"...shadows converge..."

The Shadow dragons of the Tangled Wood are tricksters. They prefer to be capricious and fickle, like the flickering shadows they manipulate. Of all the dragons, Shadow dragons are the most enthralled by games, and delight most in winning - even if it means doing so underhandedly. Game boards, tokens, and pieces are their favored treasures.



Iona was born in Murkbarrow Close, where the claustrophobically-packed homes and near-oppressive darkness provided very little respite. Her family had little treasure to their name and struggled to make ends meet and support her many siblings, and even when she was a hatchling, Iona tried her best to help. To adapt to her environment, her body began to modify itself to fit in with the shadows themselves, becoming as fluid as the eternal pressing darkness around it.

As Iona grew, she learned the tricks and games of other Shadow dragons and played along. She continued to adapt, to grow, taking advantage of the many dragons throughout Murkbarrow Close that squabbled and fought for territory, leaving themselves vulnerable to her trickery. Soon enough, Iona's presence was whispered among Murkbarrow Close like a myth, but her name itself was lost, known only to her own clan. It was even speculated that she may have been born of the shadows themselves, created by the Shadowbinder for reasons unknown. No matter the mythos the dragons of Murkbarrow Close decided on, however, one thing was known by all: the black-and-purple Nocturne dripping with the night's blessing was one to be feared, one not to be taken lightly.

Over time, the Shadowbinder became an idol to Iona, a god once reviled now revered as a saviour.
The trickster god and her shadows served no longer as a reminder of her clan's misfortune, but instead as a beautiful representation of the adaptability of dragons and Iona's own will to survive. Each time she traversed the tight alleyways and corners of Murkbarrow Close, the Shadowbinder's murky figure came to her mind, whispering that, no matter what, she will survive.