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 Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 4:06 pm
Long ago, a meteor struck in the middle of a forest, leaving behind a great, rocky crater. Over time, this crater filled with water and became a lake, well known for the richness of color of its royal blue waters. Carved behind a steady ledge on an island in the center of this lake (known to the human locals as either Dragon Island or Flight Island interchangeably) is a small complex of caves, really not much more than a few kyn-sized dens and other rooms branching off at the end of a long tunnel. It's not much to look at, but it's secure, warm, and homey. There is a large boulder beside the ground entrance (there are a series of escape tunnels venting out the top of the island) to be rolled across in case of emergency. Here dwells Draconargentum and her flight of kyns. There is a human town a few miles to the west; however, these people are none too pleased with their draconic neighbors and are common antagonists of the flight and it's owner. Thus, it may be dangerous to attempt a crossing of the lake by boat, due to certain traps in the water and the defensive advantage of the flight's island.
You seem like a friend, however. Come on in out of the weather. It's not much, but it's home. Please, make yourself comfortable. Owner: Draconargentum A blue-eyed martial artist who always keeps her face covered for a reason she won't speak of. Her mood is unpredictable, swinging easily between seriousness and lightheartedness, but rarely to anger towards the ones she cares for. She usually has a good sense of humor, but she's also quite learned. Her friends and kyns usually call her "DA"; if she has any other name, she has told no one else of it. DA plays both the ocarina and the hang drum (though obviously not at the same time). Fiercely protective of her flight, and wields her sword to defend her new family, the Crater Lake kyns. She used to be a travelling mercenary, and so is able to draw on her impressive experience in battle, herbal healing, and tactics.  Assistant: Kaido A boy from the human village, about ten years old. Unlike the majority of the townsfolk, he harbors no hatred towards the Crater Lake Flight, instead having a deep respect for them and a desire to learn about their kind. He is young and actually rather short (though his size is something of a touchy subject for him), but he is surprisingly capable in what he puts his mind to, perceptive, a quick learner and a creative problem-solver. He has an especially close friendship with Jicho, although the gargoyle is firstbound to Draconargentum.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:25 pm
Family Trees
Akikonomu x ???
Myrrh x Draco Magnus
??? x Rutilus
Litienn x ???
Amaterasu x ???
??? x Jicho
??? x Zafly
Lazulai x ???
??? x Asani
??? x Batus
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:36 pm
 Akikonomu
Gender: Female
Standing: Princess
Mate: None
Offspring: None
Size: Average, but of unusually slender build
Personality: Akikonomu hates being called by her full name, and so goes by Kiko. Paradoxically outgoing yet shy, she is the "cheerleader type" around small groups, always smiling and trying to make everyone happy, but gets easily embarrassed and quiet in the presence of lots of people. Sometimes acts very childish, especially when irritated or discomfited. She enjoys singing when she thinks no one can hear, and actually has a very fine voice.
Speaks in orange
The princess of the Crater Lake flight found her way to the human Draconargentum purely by chance. The human was a traveller, a roving sword, looking for something that she couldn't quite place. It was autumn: the trees that were not coniferous had changed into their customary cacophany of hues. The air was chill, even on the lower slopes of the mountains that protected the crater to which Draconargentum travelled. She couldn't help but know that winter would be upon the world soon.
The moon was full and pearlescent among the stars, glittering in the night reflected in the shifting surface of the river along whose banks the roving girl travelled. It was peaceful enough, but sometimes that is the most dangerous time, and so she kept her eyes open. However, it was not a glint of dangerous steel that caught her eye: the shine was softer than that. Glancing around quickly, the masked girl turned and stooped for a better view of that which had caught her attention. Nestled among the grasses of the river bank, wrapped in soft blue cloth and draped with a slender gold chain and a finely crafted tiara, was what appeared to be a giant pearl. Could someone have lost it? A stone that size would be worth a fortune...
Draconargentum reached out slowly to lay her palm on the stone, and almost immediately stilled. This treasure, this miniature moon fallen to earth, was warm to the touch, and shifted infinitesimally under her fingers. Another glance around: only crickets and a lone nightingale broke the silence. Gently she lifted the egg (for it struck her that an egg was the only thing it could be) and cradled it close to her chest, feeling more than hearing a small squeak from within through her breastbone. As she leaned further over the egg, protective, a silver chain dangled away from her body, the medallion lightly tapping the pearlescent shell: the medallion, a winged, whiskered silver dragon curved and twirled around a flat red ring. The creature within squeaked again in response.
This was it. She could feel it: this small life, and others like it which still called to a part of her, were what she had been searching for.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:38 pm
 Myrrh
Gender: Female
Standing: Aerial Acrobat
Mate: Draco Magnus
Offspring: None
Familiar: Pip
Size: Slightly undersized. Streamlined conformity.
Personality: Myrrh is intelligent and proud, sometimes too much so when she feels that she could do something better than someone else. She is respectful to the utmost of elders and those she deems worth the time to form friendships with. Extremely loyal. Never one to let others, especially males, tread on her rights unchallenged. Loves flying (she's a trick flier), the faster, the better. If she had the stamina, she'd fly everywhere and never land. Myrrh is one of the only kyns that cannot breathe or manipulate fire: she was born without the ability. However, she and DA together created a technique as or possibly more devastating which harnesses her speed, flexibility and wind magic. They have not yet named it.
Myrrh was one of the kyns allowed to travel with Minya to the Meadow of Life and gained a small friend from that journey: Pip the Butterkyn. Pip, for all of his small size, is very protective of Myrrh; it's not unusual for him to n** at strangers, or even at DA from time to time.
Speaks in blue.
Myrrh's egg came to Draconargentum when her first, Akikonomu, was half-grown. The two had been exploring the geography of the crater together, careful after their first few encounters that Kiko should avoid the human settlement at the main mouth of the natural bowl, where she was seen as dangerous and a monster. The wild ones in the mountains had prejudiced them against all Kyn races.
The two would need a permanent place to stay soon: Kiko didn't have the stamina for long flights (nor did she yet have the skill), and Draconargentum knew that she would be persecuted in many places if they moved around. The Japanese was like a daughter or a beloved little sister, and the human would not willingly subject her to that sort of treatment. The human and the kyn had often visited the lake that formed the crater's eye, but never the island at its center: it was too far on all sides from the bank for a human to swim to, and Kiko went nowhere without her human.
To practice her flying, Kiko had taken to carrying the only weight available to her, Draconargentum herself. It was the only way to build endurance. A small altercation involving a deer, a young man from the human town, and a flock of rather ornery starlings, though, drove the young Japanese off course and straight towards the island. They made it almost all the way to the island before the exertion became to much and the two were forced to land in the water. From there, though, they could swim.
While Kiko tried to dry off the clothing she insisted on wearing on the beach ringing the island, Draconargentum did some exploring, eventually ascending to the plateau overlooking the entire lake. There, she found a shallow depression, clawed and with old shell fragments and nest materials here and there, empty but for one small egg, silver-gray and marked with an odd swirl. The human's surprise melted into awe, though, as she found the egg alive and slid down the side to introduce Kiko to her new discovery...and their new home.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:39 pm
 Rutilus
Gender: Male
Standing: Lost Brother
Mate: None
Offspring: None
Size: Larger than average; approx. equal full-grown European male
Personality: Rutilus is an optimist, friendly, imaginative and social. He is often considered charming, an impression reinforced by his simple eloquence of speech, creative talent (he has a fine tenor, and is one of the only ones Kiko will knowingly allow to hear her sing) and willingness to help. However, it's not difficult to take advantage of his easygoing nature, and once you have, he gets very defensive. He is very protective of his flight and owner, especially against other, non-kyn-owning, humans. His coloring makes him almost invisible when he's partaking in one of his favorite activities, sunning on the beach of Flight Island.
Rutilus was one of the winged kyns that followed Tigris Euphre to the Island of Death. His whereabouts are currently unknown to his flight or human. He is considered lost, but they hold on to hope that he may one day return.
Speaks in brown
Rutilus' egg came to the Crater Lake flight the summer after Myrrh had reached her full growth. The three inhabitants of Flight Island were well established in their home, and had managed to erect some fortifications against any humans who might seek to drive them out. It was a fairly quiet time: the two kyns and their flightmistress felt secure for the first time in a while.
Myrrh was, as was her norm, performing acrobatics above the pristine surface of Crater Lake: it was one of the perks of her smaller-than-usual size and sleeker shape that she tended to be faster and more flexible than others of her race. Kiko was singing to herself, watching the skies, and Draconargentum practiced her swordsmanship on the plateau (which had long since been cleared of the abandoned nest after they had moved in).
The peace was shattered, though, by a piercing shriek, a commotion from the human town. There was no time for second thoughts: all three knew the cry of a kyn in distress when they heard one. Against what they had learned, the human and the two kyns raced to the human town, and what they saw startled and enraged them: apparently a wild gargoyle from the mountains had attacked, but had captured and was soon to be slaughtered. The wild one had gone mad with rage: if she kept on, humans would die along with her.
The attack was coordinated. Both the tame kyns strafed the town, doing only minimal damage to outlying buildings, as a destraction. Draconargentum leapt from Kiko's back and raced to slice the ropes that bound the wild one. In a frenzy and free of its bonds, the gargoyle took to the air and tried to attack the town and humans directly. Between the two of them, though, Kiko and Myrrh led her away and drove her off. It was in all this commotion that Draconargentum found the source of the attack, hidden among the haversacks of returning warriors: a lumpy, sand-colored egg. The gargoyle mother might return if she knew her egg remained among the humans, or worse if they had killed it. Wrapping it in th long end of her scarf, the kynmistress snuck away, calling for her friends when all was safe again.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:40 pm
 Litienn
Gender: Female
Standing: the Quiet One
Mate: None
Offspring: None
Size: Larger than average
Personality: Litienn doesn't talk much, but generally doesn't need to; she's expressive without having to verbalize. She has an amazing awareness and sensitivity to the world around her, almost to a point that could be termed a type of environmental telepathy. She is an observer and a dreamer, but at the same time quite analytical of what she sees and hears. She loves the arts, but has yet to choose any particular one to follow. However, despite her quiet nature, she doesn't seem opposed to atheletic competition, and even enjoys sparring.
Speaks in green
Litienn's egg appeared soon after Rutilus had grown to adulthood. The winter of that year had been especially harsh in the mountains, and hunting was hard. The flight soon realized this by the howls that echoed through the forests ringing Crater Lake. Draconargentum knew the voice of true wolves: these were deeper, and far more frequent at night. There was little doubt in her mind that they belonged to Lunar Kyns. Although this didn't worry her, the people of the village were on edge, irritable, and ready to fight should they see hair or scale of any kyn, tame or no. There were even whispers among the people of taking the offensive and driving them back to the mountains. Whenever the flightmistress heard them she spoke vehemently against the idea: aggression could bring only bloodshed and, she reminded them, all Kyn, regardless of their shape, were intelligent. Wolves might not hold a grudge; Lunar kyns definitely could. But the humans of the village had no interest in such knowledge: beasts of the wild were monsters to them.
There was a tenuous peace for a few more days, but human cries shattered the silence one red evening, violent war yells met with barks and whines too complex to be anything but language. Draconargentum couldn't just stay on the island: even if the Lunars misunderstood her intent, she had to help them. It would take too long to row across in the small canoe-boat that she had built; she called Myrrh to help her across, begging her and the rest of the flight to stay on the island: if they took part, it would only lead to further tensions.
The human followed the cries trailing angrily through the trees. When she arrived, she found that at least half the village was on the attack. Already one lunar, a female with two tails (later Draconargentum would note that that couldn't be normal), had fallen never to rise again. The two sides fell back momentarily, humans brandishing swords and bows as the lunars were pushed back. A glance revealed that the lunars also had pups that they were desperately trying to protect. That was enough to throw the flightmistress into a rage.
In hindsight, she would grimace at herself for not considering what could have happened if she hadn't had the element of surprise, if one of the archers had been too quick on the draw, if the Lunars hadn't understood, something. In her rage, though, there was no room for reason: she loosed a harpy scream and leapt into the breach, planting herself between the two sides with her back to the lunars, sword directed towards the aggressors, gleaming scarlet in the dying light as though it had already tasted blood that day. Her fury kept her from making any sound but ragged panting; her stance, though, and the eyes ice-blue framed between the crimson of her scarf and her headband (her hat having fallen off and hanging at her shoulders from the string round her neck) demanded an end to the bloodshed. The lunar pack took the opportunity to melt into the forest. The humans were displeased at what they saw as a betrayal from one of their own kind, but they, too, had losses, and returned to their town quietly.
That night, the air was void of Lunar howls. Draconargentum spent it in the clearing, near the slain lunar, trying to dig a grave large enough to give the creature a decent burial. Sometime in the night her three found her and, between the four of them, the sad work was finished.
As the fallen kyn was placed in her grave, Draconargentum made another discovery: hidden during the fray by the thick fur of it's mothers belly was the trademark crescent of a lunar egg, forest green and gray. Cradling the egg next to her chest, the human made a promise to the small life within: it would never be forced to face the world alone.
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Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:53 pm
 Amaterasu
Gender: Female
Standing: Judge of Character
Mate: None
Offspring: None
Size: Equivalent to large wolf
Personality: It's believed that Ammy can't speak, though she seems to understand other's words perfectly. She's not shy in the least, rarely hesitates to help out, and is a great judge of character. She seems to be finely attuned to the balance of good and evil in the world, and becomes unsettled when the balance does. Amaterasu is a powerful fighter with uncanny abilities to waken and conjure the elements and certain other objects. She acts too wise for anyone to believe that she is truly as young as she is; some have suggested that she may even be a reincarnation of an ancient Lunar hero. The mirror on her back is one of her most powerful weapons.
Speaks in red
Amaterasu's egg was uncovered when Litienn was only a half-grown pup. Some measure of peace had returned to Crater Lake and the human town since the incident with the Lunar pack, which had not returned since that day. The flight hoped that hunting had grown better in the mountains, that or the pack had been able to find a safer territory. The lonely pile of stones marking the grave of the female that had fallen stood as a warning to any other kyn that this place was dangerous.
Even as a pup, Litienn's strange connection to her environment was so acute as to be a little unsettling, but no one could deny the usefulness of it. When the group made excursions to the forest surrounding Crater Lake (they had almost finished digging a tunnel under a relatively shallow portion of the lake since a kyn with no wings would otherwise have difficulty leaving the island), Litienn always seemed to know when human hunting parties grew near and gave warning.
It was after returning from one such excursion that Litienn started acting oddly. She seemed to be paying especial attention to one place on the rough walls of the compound's hub, about human chest-height from the floor. When asked what was wrong, the only words she could draw from her yet limited vocabulary was "egg" and "hide." For awhile, the adults of the flight simply brushed it off as pup sillyness. Soon, though, the insistency of her actions made them give in and begin excavating the wall.
They dug more than a meter and a half into solid rock before they realized there was a hollow chamber ahead. Another day of work brought it and it's contents to light: it was a small cavern, smooth and almost perfectly square on all sides, covered in ancient writings, with a pedestal at its center. And perched upon the pedestal: the crecent of a lunar egg. At first, it was so covered in dust that they thought it, too, was carved from stone. One touch, though, revealed that the shell was indeed smooth. There was little hope from the flightmistress and her winged kyns that the egg might still live; surely it was ancient, far too old to have survived. Litienn, though, gave it only a cursory sniff and touch of her nose before declaring, "Warm. Egg hatch."
And indeed the egg was warm and alive.
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 6:33 am
 Jicho
Gender: Male
Standing: Second-Sighted
Mate: None
Offspring: None
Size: Average, very powerfully built
Personality: Jicho has grown up hearing stories about his lost elder brother, and so feels that it is his job now to protect his flight family. He is quite intelligent, and enjoys solving and creating riddles. He is compassionate, tolerant, and a good listener, so often acts as a third party in disputes despite his youth. Jicho has a touch of the second sight, but he can't control it and, when he does have a vision (which is rare), it troubles and tires him greatly, but prevents him from sleeping or eating for some time. He dislikes total darkness, as the sight seems to activate more often in lightless conditions. Jicho is one of Kaido's best friends, and treats the human boy as if he is his own brother.
Jicho won the chinese lantern during the Chinese New Year event and uses it to ward off the dark that triggers his visions.
Speaks in dark red
Jicho's egg found it's way to Draconargentum after Rutilus' disappearance. Since the morning that the kyn that she considered as a brother or a son was discovered missing, she had spent every night on the island plateau, watching for his return. More times than not she fell asleep while sitting there on the rocks, waking to find one of her kyns, usually Litienn, curled around her like a living blanket. The human was always grateful for the companionship: it made it less painful when she wondered if Rutilus' running away was her fault.
On Draconargentum's resupplying visits, even the humans of the town realized that she was quieter, sadder, more introverted than before, though they didn't know that one of the Crater Lake Flight had gone missing. There were whispered rumors and speculations here and there about the "Dragon Girl," though, that always died on lips when she came into view. The women especially, when they thought her out of earshot, would whisper among themselves about "that poor, bewitched young woman."
Now that the tunnel to and from the island was finished, Draconargentum usually made her supplying excursions alone in the interest of protecting her girls; ever since the Lunar incident, most of the humans were even more prejudiced against kyns than before, if it was possible. It was an odd mix of pity and prejudice that had assailed the flightmistress that day, and she was eager to leave it behind. She trudged away from the town, the supplies heavy in her haversack. About a mile out, though, she paused at a call from behind, asking "Dragon Lady" to please wait a minute. Turning, she saw a child, likely not yet even ten, chasing after her, something dark clutched in his thin arms. She remembered the boy, mostly due to the fact that his mother was one of the citizens most vehemently opposed to her presence and the presence of the Crater Lake flight.
The boy was rather short: Draconargentum went down on one knee to be at his eye level, asking what was wrong. Once he had regained his breath, the child came quickly to his point: he, like the flightmistress, had secretly harbored a deep respect for kyns and wanted to learn more about them. That said, surely his mother would never allow him to keep a kyn, so would she please take care of this. At that, he held out something lumpy, mostly black but dark red at its base and covered with what looked like red eyes. Draconargentum knew that shape: a gargoyle egg. He said that a travelling warrior had slain its mother, then tried to sell it in town; no one would buy it, and the warrior didn't want to lug it around or risk it hatching, so he had simply given it to the lad when he had asked.
Draconargentum asked the boy's name: he was called Kaido. With a soft smile in her eyes, vaguely sad and poignant from the memories that such an egg recalled, she gently took the treasure, promising Kaido that the kyn would be well taken care of, and that, so long as he kept the visits secret, he was always welcome on Flight Island. Within her heart, she knew that the little one within the shell would never replace Rutilus, and that it would be cruel to expect it to, but she also knew that the small life within might help her heal, as might the boy before her beseeching her with eyes and voice to let him be her apprentice.
Thus did Draconargentum find not one new flight member, but two.
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:30 pm
 Zafly
Gender: Male
Standing: Seeker of Knowledge
Mate: None
Offspring: None
Size: A Little on the Skinny Side
Personality: Zafly seems to have an almost insatiable appetite for information, especially concerning the occult and magic. Once he's started a considering a problem, he is usually able to bring it to a logical conclusion. He tends to work best on his own and distances himself from others, which can lead those who don't know him to think that he has trouble showing emotion and that he works on a different wavelength than most others. In truth, he doesn't much like over-the-top expressions of emotion (they make him nervous), but instead conducts what he considers his personal business, emotions included, in a quieter manner. Zafly often conducts experiments in his cave, though as often as not they have explosive results: the black marks and gouges in the bedrock are proof of this.
Zafly has great interest in Jicho's second sight, and believes that it may be connected to events yet to happen as well as being a possible link to Rutilus' whereabouts. Sometimes his zeal to study the ability borders on indelicacy.
Speaks in purple
Story coming soon.
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 4:31 pm
 Lazulai
Gender: Female
Standing: the Hardhead
Mate: None
Offspring: None
Size: Equal to average male gargoyle
Personality: Lazulai is just about as stubborn as they come. Once she's set her mind on something, it's almost impossible to discourage her from her goals. Generally she's not very detail-oriented, however, which often leads to her downfall. Despite all her failures, Lazulai is both self-confident and self-reliant. She has a good mind for numbers, and helps DA with finances. Her current goal is to get the humans of Kaido's village to trust her so that she can take care of gathering supplies for the flight, but thus far she's met with much resistance from both the people and her flightmistress, who fears for her safety.
Speaks in teal
History coming soon
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:16 pm
 Asani
Gender: Male
Standing: The Loner
Mate: None
Offspring: None
Size: Unknown
Personality: Asani does not actually live with the rest of the Crater Lake Flight; as soon as he was old enough to survive on his own, he ventured off and found a small cave low in the Crater's wall, a few miles from the lakeside. He does not like the company of other Kyn, and he isn't particularly fond of humans, either, although he tolerates DA's presence when she comes to check on him, and occasionally he spends time with Batus, who hatched around the same time. He is the most volatile of the Crater Lake Flight: although he generally isn't aggressive and has been known to retreat when threatened, Asani will drive off people and kyns who invade his space, territorially and metaphorically speaking. He wishes that he were courageous enough to interact easily with others as the rest of his flight does: he hates being shy.
Speaks in maroon
Story coming soon.
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Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:58 pm
 Batus
Gender: Male
Standing: The Peace-Seeker
Mate: None
Offspring: None
Size: Unknown
Personality: Batus is easily one of the most savage-looking kyns in the Crater Lake flight, but his fearsome appearance belies his true nature. The vulturelike kyn is in truth incredibly peaceful and zenlike: one of his favorite activities is meditating at the peak of the den. He has helped to mediate disputes between flight members because he is so unflappable. It is the rare circumstance that breaks Batus' calm, and in those cases, beware: a focused mind is truly a terrible weapon in battle. Batus is one of the only kyns that Asani will allow to be near him for any significant amount of time.
Speaks in saddle brown
History coming soon
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