Daedra

CONTENT WARNING: My lore is about a violent, psychologically abusive cult. While I believe everything is within site rules, you might want to tread carefully if you're sensitive to themes of abuse, body horror, and light gore. Nothing is described in detail, but there are references to cannibalism, blood, bones, and organ donation. Reader discretion is advised.


Art by Accelerator

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* Note: Most lore is outdated or otherwise in need of a rewrite.


The leader of it all. Daedra is the ultimate giver of judgment in the clan. He decides who stays and who goes, who is exalted to serve the Lightweaver, who moves up the ranks of Elonakele, and who gets sent to Limbo.

Daedra is regarded as the highly intelligent, infallible ruler over Elonakele. He is shrouded in mystery with not much being known about him by the clan, such as where he came from, or even what he actually looks like beneath the mask. By his actions, he could be described as cruel, callous, and cold, with little regard for the grievances his subjects bring to him. It's his way or the highway, and his perfectionistic attitude only serves to reinforce this. He has a high sense of self-importance, and seems incapable of truly loving anyone except himself. Despite this, however, he is respected. The clan regards him as a wise messenger of the Lightweaver herself who is only doing what is best for them.

Daedra is completely obsessed with the Lightweaver to the point that he left his original homeland of the Tangled Wood, seeking nothing more than her validation and to bask in her brilliant radiance. He staunchly believes his clan should be as perfect as she is, and refuses to tolerate anything less.

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Overview

The Perfect Ones are the leaders of a clan by the name of Elonakele, which is obsessed with beauty, purity, and perfection.

The 8 Tenets

1: DO NOT question the whims and orders of The Perfect Ones.
2: DO NOT go against the whims and orders of The Perfect Ones.
3: DO NOT spread lies regarding The Perfect Ones.
4: DO NOT go against the fate bestowed upon you by The Opal Oracles. It is disrespectful. If their predictions are inaccurate, it is your own fault.
5: REMEMBER to love your perfect form. You reflect the brilliance of the Lightweaver and have the potential for perfection and prowess as flawless as she.
6: REMEMBER to report imperfections immediately. Those who cover up the imperfections of others are imperfect and must be immediately punished.
7: REMEMBER to ask permission from The Perfect Ones before any act of courtship. Courtship must be sanctioned by The Perfect Ones. Courtship may be mandated in some situations.

Good behavior is REWARDED
Bad behavior is PUNISHED
You will never be your perfect self without us.


You may wonder how a dragon is determined to be “Imperfect.” It’s actually rather simple. It can be one of two things -- aesthetics, or treachery. Flaws are not tolerated, including those in character and those in appearance. Appearance flaws may be brushed over if a dragon serves useful to the clan in some way, and vice-versa. A dragon who is both ugly and useless is seen as nothing more than dead weight. Dragons who are speculated or observed to betray the clan will be swiftly considered Imperfect as well. Sabotage, lies, talk of rebellion, and defending or covering up Imperfect dragons or actions will also be swiftly nipped in the bud.

Limbo, while not the only fate of Imperfect, is the most common. A domain operated by a trio of ancient beings, the Imperfect who enter are never seen again. Nobody knows what exactly goes on in Limbo, but it is rumored that the dragons sacrificed to it are used to exacerbate the power of its gatekeepers. In return, the gatekeepers provide protection and prosperity to Elonakele.

Daedra believes that dragons are made from the ground up to serve a greater deity. The threat of being banished to a realm where they'll serve as fodder to a lesser purpose is heart-wrenching to most. That's not the only reason the perfection system is in place, though. Plain and simple, Daedra can’t afford his own clan’s reputation being stained with the presence of Imperfect within his territory. His clan is meant to reflect the Lightweaver's brilliance and be a shining example of what every other should strive to be. Anything that could place a damper on that image is detrimental. The clan tries to maintain a balance between aesthetic beauty and practicality during their endless pursuit of knowledge, and that's what has kept them afloat for so long.


Location


Clan Elonakele is spread out around the center of Sunbeam Ruins, within the Emperor's Wake. The clan is divided into sectors, some of which may be positioned a little bit further north-west, but never too far from Luminax. While separate, the sectors are still close enough together to allow for socialization, trade, and discussion.

Territorial behavior tends to be low. Elonakele is openly friendly to passerby, sometimes even offering supplies to weary travelers (of course, accompanied by a word of how wonderful The Perfect Ones are). They have a public reputation for being charitable, albeit mysterious. They’re open to sharing territory with other clans, however these neighboring clans will be monitored just as closely as Elonakele itself.


Clan Structure


The Perfect Ones


The Perfect Ones consist of 5 dragons: Daedra, Kokkaku, Rosellion, Boudica, and Ariba.

Daedra is the leader and the most revered of the clan, despite his small size and the simple fact that nobody knows what he truly looks like. He is always wearing a mask which obscures his face. He is a Shadow-flighted dragon, however he follows the Lightweaver, having crawled out from the underbrush of the Tangled Wood to bask in her presence. He views the Lightweaver as the most pure and perfect of all of the deities, flawless and stunning in her beauty and prowess. He believes Imperials were her greatest creation, and asserts that she simply doesn't realize their true potential.

Kokkaku is his wife and spokesdragon, speaking for him in his place and handling most of the flawed behavior within the clan. She is described by her subjects as cold, almost lifeless in how she behaves.

Rosellion is a smooth-talker and interrogator, and in charge of recruiting new members into the clan.

Boudica is the warmonger and general of the clan, in charge of battle strategy. She organizes defenses if the clan is under attack, and offenses if they’re attacking another.

Ariba is the clan's main scientist and surgeon, responsible for many of the clan's technological breakthroughs both in the realms of medical science and robotics. He handles a lot of nuclear waste, as well as the green goop seeping from the Wyrmwound of the Plaguebringer's territory.


The Opal Oracles


The Opal Oracles are Imperial dragons who have the Opal tertiary gene. Being seen as the closest to the Lightweaver, both by nature of being Imperials and also by how their Opals brilliantly reflect the sun, they are revered in the clan as able to see the future, foretell prophecies, and swing the wills of the deities in their own favor. Every word they speak is treated as truth, however prophecies are the responsibility of the dragon at the center of them to some degree. Fate is more malleable than it appears.


The Silver Shadows

Unsurprisingly, not everyone is so happy with Elonakele's beliefs and way of life. Naturally, such threats need to be eliminated. The issue is waging a war is loud and messy. Before you know it everyone knows who your enemies and your allies are, and turns it against you. Elonakele utilizes war very sparingly for this reason. No, you need to be quieter than war, but still send a message. That's where The Silver Shadows come in.

The Silver Shadows are a group of trained, highly lethal assassins. Distinguished by the charm on their cheeks, they stalk, interrogate, and kill anyone who Elonakele deems to be an active threat to their plans or beliefs. Everything is highly methodical and deliberate. Their work is never messy unless it's to send a message -- that message being: "Watch yourself."

The group is rather small due to the fact that Elonakele normally maintains a good public image, but that doesn't mean the job they do isn't important. The registered members of The Silver Shadows are as follows:

Truart
Verica
Vulpine
Elethor
Astrid


The Clan


The remainder of the clan is separated by breed. While not segregated, dragons of the same breed live together in their own sections of the territory, usually with a "leader" of their own who's in charge of organization and communicating with The Perfect Ones. The Perfect Ones and The Opal Oracles, being of a higher status, are not grouped in with the lower-class clan, so they are not seen among the sectors they would be in otherwise.

Sectors are rather simple. Skydancers have their own sector. So do Spirals, Coatls, and so on and so forth. Resources and land are divided among sectors based on how populated those sectors are. For example, Coatls are the largest sector, so they are given the most food and territory. These sectors are allowed to interact, and often do. These interactions are monitored just like any other.

As previously stated, each sector has its own leader that acts as a manager.

Coatls - Gavinia
Skydancers - Poseidon
Spirals - Brook
Faes - Stella
Imperials - Cain
Miscellaneous - Tairinkain


The Nursery


Hatchlings are not introduced into the sectors until they are fully grown. Until then, hatchlings are brought up by Caretakers -- designated personnel who are in charge of educating and providing affection for the hatchlings of their respective sectors until they reach an adult form. They are then released into the sectors, their upbringing leaving them estranged from their parents but otherwise functional.

Caretakers are not considered higher-ups within the clan hierarchy, however they are deeply respected and trusted by The Perfect Ones. Each sector has two Caretakers, one male and one female, with the exception of the Miscellaneous sector.

Coatls - Angel & Gothel
Skydancers - Snowfall & Roselia
Spirals - Mantra & Penthus
Faes - Della & Enalius
Imperials - Kaleb & Dreamrunner
Miscellaneous - Crake & Aquarelle


Miscellaneous


Sectors with less than 5 dragons of a particular breed in them are all clumped together into one territory, often referred to by The Perfect Ones as “The Miscellaneous”. The Miscellaneous sector is led by Tairinkain, who is very protective of his dragons and strict about rule-breaking. Miscellaneous dragons tend to float about aimlessly, and can often be seen in the other sectors.


The Cabinet


There is one last facet of the clan that The Perfect Ones are acutely aware of. The Cabinet is an underground group of cannibals -- cannibalism being defined as a dragon who eats other dragons, regardless of breed. This group has existed for a little over a year, at first being disorganized and terribly managed in an attempt to remain under the radar. The Cabinet was indiscriminate in who was eaten, and soon there were rumors and paranoid ramblings about a serial killer among the clan. This, of course, caught the attention of The Perfect Ones, who sought to investigate.

Around this time, however, a terrible incident occurred. Fresh meat was low. Cravings were high, far too high for rationality. To spare the details -- two members left the scuffle half-eaten, only sustained by healing magic or by necromancy. This incident prompted Stella to not only take the lead and give some much needed structure to The Cabinet, but to inform The Perfect Ones of their existence and actions.

Initially, Daedra was furious, hastily ordering the entirety of The Cabinet be banished -- or worse -- for their crimes. However, Rosellion talked him out of this, proposing a better idea. A deal. The Cabinet would receive regular meals in the form of Imperfect, at the complete courtesy of The Perfect Ones. However, in exchange, The Cabinet was to ONLY eat what they were given. All the talk of a serial killer was far, far too much of a risk for Elonakele to take, and the fact that this would be The Cabinet's only second chance was made incredibly clear. Stella accepted the offer, finally providing structure and security to The Cabinet.

Elonakele has also mandated that The Cabinet provide them with a list of their affiliates, as to keep track of their growth. Stella had no qualms with this, and so the dragons currently known to be in The Cabinet are:

Gothel
Angel
Ghoul
Poltergeist
Ira
Dracula
Stella
Loretta
Loki
Ishtar
Kaleb
Eden
Seranida
Branth

As of recent, The Cabinet has accepted an additional request to aid with research, as to truly rectify their previous actions. See, Daedra is intensely fascinated by Luminax, the Emperor rampaging through Sunbeam Ruins. As such, The Cabinet is to provide The Perfect Ones with any leftovers -- meat, bones, organs -- which are necessary for scientific advancements and testing. However, what exactly is being researched and why is kept confidential.


Limbo


Limbo is where many of the Imperfect go. First, they are greeted by the gatekeepers -- Rodric, Somnus, and Arthur. While Daedra is aware of how undoubtedly real Limbo is, the story of the three dragons is largely treated as myth; a cautionary tale dragons tell their hatchlings regarding selfishness and entitlement.

These dragons are not deities, instead beings corrupted by the pursuit of knowledge. Though the accuracy of the myth is disputed, the way the tale goes is that the three dragons were the leaders of the three original Light clans, punished and sent away for their selfish pursuit of forbidden knowledge. They were in pursuit of immortality, a magic only given to the deities, which lesser dragons long tried to harness. The three brothers believed strongly that they were owed all manner of knowledge, and that they should attain it no matter the cost. The Lightweaver watched from above, in contempt of their hubris, but did not yet intervene.

How the three dragons discovered immortality changes from myth to myth. In fact, the three dragons themselves appear to be in disagreement of what exactly granted them such a blessing-turned-curse. No matter, as the end result was the same. The Lightweaver, disgusted by the selfish whims of the three dragons, did indeed grant them immortality, at the expense of two greater things: the entirety of their clans, and their innate magical powers. In their weakened state, the Lightweaver banished the three dragons to what came to be known as Limbo, to wander the plane of the deceased in a physically weakened state. Their magic was gone, but their knowledge remained, and the dragons were losing energy fast.

Now, their immortality came at a price. They could not live sustainably on their own, instead needing to feed off of the life force of other dragons. For this, Daedra happily provides. In exchange, the three dragons offer Elonakele protection, as well as the knowledge they've retained from their time in the realm of living dragons. Daedra views it as a business exchange. He provides energy for the three dragons, and the three dragons provide him knowledge, and with enough knowledge? Who knows what a clan could be capable of?


The Cliffside


In the event that space or treasure is not an urgent matter, clan members set for sacrifice or other punishments may instead be sold off to a different clan. They are sent off typically by sea, as the water surrounding the Sunbeam Ruins is ideal for trade. While the event of being disowned by Elonakele may be traumatizing, ultimately this fate allows for the dragon to live a more virtuous life going forward. In rare instances, they may even realize their errors and return.


*** Minor footnote: Hatchlings are noncanon to lore unless stated otherwise.