Ragna

Showa Sanshoku


For a Pearlcatcher to take an Imperial mate is a very rare occurrence. To a Pearlcatcher, willingly living with an Imperial is seen as the greatest insult one could suffer. Imperials frown upon this union as well, reluctant to mate with their replacements. Still, this did not stop Ragna’s parents from falling in love. Two dragons born from the Lightweavers essence, yet from two species who shared ancient, mutual loathing. It felt like something out of a bad Ice romance novel. While this union resulted in a handful of offspring, most were cast out from participating in either Pearlcatcher or Imperial society, and when they left the Sunbeam Ruins to find a place that would accept them, they were never heard from again. Ragna was raised like this, and he can remember every vivid detail. Every harsh word from his aunts and uncles, every taunt and beating from his clanmates, they all remained in his mind. Raised in this hostile environment, Ragna learned the art of negotiation, relying on his words in order to get himself out of trouble.

His other siblings had it just as rough, and most left once they reached adulthood. Once they did, though, they were never heard from again. Ragna stayed behind, hating his home, but too scared to leave. This tortuous limbo kept him tethered to the Sunbeam Ruins, until finally, a letter from his sister arrived. The letter had traveled all the way from the Focal Point, and in it was the story of his sister, who had not only arrived safely, but had found a place of acceptance. This was the push Ragna needed, and the next day he packed all the books he could carry and said goodbye to the Sunbeam Ruins for good. Following his sister’s lead, Ragna booked a voyage on a ship headed over the Sea of a Thousand Currents, right towards the Starfall Isles. The voyage was perilous, and the ship had many close calls. During their journey over the Leviathan Trench, they were set upon by pirates, and it was only thanks to Ragna’s quick thinking and a secret stash of unicorn dust that the ship was able to make it out unscathed. When Ragna reached the Starfall Isles, he expected to find a clan willing and able to accept him, but instead all he found were closed doors. It took him three years of living a solitary life in an unfamiliar land before he found a clan that was willing to take him in. He had discovered them during his trek through the Crystalspine Reaches. One minute he was desperately fighting off a swarm of fallout streaks, and the next, a huge guardian was shooing the birds away and leading him into her lair. A lair wouldn’t be quite the right word, it was more like a giant library carved into the crystalline mountains. With such living arrangements, Ragna expected them to be a clan of shy bookworms and scientists, but instead he found a clan of warriors. Even more unexpected was the many Imperials and Pealcatchers working alongside each other without any quarrelling or fighting. Ragna knew immediately that this would be an excellent place to settle down, but the leader of the clan didn’t seem to think so. What use did a clan of warriors have for a Pearlcatcher who couldn’t even defend himself against some animals, let alone magic wielding dragons? Armed with nothing more than his words, Ragna convinced Spade to employ him not as a fighter, but as a diplomat. Why fight your enemies when you can convince them to leave you alone? he reasoned. Reluctantly, the Guardian agreed, but only under the condition that Ragna would study under the other warriors to learn at least some basic defense. He has taken that promise very seriously, and is now one of the clans best fighters.

As the clan has grown, Ragna’s talents have come in handy, helping them avoid fights, and even negotiate trade deals to bring in extra revenue. In return, Ragna has finally found a place of acceptance.