Artificial Insect who Views Abundant Sights (and knows more than she should) Female Geothermal Cuddlebug Athid, Aivas
For the most part those Athid with the Cuddlebug mutation are affectionate in the extreme, always wanting to be with their Bonded at least a majority of the day and in some cases quite vocal in their affections. But Aivas, at least to outward appearances, isn't quite like any Cuddlebug. She is affectionate, at least towards Jessera, but it's in a quiet, subtle way. Serenely sitting against her side, or leaning against a leg, that is the kind of physical affection that she tends towards. But a reserve 'detachment' is quite normal for the Geothermal. She considers herself an observer, a quiet watcher of all things and all events whether those actively participating know they are being observed or not. She never actually engages herself unless the situation is dire indeed, and more will go for Jessera to intervene rather than do so herself. She also has a keen memory for what she sees, filing away the information for later recollection. Sometimes, when her knowledge can be useful, she will speak in her quiet, reserved voice (occasionally startling those who hear her and didn't realize she was there). It can be a little unnerving, really, how she knows what she knows when it was secrets spoken of behind closed doors or information thought lost or at the least far remote. But Jessera will know that's just the nature of her Aivas, the mechanical watcher of all things.
Perhaps thankfully for Aivas tendency to observe, her form of an Privet Hawkmoth is only a little bit larger than the 'natural' counterparts; wingtip to wingtip is just around five inches. Her color scheme is very close to her mundane counterparts as well, with the places that are colored black formed of hematite stone and what looks like pink spinel. Though one might think that all that stone in her form would hinder her flying, but she can zip and glide with the best of them. And as for being cuddly, well, those that she permits to touch her (namely, Jessera) will find that there is a layer of faux fur wrapping her body beneath those wings, keeping the color scheme of course.
Niles, the I Reject Your Reality and Substitute My Own Canine Hybrid Male Hellhound + Kitsune
Reality would have us believe that this handsome young pup is the offspring of a Warrior Hellhound and a Void Kitsune. Indeed, the black coloration of his pelt, the crimson tipping of his fluffy fox-like tail, the equally crimson kanji for 'Void' scrawled on his forehead right above his unnerving amethyst eyes would suggest that one of his parents was indeed a Void Kitsune, and his ability to breathe fire when backed into a corner would also suggest Hellhound ancestry. Okay, he'll own up to the Hellhound part. This mutt actually isn't as ashamed of his mother, although he's certainly not a fan of Hellhounds as a species. Violent beasts, Hellhounds. Draw blood or bleed. But he can live with that. Hellhounds are at least predictable in their way, and they have their own strange code of honor. But call him on being half-Kitsune, expect denial. Call him especially on being half-Void, expect to get toasted like a campfire marshmallow. He absolutely refuses to accept or acknowledge anything of the sort. It may look like willful ignorance on the outside, but truly, it's shame. He's so ashamed of his father that he denies that half of himself even exists, despite the painfully obvious evidence written into every line of his body. He is a Kitsune's skin pulled over a Hellhound's body, and everything about his appearance screams VOID at the top of its voice.
In this young gentleman's asserted reality, he is half Hellhound and half Illaro. His father was an Ilythiir. That's his story and he's sticking to it. They don't have the best reputation either, but an Ilythiir at his worst behavior is still not a Void Kitsune on his best, and it's much easier to handle day-to-day existence if he just says he's half-Illaro until he almost believes himself.
Why, you ask? Why would such a creature go through so much effort to cling to such an obviously unreal fantasy? It's quite simple, really. Our dear pup was blessed, or perhaps cursed, with a conscience. A Hellhound with a conscience, a Void with a soul. In short, he's a good boy, and so it is that his father's entire Clan doesn't sit right with him. Not a bit. Being a Trickster is one thing, but Voids go out of their way to cause suffering and anarchic chaos, and this poor pup finds that absolutely vile. Much the rebellious teenager running counter to everything his parents represent, he likes helping people. He wants to leave places better than he found them, change the world for the better a little at a time. He's charitable, kind, made of empathy for everyone but himself. As for himself, he can't stand looking into mirrors. Mirrors have a tendency to put cracks into his carefully crafted delusions.
He has the broad-shouldered grace of his mother, the build of a Warrior-worthy Hellhound. Most of his pelt is matte black that seems to drink light without ever reflecting any back, though all four of his paws are dipped in the same crimson that tips his tail and colors the kanji on his forehead, as well as tipping his long, foxy ears. For the moment, he has only one long, fluffy Kitsune tail, but he'll grow one more with age. However, he is only half Kitsune, and he will never grow more than two tails. His grasp of Kitsune magic is shaky, but he tries not to use it anyway, for fear of becoming more like his father. He tends to fall back on his mother's breath weapon when he's in dire trouble.
Boomer, the Tyrant of the Firmament Dream Cloud Creature
Boomer is not a dragon.
Boomer looks a bit like a dragon, but he is not a dragon.
Boomer, in fact, is not even from the same world as Teragaian dragons.
In fact, Boomer is native to another world entirely, snatched up by the Illogical Field long before he met Jessera. In his homeland he was an apex predator, the tales of his exploits whispered around campfires across the continent. He and his sat pretty at the top of the food chain, too dangerous for any but the most foolhardy of human hunters to pursue.
Which goes a long way towards explaining Boomer’s personality, really. He’s an arrogant creature, utterly assured of his own lethality and his ability to pull through damn near anything unscathed. More frustrating still, his arrogance is born of genuine excellence. Bazelgeuse are already intelligent, in their own bestial way, but Boomer stands head and shoulders above his unaltered kin. He’s canny, cagey, able to predict what opponents will do and how best to counter them. That alone wouldn’t be a problem. Paired with Boomer’s uncanny ability to make an absolute flaming nuisance of himself, it rapidly becomes one. Boomer, you see, is both intelligent and conniving enough to never pick a fight he isn’t sure he can’t win. He delights in stacking the deck against enemies. Given half the chance he’ll wait until you’re wrapped up in a fight with another beasty before he swoops in to drop bombs on your head. He fights dirty, and more to the point he fights ugly, pulling out whatever stops he has to to win and win big.
With such an ugly surface-level personality, some might hope that Boomer’s heart hides some deep-buried silver lining. They’re liable to be sadly mistaken. If he has a redeeming feature- and it really is a matter of if- it’s that he’s learned his place in this brave new world. He tolerates Jessera’s presence because he must. He doesn’t pick fights with the weyr’s dragons because he knows he would lose. He wears flight straps and fights Thread because he has no choice in the matter. Over time he may come to like his bondmate, maybe even love her, and in the process Jess will discover the fierce loyalty that lives beneath Boomer’s armored hide. After all, if he belongs to her, she belongs to him, and no one- no one- is allowed to harm what belongs to him.
Measuring forty feet long and thirty-five feet from wingtip to wingtip, Boomer tips the scales at close to eight tons. His overall build calls to mind the theropod dinosaurs of ancient times: the weight of his great blunt head is countered by a broad tail held stiff away from the body, all carried atop two digitigrade legs terminating in three-toed feet. In place of arms grow wings, a sturdy pair more than strong enough to carry him in flight. Boomer’s frame fairly bristles with thick, heavy scales. Those that gird his legs, head and topline are fairly mundane; those that form the ‘mane’ around his neck and tail, however, are significantly less so. These scales are only loosely affixed and can be shaken loose at will. A scant few seconds after scales part with their owner, complex metabolic processes cause them to explode with immense force.
Hightower, the Stand Aside Order of the Shield Male
For some, there is battle and only battle. It was not only what they trained for, it was what they were born for. That is the mindset and nature of this Shield Gryphon. From a hatchling age he knew he was destined for the battlefield, cutting down his foes with honor and courage. He is not a commander, though he can lead in times of need and knows a great deal about tactics and strategy. He serves in the ranks, and is content there. Much of this Blade's time is spent training for the next conflict to arise. He practices battle maneuvers against training dummies daily, and when he is unable to be outside due to weather he studies histories of past events to learn from the successes and the mistakes of others. This warrior isn't a stupid block head, that's for sure! You can't survive a fight without some intellect - his knowledge just typically doesn't translate to social niceties. He's been called blunt before, and 'roughly straightforward,' and what's more he knows it's true. On the battlefield, being overly-polite and beating around the bush will only get you killed. So if you invite him to a party, expect him to be clumsy or accidentally insult someone (or not so accidentally, if he finds a reason to dislike them).
Sleek like others of his rank, this male is a brilliant crimson (he considers it the better to not show his enemy his wounds), with his wings and chest being a bit darker than the rest of him. Two bands of gold line his wings and around his front legs, and his amber eyes have a distinctly predatory, battle-eager gleam to them.
(Arcane Scroll Ability: Battle is this Gryphons life, and it is there that most of his abilities come into play. Besides being a solid combatant, he can act as a warlord by calling out commands to his allies and granting them the ability to dart around the battlefield with impunity or strike with greater speed and accuracy. And when things look bleakest his war cries will embolden them, giving them strength for one more push against their foes.)
Pacifica, The Majestic Crashing Waves Ocean Queen Zaithand
One can't visit the ocean without being impressed by the majestic magnitude of the crashing waves. Powerful and yet graceful, thundering against cliffs and reshaping continents, throwing up spray to the delight of children. That in a nutshell is much of this Zaithand. Regal and stately she carries herself with poise and pride. She knows that in her Cove her word holds the force of a tidal wave, and that much power is within her claws. But at the same time, she shoulders much responsibility. In her mind her Cove - this included her Bonded and any shinies she shares them with - sinks or floats by her decisions. One slip can send everything tumbling into a ravine that she may not be able to pull them out from. This is her secret fear, the chance of failure, but she is so consumed with never, ever letting anyone know this she maintains a confident face at all times. It is only in private that she will let her guard down and fret, or weep, or scream in anger and lash out. And the first moment she becomes aware of observation she mask is back in place, the calm smile and upraised head. Perhaps this isn't the most healthy of demeanors, taking everything upon her own shoulders, but it'll take some time for anyone to convince her to share the load.
Just about on par with her rank for size, not too big but packing some lovely corded muscle, she is a deep steel blue with some slightly darker mottling on her limbs and tail, especially the fin's edge. It's almost like a faintly blotchy fade which happens to match her single horn. Her eyes are a rich, clear blue-green that always reflect her wisdom and confidence, and some might even say reflect the sea itself, tossing endlessly in glorious cascades upon the shoreline.
My Worth Lies Not In My Hide, But In My Spirit White Mottle Dragon
Mindspeech: Italics #0f00ff
For a long time white purebloods and white mottles weren't always given their fair shake. They were considered weak, small, vulnerable. They could barely fly with their rider and a decent load of firestone to fight Thread. Even when the wild dragon bloodlines came into the mix there were those who were turned against them for their history.
Let them say what they would. This is one white mottle who doesn't care, because he knows exactly who he is and is proud of it. Valeth walks with the swagger of a dragon much higher ranking than his hide would indicate. But this is a confidence without arrogance. He's a fair-minded dragon mostly because he knows well that an individual's worth isn't measured by size, or strength, or any one trait but a combination of the whole. The exact measure that he prefers to be measured by. Not one to be foolish enough to take on battles far beyond his capabilities however he's a quick-minded one, well-used to making plans on the fly (literally or otherwise) for what situations come about. And if all else fails he's more than willing to call upon the aid of his friends, his rider, and his much-cherished golden sister.
A bit shorter than other white mottles, probably due to the circumstances of his hatching, Valeth is only twenty feet long from nose to tail. His hide is as pure and white as the newly-fallen snow, with his Mottle heritage coming in the form of a pair of sapphire-blue horns that curve up proudly from his head and edging his jaw. His wings, which faintly might remind onlookers of icicles, hold a prismatic hue with the sunlight strikes them right. Like many other White Mottles he favors a frosty breath. Taking more after the free-thinking dragons, Valeth will happily Mindspeak with anyone be they person or Dragon.