Creative Corner

yeaa bois, lets make this into like a permanent thing [emoji=firework size=1] Basically, this is a trade thing. You write up some lore for one of my dragons, I'll doodle up something for one of yours. It's pretty simple, tbh, but I've laid out some lil guidelines anyway to keep things as simple as possible. The biggest rule here is [b]everyone gets artistic freedom[/b]. It's only polite to try and take into consideration existing lore and personalities, but getting creative with it is fine. It's okay to make some requests, but it's not necessary to heed them. It's not necessary to use the art/lore swapped, but if it is used sufficient credit should be included (for both sides of the trade; I consider a link to the creators profile to be sufficient). I mostly draw humans or humanoids, so expect a gijinka or something of your dragon. I might do ferals if I feel up to it, but you could get either. There's no telling what happens- this is pretty much just experimental grab bags lol. I prefer dragons without visual references. I'll put ca the same amount of time into everything, but this is very experimental and I may not honor any requests made if it doesn't work with my fancy. [b]Here's how it's gonna work pals[/b] 1 - Go into my lair (it's full of stuff) and pick anyone not in the hub, breeding pairs, fodder or fodder cell tabs (projects are okay, but not the most desirable). Dergs that's already been picked (list at the bottom of the post) by someone here is also not available atm cause I like things fresssh. But otherwise like just anyone and prep those creative juices. 2 - Gimme a ping and tell me which dragon you picked along with which dragon of yours you'd like a doodle of. I'll confirm as soon as I can aye 3 - Write up a small lore blurb (min 500 words, if the dragon have lore it's only polite to try and keep it in mind but hey, knock yourself out) while I doodle up. Like really, write out anything you want. Make it as long as you want, include as many dragons as you want, play around with this. It'll be fun! In the case of lore being finished before my art, I try to match up in terms of quality to keep things fair. 4 - Ping me when you're done and we'll swap. This is basically a creative trade I think, idk, I just wanna draw stuff and I like lore. Let's try to keep a one week 'deadline' tho that feels p chill Otherwise uhhh I don't know, pals, this is low-key and chill. No expectations sorta deal. For a ca reference on what I'll be doodling up, I'm throwing this out here ya [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/HNJedl2.png[/img][/center] currently doing; none!! come play!! Dergs already done from my lair- [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=53790713][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/537908/53790713.png[/img][/url][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=59444796][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/594448/59444796.png[/img][/url][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=49693433][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/496935/49693433.png[/img][/url]

@TeenyTK aw heck, this should be fun! I'm going to do Dosadan, she looks super dark and unique [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=53790713] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/537908/53790713_350.png[/img] [/url] how do you like your lore written? Do you prefer flowery type stories, narratives, or something more like [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&id=21168&tab=dragon&did=43650573]this[/url]? I prefer to write my lore as the latter, but I can do whatever you prefer!

@TeenyTK Mmm, gonna get my juices flowing. I’m going to do [url= https://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&id=206487&tab=dragon&did=59444796]Kobber[/url]. If you could do anything with this fierce lady, go nuts. ;) [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=58818137] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/588182/58818137_350.png[/img] [/url]

@exousia

Oooh, neat! She's a recent addition to the lair, too, so she's in dire need of some lore :D I don't mind either type of lore, to be honest, so have at it however you'd like to! D'ya have any preferences for any dragon you'd like me to doodle or is it free pickings? :o

@EmpressAkitla

Yaass, git them juices flowing 8) Kobber needs some luv, poor thing. That is most definitively a fierce batch of color right there, lmao, I will do my best to cook up something :P

@TeenyTK

free pickings! I don't have art for any of my dragons, so this is novel for me :)
I'm reading up on your lore right now, should have something written up in a bit. Gotta say, I love the concept of your clan. Its a great way to play with the harshness of the Fortress of the Ends

@TeenyTK

Yeah, Pandora is a bit of an eye burner. If you’d prefer a dragon with more muted colors, I could toss you a different one.

@exousia

Awesomee, I think I'll run with Candygirl :o No worries on being quick about it, I'm not the speediest doodler so take your time! And ahh, I'm so stoked to hear that sadhgh hype :'D

@EmpressAkitla

No worriesss, it's all good. It'll be cool to not run with my usual muted colors tbh so I'm all here for it ayy

@TeenyTK

alright, here it is. Honestly its kinda hard writing lore for other people's dragons lol. I left references to other dragons intentionally vague so you can decide what kind of relationships she has and with who. Also, I didn't really dive into the lore of her egg, so you can make it as mystical or nonmystical as you want! I don't really like the "chosen one" narrative myself, but the creative freedom is all yours!
There's a lot of potential I didn't explore with her, but her concept was basically some eldritch being with a propensity for adaptation and superior intellect.

The lore:

A single shadow egg was trapped under the ice of the southern floes for an unascertained amount of time. The frigid waters should have killed off any life within the egg long before it was picked up, but by some miracle, a cold-blooded spiral still held on.
There was a curious upset in the floes, and a rogue wave dislodged the egg, only for it to travel down the coast, all the way to the unforgiving Fortress of the Ends. There, it was picked up by a patrolling mage and brought to Valhall.

They slowly warmed up the egg, and almost immediately, as if the dragon's emergence was blocked sudden cryostasis, Dosadan broke free from her shell. The infant spiral behaved strangely from the get-go, surveying its surroundings with a curious intellect.
She grew at a rapid pace, maturing both physically and mentally in a very short time. The other dragons of the clan found it eerie how she adapted to their way of life without a hitch. The mages were enthralled by her, studying her growth with insatiable curiosity. She gave off the impression of a shell, her mannerisms reflecting that of a spiral, but never speaking or engaging the other members of the clan without first being engaged herself. The dragons wondered if she was stunted in some way from her unfortunate circumstances in the egg.

As time went on, though, she started to develop a peculiar persona. While she had never been "gentle" per say, her acts of aggression grew, along with her eccentricity. She reveled in hunting with her peers, looking more alive on those trips than she ever had residing in the clan. It was as if a switch had flipped. Her brutality was astounding, and the way she hunted, oblivious to her peers, caused discomfort with the heads of the clan. She reeked of blood every time she returned from a trip. Other dragons worried for her apparent disregard for life.

To Dosadan, though, her actions made perfect sense. She had deduced that the clan valued strength and preservation above all else, so she made sure to show off what she could do to secure a permanent spot. It was strange, though, that she felt such a rush when hunting. It was foreign, even to her, to feel a sense of pleasure from doing anything. When she first brought back her hunted spoils, she could feel the disdain leaking from everyone. One dragon pointed out that the meat she brought back was useless, that she had torn it to shreds and the hide was unsalvageable. From then on, she worked to hunt cleanly. She began to tan the hides of the creatures she brought back herself, preserving any trophy items herself as well.

While her apparent glee was disheartening, she was one of the top providers of meat to the clan, so she was allowed to lead hunting parties herself. From there, she nursed relations with her new party, and they grew surprisingly close. It was the first time she had gotten along so well with any of the dragons in the clan, and it was good for her to have objects of affection that didn't incur bloodlust.

EDIT:
oh by the way! Feel free to edit/change this in any way if you end up using it. I won't be hurt, there are some things I'm not too fond of in this blurb anyways.

@TeenyTK

I guess I kinda went with an origin story for Kobber. Hope you like it!

Hailing from the wooded reserves within Nature’s boundaries hadn’t prepared him for this. Hadn’t prepared him for the biting winds and the frostbitten toes and the icicles on his rack of horns.

Gaolers came from the Southern Icefield. This was his ancestors’ homeland. They’d lived and thrived here for who knew how long, containing great evils the rest of Sornieth couldn’t fathom. Gaolers were made for this weather, were built specifically to handle it.

And yet, here he was, shivering under his shaggy fur.

Kobber cursed himself for not being like the sturdy Gaolers of legend. He cursed himself for not being a creature of the forest, either. It didn’t matter where he went. He didn’t fit in. Not light and quick on his feet like the Wildclaws of the Gladekeeper’s gardens, not harsh and brutal like the rotting and diseased dragons of the Scarred Wasteland, not studious and aloof like the researchers of the Starfall Isles, he was just himself. Just an outcast searching for a place to belong.

Another wilted flower drifted from his mane, landing on the snow between his front feet. He stared at it.

“I’m s-s-sorry,” he murmured as the petals blackened at the edges and shriveled from the intense cold. “Just a l-l-little f-f-farther.”

He hoped.

Navigating the treacherous mountain trails sheathed in ice was no easy task. He didn’t think he could turn back even if he wanted. All he could do was go down. Down, down, down, waiting for an avalanche to bury him, waiting for something much larger to eat him, waiting for a stark drop in temperature to freeze him where he stood.

The winds changed directions, whipping his mane over his face and tearing the last of his flowers away from his tangled coat.

“I c-c-can’t do this anymore,” he muttered. Legs shaking, lungs burning, eyes stinging, he stopped. “I can’t do this anymore!”

He never should have left the safety of the jungles of the Viridian Labyrinth. Sure, the heat and humidity may have felt lethal on some days, but it was preferable to this. Preferable to slowly losing his mind, his colors, and his life.

Then, he smelled it.

Food.

Lifting his head, shaking the hair from his eyes, he squinted off into the distance.

Tents. Beautifully welcoming tents.

With renewed energy, he trudged through the snow. Closer. Closer. He could see individual tents now. He could see dragons. He could smell food cooking. Glorious, hot food.

Kobber collapsed on the outskirts where the snow had been packed down.

He could see it. Could see the place he’d been searching for. The home for outcasts.

He wondered if they could see him. Wondered if they cared about the half-starved, mostly frozen Gaoler laying no more than a hundred feet away. Would they laugh at how woefully underprepared he was to live in at the edge of the world? Would they sneer at how he wasn’t much of a Gaoler at all? Would they leave him there and let the snow and winds bury him, never to be seen again?

He wished for an avalanche to cover him over, now. Too weak to stand upright fully, too embarrassed to yell too loudly, he simply watched with watery eyes.

He’d made it. That’s all that counted.

A bowl of steaming stew was set before him.

He stared.

Carrots, potatoes, chunks of rabbit. Real food. Not the tough frozen plants and shreds of hide he’d been eating for the last month.

He craned his head back, following the dark claws up the red furred leg to the shaggy mane and finally landing on a face so much like his own. Bright blue eyes looked back at him crisply.

“How far have you traveled?” she questioned.

“Um…a l-l-long ways. F-f-from the Viridian Labyrinth,” he said, wondering if he was hallucinating. Could it be? Could he really be looking at one of his own?

She nodded. “Eat. Rest. Regain your strength.”

“W-w-what’s your name?” he asked softly, reaching out and dragging the bowl of stew closer to him. The smell was tantalizing under his nose and his mouth watered.

“Valkyrja.”

He slurped the stew tentatively at first, and then greedily inhaled the rest of it. He felt his cheeks flush when he realized Valkyrja was still standing there, watching him lick the bowl clean.

With great effort, he pushed himself to his feet, the warmth in his belly giving him enough of a boost to get moving again.

“I’m Kobber,” he said.

Valkyrja eyed him closely. Once upon a time he had been more of a rusty copper closer to her crimson and sanguine reds, but the journey had taken a toll not only on his spirit but his fur as well. He had been streaked through with cold blue-grays and browns, his wing membranes looking like cracked ice from the fierce cold he’d endured.

“Nice flowers,” she commented, and then turned tail. “Come.”

Bewildered, Kobber followed on wobbly feet. He cast a glance at his mane. To his surprise, new blossoms were beginning to bud, their petals tough and blue. Weather resistant. It sent of spark of hope jolting through his system.

He could adapt. He could survive.

“Kobber?” Valkyrja questioned, pausing.

“I’m coming!” he said and hurried after the other Gaoler.

“Good. Let me introduce you to Valhall.”

@TeenyTK I'd love to write some lore for your gal here [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=49693433] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/496935/49693433_350.png[/img] [/url] She's super cool-looking so I think I could come up with some interesting stuff with her for sure! I'd love to get some art of this guy if you could, [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=44496689] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/444967/44496689_350.png[/img] [/url] I'm super into this idea and I love to write, so I look forward to this exchange!