Quests & Challenges

[center][i]Every kite gets stuck at one point or another, but with a little help can soar into the skies once more[/i] [img]http://i.imgur.com/kkhCsKD.jpg[/img][/center] Kachine gets herself tangled in a tree. I didn't get to do much more color than a flat image, but absolutely love how this turned out given the time constraints. Please treat yourself and [url=http://i.imgur.com/kkhCsKD.jpg]click here[/url] for the full sized image; I promise you will thank yourself for it. The image is wallpaper sized. And thus concludes the saga of good'll Kachine. I have thoroughly enjoyed this exercise in creativity; thank you ever so much for hosting it! [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/L6uAInG.jpg[/img][/center]

[center][b]Challenge #6[/b][/center] [center][b]Tempest[/b][/center] [center][b][color=orange]Aeolia[/color][/b][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/Z3idoTe.png[/img][/center] [center][b]Wind Jam[/b] Tempest maps his realm Aeolia sings his praise He is Noodle Dad [/center] ((I know this isn't as extensive as some of the other entries, but I worked all day and I need to get to bed soon, but I hope you like my haiku. I think it's cute. Also, thank you for this event. I've really enjoyed taking part.))

[img]https://s17.postimg.org/tc1zcmivz/susurrus-apparel.png[/img] "Ah, hello, excuse me! Are you called 'Susurrus'?" At the sound of the piping voice asking her name, Susurrus opened her eyes. It wasn't long after sunrise, and she could feel the minds of the rest of the aerie around her, mostly still asleep. She'd become more sensitive, in the classical Skydancer fashion, since she'd begun living in the company of other dragons, the sensitivity like a muscle that she was finally exercising. The figure before her, though, was no dragon: a light green bipedal creature, a bit larger than a Fae, borne up by green-blue wings and dancing currents of wind. A Wind Sprite. She'd seen one before -- Gala, beloved friend of the Wind Imperial Zephyrina, and self-appointed "ambassador of the Windsinger" -- but she'd never been addressed by one, and this one had a presence about her that Gala lacked: a sense of lofty joy, tempered by a very real authority. Susurrus wasn't sure where to begin. "I am Susurrus. Are you... of the Windsinger's Court?" "You're quite right! I am Tempest, of the Windsinger's entourage, and honored cartographer and explorer! It's so nice to meet you at last." "... 'at last'?" "Oh, the Windsinger's told me all about you. He says you're awfully brave and he's very proud of you for embarking on this latest adventure. What is it, though? He didn't say, just that you were staying in Dragonhome... which is why I thought I'd visit you, while I'm here." Susurrus paused. "Well," she said, "I don't know that I know what the adventure is any better than you do. If I had to guess... I'd say just staying in Dragonhome is the adventure. I've stayed here for a week now, between jobs. It's... an unusual sensation." Pleasant? Yes, arguably. But very foreign. Perhaps there was an edge of adventure to this after all. "Only a week? But look at how nice your lair is!" Tempest swooped past Susurrus and into her room, where she'd hung up some of her acquisitions: a rich tapestry, Centaur-made, a gift from a Dunhoof who had availed himself of Susurrus's services, and a map of Sornieth that she was slowly working on annotating. "This is so lovely! You must be having a lovely adventure. Oh, and you've got gemstones!" She turned towards the small pile of smooth-polished agates that sat under the wooden perch where Echo hung, still asleep. The Cursed Bat rustled a wing, chirped, and closed her eyes once again. "Those are the kinds of gifts Earth dragons give. It's... I suppose it's a collection now. A hoard." "Do you think one of them could help me? I'm looking for an almandine garnet. I'm on the way to visit a friend, and if I could find him a nice garnet, as a memento of when we met..." "I think this is more spessartine country," said Susurrus, before she wondered just how she'd come to know that. Was Dragonhome starting to rub off? "We can consult with the jewelers, though. Some of them might be up. Follow me to the workshop?" "Oh, thank you! The Windsinger said you'd be kind, and of course he was right. I'm technically here to map the Cairnstone Rest in better detail, but surely it'll be all right to take a detour to visit Larimar..." There were a great many questions Susurrus could ask the sprite, she realized, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to get a word in edgewise. Instead, she contented herself with leading Tempest towards the jewelry and gemcutting workshops, deeper in the Galena lair. Yes, there were many questions, but... if the Windsinger truly watched her, that answered many of them. Perhaps it answered enough.

Wandering daughter of the wind
What have you seen? Where have you been?
Are there flowers blooming in your past?
Was the starry sky part of your task?

Wandering soul of the twisting storm
Why would we stay where we were born?
It's only the branch from which we may fly
We'll taste every unknown sky

---

---

Aura had found herself back at the Cloudsong. It had been years since she last visited, years since that bloodied festival. She had put off returning for so long, but this was home to her in many ways. It was only a matter of time before she returned.

This day, too, was a festival. It was the last day of the Mistral Jamboree and, although Aura had long since gave up selling wares as a merchant, she now visited the Plateau's main city for another profession: peacekeeping.

Aura was by no means a strong dragon, but she was adept at Wind magic where others were not and had learned to keep her courage close to her heart. She thought it was high time she put it to use, and stop the fear that had accompanied the Windsinger's festival since that fateful night.

The day had been otherwise uneventful. Aura settled any disputes in the city, and she kept an eye out for suspicious looking dragons. It wasn't until evening, just as the sun began to dip into the horizon, that she ran into a familiar face.

The sprite was on the of the Windsinger's, a leafy green thing with intelligent eyes. Tempest was well known for her loyalty to their patron deity, and Aura was familiar with all she'd done for mapping Sornieth.

Unfortunately, Aura had quite literally ran into the sprite. Both creatures spilled to the floor, although Tempest righted herself quickly enough—the benefits of being a smaller creature.

"I'm so sorry!" Tempest cried, rolling into an upright position mid-air. "I was flying too fast."

"No, no," Aura corrected, shooting up to all four feet, "I was distracted as well." She'd been watching the sun stain the skies red, and had gotten lost in thought.

Tempest smiled kindly at her before swooping down to scoop up Aura's fallen mask. "Here you are," she said, offering up the apparel.

Aura's cheeks flushed and she quickly grabbed for the mask, tugging it down over her face. "Thank you."

As if they were friends continuing a previous conversation, Tempest said, "I've been looking for my friends. I think I lost them somewhere in the festivities. These events can get so hectic!"

Caught off guard by the familiarity the sprite offered her, Aura hesitated before replying, "Oh, yes. Lots of dragons visit from all over." She paused again, then: "Would you like help finding these friends?"

Tempest beamed at Aura. "That would be great! Normally I'd fly up to get a better view, but...." She trailed off and glanced up at the sky, the sunset colours almost hidden in all the kites that packed it.

After Tempest detailed the appearances of her friends—a rather eclectic group by the sound of it—the duo began to make their way through the twisting kite boardwalks of the Cloudsong. They eventually found the group, scattered but otherwise enjoying the festival, and regrouped at the heart of the aerial city.

"Thank you again!" Tempest said, sounding both relieved and delighted. Her friends hovered around her, pointing out the odds and ends of the festival to one another.

"I'm just glad it all worked out," Aura replied easily, offering up a smile of her own. "These festivals are better with friends, after all."

Tempest nodded. "They sure are!" This time it was her turn to hesitate, but then she spoke in a rush. "Would you like to join us?"

Aura blinked. "What?"

The sprite appeared to blush. "I just mean.... Well, it looks like you're here alone. I figured you could use some company." She smiled kindly at Aura, and added, "Besides, something tells me you would fit right in."

At a loss for words, Aura glanced over at the group that Tempest traveled with. Dragons and creatures of all flights, and of all elements. The sort of thing Aura was familiar with. The sort of thing she'd distanced herself from.

Perhaps this was the Windsinger's way of telling her it was time to join in once more.

"I- Sure." Aura surprised herself with the answer, but it felt right. She wasn't lying when she said the festival was better with friends. "What's a festival without company?"

Vinta entered the workshop, pushing through a simple curtain of beads. This was one of the inner chambers of the Cloudsong, and as such had no windows. It was illuminated by the soft pure light of some enchanted crystals. Candles, it was obvious, would be a disastrous risk: the room's walls were lined with cubbyholes and shelves, filled with scrolls and folios of paper, parchment, and other delicate materials. This was the Windsinger's personal library of maps.

A few desks clustered in the center, where a bespectacled Snapper was working to restore an antique blueprint of the Spiral Keep. He looked over Vinta as she entered, but turned back to his work, relieved, when someone else volunteered their help.

"Why hello there! My name's Tempest. Can I help you find something?" Vinta was a bit startled until she pinpointed the source of the voice: a diminutive wind sprite, zipping in from one of the room's corners.

"Ah, yes," Vinta said. "I was hoping to see you, actually. You do have a reputation as an expert with maps, Tempest."

"Why, thank you." The hovering sprite bowed, giving her a little smile.

"To get straight to the point, I'm planning a journey to the Southern Icefield soon. A scholarly endeavor. And I'll need a good map, and some advice on what route to take."

"Hmmm," the little sprite buzzed, already on her way to one of the cubbyholes. She checked a few scrolls before finding the one that she wanted. "A-ha! What do you think of this?" Curling down from her fingers was a map that, fully unrolled, would probably be about the size of Tempest herself. "It's only ten years old, got all the major cities and mountain passes, and the right size for travelling. Copied from a reputable source, of course. We keep the bad maps in that section over there."

"Very nice," Vinta murmured, taking it in her hands. "Yes, I think this will do. You keep inaccurate maps here, too?"

"Oh, yes! Windsinger says they're like stories that show people's perceptions. That's what you study, right?" Vinta nodded. "Anyway, you can borrow that for your journey, under all the normal conditions, of course. And it's not protectively enchanted, so be careful about water damage or insects - or else Felltree will be stuck cleaning it up!" Tempest indicated the diligent Snapper, who looked up from his desk to give Vinta a warning look. "And you'll also be fined, and we want to avoid all that nastiness, so...just don't let it happen!"

"I shall keep this map as though it were given to me from the Windsinger's own hands," the calligrapher promised as she rolled it back into a scroll. Considering the position of sprites, that was symbolically quite true. "Thank you again for your help, Tempest."

"No trouble at all! Was there anything else you needed?" The sprite asked, keeping pace with Vinta as she headed for the exit.

"Well," the Skydancer began, stopping short of the curtained portal, "I was going to inquire with some acquaintances about whether I should use an air caravan or travel by water. Do not take offense, little sprite, but I doubt you have ever traveled to the Icefield except under the power of your own wind magic."

"That's true, but I bet you could fly there on your own too, couldn't you?" said the sprite, curiosity piqued.

Vinta shook her head. "Not while carrying a Serthis!" A smile growing on her face, she pushed through the bead curtain, leaving the gossipy little sprite to her work.

[center] [item=Filigree Rapier] Mercyfall, the Light Reaper "As the shaft extends, as the harp sings, this rapier begins its dance of deadly rainbows. Beware the wind that swings before this sword." [img]http://oi61.tinypic.com/33w8h1t.jpg[/img] [b]Parhelion[/b] [img]http://flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=84&bodygene=1&breed=4&element=3&gender=1&tert=128&tertgene=11&winggene=16&wings=144&auth=9f0c96396691f4e8ff7d8c56c00f0607dc92ba27&dummyext=prev.png[/img] [item=Summer Swelter][item=Prismatic Wing Silks][item=Teardrop Chroma Choker][item=Pearly Earrings of Chemistry][item=Simple Harp] [img]http://oi61.tinypic.com/33w8h1t.jpg[/img] [center][img]http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp274/Flandre/wind-150.png[/img][/center] [img]http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o580/Serpyderpy/Flight%20Rising/Icons/flameforgers_zpskdyukee9.png[/img][font=Cambria][size=5]Tempest and the Sakura Orchard[/font][/size][img]http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o580/Serpyderpy/Flight%20Rising/Icons/Flipped%20Icons/lovebirdsflipped_zpspsnnmyyk.png[/img] One day along Tempest's journey to finish Windsinger's map she got into a bit of trouble at the edge of the Ashfall Waste and the southern sea on her way to the Shifting expanse. The air was hot and the little Wind Sprite landed on the nearest inactive vent to rest for a bit. She peered around mildly curious if there were anymore fiend cats around. The last time she stopped to update the map she'd needed to help one of the poor creatures free itself. There didn't seem to be anyone around however, so Tempest pulled out a tiny crumb cake from her satchel and began nibbling on it. After a few minutes, Tempest noticed a strange breeze ruffle her feathers and, curious, she glanced in the direction the wind was moving. The only thing that struck her as odd was that the breeze seemed to be carrying pink petals on the wind. Tempest blinked, confused by why there would be cherry blossoms petals dancing on the wind in a volcanic place like the Waste. Twitching her nose, she hopped off her vent and went to explore. She followed the breeze until she found one of the oddest place she'd ever seen. At the edge where the Waste met the sea was an orchard of blooming Sakura trees growing precariously in between the lava flows that emptied into the sea like glowing waterfalls creating giant steam clouds that rose slowly among the branches. [img]http://images6.fanpop.com/image/user_images/5485000/RainSoul-5485001_650_406.jpg[/img] Tempest's eyes grew huge in wonder and awe. It was a strange place, almost surreal, but it was unimaginably beautiful too. Just as she took a hopping step closer to the orchard however a keening hiss behind her alerted her too late of the leaping Firebelly Weaver. She barely had time to turn and see its massive pincers flying down towards her before there was a brilliant flash of colorful light, a bountiful yell of triumph, the clicking of dolphins, and the swinging of a pearlescent sword. Suddenly a dragon sitting in a golden chariot was standing before her where moments ago had been a fire breathing monster. Tempest heard the dolphin clicking sound again and realized it was coming from the lead of the chariot where two of them were floating off the ground and nudging each other in delight. "Hey, you oughta be more careful. That thing almost had you in its jaws," the Pearlcatcher laughed lightheartedly like nothing could phase her; not even the near-death of a precious wind sprite. "Good thing I came along when I did!" "Thank you for saving me. My name is Tempest and I'm on a mission for the Wingsinger to finish this map of his when I got distracted by this wonderful orchard." The pearlcatcher glanced at the trees and grinned, "Yeah they are a spectacular sight aren't they? A real wonder of nature. My clan calls this place the Sakura Grove." Tempest perked up, "Oh does your clan live here?" She shook her head, "No. We live on the Plateau mainly but we have small territories in all the flights in case anyone needs a vacation." The dragon smirked, "This is one of those places. I've been posted here for a few days to look after the place while the old guard is on break. I'm Parhelion by the way but everyone just calls me Sunny. " "Sunny....where did you come from? I barely saw you." Sunny pursed her lips, "Well I was one my chariot; I used to be a sky racer on the Cloudsong before I left to help out with things like this." She gestured to the cherry blossom trees. "Pretty awesome right?" Tempest nodded in agreement and smiled, "I'm going to mark this place on the map but I should get going now. Thank you again for your help Sunny." "Anytime.... and hey, why don't I give you a ride to wherever you're going? It'll be faster and Stella and Orion here won't mind, will ya?" In answer there was several excited clicking sounds. "Sure! That sounds like a lot of fun!" Tempest grinned and hoped on board. Before she knew it, she was on her way towards the Shifting expanse on a high flying golden chariot with a dragon whose wings she swore reflected rainbows in the sun. [img]http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o580/Serpyderpy/Flight%20Rising/Icons/pearlcatcher_zpscepwpsql.png[/img][img]http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o580/Serpyderpy/Flight%20Rising/Icons/Flipped%20Icons/pearlcatchermirrored_zpsflo3nohh.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/tNTREnm.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Zh9Zw1J.png[/img] [center][font=Cambria][size=5]B I O G R A P H Y[/size][/font] [font=Cambria][size=6]P[/size][size=4]arhelion came to the Clan of the Twisting Lights during one of the most festive times of the year on the Plateau. The Mistral Jamboree was in full swing when the unusually young Pearlcatcher arrived at the clan's outer borders. It was one of the Keepers of the Tree of Archives, a skydancer named Aviva, who found her near the edge of the bamboo forest that surrounded part of the clan's lands. Parhelion was carrying nothing save for an old harp and a shockingly pristine rapier that glistened pearlescent in the sunlight. She refused to say where she had come from but only asked Aviva if she could be allowed to stay with the clan. [/size][/font] [font=Cambria][size=6]E[/size][size=4]lectra, the leader of Twisting Lights, consulted with her parents who were the clan's leaders before her and the clan's founders. There wasn't much discussion however, Twisting Lights had been founded to shelter dragons with nowhere else to go, regardless of their situations. It was decided then that Parhelion would be given a place to stay up in Wysteria, a smaller secondary territory the clan controlled up on the Cloudsong. Basically a floating harbor in the sky, Wysteria was a collection of docked airships and hot air balloons maintained by the small population of the clan's dragons who lived there year round. [/size][/font] [font=Cambria][size=6]C[/size][size=4]himalma, the elected chief of Wysteria, kindly accepted Parhelion and welcomed her to the glorious sights and sounds of Wysteria. This was when Parhelion was introduced to the famous air chariot races that were apparently very popular up in the Cloudsong. Dragons and harpies from all over would come to watch these exhilarating and dangerous races. The riders were both dragons [i]and [/i]harpies competing together in a style that Parhelion had never witnessed before between any beastclan faction and dragons. She saw dragons greeting harpies like old friends and cheering on their favorites together. Something about this sight stirred a fire within her and she begged to be trained in the arts of these sky racers. [/size][/font][/center] [font=Cambria][size=6]A[/size][size=4] Wildclaw named Forever was the clan's current racing trainer. She became Parhelion's mentor and it was she who gave Parhelion the challenge of training Stella and Orion. "Once you three learn to trust each other, [i]that's[/i] when you'll know your ready to race," She told Parhelion with a grin. So that's what she did. She calmed them with her music and trained them. Eventually, they learned to love each other. They lost some races but they also won many races and earned a growing fame in the name "The Razor's Edge", which eventually became their team name. [/size][/font] [font=Cambria][size=6]W[/size][size=4]hen war came however, Parhelion was drawn to the dominance fighting like a fly to the light. Racing was her passion but there was something she had never told anyone within the clan. Her thoughts brooded upon that old rapier that she had gently stowed away after settling in Wysteria. Her claws yearned to wrap themselves around its hilt once more and her muscles ached with the memories of their dances with the blade. Finally she uncovered it one day and went to Chimalma to say that she must help with the dominance efforts. She explained that she had never been entirely truthful about her past and that she had never been as unskillful as she pretended to be when she first arrived in the clan. [/size][/font] [font=Cambria][size=6]C[/size][size=4]himalma stopped her before she could explain anything more about her past. Then told her with a smile that everyone keeps secrets and if her heart was telling her to leave then she should follow it. Grateful, Parhelion tearfully said farewell to all of the friends she had made and rode off on her chariot towards the dominance battles with her two most trusted companions pulling the lead. It turns out that Parhelion is both a fierce and unusual warrior with unusual abilities. Her rapier, known as "Mercyfall, the Light Reaper" is a deadly and precise weapon in her claws. Curiously, her harp is also a weapon because when she brushes the cords bursts of colorful light erupt from both her wings and her blade, blinding her enemies with devastating consequences. This is now her role within the clan. A chariot racer, a harpist, a warrior, a swordswoman, a living rainbow... she is all of these things and more. [/size][/font] [img]http://i.imgur.com/MSSOaai.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/tNTREnm.png[/img] [indent][indent][img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/familiar/art/621.png[/img][img]http://flightrising.com/images/cms/familiar/art/620.png[/img][/indent][/indent] [columns] [item=Cloud Chaser] [center][b]Stella[/b][/center] [center][i]"Agility"[/i][/center] [item=Golden Porpoise] [center][b]Orion[/b][/center] [center][i]"Strength"[/i][/center] [nextcol] Along with her skills with swords and songs, Parhelion has also trained in the ancient wind tradition of sky chariot racing. The idea of this sport is the same as chariot racing on the ground except that you're in the sky with a chariot pulled by powerful flying familiars that are guided by the riding dragon standing in the chariot behind them. The dragon cannot use their wings to help the familiars push the chariot faster but they can use their wings to help steer and turn like two giant backseat rudders. In this way, sky chariot racing is even more difficult then races on the ground. Dragon and familiars must have complete trust in one another since the familiars are responsible for the speed and the dragon, the steering. During her training, Parhelion was partnered early on with two training steeds. This pair of flying dolphins hadn't shown the promise in competitive races that their breeders originally thought they would, so they had been cast off as training animals for more talented riders and familiars. By the time Parhelion met them, both animals were embittered, aggressive beasts that constantly lost races because of their wild and misunderstood natures. Parhelion however, being strong of mind and soul, took both a gentle and stern hand in their care taking and eventually they began to trust one another. This was when she named them "Stella, for the sky" and "Orion, for the stars", one would be her agility and one, her strength. They won many races together upon the golden chariot Parhelion bought with the treasure they earned from their first win. Today, Parhelion rides her team into dominance battles with shining armor adorning her faithful companions and her feared rapier, Mercyfall, held high above her enemies. [/columns] [center]Parhelion's chariot:[/center] [right] [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/11/c1/c8/11c1c817afdac3bd7fdb91507b28c87e.jpg[/img][/right] [b]Edited grammar mistakes only [/b]

[center][columns][img]http://image.prntscr.com/image/ada7ca7d0f274f9990f3f56a14ba56e8.png[/img][nextcol][img]http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp274/Flandre/wind-150.png[/img][/columns] From the still pre-dawn mists of the Reedcleft Ascent a plaintive undertone trickled over the steppes. Moving in the direction of the sound, Tempest tried to imagine what could have produced such a sussuration in the calm crisp air. It was haunting and comforting and oh so inviting! Parting the bushes of a grassy steppe, Tempest almost stumbled over Frolic, who sat with eyes closed in intense concentration, a wooden Pipeflute held lightly to her lips. [item= Wooden Pipeflute] Not wanting to disturb such obvious absorption, Tempest settled nearby and started quietly humming a melodic harmony as the Spiral continued exploring the intricacies of her tune and the instrument. When she sensed a hesitation in Frolic's tune, she puffed a soothing breath toward the flute, and the melody soared with new complexity. Only after about 5 minutes of this dulcet duet did Frolic's eyes fly open and she sprung twirling into the air, startled by the presence of the Wind Sprite. "Oh, dear Windsinger, you startled me!" exclaimed the agitated Spiral as she unwound herself and glided to the ground. "I'm Frolic, and thank you! I've been struggling with that passage forever, and whatever you were humming was so right, I just sailed through the hard part and I thought I had discovered a new way to get compound sounds from the flute, and then a new melody just appeared in the breeze that just sprang up, and my tongue started fluttering over the reeds, and... then... but..." "What did we just create???" Tempest giggled a bit, and moved closer to inspect her new friend and her flute. "I"m Tempest, so happy to meet you this way. I think we just created a friendship!" she lilted. "And an Ode to Mistral Jamboree 2017!" [/center]