The Land of Shoven is one wrought in war. For four centuries the likes of man and dragon have been in conflict, trying to obtain complete control of the area known as Shoven. Why? It's supposed few dragons may remember the reason but no man alive in these times remembers the cause or reasons behind it. Only that there is no diplomacy between the two. Dragons rain elements of fire and lightning down upon that of man as they retaliate in kind with powerful magics and great siege weapons. Land between the sides has been given and taken but little ground has been made for either cause. Only weariness increases, and the flow of time presses onwards as both sides wait for an end to the war that may never come.

Shoven

Ruled as a Monarchy by King John Shoven XIII

The natural wonders of this country include:
The dragon homes of the Sulu Mountains and Jupin woods
The Volcanic Isle of Cinder Island.
The combining rivers flame tongue, and Crystal Bluff that form an enormous delta at its apex into the sea.
The Niiki Plateau
The Bredal Desert

Humah:
The capitol of the country, it is nestled safely atop Niiki Plateau. It is a heavily garrisoned city, with fully equipped castle at its center. The mountain range provides ample protection against any would be invaders. It has few trades, though the rare gems found in the local mines allow the purchase of many fine goods the citizens regularly demand. You will find the finest artisans of all kinds within the city walls, but few are allowed to enter.

Hamel:
The eastern-most riverside city of Shoven, it is the main port that provides the supplies for the capitol. As such, Merchants are in abundance and it is quite the prosperous city. The river flow is quite lax in this area and allows for boats to ferry across travelers on a regular basis. It has no goods of its own aside from fish.

Uthane:
The second river city from the east, Uthane contains a great farm system thanks to the fertile grounds given by the rivers regularly flooding banks. This is the main food source for the country, and as such, is heavily guarded. Stations are posted year round at each end, and the main city is walled off with stone. As a more recent defense, Steelworkers are currently crafting their steel onto slanted wooded palisades at the top of the stone walls. This will eventually provide cover for archers from the deadly red dragons flame. So far however, only a quarter of it is complete, and is projected to be completed in three years

SpringCott:
The third city from the east, SpringCott is the main battle post for the current war. It lies on the choke point of the two countries rivers, and allows ample resources to come "pouring" into the city. All of the kingdom's squadrons are in this area. The battle mages, Field warriors, archers, and Arcane Division. The combined forces have driven the dragons to a stalemate, neither side risking an open assault.

Niiki:
The city holding the namesake of much of the Continents landmarks, it is itself an oddity. Built within the wetlands of the stagnating Crystal Bluff River, it is difficult to navigate by land or sea. Yet the city once thrived thanks to its port, the only seaport in the country. It was unfortunately the target of the mythic sea dragons at the start of the great war, and word from the outside world is little more than myth and legend to the people of shoven some four centuries later.

Sheal:
A small town at best, this location is merely a rest stop for those on their way to or from Parcel. It is a barren area, to close to the infamous Bredal Desert to give rise to any extra crops. The only areas of note are the inn, the various churches, and of course, the Dragon's head Tavern, sporting a moderate sized red dragon's skull atop its entryway.

Parcel:
A city rife with skilled artisans, before the war it was home to some of the best craftsmen in all the world. Now, with the attacks from the red dragons coming frequently, all but the weapon-smiths have fled to the capitol. Now it is rife with soldiers and the kings mages, looking to find a weakness in the enemy's line.

Windark:
Not a town at all, but simply a prosperous inn on the main road to the capitol. It is a popular resting point before the trek up the plateau and as such warrants a few farms and homes around the area to supply and staff the place respectively.

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Character Creation Info

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Now for this particular roleplay, You will be acting out the part of a group of mages. Now magic in this world works in a unique way that will be explained below, but that's only half of it. For a group of mages would be simply too mundane for you. With your character you will also be bonded with a dragon, chosen for you via dice roll. Your rolled colored dragon will affect your magic in some way, so keep that in mind for your own character as well. This may seem complex but don't let the wall of text deter you. What it boils down to is whether you want to throw around fire or earth or wind etc. and what kind of dragon you want to travel with.

Below, are the different colored dragons and their abilities.

Yellow, The Lightning Dragon:
After hatched this breed quickly clings to the closest area of warmth available to it, generally it's mother, and doesn't leave until it opens it's eyes on average a week later. Quite timid, even after this it tends to not leave the mothers side until an adolescent. It's scales shimmer when wet with an electric glow, and stays a bright yellow throughout its life. This type uses their affinity to lightning to become unnaturally fast. Their speed is unmatched throughout all dragon-kind. To do this their bodies have become streamlined to an alarming degree, which means they lack any forward facing horns or claws. Caught off-guard the yellow dragon is at a great disadvantage, but once it is airborne and picking up speed there is nothing that can escape.

Brown, The Earthen Beast:
The Earth Dragons are the longest lived reaching ages of 1200 years. They are birthed from the earth, their eggs having been burried, and seek out their mother whom is generally nearby. They are adamant and solitary upon reaching adolescence however, and don't generally travel in groups until late in their lives where they act as leaders among the species of dragons. They do not like flying but prefer to use the earth as their main mode of travel. As for their scales, harder than any others and can break almost any weapon against them.

Red The Fire Dragon:
The Dragon every human envisions. Their eggs are constantly engulfed in fire, and are put out by the very act of hatching. The young thing is quite aggressive even to it's own mother upon coming into the world, but gradually calms down once it realizes there is no danger. The most family intensive of the dragons, these fire beasts will do anything to protect their brood. The breath of these giants are hot enough to redden even steel. It is the only dragon that can breath flames, as apposed to popular opinion.

Blue, The Sea Serpent:
Blue dragons keep to themselves to the islands in the southwest of Shoven with some exceptions, and they are able to breath underwater. Only one attempt has been made to destroy this 'tribe' and it ended with every single ship sinking before they were within a mile of the location. They are birthed on shore, their eggs in shallow pools and once out of their shell they quickly bathe in that very water, cleansing them of their former prison. They prefer the water at a young age, but grow accustomed to land just as well as they grow older. Their fins allow them great control in the sky's but in the waters there are none that can come close to competing with their skill.

Purple, The Frozen Tyrant:
Known to live in the highest reaches of the mountains, These dragons hate the heat and respectfully keep their distance from their red cousins. Never the less, These dragons are most well known for their prowess as guardians. To what, few can say for it is kept secret even among their own kind. Legend simply states that the mountains are to be trespassed by no one else calamity strike the world. The species eggs appear to be frozen, yet they hatch just as well even in the coldest climes and are well and capable of fending for themselves even at that early stage. As they grow they tend to stay in the colder climates and connect with their brood, but a few have been known to stray away and aid the other species in the war against the humans.

Green, The Sky Dragon:
The freest of all dragons, they almost never leave the sky. They ride thermals for rest and only land to sleep, give birth, and eat. All three of which are unnecessary to the most skilled and devout to "Mother Wind". The children of these beasts are capable of flight as soon as hatched, but still tend to cling to their mothers for some time until they are comfortable of the act of flight. Thought not quite as fast as the lightning dragons, none will question their utter superiority of the skies.


Magic is explained below this point

In this world Magic consists of those elements you saw above that the dragons have inherited. Lightning, Earth, Fire, Water, Ice, and Wind, and combinations of these elements is commonly used for spells. In fact, the skill level of a mage is based entirely on how far one has come to mastering each specific element. A mage just learning the basics is known as a novice, while one who has learned the art of a single element is an adept. It continues as followed in this list here.

Beginning mage: Novice
Learned a single element: Adept
Learned two: Apprentice
Learned three: Initiate
Learned four: Journeyman
Learned five: Magus
Learned six: Master

Using this magic requires strength of will and body in tandem. Each spell drains the user of stamina depending on the spell, and without proper control it can drain the very life from the unlucky spell-caster. There are no flashy lights or symbols to been seen once a spell is cast aside from the elements it conjures. The spell itself cannot be permanent. To keep the magical element under your control you must constantly maintain a connection. As once that connection is cut, the element reverts to nature. Earth crumbles, fire goes out, water evaporates etc.

Now to avoid clutter, I would like prospective roleplayers to roll a 1d6 die, and I'll will give you the info you'll need for the application.

Now to be accepted I ask you, once you have the extra info, to write out your first post after your character skeleton to go in line with the writing you will see at the end of this post. It will lay the foundation for your character, and the group he/she travels with.

If you have any other questions please feel free to PM me with them or if you know how to contact me elsewhere you may do so.




Introduction/Application Post

You are part of an upstart military group, taken from your families and forced into military service for your skills in magic. You and your company of men have tracked a group of dragons through the low lying mountain ranges and have finally found a den where they have made their home. Upon inspection your group was attacked and many were killed from the unsuspected dragon assault. Seperated and running you ran for whatever cover you could find, and within that cover you spotted a single egg. Seemingly abandoned, you approach and it hatches for you, your first ever encounter with your dragon.

Write of the attack, the flight to safety, and the wonder of seeing this seemingly dangerous creature and the feeling of it's bond with you. For it will be apparent that while you see no attachment, there is something holding you to this small creature.



Once everyone gets me their application introduction I will see about accepting them into the rp. After that I'll right the intro so you may rewrite them to include the other characters

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Name: Ardessi Aldritt
Gender: Female
Age: 32
Description: Large and awkward would describe her best, as she stands at a towering 6’7 and weighs in at 285lbs. The blonde hair on her head has been bleached white from the hours of toiling in the sun and what would have been fair skin, has been tanned a nearly permanent olive color. Since her time in the military a number of scars now cover her body, though the ones on her back are old and the product of a “loving” uncle. Despite her age, the blues of her eyes hold an innocence to them, which is often clouded over by bouts of rage and anger when provoked. (note: The image referenced is not my own and all credit due to it for the artist linked here: Gary Grey )

Home City: Utane

Bio:
Ardessi Aldritt was the unwanted child of her mother, who had high hopes of being more than her simple upbringing. The beauty and quick tongue she possessed she was well on her way to improving her social standing if she could have merely kept her legs closed. Ardessi was an unwanted burden and as such her mother sought to discard her as soon as possible, which happened to be on the doorstep of her older already disgraced brother. With nothing but a note and a handful of gold included in her basket, Ardessi was left to be cared for by a man whom her mother hardly spoke with anymore. Such was the true lack of care, her mother had not even bothered to check if her brother was home, or at least wait around to see if he was there to answer the door.

For two nights, Ardessi sat there on the doorstep crying out to a world that did not care to hear it.

When her uncle finally stumbled home, he nearly kicked over the basket in his drunken haze and truthfully it was only the fact that he was drunk at all, that he had managed to miss crushing the poor babe that had finally cried herself to sleep.

Brought into his cold dank home, she was left on the floor by the fireplace, while he tried to make sense of the note that was left. With little love for his sister, he thought of taking the infant to the river, weighing down her basket and drowning her. However, the note mentioned some monetary reimbursement should he tend to the child. So, for the time being, he would keep her around, which meant that he had some extra help about the farm, once the brat learned to walk. Ardessi was spared death, though the life that she was to lead one might have thought death would have been better.

Right away it was obvious he had no idea what to do with the child and as such, when she was an infant she developed a nasty ear infection that resulted in loss of hearing in one ear and partial hearing loss in the other. Given he cared little for her the child was never taken to see anyone to help her and as she grew he assumed she was defective in the head, which was why she had never learned to speak or was just slow on the uptake. However, none of this truly concerned him, for he was more focused on her physical uses than having anyone around for conversation. Once she was big enough to walk and not murder herself, he had her in the fields with him. Toiling away at the earth, her body learned to adapt not only to the hard labor but the harsh diet as well. She became tough and it was figured that early on she would have inherited some substantial height from whoever was his father.

The stronger she became, the harder he worked her to the point where he had her hooked up to the plow like some cattle and whipped fairly much the same as well. The people of the town were not completely sure he should have treated her as such, but then again none of them wanted the burden they though her to be with her apparent “defect”. Ardessi, or “Idiot” as her uncle called her, had a lonely childhood and a life without knowing any true kindness. When she finally came into her magical powers, life only got harder for her.

Children, like adults, can be cruel especially when they are confronted with something that is different and they did not understand. Ardessi was both of those. One day, as she sat by herself something she did often some of the meaner and bolder children thought it would be funny to have a little fun with her. They made it a game, on who could hit her with a stone. Simple enough concept, though there were bonus points given for vital parts of her form, along with some extra points to be scored if they made her cry. Aridessi had just turned eighteen that summer and preferred to be left alone for the most part. Under a tree by the river she sat, some stone toys she had managed to carve her only friends and true means of enjoyment sat before her. Caught up in some heroic adventure private to her, she was happy.

Then a rock was thrown.

It struck her shoulder, with a solid thud that brought a sharp pain and drew her attention. On their faces she saw their amusement as well as more stone waiting to be thrown. With a sigh she tried to ignore them as she went back to her toys, only for another rock to strike her in the back. This time she ignored the pain, fought back the tears and tried to just focus on her toys praying that they would grow tired of their games and leave her be.

Thump

This one struck her in the head and made her cry out in pain, even if it was more of a wordless guttural sound more akin to an animal than anything a human should make. Tear stun her eyes and blood dripped from the cut on her head, still it was not until the next rock “missed” and landed on her toys, completely destroying them that the anger set in. Vision clouded over with an unseeing rage, the next rock thrown halted mere inches from her face only to be flung in the next moment back at the person who threw it. When it connected there was a loud smack and the kid was knocked off his feet, and was still when his body connected with the ground. Fear was in the eyes of those that were still on their feet as they watched her raise her hands and felt the ground tremble beneath their feet, before a large fissure opened up and threatened to swallow them whole. They scrambled back desperately to get away, while the broken fragments of her toys were levitated and hurled at them.

There was no stopping her, their cries literally fell on deaf ears and it was only when her uncle happened by and being able to get the drop on her and knock her out cold did it stop. The beating that she received that night was the one that earned her the scar on her right cheek she bares today. From then one she stayed on the farm and only went into town with him if she ever went at all, kept like some monster in the basement her contact with the human world became nonexistent. That is until the army came through town.

Magical Skill: Novice (strongest being lightening)
Preferred Elements: At the moment the wild and unruly elements that she seems able to muster is lightning and earth.

Dragon's Color: Yellow




All her life, Ardessi tried to please the man she lived with, the man who treated her like little more than an animal at times and often worse than that. She worked hard and tried her best, though he was never happy or pleased, especially after that day when she had attacked those other kids. It was not her fault and she did not even remember what she had done, but still she did her best to not be any more different and to make him happy. Which was why she had been down at the fields alone that day, to try and get an early start at her chores while he had gone into town to drink, he was always in a foul mood when he came back and she wanted to try and spare herself a bit of his rage.

Back to the house, she had been trying to move a large stone that had suddenly found its way into the field. It was heavy, but she had managed to heft it and get it up to her shoulder when she felt someone grab her from behind. Strong hands on her arms, made her panic the rock was dropped with an odd stroke of luck onto her attackers foot. Released from his grasped she ran straight to the house, as she wanted to go and hide herself somewhere until the man returned. Relief washed over her when she saw him standing there though that relief quickly turned to fear when a group came from within the house, one of them holding a small sack in their hands. When he spotted her, the man who had been in her life, the only “family” that she knew pointed to her and called the armored groups attention to her.

One of them gestured and the others took off after her. Panic fueled her actions though she did not get far as the one whose foot she had injured accidently with the rock tackled her to the group. Nothing made sense and no matter how much she struggled, fought or cried out no one stopped. The tears came down her face and she felt her hands being bound behind her back and a metal collar being slipped around her neck before she was hauled to her feet.

“Uhhhh! UHHHH!!” she called out to the man who stood there with an all too pleased smirk on his face as he counted his dirty money. Only once did he glance up at her, only once did their eyes meet. Her’s filled with the question of Why?, his filled with a look that read Good riddance. It was the last thing she saw before a burlap bag was placed about her head then.

“She is a strong one,” remarked one of the soldiers who had been struck by one of her kicks in the struggle. “Should have seen the size of the rock she had lifted to her shoulder when I came upon her in the field,” the chain to her collar secured to the back of their wagon.

“The dumb ones are usually strong. Nature’s way of making up for them being so vulnerable otherwise,” the captain remarked from atop his horse.

“We sure she’s a mage? I mean she did not try anything when we were wrestling her to the ground,” another soldier spoke up as he nudged Ardessi with his foot from where he sat atop his horse.

“Besides the drunken fool, some of the other town folks said she had attacked some of the other kids some years ago. Made the ground open up and threw rocks at them,” the captain shrugged. “Even if she is not one though, her strength can be put to use. We will have one of the other mages look at her when we get to camp. I am sure they will know what her story is.”



Cold and Wet

Water was thrown on her to rouse her from where she slept in the corner of her cage. The wild mage they called her, more animal than human with a rage that scared even the dragons. Though she appeared slow, her strength became more of an asset to the group and they enjoyed the protection her wild magic could bring to them when she used it. To try and make it more reliable they had partnered her up with another mage, by the name of Maggie a younger girl who was kind of heart and patient where others were not. She knew Ardessi was not just some monster, nor was she dumb she just could not hear much of anything. Though many did not think it possible, but the two had bonded and whenever she could Maggie tried to stick up for her.

“Must you wake her like that!” Maggie snapped at the soldier who had the task of being on guard duty for the “Wild Mage” this day, a task that many of them despised more than any of the other duties in camp. Besides the danger from her uncontrollable magic, the girl had the tendency to bite and spit when provoked. These on days when she was more manageable.

“Want me to go in there and stroke her face? Coo softly to her?” he spat then laughed as he walked off.

Ardessi crouched in the corner of her cage, damp from the cold water as she shook seemingly from the change in temperature. Her head hung low as she tried to shake the last of sleep from her form and calm herself before she lashed out and hurt those around her. A notion that did not sit well with her, even if she felt some of them certainly deserved it. Slowly, her eyes glanced over to the side of the cage and a smile beamed broadly on her face as she shuffled over to the bars where her friend stood.

“I’m sorry,” Maggie said as she reached for Ardessi’s hand and watched as the larger hand basically engulfed her own. Calloused and rough from the years of hard labor and what bit of training she had received since she was taken by the army. Still, she was always so gentle when she held Maggie’s hand as if she knew she could hurt the other woman easily.

Though the words did not mean anything to her, even if she had tried to read her lips, the frown and sadness in her eyes was enough to convey to Ardessi that she was sad about something.

“Uh…uh,” she waited till she had Maggie’s full attention and smiled more before she gestured to the other woman.

“Want me to smile?” Maggie asked, a smile already hinted there at the corners of her mouth.

“Uh!” she nodded and smiled more again.

“You like when I smile, huh?” Maggie said with a smile that quickly turned to a laugh when Ardessi made a face to try and get her to smile even more. “I am going to get you out of here, my friend…I promise," she sighed though she worked to keep her face alight with happiness, least she upset Ardessi again."Let’s work on some stuff, okay?"

The question asked though she knew the other woman could not understand, though the meaning set in when Maggie sat down and took out her book. The first page held her name, as it had from the moment that Maggie learned of it. A scrap of paper, old and worn, written in a fine hand, held the name of the giant woman, along with the origins of her birth. There was little else to the paper, no words of love, encouragement or the promise to find her again. Just her name scrawled out along with some talk about money and payment. It was like she had been sold from the moment of her birth and then sold again to the army when they had happened upon whoever took care of her.

It was a sorry and sad arrangement that only further spurned Maggie's personal desire to see her friend free.

From the first page, they went through the motions with the rest of the book. There were no words in it, but pictures that she had begun to use to try and teach the giant of a woman as much as she could. With the pictures, she started to assign gestures and the beginning of word sounds. Something to get the woman to communicate better, besides the grunts and limited vocals that she had at the moment.

The lesson went well, and she wished her friend a good night before she returned to her own tent. They had come upon a dragon nest and the plan was to attack that night and Ardy was supposed to be at the head of the line. As it was they liked to keep her awake and frustrated, it helped to set her off. Yet another motive to set her friend free and give her the taste of a life that was better than this.

Night fell upon the camp, the stars were clear in the sky as a full moon hung in the air and bathed the whole of the encampment in its eery glow. The guards on watch could not shake this...sensation, as they were being watched from somewhere. Though just where that was, they could not tell for the life of them and so they tried to push the unease down and wait for the coming of the next day.

If only they had looked harder...

Smoke.

Thick and black, rolled through the camp while Ardy slept peacefully, oblivious to the screams of those around her, their voices muted to the girl as they perished with the surprise attack from the dragons. It was only when the ground shook violently that she was roused from her sleep in time to see the chaos that had taken hold of the camp.

Fire licked nearly every section of the camp and what was not in flames suffered some other form of elemental attack. Rock slides, bolts of lightning, whirlwinds, etc. It was as if the whole of nature had decided to gather right then and there in the middle of the camp. The place stank of burnt flesh and death.

The simple straw mat that she used to sleep on was damn near destroyed as she scrambled from it and rushed to the bars that were her imprisonment. Perhaps, she should have been pleased to be there and "safe" while those without were left to fight for their lives within the sudden hell that had erupted.

“Ah! Uh! Ah!” she grunted against the cage door, to try and get someone to let her out. Not a foot from where she stood was the chest that contained her armor and Greataxe. If they would release her she could help them, could fight. Yet, no one stopped, everyone too wrapped up in their own business to care enough to let her go, even when the cage was nearly crushed no one came…except for one.

“Quickly! We have to get you out!”

Her friend, covered in dirt and blood frantically tried to work the knife she had managed to grab, against the lock. She was almost there, but then her actions stalled and there was a look of terror on her face that the giant woman did not understand. At least not until the shadow cast over them. She had missed the roar, thought it nothing but the rumble of the earth again with her muted hearing. Maggie, however, had not and her eyes had been fixed on the beast she saw dive toward them. A final frantic attempt was made on the lock before she was snatched up and yanked from Ardessi.

From there, the world went red.

The door of her cage burst open and out stepped…. “The Wild Mage”.

All around her the battle still waged, people perished in frantic desperation though her actions did not seem rushed. Armor slowly donned, the horned great helm hiding her face, the scale mail/hide armor fashioned more for intimidation than true protection only added to her size and sheer bulk; especially, with the thick furred shoulders and cloak. The Greataxe as “summoned” to her hand and thrust up into the sky as a bolt of lightning was called down to infuse the weapon with power.

A battle cry, born from pure rage ripped from her throat as she charged into the fray. Those who had been lucky enough to spot her as she broke free had renewed hope and cried out for joy when they saw her race through the carnage. Their "Wild Mage" was on the battlefield, so now the tides would turn in their favor. Which, it indeed did look like was to be the case as Ardy moved with her magically assisted speed. A dragon dropped before her, head reared back to unleash a torrent of flames, only to be met by a wall of earth that was thrown up to protect her. The flames licked and washed over the rock, melting the earth with its heat though she seemed fairly un-phased.

"Mage! MAGE!" the general shouted to her and she turned toward him. The shadow of the helmet hid her eyes from view and it appeared as if death peered back at him. "WE NEED COVER! COVER!"

The man flailed his arms about as if to show her what he meant and she raised the hand which held her axe and aimed it at him.

"YES! YES! COVER!" relief washed over him and he thought that this might be what they needed to make a retreat. Now if she would just...

Whatever thought he might have had was lost when the sensation of being jerked up into the air overwhelmed him. Whatever noise he made he was too high for her to even just hear him, even if he shouted Ardy cared little either way. With her head cocked to the side, she gestured back and then made a throwing motion. The poor bewildered General went screaming into the throat of a dragon, who stumbled back into one of the rocky walls. This left the one that she had held at bay with the wall of earth that was now more interested in crush the wall and whatever was behind it.

Just before it crashed its bulk down on the molten wall, Ardy dropped the earth shield and threw her lightning infused axe like one would throw a disc. The heavy weapon spun through the air with a shriek of power as it crackled and sparked from the lightning that clung to its surface. Unable to move, from the full commitment of its weight toward crushing the now gone wall, there was little the crimson beast could do as the axe sped toward it. As it bit into its flesh, the cry of pain was cut short as the neck wound was instantly cauterized while the blade continued on through in a wide arc that brought it back around to the outstretched hand of its wielder.

Another animalistic cry left her lips as she threw back her head and called out her pain and anger to the very skies above. Before her eyes could lower to the waiting targets of her rage, a familiar shadow blotted out the moon and drew the entirety of her focus.

"Maw...geh..."

The name was barely able to be said, and nor did she try to repeat herself either. Instead, she was once again off into the fray, only this time there was a target in mind. Not once did her focus shift or deviate, though she managed to somehow still dodge what was happening around her. She ducked beneath bodies, she vaulted over the slain carcasses of the fallen beasts, her rough bare feet scrambled past one obstacle after another as she strove to catch up with her target. Closer and closer she drew, until at the last moment she used a pillar of earth to launch her into the air.

For the briefest of moments, she had the sensation of flying and weightlessness. Had she been herself and within her own mind, this moment might have meant more to her. As it stood it was a means to an end, a means to get to the target she most desired. So, as she began to plummet back down to earth she angled herself toward the dragon that still held the form of her friend and slammed into it with as much force she could be mustered with the aid of some gusts of wind.

In a jumbled pile, they careened back to earth, only to have the dragon’s wings get caught up in a narrow passage between the walls of the valley. From its back, she tumbled and smacked herself hard on the head when she slid into a boulder. As she gradually came it, it was like a fog was lifted from her eyes and she was back into the present, rather than an unaware bystander. It took a moment to realize that not only was she no longer in the cage, but she was near on the other side of the valley fully armored for fight at that. Worry, dread, and uncertainty began to set it, but the sight of a familiar sprig of hair from beneath the wing of the dragon drew her attention.

"Maw...geh!"

The name barely recognized as a name was exclaimed as the giant rushed and stumbled to the side of her friend. A low grunt escaped from between her teeth as she lifted the heavy dead weight from the downed dragon's wing from atop her friend's body. There was the strong need to get help and bring someone to her, but a look up at the world around her left Ardy with one choice.

To run.

The precious bundle that was her friend's body was scooped up, cradled in her strong arms as gently as possible the large and awkward woman fled. Fatigue and pain, near constant enemies though she strove to press on for as long as possible if only for the sake of the woman she carried. Into a small cave, she hid, the back passageway widened with a gesture so that the bulky woman with her precious cargo could squeeze through. Deeper into the mountains, she took the woman, even as it became a chore to keep her eyes open let alone hold the weight in her arms. A misplaced step caused her to trip and fall, and there is where she laid as blackness fell over her.

When she awoke later it was to the sensation of being cold and finding the now cold and stiff body of her friend. It looked like she had been dead before the dragon landed, but Ardy had not bothered to check when she grabbed her up. Silent tears slid down her cheeks, as she felt lost and completely alone. The axe was taken from her back and she forced it between two rocks at her friend’s back. If she was careful and timed it right she could just end her life right now. That way she and her friend could go on into the next life together.

Just as she was about to commit to the act the body of her friend stirred and renewed hope kindled in her heart. Tentatively she moved her friend’s body and there she saw…an egg. A large egg, whose brilliant surface gleamed in the darkness of the cave. As she stared at it, it moved again, then a crack formed and out from within the egg poked the head of what looked like a small lizard. It chirped though she could not hear it, but she felt this…connection when she reached out to it.

At first it shied away from her, back into the safety of its egg.

“Uh…uh….”she tried to sound nicer to the creature, who responded to the sound she made and poked its head back out. It sniffed the air, then sniffed her outstretched hand before it quickly crawled into her palm, up her arm and secured itself a spot beneath her furred cloak at her shoulder. She felt connected to it, drawn to it like she had her friend…

"Maw...Geh!"

Eyes now on the lifeless corpse and she just knew that this lizard must have been her friend! The woman knew great magic and must have put herself in the egg when her body became broken. So, that Ardessi would not be alone! Instead, she had a new purpose and that was to get them both out of the darkness and into the light. Both would need food and she was not going to let anything happen to her friend.

Not this time.

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Name: Harrison White
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Description: 5’10, 168lbs with broad shoulders and a round face that doesn’t quite match him. He has black hair, unshaved stubble around his chin, and hazel eyes.
Home City: Hamel
Bio: Harrison was considered a ‘mistake’, not meant to be conceived. His parents were fairly ‘active’ people to say the least, enjoying the luxuries life had to offer. They were not a rich family but they did have enough money to allow for some free time every now and then. When he was born, they were more interested in each other than raising a son. He became something like an accessory to them.

He was a very quiet boy. Most might get into trouble behind their parents’ backs but not him, it was easier to just be quiet. He did well academically, and showed a lot of potential. However, it was really only when he started to show he was able to use a bit of magic that his parents truly began to take interest in him. It was the highlight of their life. They loved mentioning their son knew magic and would encourage them to show off a bit, even if he was young and not very learned at the time, whenever they were around their friends.

Their fun hadn’t lasted long. As soon as the military power caught wind of a mage, Harrison was taken from his parents. It was a good day for him at least, he was given a purpose.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t anything like he thought it would be…

Magical Skill: Apprentice (Wind and Ice)
Preferred Elements: Wind, ice, fire and lightning, slowly beginning to understand earth as his bond with his dragon strengthens
Dragon's Color: Brown (Earthen Beast)

Harrison stood looking down at the large, dark opening in the rock that was several feet below the group. He shifted uncomfortably and took in a deep breath. His entire body shaking, all he could think about was not wanting to be here. It was a long way down, and the path leading down to their destination was narrow and steep.

Slowly, but surely, he made his way down the path. He cursed how much he despised mountains the entire time. His thoughts had disturbed his concentration, causing his foot to slip. He let out a noise of surprise and used his hands to cling to the rocks, doing anything he could to prevent himself from plummeting to his death.

His heart was racing. Swallowing hard, he took deep breaths. Things were made even more difficult for him when he noticed he was starting to fall behind the group. Swearing under his breath, he did his best to catch up. He followed them into position and crouched behind a small formation of rocks.

“It’s quiet, yeah?” A voice said.

Harrison nodded, though he wasn’t sure if he was the one being spoken to.

In a way, he did agree. The approach to the den had gone too easily.

Several members of the group, he noticed, also looked nervous. Others held their heads high, their eyes burning with resolve. This was their first hunt. Being nervous was a natural thing, and those who held their composure better than others were admirable. Still, he wished he could at least find some courage within, some sort of resolve. This meekness he felt within was very out of place.

It was far too quiet in the mountain range, with no dragon in sight. The way this mission had been explained left him under the impression dragons would be everywhere. He was actually very grateful. Being merely an Apprentice, he wasn’t feeling confident he would be able to hold his own against a large group of dragons. But still, there was definitely something eerie.

“Ready?” He heard someone say to him again. This time, he was given a nudge so he knew that he was the one being spoken to. His hesitation must have been far more obvious that he thought.

Harrison nodded in response and let out a shaky breath, “Yeah…”

“Just remember your training.”

Harrison nodded again and repeated, nervously, “Yeah.” He was doing everything he could to prepare himself mentally. Nothing he was doing seemed to be working, and it was even worse now that he was here. Oh, how he would give anything to be back home. At least his parents, as insignificant as he was to them, would not have done anything to put him in danger.

The next thing Harrison knew, the group was on the move, weapons raised. The advance had been quicker than he had a chance to even try to focus, which had failed so far anyway. But now that it was time, he too, blocked everything out so he could focus on using magic, the only thing that was truly effective against these vile beasts. Well, effective but not powerful enough to take them out quickly, which was why the huge group of wizards, young yet admirable, was need.

Their captain advanced first, along with the most experienced wizard. Then, before they had a chance to make their first move, a blast of fire shot out of the cave, the heat was so intense Harrison wondered if his face would be melted off, and three dragons emerged from the orange flames. Large enough to block out the sun, the dragons circled the group. Their eyes glared at them. Two were red, but the third one was yellow.

“Look out!” Another voice yelled.

“What?” Called back a confused voice.

“There!”

Harrison looked to where the man was pointing. A fourth dragon had emerged. This time, it had burst through the side of the mountain wall. Unlike its ‘mates’, for lack of a better word, it was wingless and seemed to use the ground for transportation.

Had they known? How could they have heard them? This was just...

Harrison was beside himself. It had happened so suddenly that he wasn’t sure how to respond. The best he could muster was a small blast of ice, which hit the snout of one of the dragons, and fled for cover.

He ran as fast he could back up the mountain path. His heart was hammering in his chest and he was shaking violently. Everything seemed to be moving past him so quickly that he was unable to keep up. There was a pounding in his ears, people were screaming, it must have been the sound of his own heartbeat drowning them out. He was also breathing very fast.

About half way up, Harrison’s foot slipped when a few rocks gave way under his weight. He clambered, trying to regain his footing, but ended up falling.

It was uncertain how far down he fell, but he had hit something soft and sharp pain shot up his right arm and legs. There was a large mound of what appeared to be freshly dug-up dirt. It was cool. Somehow it calmed his rapidly beating heart, and the beads of preparation that had formed on his forehead. He simply lay there looking up, not wanting to move from his spot.

Exhaling heavily, he closed his eyes, and sank deeper into the cool earth. Maybe they would think he was dead, and then he could just run away and find some pace where he wouldn’t be thrown at dragons. That would be absolutely wonderful.

He smiled at the thought.

Suddenly, something under him moved. He let out a shriek and jumped up instantly. His heart began to pound heavily in his chest again. He barely noticed the howling pain in his arm, specifically his right wrist, which was probably fractured. Unsure of what compelled he used his uninjured hand and began to dig away. It was a decision he regretted almost immediately. There, was a dragon egg. Except, it didn’t look like an egg at all; it was hard, and more like a rock than an egg. And… there was a large crack in the egg…

The crack was getting larger.

This was bad. This was very, very bad. Harrison looked around cautiously in case any dragons were around. Well, other than the one that was coming out of the egg right now. He had to get away. Yet, somehow he was transfixed. There was something intriguing about the egg. Maybe he could take it back? Or… maybe he could kill it.

Swallowing hard, he tried his best to stand, noticing his legs weren’t very cooperative and his knees felt like they would buckle, and held out his hand. By this point, the little dragon was poking its head out of the egg. Their eyes met, and Harrison found himself unable to commit the act.

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-----------------

Name: Jorran Kallressi

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Description:

---Jorran stands strong and tall at 6'1 and 193 pounds. He was easily the largest of his 3 siblings, his other brother at least a head shorter than him. Although he disliked the colour, his eyes were a deep ocean blue that his mother always said his father passed down to him. Short and very full dirty blonde hair fell just above his eyes soft and slightly wavy. The same colour hair filled in a short and boyish beard that became a little patchy under his chin. Jorran's body was toned muscle from all of his many years assisting around one of the nicer taverns of Niiki, chopping wood, carrying heavy kegs, and the like. In the year leading up to the current day, an assault from a dragon rendered him with a large scar from the back of his right shoulder leading down the side of his torso and onto his hip.

Home City: Niiki

Bio:

---It was a day of transition, winter coming from spring, when new life came into the world. Jonas and Sara Kallressi welcomed their youngest child into their family. Already having three children, Micah, Morgan, and Hannah, they were well prepared for their second son. Even as a boy he was undoubtedly strong, able to wrestle his brother, who had six years on him, into submission time and time again. What might have been more extraordinary however, was his ever present grasp of magic.

At the age of three Jorran began showing the signs of a would be mage and when he turned four the first minute version of a spell erupted from his fingertips. He was in the front yard of the local tavern his mother worked at playing with some of the other children on a crisp autumn day. In the midst of their roughhousing, Jorran accidentally released a small gust of wind that through a slightly older boy 4 feet away. His parents, at first, had no idea what they should have done.

The next day an elderly man appeared at the doorstep of their home, saying that he had heard of the previous day's events. His name was Vordiveer Noke, a wizard that resided in Niiki and had since retired from being a teacher of the magical arts, but hearing of the boy's innate skill with magic he decided to help him hone it. Through long days and never ending nights Jorran began to master the arts of wind, as well as show affinities for lightening and earth based magics. It was often gruelling, and more often tedious, but he grew to enjoy and even love his training. Though they were weak, he had the ability to use ice and fire magic, water was a different story…

Sarah Kallressi was a server at the River Tide Tavern, one of the more well known establishments in Niiki, and his father, Jonas, was a man of the ocean. His father was infamous for his skill in the water, both aboard a boat and fighting the tide himself, but even the most powerful swimmer can be taken by the depths. It was a dark day when the news reached the shores of Niiki; the ship that Jorran's father was aboard was destroyed, all hands lost. No one was truly certain as to what happened, but humans were quick to blame the tribe of water serpents that found refuge in the north. Jorran was only a boy of ten when this tragedy struck his family, leaving him with a morbid fear and bitter hatred for the ocean and the beasts that reside within it. His mother fell into a deep state of depression in the following months. It took years for any semblance of the person she once was to come back to the surface, but, never the less, eventually it did.

At the age of thirteen he bore witness to another tragedy. His brother Micah, who was conscripted into the war, died at the hands of a fire beast. Micah's body was incinerated leaving nothing but ash and dust. Jorran's sister Hannah became unhinged in the wake of Micah's death, refusing to speak again, but Morgan and their mother kept their composure well enough.

The next few years were hard for them, Hannah slipping further into her insanity and their mother Sara becoming extremely ill. Jorran studied as best he could to hone his magical abilities, beginning to gain greater control over lightening and earth and further mastering his manipulation of wind. Even fire and ice became easier to control. Water, however, he chose to avoid. The fears that he still held made it difficult manipulate the element, but he still managed to muster the will for a few minor incantations. His self-tutelage was cut short when he was taken into the royal army for the skills he had already attained. It was difficult to leave his ailing mother, his crazed sister, and his sister Morgan to care for them alone, but he swore he would return, whatever it took.

Magical Skill: Adept(Mastered: Wind)

Preferred Elements: Wind, lightening, and earth. Understands the use of ice and fire. Due to his emotional and mental roadblocks, his use of water is limited.

Dragon's Colour: Blue, Water Serpent


Intro post:

"Tonight makes seven months lads, seven long months. I think the homesickness is finally starting to thin out." The sergeant, a man named Abraham, just stared into the fire and gave a mild chuckle. "Never thought I'd still be stuck in these damn mountains."

"At least we get a good view of the ocean." Another soldier said pointing a finger over the sergeant's shoulder. A few of the other men laughed. Jorran would have preferred to be farther away from the watery deep but he couldn't choose to do anything as a conscript.

His company was posted in the southern mountains, poised to make aggressive advancements into draconic territory. Unfortunately, for Jorran anyway, these particular mountains bordered the western regions of the Shoven sea. The one thing he might have hated more than these winged beasts was the watery cesspool that some of them called home. So far the assignment he and his company were given had been successful, having driven a large number of the lizards back. They had raided and cleared eight large dens of the creatures, slaughtering any of them that didn't lift off first. Jorran had even taken a little joy in crushing some of their eggs beneath his blood and dirt covered boot.

The soldier to Jorran's right, a friend he had made named Derek, spoke up. "Any idea how much longer we're going to be crawling through this mountain range?"

The sergeant turned his gaze from the flames of their fire and smirked at the young man. "Quite possibly for the rest of your life boy. Many men have died in these caves and on these cliffs. What makes you think any of us are anything but stuck in these mountains?" Derek looked a little forlorn at the sergeant's comment. Sergeant Abraham just kept his gaze on the younger soldier. "It's all right lad. We will all die with honor, or at least we hope we will." Abraham's expression of amusement receded into a colder look.

Jorran couldn't blame the sergeant for his bitterness. In many more ways than he would have liked to admit he felt a similar bitterness. He mused over how someone as young as him held so much cynicism, such the opposite of his father. He wished he could have been more like the man who raised him, and perhaps he would have been if not for these gods forsaken vermin. He remembered the look of hopelessness in his mother's eyes the day he was taken, the same cynicism he felt now, but he thought there was a difference between them. The way she wore it brought her to tears, Jorran felt a level of comfort in it. This brought him to another feeling. Yearning? He didn't really understand why, but maybe he didn't want to be like this forever.

There were many moments over the past year where Jorran knew that he should have died, and many more moments than that where he wished he had. The only thing that kept him holding on was the promise he made his sister Morgan; that he would return no matter what it might take.

"Good evening men." The voice shook Jorran from his thoughts. He turned to see Captain Isaac standing over his group of comrades.

Jorran was the first to speak. "Hello captain. What can we do you for?"

"We're looking for a small group of soldiers to go and scout a nearby cave. We don't know what's in it and we don't need any surprises. Bodin." The captain said pointing to one of the men around the fire. "I want you to go and meet the other two men in my command tent. We'll give you more details there."

Jorran watched as the captain and Bodin left for the command tent, he felt a little rush of disappointment that he wasn't the one going. It made sense, Bodin was both quick and quiet on his feet, but Jorran wanted to be on every frontline in this war.

The sergeant began shifting and finally stood. "All right boys. It's time for bed. Sleep well, tomorrow we're moving in on another den."

"Let's go Derek." Jorran said getting to his feet and tapping his friend on the shoulder. "We still have to set up the tent."

It only took a few minutes to get their sleeping arrangements squared away. Jorran lay with eyes closed listening to the men around them move about. Laughing or attending to their equipment, some were also getting ready for sleep. The particular plateau that they found themselves offered a lot of flat ground which made finding suitable locations for tents easier. Jorran had spent a lot of nights in damp caves or sleeping in the open air, using his sleeping roll as a pillow, but tonight he had the luxury of his tent.

It wasn't long until the sweet surrender of sleep took him in it's embrace. His dreams were of home, his sister Morgan walking with him through the forest adjacent to their house. It was peaceful, more peaceful than Jorran was used to in recent times. Birds sat in the branches above them singing to the morning sunrise. Then everything suddenly felt wrong. There was the smell of fire off in the distance, a scream echoed through the trees, but still the birds were singing. Jorran looked to find his sister, but Morgan was no longer there. His feet carried him swiftly through the forest as he ran to find the distress, his sister, to find anything. Smoke began burning his throat and the singing of the birds turned into bloodcurdling screeches.

He woke up with a gasp, the silence that now surrounded him in full consciousness felt unsettling. The twilight of dawn came creeping through the open tent flap and revealed Derek no longer on his bedroll. Jorran assumed he had left to take a **** and put his head back down to sleep for a little while longer. The smell of fire filled his nose and he wondered if someone let the campfire burn too long.

Another scream, this time not the figment of a dream, fell over the plateau. The screech of a dragon, now all too familiar to Jorran, followed. Jorran was immediately up and his sword was firmly in his right hand. He didn't understand how the sounds of battle evaded him this long. The plateau that had been there campsite was now covered with the blood and bodies of humans and dragons alike. His eyes found Derek fighting along side Sergeant Abraham, standing over a freshly slain serpent of the air. It's green scales were coated in it's blood and entrails.

"Abraham! Derek! What happened?" Jorran yelled as he ran to them. His left hand began pulsating with a torrent of air.

Derek drove his sword through the downed beast's skull as Abraham turned to answer him. "We don't know. Our scouts never returned. The assumption is that they found another den right under our noses."

"A lot of men died quickly." Derek's voice came out heavy. "They ambushed us while we all slept. The men who were on watch are gone." A tear formed in the corner of his eye. "They never knew..."

"Get it together lad, you need to keep a level head. There will be time to grieve later." The sergeant looked around the battlefield that was once their formation's campsite. There were a few men still up stabbing the corpses of the dragons for good measure before running to find other foes. "We have to go and find Captain Isaac, whether he's alive or dead."

The captain's tent was on the other side of a small rock formation along with the other half of the company. Jorran prayed to the gods that they had better luck. As they traversed around the small obstacle the sounds of battle became audible. Men screaming and the screech of beasts roared into a tragic choir.

The ground exploded as a massive earth beast crashed to the rocks before them, it's roar a grumble that shook the earth. It's claw jerked out to try and find Abraham's head, but he ducked out of the way just in time. Jorran raced forward, using his control of wind to launch a boulder from the nearby formation into it's colossal head, and brought his sword into the serpent's side. His sword bounced off, the dragon's nearly invincible scales remaining unscathed. The boulder, however, was large enough to cause damage. The drake's jaw bone fractured and it let out a screech of agony. While it flinched, Derek brought his blade into its eye. The dragon crumpled to the ground, the sword successfully impaling its brain.

"Keep moving!" Sergeant Abraham called as he started running to the battle before them.

Jorran began following only to hear Derek scream from behind him. Another dragon, this time a fire-breather, plunged it's claws into his lower torso and began carrying him off. Jorran watched in horror as his friend was taken higher into the air. He wasn't sure what he could do, but he couldn't let his friend be taken only to become food for the savage monsters. Jorran raised his left hand and summoned all of the electric energy he could muster. A bolt that would rival a hurricane launched itself from his hand and met it's mark; Derek's chest. The dragon let go of it's prey as the bolt traveled from Derek's corpse into its lower body and destroyed the beast's hind legs. The guilt of what had just happened tried to creep into his mind, but he shoved it down. As the sergeant said, there would be time to grieve later.

The sounds of slaughter only grew stronger as he rounded the last corner of the outcropped rocks. A horde of dragons circled the skies and rained hell upon the rest of his company. A number of the other mages managed to fend them off using rock magic, creating shields from the ground, but they couldn't keep this up forever. They were getting overrun. He saw Abraham fending off another of the serpents. It's yellow scales pulsated with lightening and shot a bolt that narrowly miss his chest. Two more fell on him from the air and now he was surrounded. The purple beast bit down on Abraham's arm and dragged him to the ground, as the golden scaled monster that previously assaulted him found Abraham's leg. There was nothing to be done now. The battlefield was lost. Abraham was consumed before him while the rest of his company, his fellow brothers in arms, were surrounded and ripped apart so slowly. So tortuously slowly.

Dazed, Jorran ran away, scrambling up small cliff sides and tripping on uneven ground. The images of what he had just seen plagued him as he abandoned the others. His mind was so consumed with a mixture of panic, desperation, and guilt that he never saw the ground give out before him. He plunged into the ocean below, falling through the morning mists. Wind erupted around him as he attempted to slow his fall, but it was too late. He collided with the water full force.

He couldn't be sure how long he had been unconscious, but the sun was now finding it's way into the sky, clearing away the morning haze. Jorran found himself washed up onto the small entrance of a cave that was somewhat submerged beneath the ocean tide. Both his arms and legs were sore as he attempted to stand, only to collapse under his own weight. Feebely, he pulled himself deeper into the cave, forcing himself onto a rock that rose above the water. Sitting with head in hands, he silently cursed the gods, both for his situation and his cowardice. He knew he would have surely died if he stayed to fight along with his fellow soldiers, but wasn't that what he was supposed to do?

Fear ran through him as he was so very surrounded by the things that haunted him. He prayed he would never have to be this close to the ocean again in his life. He looked for a way back up, anyway at all, but found none. The cliff face was a straight climb with no viable handholds. Turning to face the inside of the cave, he knew it was his only option. So he began limping into it. Time went slowly as he made his way through the cavern until something caught his attention.

A small iridescent pool of water lay in the middle of a larger cavern, erupting from the end of a small and narrow tunnel. He approached it cautiously. The body of water seemed only a foot and a half deep and had an estimated six foot diameter. It wasn't the pool itself that fascinated him however, it was the egg that lay inside it. Lightening began strobing his fingers as he entered the pool, the urge to destroy this being before it could be born into the world coursed through him.

Then, seeming to react to his presence, it trembled.

Jorran froze as the small creature cracked, then burst through its diminutive prison. The urge to destroy the beast still burned through his veins, but something stopped him. The blue scaled serpent now freed itself completely and stretched its tiny limbs, twirling about the water as it did so. He raised his hand toward it and summoned the lightening once more into his palm, but again something about the small creature kept him frozen in place. The blue being swam about the pool and seemed to notice Jorran for the first time. The water swirled around it as it swam right to his submerged legs, the infant twisting and turning in brilliant arcs. He wondered what kept him from slaying it. It would surely grow into something that would indiscrimanetly murder his people, Jorran knew he should destroy it while he had the chance. Instead he knelt down, submerging himself in the iridescent liquid, and slowly reached out his hand that was no longer pulsating with the deadly energy. The infant dragon swam directly to it, swimming a small circle around him. It's scales rubbed against his bare flesh. A strange feeling came over him as he watched the small creature, something inside him felt… Protective. Jorran tried to shake away the feeling in a desperate attempt to cling to his duty, to his hatred, but to no avail. As he crouched with his lower half in the water, the small serpent swam onto his lap and lay there. Jorran gently brushed it's scales and it nuzzled his hand.

He tried to cling to the abhorent disdain he had for the creature, for the thing that murdered his father, but he wouldn't. What was wrong with him? He couldn't find the answer as he just stare down at the infant drake that now rested in his hand. He knew he could crush it, but he couldn't, or he wouldn't. He didn't know the answer to his own questions, he just stared down at the deadly and beautiful being as if it might possibly know.

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I'm writing this story! It's called The Legends of Kal'duune. You can comment about things you like or hate, but preferably the first thing, here!

This thing is my resume! Reeeeaad iiiiiit...

Name: Syed Amir

Gender: male
Age: 30
Description:


Syed looks much older than he really is, this is due in part to the environment in which he lives and another to the family he has. Though he may only be 30, he appears like a man well into his 40s. He has long blonde hair, echoes down to just over his shoulders. He doesn't much care for beard, and so he only has a slight scruff on his face. He is a hard jawline, strong angular features, and plenty of scars. Some from childhood experiences, and others from darker experiences. He is tall. His well-built with plenty of muscle. His deep blue eyes holding almost haunted appearance. The eyes of a man who has seen death one too many times.
Home City: Hamel
Bio:
Syed Amir was born to Helena and Adar Amir a merchant family who mostly scratched their living from fishing in the river near their home. The family, lived in a small house near the docks. They owned a fairly large boat, which they used in order to fish the river. Syed was the third child born to the couple. His two older brothers were already fishermans on their father's boat.

Syed was 10 years old when he was first taken aboard to learn how to fish. This was not a young age, by typical standards for young boy to begin to learn a trade. However, Syed was not a typical boy.

Syed was always daydreaming of one day being away from home. He did not care for the lifestyle his parents led. For the next six years, Syed would work every day on his father's boat. Pulling the large nets of fish into the boat. Sorting through the fish. Readying them for market. An occupation that did not thrill him. Wondering if this was all there was to life. Dreaming of being anywhere, but where he was.

Syed would often be caught daydreaming. He would stand along the edge of the deck where the large nets were cast overboard. Staring out into the sky. Wondering what it would be like to fly like the birds. Wondering what freedom was like. Syed was always compared to one of his brothers. Always expected to be just like them. But he wasn't. Syed like to fight. He enjoyed tasks that involve risk and danger. Something neither of his brothers enjoyed, to them life was work, to Syed life was an adventure. One he really wished would begin.

Syed was 16 years old, when he first realize that he could use magic. It was one morning, when he was really bored of watching the nets waiting to haul them in, when his perception shifted. He became aware of the currents of wind against the skin. The cold seemed to stop botheering him at all.

It was one dark rainy morning, while they were readying the boat to head out for the day. When strangers came up to Syed’s father. After only a few moments of discussion Syed was called over, and it was then that he realized he wouldn’t be staying home anymore. The men told Syed that he would be taken to the military camp. He was to be recruited. Syed was 20 years old.

Syed was trained on how to fight their enemy, how to kill, and his training in how to use his magic was initiated. At first Syed resisted. He did not want to go. He never wanted to fight and die in a war. It was nothing like his daydreams. At first he wished that he had remained at home like his brothers, that he had never been recruited, never been conscripted.

That is until he found an egg to a Dragon that would prove to be his greatest find. This tiny creature would prove to be exactly what his heart had always wanted, had always craved, only he had never known.

Magical Skill: Novice (prominent area being ice and wind)
Prefered Elements: Ice
Dragon's Color: Purple Dragon (Ice Dragon)



Syed was just walking down the docs towards the boat. He was thinking about how nice it would be to simply be able to fly. He could feel the air around him, the currents, just like a lover's touch against his skin. He felt every little twist of the wind every time it changed direction. It always fascinated Syed whenever this happened. He had no idea how to control this truthfully. But he didn't really care. He only cared that he could feel it at all. He knew his brothers couldn't. He had no idea if either of his parents could, and frankly he didn't care. Because if they could feel it, if they knew about the magic, they never shared. Syed really didn't care about going to the boat today, he didn't want to, he didn't want to spend hours on the deck watching nets and hauling in fish. He was bored with this.

Just as Syed was walking up the steps to the boat he saw three strangers approaching his father. He stopped, for it was uncommon for these types of soldiers to be here. He could tell they were soldiers by their armour. Fascinated and intrigued he watched. He thought they were here to demand taxes or a share of his fathers haul. Or so he thought. Until he was called over.

“SYED!” His father thundered. Syed sighed if only the man bothered to look about before yelling. He was so used to being yelled at by the man for daydreaming and every other thing under the sun that it no longer mattered to him. It usually was because Syed was lost in his own little world and not doing his job. Today however it would be far different. Syed made his way to his father. Reluctantly and unhurried. His father did not look pleased.

“You are to come with us,” the soldier said no more explanation than that, Syed simply stared at him confused. He did not move. He did not respond. He regarded the man who spoke, wondering what all this was about. Until he felt the man's rough grip on his arm. Syed struggled. It was to no avail. He was taken forcefully, and his father did nothing to stop it.



For perhaps the thousand time that day Syed wondered why he was even here, what in all the world was he even thinking. These thoughts swam in his mind, as he made his way towards the cave with the rest of his unit. Why would they be tracking the dragons when the only thing this could lead to was his death, he had no idea. Could none of have them see it? Syed did not want to die. He'd been recruited for this, even 10 years later he still didn't want to be here. Even knowing that he would be trained in magic further than he was now, that he would master it one day. Was not enough. War was not to his liking. It was not like he had imagined.

As they tracked the Dragon through the hills of the low lying mountain ranges Syed could feel the fear growing inside of him. It was not something he relished. The dragons were terrifying beasts. Beasts that could kill him without even a second thought. Syed’s heart race, adrenaline thrummed true his system heightening his senses. He had a bad feeling. He always did, when it came to fighting the dragons. He could feel his hands shaking. He gripped his sword tightly, easy Syed, just breathe, don't think react you know what to do now just do it, he thought to himself. Trying to calm himself least his fear show. Still the feeling of foreboding persisted.

He should've listened to himself, to his feelings.

He had barely thought this when the attack began. The ground beneath them shook, fire rained down from above. They were not ready. Fear ran rampant through him again, his eyes grew wide as the beasts attacked with magic and talon. Syed didn't stick around to find out what would happen. He attacked, as fruitless as that would be. The air around him lashed out towards the creature like a net as he struck at the creature. The savage howl of the beast shook the very ground he stood on. They air congealed around the Dragon before him as he raised his sword. Just as he would have struck another Dragon came from behind and he felt its claws rake through his back. He could barely manage the whimper of pain that escaped his lips. He was sent sprawling. It was then that he saw the bodies. Blood flowed like rivers along the stones. Gasping for breath Syed heard the call to run. So many of the company was dead. Syed could not spare a thought for those who had perished, his mind raced trying to figure out how he would survive such an attack. They had been so unprepared.

He staggered to his feet, and ran. Stumbling through the rocks. He needed to be away. That was all he knew. To survive he had to get as far as he could. He paid no attention to where he ran. He didn't care. So long as it was away, as far away as he could get. By the time he slowed he realized that he was now in a small case. And there hidden in the shadows was a small purple frozen rock, that seemed to almost glow. Curious Syed approached the stone. He lowered himself to the ground next to the oddity. Slowly, tentatively, hesitantly he reached out. His fingertips barely brushed the surface of the stone. When wind rushed through the air. Blowing his hair and making a howling sound fill the small cave. Syed drew back. Rising away quickly. Gasping as pain laced the wounds on his back.

Amazed and stunned he watched as cracks grew inside the egg's shell. He could see the creature within pushing at the membrane that prevented its escape. He watched as the cracks deepened and fractured. What he had first mistaken as a stone, a frozen one no less, now appear to be falling apart. And out of the shell sticky oozing liquid flowed forth followed by a small little purple dragon that tumbled right at his feet. It's wings glued to the tiny body. Little eyes watching him with fear as it drew in a shaky breath.

Kneeling down by the small creature drawn more by the beauty of such a tiny little Dragon and ignoring all caution he reached out and gently touched the beast. His hand gently came to rest upon the little purple head when he felt something almost like another presence drawing him. He could feel the creature, like a living being within his mind. Drawn by more than common sense he gently lifted the small little purple dragon into his hands. He knew then, that from this day forth his life would never be the same again. But for now he simply needed to survive the night, between the wounds in his back and the tiny creature that was now dependent on him for its life he wasn't sure how that would happen.

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Description: Standing at only 5’ tall, and 105 pounds, Claudia is one of the smallest people on her squad. She has blonde hair with a dark undertones. She has soft full pink lips, a long nose with a fuller bottom, big blue eyes surrounded by dark eyelashes that are a bit on the short side, thin eyebrows, set onto a round face with a small but square jawline. It’s the face of a young woman who will grow into a great beauty given time.
Her body is not thin, and holds the strength of a farmer and hunter growing up in the “wildlands” of Uthane. The first evidence of womanhood present there. She wears a basic dyed dress over a white wool shift that her mother sewed for her, and well made leather boots that tie up to her knees. She also always wears a leather choker, arm band, and arm guard with pounded and celtic pattern pressed brass affixed to it. A gift from her father upon felling her first stag with a bow.

Home City: Uthane (area of)

Bio: From the farthest reaches of Uthane, Claudia’s home lay. She was often seen scampering about with no shoes on her family’s farm and always chasing some kind of small animal. An only child, it was learned by her parents quickly that she had other talents besides a knack for chasing down small prey, or growing a crop.Their little girl could use magic. Her parents fearing that this might cause them all more trouble than good, emphasized the need for caution in it’s utilization. As a consequence, Claudia simply didn’t use magic that was easily detected. She hunted instead, at first with a sling, and then with a bow and arrows. She practiced day and night with that bow, and focused on perfecting her skills with it. She had even found a way to make her arrows fly farther and more accurately with a touch of magic no one could detect.. Or as least she thought they couldn’t.



Magical Skill: Novice

Prefered Elements: No real preference as of yet, though has a slight inclination of using Wind more than others, mostly to aid her Arrows’ flight.

Dragon's Color: Green - The Sky/Wind Dragon

It was just after dusk, when it all began. A time that seemed to be an anathema for me. It was my most hated part of the day. All that was bad seeming to like to gather up into that one hour of the day.

I was inside a small tent placed next to a larger Officer’s tent, which was designed to hold the more valuable members of the army. An army of which I too was a part of. At first the unusual glow did not upset me, partly due to the fact that all around me there had been nothing but talk on our “great victory” over the hated and feared dragons and their clutches of eggs. But the relative tranquility would not last, the cry of a call to arms, and of those dying reaching my ears.

We were under attack. Perhaps I should have cared more, felt some kind of connection to those that were trying to hold a line of defense. But all I could think about was how it felt just like the night I was taken from my home.

The fact that the day before had been filled with laughter, joy, and celebration seemed bitterly cruel...

The feel of the weakening summer sun along my tanned skin had warmed me as I darted silently through the tall marsh grasses that surrounded our home. I had been stalking through the grass for hours, tracing an extremely skittish stag. He would make a wonderful bounty for the table. Enough spared to feed us for more than a week, once it was dried and cured, even longer.

My mouth practically watered at the thought of the dinner he could provide tonight. The thought of my mom making a large roast from the hind of the beast sending spirals of anticipatory hunger through my gut. All before I had even taken aim at the beast, which I paused behind a bush to do now.

I breathed slowly as I could through my nose, trying to remain silent, as the nearly silent footfalls and bodies of my fellow hunters shifting through the underbrush reached my ears. Enough noise that it sent the nervous buck to lift his head up and flick his ears. It seemed that this time the others were quite conscious of their sounds alerting the stag and instantly they stilled. After several tense moments, the stag relaxed and went back to grazing. I let him relax for a few more moments before I put my quiver of arrows upon the ground, angled at my feet to draw quickly.

I pulled one out and placed it into the bow, pushing around the edge of a large tuft of grass and bush; I pulled back the string on the bow and sent my arrow flying. The slight noise from it flying was enough to cause the stag to startle and flee. The arrow grazed his hind quarters. There was not much time, and the light would not allow me to pursue the animal any further today, so pulse racing, my hand slid down to grasp another arrow, sling it into the bow arch it high and let it fly.

I could tell that it was going to miss by a mere foot, the hasty calculation off because the buck had moved away even faster. I didn’t think, I just called the winds to push it a bit further, the comforting feel of it swirling around my skirts and body before angling off. The moment it was done I looked around suspiciously, worried that my companions might of seen it happen.

Magic was bad if you wanted to live with your family… or just live. It had been a secret my family and I had kept a secret for a long time. I did not employ it in practice, nor much of anything. It was just this instinctive form of magic that sometimes leaked out from me. My breath held, I looked around shaking, not even aware that the Buck had been felled. When there was not a single head popping out with an accusatory glance, I let the breath I had held, out. The slight burn in my lungs made me aware of my surroundings once more.

It was then I noticed that the others were crowding around the stag excitedly, some distance away. I put on a smile and clambered through the brush after picking up my quiver of arrows, to make it my way towards the kill. There were only 4 of us, and I was confident that none had seen my moment of impulse. Two of the girls were neighbors, another was a cousin from another town, though I could not recall where from, and I smiled at all of them as we clasped hands and cheered. All complimented me on my archery and skills, and we laughed for a moment.

The stag moved again, and I looked down as the animal twitched in pain. I bowed my head and thanked him for the life he gave to provide life to all our families, pulling a knife out of my boot and leaned down to slit his throat. I felt a moment's regret, not liking this part of the process, and looked at the other girls with a sad conciliatory note within my eyes.

“We will need to fetch my father to help us field dress and carry away the meat. “ I said after I was sure the stag had perished. It was important to do so quickly. One of the neighbor girls, and their cousin volunteered to go back. I nodded slightly at the choice, moving to get the guts out of the beast before they caused the ruination of the meat. It didn’t take too long for me and the other girl to finish the worst part of the cleaning process, and luckily our fathers and her sister arrived shortly thereafter. I wondered briefly where their cousin was, but the huge hug from my family pulling me in close and telling me how proud he was of me cut that thought short. The rest of the fading afternoon was spent dividing up the kill and taking it back to our homes.

We ate well that night, and the next morning I roused from my bed to the sounds of my father working out back in his small smithy. He liked to tinker when he had time to do so. The feel of a soft breeze drifted across my body, with just enough chill in it that I knew there would be only a short amount of time left for hunting anything before the first frost came and scared most of the game to their various hiding places until next spring.

I smiled at the thought of hunting again tomorrow, and rolled from my bed, getting dressed for the day. My mother walked across the room to wish me a Good Rising. The rich smells of eggs and bacon over the hearth fire causing me to move more quickly. “Mom, what’s with the expensive stuff for breakfast?” I asked laughingly, to which she came over and hugged him tightly.

“I figured my baby girl… no not a baby anymore… Well, anyways I figured that she deserved it.” She said softly, and gently pushed me away, running her hand down my hair. I was still shorter than my mother by a few inches, so the action had me looking up at her face and laughing. Everyone said that I looked exactly alike my mother when she had been my age. I thought we looked a little different, my father’s eyes and chin set me a bit away from my mother’s own appearance. A very beautiful woman, most everyone called her, and I agreed. I often told her that age and a few more pounds of living would make us stunning twins. She always laughed and pinched my hip when I told her that. She would be telling me that I was going to be up to my neck in boys when it was time for me to be courted. I always rolled my eyes at that, not wanting anything much to do with boys or men in general.

Mom licked her fingertips and used it to tuck a stray strand of hair back, to which I sighed and pushed at her hands a bit with a wry grin. “Mom! Stop already. I promise to fix it in a few moments, and it smells like your eggs are going to burn.” I stated only to have her turn around in a flurry of skirts and rush over to save the eggs.

I bit back some laughter and then moved to place my hair into two braided twists in the front, pulled back into a bun at the base of my skull, the hair sweeping over my ears. I bit back laughter when she shot me a look for tricking her about the eggs, and rushed over to kiss her cheek before scooting out the door.

“Oh ‘Dia! You rascal, come back here and eat before you chase after your father!” She called out, the laughter high in her voice. But I was already out and heading towards my father’s smithy. I snagged a small apple from a basket out front of our cottage, and after a quick glance to see there were no obvious holes from a worm, bit into the juicy treat. I grinned wider as I saw his large frame bent over some iron work. He was tall for a man, and big. Hard work on the farm having made him built like a warhorse. I often teased him saying that there had to be some ogre in his blood for him to get that large. To which he often grunted, and then growled pouncing at me before breaking up into a loud bout of laughter.

I snuck up behind him, and tugged on his tunic end before ducking away giggling, as he turned quickly. He always had a glassy look to his eyes for a moment before he broke into a gentle smile, and that was exactly the case now. “Ah, it is my little sparrow. Why does she never sing out a warning when she comes out to see me, hmmm?” He asked in a deep rumbling voice, an eyebrow arched, and lips slightly quirked in amusement. I looked up at him, in what felt like forever, the large broad nose over his full lips, and high cheekbones with a square jawline. He had long straight black hair that was tied back by a piece of rawhide at the nape of his neck, his skin a rich brown from his heritage and hours in the sun. Far more than he let me and mom work, which was why our own skin was much fairer than his own.

“Perhaps your “sparrow” was hoping to see what you were working on?” I asked teasingly, and tried to lean around the forge to see what he was doing. And for the first time ever, he actually moved so that I could not see. It was an action that had my eyebrows flying up nearly to my hairline in surprise. “Daddy, this is the part you let me see what you are doing…” I helpfully reminded him with a large grin on my face. “Not this time dear, though it is almost done and you will see it soon enough. Now scamper your skirts back into that house and eat up that breakfast that your mother is making for you.” He said with another grin, making sure that I was not able to see what he was doing, and pointing to our little home. The tone of his voice, while light, told me he would brook no argument, and with a soft laugh and a roll of my eyes I acquiesced to his wishes. “Very well father. Give your daughter a kiss first and I will.” I told him boldly and turned my cheek to receive his kiss. He chuckled softly and leaned all the way down to peck my cheek before swatting my backside playfully. “You grow to be like your mother more and more every day. It might be a good thing to learn to curb it.” He commented jokingly as I hustled back to the house rubbing at the offended area. It really did not hurt in the least.

I took another bite of the apple I still held, and slipped back into our home. Breakfast was plated up and ready to eat. “Well, your father should be along presently. Go wash up in the basin for breakfast you naughty lass, and lets have ourselves something to eat.” My mom stated warmly and sat down to eat. I wandered over to the basin in question and made quick work of washing up in some of the already cloudy from lye soap water, and dried my hands and face on a clean bit of linen we had before returning to the table. I sat down and loaded up my plate before bowing my head to send out a quick prayer for the continued happiness in my home. Then along with my mother, I began to eat.

Father came in soon after we began, washed himself up, and then sat himself down and loaded up his own plate. We ate in relative silence until we made it through our plates. “That was wonderful Mom.” I commented with a content smile, rising up to get the dishes gathered for some washing. “Daddy, I want to go hunting again tomorrow.” I told him, something that had his hand rising up to stroke thoughtfully at his chin. “Perhaps.” was all he commented before he rose from his chair and stretched. “But for now, I think you need to help your mother with a few things.”

I laughed at his odd behavior and nodded. “Aye, that I will happily do.” I told him and turned to go to my tasks. Mom rose up and worked alongside me, the subtle scent of cooking still attached to her person. It wasn’t a long set of tasks, as it was something we did every day, and our home was pretty tidy.

It was apparently all the time my father needed, as he called me from outside to come and see him. As I headed outside, my Mom winked at me, and turned to do some mending on some shirts for my father. I grinned widely at the gesture and hurried along to see what it was that my Dad had done for me.

He sat outside his work area, an odd shaped bundle at his side, and a large proud smile on his lips. I tilted my head to the side slightly in curiosity. He waved at the bag saying, “Go on lass, take it. You know that it is for you.”

I moved over slowly and opened up the bag with wonder. Inside was a beautiful leather and copper brass bracer, some arm bands, and a matching choker. Tears welled up in my eyes, as I tried to swallow past a large lump in my throat. They were completely unexpected. “Daddy… why?” I asked after a moment as my fingers lovingly traced the patterns on the items. “It’s a gift for your first Stag. I know how hard you have been working, and besides... why shouldn’t I adorn the most beautiful of daughters in all of Uthane, or even the King’s own country?” He stated, reaching out a large thick finger to trace along my cheek, following the path a tear had chosen.

I cried even harder, and fumbled trying to put on my new gifts. Dad laughed a bit at me, and helped me strap on each one. Gifts I was likely never to take off except to wash them and myself. “Thank you… I … thank you so much!” I exclaimed as my arms went about his neck and I pressed kisses along his cheeks. A response that had him laughing and soon shooing me away to go show my mother.

The rest of the day went by in a blur, working the fields, talking about another hunting trip tomorrow, sharing a noontime meal, bringing in the chickens and such for the evening as the sun got ready to set. It had just begun to sink, and the crickets were chirping, when we sat down for our supper. Mom had made a thick venison stew with many late summer vegetables and a loaf of bread to share between us. The warm savory stew melted on the tongue and again, we ate in silence for a time.

There was no knock, no warning sounds. Only the door being kicked inwards on it’s hinges and five large fully armored soldiers rushing in to fill up our small home completely. I cried out, springing to my feet to dart away, only to be caught around the middle of my waist and crushed up against the broad chest of the first soldier to break in. “Easy lassy, ya aren’t goin’ anywhere ‘sept with us.” He said with a grunt and laugh. I clawed at his arms and kicked out as hard as I could, trying to find a way to escape.

Two of the other men moved in past us like lightening while I was being captured and slammed my father back against a wall. One more guard levelled his spear for the throat of my Mom backing her into a wall. The final guard unrolled a scroll and began reading a document that sent chills down my back. “Claudia Kalessi Braunes, Ye are hereby notified and commanded to join the army of His Royal Majesty as is the duty and honor of all those who possess the ability to command magics. Thy term of service is to commence immediately until such a time as it is deemed ye have served to your fullest capacity.” It was a death sentence, and we all knew it. My mother began to cry out and weep, only to have the tip of a spear press in far enough to cause some of her blood to flow from the wound. My father growled and strained against the hold the other guards had on him, their own swords already causing a few nicks and cuts against him.

“No… no… I don’t know how to use magic! No, let me go! It’s a mistake!” I cried out, fighting, biting, clawing at anything that might yield a result. The guard squeezed again, making me expel a gasp of air sharply. He laughed at my fighting and began to walk out of the house carrying me kicking and screaming as much as I could. “No… no… Mommy! Daddy! Nooooo!” I screamed, cried, kicked… and the guard grunted as one sharp heel landed in an open spot against his thigh. My parents reached out for me, and I for them as I was being dragged farther and farther away from them.

The guard growled and squeezed again, so hard that I could not even draw breath, I only had time to watch as he put a bag over my head, my arm still reaching out towards my parents as I the guards hit them both upside their heads and they collapsed. I cried out with the last of the breath left in my body, the darkness of unconsciousness taking me. “Daddy…. Moooo-”

“-ommy!” The sharp cry from one who had been gravely injured flitted across my senses, making me remember precisely where I was, and it was not a place I wanted to be in. My heart began to race, beating a hurtful rhythm in my chest. The dragons were here, as if they had been waiting, and luring us to our demise.

I felt the bile rise in my throat as the cacophony of smells, sounds, sights, and overwhelming fear rose up within me. My legs all but turning to jelly. I had only been with the squad a few months, and had not even had true training. All I knew was the use of bow and arrow, and some cursory lessons on using my “magic”. I had been en route to a training camp when my leaders had decided to join up with a larger group “for better protection”.

It was the sound of wings whooshing by, and dragonfire hitting a close line that got me to stumble out of the small tent, tripping and painfully falling straight onto my palms and knees. The stones were unforgiving, cutting into my palms, and scraping up my knees, even beneath my heavy skirts. I did not give myself time to feel the pain, scrambling upwards and out of the way of a burning tree that fell atop the tent I had just occupied.

I could barely breathe, the heat rolling off the battlefield so intense it felt like an oven. I could barely see anything beyond smoke, and the thick waves of heat between the hellfire that now littered our section of camp. More horrifyingly, the sounds of my comrades were non-existent. I was the last survivor here. I just knew it in bones. I was too terrified to even look around to verify that I was in fact correct. All I could think about was to run… run while the other parts of the army took the brunt of the dragon’s attack.

Breathing in the heat was almost impossible, but I took it in as much as I could, ducking down low as I found a small opening in the brush and out of the sight of the dragons. Or so I desperately hoped. For what felt like hours but was only a few minutes, I stumbled along, trembling, and seeking a way to escape the chaos. I fell again, breaking out from behind some cover only to see the earth exploding as a behemoth landed trying to take out some Captain or Sergeant with its massive claw.

But the horror didn’t stop there, and I laid on my stomach, transfixed at what was happening just feet from me and my small amount of cover. Everywhere men, and women were dying. Falling to the tooth, claw, or miscalculated shot of their fellow in arms. It was a lightening bolt arching across the heavens and into another human being that startled me into sliding backwards, pushing myself away from it all. The whites of my eyes showing wildly, as my posterior moved over the slippery surface, more cuts, bruises, and scrapes being collected as I went.

A figure stumbled through the darkness at me, and a scream caught in my throat, and I give myself one last push away from the horror, only to find out there was no more purchase beneath me. And I fell. The rush of sensation as I toppled not even as frightening as when I was above. Falling to my death was easier than thinking of out I would be consumed by those monsters. A thought that came to a jarring and painful end when my right arm caught in a crevice, jerking me to a stop, and my arm out of socket.

I finally screamed, the pain so intense that I felt and saw the ragged edges of unconsciousness form around my vision, and I hung limply from an equally limp arm. The gentle swing of my body causing me enough pain that I could not fade into comforting darkness. I gasped in air for several long moments wondering when the dragons would see me and come to end me. To put me out of my fear and pain forever.

But it didn’t come, and the churning ocean beneath me pushed up winds enough to knock my slight figure about. I didn’t have the ability to make any more loud noises even in pain. No more tears fell down my face. Just my good arm came up to slowly pull myself close enough for my feet to find purchase, and push me up onto a very narrow ledge. The jarring to my shoulder made me see stars again, and my good arm clamped down on the thick root I had found. I wasn’t able to move my right arm from his entrapped state yet, not having enough energy to even comprehend it, and so I left it there, holding as still as I could. I was stable enough with the footholds that I released my left hands grip to move to something a bit lower. A large rounded boulder that was far more comfortable to hold onto with my cut and bleeding palms.

The screaming above had tamped down, and a quiet followed that only accompanied great amounts of death ensued. The harshness of my own breathing, and the ocean below was all I could hear for a very long time. I leaned my head forward until it rested against the stony exterior of the cliff face.

The throb of my shoulder began to beat in time with the thumping of my heart, which started to pulse into my ears as an increasingly slow, steady and bone shaking way. I groaned a bit, rolling my head over to my left, feeling the greatest amount of the pulse coming from there. In fact, the pulsations were coming from the boulder I was gripping. I felt it as something moved within its rocky mantle, bumping it furiously. I realize then that what I held was not what I had thought it to be… the boulder was an egg. I sucked in a breath, as the egg began to rock heavily.

I felt the pulse of him hitting against the constraints of his eggshell, in time now with my own heartbeat. My eyes went fully round, in awe at the struggle happening within for the creature to be born. Somewhere deep inside… I knew what it was, but my conscious mind could only focus on the baby’s struggle for life. I leaned towards the egg, whispering words of encouragement. As if this life and my own were the very same thing. My hand slipped away to give it room to crack open.

The rocking intensified, and in the next moment the egg began to plummet off the cliff. I cried out and lunged towards it, slipping once more as my hand reached out to catch it. I jerked against my still caught arm, but the pain didn’t even register as my precious egg landed heavily into my palm. The shell cracked upon impact, the hatchling inside throwing his glorious emerald wings out as if to catch the breeze, his claws and tail wrapped about my arm and wrist. He let out a loud mewling screech as he looked right at me, and began to flap his small but powerful wings.

I wondered how anything else could be so beautiful, and perfect , unable to look away for even a moment. My heart pounded out pride, and tears sprung up into my eyes once more as this bit of creation refused to release his hold upon me, while his wings pumped furiously. He lived, he soared, and so would I, our lives bound.

_________________

Name: Centienne Elwyn Krussler
Gender: Female
Age: 30
Description: [Note: appearance right before/during the intro post] In her youth, Centienne was constantly labelled a ‘classical beauty.’ With wavy golden blond hair, emerald green eyes, peach-colored skin, and smiling pink lips, she was always the prettiest girl in her clique. However, sorrow has worn away much of her beauty, leaving her with a washed-out quality that’s only emphasized by the apathy that surrounds her like a lingering perfume. Though she measures 5’8” (173 cm), she appears shorter given the constant slump of her shoulders and lack of presence. Faint wrinkle lines mar her face unattractively and there’s a constant gauntness to her, the effects of constantly forgetting to eat. Her skin has lost its previously healthy pallor and is now overly pale. Her hair has been cut short, no longer than mid neck, as part of her induction into the military. She has stretch marks on her stomach from her pregnancies.
Home City: Hamel
Magical Skill: Novice
Preferred Elements: Lightning
Dragon’s Color: Red

Biography:

Post Submission | +

White teeth, one little gap peeking out in the front, grinned up at her. He was definitely holding something behind his back and she wondered, with a touch of nervousness, if it was another frog. Nathaniel certainly looked dirty enough to have been digging through the gardens again. However, what little apprehension she had stood no chance against the beaming face of her darling Nathaniel. “Mama!” That golden face shouted in glee, “for—”

“Hey!” Something yanked on her shoulder, almost jerking her arm out of its socket. “Are you listening?!” The man barked at her, face already darkening with rage.

Dull green eyes blinked at him apathetically, saying more than her silence ever would. A harsh shove sent her sprawling to the ground, her fellow conscripts shuffling out of the way. Centienne laid on the ground, staring blankly at the sky up above. It was a cloudless day, just like the time they’d gone on a…

“Cadet!” The man shouted, once more breaking her from her reverie. “Get on your feet this instant!” She didn’t bother moving. What was the point? “Cadet! I said get up!” When there was still no response, he barked out, “Fifty—”

“Captain Philip,” The man stopped as another officer stepped up. “Don’t waste your time on it. We leave on the raid tomorrow. Just put it in the front. At the very least, it’ll offer some protection. At best, it might actually gain some of its senses and be useful.” The sneer at the end evidenced how likely the younger officer thought that would happen. Captain Philip stared at the still prone woman and then turned away, apparently agreeing with the other officer’s suggestion. “Get back to your barracks! We leave tomorrow at first light!” He stomped his way off the training field, followed promptly by the other military men. Then her fellow conscripts left, wandering off in small groups or one by one. Returning to the barracks was little better than standing outside in the heat, but at least there they didn’t need to drill in this farce of a platoon.

Centienne just stared up at the darkening sky, remembering better times.

~~~~~

The march was as bad as everyone had feared and probably worse. None of them wanted to be here. They’d all had their own lives before that one mistake, that tiny oversight or rash moment that had revealed them as mage.

Mage. Was it that great having magic? Maybe if she’d gotten a better element—elegant ice or enticing fire or whimsical wind—Centienne would have agreed. However, she’d been stuck with a useless element: lightning. What good was lightning? It didn’t have the grace of water or even the nurturing aspect of earth! No, it just.. fizzled. Its random shocks had broken many a tender moment of her youth and the less said of the times she’d spent frantically trying to tame her hair after an accidental magic release the better. The only remote use it’d given her was a sense for storms so she’d known when to bring an umbrella out but even that had been spotty at best. No thunder storm? No premonition. No umbrella. Ruined dress.

A shoulder jostled into her and she stumbled with the momentum, righting herself before she fell. “Sorry.” The woman next to her muttered, face tightening with a flash of pain. She seemed to be favoring her left side as she walked. Centienne glanced at the other woman, catching sight of a hint of frost on the woman’s boots. Her feet throbbed at the reminder; most of them were stepping lightly if they could. The month of ‘training’ hadn’t done much to accustom them to days of forced marching. With a purse of her lips, Centienne looked forward and determinedly ignored her own feet. Stupid lightning. It was no use here either.

~~~~~

For once Centienne wasn’t off with the fairies. The pain in her feet had gotten too strong to ignore and the mood around her had turned even more oppressive. The back of her neck tingled and the wind felt weird on her skin. Storm weather, she’d dubbed it, having grown cognizant to the uneasy tension that filled the air before it stormed.

“Listen up men,” For once, their leader wasn’t shouting. The group of forty were, somehow, huddled around the four officers. “Those dragons should be settling down now after such a long flight. Now, there are only four of them so that’s ten per dragon, okay?” Suspicious brown eyes swept over the motley crew of mages as if basic arithmetic was beyond their capabilities. Intelligence had known about this quartet of dragons for some time and had specially held off clearing them out till now. It was an easy way to break the greenhorns in, see who really had potential and who would be better kept on defensive duty. Nothing too hard though—they couldn’t be wasting their mages after all.

Philip resisted the urge to spit on the ground. ****ing mages. He knew their magic was crucial in the war effort, but the way the higher ups catered to them as if they were the coming of the next Christ.. He’d rather have a squad of well-trained soldiers at his back rather than a mage any day, especially this lot. Scornful brown eyes raked over the mess he’d been stuck with this time. Not only were they mages, none of them had even had the courage to enlist and defend their kingdom. They’d all had to be forced into the service as if protecting Shoven wasn’t reason enough to use their accursed magic.

“Get into your squads.” He ordered gruffly rather than voicing his thoughts. The group dispersed and he fought back his shudder. Even after getting stuck training batch after batch, he still wasn’t comfortable being around so many cursed folk. “Immaculada, you’ll lead a squad from the left. Oziel, the right flank. Katja, we advance together.” He ordered, still keeping his voice low so as to not forewarn their prey. He withdrew his sword, waved his squad around him, and advanced.

~~~~~

The first premonition that something was wrong came with the scream. Given this was technically a battle, perhaps screams shouldn’t have been that unusual but something about that particular scream.. She’d heard it before. It had spilled from her own lips before. And the knowledge of what had caused her to scream like that was enough to lock her in the present. Whatever had caused that scream on this battlefield, she’d stop it this time.

When they stumbled out of the underbrush, any pretense at determination vanished. Everyone tried to halt but their momentum carried them into the open where countless eyes turned their way. One. Two. Three. Green eyes flickered over the serpentine beasts gathered on the ground, in the air, attacking, defending. Centienne lost track after ten because one came flying towards them, mouth opened wide in a challenging scream. White teeth seemed to shine in the afternoon light and nine cadets hurled themselves out of the way, only Oziel staying on his feet to try to attack. The sword slid along the yellow dragon’s side, drawing a line of red before the beast convulsed away, its tail smashing at the armored man.

“Get on your feet! Stay in formation! Fight!” Oziel was shouting, dragging on his neighbor’s arm. The pale-faced teenager was spluttering for words, head shaking frantically. “ON YOUR FEET NOW!” Sergeant Oziel shouted again, finally getting the reluctant redhead to his feet. He pushed the boy forward and reached for his next subordinate to yank the unwilling woman up when the dragon from earlier returned, claws outstretched to grab at him. Oziel side stepped the attack and the dragon slammed into the ground, talons raking furrows in the earth and through one unfortunate conscript’s leg. As if attracted by the smell of fresh blood, one massive iridescent eye swirled around to stare at the screaming man, cat-like pupils constricting to focus on him. A forked tongue slipped out as if to taste the air and that sight was enough to get the remaining conscripts on their feet.

“Charge it!” Oziel ordered, leading by example. Caught up in their terror, the eight trainees followed with drawn swords. Clumsy strikes rained towards the dragon, more blades catching on each other than the now retreating adversary. They were mages, after all; their training had been more focused on using their magic than swordplay. There was an ominous inhale behind them and they turned as one to see a red dragon rearing back, chest expanding as it gathered air.

“f-f-f-f-f-f-FIRE!!” One of the mages gibbered in terror as the dragon released a blast of fire in their direction. One of the women in the front screamed and lifted her hands, blessed ice forming between them and the incoming death. There was an ear piercing explosion but when the fog cleared, all were still alive. “Muh-magic!” Another of the conscripts shouted in belated realization, reminding all of them they indeed all could use magic. As if that knowledge had breathed fresh vigor into all of them, the squad of nine rallied and started forward.

~~~

Centienne screamed as a talon scraped along her left, barely missing her running form. The ‘second wind’ hadn’t lasted very long. Though they all had magic, they’d all spent their lives hiding it away. None were that experienced with their magic and most certainly none had ever been in battle while using it! She threw herself to the ground as the dragon made a return pass, scrambling to her feet so she could keep running. The pain in her feet and legs were nothing compared to the fear pumping through her veins. A shadow passed over her, barely visible in the darkening sky. She glanced up to see a dragon circling about, its red body visible against the grey clouds above.

Her chest heaved for air, trying to gather oxygen through the frantic, shallow breaths. Her body was a jittery mess of nerves and she could barely make head or tails of what was going on. Her suddenly sharper ears caught the keening sound of an incoming swipe and she ducked again, feeling a claw scrape through the arms she’d thrown over her head as a paltry defense. The dragon barreled to a stop in front of her in a mimicry of what had happened at the beginning of this nightmarish afternoon. This dragon—red like crimson, red like the blood pouring down her arms—was more graceful than the first and stomped its way around to face her. Leathery wings expanded like a physical barrier: she would not pass, the dragon commanded as it rose onto its forelegs.

There was nowhere to run. Her legs were already shaking with exhaustion. No matter which way she turned, the dragon could reach in one pounce before she escaped. She was going to die.

How many times had she longed for death? How many times had she prayed to join her children in the next life? There was nothing left for her here on this realm. Her husband, ex-husband, was a hedonist who had never loved her as much as he loved his image. Her beauty had crumpled under the strain of pregnancies and miscarriages. The charms of her family home were antiquated after having seen the most splendid palaces. The only children she had were four graves, the accumulation of her life’s work. This was the end.

This.

The dragon dropped from its posing, gathering energy its haunches.

Her father had once told her stories about Parcel, the mecca of art.

Was.

It shot forward towards her, red tipped claws reaching out towards her.

Ever since, she’d always wanted to visit there. Their honeymoon had been in Parcel, but it hadn’t been like her father’s stories, filled with war rather than art.

The.

Evil eyes crowed its triumph, delighting in her imminent death.

All she’d wanted had been to live surrounded by beauty; had that been too much to ask for?

“NO!!” The scream ripped its way out of her throat unbidden. Pale hands grasped at the air as she yanked. There was a deafening boom and then a terrible screech but one that didn’t come from her lips. She cracked one eye open then the other, blinking furiously to see over the black swimming in her vision, not having realized she’d ever closed them to begin with. The red dragon was lying on the ground, keening in pain. There were lines of black, blistering flesh marbled over its hide. It twitched a talon but seemed unable to move. Centienne stared in shock at the dying dragon. What had happened?

The rush of adrenaline at her imminent death was rapidly receding now that she no longer seemed in danger, letting the jitters shake her body once more. She reached a tentative hand out but the dragon growled before it jerked in pain. Electricity crackled along the skin, an answer to her unspoken query.

She… had she? She looked down at her too white hands, finally noticing the whispers of electricity playing on her skin. Was her trembling truly from fear or was it from her magic playing havoc on her senses? She had thought she wanted to die but…

Another crack of thunder shook her from her reverie and reminded her she was still on a battlefield. Green eyes looked over the combat zone, for once clear of the apathy that had embraced her the past four years. The den they’d been sent to attack was mostly destroyed, a mudslide seemingly having collapsed one side while ice and scorch marks dotted another. Corpses, some dragon but mostly human, littered the area. She could see a few people still standing, all casting magic or waving ineffectual swords around as they retreated. She couldn’t spot the uniformed leaders anywhere, neither her squad sergeant nor the shouty leader. She took a step back then another then she turned and ran.

There was nothing she could do here. She had no desire to throw her life away on a pointless battlefield. Not anymore, at least. In the ringing of her ears, she could hear the enticing call of Nathaniel and Matisse but they were drowned out by the drumming of her heart. Her retreat wasn’t as simple as she would have hoped. With so few humans left, the few still moving, such as herself, seemed to draw the attention of the remaining dragons. However, after the first few received (literally) shocking slaps, they seemed to lost interest in her. That or she’d run far enough to be spared their attention.

Her stumbling hobble-run came to an abrupt halt as she fell into a random trench in the ground. She spat the dirt and saliva from her aching throat, her body seemingly finally ready to give up on her. There was a rattling sound and it caught her wandering mind. Centienne forced herself to look in the direction. She refused. She refused… She refused to die here. The little strength she’d gathered in her arms, enough to lift her chest from the ground, vanished at the sight of a rocking speckled egg. The pain of her chin impacting with the ground didn’t disturb her horror/disbelief/fear—she didn’t even know what she felt, couldn’t even try to name the mix of emotions swelling up within her. It. Surely not. No.

But the spotted egg, covered in patches of dirt as if recently exhumed, defied her silent commands. It rocked harder, squirming like Nathaniel always had when he had to wait for dinner. God, Goddess, and all that was holy. There was a sharp crack sound, as foreboding as the time Matisse had broken her arm falling down the stairs. Please no. A piece of shell fell to the ground, lying innocently like the shell pieces that had littered Nathaniel’s and Matisse’s attempt at scrambled eggs in their ‘brunch in bed with mommy’ present. Please no. But whatever deities existed hadn’t listened to her when she’d been praying for her children’s lives; why would they listen now? The cracking increased in speed, the same way her skirts would after she twirled, twirled, twirled back when she was still fourteen and attending parties, looking for her prince charming.

Abruptly a slimy body rolled out onto the barren ground. Dark brown skin covered the small form and it mewed pitifully, overly large nostrils sniffing for a familiar scent. Slowly, iridescent colored eyes peeked open. It squeaked in distress before crawling forward. Centienne was too shocked to react, too shocked to try to push herself away. A wet snout shoved its way into her face, pushing uncomfortably against her cheek the way—she closed her eyes, trying not to remember how both Matisse and Nathaniel had loved shoving their fists into her cheek when they were babies.

“Mrrrr” it croaked piteously, clearly wanting some sort of reassurance and before she knew what she was doing, she had drawn her aching body up into a sitting position and had the baby dragon in her lap. “It’s okay it’ll be okay. Mama’s here.” The reassurances fell from her lips, born from those short but unforgettable years of habit. “It’s okay darling, hush little darling, don’t you cry,” She forced the words through her parched lips, ignoring the slime drying on her clothes and skin. It was almost as heavy as Matisse had been at age three even straight from the shell. Its weight crushed her already sore limbs into the ground but the pain was nothing against the unexplainable soaring of her heart. “Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird won’t sing, mama’s gonna buy you…”

OOC Notes

Timeline | +

15 – Centienne and Freyer meet
16 – Centienne and Freyer are married
17 – first pregnancy
18 – Matisse (female) is born
21 – Nathaniel (male) is born
26 – Matisse and Nathaniel die
30 – conscription/start of the RP

Notes/Head Cannon | +

As Trever hasn’t clarified, I’m going to assume a misconception/rumor about mages are they’re somehow related to dragons.. either they have diluted dragon blood in them or are a reincarnation of a dragon. Therefore, Philip is uncomfortable being surrounded by mages (a variant of their enemy, dragons) and why the younger (unnamed) Lieutenant uses ‘it’ instead of ‘she’ when addressing Centienne in the first scene.

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Wow T, that was a really well done post!

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I'm writing this story! It's called The Legends of Kal'duune. You can comment about things you like or hate, but preferably the first thing, here!

This thing is my resume! Reeeeaad iiiiiit...

Assuming you mean me and not Terrence, thank you!

minor edits made because proofreading with a headache is apparently a bad idea.. I know there's still one error in there somewhere... grr...

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Yes I did Lol. forgot to put the rest of your name

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I'm writing this story! It's called The Legends of Kal'duune. You can comment about things you like or hate, but preferably the first thing, here!

This thing is my resume! Reeeeaad iiiiiit...

I will finish my character today Trever.

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And so the time has come to choose the winners. I'll be spending much of my time re - reading all of the entries, and will have a decision for all those involved by the end of the day.

For those that put in a roll but failed to get an application in on time I'm sorry, but the rp is now closed and I will not be taking any more applications after this point.

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So EXCITED!!!

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Me tooooooo!

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I'm writing this story! It's called The Legends of Kal'duune. You can comment about things you like or hate, but preferably the first thing, here!

This thing is my resume! Reeeeaad iiiiiit...

HYPE!

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CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!

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And my choices for the cast of this roleplay are in no particular order:

Eferhilda, Louloubelle, Fain, Sounds_of_silence, Malikai and t.en.

I will contact you six each personally with how we will proceed in the next few days

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YES!!! SO looking forward to this!

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WOOHHHOOOO!!!!!!!!

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Awesome. Thanks Trev.

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I'm writing this story! It's called The Legends of Kal'duune. You can comment about things you like or hate, but preferably the first thing, here!

This thing is my resume! Reeeeaad iiiiiit...