Quests & Challenges

[img]http://flightrising.com/images/nests/8/2healthy_0dead.png[/img] [quote]"I don't understand," Andrick whispered, his muzzle brushed against hers as they curled around one another, tails entwined, warming the nest. "I thought we were...stronger together." "Give them time," Isolde said, with more conviction than she felt. "It does not matter that they are few. They will be strong." But Andrick was uneasy. He had been so confident of his abilities as a child, but dragons mature quickly and he was a child no longer. What if he failed? What if the heirs he produced were unworthy? What judgment would be made against him? The thought kept his mind awake long after his eyes had closed, feigning sleep.[/quote]

[columns][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/241856/24185527p.png[/img] [nextcol][quote]"Pearl. If I may have a moment."[/quote][/columns] The female lifted her head, surprised to be approached. She had been quite certain that her role in the leader's scheme had been fulfilled. What more could he possibly want from her now? [columns][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/241856/24185527p.png[/img] [nextcol][quote]"I hope that I am not interrupting. But the time has come to begin the next phase of our process."[/quote][/columns] That got her attention. With the formality that was generally inspired by Pascale's appearance, she replied. [columns] [quote]"The next phase? Forgive me. I believed my role was complete."[/quote][nextcol] [img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/392673/39267233p.png[/img][/columns] [columns][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/241856/24185527p.png[/img] [nextcol][quote]"Oh, goodness no. I am sorry if I gave that impression. No, my dear. There is much work to be done while we wait for the birth of the heir. Gather Andrick and his woman, when they've finished with their nest. He wished for her to survive? She shall earn her position here."[/quote][/columns] [center]~*~[/center] What does Pascale have in mind? A PINKERLOCKE. Well, a modified pinkerlocke incorporating some rules of the partitioned nuzlocke and some rules of my own devising. Regardless: The surviving heirs shall be incorporated into this pinkerlocke-inspired adventure, in order to give them something to do when they're not being bred (and to keep me occupied while waiting on breeding cooldowns).

[center][item="Seal mane"][/center] [quote]"Allow me to explain the rules of this endeavor, and what I intend to happen." Pascale spoke to the dragons gathered by. Pearl -- his hand-chosen progenitor, upon whom so many hopes were laid. Andrick, her sly son, the first heir of many in a challenge that was to unfold. Isolde, saved from death row, eager to prove herself worthy of surviving. An unlikely trio, perhaps, but Pascale had long since learned to live frugally on surprise. "As you know, the hope is that our efforts will at some point give rise to a truly powerful, magically adept heir. The purpose of everything we have done to this point, from the arranged matings to the ritual sacrifice of hatchlings" here Pearl grimaced "has been to pour as much magical energy into the process as possible. The final heir will be worthy of leading." The others, not knowing what to say, merely nodded in noncommittal agreement. Pascale was not the largest or most fearsome dragon, but he was undeniably intimidating. "But no dragon is born a great leader. He or she will need guidance. You will need to be ready yourselves in order to guide them. And so, for that purpose, I have developed a...training regimen for you. It should give you the necessary opportunities for growth, learning, and, ah...re-aligning your views of the world, in some cases." His gaze here lingered over Isolde, who watched back with cool, impassive eyes. "So. To get to the point. I have a university to maintain, and thus I cannot offer you unlimited assistance...but, in the interests of keeping your venture afloat, I offer you full access to whatever resources we have available in terms of arming yourselves and staying dressed and fed. I am also willing to arrange for a small percentage of profits to be set aside for you. I have no doubt you'll be able to find...whatever else you need, in due time." [/quote] [b]Starting Treasure: [/b]0 [b]Actions Available Today:[/b] Gathering, Trading Post, Familiar Bonding, Fairgrounds (optional) [b]Treasure After Dailies:[/b]5850 That's probably all the treasure they get today unless I get bored later and decide to play some Fairgrounds games (which I very well may).

[center][item="Dried Flowers"][/center] [b]Starting Treasure:[/b] 6100 [b]Actions Available Today:[/b] Gathering, Trading Post, Familiar Bonding, Fairgrounds (optional) [b]Treasure After Dailies: [/b] 11,810 (plus any fairgrounds-ing I decide to do later) [quote] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=27941813] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/279419/27941813_350.png[/img] [/url] "Pascale, sir. Based on preliminary reports of deity activity throughout Sornieth, it appears that your plan may be coming to fruition sooner than expected." The wildclaw entered the headmaster's study, anxiously twisting a rolled-up scroll between his hands. "Magic levels seem to be rising. Weather reports have come in of strange shifts in wind patterns and other activities. It is as you predicted." "You don't sound happy about that, Rafadel." Pascale looked up from his place by the fire, leaving a talon on the page of his open book to hold its place. "Did you think I was a charlatan?" "No, no, no," the wildclaw protested, shaking his head firmly. "It's just that...I suppose...I had hoped you would have been mistaken." And then quickly, sputtering. "Only because of what it means for us all that you are correct!" "You are anticipating another incident like the shattering." Rafadel nodded mutely. "That is what we seek to prevent. Thank you, professor. You are dismissed." Rafadel stood awkwardly for a moment, the tension rising up throughout his lean body, but in the end he merely pushed his spectacles further up the bridge of his nose and turned to leave. Down below, in the lowest rooms of the tower, a pair of unwitting dragons slept curled about their nest. Did they know what was truly in store for them? [/quote]

[center][item="red emperor tulip"] 10-20 matches in coliseum[/center] [b]Starting Treasure:[/b] 25,500 (I got bored and played a lot of Tidal Trouble last night) [b]Actions Available Today:[/b] Gathering, Trading Post, Familiar Bonding, Fairgrounds (optional) [b]Treasure After Dailies[/b]: 28,100 (we'll see if I go back to the fairgrounds tonight, but I doubt it, I've got a busy day planned) [quote]Today was the day for their proving, the first time the trio would work as a team. Andrick was nervous. He had been so confident the first time he had ventured out to fight to the death. He had no doubts at all, at the time, that he would prevail. But now he was stricken with doubts. For his nest, now being tended by a stranger until his return. For his mother, whom he had so little relationship with. Would she blame him for his underhanded, cowardly tactics that had won his position and caused the fall of his brothers? And for Isolde, his beloved, though they had been bound by fate he was so utterly enamored with her. Would he be forced to watch her fall? If it came down between the two of them...would he choose his own life over hers? Could he live with himself if he did? These thoughts and others swirled through his mind as he shoved as many healing potions as he could beneath the folds of his cloak. [/quote] Andrick is level 2, and the others are level 1, so that means the matches will be in the Training Fields. Right off the bat, Isolde got hammered for 1/3rd of her health by two Webwings...this is gonna keep us on our toes. [quote=Notable Drops] [item=broken flower pot][item=florist's satchel]x2 [/quote] Andrick used...several potions. Being forced to heal and watch out for his teammates must be a good experience for him. Pearl has [i]terrible[/i] aim, everyone was always dodging her attacks. Andrick came very close to death once thanks to being ganged-up on by a pair of webwings, but he downed a potion in time. That was nerve-wracking. But, we got through 10 matches without needing to break our streak, so that was cool. All three of them are now Level 3. The first thing I'm adjusting in their stats is quickness to help prevent those turn-one barrage attacks.

[center][item="smooth pebbles"][/center] [b]Starting Treasure:[/b] 28,100 [b]Actions Available Today:[/b] Gathering, Trading Post, Familiar Bonding, Fairgrounds (optional) [b]Treasure After Dailies:[/b] 33,595 [quote] Isolde had never been so relieved in her life. What she had said about the hatchlings -- their strength -- had been mostly intended as comfort rather than truth. She had not been certain she'd believed it. She'd just said as much for Andrick, who was curiously uncertain and delicate for a dragon renowned for his sneakiness. But she owed her life to him now in more ways than one. What would she have done if he had not snuck those potions out on the battlefield? What would she have done if he had not argued for her life and convinced Pascale of her value to the team? She had been rescued from death row once, and now seemed agonizingly close to its waiting, snapping jaws. Would it follow her everywhere, this feeling of dread? Her last hope lay within two eggs and as she warmed them with her body she hoped in earnest that they would be sufficient. She tried hard not to think of the end of their journey, the point when one would die and have its magical energy fed to the other. Some things did not bear consideration. [/quote]

[center][item="Ancient Fungus Spores"][/center] [b]Starting Treasure:[/b] 33,595 [b]Actions Available Today:[/b] Gathering, Trading Post, Familiar Bonding, Fairgrounds (optional) [b]Treasure After Dailies:[/b] 40,030 [quote]Tomorrow. They would hatch tomorrow. Isolde was certain of it, though she had never sat a nest before. Still - some things you just knew, and the energy radiating from the eggs was enough to convince her. Why was she so afraid? They would not fight to the death tomorrow, no matter what happened. And, no matter how they looked, one would survive, the other would die. There would be pitifully few surprises. Yet still her stomach twisted with fear that she did not understand. She pretended to sleep, not realizing that nearby Andrick was also pretending to sleep, his own mind churning with uneasy thoughts. They did not speak or reach out to comfort one another. They only suffered in their solitude, the steadily pulsating warmth of eggs between them. [/quote]

[columns] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=40145587] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/401456/40145587.png[/img] [/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=40145586] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/401456/40145586.png[/img] [/url][nextcol][quote]The disappointment was searing. Isolde had been prepared to love her hatchlings unconditionally, to fight for them against a cruel world, but as they struggled from their eggs she found that she no longer cared what happened to them. She was far more concerned with what this might mean for her survival. At times, it was easy to forget that Isolde had been a criminal. But every so often, a reminder came with swift and shocking brutality. Staring down at the hatchlings and thinking that it did not matter which would die...was as potent a reminder as any. [/quote][/columns] Welp. No upgrades, AND no double. They've both got quite nice colors, but challenge-wise they're of no help. Guess we'll see how they do in the coli. It's a shame they're different genders or I would start pre-shopping for a mate. Ah well. Off to Pinkerton to see what he'll do for me.