Raffles & Giveaways

Snow. A common occurrence where the peaceful Ice clan lived. But there always seemed to be a specialness to the first snowfall of December. For this particular clan, it meant that the long winter months were upon them, but it was also a time of beauty, with snow on the pine trees, and the great aurora showing prominently in the night sky. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13265547] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/132656/13265547_350.png[/img] [/url] Silver had noticed the snow beginning to fall late last night, though she hadn't mentioned it. It was hard enough for Moonbeam to keep all the hatchlings inside the lair, the snow would just excite them even more. Now, as dawn broke over the snow covered evergreens, she walked outside into the soft snow. She sat down near the entrance of the vast cave system that her clan had made ist lair in. The cold was almost never a problem, but food would be. She would have to send out hunting parties, but she was confident that they would have enough food before it got too cold to find more. And if not, she knew she could always count on Genovia, the leader of an allied clan in Wind, and her best friend. While they would still receive snow, it would not be nearly as harsh as in the Southern Icefields. Silver shook her head. This was not the time to be reminiscing or worrying. While winter would be difficult, her clan would survive. And she had better things to do than worry over what might happen. The sun was completely above the tree tops by now, and she could hear her clanmates stirring from within the caves. Soon the hatchlings would be out, excited as if they'd never seen snow before. Agate's first nest since she returned to the clan had hatched a few days ago, and her children were already curious of the outside world. She and her mate, Sashenka, had their paws full keeping track of the two female Guardians. Silver was startled from her thinking by another dragon sitting down best to her. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13601769] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/136018/13601769_350.png[/img] [/url] "A nice sunrise today. And the first December snowfall too, by the looks of it" Turtle said calmly. The Ridgeback had been one of the first dragons of the clan, originally from Genovia's clan in Wind. He had developed a liking to the cold temperatures of Ice, and with his leader's consent, had decided to stay with Silver in her clan. He was now the main engineer of the clan, and she trusted him with her life. "Yes, it is. I assume the hatchlings are already up?" Turtle was the father of the other three hatchlings of the clan. Slightly younger than Agate and Sashenka's hatchlings, the three were not yet allowed out of the nest. "Of course. The other two as well. I swear those two have inherited Sashenka's stubbornness, as much as he denies it. In fact I believe we are about to be run over by a two dragon stampede" Sure enough, a few seconds later Silver was trampled by the two young Guardians. Their enthusiasm was catching, and Silver couldn't help but join in as they played in the freshly fallen snow. Soon the whole clan had joined in, and a full blown snowball fight had been started. "Hey, no using teammates as shields!" "I don't see any rules against it!" "How did you build a fort that quickly?!" "Stop dodging! Stay still so I can hit you!" Any thoughts of the hardships winter would bring were far out of her mind. That could wait. For now, her clan would enjoy the first snow. Perhaps she'd even invite Genovia's clan. They hadn't had their first snow yet, and Silver was sure they'd love to join. Silver's clan loved snowball fights, she just hoped they'd hold back a bit on the Wind dragons. She wanted to keep those friends. Suddenly she was hit in the face with a snowball. She turned to see Turtle grinning sheepishly. Oh, it was on.

While the adults are getting up the children have already gone out and started to play. They get the idea to grab some buckets of snow. They each gather up a bucket full and quietly sneak into the lair and around the adults as they gather for breakfast. They head for the common part of the lair. DuskRay has her back to them. DuskRay is busy gathering up the kills from the night before and preparing a table to set breakfast. The children position themselves, hiding behind a large pile of scrolls that was neatly stacked. Then all together, they quietly sneak out behind her. Just as they start their toss all at once, Icarus walks in to help and sees the youngest child's foot kick a potion bottle. Icarus yelled, "Nooooo" as the snow went whooshing into the air and the ice magic potion escaped the broken bottle. DuskRay starts to look around and the potion and snow cover her in a white blanket. She freezes and they wonder why. Icarus comes running over to her. She looks sternly to the children. They look up with puzzlement on their faces. Icarus " What do you think you're doing, messing with my potions? " With sheepish expressions on their faces they look at Icarus. " We didn't know, we were just trying to startle her we didn't mean to do anything wrong. " Icarus sighed. Who knew how long the potion would last, with all that snow added into the effect. " Well I guess I can understand that. I will forgive you since I'm sure you really didn't know because this is your first snow. But DuskRay was getting breakfast set up. You should probably finish the setting of the table at least for her. And I'm sure that DuskRay will have a few choice words for you once she thaws out. " [url="http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=15148775][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/151488/15148775_350.png[/img][url]

[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=17952940] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/179530/17952940_350.png[/img] [/url] [i]The first snowfall of the year.[/i] Siopilas tentatively nosed the white, sparkling material. It was cold to the touch, and she immediately sneezed. And sneezed again. Curses. Why did the cold always induce such an irritating reaction with her? It annoyed her to no end. Clearing the last of her sniffles away, she raised her head up and observed her surroundings with a well-practiced eye. The snow covered every single surface she could perceive in thick, fluffy white layers. Where there was not snow, there were icicles. Bunches of them, hanging in trees, bushes, boulders and outcroppings...even the cave Siopilas currently resided in contained a generous clustering of icy spikes at the mouth of it. Siopilas frowned and tapped the massive claw of her rear foot against the cave's smooth, sandstone floor, creating a sort of dainty [i]clack, clack,[/i] sound. No, this would not do. This would not do at all. How, in the Arcanist's name, would she manage to gather all of the herbs and wild ingredients she required for the clan's daily healing soup? The dragon-cough was knocking at their doorstep, and the clan needed the soup as a booster for their health; otherwise, she feared for her and their survival. Every single day, rival clans enroached on their territory, and they were forced to fight them off with increasing losses. Even the Grand General Tsavani, as battle-blessed as she was, had her limits. Siopilas [i]humphed[/i], the quick exhale of breath creating a white plume of steam in front of her nostrils. No matter. She would not fail. She would find a way. For she was Siopilas, the genius alchemista, the one who was blessed by the Arcanist himself, the one who was endowed with the ability to create miracles out of nothing. "There's going to be a way," she whispered to herself, craning her head up to stare at the cold, dead, bleak, winter sun that shone with a frosty, faraway glow. "There has to be." She turned back, and walked back into the cave at a brisk pace. She had to finish up the brew she had been simmering, pack some salted meat into a hamper, change from her silky veils and drapes into proper traveling attire, and quickly notify the clan chief. She was going on a journey. And she was going to come back with the vital ingredients for the healing soup, and save the clan. The snow glimmered almost tauntingly in her footsteps, when she finally left the cave. Fin.

There was a different smell to the air, and the unnamed coatl wiggled out from under his mother’s wing. “Kitten?” she murmured, not really waking up. He paused a moment, considering. No, his name wasn’t kitten. That was a name for something small and cuddly, and he might be the smallest of Shyness’ babies, but he wasn’t cuddly. Not at all. He was fierce and strong, and he was going to find out what that smell was. He crept onward, careful not to wake anyone as he snuck out of the lair. When he got to the entrance, he looked out and up. The moon hung in the sky, wisps of clouds shrouding her face. A breeze rose, and with it small flecks as white as the moon, and finally not-kitten looked down and gasped. The whole world was white and shimmery! “Moondust!” His voice was low, barely louder than a whisper. He paused again, and shook his head again. He was way too brightly colored to be called moondust—and besides, the moondust looked just as soft and cuddly as a kitten. And he wasn’t soft and cuddly, he was bold and strong! He inched forward, carefully, to sniff the moondust, but then imagined his younger (and larger) sister was watching him. He looked around, but she was nowhere near. He sighed in relief. She would have called him timid, creeping forward like that, and he wasn’t timid. He was bold! He backed up to take a running start, and then leapt out into the moonlit sky, feeling the cold wind under his wings and moondust whirling around him. For the very first time, it worked, and he flew! Four, five, six wingbeats, and then he was past where he could count. It was glorious! Then the playful wind paused, letting the moondust settle downward, and the baby dragon lost altitude too, belly-flopping into a deep pile of slippery, ice-cold moondust. He looked around, and didn’t see anyone—that was good. There was no one to laugh at his awkward landing. But he couldn’t see anything else either. No matter, in his experience, everything went downward from the entrance to the lair; getting home just meant going up. The moondust made it hard to tell which way was up, but the bold little coatl wandered around in it, playing and having fun for quite a while. As he played, it got brighter and brighter, and the moondust started to hurt his eyes. He was very relieved when he bumped into one of the apple trees, and could climb up out of the moondust. It was still too bright, and the few apples still on the tree reminded him that he was hungry. He wasn’t hungry enough to eat an apple, of course—plant-food was disgusting—but it had to be breakfast time by now, didn’t it? He looked up the slope to the lair, and was surprised to see a bunch of grownups milling around, kicking their feet through the moondust. Some of the younger ones were gathering the moondust into balls and throwing them at each other. Shyness was standing in the entranceway, looking upset, and refusing to let his brother and sister leave her side. He wondered why she was so worried. “There you are, kitten!” Icicle’s deep voice startled him, and he nearly fell back into the moondust. “I—I didn’t see you!” The bold little coatl protested, trying to sound fierce, not scared. “Well, I am ice-colored. And this morning, everything is covered in snow and ice.” The large wildclaw smiled down at the little coatl. “Did you get lost out here?” “No!” The coatl baby put all the scorn he could into that one word. “I was exploring in the moondust!” Icicle looked at the setting moon and all the snow, and quietly said, “While I think calling the snow moondust is lovely, the other little dragons might tease you for it.” “This—this is snow?” Snow was a beautiful and powerful word, and the baby considered it, but though it was a stronger word than moondust, it was still not his name. The larger dragon smiled, then turned toward the lair, raising his voice. “Shyness, I’ve found your little explorer.” Shyness looked up with a whoop of joy, let go of her other two babies (who went screeching into the snow to play with the other hatchlings), and came running. “Kitten! I’m so glad you’re all right!” The littlest coatl looked up at his mother with a frown. “I’m not kitten! I’m—I’m BoldExplorer!” BoldExplorer’s Mama looked down at him with a smile. “Well, then, BoldExplorer, would you like some clams for breakfast?” “Yes yes yes yes yes! Can I have hot ones? All this moon—er, snow—is cold!” [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=18773563] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/187736/18773563_350.png[/img] [/url] (Note: BoldExplorer is hoping to explore a new lair soon.)

'Twas the night before December, and all through the lair All the dragons were sleeping, with nary a care. Yet a chill rode the wind as it blew through the night with a thick cloud of snow to greet dawning sun's light... In the early hours of the morning, a new scent rose on the air and played through the snuffling air currents caused by snoring dragons of various sizes. Most of them were too deeply asleep to notice the change, but the lair's resident tundras knew it was coming; they knew and anticipated it with glee. Finally, they could fluff out and show off their rich winter coats and enjoy themselves in weather not too warm for their kind. The youngest were particularly jubilant. [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/181994/18199347_350.png?mtime=Vl4o3AACcF8.png[/img] "Can you feel it Marley? That smell in the air? I mean it smells so fresh and so..." A pale blue dragoness inhaled deeply, "So fluffy! And so white! And so.. so.." [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/183442/18344165_350.png?mtime=Vku2RwACUPM.png[/img] "So everything not like Autumn?" A purple maned drake commented with a raised eyebrow. "I don't see what the big deal is, Iari. Your parents don't even seem that excited about it all." The younger drake rolled his eyes. "Oh pawpaw," the tundress sang as she pronked over towards the clan's shaman. "It's snowy and I wanna build a snowdrake! Can I?" She landed on the older dragon with a [i]WHFF[/i] of deflating fur. [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/158523/15852268_350.png?mtime=VimaEQACVZ4.png[/img] "Ungh. What is it daughter? Can't you see I'm busy checking my supplies? It will be hard enough hunting in the winter, but foraging for us is even more difficult." Baku turned away from his medicinal supplies to find himself face-to-face with a pair of enormous green eyes framed with blue. A slight pouty lip trembled with desire for a "yes" answer. The older dragon sighed. "Oh, go bother your mother, why don't you. She'll probably want to take the little one out." Iari deflated a little; she wasn't all that interested in being around her mother ever since the clan's latest arrival had hatched. The little fellow hadn't even been named yet and already everyone was cooing over the black and green hatchling. If nothing else, the little guy was much better at the puppy-dog-eyes than Iari, and she was very jealous. "Fine." [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/161105/16110496_350.png?mtime=VimaeQACsVg.png[/img] Iari picked her way through the mass of sleeping dragons to the room where her mother and half-sibling were sleeping. She poked her head in to find Morticia absolutely frantically searching through her thick crystaline fur. "Whereishe?" She blurted out. "Icansmellhimherebut..." The she-dragon paused. "Oh, hello Iari. I was about to go outside for some fresh air, but I can't seem to find..." She paused again, as the little one was still to fresh to be named. Iari sighed. The scent of the youngster was fresh to her too, but not fresh enough. "I don't think he's in here, mother, but he can't have gotten far. Let's sweep towards the entrance. You take the side by the diennes, and I'll take the side by the drakes. We can meet up by the entrance." Morticia nodded and the pair separated. Around them, dragons started to stir. Once her mother was moving, Iari put her nose to the ground and began to track her younger brother. Her nose was the best in the clan; there was no way the little bugger could lose her. Sure enough, Iari tracked the hatchling around the drakes' side of the den only to find it meet up with an even more familiar scent: Marley's. Marley's bed was empty; Iari continued to track him and the hatchling to the cave entrance. There, she and Morticia looked out over the snowscape. Two sets of tracks led outside: one large and plodding, the other tiny and periodically broken by hatchling-shaped holes in various snowbanks. Without hesitation, Iari followed them and her mother trotted after. The pair crested a snow bank only to be greeted by a barrage of snow balls. Iari grinned. "Of course you know, this means war!" The dragoness called out towards a makeshift snow fort a dozen yards away. A blue and purple head rose above the distant ramparts, a squealing hatchling riding between his crests. "Come and get us, hairball!" Marley roared back. The hatchling waved to his mother and half-sister as the pair ducked back down into the snow fort. Iari turned to her mother. "Are you in?" Morticia shook her head. "This is your battle, dear. Just be sure to bring the little one back to me." The older tundress turned back towards the lair. Iari watched her go, then turned her attention back to the battle. This wasn't going to be easy; her nephew had the high ground ahead and a commanding view of the snowfields. He was well-entrenched and appeared to have plenty of ammunition. There was one thing he lacked, though: the most important ingredient in successful warfare. Audacity. One of the few things that Iari had in spades. The tundress opened her wings and began to conjure a gust of wind as her father had taught her. She carefully shaped her wind into a circular pattern before giving it a thrust towards the enemy. The snow devil was right on target, making a beeline for the snow fort. Meanwhile, Iari took to the sky, a pair of large snowballs in her claws. She watched the snownado and waited for an opportunity to strike. Just as the little windstorm hit Marley's fort, Iari flew over. Through the blowing snow she could see her nephew and half-brother beginning to reemerge from their dusting as the snow devil petered out. Marley looked over the wall of the snow fort holding a snowball in his claws. Iari grinned from above and behind them. Not seeing his aunt, Marley relaxed and put down the snowball and his guard. With a roar of triumph, Iari buzzed Marley and pelted the drake with her stash of snowballs. "Surrender! Your fortifications have been breached! Victory is myy ow ow ow ow" She crowed, only to have her victory speech interrupted by something digging in to her tail. Iari turned to find the black and green hatchling clinging to her tail with his teeth. Marley was rolling in the snow laughing at the sight of the very determined hatchling and Iari's frantic efforts to get it to let go. "Aaaargh! Get off! Get off!" She shook her tail, but the little drake's vicelike jaws held on. Suddenly, Iari's scowl was broken by a very familiar and very mischievous grin. Marley stopped laughing and stared. [i]Uh oh. This isn't gonna be good.[/i] He watched as Iari looked around before finding the deepest snowdrift she could find. She trotted over to it and with a "Whoomph!" flopped into the deep snow, popping her tail as she did so. The hatchling went flying. "Wheeeeeeeee!" Marley watched as the hatchling landed safely in the snow and scrambled out towards Iari "Again! Again!" He squeaked. The pair did it a few more times before a roar from the lair entrance brought them face to face with a wild-eyed Morticia and several smirking and otherwise amused-looking dragons. "Mybabymybabywhatintheworldwereyouthinking?" The hatchling ignored his mother and looked to his half-sister and nephew. "Again?" He squeaked. "He's fine, mother." Iari said. "No harm done. Really." Marley nodded assent. One of the other den-mothers quickly checked over the hatchling. "They're right, Tish. Your young'un's fine. Let 'em be and come eat something before you worry yourself into an even bigger tizzy." The den-mother guided the elder tundra back towards the lair. "You three kin come in too!" She hollered over her shoulder. Iari turned to Marley. "I guess we'd better go. No telling what they'll put us to doing if we don't." Marley shrugged, but followed Iari back into the den. The hatching grabbed onto the drake's tail as he passed and squeaked forlornly "No again?" "Come on, you little nuisance, let's go eat." Iari said, picking the hatchling off Marley's tail. "Nuisance! Nuisance! Nuisance!" He squealed. "Congratulations, aunt," Marley commented dryly. "You just Named him." Iari rolled her eyes. "Well, at least it suits his personality." [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/187696/18769582_350.png?mtime=VlecqQACLe8.png[/img]

Euclase blinked her eyes. Why was it so cold...? The breeze was usually warm and soothing, but it chilled her to the bone. She rubbed her eyes, squinting into the sky. Dawn had not been broken, but not a single star could be found, much less the soft light the first rays of sun brought.

"Dear Windsinger, what's going on?" she mumbled, turning in her amber bed to wake her mate, but she didn't see a sign of him. "Andy?"

She ruffled her frills, trying to wake up quicker. The large, soft flakes that were ever-present around her started to stir as she moved, not trusting her senses enough to fly. She stumbled to the door of their shared hut, closing her eyes. They snapped open as a huge gust knocked into her, catching in the folds of her wings and flinging her into the soft grasses Andradite slept on. She shivered, wrapping her wings around herself. She folded her frills flat against her body, and began the scavenger hunt.

She got to the entrance. Yet again she was knocked back, except this time, it was by something furry and warm. Two somethings, in fact. A third something chuckled from its spot in the entrance, blocking the chilling winds.

"Mom!! MOM!!" the two somethings shouted. Euclase opened her eyes to find two very young and very fluffy tundra girls. They were colored very similarly, nearly twins. They looked at her eagerly. The something from the entrance laughed. He rumbled over to the three dragons, spreading his wings and engulfing them in a large hug. The ends of his mane were covered in snow, the smallest movement causing it to fall, which it did, snowing down on the hatchlings and their mother.

"Morning, sleepyhead. Did we wake you?" Andradite asked her, breaking his embrace. She shook her head as the hatchlings ran around, fluttering and trying their hardest to fly. "Aren't they cute? The lighter one, her name's Dara, and the darker one is Hope."

"Wonderful names, Andy." She climbed into the nook of his scarf, where it was nice and warm. What do you know, all that tundra fluff really did pay off. "It's very cold."

"Maybe that's because it's snowing?" He laughed as she hit the bottom of his chin. "It's really beautiful, though." He turned, walking outside into the still-falling snow. The hatchlings took note, and soon followed behind, running and playing in flurries all the way.

She hummed, a question suddenly on her mind. "How far do you think it went? The snow? We're right by the Southern Icefield, and I presume it came from there. Do you think it's frozen over the Sea?"

He pondered, stopping to think. "I'm not sure. Do we have a weather dragon we could ask?"

"Rhodochrosite?" she offered, thinking hard. "He's not specifically weather, but I'm sure he would know. We'll have to ask him later, it's still quite early."

Dawn sparkled over the fresh snow, turning it all sorts of beautiful colors. The sun shone through the edges of the clouds, giving the whole scene a magical glow. The two leaders rested serenely with their children, enjoying the moment.

[quote]The first snowfall of the year![/quote] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=15843839] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/158439/15843839_350.png[/img] [/url] Although the snow coating the shrivelled flowers and reminded him that another life cycle had run its course, Alisx was able to look out into the pasture, sparkling brightly under the morning sun and he felt happy. This was to be the first winter he'd spent with his clan. The first year had passed and they were still there, standing strong and growing by the day. He stretched and with a yawn, nudged his mate Amara. "'mara, it snowed! We should take the young ones out to discover it!" The dragon beside him groaned and opened an eye. "The sun has barely risen.. go back to sleep." Huffing at her, Alisx turned to bother the snoring Tundra Moxy. "Moxy! Let's go outside! It snowed!" "Mmmgurf.. Calm down Alisx. You're just going to go out there and slip." "Hmph. You two are no fun!" He exclaimed, scurrying in further to find the young hatchlings rested. He gently woke each one and helped them climb free from their parents' grip. Overflowing with energy, he brought the little ones to the entry of the cave and almost exploded in excitement when each one squealed in joy at the sight of the snow, untouched and awaiting. "Let's go, let's go!" Alisx squeaked, rushing out into the pasture. His first few steps were fine, but as he trudged forwards, the snow thickened and caught him by surprise-- and each of the children got to watch as the 'brave and graceful' leader of their clan went flying face first into a powdery pile of snow.

Hey guys! I'm loving all the responses we're getting from this so far! I had to go to the grocery store earlier & I'm about to start cooking dinner, but I'll be on in a little while to catch up with the raffle ticket recording sheet & the individual donors who have sent me messages thus far!!!

[i]The First Snowfall of the Year[/i] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=18056787] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/180568/18056787_350.png[/img] [/url] As Cinders awoke she felt a sharp chill down her spine. [i]Oh no,[/i] she thought, [i]this can only mean one thing.[/i] She hurried outside to confirm her suspicions, and sure enough, there it was. A thick, crisp, cold blanket covering the landscape. Shivering, she took a few steps outside, the snow around her melting almost instantly from the heat of her embers. As a fire dragon using fire magic, even the mere thought of something this cold was enough to make her wince. She craved flame, heat, blaze, ignition. The feeling of fire bursting through her veins. Not snow. The opposite of snow. The opposite of [i]this.[/i] Other dragons were out playing, rejoicing in the miracle of snow. Having snowball fights, making snow dragons. How could they be having so much fun in something so bitterly cold? Cinders turned and ran back into the cave as quickly as she could. Gathering all of the blankets she could find, she curled up into a ball in her corner of the sleeping quarters and tried to keep her heat in. She felt so powerless but there was nothing she could do. The energy she would usually spend on practicing her magic and spells was being used up trying to keep warm. Knowing she would be completely out of commission for at least a month, all Cinders could do was huddle up, keep warm, and prepare for the ride. [size=0][s]i'm really bad at doing RP stuff, sorry ^^"[/s][/size]