High above the beach, the roaring festivities of the family reunion dim to a distant echo. Simera emerges from a shallow cave near the top of the cliff and floats down to the tidepools below, arms full of mismatched towels. Clan members mingle with visitors in the steaming baths, all luxuriating in the escape from the sensory overload that is the family reunion.

Simera stacks a fresh pile of towels beside a bucket of ice that holds bottled drinks she fetched from the clan's kitchen early this morning. The condensation makes the glass bottles gleam in the sunlight, highlighting the colorful, clear liquids inside. Bouquets of fresh-smelling roses line the rocky walkways between the pools, effusing a fresh and floral scent into the air. A number of different colored petals have been scattered by the wind to float atop the warm water - Simera knows she should probably skim the pools clean, but the effect is pretty...she decides to leave it be for now.

Snippets of quiet conversation bounce off the still waters of the springs; Begonia has found this quiet refuge a perfect place to reconnect with his family members away from the noisy, crowded beach. A number of other dragons converse or lounge in the comfortably warm water, relaxing from busy days past and busier days ahead. Laguna is completely submerged at the bottom of one of the pools, likely asleep.

Casting a glance around at her guests, it seems everyone's all set for the time being - without waiting a second longer, Simera casts off her apron and takes to the skies! She twists and floats as gracefully in the sky as if she were underwater, luxuriating in the cool, thin air above the cliffs. Work must be balanced with play, after all! As soon as she sees someone new approaching the hot springs, she'll fly down to greet them...

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Playful little Simera "discovered" a hot spring high upon the rocky wall of the cliff that serves as Sunbeam Grotto's home. All it took was a few strong young dragons to level a section of the cliff and surround the area with rocks - now, the clan boasts its own trio of hot spring baths!

As a growing juvenile, Simera channeled her boundless energy into tending the hot springs. Her daily duties include skimming the baths clean of debris and providing amenities to the dragons soaking. After a long day of stocking towels and salts, Simera is more than ready to cast off her apron and join her relatives to dance over the ocean's sunset!

Since Sunbeam Grotto's return to the waking world, the magic present in new generations is in abundance relative to the abilities of the elder dragons of the clan. Seers and mages are born in great number, indicative of the powerful magic surrounding the area. Simera was one such hatchling - her raw power in Water magic was so strong that, at birth, she could conjure tremendous waves strong enough to shatter rock (babysitting her was a great effort, requiring at least 3 proficient Water magic users present at all times, just in case).

In fact, it was her unmatched power that resulted in the creation of Sunbeam Grotto's hot springs. Frustrated with her flying lessons, the hatchling had released a burst of magic, which sent water surging from far below the clan to burst out of its solid rock foundation. All great power carries the burden of responsibility, though, and Simera's continued work at the hot springs is a daily lesson in discipline. The juvenile's power has grown, as well as her control. Still, the council of elders has agreed it's best for her to continue to grow and learn close to home...for now.

While her magical ability sets her apart, Simera still enjoys activities typical for her age - she enjoys hanging out and traveling with her best-friend-slash-cousin Aida, though only ever so far as the Windswept Plateau, and only ever using the buddy system. Simera is eager to build on her experiences, though, and likes to grill travelers and elders alike on the lands beyond her seaside home.


Simera was overjoyed to hear about the planned reunion! As one of the youngest members of the family, there's an insurmountable number of faces and names she has yet to meet - a fact that might scare other dragons, but only serves to excite Simera! Once her chores were finished, she immediately began scheming with her cousin Aida to develop an event for the family members to enjoy.

While the cousins' idea was easy to come by,the preparations needed were a heavy task for just two dragons. Still, they wanted their event to be a surprise, so Simera and Aida spent hours crafting canvases and pestling paint of all colors late at night and early each morning.

The painting class turned out to be a rousing success! While Aida sketched some portraits of the dragons in attendance, Simera went around and passed out some excess paint for the guests to take home and practice some more. What the cousins hadn't anticipated were all the other new friends and surprises they'd encounter in the days preceding and following their painting class!

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In a Water clan, Simera mused, there really isn't much use for a Water mage. Manipulating water underwater is something any dragon can do with a swish of a tail, and water is never too far from the beach. The most exciting use of magic Simera had ever participated in was when one of the subterranean caves experienced a cave-in, and brought seawater rushing in...while Thalassa focused her magic on fusing the rock back together, Simera worked alongside Sunshower and Circadi to funnel the water up and out of the cave entrance.

This sentiment echoed in her mind as she flew north on the day of her ceremony - typically, the maturity ceremony was held for a group of dragons near the same age, after which point the now-adults would take off from Sunbeam Grotto's shores. Such was not the case for Simera - she had no clanborn peers near her age who still lived at home. While they were near enough in age to be mistaken for twins, Aida was exempt from the rule - she was originally from a Wind clan not far from Sunbeam Grotto, and had since made a place for herself amongst the working artisans of the clan.

Alone for the first time, Simera flew north to where she had planned to fly for years, to where she imagined a Water mage might find herself most useful - to Dragonhome.

**in this look to the future, Simera will settle in a budding clan amidst the Parched Canyonwalks, where she structures a humble bathhouse in the outskirts of town. with support from her new companions, she soon expands her services to include spa treatment, massages, and refreshing drinks! Simera's bathhouse eventually becomes a renowned oasis amongst the desiccated plain...**

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