Cardinal
(#54523536)
Level 1 Guardian
Familiar
Quillrunner
Click or tap to view this dragon in Predict Morphology.
Energy: 0/50
This dragon’s natural inborn element is Light.
Female Guardian
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Personal Style
Apparel
Skin
Scene
Measurements
Length
11.97 m
Wingspan
13.73 m
Weight
9226.34 kg
Genetics
White
Jaguar
Jaguar
White
Toxin
Toxin
Maroon
Filigree
Filigree
Hatchday
Breed
Eye Type
Level 1 Guardian
EXP: 0 / 245
STR
7
AGI
6
DEF
8
QCK
5
INT
5
VIT
8
MND
6
Lineage
Biography
The dragon and the quillrunner
A tale of adventure, friendship, and overcoming difficult challenges together
A tale of adventure, friendship, and overcoming difficult challenges together
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A dragon hatchling, just old enough to fly somewhat steadily on their own, sets out from their clan. They've been told that they would not be strong enough on their own, that an adventure across the world might toughen them up and broaden their horizons. The message, though delivered with love and concern, was received only with fear. Deeply afraid and uncertain, doubting their own abilities even more than they doubted the safety of the world, yet unwilling to let their elders down, the dragon leaves their only known home, setting out on their quest beneath a sapphire blue sky. Journeying was difficult at first. The dragon only saw their own shortcomings and failings. With each passing day their world grew bleak, colours fading to muted hues of their former brilliance. Much of the distance had to be undertaken on foot, as the dragon's wings were not yet strong enough to carry them for long. Each fall from the sky, each awkward conversation with a passing merchant, stole more colour from their world, and left a deep ache in their heart. All self-inflicted, though the young dragon would only know it to be a permanent, unchanging truth for some time yet. For the most part, however, the dragon would not blame the world or the others whose paths they crossed for their predicament, only themselves. This deepened the hurt the dragon felt, slowing their steps, weakening their magic. Finally, the dragon saw a world comprised only of muted shades of grey. Every one of the insecurities that had consumed them was of their own doing. Their legs could no longer carry them a single step. A few metres above a rocky, snow-covered outcrop, the dragon fell from a silver sky. |
A quillrunner races across the dusty plain. Golden ground, sapphire sky. Prey within sight. Tail twitches ever so
slightly to the left. Each paw placed perfectly, on instinct alone. One last firm kick against the dry earth below - the quillrunner soars through the air for a moment, movements the very picture of graceful acrobatic prowess. Paws hit the ground - just a moment too soon. The prey escapes, leaving the quillrunner in the dust. A disappointed snort at their meal escaping, ears flatten, head lowers. They slink off to their den to wait out midday's heat. The brilliance of the sky and plain muted, just a little. Again the quillrunner tried, and again they failed. Too much movement in the tail, one wrong pawstep, a trip rather than a leap. Their sky had faded to a chalky grey, their golden plain now a pale taupe. Why did they fail each time? How were they not yet perfect? The quillrunner, though they had seen others fail time and time again, had expected much more from themselves. Too much. Each chase they pushed harder, each leap had to be longer, every pawstep no less than perfect. A few metres below a rocky, snow covered outcrop, the quillrunner lept toward a silver sky |
The ground was not as solid as they had expected it to be.
The dragon lay on their back amid scattered powdersnow. The quillrunner was crouched in it, eyeing them warily. Dragon eyes opened. Quillrunner lept...and slipped. A deep, warm growl escaped the dragon in sympathy. The quillrunner snorted at their own shortcoming. Seeing this reaction, the dragon rises from the snowbank, shaking the snow from their scales. They line themselves up where the quillrunner had been crouching. The quillrunner drops its guard a little, watching carefully. Head lowered, haunches raised, the dragon leaps. The movement is not graceful, but the dragon lands effortlessly on its paws. The quillrunner's ears raise in surprise. The dragon leaps again and again, and soon the quillrunner joins in.
Leaping as one. Landing as one. Like two bodies of the same creature, they practice together.
The dragon lay on their back amid scattered powdersnow. The quillrunner was crouched in it, eyeing them warily. Dragon eyes opened. Quillrunner lept...and slipped. A deep, warm growl escaped the dragon in sympathy. The quillrunner snorted at their own shortcoming. Seeing this reaction, the dragon rises from the snowbank, shaking the snow from their scales. They line themselves up where the quillrunner had been crouching. The quillrunner drops its guard a little, watching carefully. Head lowered, haunches raised, the dragon leaps. The movement is not graceful, but the dragon lands effortlessly on its paws. The quillrunner's ears raise in surprise. The dragon leaps again and again, and soon the quillrunner joins in.
Leaping as one. Landing as one. Like two bodies of the same creature, they practice together.
|
Without realising it, the quillrunner has left their frustration and impatience behind.
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Without realising it, the dragon has begun to trust themselves.
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Colour begins to flow back into their worlds. Under a sky painted with hues of rose, amethyst, ruby and gold, the newfound companions share the dragon's rations after a long day of training together.
Morning arrives, and the two are staring down an enormous elk. They move as one, racing each other toward their target. The dragon's strides are heavy and powerful. The quillrunner's are light and flowing. They keep pace with each other for a short while, until...
With a single sweep of its horns, the elk had scattered the pair.
They charge forward again, but this time their movements are out of sync.
With a single sweep of its horns, the elk had scattered the pair.
They charge forward again, but this time their movements are out of sync.
|
Dragon rushes forward, its movements too slow to match the quillrunner's.
|
Quillrunner leaps, its movements too quick for the dragon's.
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The pair glides past each other and the prey escapes into the forest.
Defeated, they collapse into the snow.
The dragon turns away, curling their body into a tight ball of shame. They believe the pair's failing to be their own fault. The quillrunner feels their companion's movement beside them and rises from the snow. Giving their companion a gentle nudge, the quillrunner trots toward the deep gouges left in the snow by the dragon's hind paws. The dragon raises its wing a little to watch. Quillrunner tenses its body, lowers its stance, and leaps. It's movements are nowhere near heavy enough to emulate the dragon's, but it stretches the length of its strides until they are about the same. It's a difficult challenge at first, but the quillrunner practices until they can clear the distance at their top speed using the dragon's stride length. The dragon rises slowly from the snow and moves to copy their companion. Soon the two are moving as one again. The dragon begins to move more quickly, and the quillrunner begins to move with a more powerful stride.
Defeated, they collapse into the snow.
The dragon turns away, curling their body into a tight ball of shame. They believe the pair's failing to be their own fault. The quillrunner feels their companion's movement beside them and rises from the snow. Giving their companion a gentle nudge, the quillrunner trots toward the deep gouges left in the snow by the dragon's hind paws. The dragon raises its wing a little to watch. Quillrunner tenses its body, lowers its stance, and leaps. It's movements are nowhere near heavy enough to emulate the dragon's, but it stretches the length of its strides until they are about the same. It's a difficult challenge at first, but the quillrunner practices until they can clear the distance at their top speed using the dragon's stride length. The dragon rises slowly from the snow and moves to copy their companion. Soon the two are moving as one again. The dragon begins to move more quickly, and the quillrunner begins to move with a more powerful stride.
|
Without realising it, the quillrunner has learned to enjoy the process of improvement, letting go of the idea of perfection a little.
|
Without realising it, the dragon has begun to discard their fear, growing more confident in their abilities.
|
It is then that they hear a roar so powerful it shakes the very ground beneath them. Large piles of snow fall from the pines above. Dragon crouches, teeth bared. Quillrunner roars in challenge. A yeti bursts into the clearing, scattering fresh snow over the tracks left by the pair's practice. Without thinking, they moves together, as one creature of two souls. The quillrunner reaches the yeti first with swift, powerful strides. They circle the creature at speed, deftly avoiding the yeti's pounding fists, kicking up large sprays of snow to hide the dragon's advance. Distracted, the yeti does not notice the dragon until a burst of magic hits the creature from behind. The dragon's strong paws and sharp claws rake the yeti's back as the quillrunner reaches its companion. The yeti groans, falling to the ground. Quillrunner leaps onto their companion's back and runs along the dragon's spine, no momentum wasted. With a rush of the dragon's magic and one last powerful strike of the quillrunner's paws off the dragon's left horn, the quillrunner leaps, fangs in position to land the final blow. The snow kicked up in the fight clears and the yeti lies prone before the exhausted and exhilarated pair. They had succeeded.
Together.
Together.
Several months passed and the two had become seasoned travellers. The dragon could now soar in the air for hours, and often did so with the quillrunner riding on their back or between their horns. Where the quillrunner tripped and fell, the dragon was there to catch them. When the dragon faltered in negotiations with merchants for food and essentials in the towns they passed through, the quillrunner provided a gentle nudge of support. The dragon had begun to write letters back to their home clan, and the tales of the trials they and their companion had overcome had returned many complements and elated replies from their old clanmates. Although they no longer felt they needed such accolades thanks to their progress and the quillrunner's support and companionship, the dragon appreciated them nonetheless.
The pair's hunting technique had also improved considerably over their time travelling together. At one point the dragon came up with the idea of supporting the quillrunner with bursts of magic to propel their companion's leaps through the air just as the dragon's own wings did. It took some practice, but soon the technique was one of their strongest. Their adversaries never saw it coming, and by the time their foe had learned to expect it, it was too late.
It was during one of their more difficult hunts against an umbra wolf that Borealis had first noticed the pair. The quillrunner raced efforlessly along temporary platforms of carefully placed magic blasts, chasing a foe hemmed in by the dragon's powerful blows. Just as the umbra wolf begins to fade into mist one last time, it's abruptly returned to solid form at the quillrunner's bite and a final swipe of the dragon's claws. All three bodies fall to the ground, but only one lands splayed on the snow. Impressed, Borealis steps out from the shadow of the pines.
Turning to face the newcomer, the dragon raises their head in surprise. Neither the dragon nor the quillrunner had noticed their spectator during the skirmish. The dragon, determined to be courteous, dips their horns in respect. Borealis held the air of a clan leader, the dragon was certain. The quillrunner, however, flattens their ears against their skull, betraying the pair's suspicion toward the new dragon. But Borealis only notices the pair's fatigue. Her magenta eyes soften. She makes no move to claim the spoils of the pair's hunt as the quillrunner had expected her to, and instead invites the pair to join her at her lair for a cup of tea. Baffled and wary, yet intrigued, the dragon and quillrunner decide to follow the older dragon.
Many cups of tea and tales of the travellers' adventures later, and nearly the whole of clan Feldunost had gathered to listen. The dragon, surprisingly comfortable with the attention, animatedly described some of the more exciting moments of their travels, stories punctuated by their quillrunner companion's leaps, bounds and growls, their expressive motions and movements blending into a wild, graceful dance.
The tales continued long into the evening, until the pair grew too weary to continue. At one point the dragon even fell asleep mid sentence. It was then that the pair were offered a room in the lair to stay the night. The clan was so taken with the dragon and the quillrunner that they were offered residence among its members the next morning.
The pair are now considered permanent members of clan Feldunost. They continue to venture outside the clan's borders, training and growing together in their travels across Sornieth, returning every so often to share their stories and the spoils of their hunts in return for a hearty meal and a good night's rest (or three). Ever strengthening the bond they share, the two face new adventures and experience new growth together. This particular story is not the end of their adventure, nor is it the end of their growth as individuals or close friends.
It is but the beginning.
The pair's hunting technique had also improved considerably over their time travelling together. At one point the dragon came up with the idea of supporting the quillrunner with bursts of magic to propel their companion's leaps through the air just as the dragon's own wings did. It took some practice, but soon the technique was one of their strongest. Their adversaries never saw it coming, and by the time their foe had learned to expect it, it was too late.
It was during one of their more difficult hunts against an umbra wolf that Borealis had first noticed the pair. The quillrunner raced efforlessly along temporary platforms of carefully placed magic blasts, chasing a foe hemmed in by the dragon's powerful blows. Just as the umbra wolf begins to fade into mist one last time, it's abruptly returned to solid form at the quillrunner's bite and a final swipe of the dragon's claws. All three bodies fall to the ground, but only one lands splayed on the snow. Impressed, Borealis steps out from the shadow of the pines.
Turning to face the newcomer, the dragon raises their head in surprise. Neither the dragon nor the quillrunner had noticed their spectator during the skirmish. The dragon, determined to be courteous, dips their horns in respect. Borealis held the air of a clan leader, the dragon was certain. The quillrunner, however, flattens their ears against their skull, betraying the pair's suspicion toward the new dragon. But Borealis only notices the pair's fatigue. Her magenta eyes soften. She makes no move to claim the spoils of the pair's hunt as the quillrunner had expected her to, and instead invites the pair to join her at her lair for a cup of tea. Baffled and wary, yet intrigued, the dragon and quillrunner decide to follow the older dragon.
Many cups of tea and tales of the travellers' adventures later, and nearly the whole of clan Feldunost had gathered to listen. The dragon, surprisingly comfortable with the attention, animatedly described some of the more exciting moments of their travels, stories punctuated by their quillrunner companion's leaps, bounds and growls, their expressive motions and movements blending into a wild, graceful dance.
The tales continued long into the evening, until the pair grew too weary to continue. At one point the dragon even fell asleep mid sentence. It was then that the pair were offered a room in the lair to stay the night. The clan was so taken with the dragon and the quillrunner that they were offered residence among its members the next morning.
The pair are now considered permanent members of clan Feldunost. They continue to venture outside the clan's borders, training and growing together in their travels across Sornieth, returning every so often to share their stories and the spoils of their hunts in return for a hearty meal and a good night's rest (or three). Ever strengthening the bond they share, the two face new adventures and experience new growth together. This particular story is not the end of their adventure, nor is it the end of their growth as individuals or close friends.
It is but the beginning.
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Exalting Cardinal to the service of the Icewarden will remove them from your lair forever. They will leave behind a small sum of riches that they have accumulated. This action is irreversible.
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