Anthem

Anthem Secret-Keeper Anthem originally started out as just... someone. A dragon in the background, likeable and charismatic but not grandly involved in anything of consequence. Now, he remains equally as unobtrusive, but there is not a dragon in the clan unaware of his presence. Visitors may be impressed by how warmly he greets them, his confidence, charm and size, never realising his true role and significance within the clan. Anthem is tied intrinsically to the dark-looking spire of rock to the Northwest of Driftwood Island: a rogue piece of Shadow intruding into the domains of Water. Anthem is the secret-keeper, taking the shames, hidden knowledge, and confessions of the clan and whispering them to this Shadow entity in exchange for its complacency. A likeable, confidential attitude and smooth way with words make Anthem surprisingly easy to trust, despite his somewhat creepy and potentially intimidating appearance. He carries many, many secrets with him, but has never broken confidence on any save to the Spire, which swallows secrets whole to never be heard again. Dragons joke about his role and he jokes with them, but many a nervous visitor has slunk to his cave in the dead of night, to share something unbearable. Anthem is a very intelligent dragon whose mind works in layers of plans and obfuscation, but has never used his cache of secrets to exert anything but the very lightest of pressure. At least, to anyone's knowledge. Anthem is currently the only first generation dragon unexalted with his colours.

History: Anthem's official story, corroborated by his partner Nayio, is that while on his Search he desired to settle down somewhere near the Sea. He encountered Driftwood Shore coincidentally after pairing up with Naiyo. Several things have cast doubt on this, particularly the fact that Anthem does not act very much like a Guardian and has never displayed any sort of connection to Nature, despite his eyes. Anthem's link with the Spire occurred during the clan's second Trickmurk Circus, where Anthem disappeared within the Spire for several seasons and emerged half-blind and reeking of Shadow, with thick dark striping on his neck and flanks.


Physical: Anthem is a large, heavy guardian with enormous pointed wings. Generally lethargic and slow, his body favours endurance more than reflexes and he is no warrior. He can hold his breath for some time and is a decent swimmer, and though it takes him heavy flapping to get into the air he can stay aloft potentially for days. Anthem has a large scar that he arrived at the clan with: a long dark twisting thing across his shoulder that was gouged by the thorns of the Foxfire. Additionally, the dark Okapi ripples that appeared after his first encounter with the Spire have a strange, velvety texture and appear to be somewhat carved into his skin. To those sensitive to the elements, Anthem appears to be a Shadow dragon of decent elemental strength, despite the fact that his eyes are the emerald green of Nature.

Familiar: Anthem and a few other dragons dredged a number of these things from the sea floor around the northwest side of the Island during the second Nocturne Night. The animated stone figures (both light and dark) are mostly found around the Spire, where they stand "guard" looking sinister in stoic formations. Anthem also keeps several standing around his lair, much to the alarm of anyone unexpectedly encountering one while it's moving.

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Naiyo: Anthem's sharp-natured mate, the other Guardian has entirely different priorities and no patience for his obfuscations and sense of drama. Naiyo and Anthem pursue entirely different courses in life, but somehow in that they come together just enough. Anthem enjoys her frankness and highly opinionated, easily teased scientific nature. Nayio is really the only person Anthem will slightly drop his wall of secrecy and deflection with, as she in turn is eager to peer beyond that wall to an intimacy beyond.

Spire: "What is your relationship with the Spire?" "The Spire is my Charge." Whether you believe Anthem's words on this or not is up to you. Certainly his relationship is deep and complex, and some dragons say it's Anthem who taught the elemental to speak and think as dragons do in the first place. Anthem is the only dragon who spends significant time with the entity, talking with it in conversations and secrets that other dragons are not privy to.

Offspring: His desire for offspring is one of the reasons Anthem expressed for joining with Nayio when they first began travelling together. So far they have had few, but Anthem is an affectionate and competent father and would enjoy having more. Most of Anthem's children have been drawn to the Spire, the farewell and potential reunion a strange and complex thing. If Anthem has had other children before he met Naiyo, he doesn't speak of them.

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