Fireborn: Return of the Dawn

In a forgotten age, before recorded History, mankind did not live as cavemen in ignorance and squalor, as we have been led to believe. They built great cities, civilzations, and cultures long before the rise of Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Empire of Atlantis spread across what would be Europe and mastering the arts of metallurgy and magic. In that Mythic Age, humanity was not alone in the world, and his power dwarfed in the shadow of the elusive forest-dwelling Fae and the colossal storm-and-mountain-born Titans. Many other creatures lived and fought in that time, but the greatest and most powerful of them all were the Dragons. Born out of the primordial elemental matter at the beginning of the world, no dragon could ever truly be defeated, because their spirits would always return to life in a cycle of reincarnation. There was precious little that they could not do, and they were worshipped and feared by the humans. However, a force known as the Taint arose in that time, as a result of careless and unnatural use of magic by mortal wizards. This force, the reflection of magic, corrupted some of the dragons, driving them insane and killing them off. As the Taint grew, so did the power of those wizards who used it, and eventually a dark cabal began a ritual that would doom all of the magic in the world. Somehow, something went wrong, and a hole appeared in the fabric of reality, siphoning off not only Magic, but the Taint as well! They Fae fled into their dreamlike otherworlds, and the Titans descended into slumber. The dragons, dependent on Magic to survive, died out, and it was assumed that they were lost for all time. However, the wheel of reincarnation had not stopped, and each dragon's spirit was reborn as a human with no memory of their past. Until recently, that is. On the Chinese New Year of 2001, another cult, also influenced by the unholy creatures of the Taint, who managed to survive underground, found a ritual that allowed them to plug up the gaping wound into which all Magic flowed before it could settle on Earth, and Magic began to return. Strange things began to happen, and those places located on ley lines which crisscrossed the world found themselves possessed of an atmosphere that retained and allowed magic to prosper... an atmosphere that began growing progressively outward, covering more and more territory, slowly but surely. Now, newspapers have articles about vampire and werewolf sightings, people talk about how the actors of A Midsummer Night's Dream seem to become more otherworldly as the play continued, and formerly unremarkable rock formations began to resemble humanoid shapes... before they stood up and walked away! Other people, including our characters, began to have hauntingly real dreams of a life in which they reigned over a fantasy world in the distant past. Soon the dreams gave way to waking visions, and soon these people began to develop powers and remember knowledge that had been long lost. And they began to remember others like them... the grocery store clerk who gives them double takes as if he thinks they resemble old schoolmates, the waitress who immediately hurries to serve them because she feels like they're her family, the old librarian who immediately knows exactly what they're looking for without ever having met or spoken to them before. All of these people are Scions, the Fireborn, reincarnated dragons slowly regaining pieces of themselves and growing in power, and they all have "broodmates". A brood of dragons were not born together, and may not be related at all, but they share lives and destinies... and thoughts. Mentally and mystically linked, these broodmates are drawn to each other, and though they may have different powers, cultures, appearances, personalities, interests, likes, and lifestyles, they are able to share each other's thoughts, and soon become closer than any friends, family, coworkers, or lovers could ever be, even if they are enemies. We will be playing these Scions, who slowly find ourselves and grow into our power through shared flashbacks in one of the most Magic-strong cities in the world... London, England.

In Fireborn, dragons are neither gods nor monsters, but can be both oppressors and saviors. They are seen as the embodiments of primal force, created by coalescing elemental energies during the birth of all things. Perhaps, as the world formed, magic melded the four core aspects of creation—earth, air, fire, and water --- into a living creature. That creature, the first dragon, would have been a living elemental. Whatever their origins, dragons have been of and in the world since its beginning. They feel ties of kinship to it, their flesh and blood sharing a genesis with the planet around them. Dragons are only ever “born” once, and they can never truly die. In the mythic age, draconic culture viewed a dragon’s death as a new beginning as much as an end. The dragon’s ka, or spirit, was destined to return, given life in a body shaped from the elements, infused with magic, and quickened by the earth’s primal energies. This perspective was reinforced by the fact that each time a dragon returned, its form remained unchanged. That is, until the mythic age ended. The dragons’ spirits were lost, dispersed. Those that died after the mythic age died a final death, or so it seemed. Only now, as magic returns, has the truth been revealed. The dragons have been reincarnating all along, simply unable to remember their previous lives. Rather than being reborn in their old bodies, the souls of the wyrms, drakes, and serpents of old have been slumbering, waiting, in the least likely of vessels… the bodies of humankind. The heritage of the dragons is a proud and powerful one. For countless millennia, they were the unrivaled masters of the Earth, a status that has left its mark in countless mythologies around the globe. Some appointed themselves as the protectors and guiding hands of mankind since its first tentative steps on this world. Others appointed themselves as tyrannical overlords. Regardless of their role regarding humanity and the rest of the world, however, not even their knowledge and vision could ferret out every insidious enemy, nor overcome every seed of taint. With the end of the mythic age, the dragons learned failure, and soon after, oblivion. Now, at the beginning of the 21st century, the stars have aligned above London, and an unknown cabal of human magicians has repaired the rent in the world that let magic escape. The binding energy called karma has returned, and with it the consuming forces that threaten reality itself. To counter them, the dragons have awakened… this time in human form, the better to defeat the enemy that burrows within mankind. This is your war now. It is the battleground for an ancient war, and you are a soldier in it, willing or not. What sort of warrior is your character going to be? What sort of skills and talents will he bring to the fight? Will he enter combat with the bloodlust of a ferocious beast, or will he abstain from bloodshed except in the most extreme cases? Will he embrace his broodmates as long-lost brothers and sisters, or hate them as reminders of his own inhumanity? No longer outnumbered by the pawns of the enemy, and now more resistant to the corrupted form of karma called taint, you have a chance to restore a balance to the world. But first you have a few questions that need answered. Can you remember who you are in time? Do you have the wisdom to make the right choices in the face of overwhelming odds, great sacrifice, and the temptations of taint? Will you reject your true nature, or accept it, thereby gaining the power to defend your kind and all of humanity… and for that matter, do you care about saving the world to begin with? At this stage, think of your character as an average person in a far-from-average world. You know nothing of the dragons and mystic civilizations of the mythic age. You have read the stories in the papers, and odd things have happened to nearly everyone you know in London and its environs. Things are changing, to be sure, and something that seems to fit the description of “magic” has flooded the world. Most everyone you know is becoming more cautious, more unnerved, by recent events… except you. Listed below are some general topics to consider. You are Fireborn.You might not know it yet, but you’ve had the soul of a dragon since the day you came into this world. You’ve always been an exceptional individual. Maybe everything you try works out easily for you, giving you extreme confidence. Or perhaps nothing comes as easily as it should, and you’re frustrated because you seem to be able to remember, somewhere in the back of your mind, a time when the mundane and everyday problems that plague you now were as nothing. As a child, perhaps you uttered disturbing truths and wise perspectives that should not have come from one so young. As a teenager, your passions and interests may have taken you to greater heights than others, but could also have distracted you from having a normal life. Regardless of how you choose to express it in your character’s personality and past, remember that he has always been denied a normal existence. Normal humans can sense that there’s something different about scions. Eventually, many scions respond to this alienation by becoming cold, emotionless creatures to all but their closest friends. Other scions may have gained notoriety or popularity because of their skills, charisma, or passionate natures, but their fans and cronies can only get so close. Scions are not necessarily socially inept; indeed, some are supernaturally gifted in social situations. Rather than forging intimate bonds with others, however, these scions are far more likely to view people as tools to be manipulated than as friends to be cherished. The life of a Londoner. Fireborn is set in the streets of modern London, a city that is at once one of the most cosmopolitan in the world and yet layered in age, myth, and magic. The first question to ask yourself, then, is where your character came from. Is he a Londoner, born and bred? Or from elsewhere in the United Kingdom, but has migrated to the big city? If an outsider, whether a UK citizen or a foreigner, why did he come to this ancient metropolis? Undoubtedly there was an unconscious draw to this place for your character. Did he come when the rumors of magic started flying about, or was he here before that? Does he view this city as a hellish, accursed witch-haven, or as a glorious new center of mystery and power? The Dragon is in the Details. There are, of course, the more basic questions as well. A few are listed below to get you started:
Is your scion a male or a female?
What is your scion’s name?
What is his family like? Does your scion have parents? Siblings? Significant others?
What were his plans and dreams for the future, and what was the plan to make them happen?
What is your scion’s career? Does he enjoy his work, accept it, or despise it?
What does your scion do for fun? Whose company does he enjoy? What are his passions?
What does your scion hate? Or fear?

Dragon Concepts: The mythic age was a world of glittering spires, shining swords, and legendary beasts. It was a high age where magic and intellect combined to produce great works and mighty civilizations. Humans ranged across the oceans, settling new lands and discovering strange creatures. Knights clashed and wizards raked their enemies with claws of flame. Dragons and titans dwelled in far places, eyeing each other warily and watching the world move. It was a time of legend. Yet, because it is no longer, reason suggests that the mythic age came to an end. What little you know from myth and memory tells you that it was likely a violent end, and that it teetered for some time before plummeting to its doom. It is up to you, the player, to determine when and where you think that end is. Your character will be thrust into all sorts of epic and mystical flashback scenes, the purposes of which will veer between obvious and obscure. As you relearn your identity through these mythic age encounters, ask yourself where your dragon fit into the world at large. Did you foresee the end and strive to stop it? Were you oblivious and proud, never fearing for your immortal consciousness? At which time period in the mythic age did the world begin to feel dark and grim, and in which did your dragon still feel hope and curiosity? Perhaps you saw the entire mythic age as an end-time, with the plague of humanity crawling across the face of the world. Or perhaps the mythic age remained ever shining and full of potential, even unto the very end, when the unknown finality struck the dragons, but not, apparently, resilient mankind. You alone can decide how your dragon lived, felt, and fought in that ancient time of glory. To start, decide on a central concept for your dragon. What sort of
character do you want your dragon to be? Think of some adjectives that others might use to describe him. Is he passionate, menacing, brutal, noble? This central concept can be similar to your scion’s personality and characteristics, but does not have to be. Indeed, some of the greatest opportunities for change arise when a scion discovers that he was not always the being his is now.
That should be all you need as a concept for now. As you play through flashbacks, you will have help from the other players to envision the mythic age and how you want your dragon to interact with its cultures and creatures. Dragons play a huge role in this age, and you will decide how your dragon affects it. How does he feel about the human nations in general? How does he feel about specific nations? Specific people? What will he do against the great evils that will soon arise? Does he see himself as a guardian, warrior, sage, mediator, or in some other role (see OUTLOOKS, below)? Dragons are powerful and influence all those around them. Humans, titans, and other dragons take note of an individual’s actions and revere or despise him based on his choices. How will your dragon want other beings to see him? How will your dragon interact with his brood and with other dragons? As the flashbacks of the campaign unfold, you can begin giving more thought to your dragon’s background. Though some of the flashbacks you experience may be times of great change in the mythic age, dragons themselves do not change very quickly --- only humans and other mortal creatures have that
capacity. What your dragon did in the beginning of the mythic age was probably very similar to his behavior in the final battles. Each flashback, regardless of its era or location, will provide a canvas for the picture you want to paint of your dragon. That image will be further focused upon, its details highlighted, covered over, or even relived by investigating, as a human, objects and legacies your dragon self left behind. You will learn, and decide, what your dragon did over the centuries, what wars he fought, who his allies and enemies were. The more richly detailed your dragon’s background, the more influence it can have in both modern and mythic age adventures. Regardless of your background knowledge, consider the following questions: What is your dragon’s name? Dragon names are quite different than modern human names; use mythology as an inspiration (see SIRES for examples). Was your dragon male or female? These traits do not have to match your scion’s gender; indeed, a difference in gender can create interesting roleplaying opportunities. What is your dragon’s moral and ethical outlook? What principles is he willing to fight for? To kill for? To die for? What does your dragon value? What does he scorn? Has your dragon ever been part of a family when in human form? Has he ever experienced love as a human? Did he sire children? What is your dragon’s relationship to the dragons in his brood? Outside his brood? Did he have a mate? While dragons do not bear young, they still enter partnerships with other dragons that may last for millennia. Is your dragon in contact with the dragon that will become his sire in the modern age, if such a creature ever existed? If not, is your sire a past incarnation of a dragon that faded from the world, one born toward the end of the mythic age, or perhaps a symbolic figure that never existed? Could your dragon have inspired the stories behind the sire he now looks to for guidance? Or perhaps, inspired the stories of a sire whose philosophy he is now completely opposed to? While dragons have different views on life than humans, you can determine some basic emotions. For instance, what does your dragon enjoy? What is he passionate about? What does he hate? What does he fear? What are your dragon’s aspirations and goals? How does he plan to achieve them?

Outlooks
Adventurer: Thief, warrior, gladiator, or king, an adventurer is what he makes of himself. The adventurer follows no path but his own. Because the years and centuries blend together as one, there is no point but to live for each one as it comes, and forget it when it passes. To an adventurer, wealth is to be acquired through daring deeds and outrageous exploits, and is destined to be spent as dramatically and unthinkingly as it was gained. Magic is as valuable a tool as tooth and claw, and keen wits see an adventurer through scrapes just as well as a strong body.

Explorer: Explorers are always looking to the horizon, always uncovering new treasures. Every time the explorer sees the sun rise over a new horizon, she is reborn. She keeps stagnation at bay by constantly traveling and learning, and revels in the discovery of new cultures and places. Explorers may journey to steal from ancient temples and scrawl their names in blood and fire across the landscape, or may walk as ambassadors to new lands, as leaders of wandering pilgrims, or as protectors of exiled refugees.

Guardian: These duty-bound dragons protect their sacred charges with their lives. Guardians are among the most committed and determined of their kind. Once their word is given, freely and without coercion, it will not be retracted, even in the face of the end of an age or the destruction of the soul. Each guardian has a sacred site or item to which he only allows the worthy; the location and nature of that site, and his purposes for guarding it, are secrets that no power on this Earth can pry from a guardian’s jaws. Guardians that adventure in a brood have their own reasons for leaving behind their sites… some may have failed in their duties, others may be in training before taking on their charge, and some may not have abandoned their sites at all, but rather carry a sacred item with them.

Hoarder: Lust for treasure guides the hoarder’s every thought and deed. All dragons covet treasure and cherish their hoards. Hoarders make the rest look like beggars and peasants. Unlike guardians, who defend their sites out of a sense of duty, hoarders are obsessed with amassing and protecting their hoards to satisfy their own greed. The power that comes with such a focus is undeniable, but many dragons pity their hoard-hungry fellows. Whereas other dragons explore, think, battle, and love, hoarders only venture from their well-defended lairs long enough to ransack a city, steal an ancient trove, or demand a sacrifice, then return to sleep and lounge on their mountains of wealth for long, lazy centuries. Hoarders are not to be underestimated, however; their greed has sharpened their cunning minds like a whetstone, and their hoards give them an awe-inspiring source of karma.

Mediator: Mediators are self-appointed distributors of wisdom and justice. Some would say that the mediator cares the most for humankind. After all, they are the ones who keep order, dispense justice, and offer wisdom to those hapless children still taking their tentative first steps into civilization. But each mediator’s motivation is his own; some may truly care for the charges they have adopted, but many more look down upon the feeble fighting of the dirtborn, as they call them, and seek to raise them up to something greater out of a sense of responsibility, hubris, or even disgust. Their methods are as varying; some act as god-like figures, cultivating a village’s or city’s indecision and fear until the people therein cannot survive without the dragon’s guidance. Others wander, humbly taking on human form, using words and wisdom to mediate conflicts and strength of arms or an indomitable will to enforce their judgments.

Mystic: The mystic taps into the essence of karma and magic. Even the least magically adept dragon has the potential to attain levels of arcane power that no human can hope to reach. The mystic is a dragon whose long centuries of study, dreaming, musing, and adventure has led her to one undeniable conclusion: the practice of magic is the noblest of all arts. A dragon does not catalog, research, and experiment with the intensity of a human magician, obsessed as he is with power, wealth, and his own mortality. Instead, the mystic seeks intimacy with magic, treating it as she would a child, a lover, or a religion.

Observer: Observers travel unseen among the other races, watching, learning, or stealing as is their wont. “Observer” is the most neutral term for an outlook that encompasses a huge ranger of motivations and activities. Observers specialize in, above all else, blending in with humanity and the other civilized races of the mythic age. Some use this ability to do what the name of their outlook suggests: observe, if only for their own curiosity. Many others, however, act as spies, insurrectionists, assassins, freedom fighters, crime lords, vigilantes, treasure thieves, and even advisors to kings.

Sage: The sage worships knowledge above all else, and will do anything to procure or protect it. The wise men of secluded temples, of mountain aeries, of dying peoples, are often more than they seem. In some cases, they aren’t even men at all. Sages cherish knowledge of all kinds, whether draconic or human, natural or supernatural. Some even delve into darker secrets, collecting lore of the unnatural. It is these who are known to kill for the secrets they hoard, to spy on the unsuspecting, to trade dangerous information to any who can pay.

Warrior: Straightforward and strong, the warrior sees his existence as a chance to prove right through might. For warriors, battle is all. Through the eons, warriors have studied and perfected countless forms of combat. They place a large emphasis on courage, honor, and directness, and while far from naïve, they are loathe to use trickery when strength of arms is an option. Some warriors become mentors-in-disguise, training humans who have no inkling of the warrior’s true nature. Others are students of humanity; after all, no other race in the history of the world has perfected war into
such an art form, and in no circumstances is humanity more primal and interesting to behold than in war.

-Scion-
Name: (Only first name)
Appearance: (Includes looks and typical clothing)
Background/Wealth: (Some backgrounds include Activist, Archeologist, Artist,
Athlete, Biker, Cat Burglar, Collector, Con Artist, Cop, Covert Operative,
Craftsman, Dilettante, Doctor, Drifter, Ex-Military, Journalist, Lawyer,
Mechanic, Metropolitan, Mystic, Paramedic, Priest, Private Investigator,
Programmer, Radical, Scientist, Sensei, Student, and Thug, while wealth -
which is dependent on background - is summed up as Homeless, Poverty,
Working Class, Middle Class, Affluent, Millionaire, or Filthy Rich)
Sire: (These "legendary dragons" serve to define the Scion's guiding
principles. Dragons don't have Sires, only Scions, because Dragons don't
imitate anyone but themselves. More on this later)
Skills, Powers and Legacies: (Only skills until after our first flashback)
Story: (This tells us other things about the Scion, his/her personality,
childhood, and how (s)he reacts to the changes in his/her life and world.

+Dragon+
Name:(Dragon names generally are not words in any human language)
Outlook: (Adventurer, Explorer, Guardian, Hoarder, Mediator, Mystic,
Observer, Sage, Warrior)
Breed/Appearance: (More on these later)
Powers and Legacies: (more on these later)
Domain/Habitat: ("Wanderer" is an option, as well as any description of your
Dragon character's territory)
Story: (This is any other information about the dragon, including
similarities to certain famous dragon myths and legends)

Backgrounds – Prior to realizing his nature as a scion, every character had a life of his own. He had a career, hobbies, friends, suffered through some hard times and celebrated the rare good ones. He may have joined the military or been a political protestor. He may have worked an average Joe job to bring in a little extra cash, or jumped straight into the corporate world, making absurd amounts of money. Soon enough, that life will be left behind, but it will have given him the most basic tools to face his future.
The background you choose for your scion represents your character’s former path in life and the skills that he has acquired to this point. If you come up with other backgrounds that don’t seem to fit into one of the following categories, bring it up and we’ll work it out.
Activist – You are one of the few people in the world willing to stand up for what you believe in. You’ve made your opinion your life, attending rallies, traveling to protests, and writing letters to politicians in the hope of influencing social and political agendas. It’s a great deal of work with little reward, but at least you can say that you stand for something and do whatever it takes to make it happen.
Archeologist – You’ve always been fascinated by the past. Whereas other kids were thrilled by playing cops and robbers or reading sci-fi, you preffered to read about Roman conquests and watch historical dramas on the BBC. Whether you’re digging for bones or potshards, your heart lies buried deep in the earth with the people and cultures that came before.
Artist- As an artist, your creative side is always out in front. You have a vision that drives you to express yourself in some concrete form, be it sculpture, painting, or music. You may have a day job, but art is where your soul is.
Athlete- Your body is a finely tuned machine, and you take joy in pushing it to its full potential. You have worked hard and trained to become the best at your chosen sport, but aside from a college scholarship and a few low-level sponsors, you’ve yet to be recognized.
Biker- You love the feel of the wind in your face, tugging at your jacket as you speed down the road in style, with a few other like-minded pals at your side. You travel the country on your bike; it’s a thing of beauty, you’ve invested a fortune in its upkeep and look, and you couldn’t be happier with how the money’s spent. Sometimes people hassle you, but you can give as good as you get. You’ve also managed to pick up a few tips on how to get things done on the wrong side of the law, even if you haven’t broken any laws yourself.
Cat Burglar –You’ve always had a taste for the good life, but it was never within your grasp--- at least, not until you decided to take it for yourself. You became a master at the second-story break-in, using shadow and silence as your chief tools of the trade. Now you may have the money to do what you like, but it’s the thrill that keeps you coming back for more.
Collector – You’re a middle-class collector, a self-made master of your chosen field. You know what you like, and you’ll pay to have it. Whether it’s art, nostalgia, or simply an obsession for a complete set of everyday items, you have the collecting bug in a bad way. In your digging, whether by happenstance or hard work, you’ve managed to accumulate a few fairly valuable items.
Con Artist- Some folks have a gift for knowing exactly the right thing to say or do in order to make others do what they want. You’re one of those people. Instead of devoting yourself to someone else’s cause, however, you chose to devote your talents to the one person who matters most: you. You’ve mastered the bait and switch, the hook, the blind, every trick in the book. You make a living (barely) off the gullibility of others--- and you enjoy the hell out of it, too. You’re sure that a big scam will land in your lap any day now.
Cop- You get out there and do your thing each day, dealing with brutal criminals, selfish low-lifes, and unlucky innocents who end up in the wrong place and wrong time. Every day, it seems like more of the people you used to see on the streets have disappeared, or worse, turned up mauled and mutilated by some mysterious creature. They’ve finally equipped you with guns, but even that is little comfort when you hear the horror stories of your fellow officers in the really bad parts of town. You don’t often get the appreciation you feel you deserve, and you’ve grown a little hardened to human suffering, but in the end you know you’re needed--- and if that isn’t enough, there are plenty of folks willing to offer you kickbacks to turn a blind eye to their operations, both mundane and mystic.
Covert Operative – Your country called, said you were one of the special ones, and asked you to serve. They taught you everything you needed to know, and sent you to protect your country’s most precious commodity: its secrets. You know the ins and outs of disguise, self-defense, and how to see without being seen. You’re in this now until you’re retired or killed--- you wouldn’t know how to live any other way. Your latest assignment is to keep your eyes open, pure and simple, and find out what is going on in the heart of London.
Craftsman – You’ve loved making things ever since you were a kid in shop class. The feel of smooth wood under your fingertips, the way fabric drapes and flows, the acrid smell of heated metal: you wouldn’t claim to be an artist, as function is more important than beauty to you, but the joy you take in your creations is just as strong.
Dilettante – Modern art is your life, and always has been, even though what little artistic talent you have wouldn’t fill a tiny gallery much less build a career. Luckily, while you weren’t born with talent, you were born with money, and plenty of it. What you can’t provide to the art world creatively, you make up for monetarily, offering patronage and support to let others unearth ancient works, restore failing masterpieces, or create their own visions.
Doctor – You are fascinated by the human body, both inside and out. How it works, its strengths and vulnerabilities, the miraculous machine of flesh and bone that everyone walks around in every day. You went through years of school and residency to earn your license, and now you’re helping others and making a good living doing it. The tales of incurable viruses and strange new diseases are troubling, though. You can’t just keep up with all of the new theories bouncing around in the latest medical journals, and it’s getting harder and harder to diagnose some of the ailments your patients are coming in complaining of. It’s still hiding in the back of your mind, but someday soon a disturbing reality will dawn on you: science and modern medicine aren’t the only forms of healing out there, and mundane viruses and diseases aren’t the only threats to health.
Drifter – The king of the highways, the duke of the boulevard. Those are better titles than most have given you. You’ve always had that itch to travel, so when you got old enough you packed up and hit the road, with no more of a plan than to stop when you got tired and work when you needed money. You rarely stay in one place for long, but something about London has you sticking around. Maybe it’s all the good heating grates and hand-out corners that have opened up, thanks to the disappearance of the homeless; maybe it was a couple of your friends that have gone missing, and you want to find ‘em so they can pay you that money they owe. Or maybe you’re sick of running away from whatever it is that’s been hounding you, at least in your imagination, all these years.
Ex-Military – Your formative years were spent, and some would say wasted, serving in your country’s armed forces. You got out, a bit smarter, a bit harder, and a lot meaner. You’ve been trained to fight and kill, skills that once set you apart from others; they used to eye you warily, like some beast they were forced to share a cage with and didn’t want to unduly irritate. All of a sudden, in the last few years, that wariness has become respect. The things outside the cage have become much more fearsome than you, and you’ve been inundated with offers to act as a bodyguard, bouncer, or to just stand around somewhere and look tough. You’re sure you can handle the crazies, the gangs, even the cultists… but you’re beginning to wonder how you’re going to deal with the real bad stuff out there. Word on the street is, some of the things you’re being paid to watch out for aren’t even human.

Journalist – You demand the truth, and you deliver it to those who might not have the means to get to it themselves. If you’re noble and virtuous, you use the written word as a sword against power-mongers and users. If you’re a risk-taker and rebel, you might do your job for the thrill of the next scoop. You may even just love watching the high and mighty squirm, or get off on seeing your name in print. Whatever the tack, London is filled with more secrets these days than you can point a tape recorder at. There’s never been a better time for a journalist to make his name. Just be careful what secrets you go digging for. Mess with the wrong people, and your disappearance might be the next big story.
Lawyer – Combine the showmanship of an actor with a mind for fine detail, mixed with an unequalled passion for research, and you have a lawyer--- in other words, you. You’ve always been drawn to the law, the intricate web of rulings and precedents upon which out whole society is based. You used to be confident that it worked, too; whether for everyone or just those with money depends on your perspective. But it doesn’t matter who you know or how much money you’ve got, anymore. The law just isn’t equipped to deal with the chaos that is London. You’ve got two choices: yank the strings of the law into the right shape so it can deal with this new, strange world, or step outside the law and apply your training before a different kind of court.
Mechanic – You’ve always had a gift for knowing how things work, able to take apart that junker you got when you were a teenager and turn it into a fine machine. You learned to tinker and fix things because it needed to be done, and eventually folks started paying you to do it. It’s not a pretty life, but it’ll do. You can take your customers for a proverbial ride if you need extra money, and you can tell when the parts dealer is trying to scam you. Your shop isn’t in the best part of town, and you have to run off gangs and thugs a few times a month. Those aren’t the real problems, though. Cars, creeps, con men, those you can handle. It’s the other stuff in life you can’t fix.
Metropolitan – You were born in this city, and you know it like the back of your hand. Penthouses, glittering spires, beautiful churches, exclusive clubs: it’s all yours, your own private playground. Given your position and assets, you’ve gained insight into things that most folks don’t have the time, the money, or the guts to delve into. A less privileged person might worry that this dark dabbling would come back to bite you in the as, but you’re not concerned. If problems arise, you’ll have the money to take care of it. Everything has its price.
Mystic – The ways of the spirit world are open to you, and you know the forces that linger beyond the sight of the average person. Maybe you’ve been practicing for years, a fake and a fraud until magic started working again. Maybe you’re just a fast learner, and caught the wave as soon as it swept in. In either case, you’ve got skills and knowledge that are in high demand. Magic has a way of weeding out the incapable, so you must have real talent if you’ve lasted this long. You seem to have a knack for magic that even your teachers lack. Whenever they make errors in their rituals or cast difficult spells, assuming they don’t hurt themselves, they seem to harm the world somehow. Your spells, even when they fail, don’t do anything except… not happen. Which leaves you to wonder, if your failed spells aren’t hurting the world around you, are they doing something to the world inside you?
Paramedic – Nobody ever thinks it’ll happen to them: car wrecks, fires, heart attacks, it’s all the same. When it does, though, you’re the person they need. You love the adrenaline rush, even as you cope with things most people would find too horrible to think about, much less witness. Some days, though, you’re not even sure why you do it. A lot of the calls lately haven’t been emergencies, either ‘cause there’s not much left of the victim to save because he’s already dead with no mark on him, or because he looks unhurt, but is stark, raving mad. None of those are anything you can do anything about despite your training.
Priest – Some call you Father. Some call you Rabbi. Others might refer to you as the high priest or the elder. The title doesn’t matter. You follow your god or gods with fervor and compassion, assisting fellow believers and performing the necessary rites to guide the souls in your care safely to their divine goal. It’s a demanding job, but the rewards have always been well worth the effort. In the past decade, you’ve helped more people and made more converts than you believed possible. You’re determined to use your faith to shepherd them through these trying times, whether they’re the end that was foretold or the beginning of a new world.
Private Investigator – You’ve always known there were three sides to every story: his, hers, and the truth. You’ve made it your business to figure out the truth when you’re asked to do so--- after all, somebody has to tell it like it is. You know the ins and outs of uncovering dirty laundry, of getting secrets to tell themselves to the right ears. It was pretty easy, until a few years ago. Now people are asking you to find their lost kids, to figure out if that “freaky cult guy next door” is casting hexes on their dog, and to follow unfaithful spouses into the best and worst neighborhoods, neither of which are very safe to someone like you. Folks are willing to pay for the added risk… but you’re beginning to wonder if the money is worth your skin or, if the rumors are accurate, your soul.
Programmer – When you got your first computer, it was like someone had just handed you the keys to the candy store. You dived in, not just into games and web surfing, but into the code. You wanted to know how it all ticked, and wouldn’t stop until you’d figured it all out. Now, even though you spend most of your time in a dark room surrounded by flickering screens, you’re more free than most people you know. You can have a well-paying job doing easy work if you want it (your bosses don’t know the difference between a 4-hour hack job and 40-hour programming epic), or you can delve into the underside of hacking and cracking and make yourself some extra cash lifting files and sabotaging systems. Every once in awhile you stumble onto some scary stuff out there on the web, magic rituals that seem far too sound, pictures of creatures that seem far too real. If any of that stuff really is out there, you’re better off staying in.
Radical – The system doesn’t work for you. In truth, you don’t believe it works for anyone, except perhaps those powerful enough and corrupt enough to pour their stolen money into it to get what they want. You refuse to use the tools of the moneyed few to fight their game; instead, you’re hitting them where it hurts most: the pocketbook. And you’re not above using every trick in the book to do it, either. It seems like folks are getting spooked by recent events, and that’s bad for their business… but good for you.
Scientist – You have a gift for research, a grasp of science, and an obsession for detail that makes you and excellent candidate for your field. You love experimenting to find new phenomena or the causes behind effects we’re already familiar with. The future is at your fingertips, and you are determined to get us there, one theory at a time. That is, if the world doesn’t end first. Whatever is happening, you’re sure there’s a scientific explanation for it. Either that, or there needs to be an expanded definition of science.
Sensei –You’ve mastered your chosen path, progressing so far as to become an instructor to your fellow students. Whether you have your own school or teach under another master, your skill and devotion have always been impressive to your students. Lately, however, you’ve begun to think about the origins of your art. In the modern day, it has been relegated to a performance style, a sport, or at best a path towards self-discovery. But it was once a vital tool, developed so that the poor and defenseless could stand up to the stronger and the better-armed. It’s beginning to look as if that tool will be necessary again.
Student – You’re the eternal student. Why graduate? Everything you need is at the university. Maybe you’re addicted to knowledge, maybe you’ve got a good deal as one of the school’s athletes. A few quacks at the university even claim to know something about magic, and if you got started down that road, you found there was much more to learn on the streets than there was on campus.
Thug – You grew up on the streets, making the most of a hard life by learning how to be harder and tougher than anyone else out there. Some might call you a brute, but that’s only because they’ve got nothing else to throw at you. If you work for the right people long enough, watch their moves and learn their tricks, you’ll have others working for you one day. Your lifestyle may not be strictly legal, but playing by the rules is for people who can afford it.

Sires – Compared to the mythic age, our modern world is fairly devoid of ritual and religion. To give them direction as karmic beings, therefore, all scions claim a sire from the mythic past, whether consciously or unconsciously. Rather than actual ancestry, a dragon’s sire acts as an example of his guiding principles. If there were a spokesperson or narrator for the scion’s life, he would speak in the sire’s voice. Players can research the stories and myths behind their sires, if they like, and include aspects and imagery from them in their character’s lives. Characters may feel inexplicably drawn to the culture from which their sires’ stories emerged, even if the culture is unrelated to their own. The effect of a sire on a character is profound, if subtle. Such choices color the lives of scions in myriad ways, not all of which are consciously realized.
Each sire represents some goal, value, or virtue that the mythical dragon was supposed to have embodied in life. There may be conflicts between tow sires and their begotten, usually due to incompatible philosophies, overlapping areas of interest, or because of a gap between the two cultures that spawned them.
It should be noted that only scions in the modern age have sires. Dragons in the mythic age do not. The very concept of a sire is alien to many dragons: they are their own mentors, their purposes being to grow and learn throughout their many lifetimes. The inspiration provided by a symbol or mindset that leads to a higher level of skills and talents is a purely human phenomenon. Also, of course, many sires of the modern age did in fact exist in the mythic age. A living dragon cannot be a sire to another.
Some more spiritual scions may come to feel that the lack of guiding principles was why the dragons failed to save their age; other scions may consider a belief in sires to be a dilution of draconic power, and reject it as “ancestor worship” and “totem kow-towing.” Regardless, when playing in the mythic age, remember that your characters will not have chosen sires.
Basilisk:
In Brief: Insidious sowers of discord.
Translation: Little King
Source Culture: Phoenician
Concepts: Debauchery, fear, masculinity, poison
In Christian art, Basilisk is the very emblem of sin and the spirit of evil. His precise physical appearance has never been agreed upon, perhaps because of his unfortunate tendency to cause death to any who looked upon his visage. It was believed that if he could see his own reflection in a mirror, the Basilisk would burst apart with horror and fear. Everywhere he went, his poisonous breath scorched grass and burst rocks, turning fertile land into desert. But was the very nature of the Basilisk evil? Ancient legend suggests a deeper truth. The early, pre-Canaanite Phoenicians told tales of a phallic serpent god that may have been linked to Basilisk. His love of sensuality and companionship led him to seduce countless women who lived near the river sacred to him. These prolific actions put him at odds with the other local deities, who cursed him with an appearance so horrible that no lover would ever be able to look upon him again.
It is easy to condemn the actions of Basilisk’s begotten. Chaos seems to follow their every action. Somewhere during their growth, their souls confused the wise concept of “following bliss” with the less serene “acting on impulse.” What’s more, they are enablers that tend to have negative influences on their friends. When a plan goes horribly wrong, it is often the begotten of Basilisk who have neglected their responsibility.
Behemoth:
In Brief: Revelers in secret lusts and excess.
Translation: Dumb Beast
Source Culture: Judeo-Christian
Concepts: Abundance, change, desire, repression
Theologists have used up hundreds of pages and countless hours debating whether Behemoth was in fact a pregnant elephant or an engorged hippopotamus. According to legend, he was the largest animal that ever walked on land. Some say he was the creature created solely to be eaten at the banquet at the end of the world. The truth, of course, is none of these. Behemoth was a huge dragon, beautiful and powerful, ruling over lesser creatures and humans alike. He built a legacy in ancient times of abundance and pleasure--- some believe the stories of Bacchus came in part from the memories of Behemoth. He was a creature of desire, and saw no reason why others shouldn’t be the same (after his whims were satisfied). So strong was this tendency towards debauchery and “amoral” acts that, even into the modern age, the authors of the Old Testament elevated him to become a symbol of the greatest of evils.
The begotten of Behemoth have inherited not only his desires and tendencies, but also his fate as a creature constrained and reshaped by the fears of the mainstream culture and religion. They secretly shed their inhibitions and subvert the bindings that keep them and their peers trapped in archaic traditions. When the time comes, they’ll step out of their roles and openly embrace the desires of their true natures.
Caranoch, the Serpent of Lough Derg:
In Brief: Clever, patient survivors.
Translation: Devil of the Lake of the Red Eye
Source Culture: Celtic
Concepts: Evasion, patience, obstinacy, trickery.
When a band of religious militants (now metaphorically and collectively known as St. Patrick) slaughtered all of the serpents on an emerald isle that would eventually become Ireland, they left their greatest foe for last.Caronach, the Serpent of Lough Derg, was a dragon sacred to the mother goddess. When others had given up their struggles against the invaders, her begotten say, Caronach kept up the fight. She confused and tormented her pursuers by leaving her shed skins behind. Many an occasion led to her near capture, had she been willing to be tamed and therefore spared, but ever she refused to surrender. She was finally trapped and slain on the shores of Lough Derg, where her blood turned the lake red, giving it its name. Many believe, however, that she escaped, and awaits a time when the mother goddess will reclaim the earth.
Caronach’s begotten are just as stubborn as their sire. They will resist, to the bitter end, even causin themselves more harm than good in the process. They will not be told what to do, nor will they be controlled. Their response to such attempts may range from punishing the perpetrator with childish pranks to simply ignoring him. In the end, they always get their revenge, simply by continuing on, unaffected, unconcerned, unchangeable.
Cernunnos:
In Brief: Passionate idealists with a respect for nature or the divine.
Translation: The Horned One
Source Culture: Celtic
Concepts: Fertility, nature, rule over life and death.
When the earliest Celts walked in the shadows of untamed and dangerous forests, they muttered their prayers for protection to Cernunnos. He was among the most beautiful of dragons. His scales were a shimmering green, his face afire with golden eyes, his head topped with sweeping, wickedly dangerous horns. As an aspect of the Green Man and the father of nature, his coloring changed along with the seasons and his moods could vary with the speed of the changing weather. A creature to be worshipped and adored as much as feared and avoided, Cernunnos was all things but one: human.
Cernunnos attracts a variety of followers. To some, his representation of living in the moment among the wilds speaks to their own wild passions and thrill-seeking habits. Others seek a deeper understanding and communion with the ideas of spirituality, life, and the natural world. And to yet others, his symbolism of aggressive, masculine sexuality resonates. Something they all share, however, is a recognition of divinity.
Chimera:
In Brief: Righteous warriors who revere femininity.
Translation: Young She-Goat
Source Culture: Greek
Concepts: Femininity, rage, righteous fury, rebellion.
In popular myth, the fire-breathing Chimera came from a family of distinguished monsters: daughter of Echidna and Typhon, sister to the Hydra, Cerberus, and the Nemean Lion. She was a “pet” of King Amisodarus of Caria. He raised her to terrorize the surrounding region. King Iobates of Lycia sent the hero Bellerophon, with the aid of Pegasus, to kill Chimera. He bore a spear tipped with a lead blade, which he hurled into her throat just as she was about to immolate him with her fiery breath; instead of killing Bellerophon, however, the heat of the flame melted the lead spearhead, which trickled down Chimera’s throat and killed her.
There is, however, an older and deeper myth of Chimera, followed by her begotten. It is the story of an innocent, female dragon, hunted and ruthlessly slain by the glory-seeking Bellerophon. Patriarchs of the modern age transformed her to represent the evils of women. Ultimately, the story of Chimera and Bellerophon became a false illustration of the triumph of good over evil.
Chimera’s followers know better. They see her fire as the rage within for the demise of the mother goddess. They believe in equality and justice, and fueled with the fury of Chimera’s legacy, they fight, sometimes blind with the rage that they’ve inherited from her.

Dambala:
In Brief: Shadowy questers of human potential.
Source Culture: Voodoo
Concepts: The hidden, potential, shadow, the full circle of human nature.
Dambala has made his way into modern consciousness through the Haitian-inspired Voodoo beliefs of New Orleans. His roots, however, are deep and exceedingly ancient. Birthed in shadow by the opposing embodiments of chaos and order, he is the serpent of the sky, creator of all the waters of the earth, the hills and valleys, and even the stars and planets in the heavens. It was the shedding of his skin that brought forth the first rainbow, his polar opposite. He so loved it that he made it his wife. Dambala rules over the aspects of creation that are unilluminated; he knows the parts of our minds that we hide from even ourselves.
Dambala influences both his begotten’s dark and light energies--- fear, grief, and anger, as well ass empathy, nobility, and wisdom. They recognize and celebrate the strengths of both sides of their natures, and are capable of the most extreme measures of the two. When in synch with Dambala, whether the dark side or the light, they triumph. When they do not give in to their sire’s guidance, they fail. He is the drug, the focus, the rope that while it might bind them, serves to hold them together.
Hydra:
In Brief: Volatile, unpredictable vengeance-seekers.
Source Culture: Greek
Concepts: Chaos, independence, vengeance, volatility.
History has not been kind to the Hydra. The second of Hercules’ twelve labors, today she has been all but demoted to a large water snake. But she was another proud offspring of Echidna and Typhon. A dragon of great poiwer, she had nine heads (eight mortal and one immortal), poisonous blood, and deadly breath. The battle between Hercules and Hydra was fearsome. Each time he managed to cut off one of her heads, two more grew to take its place. It may well have been the end to the slow-witted Hercules had it not been for the help of Iolas, his nephew. Iolas discovered that by cauterizing the necks, new heads would not appear. With this advantage, Hydra was ultimately killed. This, however, was not the end. Knowing the blood of the Hydra was poisonous, Hercules dipped his arrows in it--- an action that nearly killed him later. Even in death, Hydra worked to exact her will.
Hydra’s begotten have long memories and short tempers. For them, it’s not about fairness, it’s about getting satisfaction--- the consequences be damned.
Jormungand:
In Brief: Grim, uncaring opportunists.
Source Culture: Norse
Concepts: Gluttony, Ragnarok, serpent encircling the world and biting its tail.
Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, is the son of the god Loki and his giantess wife, Angrboda. At his very birth the gods feared him, for he grew at such an alarming rate they foresaw that one day he would bring great evil to both gods and men. By the time Odin took him from his parents and cast him into the sea, Jormungand had already grown to such a mass that he filled all the oceans of the world, forcing his own tail deep into his mouth. He lies there still, biting his tail, coiling all of mankind in his mass, twisting and writhing in fury as he tries to make his way to land. His venom poisons the souls of the sailors that die at sea, and his thrashing is responsible for fatal storms and tidal waves. It is said that he will wait there until Ragnarok, the end of the world, at which time he will fight his nemesis, Thor, where they will destroy each other.
The followers of Jormungand are opportunists; they survive and thrive on the backs of others. Like their sire, they consume without respect for the resource that provide them so much. They wait, test the wind, then act. When the smoke clears from the battlefield, Jormungand’s begotten will be there to stab the hero in the back and claim victory in his stead. They have no love or concern for humankind, and are indifferent about the morality of the means to their ends.
Ladon:
In Brief: Wise, caring seekers of wisdom.
Translation: He who embraces
Source Culture: Greek
Concepts: Intelligence, protection, wisdom, the Golden Apple of Knowledge.
Ladon was often sought after for insight and perspective. His wisdom earned him a place as the guardian for the Golden Apple of the Hesperides, the fruit of knowledge that Hercules was sent to steal as one of his twelve labors. Hercules killed Ladon with arrows poisoned by the blood of the Hydra, nearly killing himself in the process. The beautiful Hesperides were heartbroken by Ladon’s death, who had been both a brother and a protector to them. The distorted weave of mythology has sadly transformed Ladon’s memory from that of a wise guardian into that of a monster with 100 heads, each speaking with its own insane voice.
Ladon’s begotten share many traits with their sire. They possess a quiet wisdom and intelligence regardless of education, occupation, or religion. For the greater good and as a natural instinct, they utter the truth as they see it, regardless of what their listeners want to hear.
Lebe:
In Brief: Pragmatic laborers and unintentional shamans who make their living off the land.
Source Culture: Dogon
Concepts: Agriculture, life force, resurrection, soil.
In ancient times, the cult of Lebe spread through much of Western Africa with the Dogon people of modern Mali. Worshipped as a god of the soil, he was said to be the resurrected soul of the first Dogon ancestor. Lebe visited his devoted followers in the night, appearing as a dark dragon that licked their skin to purify them and infuse them with a fertility-rich life force. It was Lebe who also restored life to the soil, ensuring the renewal of the earth for planting and harvesting.
Lebe’s begotten refer to themselves as Hogon, and are amongst the most surprisingly mystical of scions. They have a profound connection with the Eath and, specifically, respect for the resources it provides. Waste disgusts them, but so does foregoing the bounty of nature. One should not casually or callously abuse that which the Earth provides, but no disrespect is greater than refusing its gifts. Hogon therefore feel a strong sense of obligation to and ownership of the areas they call home. They tend to fervently practice meditation and rites of purification as demonstrations of their commitment to Lebe.
Mabinogion:
In Brief: Inspired leaders and creators.
Source Culture: Welsh
Concepts: Creativity, myth, inspiration
Mabinogion has captured the hearts and souls of countless followers, without them ever knowing it. She is the strong, red dragon that stands firmly behind the creativity and richness of the collective imagination of the ancient Clets. The Welsh alone have realized her role, if only in part, and have placed her emblem as a national symbol. She stands proudly, wings erect, claws bared, tongue out and tail poised, bright crimson on a field of green and white. She watches, waiting for her chance to inspire those whose minds and hearts are open. Mabinogion influence the tale-telling of the Celtic bards, the ingenuity of Stonehenge, and the strength and determination of Boadicea.
Today, Mabinogion continues to influence a more diverse tribe in the form of her begotten. While others search for meaning or fear their fates, the begotten of Mabinogion fight, love, and die with passion and confidence, knowing that they are simply part of a larger story. When their time is done and their final reincarnation has been destroyed, they know that their lives and deeds are what will live beyond them, becoming new legends in their own right.
Naga:
In Brief: Devoted extremists with flexible morals.
Source Culture: East Indian
Concepts: Betrayal, changing currents, shapeshifting, water
Naga was little more than a snake until she licked up drops of Amrita, a nectar of immortality and divine consciousness. The Amrita awakened her inner awareness, and Naga was transformed into a bewitching dragon have the head and upper body of a beautiful woman and the lower half of a monstrous but graceful serpent. She held dominion over water, cruelly causing floods and droughts at her whim. Naga claimed the power of life and death over entire villages, and could go from giving them her blessing of benediction one year to utterly destroying them the next. Humans worshipped her out of obligation and fear.
The followers of Naga are supremely devoted. They believe that they will one day give their lives and souls to a cause, whether they call it by her name or some other. They are mavericks, heeding to the needs or desires of none but themselves and their agendas. While notoriety for one’s power and the achievement of victory are desirous, it is the act of exercising that power, the striving for victory, that bring the begotten of Naga to a state of rapture.
Nehebkau:
In Brief: Murderous philosophers who see death as nothing but a form of change.
Translation: He who harnesses the souls
Source Culture: Egyptian
Concepts: Death, transformation, the rising sun
Nehebkau was a serpent swimming in the primeval waters when the sun god, Ra, reached in and threw him into the sun, transforming him into a fabulous winged dragon. Ra was so impressed by his own creation that he kept Nehebkau with him, and together they rode the sun as it rose each day. In time, Nehebkau took on the sunrise’s symbolism for change and became the harbinger of transformation and of death. As guardian of the underworld, he judged over the deceased in the Halls of Ma’at. While he did not claim a priesthood among the Egyptians, they did respect his magical abilities and invoked his name often in their rites. His name is associated both with spells of death and with spells of protection from it.
To Nehebkau’s begotten, the line between life and death is very thin. They, more so than any others, have a strong sense and understand of their karmic heritage. Death holds no fear for them, and for some, bestowing it is simple. The followers of Nehebkau feel a strong connection to duty, and after accomplishing a goal, move on to the next without looking back. More than any other scions, the begotten of Nehebkau sleep soundly after spilling blood.
Ouroboros:
In Brief: Confident overseers in the balance of all things.
Translation: Devouring its tail
Source Culture: Universal
Concepts: Cycles of nature, eternity, reincarnation, no end and no beginning.
Many cultures have claimed the mysterious Ouroboros. The earliest references come from Egypt, but it is clear that she made her way there via the Phoenicians to the Greeks, who ultimately named her. Not to be contented, stories of her influence reach the far corners of the world: India, Japan, Europe, North America, South America. She is the eternal symbol of the dragon biting its tail --- the dragon that survives by eating itself. Some believe she exists in the heavens, surrounding all of existence, defining the boundaries of the universe.
Ouroboros’ begotten believe in the eternal renewal of the universe. They understand that there can be no good without evil, no light without darkness. Although some try to influence this ephemeral equation of right and wrong, ensuring the ultimate balance, many understand that all things will eventually swing around to the point of origin. As is said, “this too shall pass.” Ourobors, however, will always be.

Quetzalcoatl:
In Brief: Brilliant but grounded inventors and mentors.
Source Culture: Aztec
Concepts: Calendar, innovation, peace, sacrifice, wind
Quetzalcoatl is one of the noblest dragons found in myth. If it was a positive element of Aztec culture, he is said to have provided it. If it was a negative element, he is said to have opposed it. Anyone so virtuous and helpful must eventually be targeted by those who wish to use others for their own gain, however, and so it was with Quetzalcoatl. His brother Texcatlipoca tricked the peaceful dragon into looking into the evil Smoking Mirror. Thinking that the warped reflection he saw within was his true self, Quetzalcoatl was driven insane by grief. The once chaste, pious serpent fell into a rage of debauchery and destruction, channeling his self-hatred into a revulsion for all those things that he had once supported and helped create. After recovering from the mirror’s effects, Quetzalcoatl could not bear to look at what he had done. He traveled east in shame, with a promise to one day return and reclaim his heritage.
The followers of Quetzalcoatl have been through the wringer, paid the price for their nobility and sacrifice, and aren’t eager to go through it again. For some, their sire’s tale is a learning experience, preventing them form making the same mistakes. For others, the fate of Quetzalcoatl was not able to be avoided, but the story at least provides some hope of an eventual reconciliation. Many are atoning for a past sin, real or imagined.
Ryu:
In Brief: Bold, courageous young protectors.
Source Culture: Japanese
Concepts: Courage, honor, lightning, realized potential, respect
The tale of Ryu reaches out to many scions, in that it almost directly mirrors their own experiences. Ryu is said to have been a Japanese peasant boy whose father was kidnapped by an evil sorcerer-king and locked in a high tower. The boy braved many dangers to find a magic pearl that, when swallowed, gave its consumer magical powers. Giving no thought to his own fate, he consumed the pearl and transformed into a powerful dragon with power over lightning. Using his newfound powers, he destroyed the sorcerer-king and his tower, rescuing his father. Once the deed was done, however, there was no return; Ryu was forever to remain a dragon, and a guardian of the power of thunder and lightning. Though his father grieved, Ryu embraced his new form and the role that came with it.
Ryu’s begotten are the shining knights of the scions. Their courage brings with it all of the attendant weaknesses: many are naïve, single-minded, and lacking in imagination. However, of all the scions, they are among the most willing to follow the path fate has set out for them. When they begin to realize their draconic natures, they see that they are also realizing their true selves, and are likely to embrace it without reserve. This trait is not to be underestimated; the most dangerous warrior is the one who will use his weapons without hesitation.
Tiamat:
In brief: Alluring manipulators who respect only strength and power.
Source Culture: Babylonian
Concepts: Contrasts (chaos vs. law, creation vs. destruction), cycles, feminine power, seas, the creation or gathering of servants.
In Babylonian mythology, Tiamat is a creator goddess, the embodiment of the oceans of the world in all their inevitable power. Like many mythical figures, she is a study in contrasts; she is the mother of all life and even of the gods, but tales also tell of her viciousness, insanity, and an eventual need to destroy all that she had created. While mighty in her own right, her preferred method of war was to create creatures to do her bidding and to overwhelm her foes with her dominating mental presence. It was said that none could resist her commands.
Tiamat’s begotten care little for concepts like good and evil, viewing the world instead in terms of creation and destruction, strength and weakness, power and obligation. Some may be feminist and others sexist, but all have strong views, one way or another, about the female gender. Her followers tend to have a lot of ambition, whether as leaders and manipulators of others or as independent creators.
Typhon:
In Brief: Fervent seditionists who prefer anything but the status quo.
Translation: Violent Storm
Source Culture: Greek
Concepts: Rebellion, storms, volcanic activity
Typhon was the youngest son of Gaia and Tatarus, and as Husband to Echidna, spawned a monstrous brood of his own. He is said to have been of such a size that his hundred horrible, snake-like heads touched the stars, dripping poison from every mouth. His winged body was completely feathered and his legs were sinuously serpentine. The gods took one look, transformed into animals, and ran for their immortal lives. Eventually, the gods of Olympus realized the futility of flight and turned to do battle. Typhon was eventually trapped beneath a mountain, and supposedly lies there to this day, belching forth lava, smoke, and ash and releasing the violent destruction of winds and storms of the world.
Scions following Typhon generally lack respect for authority figures. While they don’t have it together enough to be the leader, they have no desire to be the follower either. Although some have realized that it is easier to get through life by keeping their thoughts to themselves, many embrace the attention and notoriety their actions bring them.
Xiao:
In Brief: Do-gooders upon whom fortune smiles.
Source Culture: Chinese
Concepts: Fortune, narrow escapes, rain, righteous rewards.
Xiao was a boy from a village that was suffering from severe drought and starvation. One day, while gathering grasses near a river, he found a pearl. His family soon realized that any jar it was kept in overnight would, magically, be full to brimming with rice by morning. Xiao and his family gladly shared their good fortune with everyone in the village, but two neighbors let greed and envy get the better of them. Catching them in the act of stealing the pearl, Xiao swallowed it to prevent its theft. He was immediately overtaken by an unquenchable thirst. He ran to the river, drank it dry, and was turned into a dragon. In his dragon form, he was able to bring the long-awaited rain to his village, but withheld rain from those that would have stolen the pearl.
Xiao’s begotten are the noble good. They do for others what none would do for them. Additionally blessed with divine luck, the followers of Xiao believe that what goes around, comes around. And for them, this is expressly true. When they have exhausted themselves with benefiting others, they will reap unexpected, serendipitous reqards.
Zahhak:
In Brief: Savvy warriors of the social battleground.
Source Culture: Persian
Concepts: Control, corruption, deceit.
To the ancient Persians, Zahhak’s very name evoked an ugly image of evil and cruelty. In the Avesta, the holy book of the Zoroastrians, he was described as a three-mouthed, three-headed, six-eyed, cruel dragon with a thousand senses. His two secondary heads demanded a daily feeding of two human brains. He was of a “foreign race” who appeared under the guise of leading the Persian king to glory against invading tyrants. His true purpose was soon realized when he first enslaved, and then ate, the king. Were it not for the hero who slew him, Referydun, he would have eventually destroyed all goodness in the world.
In the spirit of their sire, Zahhak’s begotten feed on the minds of others. They are able to weave lies of such deceit that they can control and influence anyone from weak individuals to entire nations. Their strength comes not just in the form of manipulation, but also in the form of understanding --- they know what people want to hear, and are able to use that knowledge to their own, manipulative benefit.
Zu:
In Brief: Ambitious, capable, and often misguided tech-heads and worshippers of all things modern.
Source Culture: Sumerian
Concepts: Self-deception, technology, unpredictability
In a time of antiquity, it is said that the children of Enlil, the god of air, came to him with laughter and excitement. Wonder of wonders, they had found a new creature. When he asked the creature its name, it simply purred, “Zu.” Zu soon grew to become the divine storm dragon, the incarnation of the southern wind and the thunder clouds. Enlil gave to him the job of guarding a set of tablets that held all the knowledge in the world. While initially a faithful guardian, Zu came to covet the tablets and the power they could grant their owner over the entire cosmos and the affairs of man. The storm dragon stole them, only to be overcome by their power and barely defeated before his unwise machinations nearly caused the world to regress to a state of primordial chaos.
The story of Zu resonates with many living in the modern age. He has great power, but wants only more. He sees access to knowledge and cannot understand why he should not have it. He proclaims his loyalty to a master in name, but not in heart or in spirit. He demands that technology and power be used, regardless of the natural processes that would normally govern sweeping changes.

Dominant Breeds - These define a dragon's general body shape.
Beast: Beasts are quadrupeds. They are ferocious and, as the name suggests, bestial in appearance. Beasts look like massive predators, sleek and feral, with rippling muscles and physical power brimming from their bodies. They remind humans of great cats or similar hunters that bring down prey with speed, power, and stealth. Indeed, a beast may have some mammalian features, such as a lion-like mane, whiskers, or thick, wiry fur.
Beasts have great muscled paws with retractable claws, granting them a speedy gait. The foreclaws are good weapons, but not suited to fine motor skills; when in their natural forms, beasts are unable to use their claws for anything requiring articulated hands or deft manipulationl even when in an alternate form with articulate hands, their inexperience with such things shows. A beast’s rear claws are also formidable weapons, and a beast’s bite is even more powerful. They are built for land, and therefore have a slow flying gait.

Drake: Drakes are the image presented by most cultures when asked to illustrate or describe their dragons. Drakes are partially bipedal, walking with a hunched gait or running on all fours to gain speed. Their bodies are majestic and finely shaped; their unique anatomy combines cat-like, serpentine, and human-like qualities to creatre a form that is adept at both slaughter and dexterity.
A drake’s limbs are capable of some precision, being only mildly inhibited by deadly claws the size of spears. All four claws are light weapons, and its bite does moderate damage as well. Due to their raptor-like claws, drakes in their natural form have difficulty with anything requiring opposable thumbs and articulate manipulation.
Drakes are not particularly quick on land; a drake’s gait is moderate, but when running on all four legs this increases to fast. Drakes are the best fliers among dragons, with an airborne gait of Fast.

Serpent: Dragons with the serpent breed resemble enormous snakes. Their great bodies are sinuous and streamlined, and they move across the ground in great slithering motions, moving either like true snakes or hunching their bodies vertically, like great caterpillars. A serpent often raises the front third of his body upright, moving himself with his massive tail. Serpents have small forearms with dexterous claws.
A serpent’s claws are as adroit as a human’s, though they are also light weapons. He also has somewhat larger rear claws that usually remain tucked alongside the body, but when brought to bear against foes act as medium weapons. Serpents have the smallest but most agile heads of all dragons, their bites being light weapons. A serpent’s land and flying gaits are Moderate, and it alone among the major breeds has a swim gait: Fast.

Minor Breeds - These define the habitat/style/abilities of a dragon.

Abyssal dragon – Abyssal dragons are subterranean creatures. They are quite alien, with gaping maws, small flaps of skin that act as wings, and stone-line, mottled flesh covering their massive bodies. They share a close tie with earth and stone, often burrowing through soil or holding power over rock. Python, a serpent god important in mythology of the Greek Delphic oracle, is an example of an abyssal dragon.

Chimeric Dragon – The diversity of traits and appearances within this single breed outdoes all other dragon breeds combined. Chimeric dragons are outlandish, unlikely creatures, and tales of them are the most likely to be scoffed at iin the modern age. They were said to be formed spontaneously by the amalgamation of leftover body parts of animals preyed upon by rocs, phoenixes, or other legendary birds of prey. As such, they bear physical traits found throughout the animal kingdom. Chimera, Gorgimera, and Cockatrice are all examples of this breed of dragon.

Dire Dragon – Dire dragons are the ultimate predators. They combine impossible speed with lethal fangs and claws, awakening a primal fear in nearly every living thing. Only fling creatures are safe from a dire dragon’s hunting, as they alone of all dragons lack wings. Their small eyes and feral appearance belies a natural cunning that many foes overlook. France’s Tarasque, with its tortoise-like shell and jagged teeth and claws, was such a creature.

Exotic Dragon – Exotic dragons are among the most beautiful and mysterious of their kind. They display colorations and traits as diverse as the animal kingdom. The main thing that they have in common is that they all possess non-reptilian features: fur, beards, feathers, beaks, and similar animalistic traits abound among exotic dragons. All exotic dragons also have poisonous bites and long, agile tails. Feathered serpents, such as the Meso-American Quetzalcoatl, fall into this category.

Fire Dragon – Fire dragons gave birth to, and personify, dragons’ legendary kinship with flame. Their eyes smolder, heat radiates from their bodies, and their tempers tend to match their namesake. Their large scales’ colorations are reminiscent of fire or ash, commonly red, orange, or black. The famed Salamander, which was immune to flame, was a fire dragon.

Forest Dragon –Forest dragons, as their name suggests, live in wooded areas and are adapted to survive among trees and dense foliage. These creatures have mottled, color-changing skins covered with small scales, and tend toward slender, lithe bodies in order to better slide between trees. They are both predatory and territorial, enjoying a good hunt but cherishing their woodland homes enough that they do not overly terrorize the inhabitants. The wyvern of Mordiford, which hid in the woods as it grew, was a forest dragon.

Ice Dragon – Second only to dire dragons in their legendary ferocity, and a match for any fire dragon, ice dragons have otherworldly eyes, teeth, and claws that appear translucent, yet are sharp and clear as diamonds. They tend towards white coloring, the better to blend in with their environments, and are renowned for their ability to travel unhindered over and through nearly any terrain. Rather than succumbing to cold like a mundane reptile might, ice dragons revel in it, honing their minds and instincts alike to a frightening sharpness in the barren icy wastes of the world. Severe, fearsome creatures that populate Norse myth and folktales were probably based on ice dragons.

Many-headed Dragon – As their name suggests, these dragons each have multiple heads, all controlled by a single mind. Even more animalistic than dire dragons, many-headed dragons tend to be short-sighted and easily distracted. They are usually content to let prey come to them, emerging from their lairs every few decades to feed and collect addition to their hoards. The Lernaean hydra, which fell to Hercules during one of the hero’s legendary tasks, is an example of this breed of dragon.

Noble dragon – Noble dragons are the classic creatures of high fantasy. They are both beautiful and terrible to behold, emanating danger, wisdom, and power, all in equal measure. Wings extend majestically from their backs, sturdy but supple scales of gold or silver color armor their flesh, and their eyes glow with magical power. Their exact powers vary widely, but are unfailingly mighty. Most are considered harbingers of good or messengers of the gods. It is thought that many of the dragons killed in Christian myth, such as the beast destroyed by St. George, were noble dragons whose identities have been warped by time and propaganda.

Sea Dragon – Sea dragons hold dominion over the oceans, lakes, and rivers, their sinuous bodies knifing easily through their native element. Fins aid their movement and their jaws are adapted to their environment, sporting needle-like teeth and retractable baleen. Naturally reclusive, sea dragons are known for having the most fantastic of hoards, for who would brave the deeps to steal it? The mysterious Loch Ness monster and the sea serpents of many cultures are examples of sea dragons.

Spirit Dragon – These dragons are elegant and mighty, filled with timeless grace. These are the only dragons able to fly without wings, their bodies held aloft effortlessly by their connections to the primal element of air. Their iridescent scales are fine and supple, and their eyes bright and wise. The Chinese kioh-lung, depicted on many works of Eastern art, is among the most famous of spirit dragons.

Traits: These are specialties you might consider adding to your dragon. Note that not every dragon has every trait, and many only have a few... one or two or three.

Armor – A dragon’s armor is his natural flesh, and can take many forms, ranging from supple scales, to thick hide, to a nearly impenetrable exoskeleton.

Flight – Nearly all dragons can fly. The dire dragon is the only exception, luckily for the flying creatures of the world. Your dragon’s wings can take any form you wish, from iridescent feathered spans to huge, bat-like membranous wings, to smaller fluttering skin flaps that stretch between limbs or ripple in the air.

Skull Traits – dragons’ skulls are usually reptilian, sometimes horned, and always bear dangerous dagger-length teeth. They are the ultimate predators, and their maws are appropriately deadly.
Gaping – A dragon’s jaw can disconnect and become a gaping maw, slamming down on and trapping prey (or scooping it up if the dragon and prey are in the air or water).
Gripping – The dragon’s jaw locks down on prey, making its grip extremely hard to escape.
Horned – The dragon’s head bears ornately curving or viciously sharp horns which can be used to gore foes.
Vicious – The dragon’s mouth is filled with row after row of razor-sharp teeth.

Tail Traits– dragons’ tails do far more than act as balancing elements, as is the case for most creatures. Some can hold and manipulate weapons, while others are weapons in and of themselves.
Articulate – The dragon’s tail is thin but extremely adroit. The dragon cannot attack with the tail itself, but can use it with the same dexterity as a human hand. The dragon’s tail is nimble enough to craft items, wield weapons, and hold favored hoard items up to the light for just the right reflection
Constricting – The dragon’s tail is heavily muscled and flexible, easily wrapping around opponents to crush them.
Razored – The dragon’s tail is agile and swift and bears a large, bony blade at the end, or barbs along its length.
Sweeping – The dragon’s tail is long, heavy, and muscular.

Miscellaneous Traits
Aquatic
Articulate Tongue – tongue is unnaturally long and articulate.
Bio-luminescent – dragon emits light (which may be any color) from his body, which can range from a soft glow surrounding its body to a bright, 100-foot-radius illumination, and anywhere in between. If used rapidly and strongly enough, it can be used to generate a blinding flash.
Camouflage – The dragon’s skin coloration changes, like a gecko, to match its surroundings as long as he remains motionless.
Extra Head(s) – The dragon has an extra head. Each head is mounted on a long neck and acts somewhat independently. A single mind (the dragon’s) controls the heads, so they do not think autonomously. Extra heads can be mammalian, serpentine, avian, or insectoid, and each has a bite with the same weight and damage a dragon’s normal bite. Extra heads cannot normally have extra skull traits… the exception is the Many-Headed minor breed, which can have as many different skull traits as the player wants.
Spined – Sharp spines cover the dragon. These spines lie flat until reflexive or conscious muscle action causes them to swing out and impale his foes.
Venomous – One of the dragon’s natural slashing weapons (foreclaws, hindclaws, bite, razor tail, or spines) injects or is coated in debilitating poison, which gradually disorients the victim until his vital organs are paralyzed by the toxins, and he begins to suffocate as if drowning.
Wallcrawler

Manifesting Draconic Traits
A scion can manifest most of the traits that her dragon self possessed once they have begun to awaken. While scions can manifest multiple traits at the same time, or even design preferred forms for the scion that already possess a group of traits, it is initially difficult to manifest more than one trait at a time. The more flashbacks a scion experiences once reunited with her broodmates, the easier manifesting (multiple) traits becomes. Some examples of traits that can be manifest are as follows…
Aquatic- As dragon
Armor – Scion’s flesh hardens into his draconic form’s scales, but as she awakens, the scales become increasingly harder and stronger.
Bio-luminescent – As dragon
Body – The scion’s skeletal structure takes on the physique of the dragon form. A former serpent, for instance, becomes sinuous and quick and good at sneaking. A beast scion’s muscles and limbs become bulky and powerful and athletic, with increased stamina. A drake scion’s body manifest’s the graceful but muscular aspect of a drake’s physique, becoming especially skilled at both melee and ranged combat.
Camouflage – As your dragon, except that your camouflage has no effect on your clothes
Extra Head – Possibly the most disturbing trait to manifest, it thankfully forms one of your draconic heads, not another human one.
Foreclaws – Hands turn into claws similar to those of the dragon’s breed.
Full Draconic Form – Not quite as large as the original dragon (maybe two-to-three fifths instead, as adult dragons are a bit larger than blue whales, and leviathans, the oldest and most ancient dragons, are larger still)… this ability is still one that requires a great deal of experience and many flashbacks to manifest with any regularity or duration.
Hindclaws – Depend on dominant breed
Increase Size – The scion’s size increases by about a fifth of the original size while retaining the human body (note that it can be used with other manifestations, such as Full Draconic Form, to increase that, and it can be used multiple times, though it is more difficult for beginners to stack on so much mass).
Skull – The scion’s head reshapes into a large draconic skull capable of striking with bites, horns, etc.
Spined – As dragon.
Tail – While difficult to conceal, a tail is a useful appendage in a scion’s world, whether it be used for battle, magic, or simply shock value... can also manifest tail traits.
Venomous Attack – Same as dragon.
Wings – From the scion’s back or arms spread the wings that once carried him high above the ground. Usefulness and maneuverability (from taking off/landing and gliding to crawling through the air, regular flying or 90 degree turn, flying twice as fast as normal or 180 degree rotation, 360 degree spin, and hovering) depends on how awakened a scion is and how many flashbacks she’s experienced.

Powers
***Alternate Form: You can take on a limited number of other forms (must be a natural creature, not a supernatural one, and all distinguishing features are always the same once chosen). The body is but one physical expression of your soul; the faces you can wear are many. Alternate Form is one of two powers that all dragons have in common.

Aquatic: You are adapted to movement and survival in water, can breathe underwater, and can never drown.

Child of Fire: If you have a true parent, it is fire itself. It smolders within you and you can sense when it is nearby. You take little to no damage (or even heal) from heat or fire, and can even generate it within you, causing your eyes to burn orange-red, your body temperature to skyrocket, smoke to waft from your nose, and flames to burst from your body… and you can build them up to make them explode outwards from you. You also take no notice of heat or cold.

Clarity: You think with superhuman speed. Your senses are quick and your mind is quicker allowing you to ignore distractions and use your keen mental abilities to instantly separate important signals from useless noise. Your heightened insight gives you and advantage over opponents, allowing you to instantly comprehend a chaotic situation. With greater skill, you can seemingly react to a situation before it even occurs.

Coldspawn: You embrace the chill of ice and snow, and can generate freezing cold. You revel in killing cold. Like it, you can steal life with a touch. While your broodmates’ blood runs hot in their veins, yours is as cold as Hell. You can ignore (or heal from) damage caused by cold, and you can freeze things, causing your body temperature to plummet, a thin skein of ice to form over your eyes, and your skin to become a pale, dead blue, as well as ignore cold and heat. You project an aura of bitter cold that freezes and numbs attackers, and you can build up the cold to blast it from you in all directions.

Crushing Will: You can bend others to your will, which is an almost tangible force. It reaches from your mind and clutches opponents, twisting them to your own ends. When you make yourself heard, you can command and control others. This power cannot be possessed by someone with Nobility.

Distant Mind: Your ability to use Group Mind is unparalleled, and you can send your psyche wandering without your body. The Fireborn are linked to their broodmates via a mystical connection that goes beyond thought and magic. Members of a brood need never be alone, and some would say that a brood is a single entity, not separate beings. While some Fireborn fight this connection, preferring their individuality, others cultivate it. Distant Mind is one way to do so, using your Group Mind Abilities to share your abilities with others, protect yourself from mental attacks, and even separate your mind from your body.

Earthstride: Earth parts before you like water, and welcomes you into its arms to protect you. You can move through solid material as if flying or swimming, and you do not leave a tunnel or need to breathe while earthstriding, though you cannot see. It is easier to earthstride through loose particles (sand, gravel, or dry earth) than it is to do so with soft stone (sandstone and dense clay), hard stone (granite, marble, and similar stone types as well as amalgamations like cement or brick), soft metals (gold or copper), or hard metals (iron or steel).

Ferocity: You deal death with a passion, and are hard to keep down. You are supernaturally adept at combat, fueling your attacks with equal parts hate and stubbornness. When others would fall, your ferocity keeps you fighting, holding off the inevitable while you hand your foes the defeat they so richly deserve.

Gaze of the Predator: Your power is in your eyes. You can bring a foe’s primal fears to the surface simply by staring at him. The foe’s reactions become rigid and jerky, his mind and body near paralysis, and it may be used against multiple living targets.

***Group Mind: You share a bond with others that allows you to communicate with a thought. You are never alone, so long as the members of your group mind live. You can communicate telepathically with them over great distances and with the speed of thought. One of the two powers that all dragons possess, and one that all scions possess as well.

Heightened Senses: You have the use of one or more senses beyond the human norm, being preternaturally sharp. You can hear the sound of a feather falling, pick out the edges of a snowflake in a blizzard, or identify a criminal by the scent he left at a week-old crime scene.

Heir of the Storm: Lightning and wind are your inheritance. You are the heir of lightning and thunder made flesh. You radiate power with a majesty that cannot be denied. You take little to no damage from electricity, and can even generate it within you. You can manifest storms, causing your body to darken to an ominous black silhouette and electricity to crackle across your skin, and allows you to ignore all movement difficulties caused by winds. Foes who attack you are shocked by electricity, ranged weapons are difficult to fire at you accurately, and winds and lightning surround your body, and you can build them up with concentration, releasing them in an expanding circular blast radiating from your body for several feet.

Instinct: When danger threatens, your primal responses kick into action. Your reactions and mental processes exist on a level more akin to an animal’s than a human’s. When danger threatens, your hair stands on end and your spine may tingle; by the time you know what’s happening, your body is usually already reacting to it.

Metabolic Control: You can control your body’s resources, making you quicker or tougher as circumstances demand. You can speed it up to move faster and improve your reflexes, or slow it down to reduce the effects of toxins and fight fatigue. You can even enter trancelike states to survive without food or water for long periods, or even cause your wounds to knit on their own in higher ranks.

Mythic Leap: Tall buildings, single bounds… at lower expenditures of this power, you can use your legs to propel you over small buildings in several bounds. At higher ranks, you can defy gravity itself.

Nobility: Your presence awes friends and foes alike, causing you to resonate majesty and grace. Other creatures stand in awe of your splendor, karma radiating from you in an ethereal aura that creatures feel but cannot see. You can inspire you allies to great achievements, and challenge and deride your enemies, with a call at lower levels, then a thought, then your mere presence among the truly powerful and noble. You cannot possess both this power and Crushing will.

Rapport: Beasts and men are soothed by your words. You can weave empathic connections with living creatures. With sentient creatures, this allows you at most to gauge their reactions, see through their lies, and communicate your emotions via unspoken thought. Animals are far more susceptible to your influence, and you can get them to feel increasingly more complex emotions at higher levels, eventually giving them commands to follow and seeing through the animal’s senses.

Shadow Spinner: You can weave the strands of the absence of light and the absence of life. You are always cloaked in shadows and meld into them. Darkness is your armor and your weapon. At higher ranks you can create shadows through mental focus, and form them into deadly blades of darkness.

Skin of Stone: Your skin wards blows and absorbs damage. You are supernaturally tough. Even if your reflexes can’t get you out of the way in time, your thick skin is likely to turn aside a blow before it does much damage.

Wallcrawler: You’re as comfortable on walls or ceilings as you are on sidewalks. Your method of wallcrawling can vary, from suction cups to barbed microscopic hairs, but the effects are the same: gravity is an inconvenience at most, so long as you’re hanging onto a wall or ceiling.

Legacies – A legacy is a grand, karmic ability. While those who fight supernatural foes tell war stories about the powers they’ve seen, they don’t talk about legacies to anyone but God; and to him, they merely pray that they’ll never have to face them again. These abilities represent the pinnacle of draconic power, the mightiest of all their capabilities. Rather than being powered by whim and will and physical stamina, legacies are powered by a dragon’s karma. This makes them both extremely powerful and extremely dangerous. In a world overrun by taint, they become more dangerous to use with each passing day, and yet the dragons’ and scions’ need for them against dangerous foes has never been so great.

Aegis Bearer: As long as his karma lasts, the dragon’s legacy makes him invulnerable. Given enough karma to draw from, you are invulnerable. The beasts whose scales were like iron; the monstrosities whose hides turned aside fire, sword, and spear; the indestructible foes of old; these are your kin, perhaps even your descendents. You fear no weapon forged by man, and the legacy expresses itself instinctively, even responding to attacks of which you are unaware. (Skin of Stone)

Baleful Gaze: The dragon’s legacy can turn his foes to stone with merely a look. Tales of your horrific gaze have filtered down throughout time and history, depicting you as the most hated and dangerous of monsters. And the stories are true. Your gaze can damage foes, blind them, slice into them, or turn them to stone. (Gaze of the Predator)

Fire Wyrm: The dragon bears the oldest and most feared legacy of his kind: the ability to breathe fire. A 60 foot long cone of fire (15 feet wide at the end point) may erupt from your mouth. (Child of Fire)

Ghost Walker: The dragon’s legacy allows him to shift his entire body into the ephemeral. You cross the boundary between the living and the dead, becoming an intangible, ghostlike creature unbound by physical constraints. This form gives you some powers over the dead and resistance to the actions of the living. At will you can shift your awareness into the realm of spirits and phantasms, gaining second sight, but if you choose to spend karma, you become incorporeal and can bring others along with you (though if you abandon them in mid-ghostwalk, they will have to wait for someone else with the legacy to rescue them, remaining incorporeal and unable to affect the physical world). (Distant Mind)

Green Lord: Plants and animals hearken to the bearer of this legacy. You can feel the sap flowing in the trees, hear their roots thrumming underground. Because you know them, they make way for you and grow at your merest touch. The birds and beasts of the field, forest, and stream give you their allegiance as well. You can communicate telepathically with any detected animal as if you were broodmates at will. By spending Karma, you can cause rapid growth of a large number of plants in a wide radius, making terrain impassible if you wish or restoring greenery to a barren land. You can also summon a number of natural animals, including specifying which animal types you wish to summon, and command them to assist you in any manner. (Rapport)

Illusionist: You show what is not there. You are an artist and the world is your canvas. You can spin images that can fool all but the most observant. At will, one with this legacy can make himself appear as any object of the same size and general shape (a man could become a lamp post, for instance), but can weave illusions over yourself, others, or areas, make them last without your concentration, and fool even those with the power to sense magic or the true appearance of things. (Shadow Spinner)

Karma Thief: The dragon’s legacy is an ancient and feared one: the ability to steal the stuff of spirit. Others draw clumsily on the karma within and about them, desperately clutching at the energy that fuels their powers or allows them to avoid harm. You can do more than simply pull the strings… you can see the loom on which karma is woven, the grand design it forms, and can reshape it to your liking. At will you can sense exactly how much karmic strength and power resides in an area or creature, and by spending karma you can steal or transfer the karma of your targets. (Group Mind)

Mind Tyrant: The mind tyrant uses his legacy to assemble mindless armies to do his bidding. Dragons have been labeled in myth and legend as despotic rulers of men, overlords that demand worship, sacrifice, or worse. As a tyrant, you are the living reality of that myth. Your will is undeniable, your presence extraordinary. So long as there are vulnerable minds among your enemies, they are just a step away from becoming your allies. At will, you can communicate mentally with any intelligent creature you can detect. By spending karma, you gain the ability to dominate or claim creatures. Once dominated, a creature can be claimed. Domination allows you to see through a creature’s senses, speak through their mouths, control their body like a puppet, give it specific commands which it must carry out to the best of its ability, using its own aspects, skills, and powers, or dominate a creature’s mind entirely, making it steadfastly loyal to you and willing to follow your mental instruction entirely, but also able to think and act independently of you in what it thinks will be the most beneficial manner to your goals, including protecting you with its life. By claiming a dominated creature, you may maintain a domination for a full day, renewed every 24 hours with a small amount of karma, and as long as they are within your mental range, they cannot break free and will remain loyal to you. (Crushing will)

Poison Wyrm: The dragon bears an insidious legacy, the ability to spew a poisonous gas. You can breathe poison gas, causing all those who breathe it in to be poisoned and asphyxiate. (Metabolic control)

Quickened Body: The dragon’s legacy allows him to seemingly act outside of time. You can move with more speed than a human can process, making your actions seem to be a blur. Hummingbirds’ wings seem like they’re moving through molasses, to your eyes. The more karma you spend, the more foes you can smite in the blink of an eye. You always have the first initiative, and by spending karma you can perform multiple complicated actions in what seems like a matter of moments. (Instinct)

Quickened Mind: The dragon’s legacy allows him to seemingly think outside of time. You can think, and therefore react, with unearthly speed. In the span of time that it takes most people to blink, you can solve a differential equation, plan an entire chess game, count the bricks on a wall, or start killing. While someone with Quickened Body can get first initiative for action, you already have a working plan for halting him, without spending Karma. When you spend Karma, you can practically think as much out as you want. (Clarity)

Scion of the North: The dragon can breathe a cone of absolute cold. (Coldspawn)

Shapeshifter: The dragon bears a legacy of chaos and flux, even unto the form of his body. You can do more than simply switch between dragon and human form. You can control every cell of your body, every claw, scale, and bone, shaping and restructuring them at your whim. At will you can change minor features of your natural form, from hair color to skin tone to anatomical proportions. This allows you to disguise yourself easily or look like someone specific. By spending Karma, you can alter your form to take on the appearance and traits of any creature you wish (size, armor, coloring, head shape, tail length, other cosmetic alterations, organ alteration, animal kingdom switching, skeletal alteration, quadripedal to bipedal, etc, increase your natural movement speed, increase your maneuverability, grow a weapon, or grow some draconic trait, among others). (Alternate Form)

Serpent of the Sun: You can generate blinding, pulsing light that sears away everything it touches with solar plasma. You can never be blinded and your sight always picks up minute details, even in pitch darkness, without spending karma. (Nobility)

Stone Lord: The dragon’s legacy causes earth and stone to move and reshape at his behest. You can control the earth and stone, reshaping it with your will and using it to assault your enemies. At will, you can shape stone and earth with your bare hands as if it were much less dense. By spending karma, you can touch a massive piece of stone, earth, cement, or brick and shape it with your mind as a sculptor shapes clay. You can cause animated stone constructs to erupt from the ground, send shockwaves through the area, and cause cracks, crevasses, and boulders to appear. (Earthstride)

Storm Lord: The storm lord can call upon his legacy to harness nature’s fury. Yours is the wind and the rain. Thunder is your roar and lightning is your claw. Humans may revere you as a sky or weather deity, and your powers support their claims. Your flight maneuverability and speed increase at will, and you can gather storms by exerting karma. You can generate high winds and storms, or calm the weather around you. The longer you gather or quell storms, the easier it is to keep them active. You can increase or decrease a storm’s intensity, call down bolts of lightning from the air to electrocute creatures, generate rain, tornadoes, hurricanes, and winds up to 50 mph. You and those you are touching remain unharmed by the direct effects. (Heir of the Storm)

Telekinetic: The bearer of this legacy can fight, kill, and guard without lifting a claw. To put it simply, you can move objects with your mind. Some telekinetics claim to see ghostly versions of their own (or their draconic) bodies performing their commands at a distance. Others use a spiritual schema in which they envision themselves as the things they move. Some, finally, consider themselves to be puppet-masters. They say that when they yank on the strings of karma that bind all things together, the creatures or items to which those strings are attached come along for the ride. At will, you may generate up to 5 lbs of pressure within a few feet of your location. Because of the limited amount of pressure you can exert, this ability cannot be used to attack foes or attempt anything more complex than typing on a keyboard or buckling or unbuckling a belt. By spending karma, you may generate an invisible construct of force that acts (and is shaped) as you wish. It is immune to all attacks, and can instantly relocate anywhere. You can also “see” everything within range of your telekinesis in an effect more like the sense of touch. (Crushing Will)

Teleporter: The teleporter’s legacy can bend space itself. You have the power to bend space itself, stepping through the folds of physical reality and emerging somewhere else. You may disappear in a puff of smoke, summon a glowing portal that you alone can enter, or slash at reality itself with your claws, rending a hole in space and stepping through. Regardless of the distance traveled, whether it’s across the room or across a continent, you can’t simply rip a hole in space and expect reality not to react. Teleporting always has a dramatic visual and aural effect. You can “blink” to any position within a few feet of your original spot at will, and by spending karma, you can teleport to A) someplace you’ve been before or B) a place that is relative to your current position (e.g. 500 feet due north, 1 mile straight up, etc.) If that space is occupied, then you are trapped in the non-space through which you teleport until you try teleporting again, or until someone else who can teleport comes to retrieve you. Because time does not pass in non-space, creatures or objects left there do not age. (Distant Mind)

Undying Serpent: The undying serpent refuses to give up his incarnation; as long as he retains karma, he cannot die. You are the demon in the night that never dies, the bleeding monstrosity that hunters track but can never take down. Karma does not simply empower you, it rebuilds you, keeping you alive despite the most grievous of wounds. Your wounds heal swiftly over time. By spending karma, you can regenerate rapidly, regaining health and life. This power automatically activates once you die, bringing you back to life. If it is a question of which part of your body begins regrowing, assume that the largest existing portion of your head becomes your new body from which you begin healing. If you are dead and have no more karma, you die permanently. (Ferocity)

Wind Wyrm: The dragon’s breath is equivalent to that of gale-force winds. (Heir of the Storm)

Wizard’s Bane: Magic, even that woven by others, is putty in your hands. Something about your karma is hollow and hungry. When you open it to magic, it swallows the arcane energy greedily. You may be known as a master arcanist or as the bane of all wizards, depending on how you use this legacy and your attitude toward magic. Indeed, some draconic warriors of the past have embraced this legacy for its ability to disarm. This can be used to prevent pain and destruction, by negating exceptional overkill in magic, or to cause it, by increasing the power of an enemy’s spell. You can instantly identify spells and spell effects at will, and by spending karma you can affect both your own and others’ spellcasting. (Shadow Spinner)

Name: Rintoul "Rin" Morrissey
Gender: Male
Sire: Ladon
Background: Athlete
Powers: Alternate Form, Group Mind, Heir of the Storm, Aquatic, Distant
Mind, Heightened Taste
Legacies: Shapeshifter, Storm Lord
Appearance: Rin is a tall, dark-haired American Football player, with a build to match. His eyes are dark brown and surprisingly deep, but they do occasionally twinkle with his laughter occasionally. He is 24 years old, with his hair cut short and his skin naturally tanned. He has a persistent 5 o'clock shadow that reinforces his scruffy "just-out-of-bed" look. He is 6'5", and has to duck his head often in rooms with low-hanging ceilings. He initially seems cold and angry, and his eyes seem to glare at newcomers due to his thick eyebrows, but when he grins it is obvious and warm...
Backstory: Rin is a former college football player from a town in New Jersey. Though he hid it well throughout his high school and college years, he has always been fascinated with myths and stories of heroes... and monsters. An avid partier, but also a gentleman all the girls would flock to him whenever they needed someone to be protective and imposing-looking, because he has this brotherly manner about him. He has come to London drawn by some mysterious urge to find something missing in his life, and to explore his family heritage ("Rintoul" is a Scottish name, and Morrissey an Irish one, but he has found records that lead him to believe that his family lived in England for many, many years. He is currently in grad school at the University of London, studying "Sports and Exercise Medicine," but with the strange things happening around him, neither he nor his professors and the other classmates are really into it.

Dragon Name: Tsirylathan (pronounced "SEER-ee-LATH-an")
Gender: Male
Outlook: Guardian
Breed: Sea Drake
Powers: Alternate Form, Group Mind, Heir of the Storm, Aquatic, Distant
Mind, Heightened Taste
Legacies: Shapeshifter, Storm Lord
Appearance: Tsirylathan is a huge drake with three heads on long, swanlike necks, along with a sweeping tail that ends in powerful flukes. His scales are mostly royal blue, with other shades of blue mixed in. Each of his circular, carp-like scales begin with a black point, then become blue, and have a golden sheen to the curved edges. This coloration gives him a shifting, glittering look as he moves; his body seeming to ripple and change from darkness to blue to gold, like the colors of the sky before a sunrise, or the way sunset glitters off the water. His wings are long, batlike sails of cyan, with a massive wingspan. His claws are webbed, and he has fins on his limbs and along his tail, as well as dorsal-fin crests on each of his three heads. He has three long, tapered snouts that curve into beaks, shark-like gills on the side of each head, forked tongues which he uses to taste the air and water, and short, carp-like whiskers. His eyes are wide and dark and emotional, like a seal's, but that emotion can shift from placid to joyous to sorrowful to terrifyingly wrathful, like the sea itself.
Backstory: Tsirylathan is a guardian dragon, but not one who guards treasure, a shrine, or a town. Instead, his charge is a bloodline. A family destined for greatness and descended from human royalty, Fae nobles, and lords of the Titans; they have been in the care of Tsirylathan for generations and reincarnations. He currently safeguards them in coastal villages near his lair, until the time when they will be called to achieve their greatness once more.
Hoard/Lair: Tsirylathan lairs in a sea grotto, accessible only from beneath the water, and hidden under a cliff. A ruined castle hangs precariously on top of the cliff, and the lair itself might contain hidden passages up to the ruins. The cave itself is full of phosphorescent algae and glowing crystals, and the water gleams like the blue grotto of Capri. It has a number of side caverns, including a few that lead to his hoard. His hoard consists of a number of precious and semi-precious stones, mostly blue-colored. He has sapphires, hawkseye, moonstones, zircons, turquoise, lapis lazuli, opals, diamonds, agates, and the rare blue pearls. He also
collects a number of flower seeds, some of the crowns of and royal treasures of the family he guards, a few magical and karmic artifacts, and some spare scales from each of his broodmates.

Scion
~Name: Annicka Brooks
~Gender: Female
~Background: Drifter
~Scion Sire: Dambala
~Physical Appearance:
Annicka (Ann) is pretty average. Fair (though slightly tanned) skin, chestnut colored hair that falls just above her shoulders, she's 5'6", with an average, athletic build and light-hazel colored eyes. Well, her hair may not be /that/ average-- its highlighted with reddish dye that graduates to a nice, not-burn-your-eyes-out red-violet. Its layered, and straight.

Her clothing consists of a sky blue baby-doll tee, its design consisting more or less of grunge textures and hard-to-read-text, under which is one of those long, decorative tank tops, the kind with horizontal stripes. those stripes match her hair dye. She wears dark blue skinny 'rocker' jeans, too. And converse; pink.
An assortment of bracelets, including charms that tinkle slightly, 'fake' prayer beads, and one of those trendy motorcycle chain bracelets she made herself. On her other wrist are spike-studds, and a string of ball-chain, and under those is a highlighter green fishnet, fingerless glove.

As a 'drifter', Ann's usually carries around a one-shoulder backpack, a worn but tough looking thing. Its got pretty much everything she needs to get around-- wallet, Id, toothbrush and toothpaste, bottled water. Usually dangling 'securely' from the bag, though so that she wouldn't kick it while walking was her motorcycle helmet.

~History:
Annicka hadn't been that attached to her family; she'd always be at a friend's house, school, the local library. Etc. As she grew older the mile radius in which she could be found away from the house grew as well. She always got around on... well, first it was a bike, then a vespa, then an actual motorcyle, once she got the money and was old enough. Her motorcyle is a spiffy little Honda Hornet 900.

Having moved from big-continent US to comparably island UK (a town called Durham) five years ago, Ann's been to the northern tip of the UK to the southern tip, and with a dislike for ships or planes, ended up in London. Why? It was ... interesting. She currently has a decent job as assistant manager at the local "strange book" library/bookstore, the type where you can find books on the supernatural, or science fiction, stuff like that. Not all those historical or encyclopedia crap. Too boring. History was history. Well, the real histories, anyway. Fiction history was also included in the library she preferred.

As for some sort of personality, Ann, despite her choice of garment, is quiet, relatively, and... one might call her ADDish, but it stems more from getting bored with one thing pretty quickly that actually having an attention disorder. Because of this she'll often come across as indiffrent or apathetic, but that's not the case. Really. It also might take some time before she really lets people become a close friend-- friends she know as acquaintences usually stay that way. No one has ever travelled with her anyway. But that doesn't mean she doesn't try to be nice and friendly and all that.

Dragon
~Name: Demorcia
~Outlook: Warrior
~Species: Dire Beast
~Powers: Alternate Form, Heightened Smell, Ferosity, Metabolic Control, Gaze of the Predator, Group Mind
~Legacies: Poison Wyrm, Undying Serpent

~Random Traits:
Skull: Vicious/Horned
Tail: Razored
Misc: Bioluminescent/ Spined/ Venomous

~Appearance:
Eyes: acid orange
General color: dark grey-blues/grey-purples. There are markings that glow neon green at will
Height: 9'6" at shoulder
Demorcia Picture HERE.

For alternate form Demorcia turns into either a crowned eagle or jackal. Is that alright?

~Other:
While thriving off of the carnage and killcounts that racked up through the ages, the art of war fell to brains and politics and not brute force. While cunning and subterfuge were certainly commendable methods with which to overcome a disagreeable opponent, the ageold and antiquated way of the warrior outlook had long been diminished. To get to the point...

Demorcia had only called herelf a Warrior, if not for failing to fit in any other Outlook; a being that once lived solely for the thrill of violence, of a life constantly risked, for the scent of fear and taste of fresh blood, the victory over odds that seemed too great, she had been reduced to a carrion beast. Feeding off of the disgraced fallen, an indiscriminating predator, Demorcia targeted the still living and the dead, regardless of species or race. The greatest interest to be had in this modern age was a target who could fight back, though the outcome should always remain the same. A mercenary with no master, an assassin who's hit was everyone and everything laid eyes upon.

If nothing, she retains remnants of the warrior outlook-- should Demorcia happen to befriend anything long enough not to have killed it, she will remain beside that 'friend', and defend them, willing to die doing what she loves best.


Ooc// if I need to change anything, please tell me... And I will edit/delete this post if I interrupted something ^^'

Rho981... Annicka and Demorcia look great! Although you don't really have to go "she/he/it" all the time when referring to Demorcia... just decide on one gender for the dragon. It is a creature born of the primal elements (especially primal, in the case of a dire beast) but that doesn't mean the dragon can't choose a particular gender to appear as.

I was wondering if I might ask you a favor, though... I was really impressed with your drawings of Demorcia and Erashu, and was wondering what I would have to do to get you to try your hand at Tsirylathan?

Scion
~Name: Daniel Ryder
~Gender: Male
~Sire: Ouroboros
~Background: Archeologist
~Powers: Alternate Form, Clarity, Heir of the Storm, Heightened Sight/Hearing, Rapport, Group Mind
~Legacies: Green Lord, Quickened Mind
~Appearance: Daniel's hair is long and scruffy, hanging about his ears and slightly down his neck, with a lock always blowing from the right side across his face. It is red/blonde in color, almost like copper, and his eyes are wide and innocent on the surface, but are cool and calculating just beneath. Because of their violet color, people tend to stay away from him. He is roughly 5' 8" and has a slender build that often makes people mistake him for a flat-chested girl at a distance. His voice is a light tenor in pitch, and he is friendly and honest to anyone whom he is close to -- which is not many. He wears a short sleeved, dark green shirt which he sometimes wears over a white long-sleeved shirt if it's cold. Blue jeans and white cross-trainers complete the wardrobe, and he also wears a gold ankh -- the Egyptian hieroglyph for 'life' -- in his pierced left ear.
~Backstory: Daniel was born in Boston, Massachusetts on May 25th, 1982, and lived there until he was three. After that, his father, an Irishman named Kevin Ryder, got a job which forced him and his family to move continuously around the United States. Because of this semi-nomadic lifestyle, Daniel was home-schooled to prevent the possibility of him making close friends when he would only be torn form them a year or so later. He is immensely loyal to those who have earned his trust, and prone to daydreaming, though when his mind is focused on his work, nothing will distract him. Though he rarely speaks, Dainel always makes sure that his words mean something, and are not just tossed out there. During his studies, be quickly developed an aptitude for history, literature, and science. He decided to pursue a career in archeology, specifically that of Egypt, Ireland, and is beginning to pursue interests in ancient Asian cultures. It is the stability of ancient times, so sharply different to the lonely chaos of his youth, which drew him to this career. The ancient kings and pharaohs are his friends, tombs and temples his playground. Because of all the travel his job requires, he has become fluent in several different languages, including Arabic, French, and Italian. He is currently teaching himself to speak Japanese. Daniel also has extremely accurate first impressions of people, sometimes bordering on eerie or even psychic. This is counterbalanced by his dry and sarcastic sense of humor, or rather, his attempts at one. He has just arrived in London from Egypt, where he and his team have just discovered a new tomb in the Valley of the Kings of a previously unknown pharaoh, to attend a commemoration dinner thrown by their patron, a wealthy but slightly eccentric baroness.

Dragon
~Name: Erashu (air-AH-shoe)
~Gender: Male
~Outlook: Observer
~Breed: Spirit Drake
~Powers: Alternate Form, Clarity, Heir of the Storm, Heightened Sight/Hearing, Rapport, Group Mind
~Legacies: Green Lord, Quickened Mind
~Appearance: Erashu appears to resemble a typical eastern dragon, with a long, lithe body and the ability to fly without wings. His scales are a pure, glittering white, while the mane that runs down his neck and the hair which tips his tail is golden. His wide, four-toed feet are as dexterous as hands, though his back ones are a little more bulky as they are not used for such activity as often, and do not become mere skin and bones at the knee, but are fully fleshed out all the way down. His head is long and narrow, and unlike many others of his kind, very expressive. The gold of his eyes resembles motlen drops straight from the sun ((If anyone reading this has seen the movie Spirited Away, just picture Haku without the whiskers and with different legs and a different color scheme)).
~Backstory: Erashu is a Spirit Drake, who sees himself as an Observer. He is happiest when he is flying, and is extremely agile in the air as well. He never took a mate, but is extremely close to his broodmates, though to no one else. He acts very innocent and curious, much like a small child, but it is mostly just that -- an act. In reality, he knows more than he lets on to others and is a very shrewd, perceptive member of his outlook. He is no fighter, but excellent at hiding himself and spying using the Alternate Form power his reincarnation inherited in the modern age. Therefore, in many of the major battles, he acted as a spy, gathering and sorting through massive amounts of information gained by his innocent appearance and demeanor, and, as he saw fit, using it to his advantage. He saw humans as weak creatures physically, but respected their potential to alter and possibly ruin the world if they were allowed to run rampant with knowledge and destruction. His lair was a naturally occurring cave deep in a mountain range which was impassible by humans in what is now the island of Ireland and has, since the mythic age, worn down slightly. In it, he stored a variety of different objects, especially things set with emeralds, his favorite gemstone. If the emeralds were set in gold, it was even better, but that was simply because he liked the color combination. These included but were not limited to crowns, the stones themselves, weapons, and jewelry. He also collected books of human, draconic, titan, and fae origin, provided he thought the stories contained within them were worth reading. When he could not be out flying, he would spend time in his lair, reading his collection of tales. He valued his privacy so much that only his broodmates knew the location of his lair, and even they had to be extremely persuasive over a long period of time in order to get him to tell them where it was.

OOC - I would have liked at least two more characters for the brood, so please continue to invite people. We can have them appear as "long lost broodmates" or something (A Mystic and a Hoarder would be especially appreciated).

The sun crept over the horizon, turning the dark sky golden, as the day when the brood would gather in their traditional, hidden meeting place dawned.

Far to the East, out in the sea, the waters churned, and a massive cerulean dragon breached the surface of the turquoise waters, his three heads rasping as they switched from breathing water to air, his graceful wings, part stingray and part bat's, "swimming" through the air, while his long, fluked tail beating the air beneath him to help propel the dragon skyward. Tsirylathan's three voices cried out in a triumphant, trumpeting cry of greeting to the morning, as the normally hidden dragon exulted in the warm sun and the salty breeze. It wasn't just the dazzling natural setting that inspired him, though, for today was the one day in each century when he and his broodmates would meet and discuss all that was going on with the world and their affairs in it. He had missed his sister's passionate ferocity, his brother's quiet watchfulness, and so much more. However, his spirits fell as he recalled that he would be asking for their advice and assistance in his own situation. His ward, the only member of the ancient bloodline he had watched over and guided for countless years, had joined the Atlantean Navy, and was scheduled to land in a colony, Wytaul, that had been settled by Atlantean explorers of the borders of Elysium, realm of the fae, centuries ago. This, normally, would not be cause for alarm, but his ward had alerted Tsirylathan to some unsettling rumors. Admiral Peterax of the Atlantean Navy was convinced by some astonishing reports that rumors and divinations had claimed that Wytaul was a piteous human village that was enchanted by the insidious fae and yearned for freedom. The Wizards of Atlantis, meanwhile, had heard stories of fae scoffing at human magical advances and many wizards coveted valuable fae artifacts. The Atlantean priests, on the other hand, had heard whispered rumors that the fae worshipped falsegods --- dark spirits cloaking themselvesin rumors of divinity, offending the true gods of Atlantis. These stories had united the Atlanteans in their desire to find the village, cast out the fae, and renew Wytaul's connection with the home island.

However, Tsirylathan had sidetracked on his journey to meet with his broodmates, and disguised as a seabird, he had explored and examined Wytaul. There were no grim fae overlords, no powerful artifacts that he could see, and no signs of a dark cult. He did, however, overhear rumors of Trmmli raiders, longtime pirates and foes of Atlantis who sought revenge for being pushed out of the Inner Sea by Atlantean naval and mercantile forces. The raiders, it seemed, were drawn to Wytaul for some as yet unexplained reason, and seemed to be siding with the locals. It was not at all hard to spot the Titan, Donar, who was infamous for being one of the few of his race who never honored the ancient accord of peace between titans and dragons, and who seemed to be on the lookout for disguised dragons (though the irony would have made Tsirylathan grin, had he not possessed a beak at the time, the threat posed by this rogue was not to be overlooked) so that he could gain honor and renown for slaying the dishonorable beasts who would meddle in human and fae affairs. And as far as the dragon could tell, the residents of Wytaul and the Fae reminded allied and defended each other, and the Wytaulians no longer considered themselves Atlanteans, though there were no sides of enchantment.

Soon, however, land came into sight, and Tsirylathan crossed hills, forests, and mountains until he came to an impassable range, where he descended with a downward flick of his saillike wings, and landed with a crouch in a secluded valley, in the center of which were a circle of comfortable stone slabs that the brood used as couches when they reunited. It appeared that he was the first to arrive, and so he stretched out on a rock, closed his many eyes, and began to bask in the morning sunlight.

Dawn light glinted and flashed off pebble-like scales of the purest white, casting a rosy sheen over the supple body they covered. The figure darted between the clouds, lined with a golden glow, and watched the sun rise over the edge of the earth.

Erashu dove into a steep dive, letting the cool coastal wind wake him up. Faster and faster he dove, until he suddenly leveled out and shot over the surface of the water. His tail dropped, skimming the surface to control his speed, then slowly arched back towards the coast, gaining altitude once more.

He followed the coastline for a while, watching the activities of the local humans going about their business on the beach below. Most were heading off in boats for the day's fishing, while some were already bobbing out onto the water. From this height, the boats looked like mere toys.

Erashu grinned. Today would be a good day. He hadn't seen his broodmates since their last meeting a century ago, and he had missed them severely. He was particularly interested in the affairs of the maine hydra that was his brother -- he'd heard tell that some very interesting things were going on in his part of the world, and his natural curiosity seemed to know no bounds. He wanted to find out of any of the rumors were true or not, though he doubted the more extreme ones were. Humans always made up the best stories.

The wind suddenly changed, smelling more of forest and less of water, and Erashu once again banked, heading for the range in which they had their meeting. With a quick flick of his tail, he grinned again -- just the brother he'd wanted to talk to! Once, twice he circled, then dipped his nose into another steep dive, leveling out just in time and landing smoothly on the rock next to Tsirylathan. "Brother! It's good to see you again! Have you been well?"

Maybe she should have gotten a few minutes of rest before the dawn broke; being nocturnal didn't necessarily include being crepuscular. The sun would start waking in about half of a standard human hour... Ah, well, the gathering place wasn't tortuously far away, and if she jogged the whole way, she'd get there 'in time'.

The meeting. Demorcia had decided long ago that she did, in fact, enjoy being in the company of her brothers every now and then, and thus was her main motivation for hurrying along. She took a path that spanned a couple of small mountains and valleys: by her way of 'jogging,' it was more of a tireless sprint. Despite her viciously skulled visage, which appeared slightly disproportionate to the rest of her sleek, predatorily muscled body, the wingless creature moved easily and efficiently through her surrounding, as if merely a shadow that passes silently in the morning mist that gathers at the feet of mountains and hills. In fact, as the sun did peek over the horizon, her midnight hue was perfect camouflage for the first-born rays of the day.

Despite not often coming into contact with humans for years upon years (as a couple did not so easily forget a (former) monster of bloodlust and war mongering), this did not mean that the Dire beast was deaf to the rumors that the wind told the trees. Some of it piqued her interest, like a remnant of a sick fantasy-- to go back to the bloody eras of battle-- but most of it she sarcastically dismissed as human folly. Then again, that was another reason to hurry to the brothers she knew would be waiting.

Sinuous limbs carried Demorcia easily to her destination-- she found delight in running, and, even if it was a bit silly, did so with her jowls slighly agape, taking in the crisp morning air that the forest trees made rich and refreshing. Catching the scent of the sea and of lands foreign to those she prowled, the Dire slowed her jog to an easy trot, the very back of her mind irrate at the fact that she could not fly. But that was a fact she'd long gotten over, and as she entered the grounds of the meeting, her simple, lighthearted greeting and soft eyes betrayed what couldn't be portrayed through a normally intimidating and feral facial expression.

"Morning!"