Claudius

When Claudius hatched, he was just like his siblings: small, fluffy, and slightly wet from his several months-long containment in an egg. Once his fur had dried and his eyes and ears had opened, he was just as bright-eyed and curious as they were, stumbling around the hatchery and nabbing at the other parents’ tails whenever the opportunity arised. However, it soon became apparent that something wasn’t quite right about him. His siblings had soon outgrown him, while he stayed diminutive in size.

At first, Birchwood and Aspen believed that he was simply a late-bloomer, that his body would grow soon enough. After all, some of the signs of growth were there: his eyes became older and wiser, his snout longer, his face less hatchling-like; his mane grew longer and his mind and claws became sharper, just like in his siblings. But the rest of his body seemed to be hellbent on remaining a hatchling. His legs stayed short and stubby, his horns barely grew in length, his chest remained small and his spine short; and once his siblings had grown to their full adult size and left the lair to begin their own independent life, he still was barely taller than a full-grown fae. Yet his demeanor was just like that of any ordinary adult dragon and his diminutive size aside, he was perfectly healthy in every way.

“Changeling”, “fairy”, “demon” - these are things Claudius has heard others call himself numerous times. When Claudius didn’t grow like his siblings, many initially believed that he was sick and doomed to die. When it became apparent that he was healthy and his mind and magical powers grew just like they should - that it was just his body that lagged behind - rumors quickly started to spread. Many believed (and some still do) that the original Claudius was taken by faeries and exchanged with a doppelganger. Even to this day, some of his clan mates avoid him, fearing that he’ll bewitch them. It is not just his size, however, that puts other dragons off: his pupils seem to twirl and dance around in his eyes; a hypnotic swirl that quickly enchants anyone who looks into them and that makes it hard to look away. And when he is not looking at others, he seems to be looking at nothing, as if he could see something that others don’t. His voice often sounds distant and dreamy, as if his mind was somewhere else, and sometimes he will seemingly talk to no one but himself, or answer questions that no one asked.

Those who don’t avoid him often treat him like a hatchling, much to Claudius’ dismay. He constantly has to remind his clan mates that he is an adult just like them, and very much capable of handling his own life. He does not tolerate being talked down to and insists on being treated with the respect any adult dragon deserves. He spends most of his time in the observatory together with Kassiopeia, looking at the stars and mapping their positions and movements on the night sky. He has learned much from the white ridgeback, and what knowledge he does not have yet, he seeks out in the library. And, like so many Gaolers before him, he is always on the lookout for something more sinister, for that which hides in the darkness between the stars. He watches it closely, making sure to note down whenever a star disappears - luckily, he hasn’t had to write down a single one yet. But he stays alert, always, for one can never know when the Shade will come back.

With his short physique come many inconveniences. The lair is clearly not meant for a dwarf like him - sure, there are others his size or even smaller, but they are either hatchlings - who stay in the hatchery or have parents that can carry them - or adults who can fly. He, however, is bound to the ground, and thus forced to use the stairs whenever he wants to traverse the lair. His legs are too short for most of the steps, so he often has to jump or climb up, and he usually refuses help (he does not like being carried around like a hatchling), making any trip upwards exerting and any downward trip potentially neck-breaking.

Despite Clarence installing movable ladders in the library just for him, he still has to clamber up some of the higher shelves, leaving claw marks aplenty and sending books flying to the ground whenever he makes a misstep. Thankfully, Clarence is very understanding and always works on improving access for him - unlike many of his other clan mates, who view his special needs as a burden and refuse to make things more accessible.

His best friend, Sulfur, has complained to Barachiel herself several times, requesting the lair to be made more accessible for Claudius and other disabled dragons, but despite his best efforts, nothing has changed yet.

"So many dragons think that he talks to invisible beings, when in reality he's just talking to himself ... I'm good friends with Claudius and he never acts weird around me. I've actually asked him about this before. He sais that as soon as he's alone or thinks no one can hear him, he just starts saying all his thoughts out loud, and that he can't help it, though he's trying to get it under control. I've actually caught him singing out loud once when he thought I couldn't hear him! He was super embarassed about the whole thing."

"Whenever Claudius takes some free time, he likes to play chess with me! Usually I'd cheat to win, but with him ... I dunno, I just can't bring myself to do it. Not because he looks like a child and I don't want to hurt his feelings! That's not it! There's just something about his eyes ... it's as if he knows that I'm planning to cheat, and then he looks at me and I loose any incentive to do so. But even without cheating, it's always great fun."

"Claudius seems pretty weird, and I mean, he kinda is ... after all, he is an adult in a toddler-sized body. But that ain't his fault! All those rumors about him are also super mean. I've examined him several times through my goggles, and there's nothing weird about him at all."

Aspen

Birchwood

Kassiopeia

Clarence

Sulfur

Barachiel

Cassiel

Polly

Banana