Some nights he wondered desperately why it bothered him so, he had fought many dragons in combat before. It was not the first blood he had drawn from a clanmate. And yet he knew, whether or not he would admit it to himself, that his attack on Inya had not been like the others. Something inside him had taken over that night…

Before long Marrow was consumed with self hatred. He brooded on what happened day and night, spending his time doing little else. Filth clung to his scales and the leathery skin of his wings. Grime matted his mane. Yet it was nothing compared with what he saw of himself.

One morning he was awakened by the scent of a fresh kill. For days he had been lingering on the edge of the shifting expanse, staring at the tempest spires in the distance, focused on the lightning forking across the sky. In that time he had eaten rarely, consuming the vegetation within reach only to silence the rumbling of his stomach. The beast in front of him set his mouth to watering. As he snaked his neck forward, gingerly grasping the animal's hide and drawing it closer to himself, another scent reached him and he froze. With a growl he dropped the food. A moment later an imperial revealed herself, stepping out from behind a mass of boulders. She gazed at him with interest in her eyes but said nothing and came no closer. For a time they merely gazed at one another. After a time the imperial settled herself more comfortably, curling up on the ground with her wings spread on either side. Marrow stared in confusion as she laid her head on the parched ground and closed her eyes.

She was the first dragon he had been near for weeks. When it was clear that she had gone to sleep his attention returned to the food before him and reluctantly he ate. Though his curiosity had been aroused by her appearance he too laid his head upon the ground and eventually sleep overtook him. He awoke that same afternoon to the sound of voices. For a moment confusion muddled his thoughts. A nocturne had joined the imperial. At the sight of her a growl rose up in his throat. Their conversation ceased and after the two exchanged a look, the imperial took flight, her great wings raising clouds of dust from the ground. As he watched her go, the nocturne approached him, fluttering forward before landing on her hind legs before him.

Marrow gazed down at her, almost haughtily. Immediately the nocturne tried to replicate the gesture. Though her size didn't lend much to the impression Marrow was startled to see so many of his thoughts and emotions reflected in her eyes. It was as though she understood what he was feeling in that instance. Unsettled he turned away, curling in upon himself. For a moment, the nocturne watched him with her head now cocked to the side. Though she was not quite nimble enough to mimic him this time, she took flight and roosted in a tree nearby. Marrow watched her settle herself amongst its dead branches. She adopted a pose as similar to his as she could. He closed his eyes, wishing she would just leave like the imperial had.

As he lay there with his eyes closed, sorrow began to wash over him and a single tear escaped from beneath his eyelid before he dozed off… Then, it was night. The full moon had returned and a chill crept through him. He was on the shifting expanse. At last both the nocturne and imperial had left him in peace. He shifted slightly and stared down at his shadow. Before his eyes it came to life. Marrow stared, rapt with confusion. The next thing he knew, the shadowy creature had materialized before him as a perfect mirror of his former self. His scales were pristine, his wings as well kept as ever and his mane free of mange. He let his eyes travel the length of this creature, and stopped when he realized there was one true difference. His eyes.. His eyes were as black as the night sky above them.

Marrow opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment the dragon lunged forwards, his jaws closing upon Marrow's throat. Pinned to the ground beneath the crushing weight of this monster, Marrow struggled, his wings flailing beneath him. He could feel the breath of this mirror-dragon washing over him, its teeth grating against his scales. Marrow lay now, paralyzed with fear before his senses returned and he lashed out once more, thrusting his feet up against the shadowy version of himself. It was a struggle to return to his feet, his muscles had weakened after weeks of neglect and it was all he could do to draw himself upright and face his foe.

Teeth bared and glittering furiously under the moonlight, his opponent lunged forwards again. Marrow reared up onto his hind legs, flaring his wings out on either side for balance and the pair clashed, matching one another's moves. Though they might have been evenly matched in the past, before long Marrow was forced backwards, narrowly avoiding crushing blows. It was all he could do to defend himself. In that moment, he felt a measure of his strength return. When he repelled the next attack he felt his attacker falter. A tiny voice at the back of his head whispered to him, urging him forwards. Now is your chance. Though he knew it was true, that he could regain even ground and perhaps even the upper talon, he hesitated. For the briefest of moments Marrows eyes strayed up to the moon and a new resolve entered him. When next the combatants met Marrow again defended himself from the attack, making no move to do anything further. As their battle continued, something inside him grew as his opponent weakened, continually throwing himself against Marrow without regard for anything else. His energy continued to flag. As he assumed a ready position, preparing to attack again, Marrows jaws opened and a great roar escaped him. "I will not give in!" In despair he closed his eyes, arching his neck and directing his ever louder roar to the heavens above them.

When he opened his eyes, his opponent had gone. Exhaustion from the battle overcame the adrenaline that he fueled him thus far, and he collapsed onto the ground. Marrow awoke what felt like a lifetime later, feeling battered and bruised. Again confusion washed over him before he scrambled to his feet when he recalled the events from the night before. The nocturne from the previous day had returned and she was balanced precariously on his tail. A hiss escaped him and she took flight and came to hover beside him, looking him keenly in the eye. Momentarily distracted by her, he forced himself to ignore her and glanced around but saw no sign of the battle from the night before. Distraught, he whipped his head back and forth, growing more and more confused. Still, the nocturne hovered beside him at eye level.

Seizing on the only tangible thing he could he turned to her and demanded, "Who are you?!" For a moment she merely gazed back at him. Just as he opened his mouth to repeat his question, she spoke. "My name is Luna." Marrow glanced down. A calm descended upon him as an image of the full moon from the previous night flashed before his mind's eye. After her brief introduction she again began to mimic his behavior, and in her he saw more of himself than ever before. It was as though he was gazing upon himself from her perspective. His thoughts began to run together and he forced his gaze away. Before he lost himself in his thoughts he turned back to her "How are you doing this? Why are you showing me these things?"

"How am I doing this?" she repeated. When she fell silent he lashed his tail in frustration. He should have known better than to expect a straight answer from a nocturne. Of course she would go on imitating him… "I don't know." Though he could hardly believe what he had heard, he turned back to her and realized she had not been continuing with her charade. "I have always been able to mimic everyone's behavior very well," No surprise there… Marrow thought to himself. "But when I try to imitate you, I see.. More. I know more." She paused again and in the silence that resulted he cast his gaze downward and muttered, "More than me…"

Luna landed on the ground beneath him and peered up into his eyes. "Yes," she said simply. "You.. Have lived your life with a great war inside you. Unknown to you, another force was trying to live out their life inside you.

"Marrow, you are not what you believe yourself to be." Her voice had taken on a new tone, and her expression had softened. "When I first saw you, I saw something dark inside of you. Today.. The darkness. It's gone." An emotion he couldn't place showed itself upon her face. Was it pity? Understanding? No… she couldn't understand. He was a monster. "The war within you. It has ended," she said simply. Had he heard a hint of admiration in her voice? With a churning of her wings she rose into the air and perched lightly upon his shoulder. He stiffened at the contact and stood still as she pressed herself against his neck. "The self doubt inside you could change that though…" This time he was sure he had heard pity in her voice.

He turned to look at her, his neck arcing around so that they were face to face again. How can she know… Things were becoming clearer, understanding was beginning to dawn upon him. And he realized with a start that what he had thought a battle the night before had not truly occurred at all. The conflict that had been warring inside of him since he fled on the night of the blood moon had reached its peak last night, the night of the next full moon… And here she was, telling him it was over. Before he realized what he was doing, he had extended his nose towards her tentatively. Gently he brushed against her while marveling at how perfectly she had been named. Marrow's eyes closed and a deep sigh escaped him.

Nedakh and Luna were the first clan members to meet Marrow. Instantly Nedakh could see the trouble that besieged this imperial. For a time she watched him. When Luna joined her on the edge of the shifting expanse, the two came to an agreement. Luna remained with Marrow while Nedakh returned to the clan, explaining what she had found with hopes that he could become one of them. Though she could not know what Luna had instinctively discovered, Nedakh's heart had always been true and she trusted her instincts above all else. Her judgement had yet to be proven wrong, and Marrow now owes her his thanks for being accepted by the clan.

Though Luna's presence has calmed Marrow and eased many of the wounds of his past, he will never truly escape the memories and damage of what happened on the night of the blood moon. His nights are occasionally haunted by his past, and he is frequently gripped with the self doubt Luna warned of. As long as this persists, he will never truly escape the monster he harbored inside of him.

Vergere believes a fragment of The Shade shared the egg that he hatched from and latched on to his body and mind before he hatched. She has shared her knowledge of The Shade with him, giving Marrow much to ponder. Agony eats away at him as he wonders what might become of his future. Though his body has recovered since joining the clan, he still struggles to heal his psyche. Luna's steadfast presence has helped most of all. They have since become mates, though Marrow is a begrudging father. Though he finds great joy in fathering dragons alongside Luna, he cannot help but fear that for his growing family and what might become of him if he loses control again…

Despite the struggles that Marrow is still faced with, he has vowed to protect his mate and his new clan at all costs. Though he no longer actively engages in battle, he is ready and willing to come to the clan's defense the moment It becomes necessary. Yet his vow is no longer fueled by the desire to prove himself and the fierce desire to be needed by his clan. In this Marrow has found purpose and selflessness, a task to which he can devote himself fully with a true heart.

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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 Marrow to the service of the Stormcatcher 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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