Digizel

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Guys…

Look at our Dragons’ colors

Red (Shieldwing)
Blue (Sylph)
Green (Skeboloff)
White (Stargaze)
Black (Fellwing)

…Tiamat’s clutch! Are we the baddies?! XD

@Guardian Angel Haruki

I love how this worked out. Plot twist: We are all secretly eggs from a massively evil, five-headed dragon that caused the Darkness problem in the first place! Gasp!

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

After looking at the others to see if they have stuff that fit for me, I think I've come up with the best ones that work with Shieldwing that haven't already been taken.

@Guardian Angel Haruki's Stargaze:

I like the one you chose and I think it works great! Here are my ideas from your fellowship list:

___ was a friend to you when you felt all alone in the face of your destiny. Explain how they exemplified your virtue and give them a Friendship Gem.

The moment Shieldwing becomes aware that Stargaze has this amazing destiny in front of them, he is going to take a keen interest. Especially with his own ambitions of doing something to combat the darkness. He will probably feel a strong kinship with her, and would definitely promise to help her fulfill her mission, no matter what. He knows what it's like to feel the pressure from a big, important mission and to have all kinds of expectations forced on you, so he will definitely be able to empathize and sympathize with her. And the moment he finds out that she's a victim of bullying, he will IMMEDIATELY come to her aid, standing protectively with her and growling at the bullies and trying to get them to back off. He won't even be afraid to get into fights with them if he has to~

All of this I think leads pretty well into Stargaze and Shieldwing's relations. Heck, maybe Shieldwing is the one who brought Stargaze into the clutch in the first place~

I could probably get the other one from Stargaze to work as well ("___ is consumed by the Isle’s immediate problems; you will show them why they must focus on the future. Take a Friendship Gem from them."), especially if you wanted to take a Gem from Shieldwing instead of giving two. But I think the former option goes best with the one Stargaze will be taking from Shieldwing's own list. Idk, I'll leave that decision to you!

@Vertigo's Fellwing:

___ helped save you from the Darkness. Explain how they exemplified your virtue. Give them a Gem.

You dreamed of ___ long before you two met. Tell them what the dream was about and take a Gem from them.

Both of these work really well for Shieldwing honestly, so I'm good with waiting until somebody else picks an idea from one of these, or if you have any particular ideas yourself!

The former is good because it could tie into my Fellowship option of Fellwing option of standing by Shieldwing's side in a fight against a monster from the Darkness. Perhaps Fellwing one time had a vision she didn't like and went off on her own, but Shieldwing noticed and followed her. And while she was on her own, she ended up getting attacked, for Shieldwing to come to her aid. Perhaps, as a raw-scaled drake, he couldn't beat the monster in a straight fight like what he was used to, so the two of them had to get creative and used their environment to take them down?

Alternatively, the dream one works pretty easily for just about anybody honestly, and is open ended enough to be tied into basically any Fellowship of choice. xD So if somebody else works better for the Darkness one, then this could be a good backup.

And then Shieldwing is already part of Sylph's Fellowhips, so that would just leave Skobeloff, but...really the only one of Skobeloff's fellowships he would work well with is the last one ("___ gave you their trust and confidence at a time when you knew you didn’t deserve it. Ask them why they believed in you, and give them a Friendship Gem."), but it already ties into Sylph, so that's about all she wrote. Hopefully Fellwing fits your prankster fellowship better than he does. xD

If not, I suppose that Shieldwing could potentially fill that role. As you say, a more direct result might get one over on Skobeloff a bit easier than a typical prank. He doesn't really LIKE pranks like the Fellowship states, but he tolerates them within reason and might be willing to get back at him sometime.

EDIT: Also aww, poor Fellwing, the only member of the clutch not to have an S name~ xP

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

@Digizel -- my thoughts are that, while Shieldwing doesn't take well to trickery or pranks, his questioning of authority appeals to Sylph. They find him annoying (the over-confidence, the arrogance) at times, but can recognize the common goals, and a friendship could grow there.

@BleakBlueJay

This does make sense. Although he doesn't question the authority or traditions so much as dislikes how hard they can be on him. He follows their traditions as best he can. Although, in terms of your Fellowships, that does give me an idea. One of Sylph's Fellowship questions are:

"You have helped ___ to question one flawed tradition of their House. Tell them what it was, and take a Friendship Gem from them."

Perhaps this could be in reference to Shieldwing. Perhaps Sylph came to him while he was frustrated or angry after getting a particularly nasty scolding for his attitude in a lecture on politics (perhaps they were even present enough to overhear him getting yelled at or something). They could maybe approach him, converse with him and comfort him a bit by talking about how the Brynbacks are too focused on being at the forefront of dragonkind politics anyway. And perhaps how this makes them come across as elitist, considering they're the only ones who actively teach this kind of thing as though Brynback being a superior House suited for leading were just a fact.

What do you think?

~~~

In any case, these are my own Fellowship questions, so if anybody has any ideas of their own for these, let me know! These are all pretty easy to fill in, honestly, but I'd like to get some opinions from you guys as to which ones may or may not suit your own characters and their personalities. That way I could potentially go with the ones I think work best for each category. After all, you know whether or not they'd do these things better than I would. xD

___ has stood by your side in a fight against a monster of the Darkness. Explain how they exemplified your virtue. Give them a Gem.

___ was there when you were most vulnerable. Give them a Gem.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

It's all good! We can just put them here, and if we want to, we could retroactively slip them somewhere into the CS?

But yeah, as for Shieldwing's personality, here we go:

Shieldwing--as a member of House Brynback AND a direct descendant of Wroughtwing himself (a fact he is very proud of)--is filled with a grand sense of self importance, leading him to be a bit on the arrogant side. He is strong, confident, proud and brave--if a bit reckless and hotheaded. However, there is one aspect that he is always being scolded for by his superiors in House Brynback: he has no mind or care for politics or how to govern. It's not uncommon for him to complain about his superiors once they're no longer around (or even under his breath if they ARE), because they believe he's simply not trying or doesn't care. In actuality, though, he simply can't wrap his brain around it all, which leads to his more aloof attitude on the subject.

He is also actually secretly a very sensitive dragon. His hotheadedness is usually a ploy to cover this up, as he sees it as a vulnerability that can be exploited. He feels the pressure of his lineage and his house constantly, striving to make them proud at all times...and this leads to him beating himself up more severely than usual for every failure. He is also very emotionally vulnerable to pointed verbal assaults. While he can usually take jokes to a point (although it will likely get a rise out of him), when somebody is actively trying to cause emotional harm--whether it's out of malice or simply out of anger--it is easier to do than it seems. This vulnerability is only made worse if it involves insulting/belittling his traits that he takes greatest pride in and he is incapable of denying or otherwise proving the words wrong. This is also why he sometimes has a hard time handling criticism.

Despite his shortcomings, Shieldwing takes it upon himself to act like the de facto leader of the clutch, though whether the others recognize him as such or not is another matter. He assumes himself leader because he feels his lineage, battle prowess, the fact that Brynback teaches leadership as one of its main focuses, and the fact that Brynback has historically been the most resistant to the effects of the Darkness puts him in the best position to do so. While on the surface, this might come across as just another aspect of his arrogance and overconfidence, those who really get to know him on a much deeper level, those who really need him, or those who come to him in his moments of weakness will get to catch glimpses of a truer, deeper purpose for all of this bravado: love for and desire to use all of his skills to be useful to and care for/protect his clutchmates, even at the cost of his own health and well-being.

However, if there is one thing Shieldwing is passionate about above all else, it's that he wants to beat back the Darkness, no matter what. He is not afraid to tell his clutchmates about his biggest dream: To one day get beyond the Cloudstalker and make his way down to the surface of the planet, and create a foothold to finally begin a REAL counterattack against the Darkness. While he's not going to hesitate telling this to anybody, he will get easily embarrassed if people make fun of him for having such an unrealistic goal, and will often snap back in anger.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Here are my thoughts regarding Skobeloff's Fellowship so far:

@Digizel
Shieldwing is a fellow prankster, a lover of tricks and jokes just like you. Explain how they once got one over on you, and give them a Friendship Gem.

(My thinking here is that Skobeloff, being a true and dedicated player of the Long Game, has developed something of a blind spot for the short term. This would allow the much more direct and straightforward methods a Warrior like Shieldwing would prefer to catch Skobeloff off guard.)

@rush99999

Hm. My only gripe there would be that in my mind, Shieldwing is not much of a prankster or jokester. If anything, I feel like he'd be the type to get annoyed with pranks, even to the point where he might even get angry and snap at the prankster if he became their victim...which in retrospect will probably only make him a more inviting target because he gives such a big reaction. xD

EDIT: Maybe I'll give an in-depth rundown of Shieldwing's personality and motivations. That might make things easier.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Oh yeah, and correct me if I'm wrong, but we now have four finished characters, and the only one we're still missing is Vertigo's Seer character? I suppose at this point, we should start sifting through personalities so that we can start thinking about answers for those Fellowship questions?

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Oh man, the idea that they've had this conversation about 100 times, and Shieldwing continues to call them the Shadowslayer Clutch with such confidence and pride, only to be interrupted every time with somebody pointing out that they haven't decided that yet, is too good to pass up imo~

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Oh man, the fact that you guys just pointed out the concept of a Rebel's former house making for interesting roleplay opportunities....

Gotten yourself affiliated with the House that Skolbeloff is in. Depending on how much Skolbeloff cares about the House, that could be interesting~

Also, if everybody's name ends up starting with an S, Shieldwing is going to push pretty hard for "Shadowslayer Clutch" as it appeals to his character a lot AND the alliteration following the trend xD Whether the other dragons go along with him is up for debate, obviously~

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Stargaze, Skolbeloff, Shieldwing? Triple S Clutch let's gooooo

In actuality, that is probably exactly what Shieldwing's first idea is xP

But then he'd probably propose something like:

Shadowslayer Clutch
Dawnbringer Clutch
Drakewarden Clutch

But he'd also say that it might be good to wait and see if a particularly fitting name reveals itself, whether that's one already suggested or not~ That their name should befit their duty, their accomplishments and/or their proven capabilities. And also say that a strong sounding clutch name always looks better in the records~ xP

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Alrighty, his CS is finally done now that I've got a solid understanding of the system and lore~

Shieldwing, the Warrior of House Brynback

Name: Shieldwing

Pronouns: He/Him

Playbook: The Warrior

Colour: Imperial Red/Scarlet

Look: Primarily a vibrant red color, with a pale yellow underbelly from jaw to tip of the tail, same color under the wings. Piercing green eyes with a black iris and red claws. Two white horns on the crown that reach straight backward and one very small one on the tip of his muzzle. Along the back are ridges that extend down to his back but not to the tail.

For a more visual idea of the description, take the body of the first image, and then impose the body features of the second: the horns (though white instead of black), ridges stopping at the tail, underwings matching underbelly)

1. Dragon Main Body

2. Dragon features

Stats:
Charm: +0
Courage: +2
Cunning: +0

Virtue: Bravery

House & Obligation: Brynbak, the House of Steel: Destroy an unnatural menace born of Darkness.

Moves:

SCALES OF HONOUR: You have dedicated your life to the betterment of dragonkind. Choose one boon:
[] A mark of lunar authority; take +1 ongoing to call upon the Moons.
[] A voice that penetrates the Darkness; take +1 ongoing to act despite danger in the face of the Darkness.
[X] A lineage that commands respect; take +1 Charm (max +3).
[] An heirloom from the War of Shadow; take +1 ongoing to stand up to a superior.
[] A large and valuable hoard; take +1 ongoing to give into the Darkness.
Mark a Shadow each time you conceal or hide one or more of your boons.
When you advance your signature move, mark a new boon. Tell the DM which of your adventures has earned you such an honor.

BATTLE PLAN: When you face an enemy in combat, roll +Courage. On a hit, you can ask the DM questions. Whenever you act on one of the DM’s answers, take +1.
On a 10+, ask 2. On a 7–9, ask 1:
- Which enemy is most vulnerable to me?
- Which enemy is the biggest threat?
- What’s my enemy’s true position?
- What’s my enemy’s mission or objective?
On a miss, they catch you off guard. Take a -1 ongoing until you can assert your dominance or rally your allies.

Advancement:

Rawscale Drake (0 XP):
You start with a +0 bonus to calling upon the Moons.
[] take another move from your playbook
[] take +1 to any stat (maximum of +3)
[] advance your signature move

Winged Drake (0 XP):
You still have a +0 bonus to calling upon the Moons.
[] take another move from your playbook
[] take +1 to any stat (maximum of +3)
[] advance your signature move

Longtooth Dragon (0 XP):
You now have a +1 bonus to calling upon the Moons.
[] take another move from another playbook
[] take +1 to any stat (maximum of +3)
[] advance your signature move

Bearded Dragon:
You now have a +2 bonus to calling upon the Moons.
[] take a ritual of your House
[] advance your signature move

Elder Dragon:
You now have a +3 bonus to calling upon the Moons.
[] your house dedicates a stronghold to you
[] retire your character, arise as an Ancient or a Mystic

Moons:
- Liberty Moon
- Spirit Moon
- Stone Moon
- Storm Moon
- Void Moon

Shadow Track:

[] Anger
- Lash out at a friend.
- Break something valuable
- Escalate a delicate situation

[] Doubt
- Question a friend’s loyalty
- Steal something valuable
- Reject a tradition

[] Shame
- Blame a friend for your mistakes
- Mock or belittle someone vulnerable
- Seek isolation or solitude

[] Fear
- Hide something from your friends
- Avoid a difficult task
- Exaggerate the danger of the situation

Shadowself:
You are unstoppable, a hurricane whose might will singlehandedly shatter the Darkness. Adulare must be protected and no one else is strong enough to help you. Make sure the clutch knows you are the only one who can save Adulare. You are The Warrior. Return from your Shadowself when a friend convinces you to ask your Clutch for help.

Fellowship:
Fellwing has stood by your side in a fight against a monster of the Darkness. Explain how they exemplified your virtue. Give them a Gem.

Stargaze has recently joined your Clutch and you are training them in the art of combat and the importance of self defense. Take a Gem from them.

Fellwing was there when you were most vulnerable. Give them a Gem.