WriterRaven

Dragons of Caerel [accepting!]

@hoppiholla391: Good grief, Anara's colder than Neva. =/

Dragons of Caerel [accepting!]

"If no one has any last words...let's get in the air. Caerel doesn't have time to waste."

"I would quickly like to apologise that I did not attend the meeting, Sergeant Keltor," Caitra stated, looking to Anara as she spoke. "I must have missed the message; it is a rare occurrence. Thankfully, Archivist Ohmali informed me of where I should be to find you, so if I have your permission to join up at the last minute, there is no harm done."

Looking to the rest of the group that had assembled, she realised she didn't actually know any of them. "Ah. I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Caitra Sayl, of Shearpoint, and this is Neva." Neva looked up as the dragonrider spoke, a thin mist escaping her nostrils. Caitra felt the temperature shift slightly; she knew her dragon friend preferred colder climates. Hopefully flying just above the water's surface - probably about ten feet - would be enough to keep her cool.

Dragons of Caerel [accepting!]

All right, my introductory post is up. Let me know if anything's off.

Dragons of Caerel [accepting!]

"Caitra?"

A quiet voice seemed to ring out in the Draketooth archives. The simultaneous tap on Caitra Sayl's shoulder startled her more than the use of her name. She jumped in her seat and looked up to find one of the elder archivists standing at her desk. She hurriedly got to her feet and sketched a quick bow in his direction.

"Archivist Ohmali. I'm sorry, you startled me. What can I do for you?"

"I think it is more what I can do for you, young one. You've been searching the archives for information on the drought for so long now. I happened to overhear a little something you may be interested in."

"I would be happy to learn of anything you may have found." Perhaps the archivists had turned something up in their own records, or a detail Caitra had missed.

"Anara Keltor is assembling a team to travel outside of Caerel." Caitra raised her eyebrows at this. "I know, it's an unusual approach. Dragonriders haven't left Caerel in a very long time. But perhaps unusual is what we need right now."

Caitra cut to the chase. "Where is she now, sir? I would request that I join her."

The archivist just smiled. "I thought you might. I only heard part of the conversation as I passed by, but there was a mention of 'the northernmost tip of Ambrell Ridge.' If you wish to meet Anara, you had best start there."

"Thank you, sir. Neva and I will go as soon as I am ready and able."

---

Ambrell Ridge... there was a region Caitra and Neva had only visited once in their three years of travel. Thankfully, the latter had gone hunting not an hour earlier, so she was content to fly. Caitra had packed only a couple of bags: one on her back for personal items, and two attached to Neva's harness, devoted primarily to water and non-perishable food.

Taking her staff in both hands, Caitra vaulted up to stand on Neva's back with practiced ease. And no sooner had she found her footing than Neva took off, flying northeast to the location Archivist Ohmali had described. Caitra hadn't found Sergeant Keltor in the short time she had given herself to prepare, so she was already planning out what she would say as her request to join the team she had put together.

"Travelling outside of Caerel... and with a purpose. That's what we needed. A goal to work towards." The commentary was aimed less at Neva and more at herself. The archives hadn't turned anything up, but Ohmali's suggestion may have given Caitra the starting point she needed. So she leaned forward in her pose a little, staff tucked behind the small of her back, and lightly prodded Neva to pick up the pace. The frostbite sped forward in the sky, carrying them both into the unknown.

Dragons of Caerel [accepting!]

Caitra Sayl

Caitra Sayl

Rider of Neva

Age: 29
Bonded for 16 years.

Gender: Female

Appearance: Caitra is Caerelian with some Qiandri traits: she stands at five feet eight inches, with pale skin and dark brown eyes. Her black hair is always tied back in a medium-length ponytail. She is of a medium build, though most of her physique is given over to the strength and fitness of a dragonrider.

Caitra can usually be found wearing plain leather armour - lightweight but still quite tough - plus a set of gloves and boots with metal plating fitted into them for additional protection. The back of her chestpiece has a set of catches sewn in place, to hold her staff when she is not wielding it. She has also packed several sets of civilian clothing, for wear when combat situations or extended dragonriding are unlikely. Whether in armour or not, she wears a small silver pendant on a necklace; a family heirloom given to her when she first became a dragonrider.

Personality: Caitra is a calm and collected individual who is very slow to anger. She knows that if she cannot master a task quickly, it will come in time. To that end, she is methodical; she prefers to gather information before making decisions. Some might say she's a slow thinker as a result of this, but she disproves that notion in both combat and conversation. Caitra has great respect for dragonriders in positions of authority, and will often look for their approval of, or input on, a decision she makes in their presence.

Despite its awkwardness in some situations, Caitra takes a particularly formal approach to conversations and meeting people, instilled in her by her parents. She does, however, lighten up when talking to Neva.

Skills and Talents:

• Staff Combat - Caitra has trained in the use of a quarterstaff as her primary weapon. Fighting from the back of a dragon has led to the choice of a weapon that is practical, multipurpose, and has a long reach.
• Frost Affinity - Spending most of her time in or near chilled caverns, and being bonded to Neva for several years, has resulted in Caitra attuning to Neva's icy breath. She does not suffer from exposure to cold temperatures to a certain degree, including the breath of frostbite dragons - though given the intensity of a frostbite's breath, she can only withstand it for a few seconds.
• Adept Dragonrider - Caitra keeps in shape through her training with Neva, and has done so for the better part of two decades.
• Steadfast Footing - Caitra has trained to resist the impact of blows that would otherwise break her footing, and it is difficult to make her flinch in battle. In addition, as long as Neva remains a stable platform beneath her, Caitra can stand on her back with ease (and prefers to do so rather than sit, even in battle).

Flaws and Weaknesses:

• High Expectations - In the interest of ensuring she maintains a reputation as a skilled dragonrider, Caitra can often be very tough on herself if her actions do not meet her personal standards.
• Formal - As mentioned above, Caitra tends to treat most people with a formal disposition. This often results in her seeming rather distant in conversations. Neva is, of course, the one exception to this.
• Limited Acrobatics - In flight, Caitra's preference for standing atop Neva means that the pair cannot perform certain acrobatic maneuvers, such as a loop or roll, unless Caitra quickly finds a handhold.

History:
The oldest child of a Caerelian and a Qiandri, Caitra was raised on the southern side of the mountain Shearpoint. Her childhood was spent with her two younger brothers: tending the family farm, adventuring across rocky cliffsides, getting caught in the occasional snowdrift, and learning the ways of the warrior and protector - for her father, having travelled from Qiandr to Caerel in pursuit of the study of dragons and dragonriders, desired nothing less than for one of his children to join the ranks of these great heroes, and so he instructed all three of the young Sayls in combat training.

Then came the winter of her thirteenth birthday, and she was one of the lucky handful to make the journey to approach a frostbite den. Imagine her surprise when the eggs began to crack open, revealing silver-blue dragon hatchlings. No sooner had one of these new arrivals stretched her limbs and taken her first steps than she looked directly to Caitra, paced forward, and lightly trod on her boot as if to say hello.

So began the life of a dragonrider: Caitra was shuttled off to Draketooth with her new friend, Neva, for training and study. She quickly took to her new profession; her father's lessons were not for nothing. Over the years she learned much of dragonkind, as most dragonriders do, but the combat training was where she felt most at home. With the freedom to choose whichever weapon skills she wished to learn, Caitra chose the quarterstaff. A useful weapon in battle, where she had the reach to outmatch a swordsman both on the ground and in the air; and a multipurpose tool outside of it, where she could test ground before trusting it with her weight and give Neva a better chance to catch her if she fell, among other things. Shoving doors closed from across the room without having to get up from her chair was a nice bonus.

Caitra and Neva spent eight years training in Draketooth before venturing out to pursue an independent career. The pair roamed across the island for a year and a half, seeking out ways to help the citizens as best they could, training with older dragonriders who sought sparring partners, and learning more of Caerel. But Caitra soon found that wandering without a clear and defined purpose was not to her liking, and so she suggested that they return to Draketooth. Perhaps they would be drawn to some purpose there.

When the drought set in, Caitra's first port of call was the records kept in Draketooth's archives. She scoured them for any mention of similar natural events, and found nothing of note. Perhaps most Caerelians had taken the weather, predictable as ever, for granted, and so there was nothing to report on it, no specialists who could explain it. She flew to Shearpoint, her home, to find the farms worn out and broken, the snowfall small in scale. The frostbites at the summit, Neva's kindred, were likely suffering even at their altitude. Concerned that there was no way to tell what had caused the issue - nor how to fix it - Caitra and Neva spent the following years searching for more information on the drought and other natural disasters.

Additional Notes:

• Caitra's staff is a simple weapon with no need for ornamentation; a six-foot length of treated hardwood, with a metal cap fitted into place at each end.
• She has inherited a touch of her father's Qiandri accent, and speaks fluent Qian in addition to the universal trade tongue.

Neva

Name: Neva

Gender: Female

Breed: Frostbite

Appearance: Neva is your average frostbite dragon; she has no unusual markings or physical differences.

Personality:

• Slow to Anger - Much like Caitra, it takes a lot of (non-jovial) prodding - or a series of particularly barbed insults - to rouse Neva to anger. This shared trait of being able to shrug off the smaller things was the driving factor in the formation of their bond.
• Restless - Neva likes to stay on the move whether she's in battle or not. Often just flying in circles or pacing back and forth will satisfy her.
• Practical Joker - In moments of downtime, Neva tends to play jokes on Caitra, whether hitting her with a short blast of ice-cold dragon breath, tripping her with her tail, or poking her nose in where it doesn't belong. In company, it's mostly the latter. She knows better than to do something like this in serious situations, however.

Dragons of Caerel [accepting!]

Always happy to contribute to gender diversity. I'll see about moving Caitra over to the Characters tab and figuring out a way to get her in on the details. I'm thinking she overheard someone talking about it, and jumped at the chance to join up at the last minute.

Dragons of Caerel [accepting!]

Caitra Sayl

Caitra Sayl

Rider of Neva

Age: 29
Bonded for 16 years.

Gender: Female

Appearance: Caitra is Caerelian with some Qiandri traits: she stands at five feet eight inches, with pale skin and dark brown eyes. Her black hair is always tied back in a medium-length ponytail. She is of a medium build, though most of her physique is given over to the strength and fitness of a dragonrider.

Caitra can usually be found wearing plain leather armour - lightweight but still quite tough - plus a set of gloves and boots with metal plating fitted into them for additional protection. The back of her chestpiece has a set of catches sewn in place, to hold her staff when she is not wielding it. She has also packed several sets of civilian clothing, for wear when combat situations or extended dragonriding are unlikely. Whether in armour or not, she wears a small silver pendant on a necklace; a family heirloom given to her when she first became a dragonrider.

Personality: Caitra is a calm and collected individual who is very slow to anger. She knows that if she cannot master a task quickly, it will come in time. To that end, she is methodical; she prefers to gather information before making decisions. Some might say she's a slow thinker as a result of this, but she disproves that notion in both combat and conversation. Caitra has great respect for dragonriders in positions of authority, and will often look for their approval of, or input on, a decision she makes in their presence.

Despite its awkwardness in some situations, Caitra takes a particularly formal approach to conversations and meeting people, instilled in her by her parents. She does, however, lighten up when talking to Neva.

Skills and Talents:

• Staff Combat - Caitra has trained in the use of a quarterstaff as her primary weapon. Fighting from the back of a dragon has led to the choice of a weapon that is practical, multipurpose, and has a long reach.
• Frost Affinity - Spending most of her time in or near chilled caverns, and being bonded to Neva for several years, has resulted in Caitra attuning to Neva's icy breath. She does not suffer from exposure to cold temperatures to a certain degree, including the breath of frostbite dragons - though given the intensity of a frostbite's breath, she can only withstand it for a few seconds.
• Adept Dragonrider - Caitra keeps in shape through her training with Neva, and has done so for the better part of two decades.
• Steadfast Footing - Caitra has trained to resist the impact of blows that would otherwise break her footing, and it is difficult to make her flinch in battle. In addition, as long as Neva remains a stable platform beneath her, Caitra can stand on her back with ease (and prefers to do so rather than sit, even in battle).

Flaws and Weaknesses:

• High Expectations - In the interest of ensuring she maintains a reputation as a skilled dragonrider, Caitra can often be very tough on herself if her actions do not meet her personal standards.
• Formal - As mentioned above, Caitra tends to treat most people with a formal disposition. This often results in her seeming rather distant in conversations. Neva is, of course, the one exception to this.
• Limited Acrobatics - In flight, Caitra's preference for standing atop Neva means that the pair cannot perform certain acrobatic maneuvers, such as a loop or roll, unless Caitra quickly finds a handhold.

History:
The oldest child of a Caerelian and a Qiandri, Caitra was raised on the southern side of the mountain Shearpoint. Her childhood was spent with her two younger brothers: tending the family farm, adventuring across rocky cliffsides, getting caught in the occasional snowdrift, and learning the ways of the warrior and protector - for her father, having travelled from Qiandr to Caerel in pursuit of the study of dragons and dragonriders, desired nothing less than for one of his children to join the ranks of these great heroes, and so he instructed all three of the young Sayls in combat training.

Then came the winter of her thirteenth birthday, and she was one of the lucky handful to make the journey to approach a frostbite den. Imagine her surprise when the eggs began to crack open, revealing silver-blue dragon hatchlings. No sooner had one of these new arrivals stretched her limbs and taken her first steps than she looked directly to Caitra, paced forward, and lightly trod on her boot as if to say hello.

So began the life of a dragonrider: Caitra was shuttled off to Draketooth with her new friend, Neva, for training and study. She quickly took to her new profession; her father's lessons were not for nothing. Over the years she learned much of dragonkind, as most dragonriders do, but the combat training was where she felt most at home. With the freedom to choose whichever weapon skills she wished to learn, Caitra chose the quarterstaff. A useful weapon in battle, where she had the reach to outmatch a swordsman both on the ground and in the air; and a multipurpose tool outside of it, where she could test ground before trusting it with her weight and give Neva a better chance to catch her if she fell, among other things. Shoving doors closed from across the room without having to get up from her chair was a nice bonus.

Caitra and Neva spent eight years training in Draketooth before venturing out to pursue an independent career. The pair roamed across the island for a year and a half, seeking out ways to help the citizens as best they could, training with older dragonriders who sought sparring partners, and learning more of Caerel. But Caitra soon found that wandering without a clear and defined purpose was not to her liking, and so she suggested that they return to Draketooth. Perhaps they would be drawn to some purpose there.

When the drought set in, Caitra's first port of call was the records kept in Draketooth's archives. She scoured them for any mention of similar natural events, and found nothing of note. Perhaps most Caerelians had taken the weather, predictable as ever, for granted, and so there was nothing to report on it, no specialists who could explain it. She flew to Shearpoint, her home, to find the farms worn out and broken, the snowfall small in scale. The frostbites at the summit, Neva's kindred, were likely suffering even at their altitude. Concerned that there was no way to tell what had caused the issue - nor how to fix it - Caitra and Neva spent the following years searching for more information on the drought and other natural disasters.

Additional Notes:

• Caitra's staff is a simple weapon with no need for ornamentation; a six-foot length of treated hardwood, with a metal cap fitted into place at each end.
• She has inherited a touch of her father's Qiandri accent, and speaks fluent Qian in addition to the universal trade tongue.

Neva

Name: Neva

Gender: Female

Breed: Frostbite

Appearance: Neva is your average frostbite dragon; she has no unusual markings or physical differences.

Personality:

• Slow to Anger - Much like Caitra, it takes a lot of (non-jovial) prodding - or a series of particularly barbed insults - to rouse Neva to anger. This shared trait of being able to shrug off the smaller things was the driving factor in the formation of their bond.
• Restless - Neva likes to stay on the move whether she's in battle or not. Often just flying in circles or pacing back and forth will satisfy her.
• Practical Joker - In moments of downtime, Neva tends to play jokes on Caitra, whether hitting her with a short blast of ice-cold dragon breath, tripping her with her tail, or poking her nose in where it doesn't belong. In company, it's mostly the latter. She knows better than to do something like this in serious situations, however.

Dragons of Caerel [accepting!]

So just a heads-up: I've pretty much finished writing a character. Just facing the usual uncertainty of joining a new thread.

On a side note, are there any languages specific to certain islands, or does everyone speak a universal language?

Dragons of Caerel [accepting!]

I'm considering writing up a character for this, if it's not too late. (Based on taking a quick glance over the IC posts, it looks like I might still be able to join the group before everyone heads out.)

Edit: Although one small note: I would prefer to detail the appearances of the human and the dragon by writing a detailed description, rather than using artwork.

Second Edit: I have a question about dragonrider combat, since they're described as protectors. Do dragonriders fight from the backs of their dragons (depending on the dragon's size, of course) or do they dismount to engage opponents? The answer may affect my character's choice of weapons and armour.

Elementals: The Scarred World (Semi-Open)

"Run all you want, I'll hunt you down," Ling muttered to herself, running to keep up as the renegade with the goods dashed away. She rounded the same corner he had taken to find him about to dash round another. If the Nightshade planned to use the dark corners of the alley to hide from her, he had another thing coming. She knew the tricks that her fellow Nightshades used to hide in the dark. If he tried to disappear, she would notice the signs. Probably. So she persisted, pushing herself to keep up with the sprinter.

Ling didn't have to worry too much about her fitness: as long as she could still fire a bolt at the end of the chase, she was fine. And if need be, she could knock back some of the Restorative on her belt to ease the drain on her stamina and keep up the pressure. She rounded another corner and fired Kei - a second too late to catch the Nightshade in the back of the leg. The bolt hit the ground harmlessly as he sped away. But still she pressed on, reloading as she ran. She'd landed one hit already; she would do it again.