#beastclans part 2!

[flightrisingpolls]

Please see Part 1 as well to vote for Centaurs, Harpies, Longnecks, Maren, Serthis, or Talonok.

[weirdfoxdreams]

Maggot Plague Modern Part 2: FoulLurkers and a body reference.

Fan dragon jumpscare!

That’s right! I finally finished the ref sheet…for the male variant of this specie at least lol. What specie you say? Well, I named them FoulLurkers! (When I explain more about these guys, the name will make more sense)

First, the head looks a bit different than the one in the previous part. Well, I decided to change the head shape a bit because it was getting too complex and difficult to draw (specially from different angles) and there were some unnecessary details. So I decided to simplify it without getting too far from the original idea, so simpler horns and bigger teeth!

Second, about the body. As I said before, FoulLurkers are fat and wingless. I decided to go with this part of the concept since the main idea is for them to be based on maggots, so it would make more sense if they didn’t have wings and weren’t thin. But giving them a flat maggot body without anything else would make it look like I slapped a dragon’s face on a…maggot. The solution I found for this was to make the arms and legs more evident (as if the body was like a turtle shell) and adding these big spikes. Wait, why are there spikes?

This brings us to the next aspect of the design: how these guys hunt/fight. Flightrising doesn’t have the possibility of feeding our pretty and beautiful dragons rotten food, so I unfortunately had to make FoulLurkers carnivorous (meat only in this game), instead of necrophagous (animals that eat decayed dead animals). So these slow guys have to hunt the food themselves, instead of only eating the remains of other dragons’ food. However here’s the catch: the spikes, claws, and saliva of these dragons produce a powerful venom that on NON-SENTIENT Beastclan initially causes the affected area of their body to be in intense physical pain. However the area then starts to show a duller color and the blood flow on it starts to get harder. After some time, it starts to release a strange fluid with a strong putrid smell. (“This is basically necrosis-” yes but I don’t know if I can mention something like this in a game like flightrising so let’s call it the Foul Venom instead) This smell attracts FoulLurkers to the poisoned prey and since the Beastclan would be too weak to fight due to the amount of pain they would be feeling, the dragon is able to easily kill it. However this hunting method is only used if the FoulLurker’s prey escape initially but got harmed by them. Therefore the name FoulLurker: “Foul” relating to dead or putrid stuff and “Lurker” because of well…they go after things affected by their poison. (Another thing to specify: on other dragons and sentient Beastclans, the Foul Venom only causes the intense physical pain for an unknown reason).

And that’s it! Here’s most of the things about these guys! Next posts will be about sexual dimorphism and how Secondary and some Tertiary genes will work on these guys

[breathe2-fr]

Eye of the Storm (pt 2)

(part 1)

The next morning, the clan got to work gathering food. The night had been uneventful and the travel plans needed to be discussed. After breakfast was had, she called a meeting to order.

"My brothers and sisters. Please forgive my naivety, but I have never made such a journey, and I have no idea what is in store once we enter the Expanse. If anyone has any sort of experience with the lands of Stormcatcher, please say so."

SnowyMorning spoke up, "I've never been there, but I've talked to drakes who have. Kip's right that it's not going to be easy to cross. Sandstorms rage across the Charged Barrens, which we'll need to cross to get to the Spire. Not just that, but lightning runs across the surface of the sands."

Kiptalon frowned. "That can't be possible." Snow shot him a look of irritation, so Kip continued. "The sand should stop the lightning's current."

"How would you know?"

"I'm an Earth dragon." Kip lifted a claw of sand and let it slip through his talons. "I know a thing or two about sand."

Snow shifted uncomfortably. "Well it's what I've heard, just sharing in case it's helpful."

"Thank you, Snow. We'll keep it in mind, whether or not it's just a rumor." Spelldancer knew the two didn't get along, and she hoped to steer them away from a pointless argument now. "What else do we think might be there?"

Kip became more aloof as the conversation continued, "Storms. Drought. Beastclan and wild beasts."

"Beasts and beastclan will not be an issue with our defenders." Spelldancer nodded to Venomous and her crew, and the guardian gave a stern nod back. "It's unfortunate we do not have a Water dragon in our clan. Perhaps we should find some way to carry water with us on our journey."

Snow stood up and made a sweeping gesture with a wing toward the ocean. "Well, why don't we find a Water dragon?" At this, Kip scoffed. "No, really! Maybe someone's nearby who's looking to do some traveling!"

Kip shook his head. "Why don't you go find them then, hm?"

Snow defiantly kicked the sand with his back foot. "Maybe I will!" And before Spelldancer could call to him, Snow lept into the air and took off for the coastline a mile away.

"Kiptalon! Why are you pushing him?!" Spelldancer glared at the skydancer, who looked surprised at the callout.

"I'm not doing anything--"

"My tail, you aren't! This will cease now! We need to work together and you're giving me a headache by squabbling with him!" As she scolded him, Spelldancer looked around. Her clan was exhausted, dirty, and injured from their journey. She could see in their eyes that some were losing faith in her ability to lead - was this yelling really helping anything?

"M-my apologies, your highness." Kiptalon bowed meagerly. "It won't happen again."

Spelldancer took a deep breath. Why were these dragons following her, anyway? What made them think in the first place that she was worthy of leading them, or being "queen"? She exhaled, and when she did, she could almost feel Baerka at her back. His massive arm like a small tree trunk behind her, supporting her, lending his strength to her voice. It wasn't just her that they followed, it was the two of them, and that two was now one. No, by herself, she wasn't worthy of her clan. And she was putting them in danger by leading them into the desert, to plea to a strange god for protection.

"... Mother." Gloam tugged at Spelldancer's wing, and she turned to her son. She realized Gloam was imitating his father, seeming to think her silence was her drifting off again - and she supposed she was. She stroked his forehead, then turned to Kiptalon.

"No more squabbles. We focus. Serious answers only." She would deal with her conflictions later. For now, she owed it to her clan to give this all of her focus as well.

The discussion that followed lasted hours. From the air, they had seen a canyon that had some sort of activity there. It was a decent first stop and perhaps they could ask for the safest route across the desert. They discussed food, electing hunters and gatherers to help stock the clan as they traveled. They created protocols for how to react to an attack, should one happen. Gloam recorded these and a slew of backup plans and other notes, furiously writing into his scrolls.

Once the conversation ended, SnowyMorning flew in, beaming with a smile. "I told you I'd find someone! Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Shimmer!"

A young imperial glided up behind the pearlcatcher, his white and silver scales still wet from the ocean, almost blinding the other dragons in their reflections. He gave a modest head-bow.

Shimmer explained he'd been through the Expanse a handful of times and would be happy to lead the way. "It's dangerous, yeah, but there's a way through. Lightning has these pylons littered throughout the place. They're lightning rods. As long as you travel along the pylons, you'll be protected from the storms."

Snow was clearly proud of himself for finding the now-popular Shimmer, shooting grins to Kip, who simply turned away. As everyone began asking the new drake questions, Spelldancer couldn't help but wonder if Snow had told him what they were running from. Would he be so willing to travel with them when the Shade is on their tails? If there's a chance he'd leave when he found out, is it wrong to keep this information from him? Does her clan's need for water during their travel outweigh his right to know?

As the moral dilemma played through Spelldancer's mind, Gloam actually broached the question, standing tall before the large dragon. "Imperial! You do understand the severity of our quest, yes? We seek the Stormcatcher at the end of the desert, to protect us from the Shade attacks that have driven us out of our home. Are you prepared to fight in the event of such attacks during our journey?"

"Yeah bro," Shimmer answered with a relaxed smile.

Spelldancer was taken aback.

"Are you sure?" Gloam pressed.

"Yeah! I've never seen the Shade before! I want a go at them!" Shimmer raked his claw through the air. "Isn't that why the gods made us? To protect this world from the Shade? I'd be honored!"

Spelldancer felt a twinge of shame in that she was too afraid to even ask this dragon, but her son wasn't. Again, she felt she should be leading, but she was falling behind.

[aquilo-xenowyrm]

Beastclan Lair Members 2/16: Tenna

Tenna is a sprangyroo smith in Kimmeridge. As Beastclan, she’s not required nor allowed to be a part of the Fireflight Arrows (smithing guilds) like dragons are. Her forge, where she apprentices other Beastclan up-and-coming smiths, is known for its very reasonable prices. She doesn’t make anything extravagant; mostly everyday metal items like nails and horseshoes, rather than weapons or armor. She’s willing to haggle, if you catch her in the right mood, but if not, she doesn’t put up with any nonsense. 

[ID: A colored and lined drawing of a brown sprangyroo with her arms crossed. She has a bored expression. She has long curled horns, long ears, and a short tail. She’s wearing a gray blacksmith’s vest, a belt, and tan baggy trousers that end at the knee. End ID]

[ladala99]

You know, I wasn't too far off. Location, I was wrong. Two-sided, I was wrong. Apocalypse, we'll see, but probably not.

But 1) community site-wide event, 2) where you can participate by donating items, 3) that you can get in places like the Coliseum and through exalting, and 4) prizes for everyone! Remains to be seen how long it'll be.

I'll take it.

(Transcript below the cut)

[Image description: a forum post by me made on June 7, 2021 at 19:58:26 FR time. Post is as follows:

Realistically, I'd say Nesting Grounds update or Gathering update are the most likely. And hey, maybe new breed could be part of these! But in the spirit of wild guessing: we get the start of a site-wide event with actual potential consequences. The Source in Lightning territory starts going haywire, putting all of Sornieth at stake. This could lead to a world-ending apocalypse if it isn't put back under control! Clans across Sornieth must all contribute to keep it under control. Or do they want to keep it under control? Players can choose to contribute to either cause by donating items to their respective side, exalting dragons to their cause, or fighting in the Coli against the other side (PvE - Some Beastclans want to stop the apocalypse, others want it to happen to end the rule of the dragons). This event lasts 1-2 weeks, and whichever side wins will affect the fate of Sornieth for good. If it's contained, everything will return to how it was (except maybe more lairs are mad at Lightning for causing it to happen). If it's allowed to run wild, the entire map may need to be redrawn. Either way, prizes for everyone! ((Maybe something on a less-dire scale if it's two-sided. If this is even something the FR team would want for this game.))

End image description.]

[fancyfliers-fr]

2, 12, 24?

(I apologize in advance for the fact that I know very little of Canonical FR Lore, I make most of my stuff up as I go)

2. Why did they choose this Flight?

I'm not sure my clan 'chose' their element as much as happened to settle down in the Lightweaver's domain. Most of the clan's members are travelers and wanderers who came to settle down in the sun-drenched ruins that make up the clan's lair, and many maintain their own connections to their various flights and elemental roots. The founders happened to be of the Light flight, and so the rest of them stayed.

12. How does your clan view the Beastclans? Who handles Beastclan relations?

The Beastclans are a separate group for most part - while they're close neighbors to the clan and a few have regular dealings with them, like Grim and Pokosa, and some may even consider them close friends, the rest view them as largely their own separate community.

24. Do you have any artists within your clan? How do they make a living from their crafts?

I have quite a few, and they all make their livings in different ways!

Eissu is a fan performer and dancer, though she isn’t currently performing for money. She mainly helps out with Grim’s medical tasks, and spends time watching the hatchlings when Gaerilod is away.

Zuzanna is a bard known for her aerial tricks, quick wit, and storytelling. She entertains in exchange for room and board and the spare coin when she can get it from patrons, and before settling in the clan it’s how she went from place to place. 

Seraphina was formerly an opera prima donna and ballet prima ballerina. She’s actually injured, and makes her living mainly through song rather than dance, but the money doesn’t allow for the same lavish lifestyle that she was used to back in the city...

Cursed is a calligrapher who specializes in abstract forms and expression! He uses his own feathers as quills and sells his work by hanging it on trees around the clan and waiting for passersby to take interest.

Bijou is a fine jeweler who uses his own gemstone scales to make the work he then sells to high-paying clients. His partner, Papillon, is a metalworker in a more practical sense, but often casts his settings for him according to his designs.

I also have plans to introduce a painter to the clan, but the dragon is Very Under Construction at the moment...

[flygefisk]

flight reps, part 2: wind, nature, lightning, ice

wind- breeze and rocky. breeze wants every dragon and beastclan on sornieth to experience flight, at least once. she works with spellwriters, airship crews, and kitemakers to make that dream as accessible as possible. rocky keeps her grounded when she gets too far in the clouds.

nature- blossom and lief. blossom, like many nature dragons, values life above all else. they work to help folks who struggle with dark thoughts, and promotes the idea that reaching out for health is not weakness. leif helps them relax when their work makes their mental issues worsen.

lightning- copper and gearstrike. copper is a big believer in the value of science. she works to make others believe in it too, as well as pushing robotics and AI forward. gearstrike itself is one of her creations, and it helps her pull back when she gets too focused.

ice- glacia and snowstorm. glacia is cold hearted, yes, but the things she works to keep hidden are twisted indeed. she promotes justice, harsh as it may seem, to punish the truly guilty and relieve the truly innocent. snowstorm acts as a mount and a guard from her own trauma.

[peacevine]

2 and 20? :0c (love your stuff btw!)

2. Are there any other clans living near by? Are they friendly or are they rivals? Tell us about their interactions with your clan.

not very many, surprisingly - most nearby clans are beneath the cliffs, in water territory. the clan serves to host travellers (about 1/3 to half of its territory is made up of smaller tents where travellers can stay), though, and a couple of dragons do make a living off of them (like fell & blighted who run a tavern in this part of the clan) so it’s a bit of an advantage in that sense!

also, most dragons aren’t really interested in interacting with other clans at all or even getting there in the first place - the ones who do are those who specialize in it, like the merchants. the few diplomats say their efforts in maintaining friendships have largely been successfull, although that probably can mostly be attributed to the fact that the clan really isn’t in the way of any larger clans, cities or otherwise. it’s just kind of there.

20. Are there Beast Clans near your clan? How does your clan interact with the Beast Clans?

again, not a whole lot, but they are there nonetheless! most notable are the maren in the east and the raptorik in the south, both of which have at least one member who has allied themselves with the clan (in the case of the raptorik, it’s also an ambassador who is striving very hard to achieve peace between beastclans and dragons) - to these, the clan generally reacts amicably, though the same can’t be said for any stray beastclan members encountered by scouts or guards, who are usually met with fairly high suspicion by those.

the longneck tribes in different parts of light territory also make their presence known in the backstories for a few dragons, but aren’t too relevant to the clan as a whole since they don’t generally meet!

[radiant-flutterbun]

Seeking Clan’s Civil War

Once a clan of peace, Seeking Clan is torn apart and thrust into violence.

CHANGES PART 1

CHANGES PART 2

SISTER

THE QUEST OF THE LOVE GODDESS

SOMETHING ABOUT MUERTO AND NIOSSA

INKDROP AND AUREOLE

THE BEASTCLANS

THE ESCAPE

THE ILLUMINISTS

THE IMMUNISTS

ELECTRICHEART’S LAMENT

HECATE

DEATH AND LOVE

BLOODMOON V.S. NEITH

THE ANGEL AND THE DEMON

CONTINUE

NIGHTLIGHT

LIE

THE BLOOD BATH

BURN

VENGEANCE

R.I.P SAPPHIREMOON

LIGHT AND SHADOW

THE RETREAT

THE RETREAT 2

CLAN LAMPSI

The Weeping Angel

THE BEACON

CLAN TON THEON

HISTORY OF CLAN TON THEON/LAMPSI

[pyrouge-fr]

2, 3 and 20!

Hi!!! Thanks for asking some questions! These are from Nitty Gritty Worldbuilding Asks.

2. Are there any other clans living near by? Are they friendly or are they rivals? Tell us about their interactions with your clan.

Not many other clans live nearby! Clan Rivensong lives on the Welkin Isles, and has sort of chosen to physically distance themselves from other clans. That being said, there are clans who visit (especially in the warm months) and Rivensong maintains a healthy trade partnership with many of their allies. Then there's the clans they raid...

3. What is your clan’s main source of income?

Raiding and trade make up the majority of my clan's income! It's a tricky economy to manage and can be very feast or famine at times, but the coin master, Kar, has gotten exceptionally good at managing it. Rivensong also receives royalties from exaltees who they have trained.

20. Are there Beast Clans near your clan? How does your clan interact with the Beast Clans?

Most of the beast clan my clan interacts with are maren, talonok, and harpies- the ones who are most likely to live near the islands themselves. They will also raid beast clans as well as dragon clans. Rivensong views beast clans as equals but don't hold any particular close bonds to any beast clan groups. They visit and trade with the clan just like any other background dragon might, but they don't hold a very large role in my clan at all.

That being said, there are a handful of beast clan characters who are active within my lore! Tugo's friend Dahlia (Dappled Dunhoof) came with him when he joined the clan. Chert's as of now unnamed adoptive mother (Plainstrider Bard) also is a part of the clan. The most significant beast clan character in my lore is Laeralis (represented by a coatl in my lair) who has joined the clan in order to write about draconic culture- and who I use as a framing device for some of my more expositiony lore!

The meta explanation for why there's not many beast clans in my lore is just... I don't find them interesting. I'm primarily interested in Flight Rising for the dragons and the dragons alone. I just don't like the beast clans as much as I like the dragons themselves. Maybe one day they'll take a larger role in my lore, but I've tried that before and just never been satisfied with it. Mostly I just don't care about the beast clans that much.

That being said, I do love seeing what other people do with them! I think some of the beastclan/dragon dynamics people explore can be super interesting.

[starhaven-fr]

1, 2, and 9 for World Building Wednesday!!

Sorry for the late response friend! 

1. Where exactly is your lair located?

Answered before but I’d love to go into more detail! More about the social area of the clan. So closer to the living quarters is more of what you’d call the town. The permanent buildings are set up there. Library, bank, courthouse etc. Further away is where many dragons set up stalls to sell their wares. These are temporary tents that are packed up, this is more of a common area shared between neighboring clans though and is not technically part of Starhaven’s territory.

2. Does your clan have just a lair or do you own/control surrounding territories?

Starhaven does have a surrounding territory though it is pretty small. To be fair though, it’s kind of hard to tell where their territory ends because it’s right up against a common area amongst all the clans. 

9. What is the purpose of familiars in your clan? Are they treated as pets/servants etc?

Depends entirely on the familiar, those of the more sentient type are more like companions and friends. They were brought willingly to the clan to work in return their beastclan is offered protection from other clans threatening them. Those of the more pet type are just kind of, well they just kind of show up or are bought at the market. Some dragons have familiars as pets, others, like Gadget, have a familiar with them as help with their jobs. 

[guidanceofficer-fr]

By the way, Link’s lore is sad now.

He’s 2 days old and he’s already got a lowkey depressing backstory.

So...

Hyrule was a long gone clan-empire, from the Wind region. Its descendants call themselves Hylians, which is also how I refer to the people of Hyrule in his bio.

Tl;dr, Link went on this long journey to fight this big shade-infested beast that originally took over their empire. He finally did, but for complicated reasons, the Hylian people were basically unable to really reform as a clan/nation.

The current state of the Hylians is honestly a little sad. What used to be its own subculture that was almost recognized as an official sub-state of the Wind Flight is long gone, and its diaspora is spread pretty much all over the Windswept Plateau (though most densely in villages just south of the Reedcleft Ascent, an area northeast of where historic Hyrule lay.) Most of them have assimilated into greater Wind Flight culture, not through coercion, but time.

Part of why Link doesn’t talk about his past is because dragons in Lightning don’t even believe him. His history isn’t taught in most classes in Wind. He learned what he did about his people from Hylian elders. His Master Sword, his Hylian Royal Shield, and his ocarina are historical artifacts that he was entrusted with by his people, and because of that, he holds them close to him. Both metaphorically and physically; he refuses to leave his sword especially anywhere. But Lightning dragons reject his history as tall tales, so he just doesn’t talk about it anymore.

It’s just too much to see people nod and smile at you about the quest you undertook to bring back your culture, especially when you undertook that journey when you were young and naive and thought defeating a big bad monster would magically bring back an entire empire. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. The process of rebuilding is slow, and the Hylians just aren’t all interested in restoring what once was anymore.

Link’s made a new life for himself working for the Baikonur Agency, though. He’s respected for his survival skills and puts old Hylian traditions to a modern twist by using them to keep cosmonauts alive. It’s rewarding work, but he’s the hero of the Hylians, and he doesn’t get to go home as often as he wants.

He does have Kass, though. Kass is a Bluemoon Aviar bard who Link met on his quest. When Hyrule was a real empire, they were sympathetic towards and even defensive of beastclan. Kass, as a bard, has studied songs of history passed down to him through generations of other bards, and one of them is of another Hylian hero. When he realized Link represented Hyrule, the two became quick friends, and Kass’s trust helped Link avoid many a skirmish with Aviars. Kass is from the Earth wilderness, so unfortunately he doesn’t get to see Link very often. That doesn’t stop him from showing up when cosmonauts are doing desert survival training near his home, though!

Tl;dr:

Big oof.

[rex-rises]

Lore Update - Historical Cliffnotes

Part 1.) The Beginning

Reina and Razohr awaken in a desert of Lightning’s Territory with no knowledge of each other and what’s around them. Together they work to survive and search for answers for their purpose. An Imperial by the name of Lance finds them alone and works to teach them to survive. Reina becomes obsessed with the imperial’s teachings and the idea of serving Stormcatcher-who she now believed to have given her life. Lance trains Reina to be a skilled warrior while Razohr begins to speak with others and collect members into the clan. Lance leaves his son, Adonis, to the clan before he leaves them to their business.

Part 2.) Expanse

The clan is growing, but turmoil grows. Reina is upset by the lack of productivity her clan produces for Stormcatcher, so she presses the others to work harder. The desperation becomes so great that it affects her decisions and treatment towards her clan. Hatchlings become neglected, food is rationed, and others begin to resent Reina. Razohr, one of her few remaining friends, becomes lost in alchemy after hearing of the mystical powers of oracles. Razohr manages to give himself abilities far beyond what he expected. Reina abuses his partial omniscience to her advantage in growing the clan.

Part 3.) Answers

The clan eventually gains a reputable status and are invited to the spire. Reina requests an audience with Stormcatcher but is denied and ignored. She persists yet at the same time continues to push her clan to the limits. Avellatur and Rekka are outraged by this and demand better treatment after being promised safety but are immediately shut down. They too make demands only to be repressed. Reina finally forces Stormcatcher to listen to what she says, but his immediate hatred and distaste for her confuse her. She was accused of being ‘Reborn’ before her execution was ordered, not by Stormcatcher but his followers. She and her clan are chased out from the shifting expanse.

Part 4.) Rebellion

The clan flees, still under Reina’s leadership, and make it as far as the wyrmmound with minimal casualties. It is there that she is spoken to and welcomed by Plaguebringer with open arms-who explained that she understood the will to survive. She was told that her tenacity would be better appreciated here. She and her clan were granted protection and territory in exchange for service to the Plaguebringer. She turns back to her clan, ready to resume the rigid life she enforced, but they refused. Echo, Rekka, Nikolai, Saevus, Mel, and even Razohr stood up against her. She was dethroned as Echo, Rekka, and Saevus were placed in charge

Part 5.) Home

The clan finds their territory in the midst of a dangerous trek through the desert in hopes of finding an oasis. They are lost, have nowhere to go, and hope is dead. Many perish from the lack of resources, but they are too weak to go any further.  Help is sent from Stonegrove in finding the blockage that’s preventing the underground river from flowing. With the help of the Earth clan, they free the passage and the clan can continue to survive. They explore the caves and territory in search of places to make dens and turn the empty space into use. 

Part 6.) Purpose

The clan begins to find strange hieroglyphics and technology around their new cavernous home. Nikolai seems to find himself vaguely familiar with the strange machines and tools, capable of using them and figuring out what they can do. Stories are stretched across cavern walls, lessons are painted across walls of small houses, and cave areas look as if they’ve been lived in before with strange furniture and decor. The clan thinks nothing of it save for Nikolai and Mollis, and Ava who begin to work on deciphering it all.

Part 7.)  Mementos

An expedition by Echo, Rekka, and Saevus discovers the perfect place to hide the clan’s riches. However, a beast already exists within the depths of the cave. A deep voice echoes and beckons to them. Reluctantly, they step closer. It is there they learn the tale of a great deity just like the eleven once existed for the threat of today known as Beastclans. Just like the dragons, they too were brought into development by a deity. However, the apocalypse brought waste to their numbers. Their home was the last remaining settlement of those that continued to worship the god-as others abandoned him for his relations to the eleven destructive monsters that destroyed their homes.

The Plaguebriner’s sickness brought havoc upon the land that once used to be a paradise, endless storms rained down upon his people, and they were almost wiped out. The deity used the last of his strength to defend those who still believed in him, but his celestial body-weakened by lack of support-could not withstand it any longer. He was forced into a deep slumber in order to recoup his strength, but when he woke: his people were no longer there.

So, he offered an exchange to the leaders. He would defend their treasures and allow them to remain in his territory, but in return, they would help him rediscover his people-or what might have happened to them. The Beastclans of today are nothing like what he created, but their memory and story was still somewhere in these caverns. Help him find and defend the memory of what was once his children and he would give them his strength. While Echo and Rekka were hesitant, Saevus agreed.

Vetus Deus join the clan.

[lionsongfr]

A tale from the Clan of the Lionfish

Of Charges and Guardians: Wisdom Part 1

Part 2: here

The sun was bright and warm, and a small sweet breeze twisted through the windows of the Commander’s office. The beauty of the day seemed wasted upon BlackGhost, though she did acknowledge a small wish to go dancing on the sands with her mate in such weather. But that swift thought was quickly diminished as she gazed upon her Queen, her Chosen, and she basked in her presence.

 She had seen SeaQueen a few times since their first meeting, but it never felt like enough. It was like only taking a sip when one needed to plunge their head in the sea. A chuckle from TidalKing snapped her from her reverie and she stood to attention, a faint blush of heat fanning across her fins.

SeaQueen swatted her mate with her tail, “Be kinder Tidal, you know how Guardian’s are with their chosen.”

The Ridgeback grinned, his laughter barely hidden in his voice, “Yes, they are as much lovesick for you as I once was.”

SeaQueen shook her head and nuzzled his neck, “You are still a lovesick fool.”

TidalKing laughed and returned the nuzzle before turning back to the BlackGhost and CrownOfThorns.

“Now then, we have called you both to a mission. I know the last one was…. not exactly successful and included a bit of rule breaking.”

The Ridgeback raised a horned eyebrow at the pair, and BlackGhost bowed her head in silent pain. She would not let that happen again.  She eyed Thorns, and his head was raised- a stubborn smile gracing his muzzle. His wing flapped lightly against her side and she lifted her head to meet TidalKing and SeaQueen’s gaze. Only compassion and kindness were held in their eyes, and she let out a quivering shake to wear off that bit of anxiety before mimicking her mate’s determined pose. 

TidalKing nodded, “But you have both proved yourselves from the Training Fields to the Kelp Beds, and are only truly lacking in actual dragon to dragon combat. You have fought the warriors of our Fort with great courage and strength, but that is nothing compared to the bloodshed and fear of the battlefield. However,”

TidalKing expectantly turned his head to SeaQueen who took up his speech, “However, I wish to leave the Fallen Star Fort after WaveCrest and want you two to be by my side when that happens.”

A welling of excitement and joy coiled within her chest, and Thorns gave a shout of joy that she echoed. SeaQueen raised a claw for silence and they both closed their maws.

“This will be dependent on how well you do on this mission. If I find either of you two lacking, I could leave you’re here for another year or more as I traverse the sea to Spiral Keep and back.”

She bit off a groan of fear, but the words did not dull the excitement of her mate. Thorns swaggered, his wings spread as wide as they could go in the space and his chest out he shouted,

“We shall not disappoint you, my Queen!”

He tugged on her tail with his and she followed his stance, though her voice was softer, “We shall bring honor and glory to the clan!”

SeaQueen nodded her acceptance of their war cries and motioned for them to come closer to the maps and scrolls on the desk, “Well then, come here and I shall show you what you shall be doing on this mission.”

.

.

.

CrownOfThorns heaved his pack and looked towards the skies with frustration. BlackGhost circled above, letting the warm thermals carry her effortlessly. He gave a mental curse at the Bogsneak waddling in front of him, he would have been in the skies if not for him. But it seemed the mere mention of Harpies had been enough to send the lizard bursting into the commander’s office, demanding that he be allowed into the scouting mission.  He had heard from the other warriors that FrigidTrail despised the Beastclans, but by Plaguebringer’s teeth- why his mission! THEIR MISSION!

A pat on his neck dragged him away from his anger, and he turned to face Pema, the Longneck. He lowered his body downwards and lifted his arm to let her up on his back. The old Longneck would also be coming for similar reasons as FrigidTrail, though not similar moods. She knew the Beastclans, for she was once one- though from FrigidTrail’s reaction to her inclusion one would think she was still part of their number.

Pema settled herself on his back and touched the talonclasp necklace around his neck. “Ready this thing is? Just in case?”

He nodded as he began to walk after the Bogsneak, “Ready and set. Had DayMeadow do a once over again to make sure the magic wasn’t leaking out of the stone.”

A note of worry sounded behind his head, “Use it that you shall? If the time is right?”

He did not want to think about the situation in which he would need to use the talonclap’s beacon magic, but he would not treat his friend’s question lightly.

“Yes, I shall use it if need be.”

Silence slide by for many sun lengths, and he resisted the urge to turn his head to view his passenger. Something felt off about the quiet, sure it was a mission, but the abrupt end of the conversation bothered him.

“Are you.. “

“I wish to seek forgiveness from you Thorns.”

The soft-spoken words nearly halted his steps, but he continued, hoping his thoughts would catch up with him. Pema continued, “I betrayed your speech between your mate and you, and it was out of fear for you- but still my actions eat at my hooves.”

He snorted, “Pema I would forgive you if you had done something in need of forgiveness. You saved me from my stupidity and I brought worry to you, for that I should ask forgiveness of my own. “

Pema nasally chuckled and stroked his neck, “Peace of the Sea and the Mountains be with you.”

He laughed and answered her sentence, “And with you, my friend.”

“Enough of the beast’s cursed tongue!” FrigidTrail snarled without turning his head.

Thorns resisted the urge to snap his tail at the impertinent lizard, but Pema’s shake of her head caught his eye and he resisted. With a sigh he continued on with the pace, giving a silent prayer to the Eleven to save him from Bogsneaks and their tempers.

The sun had nearly risen to its peak when they had found signs of their quarry, very obvious signs. The quarry of rocks held scribbled carvings depicting Harpies and a few beastclan words he recognized. The air smelled pungently ammonic and feathers artistically sprawled around looked to be of the right size. But it just felt…

“This is too perfect.” BlackGhost echoed his own thoughts. He bobbed his head, “Agreed, this feels staged.”

A low hiss signaled from FrigidTrail, “NO! This scent, these words I know them- it is their’s I am sure of it!”

They both watched the Bogsneak frantically scent around the stones, his fins flaring wildly. Pema was looking at the stones too, a hoof tracing the carvings and words. After glancing at the Bogsneak she switched to the language of Longnecks, though she kept her voice at a whisper,

“These carvings are fresh, but the grammar is bad and the art is crude for harpies. Harpies would not foul their carvings with droppings. Beastclans would not leave such obvious signs for dragon folk to find, and it is not a sacred place.”

CrownOfThorns relayed the information mentally to BlackGhost.

This is a trap.

Most likely, but the evidence leads out to the dunes and I didn’t see a dragon or any obvious trap for 100 meters around the area.

Well it’s a..Oh Hippogriff crap!

FrigidTrail had finished his scenting and placed himself heaving and snarling between them.

“If you are done with your beast yapping and staring at one another, we need to get on the trail before it gets cold!”

Thorns felt himself bristling, he had been chided and snapped at the whole mission by this lizard, he’d had enough!

“This is a trap an Imperial’s butt wide! Use what little brains you got rattling around in your skull, lizard breath!”

FrigidTrail snapped at his neck, and he reared showing his claws and flapping his wings in defense. A tingling in his spines was all his warning as a jolt of electricity sizzled between the two of them and he leaped back. He turned towards BlackGhost whose claws crawled with magic and he wisely kept his retort between his fangs.

“Enough!” she pointed at Thorns, “You get up in the sky, it’s your turn to scout ahead. I’ll stay with FrigidTrail and Pema as we track on the ground. We’ll stop two claw lengths before sunset and make camp.”

He sighed and gave a running leap into the skies. It felt good to have the wind beneath his wings once again, despite his misgivings. 

[yellingdragon-fr]

Typing up a few tales for my Lair/Clan. Enjoy!

Untitled [wip title]

Part 2

Devas invited the Guardian into his private den and sealed the door. The Guardian looked around as he walked down the corridor toward the vast living space. Embedded all along the walls up to the ceiling were large reflective objects. There were small Talonok Beastclan at some of these objects, cleaning them of any dirt and debris. The Guardian entered the vast chamber alit with a soft golden light suspended in the center of the living space. Devas walked around the Guardian and across the chamber. He approached a pile of large crimson cushions and gracefully rested his serpentine bulk upon them. The Guardian walked in and stood across a great table littered with gold and shiny gems. “You live in such luxury,” the Guardian commented. Devas waved one claw dismissively. “What do you want to know, Guardian.” “Falfrost,” the Guardian quickly said. “My name is Falfrost.” Devas just grunted. He didn’t care what the Guardian’s name was. After a moment of silence, Falfrost began, “I’ve noticed Xiphos and his mate often visits you.” Devas’s eyes narrowed in slight irritation at that name. “Yes. They’ve been bothering me nigh daily ever since they joined this clan.” Falfrost gave a single nod, confirming the comment to himself. He asked, “Do you have any idea why they visit you?” Devas growled. “They constantly annoy me, say pretty words to flatter me, but I want nothing to do with them.” Falfrost listened to Devas’s words carefully. After some thought, he said, “I suspect they’re trying to recruit you into their.. Family.” “Recruit me?” Devas let out an amused scoff. “What gave you such an absurd idea?” The white Guardian was silent for a moment, a look of regret flashed in his dull flame-colored eyes. He took a deep breath and asked, “Do you know an Imperial named Veldas?” Devas thought for a moment. He didn’t bother knowing names, he only recognized faces. If the Guardian had pointed out who he was talking about, perhaps Devas would know. He simply shrugged and said, “If this Veldas interacted with me, I’d know their face. Otherwise, the name is unfamiliar to me.” Falfrost reached up to adjust his spectacles. “Veldas came to us from the Windswept Plateau. His wings were badly damaged and he was on the brink of death when we found him-” “I don’t care,” Devas flatly said, interrupting the Guardian. “Get to the point.” Falfrost swallowed a lump and said, “I’ve.. made a mistake. I need your help.” Devas gazed at the Guardian, as if waiting for a punchline. He yawned and leaned back on his silken cushions. “Why should I help you. I’m not responsible for your errors.” “Please,” the Guardian begged, “Veldas wasn’t supposed to be inducted into Xiphos’s family. I asked him to get information and he came back a changed Imperial. He speaks only of his new family and how important they are to him. He says they’ve opened his eyes to the truth.” “What truth?” Devas asked. Falfrost shook his head, “He didn’t say.” “Perhaps you’re being paranoid,” Devas speculated. “Something’s not right with Xiphos and his family,” Falfrost firmly said. “Tell me you don’t find it odd they always visit you on a daily basis? To try and lure you away from your territory?” Devas thought on the Guardian’s words. Xiphos and his mate often stopped by to ask him for a chat, to have lunch, or feed his ego with words of flattery. He gazed back at Falfrost, “If this is bothering you so much, why come to me?” “I’ve been observing you for a while, and I believe you won’t be influenced by Xiphos. I want to ask you to bring Veldas back to his senses,” Falfrost said. Deavs let out a mocking laughter, startling the Guardian. Then he glared at him. “I can barely stand those loathsome lovers, and you want me to waltz into their den and bring back an idiot?” Devas slowly shook his head. “You’ve wasted your time coming here, Guardian.” Falfrost began to feel desperate, “Please! You’re the only one-” Devas hissed with a deep, guttural growl in his chest, shutting up the other dragon. “And you’ve wasted my time. You may leave.”

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[fletcher-fr]

The Fey Calamity

part 7 of 8 ( part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6)

It had been three months since the Fletching Clan had fled their palace.

Cold had long since set in, and frozen wind whipped up the cliffs. Without the ever-present patter of gems on the walls, like the Fletching palace, it sounded like dying screams.

Food dwindled to what the few able hunters could bring back each day. Hatchlings died of malnutrition. Sometimes residual fey magic would crop up, and then a bout of madness would strike. A dragon would be perfectly fine one day, helping hang laundry up to dry by the fire; the next day the laundry would be cut to shreds, and the dragon would be hemorrhaging magic, singing incessantly while they tried to strangle themselves with the leftover cloth.

With much more of winter still to come, the Queen was running out of ideas.

Until, on a day just before the Riot of Rot, a strange dragon appeared at the door of the longhouse. A fey dragon.

All of the Fletching dragons were on their feet in an instant, baring fangs or standing over their loved ones.

The dragon put his hands up as he reverted to a bipedal form. It was something they hadn’t seen a fey dragon do before. Some dragons hissed; others looked on in anxious anticipation.

The Queen stepped forward, back straight as she held out a hand crackling with magic.

“Who are you?” she demanded, in a voice powerful enough that a few dragons’ hearts turned over at her courage.

“My name is Talikail,” said the stranger, and to everyone’s surprise he spoke Sornen, with a fine Fletching accent. “I am an ambassador of sorts.”

Amdiffyn stepped forward. “Ambassador for whom? What is your business here? How did you find us?”

Talikail held up his fingers and ticked them off as he answered her questions. “The Forest Queen, Haliketra, sent me. Her children suffer with cold and starvation. She would beg your help. It is not hard to track such a large group of dragons when their snow tracks all trickle back here.” He smiled. “I slipped this away to prove my credit.”

From within the folds of his cloak, he withdrew a handful of teardrop-shaped gemstones and held them up to the light.

“The stones from the palace walls,” someone gasped, but Amdiffyn held out her arm, warning them back.

“We will speak outside. Your magic is not welcome here.”

Talikail touched the brim of his hat and retreated.

Amdiffyn brought Amethyst to test the authenticity of the gems, as well as Cernunnos, her Winter and Summer Suns, and Sif. They all stood in the freezing sun as they spoke.

Talikail explained that he had been learning Sornen from Leannan, who was still alive--a sigh of relief rippled through the small group--and that the small population of fey were not enough to maintain such a large palace. Haliketra was wise enough to see such, but Alekain was blinded by his success, as well as by the manipulations of Kandrial.

All of the dragons were hesitant to risk correspondence with the fey-controlled palace, given the ill effects of the fey magic. So Talikail agreed to smuggle Cernunnos and Namira into the palace with him so that they could begin studying the fey magic and how to counteract it. He promised that he would keep an eye on them as often as he could slip away, to ensure that the magic did not affect them too much to finish their work. He insisted that the fey kept to the lower levels of the palace, especially now to conserve heat.

“They don’t know what to do with all the space,” he said.

It pained Amdiffyn to send two of her clan members into danger without certainty that they would be safe, but Belenus and Whisper supported her decision.

Melektaus was sent to the market to buy supplies with the gemstones. While they waited for him to return, Amdiffyn pondered over the matter of the Beastclans.

“Kandrial is a force to be reckoned with,” Talikail had said, “But he could be taken down by a few skilled warriors. Your general--” he nodded to Belenus, who looked at his feet, “--was preoccupied by the attackers from the sea and sky.”

“We cannot hope to defeat Kandrial unless we have their support again,” said Belenus.

So, the next day as Talikail set out with his two companions, Amdiffyn walked among the dragons of the Fletching Clan to explain the situation. That evening, two young dragons approached her, nervous excitement in their expressions. One of them--Aliriel--wanted to try to negotiate with the Maren, while the other--Kadraine--wanted to visit the Talonok. Amdiffyn knew very little of them, but as they had chosen to stay with the clan despite having only lived in the palace a short while, she trusted their loyalty and gave them her blessing.

After they left, Amdiffyn watched the clan eating their dinner. They all had more on their plates, with the leftovers of the supplies the gemstones had bought. A little bubble of hope appeared in her chest. Perhaps they were finally on their way to getting back the palace.

One week later, Talikail appeared again, wearing a grim expression and carrying a letter. He met the Queen on the grounds in front of the longhouse, and handed the parchment to her wordlessly.

Amdiffyn, it read. The palace needs workers to make it warm and bring food. Bring your dragons to serve us.

Your twins are in my possession. If you do not come by the next full moon, I will kill them.

King Alekain

Amdiffyn shook. The letter fell onto the snow as she thrust it from herself as though it had burned her. She stared at Talikail for confirmation, and he looked down at the paper.

“He found them asleep in the hatchery. I don’t know how they were still alive. Probably… more fey magic.”

But Amdiffyn barely heard him. She couldn’t stand it any longer. She ran inside, to where Ikelos sat alone by the back door, and collapsed into his arms. Whispers of disapproval roared up behind her, but as she sobbingly explained their predicament, they died down.

“Amdiffyn,” said Ikelos softly, stroking her hair. “You cannot sacrifice the clan for two hatchlings.” In contrast to his steady voice, his fingers were shaking.

But just then, a blast of cold air blew over them as Aliriel threw open the back door. She started at the sight of the queen and Ikelos at her feet, but quirked a nervous smile and stepped inside to reveal a shining silver trident strapped to her back.

“The Maren are with us,” she said.