Bark

Related Dragons: Dragon Name rawr

"What is a scarf- If not around a neck? -Bark A tree falls in the forest, and someone is there to hear it. Breaking through the border at long last, Bark stares into the Scarred Wasteland with something like longing. Finally, she'll be able to mimic her old familiar friend and get paid for it. The Strangler. Where had she spawned from? Nobody could say, really. They'd found an egg in a storm, rocking on the edge of a cliff, and while Shadow dragons weren't exactly renowned for kindness, they figured more claws would be good for their growing clan. Especially strong claws - and they made rather a good bet on that front. Even as a hatchling, few bites were worse than Bark's- her jaws were something to be reckoned with. Bark the Bully, she was! The Shadow dragons made no exceptions for her. Bark, named as such for the mossy brown on her fins, grew up in a family where every word was probably a lie, and especially so if it was coming from anyone outside of the clan. It was good to be suspicious; it was good to be distrustful. The only problem was, unlike any sensible dragon raised with Shadow parents, Bark had no family to temper her and to trust. All she had was the darkness to hide her bulk in, and a Strangler she'd chosen to name Scranton. (That name rang a bell somewhere in the Guardian's subconscious - an old friend, maybe? A missing nest mate? A... charge? Regardless, she made Scranton her charge in honor of this dragon she couldn't quite fathom, and the familiar was soon better fed than much of Bark's clan. Bark often came back from hunts empty-handed, her claims ever longer and more florid, and Scranton grew rather fat.) Not that she ever hurt her clan - but she simply put, had nothing to lose. When she grew too large for their little nests up in the trees, the Guardian made up her mind and became a travelling warrior: a mercenary. No prey too large, no task too small. She had her charge, and yet she desired more meaning in her life. Family, perhaps. A dragon she could trust, more likely. Even if it was only a client who actually paid up without needing to be shaken. Little wonder then, that when Bark received word from a Plague clan, she came running, crashing through the undergrowth towards a future uncertain, but at least a little brighter than the Tangled Woods. + Bark will take on other tasks, but those involving killing things are her favourites. + She's never known trust. She'd like to know it. + As well as her Strangler, Bark also likes snakes and other slithery creatures. Some claim she shares their poison, or drains them of it for her own use. + She has a particular fascination with strangling and will try to kill her targets that way. + If she can't choke someone, she'll attempt to kill them with a single tail-swing to the windpipe. Bark hasn't been trained to use any weapons, though she could learn. + Money has little meaning to Bark; she likes to receive items as payment for her deeds, especially snakes or snake-like objects. She got her scarf as payment for some task she did for a certain Plague clan.

It was usually a simple life for Bark, though her time in her old clan was running her patience short. Being a parentless shadow dragon wasn’t easy, and even playing a simple game with another clanmate almost always resulted in a cheater and a loser. That’s only the fun and play, so you could imagine how serious the other dragons took anything revolving around true reward. The only thing she’s truly won with her fair heart was the scarf that she wears to this day, it being the only reminder of her past clan. It wasn’t long until she finally gave up on this mess of a flight.

Tired of the trickery and trivia, Bark soon found herself roaming west from The Tangled Wood and into the bright yet equally sinister land of flesh and disease. With no map to guide her, and no more familiar territory to fall back on, the young Guardian was alone with no friends to her name and no roof to live under. All that was left was to wait for some pack of Mirrors to come pick her off.

Whether such a fate would be better or worse, Bark arrived at a clan; one who’s theme fit it’s environment perfectly. Desperate for a place to live and an escape of the normally endless and barren landscape, the Guardian quickly found shelter at the gathering, now known as Onyx Grotto.

Though her presence wasn’t quickly accepted by most, one found her company welcoming. Not a dragon, no, but a strangler who’s roots were unable to grow anywhere deep in the infected ground. The poor thing looked almost sick, though Bark’s kindness brought it light when she took the time to travel to the Viridian Labyrinth and gather soil to bring back. With a pot of fresh dirt is tow, she gave the creature, who she now calls Scranton, a much better place to live.

Bark and Scranton now live together in Onyx Grotto, and while Scranton is happy with his living conditions, Bark almost wishes she could return to the relatively peaceful Tangled Wood.