Solstice

A handful of ancient individuals from the Seeker Order strayed from the Icewarden in their hunt to contain the Shade. As generations passed with a severed connection to divinity, the Shade began to change this subset of Gaolers. They became more like beasts than dragons, with a leopard-like coat and protective scorpion-like armor from their shoulders to their tails. More magical individuals could shapeshift. Their appearances were even more strange, taking a more snake-like form or growing extra heads and limbs.

A few of these Chimera-Gaolers survived into modern times. Until recently, they took the forms of modern dragons, the memories of their old lives buried deep in their minds. When their Gaoler brethren returned, they did as well.

A new generation of these Chimera-Gaolers has arrived. While they have never known the world of their ancestors before them, their parents have guided them on how to continue the legacy.

Winter is the season of strength for the Chimera-Gaolers. The longest night of the year is cause for celebration, reminding them of the endless nights of the ancestors’ snowy home. It had long been a sign of great blessing for new dragons to hatch on the Winter Solstice, such as Solstice's lucky clutch. The power of the long first night of their lives awakened something primal in the hatchlings of this nest, and they feel even more separated from the old Gaolers than either of their parents.

Solstice was never the strongest or fastest of his clutch. He could not track prey like the others, but he found his own talent. He grew fascinated by the long nights of his youth, and gained a deep knowledge of the stars. He learned to be an excellent navigator through use of the stars.