Quests & Challenges

[size=5][b]Day 31: Battle![/b][/size] More battling. This time, 18 battles with Flameheart, Lasciel, and Darter. Let's see if we can get Flameheart to level 3 this time. [item=Turnip] Flameheart did indeed safely make it to level 3, and Lasciel went from a tiny gap to level 7, to just a sliver away from level 7. [size=5][b]Day 32: Apparel[/b][/size] What is with all the dragon-acquiring items so suddenly? Another breeding "token" for me. [item=Red Healer's Vestments]

[size=5][b]Day 33: Amaram[/b][/size] I don't know what to think of my luck. Today, I have gotten another familiar. [item=Moonbeam Crayfish] So, I rolled, and have randomly picked up a dragon from the Nature auction house. Welcome to the group, Amaram! [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=33499489] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/334995/33499489_350.png[/img] [/url] In addition to that, Flameheart was ready to breed today, and given my lore plans for her, she'd not be a good mate for Claude so he's out, and Troll's not ready to breed today either. Leaving Lasciel, Boris, and Kulukan. I want to breed Boris to Darter, which will leave the Snappers to a coin toss: And so, Flameheart and Kulukan are on a nest of two eggs together. This uses the Blue Warrior Haori. Interestingly, Amaram is also ready to breed, and I might just pair her up with Lasciel, and use the Teardrop Citrine Choker use. Only, I am out of nests, so either I wait until tomorrow, or I rent a nest elsewhere, which... might be nice for getting different elements, or I will be overrun with Nature dragons eventually. My dice roll says "Wind".

[size=5][b]Day 34: Battle![/b][/size] More battling. Jiangshi is still a baby, and Lasciel and Amaram are on a Wind nest, exempting those three from the rolls leaving it to just the other six. Of them, I got... Claude (uh oh, Scorched Forest), Troll (okay that's doable), and Flameheart (...RIP, I do truly believe I may be losing a dragon this time.) 16 battles, let's do this. [item=Lucky Star] We got through one battle. And then the Wintermane Bowmen showed up. A single hit one-shot Troll, and I am suddenly realizing I have some of the worst elements for this region. Rest in pieces, Troll. [img]https://i.imgur.com/fIfrsJr.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/pVOeFSA.png[/img]

[size=5][b]Day 35: Battle![/b][/size] Oh boy, another battle after yesterday's traumatic events. Jiangshi has grown up now, but Lasciel and Amaram are still nesting, so we've got six dragons once more to randomly roll from. Today, we shall attempt 20 battles with... Kulukan, Claude, and Jiangshi. Oh man do my dice hate these poor dragons right now. [item=Craftsman Brightback] Fourth battle in, I lost Kulukan to a crit. Woo hoo, we're doing very well? Kulukan cannot be exalted right away, however, because he's currently on a nest. [img]https://i.imgur.com/egiwYry.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/uY4plwL.png[/img]

[size=5][b]Day 36: Fury[/b][/size] A material today! And oh boy, I do NOT have a shortage of lore to write about anymore! In fact, I'd say I am drowning in a deluge of lore to spill forth. Also, I just looked up sizes of the characters involved in this, and... Imperials are really big, guys. Seriously, if you're not a Ridgeback, Guardian, or Imperial yourself, don't try to take one down with only one other "medium" dragon. [item=Birch Twigs] The next day, the group returned to their search once more, fanning out even further. Deep in the jungle, idly pawing at the ferns and scanning the canopy with a bored, disinterested look, Claude wondered when the others would finally give up. He was just about to flop down into a comfortable-looking moss-covered dip in the ground for a nap, when he heard the snap of a twig behind him. Whirling around, he got only a glimpse of another dragon as the other dragon, realizing they'd been heard, dropped all pretense of stealth and dashed out of the way of a massive, clawed swipe from Claude. A second dragon made their presence known by leaping onto his back, digging claws in and attempting bite into his spine. His mane and their own small size saved him, however, and he swung his head around to bite at them. [i]Darter![/i] The Mirror leaped off his back and into the bushes to the left, just as his jaws snapped at thin air. A blast of necrotic magic hit him from the right, and Claude staggered and growled in pain. Curse the Plaguebringer for her rotten children! Ignoring Darter now, Claude shifted his focus to the other dragon. He now recognized the Wildclaw that was warily backing up, preparing another spell: Troll, the other scent on that egg. They wanted revenge, didn't they? Well, they'd have to try harder than this. One single leap covered the distance to Troll, who broke into a run to the side to get out of the way of the large, enraged Imperial. Claude could feel teeth sinking into his tail, and as he chased Troll, he lashed it back and forth furiously, lifting and dragging the Mirror behind him as she clung on. Another blast of necrotic magic shot at him from the bushes ahead, wilting the flora as it hurled past. He dodged this one this time, and made another jump, pouncing at the bushes, and feeling the Wildclaw wriggling behind his heavy claws. Troll gave a shriek for help, but Claude ended the fight with a last, fatal bite. Darter, battered from her own attempts and realizing she was now alone, let go of Claude's tail, and gave one last angry cry, trembling as she screamed, before dashing away. Claude didn't bother to chase her, and with his scratches and his bloodied tail, he went to find the others. [size=2][i](Seriously, what were they thinking?)[/i][/size] [img]https://i.imgur.com/PkrLy5x.png[/img]

[size=5][b]Day 37: Magiere[/b][/size] Before I forget to mention: Darter and Boris are on a nest, using the Red Healer's Vestments. Now, what's this? A Shalebuck? Welp, time to find another dragon. [item=Shalebuck] From my dice rolls, it looks like I am picking one up from a thread, and from more dice rolls, I now have the newest addition to the group: Magiere. Underneath that skin, he isn't terrible looking at all. I guess I just really like using skins... Now, he's going to be the (currently, only) exception to the exalting rule: If a condition is met that he must be exalted, he will be returned back to the thread from which he came, instead. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=37985371] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/379854/37985371_350.png[/img] [/url]

[size=5][b]Day 38: The Waterfall[/b][/size] Another material, another chunk of lore to write! Also, Kulukan's nest hatched, but neither baby survived the coin toss. That's 0/6 now. Additionally, Kulukan has also been exalted. [item=Seeker Orb] When Claude found the others, it was evident that Darter had very much run away, rather than run to the rest of the group, for the rest of the group had no idea what had happened. Claude was happy to fill in the blanks for them, with only a hint of exaggeration. "So, I was looking for the egg, when Darter and Troll came out of no-where and attacked me. Look at this! My tail, my back, these scratches, the festering plague magic - that was them! I- I have no idea why they would do such a thing, but they were screaming about their egg. I think they thought I had something to do with its disappearance." "Where are they now, then? This is unacceptable!" Lasciel grumbled, frowning. "I know emotions are high, but to blame and attack another of the party, when we've only been trying to help..." "I... I had to defend myself. I'm sorry to say it, but the attack did not end well for them. Troll is dead, Darter ran away. If I could have ended it peacefully, I would have, but Troll's magic, I was worried he was going to kill me!" "Serves 'im right." This was Boris, and the first time Claude had ever heard the Spiral actually talk. "That guy, 'e was accused o' necromancy, so 'e ran away from 'is home. He was try'na come clean, prove 'is, uh, in-... in... innocence. I told 'im, he's messin' wit the wrong crowd; that Mirror was trouble. Ye knew it, Claude, that's plain as day. But 'e didn' see it. She was en-, uh, encouragin' 'im. A bad gil, that one." In the contemplative silence that followed, Kulukan finally stammered the horrified words bouncing around inside his head. "K-k-kill? W-what? Th-that's, uh..." "Terrible. Yes, Kulukan," Lasciel answered. "Well, there's nothing to be done about it now. I... suppose we keep moving forward. Let us forage around a bit before we depart, but I would like to be moving once more by mid-afternoon. Agreed?" Everyone nodded, and each picked the direction that seemed most tasty to them. Claude, sniffing for water, soon found himself atop a cliff edge, with a river going over it in a massive waterfall. Leaning down to take a drink, Claude nearly jumped in surprise when Kulukan, who had somehow managed to sneak up behind him, gave a tentative "hello..." "Oh. It's just you. What did you want?" Claude asked him after he had gotten over his fright. "Well, you've got those fearsome wounds, sir. I have bandages and medicine, would you like me to fix them up for you?" "Oh. Right." How did Claude forget the stinging pain in his tail? Probably because the necrotic magic in his side was the worse pain, and only time could heal that. Holding still for Kulukan, he let the Snapper clean and wrap his wounds. "So, uh, why did you fly off with Darter's egg, anyway?" The tone suggested idle conversation, as though Kulukan did not think the question was very significant, and turning his head to look at Kulukan, Claude eyed him carefully. The dim-witted Snapper was busily bandaging up Claude's tail, occasionally looking up with a friendly smile. Did Kulukan oh-so-casually mention this to Darter and Troll, too? Is that how they knew? Was he smarter than he looked? Was this intentional? The stupidity an act? His temper slowly rising, Claude flicked his tail out of Kulukan's paws, smacking him in the face in the process. "Oh!" Kulukan gave a surprised grunt. "Did I hit a nerve? My apologies, I'll try to be more careful!" "Yes, you did," Claude hissed, getting up and circling the little Snapper. "What other audiences has that stupid mouth spoken to about this?" "I- I don't understand, what do you mean?" Kulukan asked, worry and fear clearly in his voice now, as he shifted about to keep his back away from the menacing Imperial. With Kulukan trapped between Claude and the river now, Claude lurched forward, and Kulukan instinctively scrambled back away from him, splashing into the water a little. "You lack subtlety, you lack the knowledge of knowing when to speak and when to keep your mouth shut." Claude growled. "You told, them, didn't you? Oh, I'm sure you didn't [i]mean[/i] to do any harm! But you... you can't be trusted, because you don't even know what's supposed to be a secret, do you?" Claude nudged Kulukan further into the water. The Snapper, as Snappers usually were, was built like a boulder, however, and weighed several tonnes, so Claude did not get him very far. But even as Kulukan's weight saved him, it also doomed him: The wet, loose mud under the water began to give way underneath his weight, driving him deeper into the river, and Kulukan slipped and stumbled as he desperately tried to get out. Knowing Claude had gone too far, that Kulukan would definitely tell the others what had happened, that Claude would be revealed to be the horrible, vile monster he is, Claude kept Kulukan from escaping, holding him back and letting the mud wash away as Kulukan sank further and further, until the currents finally swept the Snapper over the edge of the waterfall. Claude took to the air and watched Kulukan fall, his splash only barely bigger than that of the crashing waters. Claude saw no further trace of the Snapper after this, for Kulukan, as all Snappers would, sank like a rock.

[size=5][b]Day 39: Battle![/b][/size] Oh boy, oh boy, we're back in the Coliseum. 42 matches with... Boris, Jiangshi, and Magiere. No Claude, WHEW. In fact, these guys might actually get a few levels done today, and safely, for we are in the Training Fields! [item=Ermine] And, as predicted, everyone was safe and sound, and we got a few levels on Magiere, and a level each for Boris and Jiangshi. Unfortunately, Boris was the first to level up, and being level 6 really put a stranglehold on the experience from the training fields... In other news, Lasciel and Amaram's nest hatched, and, of the 8 eggs that have been hatched thus far, we finally have a single survivor: Meet Yorikiro. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=39430451] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/394305/39430451_350.png[/img] [/url]

[size=5][b]Day 40: Lies[/b][/size] Wow, day 40 already? Well, then! Today we shall write some more, for we have gotten another Material. [item=Giant Feather] Panting and gasping, as if he were out of breath, Claude swooped down and landed next to Lasciel. "Lasciel! Lasciel! Tragedy has struck!" he gasped, talking quickly. "I tried to warn him, oh, but he didn't listen! It's Kulukan! He... he..." Lasciel's face went from confusion to alarm, and then finally, horror. "Quickly, show me! What happened?" Claude led the older Snapper to the river's edge. "Agh, I was fishing, and Kulukan, well, he wanted some fish, too, and he kept going into the water to try and catch some, and I warned him not to, because of the waterfall! I was worried about the current, and then sure enough, it pulled at him, and he lost his footing. I tried to get him out, we both tried! But, he was so heavy, and the mud, oh..." Claude faked a sob. "He went over the waterfall. I... I don't know where in the water he went, I couldn't get him out..." Lasciel carefully approached the cliff edge, looking down, with an expression of deep sadness. "Oh, Kulukan... You adorable, stupid, loving child... You didn't deserve this. I am so sorry, I should have made you stay in your home." They both stared over the edge in silence, letting the crashing waterfall drown out their thoughts. Eventually, Boris showed up, giving them a puzzled look. Lasciel shook his head. "Well, there's no use standing here. Come on, there's someone we should probably tell. Kulukan had a mate, she'll probably want to know what happened. Boris, Kulukan is dead." [size=5][b]Day 41: Dun Dun Dun[/b][/size] Well, it only took 41 days, but here's our first battle stone! Oh boy... And, unlike [i]all those times I had to flip a coin for hatchlings,[/i] I got Heads. Lasciel, Amaram, Boris. Not gonna lie, I'm a little scared for Amaram, who is level 1. Thankfully, we're in the Woodland Path and not the Scorched Forest, I guess? [item=Discipline] Okay, that was a rather quick, if somewhat terrifying, way to get Amaram to nearly level 4.

[size=5][b]Day 42: There and Back Again[/b][/size] More lore to write! Additionally, Darter and Boris' nest hatched, and we have 2 survivors this time! Welcome to the world, Dantris and Rhagoh. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=39517812] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/395179/39517812_350.png[/img] [/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=39517811] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/395179/39517811_350.png[/img] [/url] [item=Fishing net] Apparently, Kulukan's mate was in the opposite direction of his lake than where the group had traveled, and it took three weeks to travel back. Claude was annoyed, for though Lasciel did occasionally talk about Claude's parents, and assured Claude that they'd still get to the point that Lasciel wanted to take him to, "eventually, at this rate," Claude was impatient, and knew fully well that, largely, he had created these delays himself. Now, they were at the base of a tall, spindly tree, on which was a single amber den - a Fae's home. Just above Claude's head height when he was on all fours, Claude sat up on his haunches, and found himself towering over it. Silly Faes, their concept of 'high up' was quite amusing to him. Lasciel called out. "Flameheart? Are you home? You know I cannot climb up there." A tiny, monotone voice shouted from inside the den. "Lasciel, is that you. What a surprise. Tell me, have you seen- ACK!" The owner of the voice popped her head out at that moment, first looking down, and then suddenly noticing the massive Imperial crouched outside her home. "Oh!" Claude exclaimed. "Uh, my apologies, I didn't mean to startle you. Yes, Lasciel is down there." The Fae blinked at him, then quickly whipped down to the forest floor, and Claude decided to crouch down again, resting his head next to the much smaller dragons. "A-as I was saying," Flameheart continued, "I haven't seen my dear beloved Kulukan in some time. It seems he has abandoned his little lake. Did you happen to see him at all in your travels." Lasciel gave a deep sigh. "Yes, Flameheart. He decided to try and travel with me again," he started, and Claude felt a twinge of guilt when the Fae looked about, clearly looking for Kulukan. "No, he is not with us. I am terribly sorry to say, an accident occurred and he has died. He got swept away in a river and fell over a waterfall. We came here to let you know of his passing." The Fae was silent, though she flicked her crests and wings an incredible amount, mostly to flick them back and down. Claude was not familiar with Fae body language, but if he likened the crests to a wolf's ears, and them being pressed back meaning something negative, he could imagine she was probably expressing her sadness. Or anger? Claude could only guess. "I..." Flameheart's voice was choked now. "I... thank you for letting me know. I... must rest now. And grieve. Th.. thank you." Without another word, the Fae fluttered, with much less energy than before, back to her roost, and the lights inside it quickly went out. Did they really come all this way, just for this? Claude glanced at the others, and then realized he was quite alone in his opinion that this had been a waste of time. Lasciel spoke up, quietly whispering. "It is getting dark, let us find a place to rest for the night." Half an hour later, Claude settled into a pile of ferns and moss, and gave a sigh. Finally, maybe, the delays would end.