Creative Corner

1266

February 11, 2021 07:48:42

CLAN ASTRAIA

The lands of the Starwood Strand are as mysterious as they are confusing, and they are home to a humble clan known as Astraia. The tale of said clan lies in the claws of a mysterious creature that goes by the name of Aroshi, who likes to fancy herself quite the storyteller.

While she could have chosen any clan to observe, the location of Astraia made it a particularly tempting specimen. Simply put, Astraia was conveniently at the epicenter of an area of the forest with a large influx of chaotic magic, untouched by any creature that wished to harness its energy.

The land was often home to inexplicable events, most notably those of time travel. To the average dragon, wandering into Astraia's land could easily result in being forcibly taken to a completely different era in the time it took to blink.

Some dragons were capable of harnessing the powers of time to an extent, traveling willingly, or manipulating it to their desire; the influx of magical energy around Astraia made it particularly easy to practice such abilities, albeit rather dangerous.

It was this that brought Aroshi to the clan. While she was capable of time travel herself, it was rather tiring even for an immortal like her, and the seemingly endless well of magical energy surrounding the clan made time her playground. As such, under her guidance, it is easy to witness the tale of the clan's entire history.

Documented here are the tales that Aroshi has told to travelers over the ages about all she has witnessed. This is Aroshi's Storybook.

Roach | they/it | FR+3

Last edited on Apr 02, 2021 21:46:47 by bugcrimes

DRAGON DIRECTORY

Below is the directory to all my dragons with finished bios! Any marked with a ♥ are due for a revamp (this is either story revamp or coding revamp; their lore may currently be subject to change ^^;)!

Golden Era
Aroshi

Arcanesong
♥ Koa
Echo

Revolution
Atlantia
♥ Annabel
Conjure
♥ Seraphina

Barnaby's Circus
Barnaby
Averill
Raven
Astrophel
♥ Malo
Loreley
Clemens

Deities
Ciri
Adragna
Stardust

bugcrimes

1266

April 02, 2021 20:08:31

DRAGON DIRECTORY

Below is the directory to all my dragons with finished bios! Any marked with a ♥ are due for a revamp (this is either story revamp or coding revamp; their lore may currently be subject to change ^^;)!

Golden Era
Aroshi

Arcanesong
♥ Koa
Echo

Revolution
Atlantia
♥ Annabel
Conjure
♥ Seraphina

Barnaby's Circus
Barnaby
Averill
Raven
Astrophel
♥ Malo
Loreley
Clemens

Deities
Ciri
Adragna
Stardust

Roach | they/it | FR+3

Last edited on Sep 21, 2022 18:35:00 by bugcrimes

GOLDEN ERA

At one point, Astraia was simply a clan of stragglers, brought together by chance to survive amongst the Arcanic elements of the wild. They settled in a particularly dense corner of the Starwood Strand, a small grove not easily stumbled upon by outsiders. Unbeknownst at the time, this particular section of the woods was flowing with an unusually large amount of magic; said magic would often erupt in breaches of time and space, leading dragons far away from home in multiple senses. Familiar faces would often come and go, and if they returned home, it would be with magnificent stories of far off places and times. While at first this was a frightening oddity, it slowly became the norm for the clan. Some nights one would fall asleep to the chatter of their loved ones, and the next morning, they would be missing without a trace.

As a side effect, one was rarely assumed to be dead; there was always the possibility of a long-lost friend returning home after many years, or a new face appearing, claiming to be from a time far in the future.

When one disappeared, they were simply labeled as "Lost To Time", and their belongings would be carefully kept in the state they were left in case they ever returned.

Over time, this tradition resulted in many ghost homes, unlived in, but kept in pristine condition. Dragons would take great pride in the ghost homes of their relatives, and keeping them clean was considered both an honor and a celebration.

Despite the oddities of daily life, the clan grew to thrive over the years. Artisans took up specialized trades, warriors trained to protect the clan, and all worked in harmony. There were, of course, the occasional fights, but a general air of diplomacy surrounded the clan; disagreements were to be solved with words, not claws, and everyone was expected to keep the best interests of the rest of the clan in mind.

With little threat from within the clan, they could focus their efforts on braving the elements that had shaped their way of life, as well as experiment with the unknown, much in the Arcane spirit.

This, of course, was not a peace that could last forever, but the time these dragons spent developing the clan came to be known as the Golden Age of Astraia. The dragons either passed into legend or would move through time to become the founders of other great periods of the clan's history.

bugcrimes

1266

April 02, 2021 20:20:57

GOLDEN ERA

At one point, Astraia was simply a clan of stragglers, brought together by chance to survive amongst the Arcanic elements of the wild. They settled in a particularly dense corner of the Starwood Strand, a small grove not easily stumbled upon by outsiders. Unbeknownst at the time, this particular section of the woods was flowing with an unusually large amount of magic; said magic would often erupt in breaches of time and space, leading dragons far away from home in multiple senses. Familiar faces would often come and go, and if they returned home, it would be with magnificent stories of far off places and times. While at first this was a frightening oddity, it slowly became the norm for the clan. Some nights one would fall asleep to the chatter of their loved ones, and the next morning, they would be missing without a trace.

As a side effect, one was rarely assumed to be dead; there was always the possibility of a long-lost friend returning home after many years, or a new face appearing, claiming to be from a time far in the future.

When one disappeared, they were simply labeled as "Lost To Time", and their belongings would be carefully kept in the state they were left in case they ever returned.

Over time, this tradition resulted in many ghost homes, unlived in, but kept in pristine condition. Dragons would take great pride in the ghost homes of their relatives, and keeping them clean was considered both an honor and a celebration.

Despite the oddities of daily life, the clan grew to thrive over the years. Artisans took up specialized trades, warriors trained to protect the clan, and all worked in harmony. There were, of course, the occasional fights, but a general air of diplomacy surrounded the clan; disagreements were to be solved with words, not claws, and everyone was expected to keep the best interests of the rest of the clan in mind.

With little threat from within the clan, they could focus their efforts on braving the elements that had shaped their way of life, as well as experiment with the unknown, much in the Arcane spirit.

This, of course, was not a peace that could last forever, but the time these dragons spent developing the clan came to be known as the Golden Age of Astraia. The dragons either passed into legend or would move through time to become the founders of other great periods of the clan's history.

Roach | they/it | FR+3

Last edited on Apr 02, 2021 21:54:48 by bugcrimes

ARCANESONG

A rather curious time in the history of the clan, the Arcanesong was less an era and more of a change of life that rewrote the narrative of the clan, bridging the gap between the Golden Age of the clan and its eventual downfall.

Arcanesong is, in its simplest form, a curse. It comes in countless forms, but is most often classified by the clan by the element it seemed to have originated from. Arcanesong is the most common in the clan for obvious reasons, but cases of Shadowsong, Plaguesong, Naturesong, and Earthsong were also documented by the researchers of the time.

The first known case of the curse was documented in Poinsettia, a dragon whose wings had been fused with crystals, to the point where she was unable to fly. Curiously enough, her condition seemed to ease with the moon cycle, and when the moon was full, she was able to move with much less difficulty.

Many other cases were found to be tied to the stars and astronomy as well, and they were all labeled as Arcanesong. These curses would wax and wane with the stars; the curses never fully left, however.

Shadowsong came in the form of partial shade possession. Those affected would often act erratically or show unexpected strength in the face of danger. Others were affected with cases of extreme luck, constantly ricocheting between ridiculously good and bad luck. Overall, the curse tended to show itself in the form of trickery and rather unexpected results; out of all the curses the clan saw, it was the most unpredictable by far.

Plaguesong was one of the hardest to spot; it would present as a typical illness, but would persist over unnaturally long periods of time, progressing slowly and consuming the dragon whole. Fatigue was especially common amongst those affected, even more so than any other curse bearers.

Naturesong was, unsurprisingly, tied to growth. The most prominent cases were those of dragons that partially transformed into trees, seen in Imai and Koa. Not much was ever discovered about Naturesong, as its origins were presumably much further away from the clan than other curse variants.

Earthsong was also quite mysterious, and it was a common debate in the clan if it was truly a variant. The only documented case was that of Lima, who never moved in the slightest, and by all means appeared to simply be a statue. She appeared mysteriously in the clan one day, and many claimed that she emitted an odd sort of energy that could not possibly come from a non-sentient object. Unfortunately, she once again disappeared before any decisive conclusions could be made.

Luckily, most cases of the curse were not so extreme that the dragons affected could not live a fulfilling and happy life within the clan; the spread of the curse resulted in a wave of invention and ingenuity to create a living environment more suitable for all, as well as devices to help those affected live as normally as possible.

That being said, it still caused a wave of panic throughout the clan, especially when it first appeared, as there were many questions that could not be answered. No one knew exactly how or why it spread and chose its victims. It almost seemed sentient, and this rumour was not helped by Aroshi.

This was one of the few periods in the clan's history that Aroshi actively involved herself in, no matter how minor the role. Since the clan had not chosen a name for the curse within a timeframe that she found suitable, Aroshi had eventually lost patience and simply named the curse herself. She did so by whispering it into the dreams of those that had been affected, resulting in a widespread panic when they all realized they had received the same message overnight, seemingly from the curse itself.

The fear and confusion surrounding this period led to raised tensions as dragons searched tirelessly for solutions, answers, anything to help. Aroshi likes to attribute the war and subsequent downfall that followed to the curse; perhaps it had cursed the clan in more ways than just the obvious.

bugcrimes

1266

April 02, 2021 20:20:59

ARCANESONG

A rather curious time in the history of the clan, the Arcanesong was less an era and more of a change of life that rewrote the narrative of the clan, bridging the gap between the Golden Age of the clan and its eventual downfall.

Arcanesong is, in its simplest form, a curse. It comes in countless forms, but is most often classified by the clan by the element it seemed to have originated from. Arcanesong is the most common in the clan for obvious reasons, but cases of Shadowsong, Plaguesong, Naturesong, and Earthsong were also documented by the researchers of the time.

The first known case of the curse was documented in Poinsettia, a dragon whose wings had been fused with crystals, to the point where she was unable to fly. Curiously enough, her condition seemed to ease with the moon cycle, and when the moon was full, she was able to move with much less difficulty.

Many other cases were found to be tied to the stars and astronomy as well, and they were all labeled as Arcanesong. These curses would wax and wane with the stars; the curses never fully left, however.

Shadowsong came in the form of partial shade possession. Those affected would often act erratically or show unexpected strength in the face of danger. Others were affected with cases of extreme luck, constantly ricocheting between ridiculously good and bad luck. Overall, the curse tended to show itself in the form of trickery and rather unexpected results; out of all the curses the clan saw, it was the most unpredictable by far.

Plaguesong was one of the hardest to spot; it would present as a typical illness, but would persist over unnaturally long periods of time, progressing slowly and consuming the dragon whole. Fatigue was especially common amongst those affected, even more so than any other curse bearers.

Naturesong was, unsurprisingly, tied to growth. The most prominent cases were those of dragons that partially transformed into trees, seen in Imai and Koa. Not much was ever discovered about Naturesong, as its origins were presumably much further away from the clan than other curse variants.

Earthsong was also quite mysterious, and it was a common debate in the clan if it was truly a variant. The only documented case was that of Lima, who never moved in the slightest, and by all means appeared to simply be a statue. She appeared mysteriously in the clan one day, and many claimed that she emitted an odd sort of energy that could not possibly come from a non-sentient object. Unfortunately, she once again disappeared before any decisive conclusions could be made.

Luckily, most cases of the curse were not so extreme that the dragons affected could not live a fulfilling and happy life within the clan; the spread of the curse resulted in a wave of invention and ingenuity to create a living environment more suitable for all, as well as devices to help those affected live as normally as possible.

That being said, it still caused a wave of panic throughout the clan, especially when it first appeared, as there were many questions that could not be answered. No one knew exactly how or why it spread and chose its victims. It almost seemed sentient, and this rumour was not helped by Aroshi.

This was one of the few periods in the clan's history that Aroshi actively involved herself in, no matter how minor the role. Since the clan had not chosen a name for the curse within a timeframe that she found suitable, Aroshi had eventually lost patience and simply named the curse herself. She did so by whispering it into the dreams of those that had been affected, resulting in a widespread panic when they all realized they had received the same message overnight, seemingly from the curse itself.

The fear and confusion surrounding this period led to raised tensions as dragons searched tirelessly for solutions, answers, anything to help. Aroshi likes to attribute the war and subsequent downfall that followed to the curse; perhaps it had cursed the clan in more ways than just the obvious.

Roach | they/it | FR+3

Last edited on Apr 02, 2021 21:57:12 by bugcrimes

REVOLUTION

On the coattails of the Arcanesong, dragons became desperate for answers, solutions to end the pain of their clanmates and the constant, dramatic shifts in life thanks to the curse. Two young dragons, raised only knowing the struggles of their clanmates, became two of the first true leaders of the clan.

Philomena and Bessarion, young mates that were determined to make a change and end the pain of the clan. They were persuasive, and their determination infected the clan with a rejuvenated hope for the future. Things seemed brighter for a few years.

However, over time, it became clear that Philomena and Bessarion held greatly different views. Philomena believed that the answers to the curse would lie in the magic that had doubtlessly caused it; she wished to spend their energy attempting to find the source of the curse and stopping it from spreading again.

Bessarion, on the other hand, believed their energies were better spent on prevention efforts and general improvement of life. An inventor at heart, he wished to dedicate his time to lab experiments and finding a way to remove the effects of the curse from those already affected. He believed the answer lay in robotics.

The two bickered seemingly endlessly until their frustrations exploded in an irreversible fight. They decided to split the clan, forcing their fellow dragons to choose who to follow. Philomena would guide her fellow magic users in search of the truth behind the curse. Bessarion would train apprentices in his lab and attempt to find a way to utilize his skills in robotics to cure the pains of his clanmates.

Philomena's relentless probing into the elements, paired with Bessarion's experiments with the transfer of souls, resulted in a dangerous imbalance in the natural magic that filled their corner of the woods. Before they realized what was happening, the clan was infiltrated by those with nefarious intent, and the Shade spread to the most devoted of the cause, filling their heads with delusion.

It was at this point that war broke out between the two sides of the clan, former loved ones and friends at each other's throats over an all-consuming anger. Needless to say, few survived. Those that did were desperate for something new.

The curse seemed to be gone, and they were all so tired of fighting, of endless frustrations and work. They simply wanted to smile again.

bugcrimes

1266

April 02, 2021 20:21:01

REVOLUTION

On the coattails of the Arcanesong, dragons became desperate for answers, solutions to end the pain of their clanmates and the constant, dramatic shifts in life thanks to the curse. Two young dragons, raised only knowing the struggles of their clanmates, became two of the first true leaders of the clan.

Philomena and Bessarion, young mates that were determined to make a change and end the pain of the clan. They were persuasive, and their determination infected the clan with a rejuvenated hope for the future. Things seemed brighter for a few years.

However, over time, it became clear that Philomena and Bessarion held greatly different views. Philomena believed that the answers to the curse would lie in the magic that had doubtlessly caused it; she wished to spend their energy attempting to find the source of the curse and stopping it from spreading again.

Bessarion, on the other hand, believed their energies were better spent on prevention efforts and general improvement of life. An inventor at heart, he wished to dedicate his time to lab experiments and finding a way to remove the effects of the curse from those already affected. He believed the answer lay in robotics.

The two bickered seemingly endlessly until their frustrations exploded in an irreversible fight. They decided to split the clan, forcing their fellow dragons to choose who to follow. Philomena would guide her fellow magic users in search of the truth behind the curse. Bessarion would train apprentices in his lab and attempt to find a way to utilize his skills in robotics to cure the pains of his clanmates.

Philomena's relentless probing into the elements, paired with Bessarion's experiments with the transfer of souls, resulted in a dangerous imbalance in the natural magic that filled their corner of the woods. Before they realized what was happening, the clan was infiltrated by those with nefarious intent, and the Shade spread to the most devoted of the cause, filling their heads with delusion.

It was at this point that war broke out between the two sides of the clan, former loved ones and friends at each other's throats over an all-consuming anger. Needless to say, few survived. Those that did were desperate for something new.

The curse seemed to be gone, and they were all so tired of fighting, of endless frustrations and work. They simply wanted to smile again.

Roach | they/it | FR+3

Last edited on Apr 02, 2021 21:27:11 by bugcrimes

BARNABY'S CIRCUS

Though at first glance Barnaby's circus may seem completely separate from the main clan of Astraia, its origins were in the remains of the clan after the war that ended the revolution. Barnaby, though incredibly young at the time, was one of the few survivors of the war, and they were determined to find a way to bring joy to people once again.

It is said that their desire was so strong that they managed to manipulate the folds of space and time itself to create a rudimentary pocket dimension, in which the clan could live safely while they rebuilt.

Barnaby, inspired by a visit from a clanmate of the far past, decided to build a circus, and honed their skills over many years. It was a difficult start, and to say it was a small miracle that they succeeded would be a vast understatement.

They were not without help, of course. Averill, though not an original member of Astraia, had stumbled across Barnaby and became a shoulder to lean upon. Barnaby learned how to summon spirits from Annabel's notes, and they proved to be much more efficient workers than the living (ghosts didn't need to eat or sleep, after all).

Slowly but surely, the circus was turned into the bustling home it is now. It appears all across Sorneith, and every night, a show is performed in front of a new audience, and new recruits are found amongst the local spirits.

The circus will never stay for longer than it is needed, and it rarely feels more tangible than a fever dream to guests when they return to their homes. Some wonder if it even exists beyond the whispered rumors that spread throughout all of time, tales of a circus beyond one's wildest imagination.

bugcrimes