Oolong

Oolong learned the trade from his parents, as all his siblings did before him. How hot to heat the water, how to rinse the leaves, how long to steep them, and - most importantly - how to best serve the tea to the gods.

Oolong and his siblings were taught the sacred rites of tea ceremony, but their guests have never been other dragons. Carefully groomed from a young age to join the ranks of the exalted, it is this high mark of honor to which NAME and all his siblings aspired. Great, lonely Earthshaker beneath the Pillar of the World, and graceful, clever Lightweaver in her towering Beacon, and even secretive Shadowbinder at the heart of the Forum of the Obscured Crescent, all had graceful servants like NAME, tending to their needs throughout the days of their eternities.

Oolong learned every step to the ceremonies to present his deity with the perfect tray. He learned to keep his eyes down and his steps light. He learned what foods were well-suited to tastes of a god. And he learned, most importantly, to be kind. The gods in their greatness were not often kind themselves, but it suited their exalted to show their loyalty and their adoration regardless.

None of these things were outside Oolong's abilities. He took to the tasks well, as had all of his siblings before him. Indeed, he may not have been more than a blink in the histories of Sornieth had he not discovered an infestation in the tea leaves he had set to dry. Horrified and ashamed, he destroyed the harvest, but there was now no way to prove to his parents that he had followed their directions and could be entrusted to serve the deities.

Determined not to present an empty cup, he left in secret in search of another crop.

But outside the sheltered lands of his family's lair, Oolong learned quickly that things were much bleaker than he expected. He had never known hunger or thirst or pain before. He had never known need. Indeed, he had grown in privilege, and this horrifying mess of a land was worse than he had ever imagined.

However, it was also outside his parents' lair that Oolong learned of the great deeds of courage that many carried out every day. He became enchanted with stories of great deeds and heroic acts, and though he thought himself well beneath such valor, he still let those thoughts nestle within his breast.

Oolong was gone the better part of a year, drifting among mountain clans, seeking out tea plants ready to be harvested. Many clans had none, and others were amazed to learn they had a few. It was a long journey, and it was arduous and sometimes quite tiring. But after a time, Oolong had gathered the leaves he needed and had dried them safely to prove to his family that he, too, could join the ranks of the exalted.

By the time he returned to his family lair, Oolong was a year older than when he left. In his pouch at his hip, he carried tea leaves to prove himself worthy of his post. And in his heart he carried the stories of heroes.

His parents wept to see him again, for they had thought him lost. But Oolong smiled and served them tea in high ceremony, just as he hoped to one day serve Earthshaker or Lightweaver or whichever one would have him. He looked forward to his life among the immortals of the world.

And yet, his face fell when his mother asked if he was as ready as his tea. For Oolong now knew there was something that would forever be beyond him as soon as he set foot in the hallowed halls of his one-day sovereign.

His heart ached, for it would never again know the valor of others.

Weeping, he confessed his journeys among the mountain people to his parents, even as his older sibling looked on. He could not serve the gods when there were noble mortals equally worthy of rest, respite, and comfort.

His parents smiled. His father cupped his hands around Oolong's chin and lifted him up. His mother pulled him to an embrace.

"Go," they said. "Serve those who need you now. The gods can wait."

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Oolong is a soft-featured dragon with large brown eyes and fur that always seems a little mussed. However, his clothes are immaculate at all times within his tea house, and even his work clothes are astoundingly well maintained. He is often found among his fields of tea plants and other herbs, and he experiments with harvest times, drying processes, and herbal blends to create beautiful, flavorful cups of tea for any who stop within his tea house.

To friends, he is loyal to a fault. He will believe them incapable of wrong, and sometimes this naivete gets the better of him. He has been taken as a fool more times than he can count, but his humble, pleasant demeanor often dissuades others from continuing to take advantage of him.

He loves a good story almost as much as he loves the perfect cup of tea.

He is transmale, and he prefers male partners.