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Post by kiwi cheesecake on Feb 22, 2020 1:14:38 GMT -5
Quagmire stood at the far edge of the demolished village, holding her wings out to cover two of her younger sibs. The destruction was like nothing she had ever seen in her life, the ruined outlines of buildings all that remained of the once prosperous site. The menace that had been hanging over everyone's head had finally reached them, it seemed.
Nervously tapping the ground, Quagmire scanned the meager group of dragons milling around the ruins. Where is he? Some dragons were looking for their possessions amidst the rubble, others hopelessly trying to rebuild structures. It was all useless, in the end. The village had been marked. They needed to leave as soon as possible. The shadow could still be lurking on the edges of the town,.And now, it had more than just a taste for buildings.
With a slight huff of relief, Quagmire noted the return of Russet, one of the older unsibs under her protection. He was almost old enough to leave the group, if he wanted to. Quagmire never forced any dragon older than a dragonet to remain under her guidance, although she wished they would. Russet was one of the few who chose to stick around with the group that had raised him, even if his unofficial sibs went and joined or formed their own, separate groups. Quagmire nodded as he approached, slightly out of breath. "How are they?" she asked softly, trying not to let any other dragons hear them.
"Heron and Adobe are healing nicely," Russet said, taking a seat next to Quagmire. "They should be able to fly by this evening. Very mild injuries. We got off luckily, considering... well, you know." He sighed, tapping his talons on the wed ground. "The Queen is here too, you know."
Quagmire stiffened. "Queen Fern? I... suppose that makes sense. But I didn't think she'd risk coming out to the village so soon after the attack."
Russet shrugged, deftly scooping one of the tiny dragonets out from under Quagmire's wing and depositing them on his back. "She's a Queen. It's her job to watch over us, right?"
Quagmire couldn't stop a smile from crossing her face as she watched little Ibis clamber all over Russet. "I suppose. Perhaps I should... speak to her. I don't know." She shook her head slightly, the smile replaced with a tightly drawn line. "I'd really rather leave as soon as possible. But as long as she's here, maybe she can... offer some insight into the problem. Tell us where it will be safest. Where we should make our way."
Russet nodded, brushing his wing against Quagmire's. "Go on," he said. "I can watch Ibis and Silt. We have to wait for the others to heal anyways, remember? We're not in a rush." Noticing her hesitation, he added, "Everything will be fine, Quag. We'll stay right here while you're gone."
"Alright," Quagmire sighed after a moment. "But the minute anything comes up, you come and find me, okay?"
"Okay, okay," he chuckled, playfully bumping into her shoulder. "Go on, you big worrywort."
Quagmire shook her head as she walked away, casting a glance back behind her. She was glad Russet had stayed with them. He was trouble to be sure, but... his company was nice, and he was good with the young dragonets. As Quagmire made her way through the loose throngs of dragons, it vaguely crossed her mind to just walk back to the group and say she'd spoken to the Queen. It wasn't wholly honest, but she was already worried about them. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I came right back, she thought, preparing to turn back the way she had come.
But that was the moment when she noticed the Queen. Or, at least, she assumed it was the Queen based on the dragons flocking around her. Quagmire had never seen Queen Fern up close, let alone spoken to her. But she might know something important, she told herself, forcing her legs to move forwards. I have to at least try asking. For Russet, and Heron, and Silt, and Adobe, and Ibis. For my current sibs., and those to come. I need to be able to protect them from this threat. |
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Post by Tealraven on Feb 22, 2020 14:24:01 GMT -5
( I don't have pictures yet, but I finished my forms. Hope they're okay ) Falcon
SkyWing ~ ✧ ~ fourteen~ ✧ ~ male
✧ Falcon is a lean, wiry dragon with the massive wings typical of most SkyWings. He's taller than other dragons his age and tends to be clumsier on the ground than in flight. So, like the bird of prey he was named for, he specializes in air combat, able to take down his opponents with exceptional speed. His belly, lower chest, and the insides of his legs are reddish-orange, but the rest of his body is a vivid shade of maroon. His eyes are also orange. He wears a simple chain necklace with an amber pendant on it and a bronze torc around his right bicep. ✧
insert picture here
✧ charming, loyal ✧ bold, flirtatious ✧ restive, quick-tempered ✧
✧ Falcon is an ordinary dragon. He had a typical dragonethood. His mother, Robin, was a civilian who married a soldier, Phoenix. He has an older sister named Cerise, a musician who often plays for the Queen at festivals and parties. Falcon himself has enlisted in the SkyWing army like his father, but since the tribes have been relatively at peace, he's currently in the reserves and usually works as a palace guard. His life has been comfortable enough, if rather boring. Most days consist of patrolling the perimeter, joking with other guards on break, and admiring the pretty girls who come all dressed up for palace events (sometimes, if he got lucky, he could even convince one to dance with him, despite having four left talons.) But things have been different since a shadowy threat emerged, threatening not only the SkyWings but all tribes. Content with his role but never exactly happy, Falcon jumped at the chance to serve his kingdom and protect his queen from this unknown enemy. He is usually first on the scene after each new sighting, determined to track down the menace once and for all. ✧ Taiga
IceWing ~ ✧ ~ twelve~ ✧ ~ female
✧ Slender and graceful, Taiga was bred for elegance, not fighting. Though bigger than some of the other tribes, she is small for an IceWing, and tries to avoid combat when she can. Her scales are the color of moonlit ice, closer to silver than white. The ridge of spines down her neck and back are pale blue, and both her horns and her wing membranes fade from periwinkle blue to lavender. The bridge of her nose is dusted with lavender freckles, and her eyes are a fierce shade of blue with light grey around the pupils. ✧
insert picture here
✧ clever, confident ✧ diplomatic, educated ✧ manipulative, cunning ✧
✧ Taiga was born to Snowdrift and Tern, a pair of lower nobles in the Third Circle. She was a sheltered dragonet , raised to obediently follow the IceWing codes of conduct without question. Knowing they had no chance of ascending the ranks themselves, her parents groomed her for a spot in the Queen's court. By her seventh hatching day, Taiga had worked her way up to the Second Circle, her impeccable manners and talent for diplomacy landing her a place in Tundra's palace. It was easy enough; all she really had to do was look snooty and act full of herself. But Taiga secretly disagrees with many of the Ice Kingdom's strict rules, and has become profoundly disenchanted with their society as a whole. Her experience in dealing with the other tribes has given her an outsider's perspective of the IceWing way of life, and she hopes to use her position in the Queen's court as a catalyst for change. Her ideas may be too radical, however, and the revelation that she is a prophecy dragon has only added another layer of complexity to her plans... ✧ |
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Post by Tealraven on Feb 22, 2020 14:56:33 GMT -5
( great! I'm off to read everyone's starters then. )
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Post by lazy penguin on Feb 22, 2020 17:10:59 GMT -5
(I was going to make 3 more characters so I have a dragon from each tribe (and because I have no self control). Of the SandWings, NightWings, and IceWings which would be most likely to have a princess who is a daughter of one of the queens?)
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Post by Tealraven on Feb 22, 2020 19:49:10 GMT -5
( hey kiwi cheesecake, if Manta ever makes it to the Sky Kingdom like she planned, I could have my dragon Falcon run into her for some interesting interaction. But if not that's fine too ^^ I might eventually make more dragons, but for now I'll just stick with two. I'll try to post my starters later tonight ) |
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Post by kiwi cheesecake on Feb 22, 2020 20:20:36 GMT -5
((Bold of you to assume Manta will be successful at anything lmao. But sure! I think Penguin has a SkyWing too ^^))
((Sidenote: trying to name a NightWing because I want to make a NightWing babbie. Do y'all like Dawnbreaker, Gallant, Gloomstalker, or Nebula better?))
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Post by Tealraven on Feb 22, 2020 20:36:16 GMT -5
( I really like Nebula, but Dawnbreaker is good too. Hm. Not exactly helpful I guess x) )
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Post by kiwi cheesecake on Feb 22, 2020 21:21:51 GMT -5
((I'll probably go with Nebula, then. The idea is growing :0. And Manta can TOTALLY be where-ever))
((And I really like Polaris. Seaglass is cool too))
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Post by Tealraven on Feb 22, 2020 21:29:03 GMT -5
( sure Dreamer. Throw away x)
I really like Tempest and Seaglass! Especially Tempest - I feel like that would nicely incorporate the IceWing half of your dragon. Polaris is a cool name too, but I'm biased because I have an OC named Polaris lol )
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Feb 22, 2020 21:35:19 GMT -5
( sure Dreamer. Throw away x) Right! I just have to get a Queen Fern reply up for Drea, and then I'll get a Firefly starter up! ^^
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Post by lazy penguin on Feb 22, 2020 21:35:41 GMT -5
(Idk why i really love meltwater but i do. polaris is great too.
officially working on my babies valor, pasque, and notos)
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Post by Tealraven on Feb 22, 2020 21:40:37 GMT -5
( sounds good, no rush ^^
I love the name Valor, btw)
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Post by lazy penguin on Feb 22, 2020 21:47:21 GMT -5
(lmao yeah, valor is the one and only nightwing name i've come up with that i've loved.)
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Feb 22, 2020 22:09:22 GMT -5
{ Okay, I got confused then, sorry. You said earlier that they could be the same as long as there were just a few hints to her other lineage, so I was going to make the IceWing side more distant instead of her other parent being 100% another tribe. } No, no. Totally my fault. I did say that, and then I forgot I said that. Or maybe I thought the princess was going to be a new dragon. ^^ As queen, Pacific wouldn't be able to intermarry with another tribe. Her offspring would have to be pure SeaWing to inherit the throne. Plus, the main sea palace is underwater, where no other tribe can get to it. If Pacific, or any SeaWing, married outside the tribe, they would have to live either in their lover's tribe, or in one of the two towns that house dragons from all the tribes. There would also be no guarantee that any offspring of a SeaWing-other tribe pairing would be able to breathe under water.
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Post by Tealraven on Feb 22, 2020 22:46:13 GMT -5
✧ Taiga ✧ Midday | The Ice Kingdom - Southern Border | [open] Rules were an IceWing's bread and butter. It was what set them apart from the other tribes as distinctly more civilized. Their elaborate ranking system of Circles ensured order; each dragonet was taught to obey strict codes of conduct from hatching. The Circles made life easier; each dragon knew their place in the tribe and knew what was expected of them. This made running the kingdom far more efficient. Without this structure, without routine, their society would collapse, and they would be no different from the other kingdoms. And the other kingdoms, as every loyal IceWing knew, were inferior because they lacked the structure necessary for proper civilization.
(Taiga thought that was a load of penguin guano, but she knew better than to say that out loud.)
So why had she been summoned when where were no meetings scheduled for today? Something very significant must have happened for the Queen to break routine like this; her court was only called into session when she needed counsel on a matter of great importance. This could only mean one thing: the darkness had returned. Taiga shivered, but not from the cold.
The IceWings were not the only tribe suffering from the mysterious threat that came in the night, sweeping in just before dawn and leaving destruction in its wake. She’d seen the evidence on her recent diplomatic trips to the Sand Kingdom and the Sky Kingdom.
Officially, her title was ‘Royal Ambassador,’ and she was supposed to be connecting with other tribes to strengthen their ties and secure trade and yada-yada-yada. What that really meant was operating under the pretense of establishing peace for all of Pyrrhia or whatever to gather intel for the Queen and update her on the activities of other tribes, so she could make better informed decisions on foreign policy. It was dishonest work, and she was very good at it, even if she didn’t agree with it personally.
But there were a lot of things about the Ice Kingdom she disagreed with, and her interactions with the other tribes had only further convinced her that things in the Ice Kingdom needed to change.
Taiga assumed she was being summoned because the Queen wanted an update on the spreading darkness in the other kingdoms. Theoretically, the Great Ice Cliff, enchanted to keep out any dragons who didn’t have IceWing blood, should protect them from this new threat. Theoretically, this “wave of darkness” was a group of bandits or anarchists or maybe a cult who simply wanted to spread chaos. Rumors had started to circulate that the NightWings were the ones behind it all--why else would they only strike under the cover of night?
But Taiga had seen destruction on the outskirts of the Lost City of Night in person, so that theory was effectively crossed off the list. Three moons, the Queen had not been happy to receive that report. The NightWings should have been the easy answer, but if the IceWings couldn’t blame their sworn enemies, then who--or what--was behind all the death and destruction?
Taiga tried to be open-minded about NightWings. The tribes were at peace now, and there shouldn’t be any reason for animosity between the two based on events that happened thousands of years ago. Still, you can’t just erase that much history. As Taiga launched herself into the frigid air, angling her wings to catch the wind blowing south, a fleeting thought crossed her mind: was it the Darkstalker? Surely not. But then again, he was supposed to have disappeared two-and-a-half thousand years ago, too. He could come back again, her mind whispered. Taiga frowned and gave herself a little shake, wiggling her wings in midair to dispel the thought. Focus. Queen Tundra needs you.
She soared down towards an outpost located along the southern border of the Ice Kingdom, not far from the Great Ice Cliff. From atop the platform, sentries could see over the enchanted escarpment for miles in any direction. If the darkness came to their kingdom, the IceWings would not be caught off guard.
Or so they thought.
The outpost had been demolished, reduced to splintered boards and a few posts lying half-buried in the snow. There was blood everywhere, blue, blue, blue. Taiga inhaled sharply. A dragon was trapped beneath a support beam, his body horribly mangled. His companion lay crumpled nearby, alive but unconscious and severely injured. Her breathing was ragged; she probably would not survive her wounds.
A few of Taiga’s fellow diplomats stood nearby, staring at the carnage with vacant eyes, their faces blank with shock. The other members of the Queen’s court were nowhere to be seen. This could not have happened, Taiga thought, panic rising in her throat. This should not have happened.
There were two possibilities here, and she wasn't sure which was worse: either the darkness was not a dragon, but something else entirely, which was almost too horrifying to comprehend…
Or the Great Ice Cliff, their tribe’s greatest protection, was no longer working.
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