hoppiholla391 — Roleplayer Guild

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.

Pʀᴇᴍɪsᴇ

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. We are that team!

Wᴏʀʟᴅ Iɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ


Caerel is about the size of Texas.
Pᴏɪɴᴛs ᴏғ Iɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛ:
1. Shearpoint: Tallest mountain on Caerel. Frostbite dragons congregate at the top. Its slopes are home to rich farms.
2. Ilinalta Bay: Main fishing bay of Caerel. Was once home to the south port.
3. Sandy Point: Village used to thrive on trade goods—now the main fishing point on Caerel.
4. Mount Dagna: Home peninsula is known as Westridge. The marsh between Westridge and the heart of the island is a swampy area favored by black knights.
5. Draketooth Mountain: Slightly shorter than Shearpoint. Main home for dragonriders and the council.
6. Palisades Cove: Small cove bordered by cliffs. Many civilians make their homes in delver-carved caves here. Also borders flitwit's favorite jungle stretch along the eastern coast.
7. Ambrell Ridge: Driest part of Caerel, favored by whiptails. Mostly sandy and rocky buttes.
8. Clover Bay: Pair of small inlets, referred to as North Clover and South Clover; popular vacation spot for southern islanders.
9. Saharisle: Sandy and rocky isle with limited vegetation. Often used for training exercises, as only a handful of people make their living on the southern tip.
10. Tyndall Point: Low-lying mostly flat point on the north side of Fathom Bay. Many sea drake riders have small secondary homes here. 
11. Fathom Bay: Shallower and wider than Ilinalta Bay, and a favorite spot of sea drakes.
12. Lowlands: Vast agricultural area more fertile than the other stretches dotted across Caerel.
Towards the west is the Sapphire Sea; to the east is the Garellan Sea.

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—you can find them in a list below to choose from. You can also suggest your own breed with the template below, but try to keep it balanced!
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 sea drakes—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.
Dragons and riders do not share powers except in special cases, and never combative powers. For instance, a sea drake can temporarily provide their rider with waterbreathing, but this takes energy and focus—it's a risky move in a combat situation, when the dragon might find themselves suddenly distracted.
Riders that have been bonded for a long time (10+ years) might find themselves becoming more like their dragon—for instance, a thunder rider might constantly give off small static shocks, or a starscale rider might have exceptional knowledge of the heavens.

Here's the list of dragon breeds:
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: About as large as your average house.
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.

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.

(NO MORE THUNDER RIDERS PLEASE!)
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.

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.

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.

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. They love to race and will encourage their riders into daring stunts, such as leaping off a cliff to get the perfect glide.
BASIC INFO—
Preferred Habitat: Flat, open areas; usually found on Ambrell Ridge.
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

APPEARANCE—

No spikes, no horns, dull claws, White color.

That sort of rounded head, but white with black/orange eyes and blue 'fronds'. Also not as baby looking for obv reasons.

SUMMARY—
Regeneration bruiser.
BASIC INFO—
Preferred Habitat: Water/coast
Size: A slight bit bigger than a stretch limo.
Strength: 9
Speed: 6
Rarity: 4

ABILITIES—
Basic: Amphibious
Extreme levels of Regeneration
Armored Scales
Breath Weapon: None
Legendary: Ultimate Regeneration

APPEARANCE—

Imagine this one with fewer spikes and only two eyes for the concept of hand/wings and bladed tails.


With the looks of this one, but about the size of a small house and less fire veins.

 SUMMARY—
Demon Dragons are a mysterious breed as there are not that many of them left in the world. More of legends than fact stories tell of their speed and power being rather surprising for their size. However despite their supposed power something caused this breed to all but vanish off the face of the Caerel.
BASIC INFO—
Preferred Habitat: Unknown
Size: About the size of a small house, any other details are lost to time.
Strength: 6
Speed: 10
Rarity: 5

ABILITIES—
Basic: Hands on the joints of each set of wings allow a Demon Dragon to effectively have two sets of arms or incredible control while flying at high speeds (Wings can be switched from hands to wings on the fly and in different sets, so one can fly and one can grab or both can grab or fly for increased effectiveness), a bladed tail that can be used as a weapon.
Breath Weapon: Black Fire – Can unleash torrents of shadow fire that scorch and burn.
Legendary: Demon Dragons have the ability so super charge themselves and their riders amplifying their size, speed, and strength to absurd levels for a few hours. This transformation however tends to come with clouded judgement leading to rampages. When the few hours are up however, the dragon and it’s rider crash leaving the pair incredibly weak for up to three days afterward.


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!
[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]

Draketooth is the central hub for dragonriders. Long ago, delver dragons carved out an elaborate cave system through the mountain, laid out in a sort of layered wheel shape from the central chamber, with countless rooms and suites leading off of five levels of spokes. Everything is scaled larger than life inside Draketooth, to fit dragons as well as humans. Apartments that have windows to the outside faces of the mountain are most desirable and most common, but for delvers and others there are a few lower levels that have inner rooms. 

Dragonriders govern themselves via a council. Each breed puts forth a number of elected councilors based on their numbers. There are 3 knight, 1 thunder, 5 flitwit, 4 delver, 4 sea drake, 3 whiptail, 2 angelwing, 2 two-headed, 2 ember, 1 frostbite, and 3 starscale councilors for an even 30 councilors total. An Admiral is elected by the councilors to break any ties—currently, Tyren Hengsgard, a frostbite rider, holds that position.

Caerel's general government is a little different than the dragonrider's. The hereditary title of Lord/Lady belongs to whoever is in charge of each fief, and there are about fifty fiefs of varying size across Caerel. The Lords loosely convene four times a year—attendance isn't mandatory but highly recommended, so some of the outlying fiefs do not make an appearance. The Lords themselves elect three Barons to settle disputes and lead meetings, and there is at least one in attendance at every meeting. However, the annual spring meeting of all Lords and all three Barons, plus the dragonrider General, is mandatory, to discuss matters most important to the future of Caerel.

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 simple people, 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 plenty more to come as we explore the area around Caerel!

silly rabbit, story progress is for rps that have an ic!

OOC Iɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ

You must APPLY with your character sheet before joining the IC. More than one rider per breed is welcome!
NO GODMODDING. You should all know what this is by now, and just how annoying it can get.
Adding plot twists can be within reason, but with major changes you MUST consult with the other parties affected first. My character will technically be leading the team, but don't hesitate to make interesting things happen.
Keep the drama IC, please, and remember that just because a character is mean to you, doesn't mean the player hates you. The reverse is also true: don't slap a bitch IC just because you dislike someone OOC.
I know that dragons aren't strictly real, persay, but try and keep things semi-realistic. No falling off a mountain and surviving. This goes back to 'no godmodding.'
I'd like to keep this high-casual, i.e. a paragraph at least per post. There are some exceptions to this, obviously, like in action sequences, but most of the time I'd like to stick to that standard.
~*~have fun and be yourself~*~

[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 list on this very post. 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]
hoppiholla391 Member

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