Cobalt

On the far eastern edge of the beach, between the travelers' den and the path leading toward Redrock Cove, a large wooden stand draws the eye. A rusty old anchor is leaning up against the base of the stand, with the tattered end of a rope still tethered to it. Next to the anchor is a barnacle-encrusted chest clearly dredged from the depths of the Sea - it's probably empty, now, but the sight makes your heart jump in excitement. The wood sign atop the stand reads "Coliseum Challenge" in dark blue paint, and a large Obelisk waves from his seat behind the counter.

"Welcome to the Scavenger Hunt - er, I mean, Coliseum Challenge!" Cobalt announces jovially, motioning you towards the stand. You approach, eager to take a closer look. Scattered across the counter you see a handful of old doubloons, a glittering amethyst geode, and a jar of pearls. These artifacts must all have been discovered in the area of Sunbeam Grotto; surely there are more treasures to be found in the depths of the caves and at the bottom of the sea! The sights on and around the stand spark within you a desire to explore the unknown...

Next to Cobalt's paws is a tall stack of unusual looking paper with the word "SCORECARD" clearly legible across the top. The paper on which the scorecard is written is thick and green; not at all like the type that you're used to seeing in books or letters. You blink, wondering what makes it so...unique looking.

"It's made from kelp," Cobalt says when he notices you staring at it. "Waterproof - you never know, you know? Go ahead 'n take one - I made plenty to go around!"

The kelp paper feels heavy in your hands, and the ink is a little hard to read - though you're not sure if that's due to the porosity of the leaves or the poor penmanship of the writer. Still, it's clear that a splash of water will roll right off the waxy leaf, while the ink remains intact!

"There's no perfect solution to waterproofing," Cobalt shrugs. "You can coat regular parchment with wax, but there's no way to write on it afterward without eroding the coating. Aside from carrying around stone tablets, this is the best way to carry notes through the water! Somethin' Laguna 'n Sandbar cooked up in their line of work, but it works for me, too!"

"Anyway," he says after a brief pause, "you thinkin' about joining in on the challenge?"

---

Cobalt is a spirited treasure hunter, brought to Sunbeam Grotto after hearing of a "secret, shimmering gem" hidden on the coast of the Sea of a Thousand Currents. Turns out, whoever spread the rumor was talking about the beautiful, secluded clan of Sunbeam Grotto - where Cobalt found his own legacy deeply tied to the clan! He's since carved out a home for himself and his mate within the territory, but takes frequent trips following other (better sourced) rumors across the globe.


While typically confident, Cobalt found himself a little apprehensive about the first family reunion. It had been quite some time since he'd seen many of his family members outside Sunbeam Grotto - and he was, to put it lightly, a different dragon then. He worried whether he'd be recognized by his parents and siblings, but hoped to have the chance to show off some of the rare artifacts he's collected from all corners of Sornieth!

After a correspondence from a distant cousin, Cobalt began to hatch the idea of a scavenger hunt. Hosting such an event would bring more excitement to the clan's visitors, and maybe he could take the opportunity to unload some of the treasures that were overflowing his den!

The first year's scavenger hunt went off without a hitch - and so too did reacquainting himself with his relatives. Turns out, his sister recognized him easily, and any awkwardness dissipated straight away once they got to talking! A surge of energy carried Cobalt through the rest of the week, as he balanced answering questions about the scavenger hunt with attending as many of the events as he could. When it was all over, Cobalt threw himself into planning for the next year!


Near the travelers' den, a large wooden stand is set up with a commanding presence that draws the eye. An old rusted anchor is leaning up against the base of the stand, with a rotted rope still tethered to it. Next to the anchor is a stunning amethyst geode so large a hatchling could hide inside it. The wood sign atop the stand reads "Scavenger Hunt Info" in dark blue paint, and a large Obelisk waves from his seat behind the counter.

"Welcome, welcome! Interested in the Scavenger Hunt?" Cobalt says jovially, motioning you towards the stand. You approach, eager to take a closer look. These artifacts must all have been discovered in the area of Sunbeam Grotto; surely there are more treasures to be found in the depths of the caves and at the bottom of the sea! The sights on and around the stand spark within you a desire to explore the unknown...

A frame is stood up on the wide counter, holding a silver sea-tarnished necklace embedded with a heart-shaped sapphire, and a worn inscription beneath. Next to the frame is a stack of...something with the word "SCORECARD" clearly legible across the top. The paper on which the scorecard is written is thick and green; not at all like the type that you're used to seeing in books or letters. You blink, wondering what makes it so...unique looking.

"It's made from kelp," Cobalt says when he notices you staring at it. "Waterproof - you never know, you know? Go ahead 'n take one - I made plenty to go around!"

The kelp paper feels heavy in your hands, and the ink is a little hard to read - though you're not sure if that's due to the porosity of the leaves or the poor penmanship of the writer. Still, it's clear that a splash of water will roll right off the waxy leaf, while the ink remains intact!

"There's no perfect solution to waterproofing," Cobalt shrugs. "You can coat regular parchment with wax, but there's no way to write on it afterward without eroding the coating. Aside from carrying around stone tablets, this is the best way to carry notes through the water! Somethin' Laguna 'n Sandbar cooked up in their line of work, but it works for me, too!"

"Anyway," he says after a brief pause, "you thinkin' about joining in on the scavenger hunt?"

---

As a lazy young dragon with no direction or desire, Cobalt was dragged along with his clanmates in a pilgrimage to Dragonhome to assist with the Dustcarve Dig. It was there, as he sulkily shuffled supplies down the winding caverns, that Cobalt felt a sudden pull deep within him unlike anything he'd ever experienced - almost as if he were nearing his destiny. The juvenile Nocturne asked around his team, but none reported any unexpected sensations. Sure, they were excited, exhausted, and as curious as Cobalt, but no one else could sense what he felt waiting for him deep within the caverns. It was slow going as the dragons trekked back and forth between the cave entrance and the dig site, as the excavation team inched along with each successful supply run. At the bottom of the caverns, Cobalt hesitated as long as he could every time he dropped off more lantern oil or blasting powder...but every time someone would call out to him, bringing him back to the present moment and urging him to follow his team. The expedition trudged onward, as the excavation team broke into a series of open chambers, each more mysterious than the last. With each successful discovery, the entire expedition was granted a period of rest - most dragons took the time to nap or stretch their weary muscles, but Cobalt remained wide awake regardless of his body's exhaustion. The point of no return came when his team was called posthaste into the caverns, as they dropped the crates they were carrying and followed the messenger down through the sparsely lit tunnels. The group was struck by awe to see a massive stone city emerging from the cave walls - Cobalt most of all. While the dragons feasted and lounged near the ruins - which were deemed too dangerous to explore for any but the most qualified Guild members - Cobalt crept closer to the carved city. Far from the victorious din of the expedition team, he could hear...what sounded almost like roaring. Soon enough, the team decided to press onward. Cobalt cursed that he wasn't allowed to work with or even supervise the main excavation team, as with each step away from the stone city, he grew weaker. With each step back in to the caverns, however, he felt a great power surging through his body that mixed with the sheer excitement the dig had stirred up within him. What was this feeling?

As he carried yet another load of blasting powder down the winding cavern, a great *BOOM* shook the earth. Half of his team shrieked, anticipating a cave-in, and rushed to the surface, while the other half abandoned their charges and flew down the tunnel. Cobalt followed the latter half, of course!

What happened next, Cobalt doesn't remember - the following part of his tale has been pieced together from the eyewitness accounts of his fellow Dustcarve diggers. By the time a crew had been assembled surface-side to go down and investigate the extent of the damage done by the cave-in, they found the abandoned stone city standing eerily still, free of the anticipated tons of debris. What they did find, however, were a staggering number of stone stalagmites that had not been there before. One of the crew members moved to strike one with a pickaxe, but his teammates stopped him - there was a piece of cloth sticking out of a crack in the stone, just enough to be recognizable as a digger's uniform. Somehow, some sort of shockwave had radiated from the cave's depths with the power to turn dragons to stone. The survey team swallowed their fear, draped the stalagmites in heavy cloth, posted signs reading "DO NOT TOUCH" on each one, and resumed their digging efforts.

Nearly every dragon in Sornieth knows what happened next - just below the stone city, an underground river was discovered, and the temporary resting place of Obelisks uncovered. What much of the population may not know is that when the Obelisks awoke, so too did the stone-turned diggers - with a single, notable difference to tie them together. Cobalt and the other dragons caught in the shockwave had changed forms to match the Earthshaker's carvings, altering the course of their destinies.

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