Tulle

When the internship bulletin arrived, Tulle skimmed through it without a second glance - until an entry at the very bottom of the list caught her eye:

---

Marine Biologist - On-site - Eight Weeks Expand your love of the Sea! It's come to my attention that the beauty beneath the waves is all but unknown to those of our kind who dwell on land. I invite any dragon with even a passing acquaintance to the water to join myself and my apprentice in charting and cataloguing the many species which make their homes underwater! A passion for learning is required; advanced skill in swimming is not necessary, but will serve you well. Eagerly awaiting your response, Tsunami

---

Quell came across Limu and Tulle arguing over a piece of paper. They broke off when they saw him, Tulle hiding the slip under her wing. "What's this? What's this?" He looked back and forth between his partners. "Tulle? Limu?"

"Tulle found..." "But Limu says..." They began together, then stopped.

Quell sighed. "Show me," he motioned to Tulle. She pulled out the torn flyer with the Internship announcement on it and pointed to the bottom.

"Oh, this looks lovely, Tulle!" Quell handed the paper back to her. When she didn't reply, he turned to Limu.

"They won't accept a remote internship, Quell," Limu explained. "It's printed right on the bottom. I don't want her to get her hopes up..."

"Why can't she study on site? How can one study wildlife remotely anyway?" Quell thought for a moment, remembering. "The kelp forest at Sunbeam Grotto is quite remarkable..."

"But what about the family?? What about you??" Tulle was becoming distraught. This wouldn't do.

"We will move the family to Sunbeam Grotto. There's a site beside the tidepools that I think will do nicely. I will consult with Sunset." Quell's tone was confident, definite, and final. He departed as calmly as he had arrived, leaving Limu and Tulle speechless.

Storm Seeker Familiar Storm Seekers are the heralds of bleak weather. Entire murders of them flock toward approaching thunderclouds and hurricanes. 2000

The following day a seeker was spotted over Sunbeam Grotto, carrying a scroll in its claws. It swooped low over the beach as if looking for someone. Tsunami was teaching an ocean biology class to a group of hatchlings near the tide pools, or he was attempting to at least... “No, no, no! They are anemones, NOT lemonies!”

Not stopping to land, the seeker flew in low, dropping the scroll beside the surprised Spiral before heading skyward. Tsunami opened the scroll as he dismissed his students with a wave of his claw. They raced toward the water as he read:

---

“Mr. Tsunami, sir, I would like to apply for your internship. My family and I live nearby in Cliffside Cove, where my two partners are a tide pool shepherd and seaweed herbalist, so I am already a little familiar with the local ocean flora and fauna. Visiting the kelp beds in Sunbeam Grotto has always been such a treat, I would love to learn more! Yours sincerely, Tulle of Cliffside Cove”

---

"Come on, Kahakai, Maka O Ke Kai! Unless you'd rather stay behind!"

At Tulle's words, the twin Guardians leapt to their feet, doing all their best to pretend they hadn't just been wrestling in the sand. Honestly! She knew they were as excited as she was to depart, if not more so...one would think they would at least be able to pull themselves together until the family arrived in Sunbeam Grotto.


Tulle shook her head, running again through a mental checklist. Limu Kai had flown over to Sunbeam Grotto the day before with most of their belongings, returning later that evening with promises that everything was in order. Their relatives had set up a cabana much like the one the family had stayed in for the duration of the reunion scarcely a moon's turn before; if Limu's word was true, they would all be able to sleep comfortably under the stretched-canvas roof, though their hosts stressed there was always ample sleeping room in the travelers' caves if need be.

Provided no one forgot anything, and provided the twins behaved themselves along the way, they'd arrive in Sunbeam Grotto before lunchtime!

Despite Quell gently reminding his daughter not once, but twice, Saturn let out a cry when they were nearly halfway to their destination, alerting the entire family plus any other listening ears within a mile radius that she'd forgotten her favorite plush toy, a worn Kelp Tender Plush named Bubbles that she'd had since she was a hatchling.

Kelp Tender Plush Trinkets An excellent companion piece to the sopping Tidelord sackdoll. 51

The entire family landed on a nearby cliff ledge to assess this development. (It was a large ledge.)

"I won't be able to sleep without him!" Truer words had never been spoken; once, Bubbles had fallen into a puddle of spoiled clam juice and, after a dedicated scrubbing by Quell, failed to dry by bedtime...Tulle shuddered. She recalled many mothers in her life complaining about sleepless nights with their children, and she certainly had a few stories of her own to haunt any future parents.

"I'll take her back," Limu Kai said, slinging his comforting sea-green wing around his daughter's shaking shoulders. "We'll catch up by dinnertime, no later!" Saturn nodded and let out a sniff and then the two were airborne. Limu's words left no room for argument, though Tulle still hesitated to turn her back on their retreating silhouettes. "Plans always subject to change," Quell quipped. "Hey - Kahakai, stay where I can see you!"

As her claws finally touched down on the sand, Quell following a beat later, Tulle felt a wave of tranquility wash over her. (Kahakai and Maka O Ke Kai had taken to diving in the waves as soon as the reef came into vew.) Though she was a fair distance from the Cliffside Cove, and further still from the Gladeveins in which she'd hatched, there was a certain feeling of homecoming that welcomed her to Sunbeam Grotto.

Quell plodded over to the cabana on the far side of the tide pools. Limu had been right, it was a fair bit bigger than their tent at the reunion. Still, Tulle knew he would be rearranging everything for hours, so she decided to seek out the dragon who would soon become her mentor...

Sandyshore Sea Bass Seafood This fish will burrow into sandy beds when the sun is too bright. 400 15

After grabbing a bite to eat, of course. Today the kitchen was set up outside so Tulle followed her nose to where the smells revealed platters of butter-braised sea bass on a bed of seared kelp - a most appropriate start to an undersea internship! Tulle brought a second plate to Quell, knowing all too well that he'd become so fixated on the tide pools he'd forget to eat.

Kelp Cuttings Plant While many dragons disdain kelp, they are capable of consuming it. 42 5

Now that she looked up close, Tulle could see the cabana was constructed from driftwood, interwoven and wrapped with a waxy, waterproof canvas. Clearly this structure was intended to stand permanently, rather than the oversized tent they'd occupied previously at the family reunion, and Tulle felt a rush of warm gratitude in her heart at the fact.

Driftwood Log Organics A favored decoration by those with no real taste. 25

The future of the cabana played clear as day in her mind's eye; many more dragons would linger on this whorled wood floor, dragging themselves up to rest on it after a long day swimming or studying the tidepools; but her little family would be the first to make their mark here. Thoughtfully, Tulle ran a claw along a winding piece of driftwood, and winced when the soft bark peeled away under her touch. Hopefully the children would be careful.

With Quell fed and occupied, and the twins off doing who-knows-what, Tulle was finally ready to seek out her mentor, Tsunami. Tucking her head in, she dove into the shallows, beating her wings just once before the seafloor began to fall away beneath her.

Tulle felt the rubbery kelp leaves part around her streamlined form as she surged foward into the forest of giant kelp. One or two blades caught on her spines, tugging gently before her wake set them free. As she swam deeper, Tulle glanced upwards - the dense canopy prevented her from seeing the surface, but the sun shone through the layers of leaves in beautiful blue and green hues that reminded her strongly of Quell's hide and Limu's wings, not to mention her own coloration.

The spell was broken as she emerged from the kelp forest onto the reef, and her vision was filled with a whole new spectrum of color. A rainbow of coral arched and crawled over the current-stirred sand, and brightly colored sea creatures swam in all dimensions. Through the crystal-clear water, Tulle could see two shapes darting after each other in the distance that she knew instinctively must be the twins. It wasn't her first visit, not her second nor third, but each time Tulle was awed by the sprawling reef before her and this was no different.

Enjoying the sun-warmed water over her scales, Tulle glided forth to admire the reef more closely. She was gazing at a clownfish ducking in and out of an anemone's tentacles when a piece of coral - or, at least, what she'd thought was a piece of coral suddenly unfolded out of the corner of her eye. Tulle startled and, with a sweep of her wings, launched herself up towards the surface. The fish was surely sent tumbling as her movement echoed in the water, and Tulle felt a pang in her heart at the thought as she hovered a few feet above the swaying waves, willing herself to calm down.

Just a moment later, two horns broke the water's surface, followed by a pair of pale, intelligent eyes. A trio of clownfish chased each other around the dragon's neck, close enough that they were undisturbed by his twisting tail treading under the water. The stranger smiled as he surmised just who he had surprised.

Just then, a wingbeat reverberated off the water and turning, both dragons saw Limu Kai as he shifted the downstroke of his wings into an eight-pattern that allowed him to gracefully ease into the water beside them.

"...Yes, and this is Limu Kai," Tulle spoke, finally. Limu inclined his head respectfully toward Tsunami. "Nice to meet'cha! Sea Herbalist of Cliffside Cove, at your service. I didn't miss the tour, did I?" Tsunami's eyes lit up at the acquaintance of yet another marine enthusiast.

Dragon Coral Organics This coral has different alchemical properties depending on if it is used fresh or dried. 37

From there, Tsunami led the pair of Guardians on a most enlightening tour below the sea. Limu Kai would confess later that he thought he and Quell had explored thoroughly during the family reunion, but Tsunami's tour proved they'd only explored a fraction of what lay beneath the bay at Sunbeam Grotto. Tulle herself was amazed at how Tsunami knew intimately what lay under each errant rock or upon each coral shelf.

As the trio traveled along the Fishspine Reef, the kelp forest watched over them, a flexible fluid wall standing sentinel over the reef as well as the clan it protected. Tulle glanced towards it more than once throughout the tour, and each time she saw a different creature peeking out from the strands, and a different shade of green highlighted by the sun. While the entire seafloor warranted further investigation, she was particularly curious about exploring within the tangled wall of kelp.

Giant Kelp Plant A habitat for some, dinner for others. 30 3

The tour concluded at sunset, and Tulle was surprised how fast the time had passed. She and Limu shook themselves free of dripping seawater as they parted from Tsunami and strode to reunite with their little family.


"Meet me at the edge of the kelp forest tomorrow morning!" Tsunami called after them.

Tulle and Limu hit the beach just as the first rays of the sun crested the high cliffs of the grotto. The waters still held the coolness of the night air as they dove below the waves of the lagoon. As they curved around a massive outcropping, Limu dropped down toward a large patch of green algae. Tulle made to follow, but just then she caught sight of Tsunami up ahead, alongside a light blue Tundra, waving for her to hurry.

Well, Limu wasn't officially in the internship anyway; he was already a certified Sea Herbalist. Leaving Limu to his own devices, she made a beeline for her mentor.

If she thought they would be heading into the Kelp Forest for the day's lesson, Tsunami quickly disabused her of that notion. With a quick introduction to his assistant, Snailtrail, the trio headed back out toward the Fishspine Reef.

"Yesterday you saw the reef as a visitor," Tsunami explained as they swam. "Now you will learn the reef that the residents experience. Quite a different world altogether, I assure you!"

As Tsunami explained the different micro-climates of the Fishspine Reef, Tulle felt that an entirely new world was opening up before her. Far from arbitrary, the flora and fauna clustered together in logical groupings based on their depth and position on the reef. The "flats" were shallower, therefore susceptible to varying temperatures caused by the changing tides. Certain areas were completely exposed during low tide; nevertheless the flats were teeming with life! Shellfish and crustaceans abounded in the flats and, not to miss any opportunity, the three dragons took some time to harvest some sun-baked oysters and scarlet mussels for the clan meal.

"Dragons, of course, are at the top of the food chain, so it is our responsibility to gather intentionally, to maintain a balance and ensure future harvests." Tsunami chuckled. "This is far more work than just sea-farming, my gal! But that doesn't mean it can't also be delicious!"

Snailtrail tied up their kelp baskets in a concealed pocket of coral to keep their catch fresh and safe before they continued on to the reef crest.


Up ahead, Tsunami swam slowly forward between the large heads of coral. Tulle and Snailtrail came up on either side and together they peered over the ridge to the oceanside of the reef. Above them, the ocean waves broke over the coral colonies and continued in wavelets toward the beach.

"Below us, on the ocean side of the reef slope, you will find the larger predators. Keep your eyes open and tell me what you see!"



What an exhausting day it had been...what a glorious, exhausting day! Toward sunset, Tsunami tasked Tulle with delivering their catch of shellfish to the kitchens. She felt her arms could barely lift the kelp baskets, let alone carry them all the way to the kitchens! (The kitchen prep area was right there on the beach...) Her mind was still swimming with ocean creatures as she dragged the baskets up to the tables where a dragon was deftly slicing open coconuts with a machete.

[need a cook who is a little needly so when they find the pincushion urchin among the catch, they get a little cross at having their fingers poked. Who wants to eat one of those things, anyway? Perhaps they wave their machete around a little. Something to give Tulle a bit of a setback.

Eventually they commend her on gathering the correct sizes (Tsunami had shown her what size to harvest for dragon consumption and what size to leave for the otters and gulls.) She comes away a bit breathless, but reassured that she is learning something useful.]

It's a rainy morning and Snailtrail finds Tulle trying to teach herself how to weave a kelp basket. But she's going about it all wrong: the kelp must be stripped and dried first (hard to do on a rainy day) and then coated in oil for pliability...Snailtrail offers to take her to the kelp forest (after all, its just as wet on the beach as it is in the water today!) and show her how to properly harvest kelp for her basket. (I don't know where Tsunami is...busy with something.) So they proceed to the kelp forest and Snailtrail tells her about all the things the clan uses kelp for...




"Kelp is indeed harvested by the dragons of Sunbeam Grotto to be processed into a variety of things, from foodstuffs (kelp salad, kelp jerky, fried kelp, kelp chips...) to waterproof paper, to alchemy ingredients, to textiles...but the dragons usually just lop the tops off a bunch of stalks at once, never cutting from the bottom, with the belief that it'll grow back more quickly!"

Relic Eel

Familiar

When slain, the organic portions of this creature wither away. The remaining armored plates collect energy from the currents and may regenerate a new specimen.

2900

Abyss Striker

Familiar

These observers cluster around ancient aquatic ruins. They may change color to blend with their surroundings.

2900

Coral Dweller

Seafood

It takes skill to successfully catch a coral dweller without getting stung.

475

18

Golden Porpoise

Familiar

The golden porpoise is capable of leaping great distances over the water.

2600

Spiney Whale

Familiar

Only in the past century have these mysterious leviathans begun to surface. Their origin remains unknown.

5000

Blotched Quetzeel

Familiar

Where the common Quetzeel is found primarily in the deep seas, the Blotched Quetzeel has strangely made its home in marshes, bogs, and lagoons. Watch where you step!

500

Maren Scout

Familiar

Maren do not venture beyond their cities without first sending an advance scout.

2900

Maren Warrior

Familiar

Those Maren who take up trident and claw are adept aquatic fighters.

2900

Maren Shark Hunter

Familiar

Specialized members of each tribe specifically keep a look out for larger threatening sharks and whales.

2400

Maren Spearmaiden

Familiar

It is tradition for young maren warriors to prove themselves by hunting dangerous sharks and terrors of the deep. The fruits of this hunt provide them with the materials for their weapons.

2350

Seaberry

Plant

Even berries are better down where it's wetter.

25

3

Wave Sentinel

Insect

Wave sentinels wait patiently for low tide, during which they swarm the freshly exposed beachfront to hunt for food.

30

3

Seashore Digger

Seafood

The tunnels created by diggers can become vast labyrinths. An unwary dragon may find the ground beneath their claws is not as solid as they thought.

30

3

"Unfortunately, an internship is not long enough to teach you the seasonal migrations; the Grotto is a fertile breeding ground for so many sea creatures and birds!”

Biomes of the Fishspine Reef. She learns that the reef is a collection of microclimates and that specific flora and fauna flourish under very specific conditions. She thought her knowledge of all the plants and animals back at Cliffside Cove would give her a leg up, but the immense variety of life down at the reef is breathtaking!

Reef: one of the most diverse habitats in the ocean
5-minute Video on Reef Zones
Types of Reef: Fringing (shore outward: shore > reef), Barrier (further out: shore > lagoon > reef), Atoll (circular, often after central volcanic island has sunk: central lagoon > broken ring of reef)
Anatomy of a Reef: reef flat (barrier reef has lagoon > back reef), reef crest or algal ridge, buttress zone (reef front/fore reef), seaward slope


Possible Scene:

Maybe a scene where their is a community harvest of kelp and the long strips are laid on the beach to dry. All the hatchlings are tasked with chasing away the gulls, but the real watching is done by a handful of Imperials who protect the beach from Eggulls and other predators while the hatchlings "play at" protecting the drying kelp.

Tsunami

Snailtrail

Biome: a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat, e.g. forest or tundra.

3-minute Video on Kelp Forests

Hawaiian names for seaweed
Japanese Names for Seaweed

LimuKai's Bio: Limu Kai does his own research and gathering in the Kelp Forest (Limu Kai's perspective will remain in his bio.)

Murkbottom Kelp

Plant

This kelp can grow in extreme low-light conditions.

30

3

Kelp Cuttings

Plant

While many dragons disdain kelp, they are capable of consuming it.

42

5

Black Diamond Stingray

Seafood

Mind the pointy bits.

25

3

Green Algae

Plant

Hard to believe this is the preferred food of many gigantic sea beasts.

25

3

Kelp Beds Mackerel

Seafood

An oily fish with a rich flavor that comes out raw or fried.

42

5

Autumn

Saturn's Bio: Tulle's family would camp out at the tidepools during her internship/training so they would be on hand to give her their support. I thought perhaps Saturn and Autumn could strike up a friendship while collecting seashells.

AUTUMN: as i see her, is a very reserved land dragon with a young, idealistic heart. perhaps she holds the hope that someday a prince will come and whisk her away from her ordinary life, changing it forever! i think there are strong possibilities for the story evolving here ^__^ (Storygeek: I love that Autumn collects things. It sets up a friendship with Saturn quite nicely. Though that doesn't really have to be a major part of this "epic" lol! There will certainly be things to collect from the sunken ship! Autumn Another note about Autumn: this is totally unrelated to the Undertides. I have been planning for Saturn to open up a crystal/candle/seashell shop at either the 3 Bridges Crossroads, or perhaps even over in Flotsam Town (!). If you wanted to really dive into a friendship with Autumn and Saturn, they could discuss opening up the shop together...? or work in some kind of business partnership as well as their friendship...