Reyes

Capsule

-Owns the dragon equivalent of REI that sells gear for travelers and adventurers heading out into the wasteland. Receives a steady stream of business, especially during the months of the traditional yearly pilgrimage to the Wyrmwound. For a minor fee, she'll also happily give you directions to the best hiking and bouldering spots in the Abiding Boneyard; did you know that some of the bigger skeletons in the area are climbable and have incredible views from the top? Don't even get her started on the cliffs. She can talk about the mutant subspecies of ponderosa pine and white oak that can only be found in Plague territory and the beauty of the native fungi for ages.
-Customers are often confused as to why a Nature dragon has set up shop in the Plaguelands, even at the very edge, and seems to have little intention of leaving. While she originally ended up stuck in the port after the Nature-Plague armistice fell apart, Reyes never put much stock in the bad blood between the two flights anyways; after all, survival and death is just another part of life, and life still flourishes in the Plaguelands as well, even if it's not exactly what more traditionalist Nature dragons would expect. Besides, the current ruler of the city isn't a Plague dragon by birth either, and doesn't seem to have much of an interest in kicking her out; inter-flight violence is generally frowned upon in a town like Askarel Port that relies on a steady influx of trade and travelers.
-Reyes also has a soft spot for her pets -- her terra tortoise that she hand-raised from an egg greets any customers entering the shop, and a stray hazebeacon bird that she began feeding lunch scraps to during last year's Riot of Rot has taken a liking to her. She and her girlfriend Toyon like to go hiking with Marley.
-Despite their shared heritage, she avoids Tobias whenever possible. He may be one of the only other Nature dragons in the port, especially since the armistice dissolved, but he's also far too zealously dedicated to the Gladekeeper's "cause" for her liking; her own beliefs about theology aside, she's never been one for zealots. She's not sure if he's up to something, but in her opinion it's probably better for her safety, her friends and her business to ensure that she stays well clear of him.


Stashing plague environment/ecosystem thoughts here for the time being:
-Environment is (loosely) inspired by the terrain/ecosystem you would see somewhere like California (with more creepy fleshy stuff) -- primarily pine and oak in higher-altitude areas/to the northern end of the Wasteland and on the coasts. Pine dominates in the mountainous highlands near the Shadow and Earth borders and down the coast of the Sea of a Thousand Currents, blending into oaks as the land drops off near Arcane and Wind. The Boneyard is a large desert; near Rotrock Rim, the environment transitions to higher-altitude desert. Rotrock Rim and the surrounding plateau are the only places in Sornieth where the flightrising equivalent of joshua trees can be found. As Rotrock Rim drops off into the Wyrmwound, thick fleshy bacterial mats dominate the ground due to being some of the only organisms that can survive such extreme concentrations of plague magic for extended periods -- this kind of prolonged exposure would kill most flora and even most fungi.
-Goop pools are analogous to hot springs in the real world -- nice and warm, foster many unique species of bacteria and archaea. Very hot in the day; warm-ish nights in the summer and early fall, cold windy nights the rest of the year. The Riot of Rot traditionally falls on the last week before nights begin to get colder and the weather during that week is often pleasantly warm.
-Lots of fungi and lichen -- about 50/50 distribution between actual plants adapted to the climate and larger than average fungal species, most large plants such as trees have some kind of symbiotic relationship with the local fungi. The "tendrils" on official Plague art are a species of fungus.
-Local trees are kind of weird looking. Official map art shows that some of them have teeth and eyes -- result of being exposed to Plague magic for thousands of years. Mostly nonfunctional, although they can be pretty disturbing to newcomers to the region. Plague trees are famous for their blood-red sap, which non-Plague dragons often mistake for actual blood.
-Official lore describes plague territory as "humid"? Idk I'm ignoring that for the time being gimme chaparral plague (yeah I know chaparral is technically only on the western coasts of continents and Plague has no western coast but let me dream)
-Although it's a common misconception among out-of-flighters that the ground in the Scarred Wasteland is "made out of meat", the "meaty" substance that covers the ground in some areas and grows between plants is actually either fungus, bacterial colonies, or a moss-like groundcovering plant that has evolved to resemble flesh (depending on the area you're in). Some of the groundcover plants have also developed eyes or teeth due to magical exposure in a similar manner to the trees.
-The big bone spikes that grow out of the ground are also frequently magical in origin and reflect concentrated areas of plague magic (although not the skeletons -- those are the actual bones of dead animals).
-Clear ponds, lakes, and streams are most common in non-desert areas, although best practice for non-Plague dragons is to assume the water is home to dangerous bacteria and viruses and thoroughly boil it before drinking. Any fish or other seafood caught in the Plaguelands should also be cooked thoroughly, although many Plague dragons enjoy fish raw. Newcomers who live in the Scarred Wasteland for long enough will eventually develop resistance to these pathogens.
-Majority of the potable water in the Boneyard comes from wells -- most of the surface water is extremely saline/alkaline (produces lakes similar to Lake Natron in Tanzania or Mono Lake in California), although clearer streams do exist.