Silica

Many generations ago, a long-forgotten tribe of dragons was forced to dig deep underground to escape a particularly harsh drought in the Shifting Expanse. They burrowed as far as they could, working tirelessly night and day, desperate to reach the water table. Young and old, all breeds working in tandem, they winnowed their way down. Many failed to make it. Instead of letting their weaker members wither away from dehydration, their Matriarch spelled them into a deathlike hibernation, waiting for the rains to return.

As the centuries passed and the landscape rose and well, these slumbering giants lay forgotten under the desert sands - until, every once in a great while, the seasonal floods wash away enough of the hardpacked surface for a sleeper to finally feel that first drop of moisture on their face and awaken.

Having slept for so long underground, silica and other minerals have leached into their hides, turning their scales to into glittering crystal. Whatever colors and patterns they once had are long gone, sometimes replaced with new patterns where the minerals have supplanted the originals - particularly in the wings where the tissue is thinnest. Once awakened, they become a literal living gem.

Boulder Opals are often leery of the new world into which they are suddenly thrust, and may have difficulties adapting to changes in the language and customs. They awaken with very little memory of their previous clan, only of the desperate search for water, and as such are very prone to anxiety when far removed from a constant water source such as a natural spring or pond.

As they were originally Lightning dragons and return to Lightning clans, they are able to quickly make themselves useful in many capacities, but clans often find that they are most adept at scouting out natural resources. Many help their new clans to develop more efficient irrigation and run-off collection systems. They also have a great love of jewelry, often festooning themselves with ornaments to best show off their incredible transformed hides, which they can understandably be quite vain about. Several Boulder Opals ended up seeking work in that trade, with varying degrees of success, but none can fault their work ethic.


Art by @Effervessa