Seryndrile

Seryndrile was taken to Desuto's clan soon after she hatched. Her birth clan exalted her soon after her hatching, and the Gladekeeper chose for her the life of a priestess before sending her to Drakel. She settled in quickly to her life in her new clan.

Seryndrile knew early on that she was to devote her life to the Gladekeeper, so Desuto quickly appointed her the clan's religious guide. She would be in charge of teaching the hatchlings about the gods, the Gladekeeper primarily (of course). When she arrived in Drakel, she was the only resident dragon with any magical affinity, so she is also charged with healing any injured dragons that come home from battle (her ivy-covered qiriq also helps to channel her magic.) In addition, she would help dragons that were considering joining the Gladekeeper in service- the decision was difficult to make. Her final duty was to organize the ceremonies for exalted dragons- Desuto's clan believed in showering the soon-to-depart with as much as they could to respect their decision. Their was a feast and much cajoling in their honor before they left. None of them knew how to reach the Gladekeeper, so it was a mystery how the exalted dragons would serve her. This is the mystery that Seryndrile spends most of her time pondering. She does not remember ever meeting the Gladekeeper; only her old clan knows she has been exalted.

Shortly after her arrival at Drakel, Seryndrile was approached by a gentleman caller. Draelazire, a fellow wildclaw, had come to ask her hand, it appeared. Yet... he was brutish and primal, hardly the refined suitor she had expected. After a few days of meditation, however, she resolved that if he still wished to court her, she would consent to him. After all, Nature was not always orderly and kind, and she loved it dearly. Surely, a mate that reflected nature's chaos and instinct would be best for her. He proposed that they wed shortly afterwards, and though they rarely agree on anything, she accepted.

Their marriage ended shortly after their first clutch was born. Draelazire was obviously trying to change her. She knew that he meant well, but when he couldn't make her more feral, he grew frustrated. He chose shortly afterwards to join the Gladekeeper. Seryndrile prepared him to leave lovingly, promising him honor and glory for his decision. It was very noble to serve their Lady. She was startled to find that she wished he wasn't leaving. She had never once regretted helping a clanmate reach their Lady's side. But her duties preceded her emotions, so she assisted Draelazire's flight. A grand celebration was held in his honor, and she made her last day with her mate count. Since he left, she has taken to wearing one of his old birdskull pieces.

Many a month passed before she was again approached by a suitor. To her surprise, the stocky guardian was a Plague dragon! She held no harsh feelings towards the flight, but she was unsure if a priestess of the Gladekeeper should bond so closely with a dragon of the Plaguebringer. Such enemies surely would not appreciate such disloyal followers. But the young drake seemed earnest enough, so she decided to put aside such thoughts. Surely the goddesses' quarrels should not be taken up by all the dragons of their flights?

Seryndrile's new mate, Draell, was very quiet, often merely shadowing her as she went about her duties. Shortly after they paired off Draell became a beautiful Coatl, but he remained stoic as always. Many of the their clanmates were suspicious of Draell, thinking of him as an emissary of the Plaguebringer, sure that he planned to kill or corrupt Seryndrile, but she paid the naysayers no mind. Draell had her complete trust.

After many months, Draell's true nature was revealed. While Seryndrile was gathering some herbs (to burn for an exaltation ceremony), her 'mate' leapt from the shadows and lunged for her throat. Luckily her bodyguard Draalsynk was there to protect her, but the incident has affected the priestess more than she reveals. She does not trust her own judgement. Having failed to discern Draell's treacherous nature until it was apparent, she cannot trust herself to realize any other such important details. She relies on Draalsynk for such intuition, and of course prays to the Gladekeeper to ward off evil from the clan.

Seryndrile ended up settling down with Draalsynk, who is her third mate. The drake understands how she does things, and how she thinks, and though he isn't alike, he respects her differences. The pair works on a symbiotic level- he doing what she cannot, and vice-versa.

Draalsynk sadly chose to leave the clan after many months of deliberation. He deeply missed tribal life. Seryndrile was devastated, but she could clearly see why he would feel so. She did not go with him; his pain, though more apparent, was nothing compared to her own. She was torn between her mate and her goddess. As much as she would miss him, she could never betray the Gladekeeper for a mortal dragon. She mourned him for a long while, but the Gladekeeper grounded her, assuring her of her strength. She felt comforted by her goddess, and so eventually the pain faded to but a dull throb; for though she was no longer hurt by his leaving, a love is a love forever. She would never forget him.

Eventually, young Kallinrouse won her attention. He had become her new guard (after the incident with Draell, Desuto apparently saw fit to make such a position a permanent occupational choice.) He is a quiet fellow, but it never felt formal. He was merely keeping silent as a strange form of respect; aside, as a Coatl it was likely rather uncomfortable to attempt to speak common draconic. He is polite to the other clanmates, and above all courteous to her. He genuinely cares for her safety; it is not merely a duty, but a need. Eventually, she approached him about her affection. She was surprised to find that he liked her as well! The two slowly got to know one another better, and before too terribly long were a mated pair.

Kallinrouse chose to join many others in direct service to the Gladekeeper one cooler-than-usual summer. Seryndrile grieved in secret, but filled her duty as priestess and readied him for his journey dutifully. A grand feast was arranged in honor of this new group of elites, those ready to serve. Seryndrile spoke for the merits of every exaltee, but it was noticed that she may have dwelled on Kallinrouse a mite bit too long. Seryndrile watched sadly as he flew off following the ceremony.

Seryndrile decided that she would no longer take a mate. She was too accustomed to heartbreak, and she did not want to experience this pain any more. She drew strength from nature, witnessing those plants that remained solitary forever, never taking even pollen from another plant. True, these plants could create new life without the help of another- but Seryndrile need not have any more children, so this was to no detriment. Leafdapple was company enough, wasn't he? This decision troubled Seryndrile for some time, but one day she woke to find her qiriq standing amidst a small herd of unicorns. Unicorns, oblivious creatures that they are, are usually protected by one of their larger cousins, the qiriq. Qiriq that are bound to a dragon usually do not take a herd, though. Seryndrile saw this sudden blessing to be a sign from the Gladekeeper that she had made the right decision.

Seryndrile's life is very quiet and simple. She lives as a spiritual adviser and guide to the clan, and enjoys her life in the Viridian Labyrinth with her qiriq Leafdapple.




By corvidus