Isrid

Guardian of the Honored - Bearer of Blessings - Carrier of Curses

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Isrid watches over the dragons selected by the Queen to become the Living Honor of the clan.

Dragons are often selected to join the clan into this class, though some are born into it. They are referred to collectively as Honor - existing only to honor the Plaguebringer and the clan. They are treated highly by the clan, as they will reflect the worthiness and strength of the clan as a whole to others once they depart. These dragons devote themselves to finding and honing the strongest aspects of their character. Should they fail this, they are resigned instead to hand over their body, to be remade as the world demands. Rarely the Honored may be sent to allied factions in other elemental regions, those sent represent the Clan of Singing Blood and the Plaguebringer's interests in distant lands, even as they may come to also serve other gods.

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Isrid is also Avidan's mate. Outwardly this seems to be a highly formal arrangement. Avidan, unusually, never makes any comment on the matter, and Isrid is largely mysterious about all matters. They both endure a Bloodworm infestation, which causes their bodies to be wracked with disease. Isrid has rotting and feverish flesh from which drips and evaporates terrible, poisonous odors and worm-eaten wings. Unlike her mate she does not have to endure bone-binding spurs or calcified tissues, but her body is still marred by countless battle-scars.

Unlike Avidan, Isrid is highly contagious, although as a plague dragon, she maintains a high level of control over who she infects. Most other dragons cannot survive the disease which affects her.

Stories of Isrid's origin are varied, but most follow such a pattern as this: The Queen was walking the territory around the Scarwind Keep, and came upon a pestilent pool - a deep well from which powerful roots of corruption grew and drew sustenance. These pools are not uncommon, but this one caught the Queen's attention, and she went to the Smith to devise a set of barbed chains which could dropped into the pool to trawl it. When done so, the Dragon Isrid was pulled from the depths of the pool, and the pool immediately dried up.

Some variations suggest that the Queen created the pool herself, and using it like a womb, wove Isrid from the flesh and bone of the Wasteland. Others suggest that the Queen did not need to use a chain, but merely spoke some Word of Power at the edge to call Isrid out of it. Isrid has never illuminated details in regard to any of these stories. They are not important to her duty.

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