dragoncalled | 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

I'm not sure it's polite to go hunt people down and bow at them. [But Dust smiles, however little. Skyship preens a little, well aware that he's being complimented and quite pleased that his gesture was received and reciprocated so well.] Or to just do whatever he wants...

Nope, hunting down people to bow at them is definitely Japanese-levels of polite. [She snickers and ventures a little pat on Skyship's nose. She really does appreciate it and the levity it brings, big guy.] No comment on that last part though, I'll leave that to you to decide.

I'm Minako, by the way. I'm guessing you're a newbie too?

[Sky leans into the patting. This might be trouble, because Sky is a big dragon with a lot of strength. Please don't bowl over the girl...]

Dust. [Someday he'll get better about introducing himself...] Not quite new. I've been here a couple of months now.

[No worries, Dust, Minako is a tough girl who can stand her ground! For the most part. She staggers back a bit to accommodate the 100% dragon increase in her space, grinning as she glances back at the other Scion.]

Yeah? No wonder, you seem so comfortable with your dragon. Not that Eurydice and I are on bad terms, but it's still weird to be holding her, you know? It's hard to believe that she's real.

The first two weeks after Sky came out of his shell, all he did was eat. Eat, and eat, and then sleep. The magic and wonder wore off pretty quick.

[Though the way Dust pats his dragon's neck affectionately, that probably isn't entirely true.]

Just hope yours doesn't decide she needs to quadruple her size in a couple of days.

[She lets out a little snort of amusement.]

Hey, sounds familiar. Eating is one of my favorite hobbies. If Yuri picks that up, whether it's from growing or our soul bond thing, I'll probably be eating right along with her.

[Eurydice lets out a little smug, knowing chirp. Minako boops her nose without taking her attention away from the conversation.]

And no offense to yours, but I hope she doesn't get as big as him. I want her to be small enough to walk into a building with me.

There's eating and then there's 'eating your own body mass in a day'.

Not that it's my place to judge, but I don't think you do that. [At least, not if anything he's learned about humans is true.]

If you ask Sky, he still fits in any building he wants just fine.

Weeeell, my friends would probably say I could but I don't think I actually can. Or would want to. I'm a vain teenage girl under everything, I have my figure to worry about.

[She bursts out into a laugh.]

Oh no, you have a cat for a dragon.

[The big version of the "if I don't fit, I still sits" meme.]

I don't think he's aware he's growing. I'm pretty sure in Sky's mind, he's still a hatchling who could fit in my lap.... barely.

[Even fresh out of the egg, he'd been a handful and then some.]

Yeaaaah, nope, not happening. You'd get squished under him. Heck, I could offer my lap too but he'd still squish us both.

I'm stronger than I look, you know.

...but you're probably right anyway. [Dust has to acknowledge that with a little smile.]

[She waves a hand quickly.]

Oh, I didn't mean to insult your strength. I have no idea what you're capable of, after all. Different worlds and all that. Or least, I'm assuming different worlds. Ever been to Japan?

[He could answer that, but why do so directly, when saying what he's inevitably going to have to say will answer it and more besides?]

We're definitely not from the same place. On my world, we didn't even have humans.

[Though did she have Warmbloods where she was from? Asking the question makes it seem like he wouldn't have been out of place...]

Ooooh, gotcha. That's too bad. But you and the rest of the people on your world know about humans?

Nope. Hadn't ever met one, seen one, or imagined one till I got here.

So what do you think of us humans, then? Hopefully we're not that bad?

Not that different from us, on the inside. [For good or for ill. Humans, like Warmbloods, are people first, their species a distant second.]

[But then he cracks a smile.] You're pretty weird physically.

Welcome, New Scions! Sure is Cold...

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