Portabello

A patient, humble gardener. With the constant sun, high heat, and near-droughts that are signature of the Sunbeam Ruins, tending to foreign or not-so-hardy plants can be quite the demanding job... but Portabello does his best with what he has, and he does it well!

Soon after his move to the Light territories, the Guardian made good friends with another lineage dragon living in The Purified Temple he now called home; a reclusive Obelisk known as Tendergold. He first noticed her admiring his garden from afar, with a sad, almost longing look in her eyes, barely visible beneath her helmet. The Obelisk abruptly left when Portabello invited her to come tend to the garden with him... but after some time, she came around again, watching him work with that same heart-wrenching look on her face. The Guardian didn't call to her this time.

Portabello was soon to figure out that Tendergold was incapable of speech, besides some small grunts and vocalizations -- but he did notice her using sign language to talk to one of their clanmates one day, and he dedicated himself to learning the basics so he could get to know her a little better. The Obelisk was caught off-guard the first time Portabello signed something to her, but it wasn't long before she felt comfortable enough to sign back in return... and they finally had their first real conversation.

Tendergold confided to Portabello that she was, in her words, an "ugly rot monster." She explained that her father, Oran, was cursed with a wretched rot that consumed his body, and eventually his mind -- though her mother was a powerful witch born from a lineage of tricksters and spirits, and with her magic she had been able to dampen the curse in Oran, restoring his sanity. But the curse of rot still ran strong in his bloodline and it continued its spread, coming to afflict his children after him, and his children's children, and endlessly on.

The rot had affected Tender herself less so than her father, or even her sister, at least... but it still manifested strong enough to disfigure her face, and weaken her facial structure so much that she lost her entire lower jaw. As a proud descendant of a lineage of enchanted watermelons-turned-dragons, Tendergold felt a burning desire to protect the melon patches of Sornieth from the Beastclan menace -- but with her rot ever-lingering, the Obelisk didn't trust herself not to accidentally infect and destroy the very melons she was trying to protect. That was what had led her to sadly linger around the clan's gardens, staring long and hard at the fruiting trees and flourishing crops that she would never be able to tend to herself.

Portabello was dismayed at the Obelisk's story. Tendergold was such a kind, shy dragon, she didn't deserve having to endure this foul curse! The Guardian made sure that his newfound friend knew she would be always welcome to visit his garden, and whether or not she could control the plague that festered in her body, the Obelisk was free to tend to his plants with him, whenever she wished.

This promise is what led to Portabello and Tendergold spending more and more time together, and eventually, their friendship blossomed into something even greater.

---

Descendant of onion Welcome to the Root Veggie Lineage! Onion came to her new home lair the same way many beloved lore dragons do -- as a fodder-price baby on the Auction House. Her owner thought of her as the perfect baby hatchling, and she only got better once she was fully-grown, so they decided to begin a lineage dedicated to her and her sister, Shallot. Want to know more? Click the button! Generation 3 onion >> Garlic >> Rutabaga >> Portabello (you are here)

---