Rada

R a d a
pirate/in command of trades/captain

"The Sea stretched on before her, its surface broken by gargantuan stone formations and hardy aquatic flora."

Dragonhorn Coral

Organics

A foundation of many reefs in the Sea of a Thousand Currents.

35

Fluted Conch

Organics

Extremely fragile. When these glittering shells are not used to make delicate jewelry, they can be ground up and mixed with paste to form an iridescent polish.

36

Runed Helm

Trinkets

Collect enough of these and you may be able to spell out messages to your clanmates!

475

Cerith Shell

Organics

A natural treasure and a foundation piece for any hatchling's hoard.

82

Fishing Net

Dragonmade

Cast your nets wide and who knows what you'll bring in!

34

Rada had always loved water. Even in the Viridian Labyrinth her favourite place had been the Gladeveins, where skillfully dug canals channeled water into cascading falls. As a hatchling, she would often sit near them, enjoying the cool mist and admiring the way sunlight refracted off the spray to form rainbows. When she grew slightly older, the young guardian would follow the streams to the very edge of Nature lands, where they spilled out into the sea between territories. More than once she’d had to resist the urge to leap into the depths.

Her parents liked to joke that despite her Nature eyes Rada was living proof that guardians were truly the Tidelord’s children. When her Search began, it was no surprise to anyone that she headed straight for the Sea of a Thousand Currents, braving the Tangled Wood instead of taking the safer but more roundabout route through the Sunbeam Ruins.

Shadow dragons were notorious tricksters, and their homeland embodied that well. Many times she was led astray by friendly-sounding voices, or wisps of gentle light that vanished when she got too close. Without the survival skills known to any self-respecting Nature dragon and a guardian’s flexible diet, who knows what might fate might have befallen Rada in those murky, thorn-choked wilds. But all the aches and frustration washed away when she finally beheld the Tidelord’s domain.

The Sea stretched on before her, its surface broken by gargantuan stone formations and hardy aquatic flora. In the distance light sparkled off the giant tidal pools in the Tsunami Flats, and she could spot little dots that must be the local residents. It was an awe-inspiring sight, to be sure – but somehow Rada felt restless, the persistent pull that had been with her all her life still unsatisfied.

“What is it? What am I meant to find?” she asked out loud, voice drowned out by the cry of gulls and the waves. But there was no answer.

One thing Rada had failed to anticipate was how difficult it was to be an independent dragon in the Sea of a Thousand Currents as a non-water dragon. That is, she could survive just fine, but without the ability to breathe underwater much of the territory was barred to her. Guardians were good swimmers, but not good enough to casually traverse the sea without water magic.

So she joined roaming ships, who were generally glad to have another capable crewmate. Most were merchant or fishing vessels, but a few were… opportunists, so to speak. Or less politely, pirates. Those were always interesting. Rada didn’t consider herself particularly cruel, but Nature was the element of growth and life in all its strife and glory, so she adapted to a buccaneer’s life well enough. The guardian never with a single crew for long, though. She moved from ship to ship, constantly Searching.

At one point her current captain (she made no particular effort to remember their names, given the sheer number of ships she passed through) recommended trying the Windswept Plateau.

“After all, yer a traveler, yeah? Wind’s the place for those,” the scarred Nocturne said somewhat wistfully, a faraway look in his light green eyes.

“I’ll consider it,” Rada replied, gazing at the cliffs in the distance.

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» A month later she was winging her way towards the Reedcleft Ascent, her muscles straining as the winds grew ever stronger the higher she flew. Far below was the roar of churning rapids, and the guardian knew that falling here would mean a very messy demise. Just when her stamina was about to give out, a sudden updraft brought her to the first of the pillars. As she sprawled in exhaustion, the Nature dragon looked up to see a brightly coloured Pearlcatcher gazing at her in concern. “Are you quite all right? Flying up the Ascent from the sea is a challenge for even the best Wind dragons, you know.” He flew down to her level. “Doing it as a Nature dragon is madness!” he said the last word with the same intonation one might say ‘amazing’ or ‘awesome’. He just had that kind of air about him. Rada grinned tiredly at him. “Thank you,” she croaked. “Don’t think I don’t know you were the one who gave me a boost back there.” The male replied cheerily, “Well, I could hardly let you fall! What brings you here, anyway? Are you looking to join a clan?” Well, that was bold of him, Rada thought. An immediate offer to join would ordinarily be suspicious, but he did save her life. And she had risked life and limb to get here. Plus, the view of the sea was gorgeous. “You know what? I think I am. Are you offering?” she peered at the pearlcatcher. He smiled wide. “Absolutely! I’m Bydhara, the leader. Welcome!” He paused, turning sheepish. “Er, what was your name again?” She couldn’t help but laugh. “Rada, and I think we’ll get along great.” Yes, this suited her just fine.

. . . . . .

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