Artemis

@Azurenight



Early one morning, an enormous blue/green imperial slowly makes his way through the crowd to your stall. Plants and flowers seemed to erupt from his scales and wind around his body and he smelled like an oncoming rain shower. His eyes were strange, for even though they were the eyes of a wind dragon, they seemed pale and glassy. His voice sounded like raindrops pattering on a tin roof. "Good morning Dash, it is an honor to meet you. I heard that you enjoy hearing the stories of other dragons. I'm afraid that my story is not very exciting, but I will share it with you anyway. I am a Mage of the Four Seasons, Lord of Spring, Son from the First Light, and Father of First Growth. I cannot recall anything about my life before I first woke up in the Tower of the Seasons, if I had a life at all. My job is to control the weather in Verglas Valley during the spring. Non-ice dragons may be surprised to hear this, but the Southern Icefield does have seasons. They may not be very... distinct, but they do exist. During the spring, I thaw the mountain rivers that support our ecosystems, cause plants to grow and prepare the land for summer. I could continue on about the Ceremonies of the Equinoxes, all of the seasonal festivities, and other traditions, but perhaps it would be better if you asked me any questions you may have. I trust you know that Frostflower is elbow-deep in this, just like everything else that goes on in Verglas Manor, but you may be surprised to know that she is the one who brought the Mages of the Four Seasons together and communicates with us face-to-face regularly. She speaks of you with very high regard, which is why I have traveled here to tell you my story. So, any questions?"

@karaglen00

As he would naturally Dash made eye contact and inhaled to start his normal bout of questions. This time, however, he was beat to it. Before he could get the first word out another slipped in with her own questions. "You smell pretty," the detached little voice announced. Dash halted in his attempt to speak and instead bent to look around the side of his desk. There he found the cause of the interruption. "Casey, what are you doing?" He bent over and plucked a tiny Wildclaw up and set her gently upon his knee. This little one was a clear copy of what could only be her father.

"Askin' questions, Papa." The little Wildclaw smiled brightly at the Imperial that was vastly larger then she. "Why do you smell like rain? Do you always have flowers growing from you? What's it like controlling Spring? How do you control Spring? Why don't you remember your past? What's the Cerimoonies of the Equinonises-- Equinosims-- um--

"Equinoxes," Dash gently provided the correct word and earned a thankful smile from the babe. "Yeah that word. What's a Mage of the Four Seasons? Oh, and who is Frostflower? She has a pretty name," she concluded with a whisper towards their guest, as if that last part were privy only to him. Once finished with her questions she took her father's pen and set it to his journal. Dash behind her patiently pulled out another notebook and pen, prepared to take good notes of the answers.





Hey there =) Mistglen is absolutely beautiful! His colors and just everything about him are the epitome of Spring. I found Snowdance, who is labeled winter- he's pretty by the way. Do you have a summer and fall as well?

Okay, so Frostflower is an amalgamation of magical energies and resides within the manor, which I assume is the likely apex of such a melding of energies? I imagine she was pretty powerful in life, just based on her abilities now.

Oh and Cerna is a wicked little thing. Pretty, but wicked. =)

@Azurenight



Mistglen bent down and smiled at the little Wildclaw. "Thank you child. I hope that this day finds you well. Now, for your questions. I smell like rain because my body is not strong enough to contain the magic that I posses, so it hovers around me, and since my magic smells like rain, that is what you smell. I do always have plants and flowers growing from my body, it is another manifestation of the magic that I cannot contain. Controlling spring, even in my own valley is vastly difficult and the only reason that I am able to talk to you today is because it has not been spring for very long and I still have energy to spare. Otherwise, I am confined to my home at the top of the Tower of the Seasons in Verglas Manor. I control spring by calling in warmer breezes, causing flowers to grow, making it rain, and melting the snow in the valley. I have no idea why I cannot remember my past, but I suspect that I have been created, not born. The Ceremonies of the Equinoxes happen at the end of each season, and The Mages of the Four Seasons gather together and pass this golden necklace here," He said, pointing at the fancy necklace latched at the base of his neck, "From the mage of the old season to the mage of the new season. For example, the mage of winter, Snowdance passed me this necklace only a few weeks ago, on the spring solstice, which symbolizes the passage of winter into spring. The Mages of the Four Seasons are the dragons who are in charge of the seasons in Verglas Valley. My brother Snowdance is in charge of winter, my brother Honeymeadow is in charge of summer, and my sister Emberglow is in charge of fall. Frostflower is a spirit that was created by the colliding magical energies from the Icewarden and the Southern Icefield. She created a body for herself and lived for many thousands of years in Verglas Manor, where I now live with my clan." Mistglen finished answering the dragonet's questions and smiled gently at her, but then looked up at Dash. "She truly follows in her father's footsteps. You must be so proud." Mistglen slipped Casey a small flower and bowed to Dash. "Once again, it is an honor to meet you." With that, he slipped into the crowd.

---

Thank you so much for all your compliments! Like I said above, Honeymeadow and Emberglow represent summer and fall respectively. You are absolutely right about Frostflower as well. Since she was almost pure magical energy, I do imagine her as being quite powerful, but I believe that she confined her abilities when she created a flesh-and-blood manifestation of herself. I do know that she died in Verglas Manor and that her skeleton lies in the vaults, which ties her to the manor.

@Azurenight



Oh my! You're Dash's daughter? What an honor to meet you! Mistglen hasn't shut up about you since the Minstral Jamboree! Well, Mistglen sends his love. Oh, you want to know about me? I suppose I could tell you a bit about Verglas Manor. My name is Oralia, and I am the head of the Senate. The Senate is made up of all the various councils that rule Verglas Manor. Three different councils make up the Senate. There's the Council of the Righteous Scale, who creates and enforces the laws of Verglas Manor. They also are the judges if anyone is convicted of a crime. I can go into that if you want, I find it rather interesting, but I understand if you're not into that kinda thing. There's also the Council of the Elements, which is made up of our head priests and priestesses for each deity. They also have a formal spokesperson, but he's really just there to make sure they don't kill each other. He's a poor fellow, basically babysitting both the Council and his older sister. Something's a bit wrong in her head, sadly. Lastly, there's the Council of the Great Seasons. They're a weird bunch, kinda showed up one day and built a tower and we've tolerated them ever since. They claim to control the seasons, but there were seasons before they came, so I really don't understand. We have had nicer weather in the spring and summer since they came though, so maybe they actually do something. All these councils are constantly at each other's throats, and that's where I come in. I attend each separate meeting for the council, so when we come together as the Senate, I can mediate any arguments and help each council reach their goals. It's exhausting really, but I do my best. Any questions?

@Azurenight

Well, since you asked, the Council of the Righteous Scale keeps order within the clan. Not all members of our clan get along, and we need regulations to keep them from hurting themselves and others. Most of our rules are obvious, but some dragons are very... touchy and we need to write out more specific rules. For example, Shaima, a good friend of mine who is extremely old, gets up in a terrible rage if she is awakened before dusk since the sun hurts her sensitive eyes. Therefore, we have a rule that states you have to be very quiet in the hallways near her room. Continuing with Shaima's example, if she is awakened and does injure someone, the Council of the Righteous Scale will call witnesses and decide who will take the blame.

To be perfectly honest, it shocks me that clans don't pay their respects to all the deities. To the founders, it seemed perfectly obvious to pay respects to all the deities since they are all powerful in their own way. We hope that because we worship all of the deities, we will become the best parts of each of them. The priests don't really want to kill each other, but they are all very devoted to their deity and furthering their deity's cause, so they often argue heatedly. I do believe that they all respect each other in some way. Heck, Legolas, the Nature representative, and Fiond, the Plague representative, have had almost twenty hatchlings together. Our clan has a central temple that houses shrines to each deity. The Icewarden's shrine is the largest because our clan as a whole is loyal to the Icewarden since he is allowing us to use his land. Each individual dragon can worship a different deity, or multiple if they so choose. The Council of the Elements really just makes sure that every deity is getting enough sacrifices so that they don't curse us or anything like that! Each priest or priestess also presides over the elemental festival for their element.

Mistglen is indeed part of the Council of the Great Seasons, along with his brothers Snowdance and Honeymeadow, and his sister Emberglow. They call themselves the Mages of the Four Seasons, but in the Senate, they are referred to as the Council of the Great Seasons.

I will certainly bring your love and well wishes to Mistglen, I'm sure it will cheer him greatly. If you or your clan ever need anything, you just head on over, and Verglas Manor will do all that we can to assist you. Have a wonderful Saturnalia!

---

Thank you for all your kindness and comments! Casey is so sweet and talking to her makes me inspired to make more lore! Once again, have a wonderful Saturnalia!

(i completely forgot about my prophet so here she is)
@Azurenight
The small Pearlcatcher practically ran into the booth and leaped onto a stool. Her adornments were slightly haphazard, and her wings drooped from exhaustion, but her expression was dreamy and untroubled. Body paint covered her from head to toe and her pearl seemed to be made of gold.



Oh my! I just saw Oralia come out of your booth and I realized that this is where I had seen you before! Hi there! I'm Meria and you're Casey, it's so nice to meet you dear. Oh dear..Loran will be worried... Anyway, I've been seeing you for months now, but this is the first time I've been out of the valley in years! So you write down other dragons stories, huh? That must be very interesting! I suppose since i'm here, I might as well tell you a bit about myself.

I hatched at the center of the Shifting Expanse, all alone. The first thing I remember is drinking the cold, clear water from a stream leading to the sea. I could almost hear voices in that stream... dragons that I met said that the stream was cursed, and so was I. Hmm... better tell Cerna about that...Those voices taught me how to divine the future. I followed the voices to the Sea of a Thousand Currents when I was only a few days old. There I met and befriended Karaglen, Loran, and Frian. I ended up divining the future for my friends at Verglas Manor.

My job isn't very exciting, just listening to divinations all day, but every once in a while I will receive a warning through my divinations, so thats a bit exciting! I also read the histories of the dragonets in the clan in order to help them settle into The Manor and find something to do with their life. Hm! Darrow would make a good one...

Before now, I usually just let my visions wash over me since they weren't very powerful and I could block them out if I tried. I should warn Frostflower... After the Tidelord disappeared however, my visions have become more and more powerful and vivid. Even now, I am constantly distracted by my divinations. Sometimes I think I say things out loud as well, but I'm never really sure. Interesting...

By the way, say hello to your father for me if you please. We've never met, but I divine him all the time. Ooh! I can keep a lookout in my divining for you guys! Wouldn't that be cool? What do you think?

@Azurenight



Oh! Well dear, I recall having a divination about your father a few days ago actually, but that's not a sure sign. I'll answer your other questions first, and then if you don't mind, I'll try to divine your father's fate.
In regards to my sight, I believe that the reason that it is stronger is because the Tidelord is weak. I received my sight from the voices in the river after I was born, but most of the time, seers are gifted their powers from the Tidelord before they have hatched. Since the Tidelord's powers have become silent, the visions are scattered among places and creatures whom the Tidelord has blessed, such as the river of voices. The river now has more visions to show me, so my power grows beyond my ability to control it. Did I really say something about Frostflower? I must have been speaking aloud again, I'm so sorry about that. Frostflower only needs to be notified in a time of emergency....Whatever I was seeing must have been bad...Don't pay attention to me dear, I may look young, but I feel as senile as a thousand-year old matriarch. So, what do you say, should we search for your father?

---

Thank you so much for all your compliments! I hope Meria can help Casey find Dash!

@Azurenight



"I'm going to warn you now, dear. Divination is a cruel art. You may find temporary solace, but the future will come back to torment you. Now, give me your paw."

Meria gently took Casey's paw and rolled her golden pearl in front of her. She set her paw and Casey's on the side of the pearl and started to hum. She stiffened and became cold, still, and silent. Her eyes shone like two blue suns and that same blue light erupted from between her scales. Voices started to whisper and Meria responded.

Yes...Show me him...No! Not that...Where is he? Tell me! Yes... I see...I SEE!

The light shone white and then suddenly blinked out. Casey saw that Meria's scales were steaming and her movements were sluggish, possibly from pain or exhaustion.

"He's alive. I don't know where he is or who has captured him, but he is hidden deep underground, chained and wounded badly. The voices don't know anything else, but perhaps if you looked for other oracles and seers who still have their sight, maybe you could find who has taken him. I'll keep looking for information, dear and I'll tell you if I find anything. Good luck searching for him. I really must go now. Goodbye, darling."

---

I've been thinking about several ideas, but I haven't really decided on one yet. You'll be sure to know if something happens!

@Azurenight



Hey there! My name is Erebus and I'm the Waylighter of Verglas Valley. I came here along with Shaima to represent the Fire flight at the festival! I saw your hut and just had to stop by. I'm not very interesting, I just make sure that nobody gets lost in the woods surrounding Verglas Manor. I usually spend my days escorting traders to and from the bigger clan in the south. That clan doesn't have a harbor, so all the traders use ours and need to be shown the paths. Basically, if you need to go anywhere in the valley, you can be sure I'm not far off.
---



At that moment, an elderly mirror peered over the top of the table. "Mmmmrrrrrrlllp? Aeroo!" Her entire body was badly scarred and slightly deformed. Her movements were clumsy and abrupt but even so, she opened her mouth slightly and pulled back her lips, as if trying to smile.
Suddenly, she scrabbled at one of the tins that was bound to her chest. Finally, she managed to open it and plunged her talons into the tin with a small squeal. Eventually, she held up her prize: a very lumpy chocolate cookie. She attempted to drop the cookie in front of Casey, but her claws had gotten stuck in the gooey mass. She flailed, trying to dislodge it, but only suceeded in smacking herself in the face and getting chocolate all over herself. She coiled up on the ground with a grumbling sound, trying to lick herself clean.
---
Erebus chuckled "Casey, this is Shaima. She's currently the oldest dragon in the valley, since we estimate her age to be roughly ninety, but it's probably more like ninety-five. We don't know what her life was like before she was found in the Snowsquall Tundra, but our healer grew up near the Wyrmwound and said that the dragons who accidentally fell in had scars and muscle damage just like her. That's pretty much all we know about her past, but she's a nice old thing. She loves to mess around in the kitchen, so the cook taught her to make cookies and now she's obsessed with them. She offers one to pretty much everybody, but as you saw, it usually doesn't go very well. She can usually get her claws around a few sweets though. She makes those with her caretaker, Elua.
---
At the mention of sweets, Shaima lurched over to the table once again, smiling and digging her claws into a different tin, this time producing an array of lumpy sweets wrapped in colorful paper, which she spilled across the table with a happy chirp. Her tail was lashing with excitement and accidentally swept her own feet out from under her. She fell to the floor again with a squeak, shook her head, and continued to clean the chocolate off of her face.

@Azurenight



Thank you for your interest, but I hardly interact with the travelers at all. I am simply the light in the distance that guides their way. It is a rather solitary job, but I suppose I got used to it. Our healer says that those blessed by the Plaugebringer have a higher chance of survival in the Wyrmwound. Apparently, it is common practice for those in the area to test the mettle of elderly dragons who might slow down the pack by throwing them in there and seeing if the Plaugebringer will save them or not. I am less religious, myself and just think that she was thrown in the shallows and had a hearty immune system, no disrespect to the Plaugebringer, of course. I also think that traveling to Ice territory may have helped her further by freezing out any diseases that remained. Anyway, we're all glad she's here now, the sweet old thing.
---
Shaima grinned once again at Casey, scattering a few more sweets on the table before ambling off with Erebus.

---

Thank you thank you thank you! I did that map just recently, and I'm glad you like it!

@Azurenight
Ah! Yes, the Arcanist's Feast is one of our last celebrations during the festival, taking place the last night. Everyone in the entire valley gathers in the Jade Gardens for eating, listening to music, dancing, and talking. The priestess of the Arcanist comes around and grants blessings to the dragons to take with them for the next year. Verglas Valley celebrates the eleven festivals, we have a small, one-day welcoming ceremony on the first day of Night of Nocturne to greet the Nocturnes as they emerge for the first time, and we also celebrate the founding of Verglas Manor during the second week of March. I also plan for the celebrations during the equinoxes, where the Mages of the Four Seasons gather and symbolically switch the seasons.
As to how everyone is doing, we are all doing just fine. Meria's visions have gotten much worse and she now practically lives in her divining state. The founders are understandably worried, but there's a rumor that she'll be fine in a couple of months, so nobody's freaking out yet. Have a wonderful festival!

Hey! Yes, Acoyris is new, and thank you! Sorry about writing so late, school is brutal this year. I'm definately pre-writing festival lore from now on!

@Azurenight



As the dusk settled over the fifth day of the festival, a tall, emaciated figure strode through the small trickle of dragons that dared to stay at the celebration so late in the night. She made her way over to the small, cozy hut that read Plague Wyrm Lore and ducked inside.
The soft rasping of her breath filled the building with a soft hissing sound. "I trust you are Casey? It's good to meet you. My mate, Legolas, knows many of the dragons who have come to see you during the previous festivals, so he convinced me to come here today and share my past."
---
"I was born into a large clan, the largest I have yet seen, and lived there among the needful like all the other dragonets. Nobody cared for us, and we were glad for it, because if anyone took notice of the needful, we would be killed for burdening the clan. I do not know how many of the needful died while I was one of them, but nobody lived long, except for me. I became respected for living, but when I had outlived every sustaining dragon in that clan, they grew envious. The sustained tried to kill me, but the needful can never sleep, for their hunger and pain is far too great and I escaped them, barely clinging to my life each time.
This continued for what seemed like centuries, but one night I was being pursued through streets and alleyways by an angry mob when the moon turned red and terrified the dragons chasing me. I used their confusion and escaped. I kept running towards the moon, which I was sure the Plaugebringer had sent to help me. I ran until I passed into the Tidelord's realm, where I collapsed from exhaustion.
I woke in a small camp where fifteen or twenty dragons bustled around hunting, patrolling, and helping out their leader, Karaglen. In that camp, I first met Legolas, who treated me with more kindness than I have ever known, and even though he served the Gladekeeper, I couldn't help but care for him. I assisted him in his healing and became even more proficient at it than he. I grew used to the little clan's traditions and when I started to become more ingrained into their society, I became the priestess of the Plaugebringer, since there were no others who aligned themselves with her at the time. I have been a healer, and represented the Plaugebringer for twenty years now. I have lost many comrades along the way, and yet, I remember them all.
Naturally, you know that our clan eventually migrated to Verglas Valley and have lived there ever since.
I could talk for quite a while more, but I can see you have questions. What do you wish to ask of me?

@Azurenight



"Ah! Yes, forgive me. The needful are those who are not strong enough to survive on their own: those who are sick, deformed, very young, or very old. Dragonets hatch alone and if they show that they can care for themselves, they are taken into society as the sustaining because they are able to survive on their own. Most dragonets are helpless when they hatch, so they are disregarded as the needful, who will die quickly and feed the sustaining who find them. If a needful manages to survive, they will be hated by the sustaining because the sustaining don't feel so special anymore.
I have recieved messages from the Plaguebringer only a few other times, and they usually come as flashes of inspiration while I am healing a particularly diffucult affliction. Recently, though, I have been given twelve dire warnings over the span of two months
Everyone in the valley is doing well, as far as their health goes, but our gods and the spirits that reside in the valley are getting terrible visions. It started with Meria a few months ago, but the flight representatives have all started to recieve troubling omens similar to mine, all warning of something terrible about to happen. Even more recently, the spirits are starting to feel an abnormal thing in their environment. Tensions are high, and everyone is on high alert. I'm sure you will be the first outsider to know if anything happens, so I'll not speculate. Good health to you, and your clan. Good day."

---

Thank you for all the compliments! I have to say, out of all the dragons in my lair, I am probably most proud of Legolas and Fiond! I've had them for as long as I can remember and they've been spoiled rotten.

@Faramyre

Casey sat there motionless, with her jaw swung open and her eyes wide and rapidly drying. "Wha-- Was all she could get from her mouth. The news she just had dropped in her lap clattered about her gray matter making it very difficult to think, let alone ask questions. By the time she did have herself straightened out her guest had already wandered off into the crowd.

Dire warnings? she cringed at her thoughts. The last few times she's been told of dire warnings all heck has broken loose and those she knows and cared about have be shattered or lost. She was worried, naturally, but there was little she could do about it other then wait to see how everything plays out.




So not fair by the way. Oh yes, there are the horrible visions, an abnormal thing, and don't forget the warnings from deities... well have a nice day gotta go. What!? Seriously though, nice set up =). I'm anxious to see what happens next. Are you close to your apocalyptic event?

@Azurenight

The sun was setting when a beat-up bronze machine modeled after an imperial limped into the tent. The machine itself had strange blue markings carved into it's dented and scratched hide, and a foul black smoke spewed from several joints. One of it's glowing eyes flickered as an image was projected out of a slit above it's nose.



The image depicted a young female imperial who peered around the tent. She turned to someone or something that you cannot see and spoke. Recent scars were strewn across her body and fresh wounds on her neck were covered in bandages. At last, she took one last nervous look behind her and focused on Casey. The machine walked up to Casey, projecting the female imperial on top of the desk, and slammed it's claws on the table.

---

"Darkness has fallen, and the beast has come. I am Scylla, the taleteller of Verglas Valley. Well, what's left of it. Sit, innocent one, and watch me weave my tale."
---
"Two weeks ago, the neighboring clan fled our valley in secret, telling nobody where they were going, only saying they would return one day. We were uneasy, as their oracles are very powerful and the clan had no doubt left at their command. We delayed in leaving ourselves, but eventually twenty or so villagers decided to make the trek over the mountains. As they departed toward the western mountains, we watched as a great magical force pulled them all downwards into the forest, never to be seen again. Over time, many others have tried to escape this trap, and none of them have been found. "
---
"One week ago, a monster started to attack lone dragons, striking from the shadows and killing or injuring more and more dragons. Every living dragon in the valley fled to Verglas Manor, where we hide still. The spirits disappeared, and even Frostflower has fled our cursed land."
---
"Today, little one, the last dragons of Verglas Valley lay down their lives to defend ourselves from this monster. Many of the elemental representatives have died already, as well as all the founders. I am told, little one, that you knew Oralia, Loran, Karaglen, Meria, and many others of our clan. Grieve, little one, for most of them live no longer."

---

At that very moment, a huge crash sounded from behind Scylla, who whirled around, terrified. Quickly, she turned back and started to frantically work on something you can't quite see.

---

"Remember us little one, once we cease to exist. Please. Remember us."

---

Whit that said, Scylla disappeared with a flash of blue light and the machine collapsed into a heap of scrap metal, it's eyes and engravings growing dim.

@Azurenight



The sun had already set, and would have plunged the festival into darkness if not for the twinkling lights coming from all the booths. The snow had been falling lightly all day, but now, as the wind picked up, the fat flakes of snow started to fall harder, blowing through the makeshift streets and the freezing cold cut through the heating spells with ease. The tent-like doors on the lore booth blew open and admitted a huge vortex of snow before the wind suddenly died. The image of a skydancer-like dragon formed from the snowflakes still whirling in the air.

“So you are Casey, daughter of Dash. You have known of me since the beginning of your days, and yet, you have never heard of my whole story. With the fall of Karaglen’s clan, you are the only dragon in the entirety of Sornieth that could possibly understand me in any way, and that is why i ask you to record my history, so when a new clan settles within my realm, they may come to you and learn my history and the history of the clan before and make it their own history.

I suppose my tale has wandered away from my own history. Now, I suppose I shall begin before the shattering of the pillar. As the gods slumbered inside their magical cage, the parts that contained each deity took on the magical characteristics of their prisoner, and that was when I was firstborn. I barely had any consciousness, I was simply contained power, and the pillar was my body and my prison. That all changed when the pillar shattered. Two main pieces of me were flung to the south, but the rest of me was scattered to the winds and spread across Sornieth.

When my brother, the Icewarden left in search of a home to call his own, he was drawn to the largest slab of the pillar that had once bound him. Surrounding the spot Icewarden found his precious pillar, he set about creating a land that was to his liking, using the immense power that the magical stone granted him when he was nearby. Unknowingly, my brother’s domain surrounded the second largest slab of the pillar that bound him as well. The combined power of the pillars restored me to my previous consciousness and my brother’s power gave me a mind like his, intelligent and curious. I became secondborn. However, the small pieces of me that were missing made me incomplete and broken.

I, for the first time, was aware that I was missing something, and I did not like it at all. I set about to search for my first body, but I grew weak when I was far from my brother’s domain, so I secretly called upon hundreds of dragons to search for me. I slowly collected the parts of my pillar over many thousands and thousands of years. Eventually, I grew tired of being tied to my brother’s lands, so I created a body for myself, mimicking as my brother had done, at the beginning of his existence. But my magic was flawed, and became a mortal dragon rather than a goddess. Most of my great power flowed into the pillar and thusly, I was thirdborn.

I wandered Sornieth for three thousand years, having retained some godly qualities, searching for my pieces before returning to the resting place of my collected body, a small, yet thriving valley tucked in between the Cloudscrape Crags and the sea. I had given up on finding any more of me than a few specks of dust hiding in a sealed-off cave in Dragonhome. I built a home for myself there and stored my pieces in a secure vault that only I could grant access to. I grew old, naturally, and in my last months, I locked myself in my own vault so that if I was not reborn, my first body would still be safe. At some point, I did die, but I cannot truly remember it. All I can remember of that time is being fourthborn.

I was more powerful than I had been in centuries, and it was… refreshing, being able to solve most of my problems. I was peaceful for a time, while dragons were still far away and posed no threat to my bodies. But, closer they came. Treasure hunters searching for ancient wealth, merchants looking for trade, monks searching for their god, and foolish adventure-seekers craving a thrill, once I presented a challenge to those mentioned before. I lost my temper, I must admit. I cast a spell so that any who drew near to my valley would encounter an unending blizzard and would be lost in the mountains forever. That was until Karaglen’s clan broke through the spell due to Loran’s search, which brought him to my home, which they called Verglas Manor. I allowed him and his clan members to stay, and that is where their story began.

Now to address the question that you no doubt have, what happened to Karaglen’s clan? Well, I think I’ve talked enough and there will be someone much more… interesting to talk to in order for you to discover the whole situation. Unfortunately, they are adjusting back to normal life just now and cannot make it to this festival. I promise you, you will get the full story soon, but there are currently no dragons who could possibly tell you the tale in full. I am here to assure you that the dragons of Verglas Manor continue on and they will return to you soon, with even more stories to tell.
What else do you wish to ask of me?

@Azurenight
Ah, yes, Icewarden knows of me, but we do not talk very often. I stay out of his business and he leaves me to govern Verglas Valley on my own. We don’t get in each other's way so we don’t argue and tear apart the Southern Icefields. Yes, I found a way to stop the monster, but it was the dragons of Karaglen’s clan who went through with it, as my interference would get me in trouble with the gods. No, I don’t suppose I need my first and second bodies, but they are very nice to have, since being without them is...uncomfortable and annoying. I am certainly much more powerful now that I do not have a mortal body. Spirits can contain a lot more magic than a dragon can, simply due to the fact that they are made of magic, not flesh and blood. Gods are different of course, but in general, the most powerful spirit in the world will always be more powerful than the most powerful dragon in regards to magic, even though the most powerful spirit may seem to have a physical body in every way.

I thank you for recording my history and the history of Karaglen’s clan, as only you can, and for your promise to share the history with anyone who settles within my territory. I will keep watch over you and your clan, Casey, daughter of Dash, though it is most likely that we will never meet again. Good day, and may the gods smile upon you.

With that, the cold lifted, and the snowflakes slowly drifted out of the door, back into the blizzard outside.
----
Thank you , thank you, thank you! I am really sorry about not sharing the ending of the whole drama with the monster this festival, but there was no clear way to work it in with Frostflower’s backstory and would probably fit better next festival anyway, so...oops! See you next festival!

@Azurenight



The day had hardly begun when a light grey female wildclaw swept through the doors, followed closely by a hulking figure entirely shrouded by a sweeping cloak. The figure was big enough to be several adults of some mid size breed all bundled into a cloak, or one of the biggest imperials Casey had ever seen. The youthful wildclaw nodded to Casey before introducing herself.

“Good morning, miss. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Aria. I’ll be telling you about how I got to be living in Verglas Valley and what I do here. I used to live in Wispwillow Grove, and I came to Karaglen’s clan with a friend of mine, Scout. She was a merchant who traded with my clan, so we had talked a couple times before and we were pretty friendly. I was looking for a new place to settle and have a good adventure, so she took me with her when she left to go trade in Verglas Valley. Unfortunately, we arrived just as the creature started its attacks. Scout was killed on the way to the Point, and I was badly injured. In one of my dreams while I was healing, four necklaces fell to me out of a snowstorm. When I finally woke up, several days later, I had those same four necklaces clutched in my paw! I could feel the magical power in them, but I didn’t know what to use them for.

The first day that I was up and about, I learned that the Point was being attacked by a crazed emperor, and I realised that I probably had to put the necklaces on the emperor. However, I was very weak and still in bad shape. I tried to rest as much as possible, but more dragons died every day that I didn’t put those necklaces on. I had no idea how to actually do that until the next day, when the emperor started attacking the Point directly. I realized I had my opportunity, so I hid above the barricaded doors and waited for the emperor to break through. When it did, I did the stupidest thing I’ll ever do in my whole life; I jumped onto the emperor's back.

Luckily for me, the emperor’s heads couldn’t reach back to get me, but I was josled so much that I could hardly let go of the emperor’s mane. When I managed to get one necklace around its neck, the body of that imperial grew limp and dragged down the other three. Quickly, I fastened the other necklaces and then watched as the emperor slumped to the ground, as if it was asleep. I stumbled to the solid floor as my vision swam, as if I had been running in circles for too long. Before I knew what was happening, a snowstorm seemed to pick the emperor up and take it away. I don’t remember anything about the rest of the day.

When I woke up the next day, a few of the remaining dragons from Karaglen’s clan had taken over the jobs of burying the dead, while the survivors who were not as familiar with the dragons who lived at the Point before us cleaned up the rubble and debris. We also cooked and cared for the dragons who were burying their friends and family. A few weeks later, the dragons who were kinda in charge, Komor and Esma, introduced us to the Magistrate of the North Valley, who they had chosen to govern and make some rules. Nobody had ever seen him before, but nobody argued anyway. Esma has lots of strange acquaintances, so we just assume they’re friends. He’s been good to us and is always very fair. All the ice dragons in the clan call him a proper southern gentleman, not that the likes of me would know what that means, being a stranger to the south and all.

I’ll be heading outside to guard the entrance while you and the Magistrate talk, since I don’t want you to be spied on, but I see you have questions. What might they be?”