Mudpuppy

A booming voice echoes over the din of the crowded shoreline. "All dragons who wish to tour the Fishspine Reef, please gather at the east beach!" A hush falls over the crowd for just a moment, then the chaos resumes.

A portion of the attendees wander over towards the east beach, intrigued by the idea of a tour beneath the sea. Mudpuppy is already waiting there, unmistakable in the blue finery draped across his giant body. Clinging to his leg is his youngest daughter, Minnow, who is clearly frightened of the large crowd on the beach but doing her best to appear confident. The pair is conversing with a brightly colored Fae elder, who's floating in the air ahead of them, surrounded by a pulsing purple mist.

All non-Water elemental dragons in attendance are ushered to group at the edge of the sea, with the waves lapping at their feet. Mudpuppy looks them over.
"Our clan's most powerful mage, Circadi -" the aforementioned Fae bows from his spot in the air, "- will cast upon you a spell that grants an ability to breathe underwater and swim like a fish! For today, you will be indistinguishable from a true Water dragon."

Mudpuppy steps back and gestures to Circadi. With a wave of the mage's arm, a fine mist swirls around the dragons gathered at the shore. But in an instant, the mist is blown away in the salty sea breeze. It appears that the spell is over, though no one seems to have sprouted gills or webbed toes...?

At Mudpuppy's signal, all the dragons in attendance wade out into the sea until the waves wash over their heads. Dragons of all flights look around and realize that they can breathe safely and see far into the clear blue water!

Beneath the surface of Sunbeam Grotto’s sea, the nesting grounds are surrounded by petite, colorful corals and sheets of rock jutting out of the sandy seafloor. The aquatic hatchlings of the clan squeal and dart into a small cave, startled by the strangers. With a sweep of his wings, Mudpuppy sails to the front of the group and beckons them to follow him.

The dragons pass through a thick forest of kelp, which parts to reveal their destination. The colorful Fishspine Reef spans as far as the eye can see, with greenish-blue waves roll gently overhead. Corals of all sizes and species blanket the seafloor, following formations that vaguely resemble giant sea creatures. Between the densely packed coral, small schools of fish peek out at the approaching horde of dragons.

Dragons of all ages and flights spend hours swimming through the giant coral formations as curious, colorful little fish follow them. Some even discover sunken treasure in the soft sand below!

As the sun sets, Mudpuppy stands confidently in the shallows, with the waves gently lapping against his legs. His youngest daughter Minnow dangles from his neck, barely containing her glee. As the dragons gather ‘round, Mudpuppy reaches up to detach his dragonet from his neck, indulging her with a small smile.

“Hello, all. Ready to explore the Fishspine Reef? Let’s see…all the non-Water elementals, please form a group to my left. You may recall how this worked last time - the lot of you will stand here while our Water mages cast a spell to help you breathe underwater. We’ll all dive down as a group, and then you’ll be free to explore!”

Mudpuppy nods to Minnow, who bounces forward and starts handing out what look like glowing antennae. Noticing the quizzical looks of the dragons around her, she chirps, “This will help you see down there! And it’ll help us see each other, too!”

Once all the dragons are outfitted with garish glowing headlamps, two dragons approach from the beach and wade into the water. Circadi speaks quietly to Simera, who nods. Together, the Water mages raise their arms and a fine mist swirls around the dragons gathered at the shore. An instant later, the mist is blown away in the salty sea breeze. It appears that the spell is complete, though no one seems to have sprouted gills or fins. Simera chews nervously at her lip, but Circadi stares forward flatly, unconcerned.

At Mudpuppy's signal, all the dragons in attendance wade out into the sea until the waves wash over their heads. Dragons of all flights look around and realize that they can breathe safely underwater and see the seafloor illuminated with their powerful headlamps!

Beneath the surface of Sunbeam Grotto’s sea, the nesting grounds are surrounded by petite, colorful corals and sheets of rock jutting out of the sandy seafloor. The aquatic hatchlings of the clan squeal and dart into a small cave, startled by the strangers.

A flash of blue - Mudpuppy’s wing - directs the group’s attention back to him. He gestures “follow me,” and, with a sweep of his wings, sails towards a great green wall - the kelp forest.

Though the sun is just barely setting, the world underwater has quickly grown dark, and the dragons are thankful for their beaming headlamps. Finally, the kelp parts to reveal their destination.

The vibrant Fishspine Reef spans spans as far as the eye can see - and possibly further - but the seafloor at night is anything but dark. The tropical fish that roam the reef in schools by daylight have disappeared somewhere to sleep, leaving the stage open for the creatures of the night. Corals of all sizes and colors are lit up by the movements of bioluminescent squids, communicating with each other in blips of color and light. Many of the corals and anemones are equipped with their own neon lights, beckoning the eye. Glowing nudibranchs crawl on jutting formations that vaguely resemble giant bones. Between the densely packed coral, small schools of Moonbeam Sardines peek out warily at the approaching horde of dragons. It’s a menagerie of light!

The visiting dragons joyously explore the reef, drinking in the exotic sights of such a unique habitat. It’s an experience none of them will ever forget!