Gabriel

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Lvl 1 Gaoler Pearl Piebald Pearl Streak Pearl Braids Arcane Common

FAMILY: CALYPSO
Parents: Petals and Fluff
Grandparents: Moonstone and Pearl, Lilas and Cotton
Mate: Esmeralda (Undertow)
Offspring: Raenice, Alegria and Shanaya (Calypso)

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I am from an ancient lair shielded within the Astrolodome. My father was a mage, my mother an astrologer. My many siblings and I grew up surrounded by the implements of our parents' trades, and as such developed a healthy curiosity about magic and the unknown. As soon as I was old enough, I made my way to the Tourmaline Archives to further my studies, specifically focusing on the history of the arcane in Sornieth.

It was during my research into the destruction of the Pillar that the Icewarden's last words to the Earthshaker seemed to call out to me from the pages. He spoke of holding off the darkness separately, but as I looked around, I could see no real efforts being put into this.

The Arcane flight, as always, was far more concerned with mapping the stars and studying leylines, while the other flights had their own troubles. The only god that had made any real attempt at combating the Shade was the Icewarden himself, with the creation of his first children, the Gaolers.

But even the mighty Seekers had vanished, and now their descendants merely existed as ordinary citizens within the eleven domains, citizens such as myself! I felt ashamed of the failure of the Gaolers. We had grown complacent, and this complacency was dangerous. If the Shade were ever to return in full power, how could we ever stand against it?

Without making my plans known, I quietly set off south. The journey was treacherous and wrought with danger, and more than once I was certain I wouldn't see the end of it, but perhaps the Icewarden was with me after all, for I made it at last. I was challenged by the Sentries and their warden, but was at last allowed an audience in the Glacial Assembly.

I spoke to the wardens of what had brought me to their domain, and expressed my desire to join them. At first, they were uncertain of me. It was true that they had welcomed others in recent days, Gaolers from the far reaches of Sornieth, but to allow a non-Ice dragon to join their ranks was unheard of until that time, Gaoler or not.

Eventually it was decided that they would meet and speak with the Icewarden himself about my request, as I had not been the first to make it. The Sentinel-Warden's second, a dark and stunning beauty by the name of Esmeralda, put forth the suggestion that I be allowed to join the meeting. This caused quite a commotion among the assembly, as none but the highest ranked among them were allowed to face the Icewarden, and never an outsider such as myself, who stunk of the Shade!

It was put to a vote. The Seeker-Warden and the Keeper-Warden were in agreement with Esmeralda, but the Sentry-Warden, the Overseer-Warden, and the Sentinel-Warden himself stood their ground. The idea was dismissed, and I was sent to join the other Outsiders, as they had been dubbed, who shared living quarters with a small Tundra clan. At this time, I thought my journey had been pointless.

The other Outsiders gave me hope, however, when they told me how their offspring, born Ice dragons, had been permitted to join the Keepers and the Sentries. Perhaps salvation did not lie in us, but our children! I had no mate, however, and it did not seem likely that any of the Ice Gaolers here would lower themselves to mate with a Shade-touched Arcane such as myself.

I was pleasantly mistaken. Esmeralda visited after a time, in the pretense of checking on the progress of the young ones, and beckoned me to speak with her in private. Once alone, she made a request that was both shocking and incredible. She asked me to mate with her.

"It must be in secret, or I shall be cast out of the Sentinels," she whispered. "You must keep the nest here, and well-hidden. I will come and visit when I can, but none may know about this."

I asked her why she would take such a risk.

"I am tired of the elitism in our ranks," she replied, her disgust obvious. "You are no less a child of the Icewarden than I, and your heart is true. Maybe someday the others will see this. Until then, I will have no one else."

We mated, and the eggs were laid in the nesting grounds of the Tundra clan. Her duties kept her away much of the time, and when the time came, only one of the three eggs hatched. A female. We christened her Shanaya, and buried the other eggs, calling them Raenice and Alegria.

Shanaya was raised by the Tundra clan and kept secret, but now that she is grown, the secret is out. Her parentage is unknown by all but the Tundras and the Outsiders, and of course, Esmeralda, but I fear that the day is coming when all shall be revealed.

Shanaya has expressed the desire to join the Seekers.