Flight Rising Discussion

[center][size=6]{Gene Lore} Share some lore ideas for Starmap and Constellation![/size] Breaking News Prompt[/center] Starmap and Constellation! Even though the latter isn't technically out yet, we have a pretty good idea of what this gene pair is meant to look like: a beautiful, galactic swirling pattern with traces of stars and lines connecting certain points to one another. But what are your thoughts on this gene and how it can connect to lore? Here are a few questions to consider that may help get the ball rolling! What might the personalities of dragons with Starmap and Constellation generally be like? Where do these genes come from? Are they artificial, created by magic or the gods? If not, how might they have evolved naturally? Does having Starmap or Constellation affect a dragon's expression of magic at all? If so, how? As always, feel free to develop headcanons and bounce ideas around! Discussion is open season; you never know who might be inspired by what you have to say! And, if you have one or more dragons with Starmap (or are projected to have Starmap or Constellation), feel free to share up to [b]three[/b] of them and how these genes have an impact on their lore! [center][img]http://flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=98&bodygene=24&breed=12&element=6&eyetype=1&gender=1&tert=11&tertgene=10&winggene=20&wings=126&auth=a841ba4b4b179fdb8c5d7058010b19713b8d3404&dummyext=prev.png[/img] {*}[/center] [size=4][u][b]Some Thoughts:[/b][/u][/size] One thing's for sure: I don't believe that Starmap and Constellation are "natural" genes in the sense that they evolved over time. Though I'm definitely curious to see how other members might argue for that, I prefer to imagine that these genes were created -- perhaps -- by a wealthy Arcane dragon who sought riches in exchange for beautiful bodies and wings. It may seem like a silly idea, but I think it's kind of a fun way to connect the astronomer aspect of Arcane with the idea that Starmap and Constellation are (or will be) gem genes. I also like to think that Starmap and Constellation can impact a dragon's expression of magic or their capabilities some. While I'm not entirely sold on which of these options I like better (or if I like both concurrently), here are my two ideas: [LIST] [*]Star/Con dragons are good at piecing together difficult alchemical spells. They, like humans who put together constellations in the night sky, find the points (or ingredients) which speak to them the most and know just how to connect them to form a new whole. I can see these dragons being visionaries who propel the field of alchemy forward due to having this innate ability -- although being understudies of Baldwin would help! They'd still have to learn from masters; they'd just have a greater affinity for the stuff. [*]Star/Con dragons are good at illusion magic, especially if they are also born with the Shadow element. Constellations are -- in a less poetic and magical sense -- geocentric illusions that came about due to the human's affinity for finding patterns and, quite literally, connecting the dots. The actual stars that make them can be thousands of lightyears apart in 3D space. As such, perhaps Star/Con dragons have the ability to twist their environment like a fun house mirror and distort their target's sense of spacial awareness. [/LIST] [center][size=2]Pinglist was here.[/size][/center]

I hadn't thought about that aspect of the lore yet, but what I realized is that this gene is probably holographic! From the angles we see our dragons, the lines look a little awkward at times, and it doesn't really make sense visually for that awkward line pattern to be printed on top of scales. Instead, when you change angles looking at a dragon with Starmap (and Constellation too, but to a lesser degree as wings are much thinner objects), the actual pattern of stars moves in 3D, as if they are actually within the dragon.
IDK if the way I've explained it gets my point across very well tbh, but that's my best attempt at explaining it. Maybe the swirls move too idk

If any god made them then it'd likely be Arcanist given that astronomy is such a big part fo Arcane. If not then...actually I'd imagine it'd be a reaction to untested magic in the upper atmosphere, either from the magical surge of the Bounty or it was always liek that and no known dragon had before reached those heights. Likely due to oxygen deprivation or being unable to generate enough force to lift themselves further.

How far above the surface does the god's influence extend? We know if there's any other land on Sorneith then the 11's magic does not reach it and therefore dragons can not live or breed there but height is another matter. Maybe the Elemental Bounty has extended the range and dragons are now able to reach heights never before known. Do they have trouble breathing in high altitude?

If anything...I think astrology would be the biggest bane to StarCon drgaons. You know all hte distinct personality quirks that get assigned ot he 12 signs? And things liek luck or career success or love life depending on horoscopes? Yeah, for StarCon dragons that's very much real depending on what constellations their bodies are lining up with at any given moment.

Unwarranted arrogance and childish wonder are also common traits fo StarCon dragons but that's just cause now that I htink about it all I cna think of Aurelion Sol's cinematic

I do prefer the idea of Starmap and Constellation being a created gene, not a naturally occuring one, too. I would also agree that at least one arcane dragon was involved, might it be a spell/ritual gone wrong or someone commissioned them or an arcane dragon just loved the stars so much that they wanted to carry them around on their scales and found a way to do so that they also were able to duplicate onto others. Heck, maybe even Arcanist himself was involved!
Though I wouldn't give dragons with the gene any special powers, but that's just because in my lore looks don't determine abilities and even the canon abilities and behaviours of the different dragon breeds aren't always there (like for example my progen which is a guardian has not yet completed her search or lorewise gone on her search, though her wandering about could be seen as the search ^^')

I also really like the idea of @/Leopardmask that the stars are somewhat 3d looking or holographic like they are inside the dragon rather than just a pattern on top of their scales. It would make sense if it was created with magic and it might even change colours a little bit into the accent colour of the primary depending on what angle one is looking at.

I've picked one dragon in my lair so far to receive Starmap (I'm still saving for it), and hopefully Constellation will look good on him, too: [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=3063894] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/30639/3063894_350.png[/img] [/url] [img]http://flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=11&bodygene=24&breed=1&element=6&eyetype=0&gender=0&tert=22&tertgene=4&winggene=1&wings=11&auth=12b2f273c3bd527bcd0d6c7f42c4332d4e546912&dummyext=prev.png[/img] His name is Cosmos, and he's my clan's astronomer/cosmologist/astrophysicist. I've never considered gene changes in my dragons' lore before; in my mind, I guess they were always that color/pattern. But with this, maybe I will make it part of my lore. My clan lore already says that when members need to study something particularly obscure or in depth, they go to the Observatory; perhaps Cosmos will be gifted his new pattern by the Arcanist as a reward for his diligence in studying the stars. I do have one other candidate for the gene, Moonwort, who is an astral diviner, but it doesn't look as good on him imo. I'm not sure I could afford to buy Starmap twice, anyway, so that works out okay for my treasure hoard!

[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=9277517] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/92776/9277517_350.png[/img] [/url] I have not written any of the Lore for Ogrenix yet. But I thought that he will have actively sought out the gene as a combination of assisting in navigation (he is a Water dragon and pre GPS ships navigated via the stars) and camouflage in the Ghostlight Ruins (he is statted as a Ruins Raider). Still mulling whether this becomes a tattoo with unexpected epigenetic side effects or required a trip to the clan’s version of a witch doctor. I don’t have a good reason why that also resulted in him growing Spines or turning into a Ridgeback (he started as a Guardian). But the way the pattern extends down his snoot was definitely part of it. #CryingWorkshop

Whispers of these new dragons abound. But loudest, most persistent call them reverse constellations. Instead of heroes, mythological figures exalted to the night sky, to be remembered for eons to come, these constellations have descended, instead. Why? Perhaps curiosity. Perhaps whimsy. Perhaps...desperation. No matter what, it was clear that the newcomers and their descendants were here to stay. (I mean, the Bounty of the Elements might've changed the aggressiveness of the Shade, too.)

I imagine these guys might also be good navigators. May require a bit more technical training, but a little natural inclination never hurt. ;) Dragons who express gene later in life have known constellations of great personal significance adorned across their bodies (like Dumbledore's map of the London Underground). Those born with it may display unknown constellations. Some clans (generally where the gene is rarer) take this to be portend greatness in exploration.

I generally think that the Starmap gene is kinda like getting a starmap tattooed onto you so you know where to go to find something, or what was in the sky when you hatched. Kinda like the Redguards of Elder Scrolls fame, but I don't think they actually tattooed the constellations they were born under.

*Shrugs.* Just a thought.

Was I taken off the ping list?I havnt gotten notification of this forum for over 4 gene theories..

Why this seems like a gene that has been gifted or was the result of magic,I do think it could help with dragons who hunt at night,those who fly could be concealed by their color and pattern of the stars while flying overhead when hunting or scouting.Of course though this would only work on clear nights. Perhaps the skies themselves are filled with galactic swirls and spirals from space debris.