History
At first, there was nothing Chipotle could call home. As a parentless Shadow
Dragon, he set out to roam the Shadow realm once he was fully independent. Up until that point, he had been raised in the safety of Shadowbinder and her many servants, charged with raising progenitors. Influenced by Shadowbinder and her teachings, the youngster believed in her words. To be a true Shadow dragon, one must be a trickster - playing mind tricks on passerby dragons from foreign Flights, lurking in shadows and stalking his next victims of foolish games. As he grew more, he would venture out further on his travels. On one occasion, he met a Fae Aurae, and he would soon learn she comes from the same progenitor brood as him, as the two recognized each other. The two decided to join forces - as much as they loved The Tangled Woods, even for native dragons it was, well, a tricky place to navigate. With an extra pair of eyes, the two dragons felt much safer.
Aurae, being a Fae, proved to be a masterful trickster. Their combined
forces allowed them to trick
Chipotle’s prey far more efficiently than back when Chipotle was a lone hunter. In exchange for Fae’s magical tricks, Chipotle would protect her with his far larger bulk.
As years passed, Chipotle would confess to Aurae about his conflicted
feelings about being a Shadow dragon. Something in him changed and that change had been culminating gradually. He no longer found joy in typical Shadow antics. He decided to quit this lifestyle and find a place to settle down somewhere. That proved a challenge, as everywhere the two looked in their home, there were tangled roots and trees, or the best spots had already been taken. Eventually they did stumble upon an unoccupied cave. It wasn’t the greatest, but at this point, they weren’t too picky.
Chipotle and Aurae wouldn’t stop traveling. The cave had been sealed with
protective magic/illusion to deter potential settlers taking over their cave. It was only a matter of time before they finally set their foot outside of the Tangled Woods. They discovered lands, never seen before by their own eyes - such as Dragonhome, Windswept Plateau, Starfall Isles, and many more. One stood out to Chipotle more than the rest of them. A neighboring Flight, Scarred Wasteland, beckoned him. Traveling further, he discovered the native home of his species, Mirror dragons. The encounter wasn’t the friendliest. Few bites and scratches were exchanged. Chipotle and Aurae fled in their haste deeper into the Plague world to lick their wounds under a withered tree. There, coiled in a long bundle, rested a spiral. Curious about the two, he greeted them, introducing himself as
Krakatoa. The spiral was a doctor. A nomad just like the wounded progenitors, he had learned the magic of healing from a variety of Light scholars. Despite their initial prejudice towards the Plague spiral, they saw Krakatoa’s burning passion to study medicine. He succeeded, offering his services to many. Like a sore thumb though, it left him in a rather strange position when he tried to provide his medical expertise to his original clan. While appreciated, it clashed with Plague’s philosophy of survival of the fittest. It rendered Krakatoa’s years of training into nothing more than a wasted effort. Deserting his lair, he was lost on what to do with his skillset, until this fateful day. Two Shadowlings, in need of medical attention. The Shadow couple accepted his help warily, though soon enough Krakatoa proved trustworthy. He healed them, and on the whim, decided to join them.
The trio didn’t stay in such a small number. Krakatoa had many long-term
friends, who had received his message. Chipotle and Aurae found themselves surprised by an unannounced visit from not one, but three Imperials (
Swiststrike,
Velocity, Ragnarok) and a Ridgeback (
Ironcrypt). After a long discussion between the new settlers and the Shadowlings, they agreed they could all work together to expand the clan.
Over the years, many came, stayed or left. The cave could only
accommodate small dragons. It didn’t bother the larger dragons, who would begin to rip out trees and roots with ease to build their own huts and tents. Fortunately the thick canopy of the trees offered enough protection from rain and wind.
All this time, Chipotle had been enchanted by Plague Mirrors. Oftentimes he
would venture back in the Scarred Wasteland. Over time he would befriend a Mirror group which introduced him to the true values of Plague culture and what it takes to be a Mirror dragon. Finding his calling, he adopted the new lifestyle, even going as far as applying a full body makeup. He attempted to live by the rules of savage survival. He found happiness and purpose that plagued most of his life. However, it wouldn’t last for too long. Most dragons in his lair couldn’t adapt to Chipotle’s sudden change in leadership, which drove some away. His unusual mellow character would always surface whenever someone announced their permanent departure. A major blow would be Aurae herself - in the wake of Beastclans rising, Aurae decided she would serve under Shadowbinder, leaving Chipotle to be the sole leader.
Noticing a subtle drop in his confidence, Krakatoa and Velocity would be his
right-hand dragons. Their input greatly improved the quality of life in the lair. It prospered and residents were more willing to stay and help sustain it.
Despite this, Chipotle wasn’t happy. The Mirror was torn by the internal
struggle. He felt disappointed by the outcome of his efforts, gradually succumbing into depression. And yet, he still put on a brave facade to keep the lair happy and running. During this time, Swiftstrike, a native Light dragon, would often depart to study geography in his original home. That seemed to peek some interest in Chipotle and he assigned Swiftstrike to find a potential new location for their lair.
One one faithful day, Swiftstrike delivered uplifting news. An unoccupied,
abandoned town, located right next to several valuable resources - water, fields and minerals. He warned Chipotle the structures are partially deteriorated, but that didn’t deter Chipotle. He announced the move and the whole lair re-located into a land of unknown. Living so long in the Shadow Realm, it was quite a cultural shock. After settling down, Velocity and Ironcrypt took to organizing much needed repairs of these abandoned buildings. She set up crowd-funding events and Ironcrypt planned reconstructions of the most important sections - Town Hall, Town Square and the biggest streets.
Several months later, they rebuilt the entire village. Dubbing their new
home “The Village”, the oldest dragons would be in charge or the most crucial decisions. Chipotle’s mental health would improve and that reflected on his new leadership style. Instead of brawl he would use brains. Essentially he adopted a form of democratic politics. Much to his surprise, Aurae would retire from Shadowbinder’s service and return to Chipotle’s lair - this time as a Mirror. Her return brought valuable skills to further improve the quality of life in the ever-growing village.
