dragoncalled | Welcome, New Scions! Sure is Cold...

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Welcome, New Scions! Sure is Cold...

Stop Dragon My Heart Around

New arrivals:
The dream you wake from is an unsettling one that feels like a memory. It sits out of place and too far forward in your mind, yet feels as real and clear as any other could be. It's the shadow of a massive creature blocking out the sun, skyline, or similar entity. A roar that shakes you to the core and and a feeling of dread and loss weighing heavy on you. Whatever the feeling or vision that comes across, it brings with it a sense that your world is no more.

A voice, reassuring and almost motherly in nature urges you gently to wake from your sleep. Rise from the ashes, little one, The voice calls in a whisper of wind and crackling fire, There is need of you, yet.

As the voice fades and the world of the waking returns to you, you are greeted with the sounds of faint bustling and the bounce of wooden wheels on stone or the sight of Upper Nuren's winding streets and open squares. A cloud passes by slowly near one of the stone pathway ledges and the sounds of nearby Touched and Remnants at work or leisure filter through the calm, cool air.

Whatever you had previously been wearing or carrying has been replaced. You might now find yourself garbed in a cloth tunic, pants or shorts, robe, dress or skirt, and sandals or boots if you wore clothing. A sash around your shoulders or a belt at your waist contains a small but weighted purse of gold coins, enough to acquire some materials, new clothing or food from the market and craftsmen in the city.

Current Scions:
With the temperature and weather taking such a drastic turn into winter, there are some acclimation issues to be expected. There is the normal scramble for warmer clothing, heating charms, and making certain the stores are full enough for the winter.

However, it seems an illness is also spreading with the cooler weather. The citizens of Nuren assure the Scions this is nothing new and nothing to concern themselves over, however it can be noted that this particular strain of the cold seems to be targeting Scions. It's possible they are more susceptible because of their newness to Osaaru and they haven't built up an immunity. There are a few Scholars that suggest this particular bug is drawn in by magic.

Infected Scions may experience a spike in magic that is somewhat uncontrollable. Ever sneezed flames? Or whatever your element is. It may be advisable to take cover in your caves to avoid causing damage to those around you. Or don't. Whatever you do, the illness should pass in a few days.

The Heart of Nuren

After waking, a pull starts from within your chest, growing stronger with each passing moment until it becomes the only focus. It tugs insistently once, then twice. A need to follow the pull curls around and through you, urging you toward a wide and torch lit staircase that leads down into the heart of the mountain. The steps are wide and sturdy, and the further down them you travel, the clearer the call becomes until you can almost hear it.

At the bottom of the steps, the large cavern beneath the city is revealed. The floor beneath your feet is warm to the touch, and the magic in the air calms your mind and fills you with a strange sense of safety and peace. No magic or harm can be done within the cavern. The cavern's floor is covered in circles of runes carved into the stone that surround small depressions in varying sizes, from a coffee cup's rim to that of a small circular table. Some of the depressions contain dormant dragon eggs of various colors, shapes and sizes. The runes surrounding them glow faintly with a magical light. Only the Scion who is bonded to the dragon within the egg can pass the runes.

Upper and Lower Nuren

Once you emerge from the cavern, the strange spell that fell over you fades. The bond between you and your egg or hatchling remains but your command of your own decisions and actions return and you are now free to explore, question and move about.

The streets of Upper Nuren are sparsely populated with Remnants, Touched and other scions with their eggs or dragons. Questioning any of the citizens leads to a variety of answers. You are a Scion of the Great Beasts. You were brought to the city from the ashes of time and space by the Great Phoenix known as Benra and the Great Serpent known as Mouros.

Pressing for more information will reveal that there are five Great Beasts. They are Benra the Phoenix, Chelba the Stone Giant, Renzu the Griffin, Mouros the Serpent, and Lysheu the Chimera. They are said to represent Mortality, Order, Knowledge, Time, and Chaos.

You are in the great Mountain City known as Nuren, and its people are the last remaining vestige of civilization on this wild and dangerous planet. The Touched and the Remnants share an alliance and work together to keep the city protected and its citizens alive and fed. According to these citizens of Nuren, you are here to help them defend the city, unite the remaining races and restore balance to the elements.

Soon after the first Scions awake, the city begins to buzz with the news and gossip that more scions have arrived. The curious and braver citizens make their way to Upper Nuren to get a look, and the rumors spread like wildfire through the city that Benra has come again.

Outer Nuren

Although those rumors make their way to Outer Nuren, the citizens there show far less interest in making the long trek up to Upper Nuren. With winter finally setting in properly, the temperature is warmer near the water and the citizens of Outer Nuren would rather preserve their heat than travel up the mountain.

The taverns fill with activity and warmth of those seeking evening entertainment and company. In the markets there is a push of people buying warm winter clothing and wood and charms to warm their persons and abodes. Many very skilled enchanters are taking advantage of the sudden turn in weather and the panicking of procrastinators to move a lot of inventory.

Evening

When night settles on the city, the taverns, inns and squares fill with curious citizens hoping to meet the new Scions or catch a glimpse of the Scions they have already managed to glimpse a few times before. Food and hot drinks are offered freely, as well as blankets to guard against the cool night air.

The night sky fills with beautiful displays of magic from the Fire, Light and Energy Mages, the Osaaru equivalent of fireworks, though far quieter. Several Scholars in bright and colorful robes can be found approaching the new scions and older ones alike, offering to tell them more about the city, Osaaru and the Great Beasts. Mages of similar garb guide scions to the cavern homes, and help where they can in making the scions more comfortable.

Small comforts of food, pillows, decorative crafts and other small tokens are offered to visible Scions by the citizens of Nuren in hopes of earning their favor and friendship.

Notes

Please direct Introduction questions to the Plotting Post Q&A
As a Reminder: Bahemait is not one of the Great Beasts openly discussed or mentioned by the Citizens of Nuren who believe the Great Dragon is little more than an old legend.

We would also like to emphasize that the Spirit energy within every resurrected character is required to use all magic in Osaaru, even that which is brought from their own world. The drain of powerful or excessive use of magic will lead to exhaustion.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Julian was able to manipulate the air around him to make him faster, to lengthen the height or distance of his jumps. However, he'd never seen anything like that, and he was sure no one from Paragon City, no matter what kind of shard they had or where it was located, could manage that.

Perhaps it was rude, but Julian was always walking a fine line between "unaware" and "indifferent" when it came to personal space. He approached the girl that had all but fallen from the sky, falling into step beside her.

"Hi," he said, a cheerful grin spreading over his cheeks. "I'm Julian. Can you fly?" If nothing else, at least he liked to get straight to the point.

Both sets of wings ruffled for a moment at the question. Normally such was asked of her by children back home, but she had to remind herself this wasn't home. So for others to be unused to a Valkyrie in the sky should not be as surprising as it was, even as her ear wings fluffed a bit at the question.

"...Well met Julian, I am Gwendolyn of Ragnanival."

It was technically true even with her banishment.

"I fly, though not as freely and ably as the fairies back home. Is the gift of flight not a common thing for any race that you once knew?"

A normal person would have winced at that blunt statement over the fact they were not on their worlds, but tact was not something a soldier, even a royal one was taught much of.

Julian wasn't easily offended, and took the question in stride; he was sure his answer was just as unsettling as the implication within her question.

"No," he said, shrugging as he looked her up and down. There was no malice or ill-intent there, just a genuine curiosity. "Where I'm from, people need to build machines to fly. Only animals are capable of real flight. Birds, bats. Insects. We talk about how much we wish we could, though."

He was clearly a bit awestruck.

She's hardly insulted considering how openly some had stared at her back home and since arriving. There isn't even a pause as her left wing stretches out from her hip so she can rearrange the pouch on the sash she had found when she woke up. Closing quickly with barely a sound.

"The men of the kingdom of Titania were much the same, though the only ones I have ever known to contrive a flying machine of any sorts are the dwarves that served Demon Lord Odin. Is there much in magic used for the ones you know of? Or is it so much forged metal in odd shapes that simply seem like magic?"

Her curiosity has overtaken her normal nature to not really engage in conversation unless spoken to. She hadn't really let it sink in until now how different the worlds could be of those brought here until now.

"Ah, both," Julian said. "I like to fiddle with scrap metal, but I'm no mechanic. They build things... Planes, zeppelins, these strange crafts shaped like birds. There's not far to travel where I'm from. Some people do use magic, though, to strengthen the materials. We can't use our magics to fly. It's not really something I can see happening without wings."

He'd tried.

"There are some creatures created by magic that might have the ability to fly a bit, or at least glide. Homunculi. Small golems. Pooka. Those sort of creatures. But nothing natural. Nothing like you or me."

"Valkyrie magic is within both our wings and ourselves, so it does seem as if you are perhaps correct, in that wings may be a catalyst for such. Even the Fae need their wings and they are pure magic if one is to believe."

She tilts her head to the side as she registers one of the names he had listed.

"We have Pooka as well back home, though the chance of that race of beings being the same from both or our worlds is less then likely."

"Pooka can be one of two things in our world. People who are cursed, or changelings, plain and simple. We only have humans, when it comes to sentient races. Everything else is either born of magic or science, or..." Extinct. That bothers him, for some reason. He shrugs, brushing it off.

"So what's a valkyrie do? There are stories of valkyries in our world, but they're old and badly translated. I don't think you're the same thing."

"I can not imagine a place of only one race, regardless of the conflicts that were there amidst our various conflicting natures."

The slightly somber tone is brushed away as her head feathers rise and open a little at the question. She has no qualms in answering such with pride and matter of fact tone.

"We Valkyrie of Ragnanival are fierce warriors who serve honorably and loyally, fearing not the death that may await us at the end of an enemies blade."

"Wish we had your people in Paragon City," Julian said, perhaps a little bitterly. "We have a sore lack of honor."

He played with a lock of dark hair, realizing that it was less decorated than it would usually be; a brief look of confusion passed over his eyes. A moment later, he realized that his usual adornment - black feathers - might have offended Gwendolyn. Maybe it was a good thing he wasn't so dressed up.

"Is there a lot of war where you live?" he asked, trying to change the subject in his mind with the one within the conversation.

"It is a hard thing to maintain if one does not have something they truly wish to fight for, as well as to be easily twisted to serve an agenda. Perhaps all that was needed was a spark to find it within your land and people."

It's hard to imagine an entire city lacking honor, even with all she has seen and also done. Then again her views are also a bit skewed at times as she tilts her head a bit at his small gestures before answering his latest question.

"...There has been conflict spanning an entire generation over a prize, a prize that turned out to be an item best left buried in the sands of its first ruined kingdom. Even without the war, my land has always been about strength and battle long before my father unified the various tribes into one nation. Is your land one of peace or open warfare? Or is it simmering in a mixture of both?"

The king.

The words flashed in Julian's mind, a stern reminder, but his conversation with Gwendolyn distracted him from it.

"My land... Mmh. There was a war, a long time ago, and the world hasn't really been the same since. Paragon City's pretty much all that's left, and it's... Fairly lawless. Gang wars, and a mess of people caring too much about people who are wealthy or attractive and not enough about things like knowledge and medicine and life itself."

He hoped he sounded as bitter as he felt.

The frown is mostly of her attempting to understand the mindset he is painting. Yes many would fall to greed and vanity and violence as her land had plenty of such in its past and present, but even then they had come together when it was needed to make certain their survival.

"I do not wish to claim any familiarity with that of you speak as you are the one to witness such, and I only a listener of your tale. Yet, it feels as if nothing is there to bind them and direct even if such is a common enemy that threatens enough that the ones locked away in gilded cages could not ignore."

She had no love for those who hid away from the world either through greed or fear. Though she shakes her head at where this had all ended up.

"Forgive me, for bringing such talks into being when you likely did not wish to recount such when you had approached me."

"No, it's fine." He smiled warmly, unfazed by the dreary turn their conversation had taken. "You're the first of your kind I've ever met, so technically, I'm the one who started it, right? But you're right. I always like to think our world will come together, someday. I feel like I've read a story about a king who united all our people. Maybe an old myth, or a fairy tale." He shrugged. It gave him a headache to think about it.

"Either way, everyone's always fighting each other, and no one likes anyone but their own group, their own family. So we have no common enemies. Not really. I'd say a common enemy would help, but... I suppose, better the evil you know than the evil you don't, right?"

"The thought of my kind being unknown to others is still unexpected at times. So in this we both could be of remiss, but let us forget such then if neither of us are harmed by the words."

She's just grateful she hasn't somehow offended him as of yet.

"There could be truth a legend that is overlooked due to lost parts through the years. It would certainly be of a better course of unification then a threat of unknown quality. Back home words of prophecy were known to come to pass. Perhaps there is more to the tale then mere legend."

"There usually is." Julian wondered where the stories came from, if those who told them had supposedly been lost before they ended. "I just wish it was easier, you know? I mean, to tell which myths came from prophecy and which were just...stories."

It felt wrong to say "just stories." All stories came from somewhere, but so many were mere fiction, meant to entertain. Then again, Julian mused, he was certain he'd heard of Valkyries before, but nothing like Gwendolyn.

Pleased, he continued. "I'm glad I met you. You get me thinking, and not just in circles."

"You never truly know until one brings one into true motion. If nothing else that hope you may see one come to pass is all you may be allowed."

The smile is sincere but brittle and odd, like such a thing is very new to her.

"I do not know what it is that I have done, but I am gladden I was able to help another in this place even if only slightly."

Because she's pretty much certain they are all reluctant comrades now in this place.

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Welcome, New Scions! Sure is Cold...

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