Rodion

Born on the Windswept Plateau, Rodion was born with a horrible condition causing his bones to be weak and brittle. Despite this obstacle, he had high hopes that he would make something of himself. While he was a hatchling, his parents searched throughout the lands to find some way to help him. While their efforts came up fruitless, Rodion was exposed to the musical styles of the different flights. He fell quite in love with a popular instrument of the Water Flight. It was called the zomzinger.

This instrument utilized water and steam to create music. The dragon would breath fire on the bottom of a metal bowl. In this bowl, there would be water and when the bowl reached a certain temperature, the water would start to create steam. This steam was then funneled through several pipes of varying lengths with openings at the top. When the steam passes through the pipes, different notes are created depending on the length. The dragon is able to control which pipe the steam goes through via several levers located on the floor by the dragon's feet. The zomzinger is not a very expensive instrument but it can get expensive depending on the material used or how many pipes it has. There are many different zomzinger styles that include more notes and less space in the water basin for water and there are other zomzingers that have longer levers for the dragons' comfort.

After hearing this common Water Flight instrument, Rodion decided he wanted to learn it. To the dismay of his parents, he would often run away to music stores around the world wanting to try their zomzingers. He often found himself in odd places and soon his tendency to run away got the better of him.

Having saved all his money from allowance and gifts, he finally went to buy his own zomzinger. He had been looking at a very special one for some time. He tried it out several times and it had a wide range. The levers were placed far enough from the zomzinger so he wouldn't cramp up using the instrument for long periods of time. Also, the sound quality was far superior to many of the other zomzingers he had previously tried. However, when he was walking to the store, he was jumped by a group of other dragons.

They beat him up, took his money, and left him in a broken pulp. If his parents had not found him, he would have died. After taking him to the hospital, the doctors said his bones were completely shattered. Almost every one was irredeemably broken. They told him that he wouldn't be able to walk or get out of the nest. He was devastated when the doctor said he wouldn't be able to play any instrument. His already fragile dreams were shattered with those simple words. The doctor was able to outfit Rodion with some metal braces that gave his bones the support he needed. However, he still experienced a lot of pain walking with those braces.

So, based on the doctor's suggestion, Rodion spent most of the next 6 years in the nest. His parents took care of him, seeing to his every need. However, he still felt so empty. On one of his better days, his parents told him about a concert that was close by. Feeling better then he had in a long time and his thirst for music growing insatiable, Rodion put on his braces and decided to go to the concert. The Duo of Lord Humble and Noemi.

During the concert, he felt more alive then he had in a long time. Listening to their sweet music, he could feel his life returning to him. At the end of the concert, Noemi made an announcement that really grabbed his attention. She told the audience that this tour was more then just a tour. Lord Humble and her were starting their own orchestra and were touring the world to collecting musicians who wanted to participate. She said that this was an opportunity for anyone who needed inspiration and purpose. She said she didn't care who you were only what you could bring to the group.

Rodion knew this was a call meant for him. He didn't care if he didn't have an instrument. He needed to join. He needed that music to be rekindled within him again. Never was he more sure about anything in his entire life. Despite his parents begging him to stay, he decided to meet Lord Humble and Noemi. To his surprise, they accepted him with open arms. Lord Humble even took him to the same music store he visited 6 years ago to buy the same zomzinger he had fallen in love with so long ago.

Since then, he has been playing by their side, helping them build up the orchestra. Lord Humble became more then a mentor to him, always pouring his money into Rodion's health. Whenever his braces became loose or broken, Lord Humble would buy new ones without hesitation. Having a family, a purpose, really helped Rodion in more ways then one.