Chaw

She had accompanied an excursion to the Wyrmwound at the center of the Scarred Wasteland, but she remembers very little of it, having her mind ravaged by the horrors found there. The pilgrimage was to pit Chaw's clan against the very ravages of their homeland, the goal was to return superior, changed and powerful. However, the diseases churning there, the horrors of biology and magic and deific intervention decimated the clan. How? Chaw does not know. She cannot remember, despite being the sole survivor of the whole ordeal. And so, wracked with grief, rage and terror, she made the trek, half mad, delirious, nearly dead and starving, across the Boneyards back to the safety of the Borderlands of the Wastes. There, after spending some time recovering, she decided to create a new lair for herself, a new life. It wasn't long before others seemed to join her, the first being the spritely Durgan, who at first couldn't stand Chaw, but they worked together for mutual benefit. After some months, they ended up nesting, and a new generation would soon rise. Other dragons have stumbled upon this lair, Chaw's new home, and have remained, all working together to survive in this horrid, diseased realm. The struggle is constant, the danger everywhere, but with Chaw's guidance, the younger hatchlings are eking out a meager existence, one day to rise to greatness. For now, Chaw bides her time, oblivious to the cancer still in her mind...

Newcomers continue to arrive. Ratha, a dragon hailing from the Arcane Flight, has stumbled upon Chaw's small, but growing clan as an explorer. Convincing Chaw of her exemplary magical skills, Ratha has been welcomed as a powerful addition to the clan. Starling, however, was nearly struck down as she had hoped to make a meal out of the new hatchlings as they played. Chaw was there, stamping upon the smaller, weaker Mirror dragon and making to strike her down when Toxin intervened. Though it could have proven quite foolish, given Chaw's increasingly savage tactics, Toxin was able to explain that Starling was a survivor from their original clan, and that they were siblings by blood. Starling had little to say, aside from bewilderedly saying that she had thought Toxin dead, consumed by some great fire. With Toxin's urging, Starling has been allowed to stay and enjoy the benefits of a new clan, albeit with Chaw's watchful eye upon her at all times.

An explorer has chanced upon Chaw's lair. Her name is Ratha, and she has offered her services in return for food and shelter. To solidify this alliance, Ratha has offered a most useful, and powerful gift: a living statue, crafted by Ratha's own claws. She has offered this to Chaw, and Chaw alone to use as she sees fit. There is, however, a small caveat: the statue needs to bond to a user, and so Chaw has begun the lengthy task of, in a vague sense, earning the thing's trust. Thus far, it has only proven its worth by scavenging the land within eyeshot of the lair's entrance. Chaw hopes that one day the construct can be trusted with more complex tasks, and thus has solidified Ratha's position, at least for now, within her clan. Chaw has, however, in private, ensured that Ratha is aware that should her creation prove unfruitful, or she proves less than beneficial, then Ratha will serve eternity under the ruthless den mother or worse. In the meantime, Chaw continues to unlock the secrets of her new gift...

Ratha continues to prove her usefulness, and has devised an enchantment upon her bone accessories. This enchantment coats each and every one of Chaw's scales in tough stone, creating a fair deal of defense. Chaw is most pleased by this turn of events and grows somewhat fond of the foreign mage, her cunning mind churning with the possibilities...

Chaw's clan progresses, much to her pride and pleasure. An old friend, Redtail, has returned from her sojourn of years ago, a journey that originates almost before Chaw had hatched. What few memories she has of Redtail are fond, and when they were reunited, Chaw couldn't help but feel some joy. However, that joy quickly turned to turning cogs in her head when she saw what gifts that Redtail brought, and what stories she told. The creature made from ice and snow now follows with Scintillo and follows orders. It protects as readily as the living statue that Chaw continues to bend to her will. Redtail shows some deal of pride and admiration at Chaw's resilience and resourcefulness, and dotes on the clanmother nearly constantly. Chaw sees this, and hears these stories of foreign lands and foreign resources... Chaw cannot wait to move beyond the boundaries of this blighted wasteland.

The time has come, Chaw has decided, to begin gaining the favor of the great Plaguebringer, matron of the Plaguelands. The newest hatchlings, which Chaw has decided will fill no nitch that has not already been filled, have been delivered to fight for dominance on behalf of all those of the Plague flight. Barely dry from their hatchings, the little ones have been sent to fight for the Plaguebringer. Though Chaw is quite proud of the batch, a few of the others harbor a few mixed feelings regarding the younglings, and seemingly sending them to their deaths...