Canary

Canary || The Apprising Bard
"All gather around for the catchiest cautionary tale you'll ever hear!"

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The cult clan of Purgatory is all that Canary had ever known. From the moment she broke free from her egg, she was taught that this was her family and home - and she never questioned it. The stories and lessons taught to her and fellow clanmates were readily accepted as well. Canary fully believed in Lady Purgatory and her clan's ability to unite the deities into one. In fact, she would often be the one to go straight to Lusolth or Vitis themselves whenever she overheard questioning of Purgatory, informing the elder dragons directly.

Despite being a loud-mouthed snitch, Canary was (perhaps surprisingly) well-liked amongst the rest of the clan. Her excitable personality and high energy could have her mistaken as a Spiral if she were not so small. As she grew into an adult, Canary developed a love for music. Instruments obtained from scavenging, trading, or Beastclan slaughters were often given to her. She became skilled with many and would often be asked by Lusolth himself to entertain the clan for special ceremonies. Her songstyle involved her droning in the typical monotone voice of Fae and making up for it in fast varied melodies on her instruments. She'll also often use her fins and crests to help convey the mood of the song along with the key it's played in. Canary had an affinity for working with hatchlings as well, and would often assist her former caretaker End in his duties. Her musical skills would be used both in play and to comfort those she cared for. All in all, though her quirks could get on the nerves of some, none could say that she did not serve a helpful niche role in the culture of the clan.

Working so close with the hatchlings, however, allowed Canary to be privy to more insidious behavior within the clan. She began to notice many of the same strange things that End had become aware of over the years. Subtle Wildclaw favoritism from those in power became more clear to her as she kept a careful eye on how the young were treated. Parroting the same prophecies about Purgatory that she had been taught to the hatchlings made her begin to realize some of its flaws. When trading, she took more care to talk to those from the outside world, trying to figure out if Sornieth was truly as bad as it was made out to be. The final straw was when she personally witnessed Vitis leading a questioning hatchling away. The young one in question never returned, and Canary and End were expected to pretend as if they never existed.

Deeply concerned, Canary took a risk. She spoke to End about what she had observed - and much to her relief, he had many of the same worries. Events in her childhood that had been brushed over suddenly began to make sense, including the disappearances or 'accidents' of dragons she had snitched on. Filled with horror at her complacency in this cult, she resolved to try her best to undo the evil she had done.

Canary began to write and sing songs for the hatchlings that held subliminal messages urging them to question their surroundings. Most adults did not listen deeply enough to the lyrics to understand what she was trying to convey. One day, however, Lusolth decided to stop in and listen. Canary did not notice until she had finished her song and turned around to see his red and ivory tail slipping away as he left. She had been caught.

Attempting to remain casual, she returned to her lair and attempted to gather her belongings. Just as the last lute was packed away, Canary heard a sound behind her. She turned to see Inquisitor Vitis standing there, a glint shining from the gloss of the painted on eyes of her mask.

"Canary! So glad to have caught you. My, my, are you going somewhere? May I ask you a few questions before you run off?"

Terrified, Canary agreed, and Vitis led her out of Purgatory's camp. At first opportunity, the Fae fled. The vicious Spiral gave chase, delivering powerful blows to the small bard. Miraculously, Canary was able to fire off a well-placed bolt of magic, taking out one of Vitis' wings. Littered with injuries, she managed to get to a nearby friendly clan. Once recovered, Canary began to travel all of Sornieth, singing her songs about Purgatory - except far less subtle. She spreads the word about the evils of the cult clan, beginning to combat the words of the missionaries. Canary remains cheerful and excitable, but the horrors of the clan are to be taken seriously. Though she has made quite a few friends, she cannot stay in one place for too long, and must keep a nomadic lifestyle.

The Inquisitor is never far behind, after all.

"Keep singing, little bird."


Backstory lore written by VivaPinata