Ventus

Tell me about what's going on in your clan.
My dragons are all faeries. Most of them can shapeshift into dragons except for a few. They came from all over the world either because they were running from something or were searching for something new.

Why did your clan form?
The Queen, Leah, was cursed by a family member a long time ago and she had to flee her original world. She was separated from her closest friends and family and thinks they're gone for good. After spending centuries just traveling through worlds. she decides to pledge allegiance to a powerful fae named Romaina. It's not official or anything because she doesn't want to divulge her true name as is customary when pledging allegiance. Since she didn't have an official reason to travel through worlds, there were some places she couldn't access. By pledging allegiance to Romaina she gets the proper documents/magic/items to go to any world. In one of these worlds (Sornieth) she finds Seirian, Serpentine and Iris. Leah has been planing to return to her original world but she's been weakened by the curse that was put on her. She sees that Seirian and Serpentine have powerful magic and wants to get them on her side before another Court takes them in. Overtime, she gathers enough people to start her own Court and crown herself Queen.

Is there an overarching conflict?
Leah's trying to get revenge and go back to her original world, but that's a long time away. Mostly it's about Leah trying to manage all the different sections within her Court and try to keep peace. As I said above, most of the fae can shapeshift into dragons, but Leah cannot, since she is from a different world. This leaves her at a major disadvantage, which many fae would be thrilled to take advantage of. She uses her quick wit and scheming to keep her secret safe.

Are your dragons divided into factions, or do they all work together?
Definitely. There's the Seelie and Unseelie Courts that are all under Leah's banner. Within the Seelie and Unseelie there's different groups headed by different fae. Well known Seelie Courts include the Academia (headed by Alai) and the Circle of Dryads (headed by Penny). Well known Unseelie Courts include Iris's Scythes and Zanrin's Germs Circle. There's also the regular Folk who either made bad deals with Leah or she knows their true names.

My clan lore is still a work in progress but most of it is here! I take inspiration from faerie lore and most of my clan's lore is influenced by it to some degree!

My clan leader, Leah, was forced to leave her birth world due to unknown reasons and she traveled for centuries before finding a world that she could rest in. Most of the Folk in Sornieth (at least in my lore) are able to shapeshift into dragons, which requires a great deal of magic/power. Leah wants to harness this power to eventually return home, but that's a while away.

She ended up starting a faerie court and crowned herself Queen. Most of the lore is the day to day happenings of the court and how she'll have to keep the Seelie and Unseelie factions from fighting and hold together all the fey who otherwise might not want to work together.

Being a fey who cannot shapeshift into a dragon, she has to hide this secret at all times and usually casts an illusion or refuses to shapeshift at all. She's established the High Court, that manages the lower sections of the courts and her Advisors handle most of the details. The Predecessors (which include my progens) mostly sit back and watch the chaos unfold. They are either seasoned warriors or have been around for a long long time.

Other than the main court, there's the Solitary Fey, who are not acquainted with any court and live out in the open. It's a dangerous life, but some believe that it's much better than living in the Court of Duality. There's also a group of dragons who manage the pillar. Their job is to be the first layer of security/checking before someone can approach the entrance of the Court.

I could go on and on about all the little subgroups within the court but I'll stop here because the post is already getting a little too long

Do your dragons have any unique festivals, holidays, or similar traditions? How did they come about?
Each group or court in my lore has completely separate cultures and traditions. For this, I'll be focusing on redcaps because that is what the Queen and her siblings are. Fey are created by their gods, and each type of fey (like dryads, redcaps, etc.) were created by a specific god. Each group holds a deep distrust of the other and they don't get along.

Redcaps hold a celebration in honor of their goddess around December.

How are they celebrated? Are there special customs involved? What about food and/or clothes?
There are dances, lots of food and contests. Contests, especially those that revolve around fighting are the highlight. Since anyone can challenge anyone to a duel, redcaps usually dress in clothing they wouldn't mind fighting in.

Are there any taboos, insults, etc regarding these customs? Any specific ways to convey something negative?
Other groups of fey look down on redcaps, considering them "less" than themselves. Dryads in particular have a history of destroying idols depicting the goddess who created redcaps. Redcaps believe that dryads are unnatural, because no one should be able to control nature except the goddess who created them. Dryads believe that redcaps shouldn't exist at all, and that the story about how their goddess created them is a lie.

How often does the event take place?
Annually

Are there designated planners/etc? Is it volunteer-based, tradition-/lineage-based, lots drawn, etc?
Everyone must plan, or else they might be branded as disloyal to their goddess. It is considered the highest honor and redcaps often end up dueling each other for the honor.

Who are the ones usually celebrating? Who are the ones avoiding it?
Redcaps primarily celebrate. Very rarely do other fey join the festivities. Other types of fey, especially those who hold hatred for redcaps actively avoid the celebration.

Can anyone join in, or is participation limited to a specific group?
Anyone can join in theory, but it is mostly redcaps participating.

Who blasts fireworks when everyone else is trying to sleep?
All the redcaps They love their goddess and aren't afraid to show it!

YO Obelisk lore rolled out with fantastic timing, seeing as today, July 24th, is a Lore Whining Day! Absolutely loving the new info we have for these fluffballs, their ability to change in and out of stone form is super cool. Hopefully there's plenty of lore ammo now for the folks who want to use it!

I started writing up this post before the update, so these lore questions aren't Obelisk-related, but since not everyone might want to do something with the new encyc entry, I'll post 'em anyway! Feel free to tackle whatever catches your inspiration, Obelisks or otherwise. :D

• What's the local weather like on average? Hot or cold? Humid or dry?
• How often does it rain? Is flooding an issue?
• How's the terrain? Mountainous? Flatland? Ocean? Lava?
• What sorts of severe weather or natural disasters can occur? What does your clan do when they happen? Are there any defined protections/safety procedures in place (ex. taking shelter somewhere)?
• How's the magic level in the region? Can spellcasters easily draw on ambient magic or are they forced to rely on their own reserves/other options?
• What sort of flora and fauna can be found naturally? Any invasive species wreaking havoc? Which species have a use within your clan?
• Does the region present any other dangers to locals and/or travelers in some way?
• Does clan architecture blend with the territory or starkly contrast with it? How much is "natural" vs "constructed"? Is it suited to dealing with the local weather/etc? Is it long-lasting or is there always something being built or repaired?

BOY THIS IS A BUSY WEEK. Heads up, folks, this is your reminder ping: tomorrow, August 4th, is a Lore Whining Day! And after that we've got ~*Warrior's Way*~, right alongside the second half of a big Dom battle, whew!

We don't know much at all about WW right now of course, but given that we do know it's for "warriors, smiths, armorers, and other ferocious, like-minded creatures," this LWD's prompts will focus around just that! For folks busy chucking dragons at Earthdad and Tidepop, perhaps you can ponder these during break times. :D (And don't forget to drink water and take care of y'all's wrists!)

• What's the weaponry in your clan like? Do your dragons use swords and other close-range weapons, go long-range with bows and arrows, prefer big and bulky things like maces? Is a particular weapon common (ex. a group of guards all using the same kind of spear) or does each individual have their own specialty?
• Does your clan scavenge weapons from defeated foes, buy/trade for them, and/or make their own? What's the quality like, are they just good enough to get the job done or is there skilled craftsmanship and artistry involved?
• How prevalent is magic? Are weapons imbued with any magical effects? Major or minor?
• Several NotN familiars are weapon mimics. Is this something your clan has to worry about?
• How important/common is armor? What about shields? As with weapons, is there any special quality (or lack thereof) in their make?
• How common are warriors in your clan? Is combat/defense a large focus, or are clan efforts focused elsewhere? Is there a specific group that handles combat/related activities?
• What's combat training like? How long does it last? What about effectiveness, are trainees taught well or do instructors employ questionable methods? Does your clan train their own warriors, or are they hired/otherwise pulled in from other areas (ex. mercenaries)?
• If your clan does train their warriors, is a specific individual or a group in charge of overseeing it? Or is training handled by whoever volunteers/has free time?
• Is there a cohesive combat style, or does each dragon do their own thing? Are there any tricks or techniques unique to your clan's fighters?
• What about strategy? Do warriors approach combat with solid tactics in mind or do they take the "hit it until it dies" route to debatable effect?
• What traditions or customs are there, if any? (Regarding training, weapon-/armor-making, combat itself, etc.)

It's that time again! This is your reminder ping: tomorrow, August 14th, is a Lore Whining Day!

Hopefully everyone's Warrior's Way-ing has been going well and you've all been taking care in the meantime! Since the event is close to wrapping up (early on the 15th!), please feel free to take the day nice and easy. I know some folks might be feeling burnout by now, and some others me may still need to farm and level while the chance is here, so don't feel pressured to spend all your free time writing if that throws a wrench in things. And tend to your wrists as needed! Because of that, I'm leaving off a prompt batch for today, though if you want to revisit some of the recent ones, here's some handy links!


Also I realized I've been slacking on the personal accountability deal, so! My own goal for tomorrow, in-between hanging out in Coli, will be to set up a good bio layout for my song fandragons and see if I can jot down some bullet points to work with. I also picked up three G2 Imp siblings earlier today, so inspiration/time permitting, I'd like to expand on their notes, too. And then maybe see about lore involving the other siblings owned by a few certain people. You know who you are.

May everyone have much inspiration and kind RNG! \o/ Good luck, y'all! ovo)b