Maethe

Not a fighter by any estimation, Maethe is known more for her cool efficiency and clear thinking than anything else. A dragon of few words to those who do not stand to benefit from her work, many see her as standoffish.

Maethe is a researcher, recently of Oakrest in Dragonhome, and now out to ply her trade to other clans who may be in need of one with her particular skillset. Well-studied in the art of speaking with the dead, Maethe learned everything she could from Orana regarding the matter before she left home.

In Oakrest, she employed her skills debunking hauntings from mundane problems and solving the ones she was qualified to solve. While she left the hauntings for the more qualified Hunters, she solved many problems with plumbing, architecture, and carpentry. She also uncovered a cache of enormous wax statues in the likenesses of clanmembers, which some gullible hatchlings had sworn were ghosts.

When the evacuation sounded in Oakrest, Maethe quickly followed protocol and left the tunnels for the gathering points on the surface. But it has been months, and the tunnels have not reopened. Worried for her clanmates, but also not willing to die of exposure once summer really kicks in, Maethe has left the Oakrest clan in search of greener pastures - or at least paying work.

She is worried that her curiosity will one day get the better of her. But until then, she is careful to keep her quick-thinking close at hand. And having a good research team at her disposal is nothing more than a bonus.

In her personal life, Maethe has been fascinated by love, as it's a feeling she doesn't think she's ever had. She reads plenty of romance novels to see if she can understand it better, but it's simply incomprehensible to her. It all seems rather like a big joke that the world is having at her expense. And while she doesn't mind the companionship of others, and she doesn't find the idea of taking a partner unattractive, she also doesn't think any partnership she would pursue would require 'love' of her. Having talked to some people about this puzzling quandary, Maethe has settled comfortably in describing her orientation as aromantic bisexual.

As a child born to the Hoarfrost Cabal, Maethe grew up viewing others from the Cabal as her extended family. She maintains a sisterly relationship with the tailor Brightwork and the fighter Kaiera. Though they have ventured far since the fall of Oakrest, she hopes to one day reestablish contact with them. After all, no matter the distance, family is still family.

~


Her journey from Oakrest took her south, out of the barren desert of Dragonhome. She had her sights set on another place, one that would allow her the ability to continue her research and fulfill her curiosity; the Tangled Wood. The dark forest was home to many tales of hauntings and ghostly visages, though these more often than not were the works of tricky beastclans. She was sure she would be able to find a clan that required her services there.

Once she had reached the edge of the wood, she steeled herself, stepping cautiously into the trees and stopping deep enough in to allow her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. Soon, however, she was on the move again.

The first sign of life she ran into among the trees was not a dragon, but a small duskrat darting in and out of the thick brambles. It stopped when it heard her footsteps, turning to look in her direction. Its whiskers twitched once, twice, three times, almost beckoning her with their tiny movements. Then, the little rat turned and went scampering into the brush.

It took her only a moment to decide to follow it, softly treading in the direction of its rustles, careful not to step anywhere the small creature might be. After a few minutes of scampering, Maethe found the Duskrat standing in a slight depression in the ground, a collapsed burrow behind it. Well, that was an easy mystery to solve. It looked as if a larger beastclan had stepped on it, collapsing the main shaft. Fixing it, however... was a bit harder.

Maethe thought about this for a moment, pondering how ridiculous it would be for her to get down and start digging. No, she was far too big to create the tunnels and caverns needed for the little rat to be happy. And then it dawned on her. In a twist of irony, she was attempting to solve the same problem that she, herself, was walking away from. The tunnels of her home were too sealed behind her. Taking a small breath, she decided to try the one thing she knew she could do and the one thing she did not think would actually work. If they were to help each other find a new home, they would have to stick together. So, she stuck out her hand.

To her surprise, the small Duskrat only took one precautionary sniff before jumping into her waiting palm and scurrying up her arm. It took its place confidently on her shoulder, its whiskers tickling her neck. And so, with not a single word exchanged, she began her journey anew with her new companion at her side.

--

It felt like she had been trudging through the brambles for days. Though it had likely only been a few hours since she reached the edge of the wood, the impenetrable darkness made her head spin. At this point, she knew she wouldn't even be able to tell if she had gone in a complete circle. Tired, and a little defeated, Maethe sat down against a large tree to ponder her choices.