Quests & Challenges

DAY 5 Speed Skating [b]Glacierth [/b]was beginning to wish he’d emulated [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&tab=dragon&id=242017&did=33177628]Zodonyarith [/url]and taken on a student to represent WindSky Weyr at the speed skating competition, but just hadn’t felt ready to retire. He’s been on the podium, but he hasn’t gotten that big win, the gold medal, and really felt he had it in him to achieve that goal. But his practices had been going very badly this week. If not for [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&id=242017&tab=dragon&did=34515404]Frozenth[/url]’s cheerful company, he’d have been tossing and turning sleepless every [i]night[/i], brooding, and agonizing over his mistakes. It was inexplicable! He just couldn’t figure what was going wrong. It seemed like the universe was conspiring against him!! Frozenth laughed, as she reached over to tickle his ribs. “Stop being a worrywart, that’s not like you! You’re good! A few mistakes now, they’ll be out of your system, and you’ll be brilliant as usual! [i][u]I[/u][/i] think you’re overthinking it! Just trust yourself to do what you do so well, and you’re sure to shine!” He wasn’t entirely convinced, but hoped she was right; he had to admit, she often was! [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=22944142] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/229442/22944142_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] [u][/u]

[b]Day 5- Cross Country Skiing[/b] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/405854/40585324_350.png[/img] Magnus huffed, wondering for about the fifth time how close he was to the finish. He'd picked cross-country skiing as a challenge, and had been [i]so excited[/i] to compete that he hadn't been able to sleep at a reasonable time last night. Which, actually now that he thought about it, might tie into why he's so tired now and wants to get this over with, despite the challenge and excitement of a cross-country ski race. It was the hills that were the worst part, or, well, going up them. The Guardian was able to foist himself up them fairly easily, but it was tiring, although it did make the easy slide down all the more worth it. As Magnus got to the top of the hill, he saw the finish line in sight.

[center]Day 5: Luge Sledding [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=54420515][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/544206/54420515.png[/img][/url][/center] Trix was a natural at this sledding thing! Speed was her game, since she had lightning in her veins that helped her fly through the dark [u]night[/u] sky of the woods, and she was confident that she had beaten the competition... So much so that she completely ignored the actual times once she reached the bottom of the track. She was celebrating herself for now, but only time would tell whether she would actually be celebrating a victory or not.

[center] [size=4]Thursday: Alpine Skiing- Slalom[/size] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/498870/49886956_350.png[/img] Delta looked over at the snowy hill with apprehension. Grabbing her ski poles with her claws, she tried to ready herself. She clenched the poles tightly and shivered. Living in the Sea of a Thousand Currents, which was typically quite tropical throughout the year, she wasn't used to being this cold. She bent down to pick up her specially-designed skis and trudged towards the ski lift that would bring her to the top of the mountain to start the competition. As Delta looked up in the sky, cold and nervous, she blinked. What was that? It looked like a shooting star. Maybe it was the universe's way to reassure her that she would do okay. Or maybe it was just a random occurrence. Either way, she smiled, and watched the light trail across the [b]night[/b] sky until it blinked away past the horizon. ----- [size=4]Thursday: Cross-Country Skiing[/size] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/531516/53151556_350.png[/img] It was cold. Buy Sky loved the cold. The frigid air embraced her and she smiled widely. It was time for the competition to start! She clutched her ski poles and slid her feet into her skis. At the starting call, she pushed off of the ground, sliding down the small hill and weaving around the trees before the snowy earth leveled out. The skydancer walked quickly and carefully over the snow, wincing at a fellow dragon who accidentally fell into a snowbank. As she crossed the finish line, she looked back at her competitors, some still crossing it. Had other dragons passed this point before her? Were there more that had came ahead of her way over there? Sky squinted to try and see, but couldn't make out anything from this distance. Oh well. I guess she would find out if she won at the awards ceremony! ----- [size=4]Thursday: Curling[/size] [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/497209/49720882.png[/img][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/498538/49853788.png[/img][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/498538/49853789.png[/img][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/498538/49853790.png[/img] Atlantis looked over at his curling team. He smiled. He couldn't be prouder of them, especially because they were his first-born and favorite children. "C'mon, let's show everyone what we got!" Laiken cheered enthusiastically, crouching down and flicking out his tongue before his sister Vivian shoved him in the shoulder playfully. "You're not even ready!" she scolded him as she handed him his broom. Or, as he had deemed it, his curling-push-stick. The three of them were jostling each other in excitement. "We're definitely going to get the gold!" Adrie exclaimed joyously. Atlantis chuckled. "We won't if you three don't calm down and get ready to actually participate." He knew they had a chance. The four of them had been practicing all year for this, ever since Adrie had learned about the winter games. He turned around and waved to his mate, Andromeda in the stands. She smiled warmly and waved back, clapping for them as they stepped onto the ice.

[center][b][u]Day 5[/u]: “Group Events” (Curling and Ice Hockey)[/b][/center] A large group of dragons hurried through the grounds, glancing periodically at the sky. Or rather, at the sun, and its distance from the horizon. A passing Imperial distinctly heard one of the number, a rather pretty Coatl, murmuring about “finishing before the [b]night[/b] fell,” but as to what was to be finished, it was hard to tell, as the group seemed to be comprised of all sorts of different dragons, with no defining characteristic trait that could hint at which Event they were intending to compete in. It also seemed that several of those dragons were…smoking? Yes, there was definitely the scent of sulfur coming off that Skydancer, and the gentle-looking Nocturne had a strange burn-mark on her side…and that red Spiral was literally covered with odd-looking purple flames. What on Sornieth was going on with this group? Whatever it was, they were clearly in a hurry, so intent on where they were going they didn’t seem to notice anything else… [center][b]Part 1: Curling[/b][/center] The group of 2 Tundras and 2 Skydancers peeled away from their Clanmates as they reached the [b]Curling[/b] Pit, heading quickly to check the sign-up sheet. Hopefully, it would be good news… [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=28311204] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/283113/28311204_350.png[/img] [/url][b]Bombarda Maxima[/b] [i]Mage[/i] (Arcane)[/center] [i][b]Bombarda[/b] breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of their team’s name, “Elemental Forces” from Clan Elemental Gems, listed to compete that day. Even better, it was early in the afternoon, meaning that they would have plenty of time to finish up before they had to go home. She shook her head, still shocked by the message little Green had brought. How on Sornieth had Samhain managed to create a magical firestorm in her own sleeping area? Glancing over at her brother, Bar saw that Alakazam’s fur was still smoking. It was extremely fortunate that the Clan had so many mages adept with both regular fires and Fire Magic, she reflected, but she really, really, wished that Al hadn’t been one of those who battled Samhain’s disaster last [b]night[/b]. He looked exhausted, and not at all ready to compete in an Event the Clan was hoping would mean another medal. And Jasper, who had spent the whole night channeling that same magic away from the Nursery, looked no better. In fact, the only one of them who looked the least bit refreshed was Nebula. And Bar wasn’t so sure whether the Dark Mage’s furious mutterings and angry growls at her Goddaughter were an improvement on Jasper’s drooping wings and Al’s rapidly blinking eyes…or far worse. Still, the four were here, which was more than could be said for the original Ice Hockey Team, all of whom had been too tired to fly to the Gala this morning. The Curling team was all present and accounted for, and they had come to compete, and maybe win a second medal to join last year’s Bronze on the Trophy Shelf. But most of all, they were here to have fun at their favorite Event of the year. And they would, the Skydancer Captain told herself firmly, regardless of how well—or not so well—they did. Her confidence restored, she nodded to her team, passing the brooms to her brother to distribute.[/i] [center] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=28311205] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/283113/28311205_350.png[/img] [/url][b]Alakazam[/b] [i]Mage[/i] (Arcane)[/center] [i]Despite his sleepiness, [b]Alakazam[/b] smiled, as he accepted the brooms from his sister. He knew that Bombarda was worried about their chances, but he wasn’t the least bit concerned with the situation himself. His fight the [b]night[/b] before with that odd fire forest--who knew fire flowers usually confined to bottles could grow that big that quickly?--had actually invigorated him. And it wasn’t like he was going to need his magic today. It was against the rules to use it, so the fact his magical “muscles” were seriously depleted meant nothing. It would be his paws he used to hold the broom, and those were just fine. Well, almost fine. Al winced as his right paw encountered a particularly cold patch of ice. That burn was not getting any better. Ah, well. He would have Spinel, the Clan Healer, look at it later. In the meantime, he had an Event to help his team win. He bumped Jasper gently before they both headed off to their starting points. Time to show that that medal last year hadn’t been a fluke….[/i] [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=4268115] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/42682/4268115_350.png[/img] [/url][b]Jasper[/b] [i]Mage[/i] (Plague)[/center] [i]Covering his yawn as best he could, [b]Jasper[/b] took his broom from Alakazam before heading to his spot. He was a lot older than he used to be, he thought sourly, and all-[b]night[/b] magical catastrophes were definitely not his thing anymore. Especially not when they were followed immediately by a hard, fast flight to an entire different section of Sornieth. Still, he reflected, as he ran his paws up his broom, looking for a good grip, he wouldn’t want to miss this for the world. What had started, several years ago, as a way to make people forget his embarrassing time as a turkey, had become a matter of pride in its own right. He was a part of this team, and by the Plaguebringer and the Arcanist both, he was going to compete! Studiously ignoring the fact that the world was spinning around him, he settled into his position, waved his readiness to Bombarda Maxima, and waited for Nebula to shove the first rock…[/i] [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=14045774] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/140458/14045774_350.png[/img] [/url][b]Nebula[/b] [i]Dark Mage, Potions Mistress[/i] (Ice)[/center] [i]The Dark Mage thrashed her tail in annoyance, glaring at the curling rock as if it was her errant Goddaughter. Fortunately for the stone, she could not use her magic during this Event. Otherwise, it might have frozen solid, and then exploded, from the strength of that glare alone. As it was, her teammates and the watching spectators probably thought that [b]Nebula[/b] was displaying incredible concentration in this game as she gave the rock in question a tremendous shove. The Potions Mistress watched the rock slide over the ice, and thought about what she was gong to say to her Goddaughter when she next saw her. It wasn’t the fact that Samhain had caused a firestorm last [b]night[/b] that bothered her, the Tundra thought in irritation as she marched over to where the rock now sat. The girl was a Chaos Mage, after all. It was to be expected that when certain fools left her alone for an extended period of time, that she would indulge herself in her favorite pastime of creating mayhem. It was the fact, Nebula growled to herself, as she shoved the rock again, that the source of this particular firestorm were the fire flowers the young Chaos Mage had acquired from the Fire Festival--and she had used [b]Nebula’s[/b] potions to make those flowers “grow” so rapidly. Potions that she had [b]not[/b] asked Nebula’s permission to use, and which were extremely difficult to make. Now the Dark Potion Mistress’ entire rare potions stock was depleted, and the chances of finding some of those ingredients again weren’t good at all. And this was NOT acceptable. Nebula broke off her muttering to wave at Jasper, who was now closest to the stone, and then settled back to watch the game, and continue imagining how she was going to make her thieving Goddaughter see the error of her ways… …Later while waiting to hear their scores, Bombarda Maxima, Alakazam, and Jasper would all agree that Nebula’s performance at the games this year was the fiercest that they had ever seen, and an extremely, er, interesting sight to behold….

[center]Day 5: Ice Hockey [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=112657] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/1127/112657_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] Axl had been supposed to compete in the ice hockey competition last night, but got in a fight with one of his assigned teammates and got kicked out before the match even began. So, to ensure the clan remained eligible for the final rankings, Galadriel would compete in today's competition instead. She hadn't been planning on participating in any of the competitions, but she was probably the toughest member of the clan and so was best suited to hockey. Despite her size and strength, Galadriel put on the required equipment as an extra precaution. She had never played hockey before, but she figured if she could defeat a Wave Sweeper, she could hit a puck with a stick.

[center][b]Day 5[/b] Ski Jumping [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=47473821] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/474739/47473821.png[/img] [/url][/center] Kun narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath as he stared down the slope. This was it, this was his chance. He let loose the breath and pushed against the snow with his sky poles, and he was off, wings tucked tightly to his sides as he skied through down the path. The full moon shone brightly in the night as he approached the jump. [br /] [center]Cross-Country Skiing [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=51318292] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/513183/51318292.png[/img] [/url][/center] Hyann grinned as he passed the trees. He was in his element, here: The woods provided solace that few other places matched, and skiing through them was a form of meditation so desperately needed. He narrowed his eyes as he saw a dragon ahead, but he was not worried. Stamina was his element.

[center][b][u]Day 5[/u]: “Group Events” (Curling and Ice Hockey)[/b][/center] A large group of dragons hurried through the grounds, glancing periodically at the sky. Or rather, at the sun, and its distance from the horizon. A passing Imperial distinctly heard one of the number, a rather pretty Coatl, murmuring about “finishing before the [b]night[/b] fell,” but as to what was to be finished, it was hard to tell, as the group seemed to be comprised of all sorts of different dragons, with no defining characteristic trait that could hint at which Event they were intending to compete in. It also seemed that several of those dragons were…smoking? Yes, there was definitely the scent of sulfur coming off that Skydancer, and the gentle-looking Nocturne had a strange burn-mark on her side…and that red Spiral was literally covered with odd-looking purple flames. What on Sornieth was going on with this group? Whatever it was, they were clearly in a hurry, so intent on where they were going they didn’t seem to notice anything else… [center][b]Part 2: Ice Hockey[/b][/center] Leaving their Curling brethren behind at the pit, the motley group of dragons walked rapidly over to another area, chatting amongst themselves as they walked. Upon reaching the [b]Ice Hockey[/b] Rink, the group finally acquired some organization, as a dark-colored Guardian stepped out to the front…. [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=43447148] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/434472/43447148_350.png[/img] [/url][b]Lughnasadh[/b] [i]Fighter, Gamer[/i] (Arcane) Team Captain, Right Forward[/center] [center][columns][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=57458029] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/574581/57458029.png[/img] [/url] [i]Mage, Warrior[/i] (Plague) Center Forward[nextcol][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=3826128] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/38262/3826128.png[/img] [/url][b]Flamecaster[/b] [i]Mage[/i] (Shadow) Left Forward[nextcol][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=10073557] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/100736/10073557.png[/img] [/url] [i]Mage[/i] (Plague) Right Defense[nextcol][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=4106400] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/41065/4106400.png[/img] [/url][b]Norberta[/b] [i]Witch[/i] (Plague) Left Defense[nextcol][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=10072998] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/100730/10072998.png[/img] [/url][b]Aquamarine[/b] [i]Mage[/i] (Shadow) Goaltender[/columns][/center] [i][b]Lughnasadh[/b] sighed in weary resignation as she led her team to the waiting area by the side of the Rink. She was beginning to think that she was not going to ever have a winning team at the Gala. The Clan’s Gamemaster had spent a full year training an [b]Ice Hockey[/b] team to compete in the Games, and in one [b]night[/b], all those plans had come crashing down. Comprised as they had been of Ice Dragons and Warrior Mages, the original Ice Hockey team had all been recruited to aid in stopping the disastrous firestorm that had almost obliterated the lair in the past 48 hours. They had been successful, of course—not even Samhain’s Chaos Magic could prevail against the combined might of every Fire Mage and Water Mage in the Clan--but the price of an all-night battle with that awful Fire Forest had been an exhausted group of dragons who could barely fly, let alone play a game of hockey. So the Clan Mother had declared that, rather than abandon the game, they would choose the team by Random Draw. Unfortunately, as had happened every single year this option was utilized, the results were not exactly encouraging. Instead of a team of Ice Dragons and Warriors, Loo now had a team of Plague and Shadow Mages, none of whom, of course, could use their magic in the game. Though she supposed it could have been worse: The pretty [b]Aquamarine[/b] was an excellent choice for a Goaltender, considering her size—if she would just break her habit of not moving from her chosen spot for hours…The older female [b]Nocturne[/b] and [b]Norberta[/b] both had some instinctive defensive Plague fighting skills that might work well on the ice—though Norberta needed to stop joking about what “spells” would work to help the team before someone thought she meant to actually use magic, and cried “foul”….And [b]Flamecaster[/b] was at least a fighter experienced in working with a team—if he could just get those illusionary Shadow Flames of his under control before he was disqualified. And no one could doubt the fierceness of the young [b]Banescale[/b] female, who had been a last-minute addition to the team. Practically a baby she may be, but Loo could not hope to find a more determined Center Forward anywhere---if the little one would only stop snarling at every Gaoler and Ice Dragon she saw. The sound of the team’s name—“Elemental Chaos”—echoed over the speaker system, summoning the group to the ice. Lughnasadh straightened and signaled to the others. For better or worse, they were up. And who knew? The team was not the best, but they were willing, and not so tired that they were practically asleep on their feet. The Clan’s first Ice Hockey team, years ago, hadn’t been that much to look at, either, yet they had walked away with a medal. Maybe, the Gamemaster thought hopefully, as the referee set the puck down on the ice, and the game began, things would work out after all…[/i] …A little distance away, every single member of Clan Elemental Gems currently on the Sornieth Winter Games Grounds settled down to watch their team play. Even the Curling Team, having just finished their own bout, was present. The Clan’s enjoyment of the Festival might have been cut short by the foolish experiments of one of their own, but they were determined to support those of their number who still had to compete, regardless of what the result on the ice turned out to be… (And that, unfortunately, is that, until Sunday. The best-laid plans of dragons and mages are nothing to the whims of Chaos and RL... But there will be some dragons returning for the Awards Ceremony and Final Remarks, as the Clan Mother has no intention of depriving her competitors of finding out how they did. In the meantime, the Clan's dragons would like to continue to receive the Daily Ping, if possible, as they wish to keep up to date on how things are going at the games, and quite a few of them love to listen to Clan Diamond Dust's commentary each morning. ;) Thanks to @JinxMoonstone for an Event as delightful as it was in earlier years, and I look forward to seeing how things shake out on Sunday!)

[center][size=4][b]D5: Alpine Skiing[/b][/size] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=51868194] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/518682/51868194_350.png[/img] [/url] Pawing at the snow gathered around her claws, Imogen adjusted her goggles and slowly breathed in the chilly night air. This was it, her big moment --- before her mind could wander any further, the piston sounded, signaling the start of her run. Muscle memory activated, Imogen leaned forward and turned her mind into autopilot: turn here, twist here, tilt skiis 45 degrees; just a litttllee bit further... However, as soon as she passed the first gate, Imogen could tell that something was wrong; she didn't feel quite as balanced as usual -- indeed, she found herself instinctively swinging her tail in an attempt to recenter. But there was just not enough time - the next gate, this time far out of the normal path of the run, was fast approaching and Imogen wasn't confident that she would be able to adjust fast before to avoid crashing. [/center]