hoppiholla391

Dragonriders of Caerel (dragons! exploration! teambuilding!)

aaaaand here we are!

[hider={Character Name}]
[center][h3]{First “Nickname?” Last}[/h3]
[i]Rider of {Dragon Name}[/i][/center]

[b]APPEARANCE—[/b]
{Photos or art, but try to lean towards realism rather than anime styles. The more detail the better—though if you’re using multiple pictures (for instance, one for a face and one for clothing), please put the images under a hider so you don’t superstretch the page!}

[b]AGE—[/b]
{Self explanatory, I hope! However, by necessity, the range is 18 and up—Caerel isn’t going to send out trainee dragonriders all on their own. Also, try to keep it under 50, please.}
Bonded for {number of years you and your dragon have been bros. Remember, you can’t bond younger than 13 or older than 30, but you can be anything from a freshly graduated rider to a seasoned veteran.}

[b]GENDER—[/b]
{Again, self explanatory.}

[b]HISTORY—[/b]
{At least two paragraphs, please! Include their history pre-bonding with their dragon, maybe some family background, what kind of duties they like most on the island, what they think about the drought…}

[b]PERSONALITY—[/b]
{Doesn’t have to be long—you can even use a list to sum up their main points. This is just to get an idea of their general demeanor!}

[b]TALENTS/SKILLS—[/b]
[list][*]sum
[*]mar
[*]ize![/list]

[b]FLAWS/WEAKNESSES—[/b]
[list][*]sum
[*]mar
[*]ize![/list]

[b]EXTRAS—[/b]
[list][*]Do they have any prized possessions?
[*]Maybe a trace of a foreign accent?
[*]Notable scars? A rare tattoo?
[*]Hates the color green?
[*]Have a special hiding place down by the beach?
[*]Go wild![/list]

[hider={Dragon Name Here}]
[b]NAME—[/b]
{Restate it for the record :D}

[b]GENDER—[/b]
{Are you a boy dragon or a girl dragon}

[b]BREED—[/b]
{There’s a pre-made listhere.For a custom breed: fill out the separate Dragon Breed Sheet which you can find on the same post. If it’s accepted, I’ll add it to the list!}

[b]APPEARANCE—[/b]
{A few sentences should do it. Make sure to include anything different from the generic appearance given in the breed list.}

[b]PERSONALITY—[/b]
[list][*]{Back to bullet points! Sum up in five points or less—single words is plenty.}[/list]
[b]EXTRAS—[/b]
[list][*]{Same as for your character—scars? Weird phobias? Favorite spots?}
[*]{No special abilities outside of the breed (yet), please—this is a long mission, you need room to improve! If you think one of your dragon’s quirks might give them an edge, PM me first, or I can bring it up OOC.}[/list]
[/hider]
[/hider]

and here's my character for reference:

Anara “Sarge” Keltor

Aɴᴀʀᴀ Kᴇʟᴛᴏʀ

Rider of Inirath

APPEARANCE—

^{credit to pheberoni}
Standing at five foot ten and solidly built, Anara is the last thunder-rider in Caerel, and it shows—her hair is always slightly frizzy with static, and she always seems to smell of ozone.

AGE—
38
Bonded for 25 years.

GENDER—
Female

HISTORY—
No one can quite remember when the Keltor family arrived on Caerel—it seems as if they’ve simply always been. However, they’ve also always been farmers—the Keltor farm is the main producer of sugarcane on the island. When the last mated pair of thunder dragons had a clutch of two, thirteen year old Anara was one of six potential riders sniffed out, and the only one with no dragonriders in the family, not to mention the youngest. No one thought she’d be one to bond with a hatchling, but when Inirath emerged from her egg, she made a beeline for Anara, and the rest is history. Her family is still almost overwhelmingly proud to this day.

Life among the dragonriders was vastly different than Anara’s agricultural childhood—and she loved it. She took to training with gusto, and never expected any special favors just because of Inirath’s breed. Even as a junior rider, she had a reputation for treating everyone equally, from riders of the clumsiest flitwit to the most majestic sea drake. As a senior dragonrider and council member, she maintained that sense of equality, and ever so slowly began to change common thinking throughout the island—every dragon has value, no matter how small. The councillors from the Flitwit and Starscale riders are still grateful. Many an unsuspecting dissenter has muttered complaints in the tavern about Sergeant Keltor, only to be shouted down by her supporters.

So when the drought hit, many looked to Anara for guidance. She remains in contact with her family, so she was immediately aware of any weather changes, and the lack of rain has her as worried as any farmer. It was her idea to go to other islands for help, and she will personally lead a team of dragonriders in search of something to bring back the rains.

PERSONALITY—
For all that she’s well known throughout the island, Anara is surprisingly quiet. She’s not unfriendly, but reserved, more willing to listen to others than talk herself. She considers every word before she says it—this slow speech and her size can combine to give the impression of stupidity, at first glance. Make no mistake, though, she’s smarter than many of her peers—she just waits before she uses it, and she never tries to show off. Many of those who live in close proximity to dragons look to her as their leader, whether by dint of her accomplishments, or simply because of the dragon she rides—she shoulders the responsibility admirably, but sometimes she just wants to go flying for fun.

It can be difficult to get to know Anara, especially these days, but you will never have a more loyal friend. She sticks by her friends through thick and thin, and is more than willing to stand between them and danger, and would trust them with her life. Even if she doesn’t like someone personally, she takes the thunder dragons’ legacy of guardianship very seriously. It’s these traits that have made her so valuable to Caerel—from farmers to dragonriders, the people know she’d do anything to protect the island.

TALENTS/SKILLS—

• Veteran dragonrider—after more than two decades bonded to Inirath, Anara is one of the most skilled riders on the island, and is very knowledgeable about dragons in general.
• Leader—due to her age and experience, younger riders often look to her, and she’s skilled in tactics and mediation.
• Swordfighter—Anara is skilled with a short broadsword and shield, and to a lesser extent, hand-to-hand combat.
• Tip top shape—With very few exceptions, dragonriders are in the best shape they can be. Anara is no different.
• Dragon-hearted—This is the common name for someone who has a ‘gift’ with dragons. Anara doesn’t overstep her boundaries, but other dragons tend to respect her.

FLAWS/WEAKNESSES—

• Isolated—Anara can find it difficult to delegate, sometimes, taking the most dangerous and difficult tasks for herself out of a desire to protect and keeping dangerous information to herself.
• Somewhat sheltered—Anara has never left Caerel, and while this isn’t uncommon for the island’s inhabitants, she can’t really know about other islands’ opinions on dragons until she gets there.
• BIG dragon—Inirath is not exactly...stealthy. She tends to attract attention. A lot of it.

EXTRAS—

• Anara is dotted with small scars—in addition to the ones on her face, there are several across her hands and arms, mostly burn scars acquired during training.
• She’s used to flying at high altitudes—a slightly lower oxygen percentage doesn’t bother her.
• Sometimes, when it’s very late, she needs reading glasses. Not that she’s likely to have them on her.

Inirath

NAME—
Inirath

GENDER—
Female

BREED—
Thunder Dragon

APPEARANCE—
Inirath is a darker silver than most thunder dragons. She’s also on the larger side.

PERSONALITY—

• Stately—thinks pretty highly of herself.
• Confident—she knows she’s badass.
• Protective—Anara would go so far as to call her possessive, but...

EXTRAS—

• Loves lying in the sun (and probably blinding everyone below)
• Picky eater—takes only the best bulls to eat.
• When things get serious, though, she and Anara work together like a well oiled machine of electric death.

Dragonriders of Caerel (dragons! exploration! teambuilding!)

@Avanhelsing the template will be up soon! i wanted to get the breed list out asap so people could go over them first. give me...30 minutes tops?

Dragonriders of Caerel (dragons! exploration! teambuilding!)

[drum roll please...]

the dragon breed list is here! and, also, the custom breed template. keep in mind there can only be so many different breeds on one island, even if it is a big one, so if there's two custom breeds with some overlap i might combine them. the character sheet template will be up soon, but for now, check out deez lizards!

Dragon Breeds

Black Knight

APPEARANCE—

SUMMARY—
Black knights are warriors. They are strong and capable fighters, with an intimidating set of offensive capabilities. They are almost incapable of experiencing fear, although their very presence can spook even the most hardened of soldiers; knights are, however, very protective of their riders. They prefer to hunt at night due to their excellent night vision and almost invisible coloring.
BASIC INFO—

• Preferred Habitat: Swamps and marshes.
• Size: RV sized.
• Strength: 10
• Speed: 7
• Rarity: 3

ABILITIES—

• Basic: Diamond-hard claws and horns; venomous bite and tail spines; have multiple rows of venomous teeth, and can disconnect these teeth at will to use as weapons or traps—they will grow back within an hour.
• Breath Weapon: None.
• Legendary: Can release their venom in inescapable cloud.

Thunder Dragon

APPEARANCE—

SUMMARY—
Thunder dragons are among the largest breeds, and the most intimidating—initially bred for war, they were the ultimate defenders on the battlefield. These days, there are only two left on Caerel—one of whom has refused to bond again after the death of his elderly rider, and the other is still a decade away from breeding age.
BASIC INFO—

• Preferred Habitat: High caves and mountains.
• Size: About the size of a house, although the largest recorded was as big as a galleon. Females tend to be larger.
• Strength: 9
• Speed: 6
• Rarity: 5

ABILITIES—

• Basic: Nearly impenetrable scales and wing membranes; able to conduct electricity across their scales
• Breath Weapon: Bolts of lightning.
• Legendary: To some extent, legendary thunder dragons can call fierce storms.

(MY CHARACTER WILL BE THE REMAINING THUNDER DRAGON RIDER for plot reasons; i'm just putting this breed here so all the info is in one place!)

Flitwit

APPEARANCE—

SUMMARY—
Flitwits are the modern version of old courier dragons—their billowing, layered wings do not make them the fastest flyers, but they are champion gliders. Due to their small size, they can fit into places no other dragons can, and juveniles are known to sit on their riders’ shoulders or heads. Flitwits often make use of ocean thermals around the island, and due to their oversized wings can glide for miles. They come in many different bright color combinations.
BASIC INFO—

• Preferred Habitat: Jungle canopy.
• Size: Smallest are dog-sized, largest are about the size of a pony; only large ones can carry small riders.
• Strength: 2
• Speed: 9
• Rarity: 1

ABILITIES—

• Basic: Can glide extremely long distances; can understand basic human speech and seem to mimic tone and inflection with their noises, much like cats
• Breath Weapon: A jet of acid.
• Legendary: Dedicated Flitwit partners have discovered parrot-like abilities to replicate human speech with alarming accuracy.

Delver

APPEARANCE—

SUMMARY—
Delver dragons spend most of their lives underground, among the stone and ores. Juveniles are almost entirely covered in crystal spurs, but these cluster around their joints when the dragon’s body gets bigger. They often hum or whistle in their underground homes. Delvers can technically fly, but they tire quickly, much preferring to be on the ground, and can only swim for short times—they prefer to tunnel under any obstacles. They often make gifts of precious gems or metals to their riders and friends.
BASIC INFO—

• Preferred Habitat: Underground cave systems.
• Size: About as big as a small house, and very thickly built.
• Strength: 9
• Speed: 3
• Rarity: 2

ABILITIES—

• Basic: Can grow crystal-like projections as a defensive or offensive measure; extremely fast tunnelers, diggers, and builders
• Breath Weapon: Can whistle at certain frequencies that can shatter stone or glass and temporarily deafen enemies
• Legendary: Ability to coax stones into growing at an extremely accelerated pace by singing, including precious gems.

Sea Drake

APPEARANCE—

SUMMARY—
Sea Drakes are born on sandy beaches, but enter the sea soon after bonding with their riders. Their legs are largely vestigial, although some drakes are more likely to be seen on land then others—it’s entirely a matter of preference.
BASIC INFO—

• Preferred Habitat: Shallow to medium-depth water.
• Size: Roughly the same dimensions as the body of a jet plane, sea drakes are long rather than large.
• Strength: 8
• Speed: 6 (10 in water)
• Rarity: 2

ABILITIES—

• Basic: Can breathe underwater; can swim fast enough to generate whirlpools
• Breath Weapon: Cone of pure heat that can boil water instantly.
• Legendary: Legendary sea drakes can raise massive waves in the ocean, or even swim to the depths of the ocean.

Whiptail

APPEARANCE—

SUMMARY—
The fastest and most agile dragons, whiptails make up for their fragility by evading attacks and using their long, nigh-boneless tails as weapons.
BASIC INFO—

• Preferred Habitat: Flat, open areas; usually found on Sandy Islet.
• Size: Ranges between horse-sized and car-sized.
• Strength: 3
• Speed: 10
• Rarity: 3

ABILITIES—

• Basic: Can dodge or outrun just about anything; tail has tiny barbs along its length that can be used as a weapon
• Breath Weapon: Blue fire; streams out in a small, focused jet. Often used for making glass caves in the sand, where they can lie and soak up the sun.
• Legendary: There are stories of whiptails that could run at supersonic speeds.

Angelwing

APPEARANCE—

SUMMARY—
Angelwing dragons are pacifists, and specialize in extremely strong healing magic—the only limit of this magic is that it can't bring back the dead. They only eat plants, and never kill living things. The healing and strengthening powers of the Angelwings are one of the core reasons that Caerel has survived as long as it has.
BASIC INFO—

• Preferred Habitat: Open fields and forest clearings.
• Size: Small house sized.
• Strength: 4
• Speed: 5
• Rarity: 4

ABILITIES—

• Basic: Healing powers that can do just about anything but fix fatal wounds; able to stave off starvation, dehydration, and exhaustion and can apply this to a few people at a time, with the duration only limited by the dragon’s focus and energy
• Breath Weapon: While not exactly a breath weapon, Angelwings can generate flashes of light off of their gold horns that can blind enemies temporarily.
• Legendary: There are stories of angelwings that have passed that final boundary and can heal fatal injuries.

Two-Headed Dragon

APPEARANCE—

SUMMARY—
Two-headed dragons have two distinct personalities—often, their riders calls each head a different name. When confronted, it is often the case that one head wants to fight, while the other wants to run, resulting in the dragon trying to go in two directions at once. Bonding with a rider somewhat calms this conflict, but on the other hand, it can be a serious strain on a rider’s mind—it takes a focused, level headed personality to be a successful two-headed rider. When both heads are on the same track, two-headed dragons are startlingly intelligent and clever.
BASIC INFO—

• Preferred Habitat: Mountain caves.
• Size: Small house sized.
• Strength: 7
• Speed: 8
• Rarity: 4

ABILITIES—

• Basic: The spines on their wings and tail can extend at will into needle-like weapons, and can even be ejected at speed; when both heads can focus on the same thing, they’re capable of tactical genius.
• Breath Weapon: Two-headed dragons have two breath weapons—one breathes fire, and the other ice.
• Legendary: As the only dragons with multiple breath weapons, there are rumors of this ability developing even further into an arsenal of different breath weapons for each head.

Ember Dragon

APPEARANCE—

SUMMARY—
Ember dragons have a great affinity for hot environments. Their dully glowing markings serve as a means of identification between individuals and brightening as a way of showing aggression. This breed is ungainly in flight, and the thick fleshy membranes of their wings hinder them further. As such, it is rare to see an ember dragon take to the air. They prefer to work with delvers to burrow deep within the earth and find magma chambers to happily submerge in, or even hunt for volcanic islands off the shores of Caerel.
BASIC INFO—

• Preferred Habitat: Magma chambers beneath the earth, volcanic lakes.
• Size: Small house sized.
• Strength: 8
• Speed: 3
• Rarity: 4

ABILITIES—

• Basic: Don’t require oxygen to survive, which enables them to reach deep pockets of magma; can withstand incredibly high temperatures without flinching
• Breath Weapon: Classic red and yellow fire.
• Legendary: There are ancient stories of ember dragons bursting completely into flame when enraged.

Frostbite Dragon

APPEARANCE—

SUMMARY—
Frostbite dragons are extremely rare on a temperate and tropical island like Caerel—they largely stick to the tip of the central mountain, the only place on the island high enough to be snowy year round. Once winter starts, they creep down from the mountains, and children on Caerel dedicate themselves to catching a glimpse of one. Although they appear cold and distant, they are actually rather mischievous and enjoy spending time dancing through blizzards. Bonded frostbite dragons are often given specially chilled caves to live in closer to the other dragons.
BASIC INFO—

• Preferred Habitat: Snowy mountaintops
• Size: About the size of an SUV.
• Strength: 7
• Speed: 8
• Rarity: 5

ABILITIES—

• Basic: Can lower the temperature around them significantly, leaving frost in their wake; can resist extremely low temperatures and enter a state of 'hibernation' if necessary
• Breath Weapon: Sheets of ice, cold as liquid nitrogen.
• Legendary: There are tapestries on Caerel that show an entire swath of ocean frozen solid by a frostbite dragon.

Starscale

APPEARANCE—

SUMMARY—
Starscale dragons are mostly nocturnal creatures. With the best eyesight to be found, they are often seen staring into outer space. Each dragon tends to observe a particular nebula and will eventually change their colors and patterns to match it—it is said that the markings on no two starscales are exactly the same. They also have a particular affinity with darkness in general, but they’re no shadowy villains—they’re particularly inquisitive and love to learn new things. In fact, starscales are the only dragons known to read—star maps, especially.
BASIC INFO—

• Preferred Habitat: Open plateaus where they can see the stars.
• Size: About the size of an SUV.
• Strength: 7
• Speed: 8
• Rarity: 3

ABILITIES—

• Basic: Telescopic vision that can see miles and miles even on a cloudy day; eidetic memories that can recall just about anything they’ve ever seen.
• Breath Weapon: A gas that can blind, deafen, and mute someone for hours if the dragon doesn’t will it away.
• Legendary: Some starscale dragons are rumored to be able to blend entirely with the shadows, even travel among them.

fill this out to apply for a new dragon breed if you don’t see one you like—if i approve it, it’ll go on the list!
[hider={Custom Breed Name}][b]APPEARANCE—[/b]
{Pictures, please, which you can supplement with some written information, though if you really want to you can combine pictures (i.e. this wing with this body).}
[b]SUMMARY—[/b]
[i]{Describe the breed in a few sentences.}
[/i]
[b]BASIC INFO—[/b]
[list][*]Preferred Habitat: {Do they like sandy beaches? Shallow water? The tops of mountains? A volcanic lake? Deep underground?}
[*]Size: {Don’t worry about being exact. Size of a dog? A car? A house? Is one gender bigger than the other? Is size based on age?}
[*]Strength: {On a one to ten scale! Bigger tends to be stronger—there’s no way a cat-sized dragon could take on an RV-sized one by itself.}
[*]Speed: {Again, a one to ten scale. Remember, bigger tends to be slower, so think about the balance between size, strength, and speed.}
[*]Rarity: {One to five scale. 1 = common; you see them around a LOT. 2 = a little less common. 3 = maybe 50 in total on the island. 4 = rare; a few dozen flying around. 5 = less than five left on Caerel. Rarity can be because of long lifespans/slow breeding, a lack of habitat, difficulty of bonding, or some other mysterious reason.}[/list]
[b]ABILITIES—[/b]
[list][*]Basic: {Maximum of three, [i]including[/i] the breath weapon: so you can either have three abilities, or two + breath weapon. Basic abilities are inherent to the species, such as ‘can breathe underwater,’ ‘can fly higher than most dragons’, or ‘can withstand extremely high temperatures.’}
[*]Breath Weapon: {Ice? Acid? Blinding light? Classic fire? Technically optional, see above.}
[*][color=gray]Legendary: {Only pick one. This is the ultimate ability of the breed, only accessible by veteran partners with incredibly close bonds that work tirelessly to harness it. Make it spectacular, but not world-endingly spectacular, and keep in mind [b]you are not guaranteed to see it in the RP![/b]}[/color][/list]
[/hider]

Dragonriders of Caerel (dragons! exploration! teambuilding!)

@Archmage MC good question, i'll try and answer as best i can!

the various powers are inherent to the dragons (i'm working on a list of premade breeds and their abilities as we type, actually!). the riders do not gain these powers, but they can direct their bonded dragons telepathically on when to use them. that's not to say the dragons are slaves to their riders' will—they retain their autonomy, it's just that they're devoted to their partners (and vice versa) and tend to listen to what they say. non-bonded humans can order/ask a dragon to do something, but in that case, the dragon is much less likely to respond.

in some cases, a dragon can temporarily extend a power to their rider, but this takes focus, energy, and trust—for instance, a sea dragon can temporarily give their rider the power to breathe underwater, as long as the dragon isn't too badly injured or unconscious. however, this does not work for the majority of offensive powers—i.e., a thunder dragonrider isn't going to suddenly gain the ability to shoot lightning from their hands. (i'll pseudoexplain this by saying human physiology can't sustain the Overwhelming Power of dragon abilities for long.) over time, though, you can start to see the effects of long-term partnership; while that rider can't shoot lightning, they might give a static shock to anyone who touches them, or maybe they always know when a storm is coming.

tl;dr: dragonriders stay human, except in a few special, temporary cases, but their dragon will do things for them using their powers. hope that helped!

Dragonriders of Caerel (dragons! exploration! teambuilding!)

excellent! ill get a sample character sheet up later in the day (and cleverly bump this topic as well [supervillain cackling]) so you guys can get going while we wait for more people :D

Dragonriders of Caerel (dragons! exploration! teambuilding!)

we still need new players at the ooc!

These days, no one leaves the island.

Oh, it used to happen, in ages past—you can still find the ruined, rotting remains of the docks on the southern coasts, the northern beaches; hear the elders tell stories of the galleons and schooners pulling into port. There was even a breed of couriers—sleek little beasts, with brightly colored feathers and plumed tails, oversized wings to catch the thermals. But these days...these days, the ports are gone. The couriers don’t fly. The Isle of Caerel hasn’t seen the outside world in nearly a hundred years.

And, apparently, it’s killing us.

There was no reason for the rain to fail. Caerel has been self-sustaining since the Flood, hundreds of years ago, even if we don’t have the silkworms of Qiandr or the mounts of Kullath—our farms are good and our people are better; the climate is temperate, the sea winds have always been kind to us; the rainy season is steady and predictable as clockwork. Plus, we have the one thing no other island has.

But five years ago, the spring rains were late. There were mutters, of course, but plenty of the farmers joked about Mother Nature finally hitting a hiccup. The jokes stopped last year, when finally, the storms didn’t come at all. We haven’t had a good thunderstorm in months—the farms are turning brown, and even the trees are brittle and dry. This has never happened before, not that anyone can remember, and we don’t know what to do—so we’re going to try something no one can remember doing.

We’re using the one resource no one else has, and we’re sending our dragonriders to get help

alrighty! there’s our intro! here’s a tl;dr list of where i plan to go with this rp:

• Caerel is an island—one of many! this particular fantasy world is entirely made up of archipelagos, but these days, only a few other islands are known, and the maps that still exist are extremely limited.
• it is also the only island that has dragons! (probably. as far as we know. MOVING ON) also, dragons without riders are extremely rare, so we get to play kickass dragonriders!
• something is wrong with Caerel! the climate is going all wonky! for an isolated island nation, this is, understandably, pretty diastrous!
• to try and find out wtf is going on and possibly get help, a team of dragonriders is being sent out to one of the known islands, and then beyond!
• you can be any age (within reason...no geriatrics or children please), come up with any reason why you might be sent away from the island as a last resort in a time of crisis, decide whether or not you were even born on Caerel, choose your breed of dragon—the character sheet is going to be pretty freeform!
• we'll start off with the characters being informed of their assignment to The Mission, then about a week of time on Caerel so everyone can get acquainted, and then we'll be off for some exploratory fun!
• exclamation points!

and here’s some worldbuilding!

Maps of Caerel

(i'll be adding some markers/regions to this map once we get going. but here, have it in threEEEE DEEEEEEEEEEE)

(if you really want to see it in all its glory, go to this site and put 83878-2 in the box!)

On Dragons

if you’ve ever read one of the pern books, that’s what i’m modeling the dragons after—with a few modifications.

• dragons are born in large clutches of eggs. each egg is attended by a handful of potential riders when they hatch, and the new baby dragon chooses who is most suitable to their personality and bonds with them permanently.
• this bond is empathetic—you can do pretty much everything with your dragon EXCEPT read their minds. you feel echoes of their emotions, can communicate on a basic level, and some legendary partners have even been able to use each other's senses in battle.
• dragons mature to flying/riding size in five years—on caerel, during those five years, young riders and dragons are trained so they don’t hurt themselves or others and so they can be the best riders they can be. riders cannot be under age 13 when they first bond with a dragon, nor over age 30!
• there are many different breeds of dragons—regal metallic dragons, bred to impress; sea breeds that can morph colors to blend in with the coral reefs; massive earthmovers that burrow huge caverns and can find ore seams without fail; sleek highflyers made specifically for insane aerial maneuvers. i will provide a list of pre-made breeds at the beginning of the rp, but feel free to make suggestions!
• dragons eat a LOT. half of the livestock on caerel is dedicated to feeding them. most farmers who supply the dragons are very proud of their jobs!
• there are females in every breed, but some are rarer than others—for instance, female bronzes—and dragons tend to bond with the same gender of rider, although there are exceptions. dragon breeding is carefully managed so the island isn’t overrun by well-meaning but ravenous hatchlings.

Other Islands

• Qiandr - think: feudal japan. an archipelago within the archipelago, a set of smaller islands that specializes in luxury goods. the qiandri people regard caerel as an island of simpletons, mostly, but they respect dragonriders.
• Kullath - think: northern africa during the empire days. a large island, mostly flat, that specializes in livestock, especially horses, which few other islands have. kullath is...understandably wary of an island full of livestock eating megabeasts, but they used to regularly pay for the services of dragonriders as guards on cargo ships.
• Kendrigan - think: ancient celts. used to have a good relationship with caerel—were especially envious of the dragons, regarding them as amazing and fantastic creatures. traded lots of warm textiles back and forth! DRESS THE WHOLE WORLD IN KILTS!

there are more to come—and feel free to make suggestions!

alright, so that’s that—what do you guys think? in the mood for dragonriders exploring the world? cause i sure am!

Mirror, Fox, Key

TEAM CARROT

Lily raised an eyebrow when Spook revealed the drawing of their quarry with a flourish. Cat dragons. Of course, it had to be cat dragons. She leaned forward, tilting the pencil sketch up to the light with one finger, and was about to ask exactly how they were supposed to go about catching the little beasties when a little hand fastened around hers again.

She sighed as Amelia dragged her away, regaining her usual graceful stride after an initial surprised stumble. "Amelia," she said patiently, glancing up to the stairs winding away to the top of the hill. "You're going to need—"

Lily blinked as Theodore appeared, then smiled as she spotted what was in his hand. "A cage," she finished, gently tugging the young girl to a stop. "There—Mr Taylor's kindly brought you a new one. Good luck, sweet."

As the girl retrieved her new cage, Lily took her own path up the crumbling stairs. She wasn't wearing her usual fair—there was much less skin on display, for one, and for another, she was wearing an old pair of her sister's boots, tightly bound above her knees so they'd stay up. For a split second, she missed the heeled sandals she'd thrown into her bag—at least they were familiar. Also horribly impractical, though at least she didnt have to wear three layers of socks to get them to fit.

Her musings were interrupted as she reached the top, and she planted her hands on her hips as she surveyed the ruins. Dumpy little statues that were nonetheless creepy as anything; an impression not helped by the eerie music the wind played across them; and a host of felidrakes, dozing or grooming themselves in the sun. Of course, most of them vanished with a slight poof when they spotted her, and the ones that remained were just far enough out of reach that they'd have plenty of time to bolt if she went after them.

So Lily simply gave a deep, put-upon sigh, and picked the best, sunniest, most comfortable spot for herself.

She had some experience with cats and none with dragons, but she figured that this spot—where it was sunny but not blindingly bright and there was a moss-covered statue at her back—must be fairly desirable. These weren't felidrakes in the middle of hunting or looking for water, either—these ones were sleepy and lazy. The best way to approach a cat. Lily sat down cross-legged, making sure that the iron cage she'd brought with her was well out of sight. She dug in her sack for a moment, pulling out a small burlap bag of travel rations. A piece of her favorite jerky was laid in front of her, another in her open hand resting on her knee, and then the bag was stuffed back deep in her sack. She leaned her head back against the (admittedly still creepy) statue, closed her eyes, and waited.

Long minutes passed where the only sounds were the quiet pops of felidrakes, reclaiming their spots on top of statues. Once, one appeared so close she could feel her hair move with the momentary breeze of movement, but still she held her stock-still posture. If nothing else, she thought, at least she was getting some sun.

Finally, though, she hit pay dirt. Lily didn't dare to even crack open an eye as there was a pop followed by a snuffling sound, then the unmistakable sound of chewing. Then, ever so gently, she felt a small paw on her leg—it withdrew quickly, but then returned, as if testing if she was really as lifeless as she appeared. Lily fought down the smile as something small, curiously heavy, and fluffy crawled into her lap. Her fingers twitched as a rough tongue and tiny teeth pricked at the piece of jerky left in her hand, but the felidrake didn't seem to mind. Only then did she dare to open her eyes and grin down at the tiny creature, and a good thing to—if she'd been completely unsuspecting when the drake suddenly jumped up to curl across her shoulders, nosing its way under her hair, she would've done more than just twitch. As it was, she was proud of her reaction to this thing suddenly deciding it wanted a higher vantage point.

Hesitantly, Lily raised a hand to touch the tail, with its strange mixture of fur and dull spines. The tail jerked away under her fingers, but the felidrake continued to munch contentedly; when it was finished, it burped, then curled its tail loosely around her neck, settled its chin on its paws, and apparently dropped off to sleep. She stayed perfectly still, but couldn't help smiling.

Maybe she wouldn't need a cage after all.

@Bornlucky @Irisity

Mirror, Fox, Key

@Mokley: here, have terrifyingly well-adapted smallish predators to catch!
everyone: I WANT TEN

(same though)

Mirror, Fox, Key

TEAM CARROT

Before today, Lily had been quite proud of her worldliness. Some people from the poorer side of town had never been outside their neck of the woods, whereas her clientele had her traipsing all over the city. She'd seen the ruthlessly trimmed hedge mazes of the Marquis, the place where the river turned from brownish-grey swill to clear blue water, the jewel-bright bazaar at the end of Market Street. One client in particular had her picked up in a carriage that ran the scenic route every time they wanted to see her. It almost made up for the utter lack of personal hygiene.

But for all her travels across the city, there was always the Wall. She wasn't Meryn—she could climb just fine, but her limit was a story or two off the ground, and that wasn't near high enough to see over the battlements. Her father had told tales of his late wife, of wide open fields, bordered only by trees; a lake big enough to span most of the world—but she'd never seen them.

It made her feel...smaller.

Lily's introspection was ended by Amelia's hand slipping out of hers, the young girl running ahead to talk to their leader. She watched her go with a smile, before she followed the line of Spook's pointing finger to the strange tree standing just next to the road. The redhead frowned, speeding up slightly to reach the tree without being left behind just as Meryn darted away.

"Don't suppose this particular symbol means anything in the common tongue?" she called after Spook's retreating back, but her eyes were on the letter, tracing the delicate curve with her fingers. A slight frown still furrowing her brow, she let her hand slip from the bark after a moment of hesitation, regaining her place within the slow-moving group. She didn't know how, but—she was sure she'd seen this image before.

@Mokley

Mirror, Fox, Key

waking up to find your cat dropping a massive turd on your desk while staring you right in the eye. ah, the joys of pet ownership.

ANYWAY i am definitely fully awake now and ill be getting a post up soon :D