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Bearing the colors of the Gladekeeper, Gladelings are one of Nature's subspecies. They were created in October 2013 by Bark and became an official subspecies of Nature shortly thereafter. Gladelings have been bred ever since then!
Karrikut and Genevra started an initiative in May 2018 to breed in new lines of Gladelings to refresh the gene pool, particularly focusing on breeding Wildclaw Gladelings, leading to the creation of this official subspecies hub. KalicoKat wrote the majority of the lore for the subspecies as it exists today.
This new version of the hub was created simply for the purpose of updating some things, and the original can be found here. The content has remained largely the same.
Gladelings are the dragons created by the Gladekeeper in her own image. In the distant past, Gladelings were all hatched as Wildclaws, Nature's own native species, with the colors of the Gladekeeper and camouflaging patterns to let them blend into the thick vegetation of the jungle. These Gladelings were able to communicate with the Gladekeeper from anywhere within the Viridian Labyrinth, and this close connection to the Gladekeeper lent them magical abilities: to make plants grow in any condition, and to revive sick or dying plants.
The Gladelings formed exclusive clans who roamed the Viridian Labyrinth, carrying with them seeds, cuttings, and saplings, with the mission of caring for the plantlife that inhabited the Gladekeeper's territory and spreading this life wherever possible.
Over time, the initial burst of power that allowed for the hatching of Gladelings was spent, and the numbers of new Gladelings dwindled. To preserve their lineage and their calling, the decision was made to mingle with dragons of other breeds and colors - but as their bloodline became thinned, their abilities waned. Gladelings remained prodigious gardeners and caretakers of plants for their clans, but they did not have quite the abilities of Gladelings at their beginnings, and they lost their abilities to communicate with the Gladekeeper that they once had.
The thinning of the bloodlines allowed for more frequent misidentifications to occur, and dragons from other flights or with other patterns of the Gladekeepers colors began to be acclaimed as Gladelings themselves. These counterfeit Gladelings persisted and sometimes took advantage of other dragons in the guide of true Gladelings - sometimes even joining clans of Gladelings.
It was the Bounty of Elements that changed everything. With the extreme burst of magical energy, new kinds of Gladeling were hatched once more. Prophets once again roamed the lands - and with them, New Prophets, their eyes blooming with the magical energy of the Gladekeeper. Strange eyes peered out across the lands, serving as the Gladekeepers eyes. The bloodlines of the Gladelings were renewed.
Rising tensions between Nature and Plague as a result of the broken armistice have bred an air of unease across much of Sornieth. Clans across the Scarred Wasteland and the Viridian Labyrinth fear an oncoming war like those of legend. Rumors spread of traitors and spies. Preparations have begun. New Gladelings again spring forth, Hunters tasked with protecting the Viridian Labyrinth.
Prophets
Sometimes, a Prophet of the Gladekeeper will be born, though no one knows exactly what conditions are necessary for this to happen. Prophets who arise from the ancient bloodlines of the original Gladelings always retain the original image of the subspecies. Since the Bounty of Elements, a new magic has found its way into the nests of the Viridian Labyrinth. A new kind of Prophets, brimming with the Gladekeeper's magic, can be hatched in any breed or gene combination, and they are visually identified by the flowers that appear to grow from their eyes.
Whichever appearance a Prophet takes, they all possess the original abilities of the Gladelings. They can grow plants anywhere, revive sick or dying plants, and they can communicate directly with the Gladekeeper in order to carry out her wishes. Most are known to wander the Viridian Labyrinth as their ancestors once did, every so often falling into a silent, trance-like state while they speak with the Gladekeeper, before carrying on with their mission.
Watchers
In addition to New Prophets, the Gladekeeper has also created a new type of helper to aid in spreading her essence across Sornieth: Watchers. Watchers cannot spread life in quite the manner that a Prophet can; instead, they take advantage of the new types of eyes they have been gifted in order to gather information for the Gladekeeper.
- Glowing Eyes: Gladelings with Glowing Eyes have sharper vision than other dragons, and can see well even at great distances. Their eyes also allow them the ability to see infrared frequencies that allow them to see well even in pitch dark, as well as the ability to see ultra-violet frequencies. These Gladelings are fantastic hunters and trackers, so long as their glowing eyes are hidden from their target.
- Multi-Gaze: Gladelings with Multi-Gaze have many sets of eyes that run the length of their bodies. These many eyes, while not exceptional in themselves, afford these dragons a 360-degree view of their surroundings, and the ability to easily view objects from many perspectives at once. These Gladelings are prized as lookouts and guards for this reason.
- Facet: Gladelings with Facet Eyes can see ultraviolet wavelengths that other dragons cannot, which makes them excellent at differentiating plants or objects that may look the same to others, but does not give them an advantage in low light. They have a wider visual range than most dragons, but not the 360-degree view of their Multi-Gaze cousins. These Gladelings tend to have an affinity for flowers.
- Dark Sclera: Gladelings with Dark Scleras can see infrared frequencies that allow them to see well in the dark, though their vision in brighter conditions suffers. They make up for this by using an unusually keen sense of smell and taste to sense their surroundings much like a snake. Some of these Gladelings can easily detect Shade contamination, though no one is sure why.
- Swirl: Gladelings with Swirl eyes have the ability to see magical sources and influences in the world around them. They are much more in tune with these energy fluctuations than other Gladeling variants and therefore make excellent enchanters and mages. Some can also see fluctuations in another dragon's energy and aura caused by changes in emotion. The way these energies are seen can vary greatly from dragon to dragon, and it seems no two experience this ability quite the same way.
- Goat: Gladelings with Goat Eyes have a wider field of view than most, as well as different color perception, which makes them excellent at finding things. These Gladelings also have an instinctual knowledge of and resistance to toxic plants, and this combined with their eyesight means that they make excellent field guides for their clans. Some of them also enjoy climbing.
- Innocent: Innocent-Eyed Gladelings have an uncanny ability to discern whether a dragon is being truthful or deceitful. It is not clear how their eyes function to give them such an ability, but it does seem that Innocent Eyed Gladelings must be able to hear a dragon's words and observe their lip movements in order to use this gift. These Gladelings are often valued as counselors, judges, or arbiters by their clans. Other dragons can become uncomfortable in their presence, mistaking this ability for mindreading, and many Innocent-Eyed Gladelings will obscure their own vision with use of hoods or other garments unless they are acting in an official capacity or their ability is otherwise needed. (idea created by MidnightGarden)
Counterfeit Gladelings
As Gladelings become more prominent in the Gladekeeper's realm, there are others who are sometimes mistaken for one of her chosen ones, called a Counterfeit Gladeling. These dopplegangers are easily confused for a true Gladeling because their appearance is very similar. Their colors are still Jungle, Forest, and Green, but the colors may be out of order - or they may be hatched from a different flight, without the magical connection to the Gladekeeper. These Counterfeits have none of the abilities that make a true Gladeling special, and they similarly lack the connection to the Gladekeeper that the subspecies is known for. However, Counterfeit Gladelings are still sometimes confused for the real thing, and there have been instances of a few taking advantage of that fact to gain prominent positions in their clan and the reverence given to a true Gladeling.
Hunters
Hunters are tasked with tracking down and stamping out threats within the Viridian Labyrinth, and apprehending those abroad who have betrayed their homeland. They possess the Nature Magic all Gladelings are known for, but they also have an uncanny ability to remain absolutely silent while stalking their target, and their camouflage patches allow them to blend into their surroundings as if they had melted into the shadows, remaining unseen. They are stealthy when they can be, and they are the Gladekeeper’s fiercest warriors when they must be.
Some hatch from their eggs displaying the trademark patches of their kind, and a few of these Hunters have been known to rival the abilities of the Prophets. Others gain their patches later in life, chosen by the Gladekeeper to protect Her lands.