I'm sorry they weren't able to break the curse, but it was great to see how they cared for them and made sure they would have what they needed if the curse were to be broken.
I'm sorry they weren't able to break the curse, but it was great to see how they cared for them and made sure they would have what they needed if the curse were to be broken.
That's some great art, by the way!
@Petall - Thank you so much for reading and commenting! (And that isn't actually the end of that plot thread... the other sections of my FR lore related to it need to be revised now that this scene has finally been written, though.) And especially thank you for appreciating my art! It isn't a creative talent I've practiced very much, or that I use much outside of these challenges.
@Petall - Thank you so much for reading and commenting! (And that isn't actually the end of that plot thread... the other sections of my FR lore related to it need to be revised now that this scene has finally been written, though.) And especially thank you for appreciating my art! It isn't a creative talent I've practiced very much, or that I use much outside of these challenges.
Been (slowly) catching up over the past few days when I find time and caught up today! Could I be added to the pinglist for future updates?
Also I like how you integrated your fandragons into your lore~. Also is the curse representative of dragons sitting in inactive lairs? If that's the case, that's a neat idea, I would have never thought of it that way~.
Been (slowly) catching up over the past few days when I find time and caught up today! Could I be added to the pinglist for future updates?
Also I like how you integrated your fandragons into your lore~. Also is the curse representative of dragons sitting in inactive lairs? If that's the case, that's a neat idea, I would have never thought of it that way~.
I am delighted and flattered that you read and enjoyed this thread! Yes, I will absolutely ping you for future updates. (As usual, what's holding me up is making the time to draw... :/ )
Thank you for the compliments! *dingdingding* And yes, you hit the nail right on the head - the 'curse' is what happens when lairs go inactive. :D
I am delighted and flattered that you read and enjoyed this thread! Yes, I will absolutely ping you for future updates. (As usual, what's holding me up is making the time to draw... :/ )
Thank you for the compliments! *dingdingding* And yes, you hit the nail right on the head - the 'curse' is what happens when lairs go inactive. :D
[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Journey Chronicles - Scene 35[/b][/size]
[size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 110 (July 22, 2017)[/b][/color][/size]
[color=orange][b]Task completed on: November 9, 2019
Item of the Day:[/b][/color]
[item=Unnatural Leg Bones]
[/center]
It had seemed like a logical decision to make.
Starbloom and Felicity had agreed upon that much. There was that huge cliff face that formed the border between Light and Lightning territory; the route marked on their map ran right across it. If they were going to reach the Ashfall Waste, they were going to have to fly (and probably walk at least part of the way) down the cliff face, which was bound to be alive with harpies. There were no two ways about it (literally or figuratively) - the two younger girls, Brandywine and Garnet, needed to be up to speed on their self-defense techniques before the clan reached that milestone. Especially Garnet, who couldn’t really fly unaided. Of course, Snappers were well-known for being as hard to damage as the boulders they resembled, but still, a little knowledge of technique would only improve her odds.
Over the course of their journey so far, Starbloom and Felicity had ended up with roughly equal amounts of battle knowledge and experience, so they had agreed on a coin toss to determine who would take on the task of guiding the two girls through their initial training. Starbloom had been the one chosen, and had led the two into Dragonhome’s Coliseum the day after their sightseeing tour of the crater surrounding the Pillar of the World.
Upon entering, Brandywine had let her natural excitement get the better of her and had zipped off toward the Woodland Path, leaving the other two to catch up with her. Once she had engaged with her first wildwood owl, there was no turning back. Her companions had no choice but to assist her.
It was the Greenroot Janustraps that had done it. Why was it always the Shade-blasted Greenroot Janustraps? Why in the gods’ names did sentient plants, of all things, have to be so much faster than many dragons, especially inexperienced ones, and pack so powerful a punch with their magic?
Why was Starbloom always the one who had to watch her clanmates die in front of her?
She’d fled the battlefield as fast as she could fly after the two bodies had hit the ground, mere moments apart. She’d found the first exalted official she saw and tried to ask for help, but couldn’t get even a single word out. Fortunately, the Snapper had no problem finding a nearby Fae official who understood the rage and grief written all over Starbloom’s waving crest-fins, and knew exactly what needed to be done. “Take us to them,” was all he said.
Starbloom did. The Snapper and Fae officials called over a few of their fellow workers, who brought over low, wheeled carts to move the two bodies out of the Coliseum.
The rest of the day was a fog of conversations that Starbloom barely followed, lost in her emotions. Fortunately for her, Dragonhome was the oldest populated region on Sornieth, and if there was one thing the dragons of Earth Flight knew well, it was how to create a proper and dignified tomb. Apart from the Pillar of the World, the feature the region was most famous for was its numerous, elaborate, ancient tombs, reaching back into antiquity.
Brandywine and Garnet were buried with as much solemnity and dignity as if they had been heroes of ancient times. The remaining seven members of Clan Ashfeather were led by some of their Snapper hosts in a funeral procession, which took them out to a desolate place on the edges of the highly-populated region surrounding the Pillar of the World. From the many other headstones out here, this had to be the municipal cemetery. The clan was followed by the carts carrying the two bodies, which were followed by a massive male Snapper carrying two flat slabs of stone on his back.
When they arrived at the empty space their guides had been leading them to, Clan Ashfeather found that two appropriately-sized holes had already been dug into the earth. The two low, wheeled carts were parked in front of them. Rythorn was pleased to see that Brandywine’s serpentine form had been arranged into a perfect circle, the very tip of her tail resting along the center of her forehead. This was a Spiral burial custom; they were buried that way to symbolize the eternal cycle of life, death, and new life.
The surviving clanmates were invited to say a few words. “Brandywine,” said Rythorn, “if your mother were still with us, I know she would be proud of you. She was a fighter, too. From what I’m told, you threw yourself into the fight without holding anything back, just like she always did. I’m proud of you, too, for taking the initiative to prepare for the battles that lie ahead. Goodbye, my little baby. I love you, and I miss you so much.”
Starbloom had been too shocked by the day’s events to speak, so she had deferred to Felicity. Her clan co-leader addressed the group.
“Today we say goodbye to two of our clanmates who were far too young,” she said. “They weren’t with us for very long, but their spirit of adventure and can-do attitude will be with us forever. May we never forget who they were, and how they touched our lives.
“Brandywine was the fourth hatchling born into Clan Ashfeather, and the first girl. Garnet was an orphan who stowed away on a ship in search of a new family, and she came to us the same day that Brandywine hatched. It was only natural that the two would be inseparable. They grew up together, they built a raft and went on an adventure together, they trained and fought together. They died as they lived - together.”
...
[color=orange][b]In Memoriam[/b][/color]
[columns][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/334052/33405153.png[/img]
[nextcol]
[b][color=orange]Brandywine[/color][/b]
Hatched: May 31, 2017
Exalted: June 11, 2017
Means of Death: In honorable combat with a Greenroot Janustrap
All singleton hatchlings are special, and Brandywine was beloved and doted on by both of her parents, Rythorn and Belladonna. When Brandywine was young, all she wanted was to go on an adventure, and she got one. She and her adopted sister, Garnet, built a raft together and used it to rescue Mithril, who led Clan Ashfeather on to the next phase of their adventure. Brandywine helped her father cope with the loss of his mate, and her own loss is a great blow to the clan.
[/columns]
[columns][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/333955/33395474.png[/img]
[nextcol]
[b][color=orange]Garnet[/color][/b]
Hatched: May 31, 2017
Exalted: June 18, 2017
Means of Death: In honorable combat with a Greenroot Janustrap
Garnet first came to Clan Ashfeather as a stowaway on a ship, and they were happy to adopt another hatchling so that their youngest, Brandywine, would have a playmate. The two were like sisters to each other, doing everything together and going on many adventures. They learned to fight together, and died by each other's sides.
[/columns]
-------
@Petall @Sabariel
Next update will be another art post - likely not until the latter half of the week, since it has been drawn, but not scanned.
Fulfills task for: Day 110 (July 22, 2017) Task completed on: November 9, 2019
Item of the Day:
Unnatural Leg Bones
Organics
The anatomy is questionable.
35
It had seemed like a logical decision to make.
Starbloom and Felicity had agreed upon that much. There was that huge cliff face that formed the border between Light and Lightning territory; the route marked on their map ran right across it. If they were going to reach the Ashfall Waste, they were going to have to fly (and probably walk at least part of the way) down the cliff face, which was bound to be alive with harpies. There were no two ways about it (literally or figuratively) - the two younger girls, Brandywine and Garnet, needed to be up to speed on their self-defense techniques before the clan reached that milestone. Especially Garnet, who couldn’t really fly unaided. Of course, Snappers were well-known for being as hard to damage as the boulders they resembled, but still, a little knowledge of technique would only improve her odds.
Over the course of their journey so far, Starbloom and Felicity had ended up with roughly equal amounts of battle knowledge and experience, so they had agreed on a coin toss to determine who would take on the task of guiding the two girls through their initial training. Starbloom had been the one chosen, and had led the two into Dragonhome’s Coliseum the day after their sightseeing tour of the crater surrounding the Pillar of the World.
Upon entering, Brandywine had let her natural excitement get the better of her and had zipped off toward the Woodland Path, leaving the other two to catch up with her. Once she had engaged with her first wildwood owl, there was no turning back. Her companions had no choice but to assist her.
It was the Greenroot Janustraps that had done it. Why was it always the Shade-blasted Greenroot Janustraps? Why in the gods’ names did sentient plants, of all things, have to be so much faster than many dragons, especially inexperienced ones, and pack so powerful a punch with their magic?
Why was Starbloom always the one who had to watch her clanmates die in front of her?
She’d fled the battlefield as fast as she could fly after the two bodies had hit the ground, mere moments apart. She’d found the first exalted official she saw and tried to ask for help, but couldn’t get even a single word out. Fortunately, the Snapper had no problem finding a nearby Fae official who understood the rage and grief written all over Starbloom’s waving crest-fins, and knew exactly what needed to be done. “Take us to them,” was all he said.
Starbloom did. The Snapper and Fae officials called over a few of their fellow workers, who brought over low, wheeled carts to move the two bodies out of the Coliseum.
The rest of the day was a fog of conversations that Starbloom barely followed, lost in her emotions. Fortunately for her, Dragonhome was the oldest populated region on Sornieth, and if there was one thing the dragons of Earth Flight knew well, it was how to create a proper and dignified tomb. Apart from the Pillar of the World, the feature the region was most famous for was its numerous, elaborate, ancient tombs, reaching back into antiquity.
Brandywine and Garnet were buried with as much solemnity and dignity as if they had been heroes of ancient times. The remaining seven members of Clan Ashfeather were led by some of their Snapper hosts in a funeral procession, which took them out to a desolate place on the edges of the highly-populated region surrounding the Pillar of the World. From the many other headstones out here, this had to be the municipal cemetery. The clan was followed by the carts carrying the two bodies, which were followed by a massive male Snapper carrying two flat slabs of stone on his back.
When they arrived at the empty space their guides had been leading them to, Clan Ashfeather found that two appropriately-sized holes had already been dug into the earth. The two low, wheeled carts were parked in front of them. Rythorn was pleased to see that Brandywine’s serpentine form had been arranged into a perfect circle, the very tip of her tail resting along the center of her forehead. This was a Spiral burial custom; they were buried that way to symbolize the eternal cycle of life, death, and new life.
The surviving clanmates were invited to say a few words. “Brandywine,” said Rythorn, “if your mother were still with us, I know she would be proud of you. She was a fighter, too. From what I’m told, you threw yourself into the fight without holding anything back, just like she always did. I’m proud of you, too, for taking the initiative to prepare for the battles that lie ahead. Goodbye, my little baby. I love you, and I miss you so much.”
Starbloom had been too shocked by the day’s events to speak, so she had deferred to Felicity. Her clan co-leader addressed the group.
“Today we say goodbye to two of our clanmates who were far too young,” she said. “They weren’t with us for very long, but their spirit of adventure and can-do attitude will be with us forever. May we never forget who they were, and how they touched our lives.
“Brandywine was the fourth hatchling born into Clan Ashfeather, and the first girl. Garnet was an orphan who stowed away on a ship in search of a new family, and she came to us the same day that Brandywine hatched. It was only natural that the two would be inseparable. They grew up together, they built a raft and went on an adventure together, they trained and fought together. They died as they lived - together.”
...
In Memoriam
Brandywine
Hatched: May 31, 2017
Exalted: June 11, 2017
Means of Death: In honorable combat with a Greenroot Janustrap
All singleton hatchlings are special, and Brandywine was beloved and doted on by both of her parents, Rythorn and Belladonna. When Brandywine was young, all she wanted was to go on an adventure, and she got one. She and her adopted sister, Garnet, built a raft together and used it to rescue Mithril, who led Clan Ashfeather on to the next phase of their adventure. Brandywine helped her father cope with the loss of his mate, and her own loss is a great blow to the clan.
Garnet
Hatched: May 31, 2017
Exalted: June 18, 2017
Means of Death: In honorable combat with a Greenroot Janustrap
Garnet first came to Clan Ashfeather as a stowaway on a ship, and they were happy to adopt another hatchling so that their youngest, Brandywine, would have a playmate. The two were like sisters to each other, doing everything together and going on many adventures. They learned to fight together, and died by each other's sides.
@Petall Yeah, it was tough. This was the second time during this Pinkerlocke run that two of my dragons died within the same round of coli battles. I'm afraid there are more deaths before the end (though no more double ones), but it does end happy. :)
@Petall Yeah, it was tough. This was the second time during this Pinkerlocke run that two of my dragons died within the same round of coli battles. I'm afraid there are more deaths before the end (though no more double ones), but it does end happy. :)
Oof, I remember those Greenroot menaces. Poor Brandywine and Garnet :(.
[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Art Post #15[/b][/size]
[size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 114 (July 26, 2017)[/b][/color][/size]
[color=orange][b]Task completed on: November 30, 2019
Item of the Day:[/b][/color]
[item=Stone Knife]
[/center]
[i](click for bigger)[/i]
[url=https://66.media.tumblr.com/3a67354154942b10137790d079e2f710/e4ad13389661bc0d-ab/s1280x1920/e479985ed46589e2f0e4e4486c9b474a5bb183b5.jpg][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/3a67354154942b10137790d079e2f710/e4ad13389661bc0d-ab/s1280x1920/e479985ed46589e2f0e4e4486c9b474a5bb183b5.jpg[/img][/url]
Well, this was a task and a half, but I'm pretty happy with it. :) I drew the entire clan as it stands at this point in the story, on their way to new lands. Some notes:
- With this many dragons, I got lazy about drawing all the details of all their genes.
- Like many other writers here, I imagine that Pearlcatchers have very strong and prehensile tails, which they can use to hold on to their pearls when they need all four paws to walk, as shown here.
- Just imagine that Starbloom is closer to the camera than everyone else :p
Fulfills task for: Day 114 (July 26, 2017) Task completed on: November 30, 2019
Item of the Day:
Stone Knife
Trinkets
A piece of history from the first beastclan conflicts.
78
(click for bigger)
Well, this was a task and a half, but I'm pretty happy with it. :) I drew the entire clan as it stands at this point in the story, on their way to new lands. Some notes:
- With this many dragons, I got lazy about drawing all the details of all their genes.
- Like many other writers here, I imagine that Pearlcatchers have very strong and prehensile tails, which they can use to hold on to their pearls when they need all four paws to walk, as shown here.
- Just imagine that Starbloom is closer to the camera than everyone else :p
[center][size=5][color=orange][b]Journey Chronicles - Scene 36[/b][/size]
[size=4][color=orange][b]Fulfills task for: Day 111 (July 23, 2017)[/b][/color][/size]
[color=orange][b]Task completed on: November 9, 2019
Item of the Day:[/b][/color]
[item=Snow Streak Pinion]
[/center]
No one had wanted to stay in Dragonhome for much longer after that. The land held too much sadness for Clan Ashfeather now, and they had seen the main sight there was to see there. It was time to move on.
The crossing from Earth to Nature territory was similar to the one between Shadow and Earth, except that instead of a wooden suspension bridge, there was a massive fallen log that lay across the narrowest point on the strait separating the two lands. Some of the seven survivors of the clan walked across it, and some flew. The moment they reached the far side, the cloud of sorrow they were under began to lift, just a little.
The air was filled with the sweet scent of flowers and the songs of birds. There was almost always grass or moss underfoot, which was a welcome change from the dry dust and rock of Dragonhome. There was food [i]everywhere,[/i] no matter what your breed’s diet might be. Starbloom thought this would be the perfect place to rest and heal from the devastating loss of the two younger dragons that all the other members of the clan had loved like their own daughters or sisters.
Clan Ashfeather made their way across the island that was the Viridian Labyrinth at a somewhat slower pace than they had been going. Here, there was no pressure to get anywhere before they ran out of food, and Starbloom learned that she wasn’t the only one who found being around this much green to be very healing and reassuring. She and Felicity may have been Arcane-hatched and raised, but they found the environment Gladekeeper had created very much to their liking, and they were thankful to her for all her land provided them.
One day, when Rythorn was busy looking under rocks and tree roots for insects, he spotted the glowing green leaves of a Nature egg in the furthest corner of the natural hollow he was hunting through. He hadn’t seen any other dragons, or even any evidence of their presence, in the immediate vicinity, so he presumed that someone had hidden it here to keep it safe from something, or someone, who was attacking them. He felt his heart warm, and he knew right away that he would have to adopt the egg and raise the hatchling in his clan.
“You’re a boy,” Silviana said later that day, when he showed the egg to the rest of his clan. “You can’t hatch eggs.”
“That’s not quite it, Silvie,” Rythorn corrected her. “I can’t [i]lay[/i] eggs. This one has already been laid. It doesn’t make any difference now if the dragon keeping it warm is male or female.”
“Oh,” said Silviana. “I wonder what kind of dragon it is.”
“We’ll find out when it hatches.”
“When will that be?”
“No way to know. Could be tomorrow, could be weeks from now. Until then, we’ll have to carry it with us and keep it safe.”
----------------------------
@Petall @Sabariel - Again, there are two new posts in this update: this one and the one right above it.
Fulfills task for: Day 111 (July 23, 2017) Task completed on: November 9, 2019
Item of the Day:
Snow Streak Pinion
Organics
This feather maintains flexibility even in extreme cold.
45
No one had wanted to stay in Dragonhome for much longer after that. The land held too much sadness for Clan Ashfeather now, and they had seen the main sight there was to see there. It was time to move on.
The crossing from Earth to Nature territory was similar to the one between Shadow and Earth, except that instead of a wooden suspension bridge, there was a massive fallen log that lay across the narrowest point on the strait separating the two lands. Some of the seven survivors of the clan walked across it, and some flew. The moment they reached the far side, the cloud of sorrow they were under began to lift, just a little.
The air was filled with the sweet scent of flowers and the songs of birds. There was almost always grass or moss underfoot, which was a welcome change from the dry dust and rock of Dragonhome. There was food everywhere, no matter what your breed’s diet might be. Starbloom thought this would be the perfect place to rest and heal from the devastating loss of the two younger dragons that all the other members of the clan had loved like their own daughters or sisters.
Clan Ashfeather made their way across the island that was the Viridian Labyrinth at a somewhat slower pace than they had been going. Here, there was no pressure to get anywhere before they ran out of food, and Starbloom learned that she wasn’t the only one who found being around this much green to be very healing and reassuring. She and Felicity may have been Arcane-hatched and raised, but they found the environment Gladekeeper had created very much to their liking, and they were thankful to her for all her land provided them.
One day, when Rythorn was busy looking under rocks and tree roots for insects, he spotted the glowing green leaves of a Nature egg in the furthest corner of the natural hollow he was hunting through. He hadn’t seen any other dragons, or even any evidence of their presence, in the immediate vicinity, so he presumed that someone had hidden it here to keep it safe from something, or someone, who was attacking them. He felt his heart warm, and he knew right away that he would have to adopt the egg and raise the hatchling in his clan.
“You’re a boy,” Silviana said later that day, when he showed the egg to the rest of his clan. “You can’t hatch eggs.”
“That’s not quite it, Silvie,” Rythorn corrected her. “I can’t lay eggs. This one has already been laid. It doesn’t make any difference now if the dragon keeping it warm is male or female.”
“Oh,” said Silviana. “I wonder what kind of dragon it is.”
“We’ll find out when it hatches.”
“When will that be?”
“No way to know. Could be tomorrow, could be weeks from now. Until then, we’ll have to carry it with us and keep it safe.”
@Petall @Sabariel - Again, there are two new posts in this update: this one and the one right above it.