Quests & Challenges

[center][size=5][b]The Hollow Spire[/b][/size][/center] High among the many peaks of Sorineth, there is a mountain top missing a large chunk of rock. This was once the site of a burgeoning Nocturne colony, now fallen to ruin in the wake of a mysterious disaster. An explosion of magic blew the spire clean open and destroyed the settlement in one savage and swift blow. Afterwards, dangerous and magically charged storms wreathed the ruins. Only in recent years has the peak become approachable as the after effects have faded. What caused this unexpected event? What became of the remains of the colony? Two survivors from the original colony are determined to return to their destroyed home and find some answers. [quote name=Basic_Rules] [LIST][*]A death in the coliseum = that dragon must be exalted. This is the most essential rule of a nuzlocke. [*]All loot obtained in the coliseum is irrelevant, as is the loot obtained from gathering. [*]There are no restrictions about applying apparel to your dragons. Do whatever makes sense to you. Same goes for familiars. [*]Ping or message me if you take the challenge ;p (you don't actually /have/ to but I'd love to see how it goes!) [*]And, most crucially, all nuzlocke activity corresponds with the loot you obtain daily from Pinkerton's plundered pile! [/LIST] [b][i]Optional sentimental rule:[/i][/b] If a dragon reaches level 25 it "retires". It can join the ranks of your main lair. [b][i]Drops of Fate:[/i][/b] [b]Food:[/b] Coliseum time! [center] [b]Plants[/b]: 10-20 matches [b]Insects[/b]: 20-30 matches [b]Seafood[/b]: 30-40 matches [b]Meat[/b]: 40-50 matches [/center] Choose from one of these two rules: [i]Hardmode:[/i] You must select coliseum challengers in your lair using a random number generator. Then, select the coliseum arena that corresponds to the highest level dragon of that group [i](For a 'medium' mode, select the venue that is one tier down from that of highest level dragon)[/i]. If your dragons level up while in an area, you can still stay there for the whole day. You can quit your battle streak at any time to regen health, and flee from battles if it is appropriate. Don't try do 50 matches in a row unless you want a wiped-out dragon! [i]OR[/i] [i]Easymode:[/i] Choose whichever team and venue you want and go for it. Running from battles, using health pots, and ending the battle streak is fine, as I explained above. [u]Materials and trinkets[/u]: Flex your creative muscles! [b]Materials[/b]: Do some writing for your nuzlocke. How does your new nuzlocke clan change and develop? What are your dragons like personality-wise? How do they get along? How do they die? Is there an antagonist in this nuzlocke, or are they merely struggling against the forces of nature? Write dragon bios! Make a blog, or a thread for your challenge in the creative forums! Write short stories or paragraphs, or add to one big one adventure! [b]Trinkets[/b]: Do some art for your nuzlocke! Digital or traditional, use whatever medium feels best for you. Draw deaths. Draw dragons. Draw humanized versions of your dragons (if that's your sort of thing). Draw familiars and dragons together. It doesn't have to be that good or elaborate. If you make a nuzlocke thread, post your art there. Obviously, you might not have time in your day to do something creative. If that's the case, don't worry about it. This challenge is meant to be fun [s]and heartwrenching[/s], not a chore. [u]Rare drops[/u]: Wildcards [b]Familiars[/b]: Buy the cheapest dragon in the auction house of a specific breed. Use a random number generator (between 1-18) to determine which breed you will get! (Optionally: attach the familiar to the new dragon.) 1. Fae 2. Guardian 3. Mirror 4. Pearlcatcher 5. Ridgeback 6. Tundra 7. Spiral 8. Imperial 9. Snapper 10. Wildclaw 11. Nocturne 12. Coatl 13. Skydancer 14. Bogsneak 15. Gaoler 16. Banescale 17. Veilspun 18. Obelisk [b]Apparel[/b]: Breed two of your dragons. The dragons you pick are up to you. You can also change one of the genes on a dragon, or use a scatterscroll if you are rich and crazy. [b]Battle items[/b]: Uh-oh!!! Flip a coin. Heads = DEATH STREAK Tails = Nothing happens DEATH STREAK rules: Randomly select three dragons using a random number generator. Fight in the coliseum using the "food" rules 10 rounds consecutively (ie. you cannot leave that arena), quitting midway if a dragon dies. If you are using the easymode rules, switch to the hardmode rules for battlestones. [b][i]Losing[/i][/b]: If your dragon count falls to zero you have a few options 1. Declare the challenge a "loss" and give up 2. Wait for Pinkerton to drop a familiar 3. Just say "welp" and buy another dragon from the AH without waiting for Pinkerton because you lack patience.[/quote] [quote name=Additional_Rules] [LIST] [*]G1 dragons that perish in battle will be sold in the AH instead of being exalted, but for the purposes of the challenge they are considered ‘dead’. [*]Initial familiar drops and apparel drops will result in random Nocturne hatchling(s) on my Pinkerlocke tab being added to the active characters. In the case of an apparel drop, I will ring 1-5 to determine clutch size and follow basic rules above to determine if they survive hatching. Should all these dragons come into play, only then will the basic rules for familiar and apparel drops resume. [*]Level 25 dragons may either retire OR become an NPC to help with grinding. [/LIST][/quote]

[center][b]Characters[/b] [columns][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/744796/74479522_350.png[/img][br][size=2][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2677959/1#post_2677959][color=c0c0c0]Code created by DalphiaRoses's Code Generator[/color][/url][/size][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=74479522][br]Zuras[br]ID# - 74479522[br][emoji=plague rune size=1] Unusual Eyes[br][img]http://flightrising.com/images/icons/small_male.png[/img][br][br]Umber | Basic[br]Ice | Basic[br]Stone | Basic[br][emoji=coliseum team size=1] Lvl 5[br] Pinkerlocke: The Hollow Spire The Scholar[/columns] [columns][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/745073/74507224_350.png[/img][br][size=2][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2677959/1#post_2677959][color=c0c0c0]Code created by DalphiaRoses's Code Generator[/color][/url][/size][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=74507224][br]Fletcher[br]ID# - 74507224[br][emoji=wind rune size=1] Uncommon Eyes[br][img]http://flightrising.com/images/icons/small_male.png[/img][br][br]Turquoise | Basic[br]Green | Basic[br]Cyan | Basic[br][emoji=coliseum team size=1] Lvl 5[br] Pinkerlocke: The Hollow Spire The Determined[/columns] [columns][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/748889/74888823_350.png[/img][br][size=2][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2677959/1#post_2677959][color=c0c0c0]Code created by DalphiaRoses's Code Generator[/color][/url][/size][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=74888823][br]Rourke[br]ID# - 74888823[br][emoji=ice rune size=1] Common Eyes[br][img]http://flightrising.com/images/icons/small_male.png[/img][br][br]White | Basic[br]Lapis | Basic[br]Tomato | Basic[br][emoji=coliseum team size=1] Lvl 1[br] Pinkerlocke: The Hollow Spire The Earnest[/columns] [columns][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/748889/74888825_350.png[/img][br][size=2][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2677959/1#post_2677959][color=c0c0c0]Code created by DalphiaRoses's Code Generator[/color][/url][/size][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=74888825][br]Astra[br]ID# - 74888825[br][emoji=earth rune size=1] Uncommon Eyes[br][img]http://flightrising.com/images/icons/small_female.png[/img][br][br]Caramel | Basic[br]Obsidian | Basic[br]Robin | Basic[br][emoji=coliseum team size=1] Lvl 1[br] Pinkerlocke: The Hollow Spire The Lost[/columns] [columns][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=74888824][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/748889/74888824_350.png[/img][/url][br][size=2][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/2677959/1#post_2677959][color=c0c0c0]Code created by DalphiaRoses's Code Generator[/color][/url][/size][nextcol][center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=74888824][br]Gwin[br]ID# - 74888824[br][emoji=earth rune size=1] Rare Eyes[br][img]http://flightrising.com/images/icons/small_female.png[/img][br][br]Sapphire | Basic[br]Avocado | Basic[br]Charcoal | Basic[br][emoji=coliseum team size=1] Lvl 1[br] Pinkerlocke: The Hollow Spire The Tinkerer [/columns]

Zuras and Fletcher are the only survivors from a young nocturne colony located in the peak of a mountain. As hatchlings they snuck into a courier’s packs and were whisked away on wing when disaster struck. Some kind of magical explosion blew out the side of the peak. The concussive force of it knocked the courier and stowaways from the sky.

When a rescue party discovered the courier, the two hatchlings were also found. They were taken in and raised by another settlement, as the resulting magical after effects of the peak explosion left the site unreachable. Unpredictable and violent weather and overcharged clouds of magic turned back all rescue attempts.

Now young adults, Zuras and Fletcher are determined to go to their original home and find out what happened. The explosions' magical after effects have weakened over time to something challenging but possible. It will test both dragons’ abilities and teamwork to reach… the Hollow Spire!

[center][quote name=Folknotes][b]Day 1[/b] [item=Flameburst Waterstrider] 20-30 coli matches [b]Notes:[/b] Zuras almost died! Both dragons reached lvl 4[/quote][/center] [b]Story (because I’m a goober who wants to write even if that wasn’t the prompt!):[/b] “How much further today?” Zuras called out. Ahead, Fletcher flicked his head back to look at his friend and grinned. With one gloved claw, he pointed toward a break in the thick forest they’d been flying over most of the day. It was a little farther than Zuras really wanted to fly, but only a little. They’d been on wing since dawn. It was a long way from Violet Springs, the settlement they’d been raised in, to the peaks of the mountains. Neither of them had illusions that it was a trip they could make in a day, but all the same they were filled with enthusiasm to FINALLY be undertaking the journey. Far faster to fly over the dense woodlands than to walk through them. Soon enough they’d encounter mountain slopes with tricky and unfriendly winds that would make walking the more appealing option. The flight had been uninteresting so far. Perhaps it gave them false confidence. When a sudden powerful gust scoured across the sky, it took both Nocturnes entirely by surprise. They shrieked as the winds tossed them about like so many fallen leaves. Fletcher tumbled this way and that before he could finally right himself. Panting and disoriented, he managed to catch a few steady wing beats so he could see where Zuras ended up. Except he didn’t see his friend. A thin wail of panic below dragged Fletcher’s attention down. Zuras was falling. Something was wrong with one of his wings. Try as he might to right himself, he kept spinning and plummeting. “No!!” Fletcher yelped. He dove from the sky towards Zuras. Every fiber of his being was turned towards reaching that whirling dark figure. Gloved claws gripped whatever they could reach. Part of Zuras’ coat and his frantically whipping tail. Fletcher flared his wings with a snap to slow them both down. They were coming up on the ground too fast. Much too fast. “Hold on!” He cried to Zuras. Together the two Nocturnes clung to each other as they crashed into the forest. Fletcher groaned. He was covered from nose to tail in a fine collection of scrapes and cuts. His whole body ached, but somehow he was all in one piece. He raised his head to look for Zuras. Once again, his friend did not immediately appear. All around was thick foliage showing the signs of Fletcher’s rough landing, but no other Nocturne. With a groan, Fletcher got to his feet. “Zuras?” He called out. No response. Fear prickled cold little spikes into his belly. Fletcher looked around again, a little more wildly this time. He almost missed his friend. If it weren’t for the small pop of a pale blue wing poking out from under the tangle of branches, Fletcher would never have found him. “Ra ra!” Fletcher wheezed. His throat was constricted with fear. He scrambled over to Zuras and began to pull away the fallen branches and undergrowth that were piled on top of the still form. Zuras was just as covered in scratches and cuts as Fletcher, but he’d clearly whacked his head on something hard. The scales and horns on top of his head were fractured and scraped. Fletcher frantically felt for a pulse and let out a small whistle of relief when he found it. “Okay, okay, this is what we brought potions for-!” Fletcher mumbled to himself. He reached into the satchel at his side to withdraw a vial filled with cherry bright red liquid. He applied a few drops directly to the head wound, and the rest he dribbled into Zuras’ mouth. There was a long and terrible moment before his friend groggily swallowed. “F-fletch?” Zuras managed weakly. His eyes fluttered open behind his goggles. One lens had a sharp crack running through it. “Right here Ra ra, don’t worry.” Fletcher replied, “You just rest, buddy.” Zuras let out a bleary sigh and slumped back to the ground. Fletcher curled protectively around his injured friend and prepared to stand guard while the healing potion did its work.

[center][quote name=Folknotes][B]Day 2[/b] [item=Raptorik Herder] A new companion![b][/b] [b]Notes:[/b] RNG 1-14 = 14 Welcome Rourke to the party! [/quote][/center] [b]Story:[/b] Morning found the two friends still under the cover of trees. The healing potion had done a great deal to restore Zuras, but he was light-headed and tired from their ordeal. The sudden gust that sent them out of the sky in the first place had strained something in his left wing. “I can walk,” Zuras offered when it became clear they wouldn’t be flying that day. “We won’t make as good a distance, but we can still make progress.” Fletcher shook his head. “Better to rest here, where things aren’t so harsh, before heading on. The Spire has waited long enough for us. One more day won’t change much!” Zuras snorted softly. Before he could reply, both Nocturnes heard a sharp whistle cut through the air. As one, they swiveled their heads to face the noise. Through the trees, far enough back to be out of reach, stood a Raptorik. It was swathed in thick robes and held a staff in one hand. When it saw that it had their attention, it raised the other hand in a tentative greeting. “Hoi, mimic singers,” The Raptorik called in a high, whistling voice, “speak with me a beat?” Fletcher's claws tensed in the soft leaf litter covering the ground. He didn’t like anyone getting close with Zuras in a compromised state. “Hello there,” Zuras replied with careful courtesy, “what do you want to talk about?” The Raptorik seemed pleased and relieved. “Found one o yer kin, little and lone. Will ye take the small singer? I can’t tend the raising and watch my herd.” Zuras and Fletcher looked at each other, baffled. “You found a hatchling?” Fletcher hazarded. The Raptorik nodded vigorously. It stepped aside and gestured with the staff. Out from the underbrush beside the figure emerged a small white and blue Nocturne. It WAS very little. [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/74888823][img] https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=2&bodygene=0&breed=11&element=6&eyetype=0&gender=0&tert=58&tertgene=0&winggene=0&wings=148&auth=cde32cbd55cf2309868630948028106ee16287ba&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/url][/center] “Go on,” The Raptorik said to the hatchling, and pointed its staff at Zuras and Fletcher. “Be wit yer kin.” “Oh, uh-!” Zuras stammered. “I’m not sure we’re-“ The hatchling scampered towards them with bright, ice pale eyes full of curiosity. When he’d gotten halfway to Zuras and Fletcher, the Raptorik nodded once and took to the air. It disappeared above the canopy in barely a moment, leaving the two adventurers with their new charge. “Well, um, hello little one!” Zuras said. The hatchling reached them and scooted to a stop. It chirruped excitedly. “Ye look like me!” He peeped. That seemed to be all he could say before becoming overcome with ecstatic wiggles. Fletcher choked on a groaning laugh. “Yeah,” he managed instead, “we sure do. I’m Fletcher, and this is Zuras. What’s your name?” “Rourke!” “Well, Rourke,” Fletcher asked gravely, “how do you feel about climbing a mountain?”

[quote name=Folknotes] [center][b]Day 3[/b] [item=magnetite] Writing [b]Notes:[/b] Used this as an opportunity to make the character section a little prettier with the help from code generators! Short piece today [/center] [/quote] [b]Story:[/b] Rourke liked his new friends. He missed The Herder, though. The Herder’s beaky face was the first thing Rourke ever saw. It made him sad to not see that face anymore. At least he had other faces to look at. Fletcher had a blue face with green eyes. He wore a thick green cap that let his horns poke out. Rourke liked Fletcher’s cap. When Fletcher saw Rourke looking at him, he would wink. Zuras had a brown face with red eyes. He wore some cloth wrapped around his head and blue goggles. Zuras told Rourke that he had hurt his head, and the cloth was a bandage. Rourke could see that the goggles looked a little broken. In the water of a stream, Rourke looked at his own face. His scales were white and his eyes were just a little blue. He had the same type of nose as Zuras and Fletcher. Not a beak like The Herder. Maybe he could find a beak to wear, the way Fletcher wore his cap and Zuras wore his goggles. Rourke liked that idea.

[quote name=Folknotes] [center][b]Day 4[/b] [item=Kelp tender plush] Art! [b]Notes:[/b] Wonderful art by a wonderful pal!!! @SaynaJaye You can find her art shop [url=https://href.li/?https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/art/2854638/1#post_2854638]here![/url] [s]Grumpy my compooper with art programs is still under repair! Will look for alternate artsy things that I can do instead.[/s] [/center] [/quote] [center] [img]https://64.media.tumblr.com/28591da17ac89fda43c92306dceadde6/adbe1d08636362e9-66/s1280x1920/912daec1fdf05435d3ad96442f75b2197bda48c3.png[/img][/center]

[quote Name=Folknotes] [center][b]Day 5[/b] [item=fresh trunk] 40-50 Coli battles! [b]Notes:[/b] 40/40 battles complete I’ve been hoping for another battle day to see how the stat gains from last time change the fights! Was hoping that Rourke would hit adulthood today and so join the combat, but I got my days mixed up. Still a baby yet! [s]Let’s see how we do?[/s] ZURAS ALMOST DIED TWO MORE TIMES BUDDY BABY WHY DOES EVERYONE GANG UP ON YOU Both Zuras and Fletcher are now Level 5 [/center] [/quote] [b]Story:[/b] “Dodge or defend?” Fletcher demanded. From where he lay swaddled in bandages on the ground, Zuras looked up at his friend in confusion. Rourke was snuggled up along one side of him, fast asleep. They had taken shelter in a small, winding cave after a particularly nasty run in with a horde of Stranglers in the forest. “Wh-what?” Zuras managed. “This has to stop happening!” Fletcher replied in a hiss, “You keep getting hurt and one of these days I might not have a healing potion ready in time!” “Fletcher...” Zuras began. Fletcher cut him off. “So starting as soon as your legs are healed, you and I are doing some sparring. Now choose: dodging or defending? What will we focus on?”