Atala

Atala's favourite mode of transport is via his beloved lilypad boat. His pet wavehopper frog pushes the boat along when Atala gets tired, and when the rapids get too strong, the frog climbs up and relaxes in the sun alongside the fae. He is happy to ferry any of his 'subjects' (fellow fae clansmen) anywhere up or down the river, anytime. They will have to put up with his constant whittering about his duty of care to them, being their King and everything. But it's worth it for a smooth ride to the seaside some days.


Atala's efforts to 'organise' the fae into his Court, were somewhat successful but also, as in all things Atala, quite odd. He declared weekly meetings of the Court of the Fae in either Mermaid's bar, the Siren's Call Inn, or in the glade of the Heart Oak, depending on the weather. These were opportunities for anyone to speak, bringing important concerns or matters to his attention, and for them to collaboratively decide on petitions to take before the Council of Elders (or just Bard) to continue to advance Fae rights in a world of unfairly large dragons.
Mostly, though, Atala makes long and apallingly boring speeches about Fae rights, his duty to his 'subjects', and the importance of both, while some attendees nod off, play cards in the corner or pretend to be taking minutes while in fact plotting their next experiment, booby trapping or grand heist. Luckily, Atala can't read, or he'd be heartbroken. The fae largely toe the line though, between impudence and insolence, because it's hard to look at that bright and hopeful face and not do your best to be as marvellous and noble a creature as he believes them all to be.
The stoic attendees to the Fae Meetings are Fairydust and Giles, who enjoy organisation, Mermaid (who can't help it, half the time the meetings are in his damn bar), and Sooty, who bows and corrects people on proper regal pronoun use and generally watches Atala with the wide open adoring gaze of a youngster who hasn't grown in to healthy cynicism yet. The rest try their absolute best to avoid any and all meetings- but Atala takes matters into his own regal claws and FINDS THEM and TALKS TO THEM ABOUT IT if they miss too many, or too many miss at once. The Fae Court, therefore, got together independently soon after Atala's arrival, to discuss how best to manage in the face of his relentless enthusiasm.
They decided between them, that no more than two of the Fae Court can be absent from the meeting, for any reason, real or otherwise, at the same time. Otherwise else Atala then tracks EVERY ONE OF THEM DOWN and follows them around for hours, boring them senseless and otherwise getting underfoot. He would melt hearts and guilt-riddle minds of even the most stoic fae, but repeatedly stating his heartfelt wish that they consider him to be their confidant and representative in all struggles they might be having in their everyday lives... he is after all, their King and must treat his subjects as precious and unusual jewels, requiring of extra care tailored to each one... and if one of them is needing more then he will make extra effort to 'be there' at all times until they are once again 'at their best'... and by the way he hoped he wasn't getting in the way or interrupting at all but since he was here...
So, a strict timetable was drawn up, with agreements between fae if they had to swap at any time, often hotly contested. Sometimes one fae has to 'buy off' another fae to stand in for them, somtimes a fae gets punitive attendances, like 'detentions' applied, if they fail to attend without sufficient justification (or REGARDLESS of justification for Goldentop, who is on permanent probation for wilful truancy).
It's divided in a very hierarchical system based on believable excuses. Getting eaten, poisoned, stabbed, otherwise life-threateningly imprisoned, is a fair excuse. Other excuses include the following:
*Once-monthly 'being blown up by an experiment' allowance (Mad Doctor Morpho)
*Bi-monthly 'In Defence of the Clan' allowance, given to Mithra and Katya for their ongoing protection of Oakheart Lands from attack.
*Twice-monthly 'getting lost on the way to the meeting' allowance (for Whistler only, because he's more than a bit addled)
*Fortnightly 'princess' perogative' given to Scamp, the apple of Atala's eye and his perfect precious daughter with whom he could never be more pleased. (Goldentop makes gagging sounds in the background before Scamp hits her with a cushion)
*Monthly 'being imprisoned in a foreign clan for just crimes' allowance for Goldentop, by pre-arrangement only.
*bi-weekly 'getting weeks mixed up and going to the wrong venue' allowance reduced to three-monthly, because Atala was starting to organise a roster of 'people assigned to go find other people who were lost in the way to the meeting', thereby undermining the entire point of the Timetable.
This all did, oddly, result in the entire Fae population of the Oakheart clan living separate, but very strictly regimented existences- come Sunday, every Fae knew where every other Fae was (though would give two different answers depending on if the asker was King Atala or not). The organisation gave Atala a warm fuzzy feeling inside, gave the other Fae something to do, and in the end it did instill a sort of camaraderie rarely achieved outside of a prisoner-of-war camp. And by god, could Atala talk the beard off an Imperial if ever one of his subjects found themselves victim of strife with another clan. Other clans soon gave up, or tried unsuccessfully to eat him. If he wanted to make a real political 'statement', he would show up at the diplomatic meeting 'bearing gifts', which not only meant hundreds of fishy-smelling flower crowns haphazardly woven by his frog familiar, but also meant these were delivered, along with himself, BY GOLDENTOP, the presence of whom anywhere made guards uneasy and treasurers run away screaming to re-count their hoards. For such an absent-minded, addled-seeming fae, he could be quite strategic at times.


Bio:
A small dragon with a voice four times his size, Atala is a mystery to many dragons. Few can actually claim to have spoken to him, but all know of him. They’ve seen him parading down main street, in and out of the inn.
There, he claims that the gods have made him royalty. Not over the clan, he’s quick to explain. He’s simply the Leader of the Faes in Clan Oakheart.
For the most part, Clan Oakheart’s gentle dragons are quick to humor their bizarre little guest. The Fae, though, are curious about his plans.
Every month, Atala gathers them together to have lunch, then tells them stories about their “proud Fae heritage.”
At this time, no dragon plans to separate from Clan Oakheart…and they’re not sure that’s what Atala is insinuating to begin with.

Story:
Atala has been an outsider since he was born the smallest of a large clutch. In a poor clan with limited resources, he was the first one “encouraged to leave home” — with a foot-shaped marking on his rump.
Unfortunately, his background left him with no education. Worse, he had never seen any other types of dragons besides Fae before.
When he finally made it to a larger village, he was astonished to find dragons of all shapes and sizes, some thousands of times larger than himself.
He came to believe that he had found the home of the deities, and took to treating the other dragons as such.
A red Imperial might be “His Most Venerable Flamesnake,” while a Snapper might be “His Rotundness.”
The dragons of this poor village, mostly brickmakers and fishermen, were not as kind as others. They mocked Atala relentlessly, calling for their talons to be trimmed or their chamberpots emptied. And Atala was keen to serve the gods, though he was often rewarded with only laughter or leftover bread.
One night, an informal village council voted to evict the addled boy from “Heaven.” The older, more serious dragons didn’t want him to suffer any more than his mental state might cause him to.
As such, they sent a few messenger dragons to gathering Atala and bring him here.
And when the time came, Atala arrived in a musty green cape he had salvaged from an attic. He bowed low, prostrating himself before the Highest Deities, which were really two old drinking buddies: a brickmaking Snapper and a fisherman Skydancer.
Belchus and Marvin exchanged glances.
“O great and most honorable gods,” Atala said quiveringly. “Thank you for permitting my presence.”
“Yes, yes,” Marvin said, and sighed.
“What can you require of your most humble servant?”
Belchus, an old Snapper, stifled a laugh. Marvin, a Skydancer, suddenly realized he had neglected to prepare something to say.
Finally, he said “Little one, you’ve surely learned much from our village. You’ve seen how — er — peaceful we are.”
Belchus snorted, but Atala nodded hard.
“Oh yes yes yes. Most peaceful.”
“Then go,” Marvin boomed, trying to sound like a god. “Leave us. There is a village of deities two days from here. Take care to do whatever they say.”
Atala was silent for a very long time, and Marvin feared the worst. Had the idea of being evicted from the deities broken his poor, paltry mind?
“O great gods,” Atala muttered (muffled by the carpet, as he hadn’t gotten up). “What message should I carry to these other deities?”
Before the Skydancer fisherman could speak, Belchus cut in. “Don’t call them deities, they’l know. And tell them that the gods have made you the leader of their Fae for your most excellent servitude.”
Marvin hissed disapproval, but Atala sprang joyously to his feet. Bowing rapidly, he retreated backwards.
“Many thanks! Many thousands of thanks!” And he rushed from the room.
“But wait!” Marvin cried. “He didn’t even take the supplies we had.”
“Let him go,” Belchus rumbled. “Those types always find a way.”

---

Random Facts:
*Atala would never know, by his tiny stature, that his father was a proud Imperial.
*Atala believes his daughter is an absolute princess and would do no wrong and all this thievery at knifepoint is just a big misunderstanding- she is just a cinderella extremely well camouflaged.
*Scamp finds her newly refound father to be a complete dingbat and a massive embrarrassment. She also adores the addled fool, and would tear out the tongue of anyone who messed with him. She has been known to hire mercenaries with her copius stash of loot, just to menace a merran clan who were teasing him and overturning his lillypad boat.
*Almost 80% of all Faes inhabiting the Oakheart Clan are arguably mad. Not that you'd argue with them. This is pure co incidence.

---

Atala's Faerie Court, his fellow Fae whom he considers to be his 'subjects'

---

Atala's Queen and True Love (unrequited, but affectionately so)

---

Scry for ordering adopts :)



Atala



-signature backup