Quests & Challenges

@secretlylying (shrug) the personality wheel threw a curveball and tacked "self-centered" on to him [emoji=banescale sad size=1] him being determined to do science stuff for Bossdad and building his own improvised little retreat to do so felt like the best approach. As a parent would say, teens be rebellious [emoji=banescale laughing size=1] @Snaphance Adding! Thank you for all the wonderful compliments!

[center][size=6][color=#2b67b3][b][font=Georgia]Post ten, chapter I:[/font][/b] [font=Georgia][i]Lost to the cold[/i][/font][/color][/size] [img]https://i.imgur.com/wQS70u9.png[/img] [/center] [center][size=2][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/2792593#post_41582670]Jump to table of contents[/url][/size][/center] [center][b]TW for death[/b][/center] [center][color=#69462b][i]With a brand new clutch of eggs to watch, training sessions were again greatly hindered. Ebhaal's parental instincts had flared up more powerfully than ever before, and for the first two days they basically refused to step away from the nest. Once that protectiveness became a little more mellowed though, we began sharing nest duties. To help Binthrahl learn more responsibilities, I sometimes drafted him to come watch the nest with me while Ebhaal went out hunting with Seghunin. My mate was perhaps a little too cocky for their own good at times… but our adopted daughter had proven herself more than capable of holding her own with just one partner in battle. So long as they didn't venture beyond the regions we had charted, we were all confident they'd do well together. Binthrahl, though not hugely enthused about being distracted from his work, was dedicated about ensuring the eggs were in good health. My light magic helped them flourish by day, and the blue-eyed adolescent kept a close eye at night. We have plenty of time to chat, and he seems to warm up to me again as the days pass. I'm glad he didn't mean to be malicious, it seems that his adolescence has left him with a lot of conflicting ideas too. Perhaps it's a quirk of his species to prefer putting his needs before those of a group? I think his desire to live far above the ground has to do with his element, but so much is still uncertain. I think it really is time to talk to Ebhaal about trying to contact other clans, because we could use more knowledge of the world we grew up in... The eggs continue to do well, as far as we can tell. Ebhaal and I check the nest rigorously every morning and evening, and Seghunin is always observing from the sideline, eager to help in whatever way she can. On the morning of the sixth day, my mate and I are woken by a chirp. A familiar chirp, something like- [b]Us.[/b] The eggs! Immediately wide awake, the two of us watch as one of them shifts in place a little, a couple of the leaves falling out as the egg prepares for hatching. Ebhaal croons softly to both of them, and the moving egg actually responds with a frantic chirp! Seghunin comes stumbling out of the den, sleepy but clearly determined to be a witness to the clan's first clutch of eggs hatching, a historic moment for our young family. Binthrahl glides over to the nest from his spire, and several of our familiars come to see what all the excitement is about. All of a sudden, there is an entire audience. The egg draws all eyes back to it again with a sudden squawk, and we hold a collective breath as a little, bright purple snout pushes open the top of the seedling-like eggshell. After that first push, the hatchling doesn't need that much extra time, and to the excited calls of their parents, they hatch fully out of their egg. A pair of dark green eyes squint up at Ebhaal, and they immediately move in to nuzzle the tiny newborn. Craning my head over to do the same, the hatchling chirps at me and opens their wings for the first time, shaking the last bit of egg slime off of the thin membranes. They remind me so much of Ebhaal, with purple scales and two bright orange wings… [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&id=2633&tab=dragon&did=58237384][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=175&bodygene=50&breed=18&element=10&eyetype=1&gender=0&tert=106&tertgene=0&winggene=0&wings=48&auth=7e7a0a2c1f343b9c074c2a50db827838c9220a65&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/url] "They are wonderful," I whisper, scarcely able to describe this feeling. Pride, hope, determination… We'd keep this precious little one safe, our child. Them, and their sibling -- When the hatchling turned their attention to me, Ebhaal had moved on to the other egg. Calling to it softly, hoping to spur the hatchling inside on, the remaining egg stayed strangely quiet. Where its' sibling's egg had rocked quite energetically, this one was still. Carefully, my mate nuzzled against it, worry making their hopeful smile fall as the egg again didn't respond. All that we saw happen was every last leaf that had crowned the top falling out all at once, floating limply to the soft soil. We both tried calling to our egg, but no reply ever came. Our firstborn continued chirping excitedly, clueless about our mounting distress. "Take the hatchling," Ebhaal told me suddenly then, and I meet their eyes in alarm. "Please," They plead. "I don't know if taking the egg out of the nest would make things worse, so take the child - I don't want them to see whatever is wrong with our egg…" It's the best option we could see. Coaxing our tiny newborn carefully onto my wing, I carry them out of the nest so all the other clan members can meet them. The youngster doesn't seem the slightest bit intimidated by the many new faces looking at it, and in fact chirps quite bravely at Seghunin even as the much larger dragon moves her head over to have a closer look. Just when she was about to say something, we hear an agonized cry from the nesting site. Without even needing to be asked, Binthrahl gingerly takes the youngster into his careful hands, allowing me to rush back to where my mate still sat at the nest. Lightweaver, it was a [b]horrid [/b]sight. Just last night, all had been fine! Our firstborn looked to be in excellent health, but the picture was very different for the other egg… Too worried to leave it, Ebhaal had attempted to make a small opening to help the hatchling break out. There was a hole, but no activity to be seen or even sensed. Looking closer, I saw inside the egg, and whatever I had wanted to tell Ebhaal got stuck in my throat. The hatchling… it was [b]frozen[/b] inside of the egg. The cold wasn't obvious when the egg had been sealed still, but now it was clear for us to see… [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=98&bodygene=50&breed=18&element=10&eyetype=0&gender=1&tert=106&tertgene=0&winggene=0&wings=51&auth=4be2e5f6ba77117fbb7269ae6a4a02a9dc31437d&dummyext=prev.png][u]The little one was... dead[/u][/url]. Dark grey scales, covered in a thin sheen of ice. Eyes closed... Ebhaal, distressed and confused at their discovery, pressed their face to mine, desperate for support. "[b]How?[/b] How did it freeze?" They cry, and I can't help but weep with them. This wasn't the ice magic I knew to be wielded by my mate and dearest friend, this - this felt primal, cruel, like some darker influence that snuck in without our knowing. "Whatever did this, I know it cannot have been you," I choke out, throat tight around the words. I cannot remember the last time I felt misery like this… Wanting to see the child we lost, we eventually push ourselves to peel open the seedling-like eggshell, brown protective covering stripped away to reveal the lifeless hatchling. It was truly awful. Both of the eggs had looked to be in perfect condition, but it couldn't have been further from the truth for this one. Our prayers to expand our family had been heard, so how could this happen? How could a blessing be so cruelly destroyed? For a while, Ebhaal and I just sat there, silent. Even in the tropical warmth of the Labyrinth, the body of our stillborn daughter never thawed, and our tears didn't stop for a long time. Binthrahl and Seghunin did a great job of keeping our first - and only - newborn occupied, but we both knew that we had to process our loss and move on to look after the survivor, a boy with colours like a flower. It was a tough loss, and the clan felt eerily quiet for much of the day, though our new son's excited chirps did fill that strange void somewhat. Our happiness felt muted in the face of our loss, but it could not be understated how glad we were to have our son. We would be seeking out a good burial site for his sister tomorrow, but for now, we turned all our attention to him. We named him Bayun, meaning "Joyous boy". [size=2]Regular update pings: @Thulcandran @Pastie @secretlylying @DragonPrincess27 @bonesdarling @euphonies @Rosesinger @Font @banii @Frionivalis @Aurellyn @Amantius @EmeraldJubilee @SpaceSnake @amoo101 @Rowan00 @FlamingDragon02 @Samidare @Zwitterion @Dragonfruiteen @CyanYume @Bxy26 @GlitchedFox @DracoDiscovery @Hisscale @Soupalicious @Tune @slothfulMutt @Snaphance

@Pastie I really liked how her grey primary and beige wings worked together [emoji=banescale sad size=1] But the family will make it through this loss. I really love how much Bayun looks like Ebhaal! And you know what's funny?[i] Just like Ebhaa[/i]l, they got the Cocky personality trait [emoji=banescale laughing size=1]

[center][size=6][color=#7400ab][b][font=Georgia]Nightfall:[/b] [i]Night ten, chapter I...[/i][/font] [img]https://i.imgur.com/RDMDr3R.png[/img][/center] [center][size=2][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/2792593/10#post_41838235]Jump to day update[/url][/size] [color=#69462b][i]It became an emotionally hectic day. Even through the haze of our grief, Ebhaal and I bonded with our newborn. The boy was endlessly curious, but actually surprisingly manageable compared to our previous experiences. Bayun stayed close to us all day, happily rolling in the short grass and moss around our feet, and pouncing merrily after colorful beetles. When dusk began to set in, we showed him the den for the first time, and after a few repeats of picking him up and putting him in the entryway, he eventually went inside... and promptly curled up in the middle of my soft bedding. Very carefully, I moved him just enough to create enough space for myself. Scattering around a few sweetpuff feathers in the hope of helping us ward off troubled dreams, I wished Ebhaal goodnight. Worrying would come soon, but for now we tried to get our respite. [b]RNG results:[/b] Something digs a few battle stones out of the hoard. An Aquatic Might Fragment, Natural Might Fragment and Diseased Acuity Fragment disappear from the hoard. [size=2]Giveaway pings: @DragonPrincess27 @bonesdarling @euphonies @Rosesinger @Font @banii @Frionivalis @Aurellyn @Amantius @EmeraldJubilee @SpaceSnake @amoo101 @Rowan00 @FlamingDragon02 @Samidare @Zwitterion @Dragonfruiteen @CyanYume @Bxy26 @GlitchedFox @DracoDiscovery @Hisscale @Soupalicious @Tune @slothfulMutt @Snaphance[/size]

@amoo101 The nuzlocke mechanic whereby I have to toss a coin for every hatchling I get from nests - tails means the hatchie died, and the poor girl got unlucky :(

The cause of death ties back into the personalized lore I have set up for this challenge. It's a variant of the Permafrost Blight that hits the unhatched offspring of strong Banescale warriors.

Oh nooo poor babies ):

@Mutation Oh my goodness Bayun is adorable! He does look a lot like Ebhaal while still showing his father's blood through the genes. [emoji=banescale love size=1] I love. The other boy though, poor him. That must be a horrible way to die, freezing before even being hatched. Here's hoping the others live for him and don't suffer too much from his passing.