Tianlong

lives in a grand palace floating on great white clouds. thought to be a heavenly guardian and believed to have given dragonkind the gift of archery long ago. (some small groups even worship him as a demigod, a spirit born from the magic of Windsinger and Lightweaver themselves.) summons mortals from below to visit the palace by firing a golden arrow, often to give them some sort of task or trial and very rarely for his own amusement, out of boredom. also summons exaltees for the purpose of training and, when needed, discussing battle strategy.

he's the only Imperial in the palace. despite having many servants and being on good terms with each, none of them are dragons (and none are even close to his size), so he gets a bit lonely sometimes. he enjoys having other dragons to speak to when he summons them to the palace, as he finds them a bit more relatable.

sometimes rewards guests who complete his trials with a rare book from his library. these books are on loan and are enchanted with special spells. they cannot be duplicated, and will magically return to his library when the temporary owner passes away or is killed.

once serving as a general of Windsinger's forces, it has now been centuries since he has fought on a battlefield. nonetheless, he still keeps up his skills with his sword and bow, for he knows there will come a day when either the Shade will return, or a new enemy will reveal itself and take its place as a threat to dragonkind.

his servants often go down to the surface to find out new information. from this, he decides who to bring to the palace. Tianlong himself isn't technically supposed to go down and mingle with mortals unless he's been called to battle (a rule put into place to prevent any conflict of interest and keep him focused on his real duty), but he skirts this by having mortals come to him instead. he does take his job seriously, but it got so boring doing nothing after a few centuries that he just really needed to switch things up a bit.

often writes his own books in his spare time, both fiction and non. doesn't care much for poetry, but loves music and song, as he finds inspiration in the sound.

his sword, [NAME], is a simple steel broadsword in a modest leather scabbard. few would expect someone who lives in a palace surrounded by riches and gleaming ornamentation would have such a plain and battered old weapon, much less expect said weapon to be in any way magical. despite appearances, however, [NAME] has seen Tianlong through many battles, breaking the lesser blades of many opponents who have come before him. Tianlong believes it to hold its own magic, specifically that it cannot break, as nothing he's ever done has been able to damage it in the slightest. the wear it currently shows was present when he first happened upon the blade and hasn't changed since.

---

he remembers leading allies and locking swords with foes. he remembers the horrors of battle, bodies strewn across the battlefield, deaths he feels he could have - should have - prevented. he remembers his first sight of Windsinger and the awe he felt as the god fought back shadows with hurricane winds. he remembers the terrible quiet after the hell of combat, when survivors trudged through the wreckage, looking for the faces of friends among the dead. he remembers so many others wounded, ready to drop, and himself exhausted but without a scratch.

he remembers thinking... where had this power come from?

why was he alive when so many others had fallen...?


Full name - Tianlong
Name meaning - "heavenly dragon"
Age - adult. centuries old, but shows no sign of age; still looks to be in his prime.
Gender - male - he/him
Sexuality - pansexual
Species/breed - Imperial
Build - tall, toned, strong and lithe with definite muscle but not overly bulky
Voice -
Health - perfect save for one single scar
Assets - skilled in combat, his arrows have never missed their target; well-read, loyal to his allies, doesn't back down from trouble
Flaws - a bit vain, can be a bit too stubborn, tends to forget how mortals react to things and the limits of their abilities (sometimes pushes trainees too hard due to this), can get lost in the heat of battle

Intelligence - very intelligent, a master of military strategy
Temperament - polite, genial, optimistic, has a sort of youthful exuberance about him when not in a combat-related setting; hard to anger, but when riled his fury is legendary
Habits - flips his hair
Self knowledge -
Attitudes - demands respect but expresses it equally
Speech patterns -

Family -
Friends - Loma (old student)
Mate - N/A
Wealth - very wealthy
Lifestyle - lavish; lounges in luxury most of the time, eating fine food and wearing silken robes. trains with his sword and bow each day. though he is no stranger to battle, he certainly doesn't look it. doesn't seem to need sleep, though he can sleep if he wants to (often helps him recover faster).
Possessions - magical bow, golden arrows, a battered sword, golden armor, expensive clothes, many books in a grand library
Profession(s) - one of several great guardian dragons who serve as an advance guard to announce any presence of the Shade and lead exalts into battle
Title(s) - Skywatcher
Deity/Religion - Windsinger and Lightweaver
Values - bravery, compassion, discipline, the way of the warrior
Hobbies - reading, writing, training, stargazing, watching sunrises and sunsets, inviting people to his palace
Childhood -
Birthplace -
Current Residence - his sky palace that needs a heckin' name

Wants -
Dreams -
Fears -
Memories -
Hates - the Shade, cowardice, bad poetry
Loves - learning something new, hearing about everyday life from those below
Motivations -

Personality of dragon: vain, confident, brave, strategic, creative, determined, optimistic, focused

Other info: he's got a bunch of info in his bio. his servants are a bunch of familiars, mostly the elementals (Goblins, Sprites, Acolytes, etc.). he earned his current name somehow, went by a different name when he was young ("Kou," meaning happiness). backstory is super up in the air, haven't figured out how much is legend or not. he's effectively G1, as the dragons on his lineage box are not his actual parents lorewise (if anything he happened upon them at some point and they took care of him for a while or something idk). he was born from a small portion of the energies of Windsinger and Lightweaver as part of a deity-wide pact to create powerful guardians, intended to protect Sornieth and help take away some of the deities' burdens of managing their realms.

---

Wind dragons speak reverently of Tianlong, the Windsinger's Heavenly General. What exactly do they say about him?

Well... "A god of death?!" Tianlong asked the Wind Sprite incredulously.

The Sprite skimmed its report. "While you are still revered as a Great General, you have not been seen on earth for millenniums, and all that is knowable of you is the golden arrow that calls exaltees to your palace. These dragons are never seen or heard from again. So it's assumed that they've died... or you've eaten them. Or consigned them to eternal torment—"

The Heavenly Dragon bellowed his consternation. It echoed as a thunderclap, and down below, mere mortals trembled.

"I must rectify this misinterpretation of my sacred duty! Summon a mortal—not to be exalted, but to spread the truth." Tianlong's green-gold eyes flashed. "Fire the golden arrow!"

---

When the golden arrow landed at Kaitou's feet, his mother wailed in grief, exclaiming that he was too young for exaltation. It was his father, a priest, who dressed him, reminding his son that all his actions would be for the glory of the Flight. He smiled, but couldn't hide the tears shining in his eyes.

Kaitou was fetched by a Crowned Roc. He climbed onto the palanquin and faced resolutely forward. The roc ascended with vast beats of its wings. It bore him speedily across the shining clouds, and Kaitou stared in awe at the palace floating ahead like a great, impossible rainbow. Curlicues of rainwater danced around it, and the spires were gilded with sunbeams.

It could only be the palace of Tianlong, the terrible god of death.

Tianlong himself was there to greet the hatchling. His sword hung at his side, and Kaitou shuddered to see that well-used blade.

"Welcome, Kaitou, High Priest's son! You look a bit larger up close." The Imperial bent low, sniffed the child curiously. Kaitou did his best not to shrink back.

"Follow me, boy. We'll have some tea."

Tianlong was going to have him for tea! Kaitou shut his eyes in despair... Surely the worst was yet to come.

---

But the worst did not, in fact, come. Instead, Tianlong explained, "I'm just borrowing you for a while. You don't have to help out around here, but—" He wagged a claw. "Mind you don't cause trouble, either!"

Kaitou flinched. The Imperial didn't notice. "You are free to roam around my home and interview the servants. In fact," he said, with a slightly pained expression, "I would prefer it if you did."

Kaitou remained wary. "Are there any forbidden words? —Things or places to avoid?"

To these, Tianlong answered "no". It seemed Kaitou did have free rein of the palace. So he decided to test the surrounds. And he actually had a great time.

None of the servants were dragons, but they treated Kaitou with kindness and respect. They answered his questions, describing how they cared for the palace and their splendid master. They cared for Kaitou, too—they cleaned his room, brought his meals, and addressed his concerns.

Tianlong remained somewhat aloof and was sometimes nowhere to be found. The servants wouldn't say where he went. Kaitou grew suspicious. His father had counseled obedience—but could he trust the god of death?

His escape attempt nearly killed him. He managed to sneak out of his bedroom window and was swiftly caught by strong winds. The landscape tumbled below him, and the moon spun overhead.

It was Tianlong who saved him, snatching him out of the sky. He was deposited safely on the palace doorstep, where he tried to get his breath back.

"You little fool! What kind of stunt were you attempting?!" Tianlong bellowed. Kaitou struggled to answer, but stopped—another drake had accompanied Tianlong home. He looked very familiar.

"Grandfather?" Kaitou gasped.

---

Grandfather had been exalted decades before, and the family had mourned him—but he hadn't died. As he now explained to Kaitou, he'd simply been brought into the Windsinger's service. "Tianlong is no god of death—far from it! He trains us to survive our battles against the Shade—and those we leave behind, like you, can enjoy peaceful lives."

Tianlong chimed in, "It's why I brought you here. Everyone thinks I'm some hatchling-gobbling abomination. I knew you wouldn't trust me, so I left to find your grandfather. It took a while—he's taken nicely to his new role and didn't want to leave the battlefield at first."

Kaitou apologized profusely for, well, everything, but Tianlong waved him off. "Never mind, boy. But you will spread the truth when you return home! —Won't you?"

Then it was time to leave. Tianlong presented Kaitou with his autobiography, one detailing his sacred duties—and origins. The book fell open, and Kaitou stared in awe at the page describing how Tianlong had been created as part of a pact between the Lightweaver and the Windsinger.

There was much rejoicing when he arrived home. His family was overjoyed to see him alive and hear from Grandfather. Kaitou would've liked the celebrations to last longer, but Tianlong's book beckoned, reminding him of his mission. One day, he picked it up and started to read...

---

Centuries later, Tianlong could face the earthly-matters report with optimism. Surely the High Priest's family had exonerated him—

"'The deities are displeased'? Why? What have I done wrong?!"

The Sprite looked perplexed, too. "Well... Kaitou disseminated the truth about your nature and origins as instructed. It caught several groups' attentions, and they began... worshiping you."

Well, that would certainly rub the deities the wrong way.

"You are now hailed as a demigod. Some say that you are the sign of... a new age..."

Tianlong sighed, rubbed his paw across his long-suffering face. He had left the earth centuries ago, but it still continued to confound him. There was a solution for this new problem, he was certain of it—but it would have to wait another day.

Right now, he just really, really wanted to have a cup of tea.

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