Creative Corner

Hey, all! Just a little intro here: I'm LagMonster. My roommates played this game before me, and while it seemed neat enough, I never really was interested in pet games like this. So when I heard wind that there was a Nuzlocke challenge here, and I was all "Heck yes, sign me up!" So, one October 2014 registration later, here I am! :) My lair is a hardcore Nuzlocke lair, so I'll be running by the strictest of rules, and even added one or two of my own! Because.. it wasn't hard enough? I dunno.

I've been keeping a tumblr of the on-going story so far, but some people have expressed interest in reading it who don't have a tumblr, so I'm going to be starting a thread here for it as well!

Let me know if you want to be on the pingling? The story updates sporadically! _{*Unless real life gets in the way, which it does sometimes, but I'm sure you understand!*}

Pinglings: _{@StrykeSlammerII @WhoDoVoodoo @NewHope @Talonr @CrypticGirl @Meridok @Gwineira @Solaristigres @ike9899 @Gryphillian @TheArcaneKitsune @ShadowsFIAL @Alethia @Kodaic @Almedha @VictoryInSolace @Neige @PYR4LSP1T3 @Soupalicious @Lyel @benriya @Taffine @quailheart @FlyingNorth @nindeanwa @Hawktalon @murklin @Melia @Azurite @Shiisiln @Exsanguinate @msjanny @KingDoge @HallowDarkfrost @Altarf @Bolfir @ArgenteaMoon @Slyphire @stealthclaw @Ulta @Kizmetto @SpaceSnake @IcefireStarfire @feroxia @Gallows @Survivors @Sulka @raya @Lambflop @Tedium @HazelJade @Kaial @Gabbia @Cewientje @Izakadu @daird @Misplaced @Snowstreak @Feldoras @Fliychiell @JinxMoonstone @NinjaKitty @Twelvewishes @Aloysius @Orenildur @snailcall @rosie115 @Scyras @hoglolly @CopperRose @Leelyloo @Praeter @RedWood @WingedElf @psychocanes @typoAdventure @Rileykins @Katerrn @KallaStromuel @Arii @Braixen @dragonfly @ToxicHeart @RandomShmoe @FireLordAzula @chlomaki @greyyourwarden @Cerastes @AnaliAmber @Jes @Nihilo @Dovalore @mintSMASH @GhostPepper @dragonicmaster @Pookasaur @pensandink @OrchestralAscent @owlstar7 @ZephyrWindSpirit @Baekhyun @QuickSilvr @RizuChan @POTaDOS @DuskySpark @GunmetalJane @Eyelet @Solar @silvercatshadow @Sprogog @Ephyra @Kaesa @Firewood @GaleSong @KallenTheSylveon @NightShift @Cynictis @IronPen @Imbricaria @Morigan @NaturesEye @Mashiara @TinkerBrows @Tiirran @Spiritfire @felinekind @sadey @MagicHats @KairiDragoness @Antaria @Orru @Istoki @Vixeon @BatCatization @Axqu @Druddigon8 @Nyaro @Halidom @RogueOfTime @Torntorn @Abysea @Valemora @marleymars @slp0001 @CowardlyTank @WayfaringMirror @Phooka @fairyn @fanaticalferret}


The Original Nuzlocke Thread - Crediting the thing that started all of this madness!

RULES
1. Dragons cannot be bought, only hatched.
2. Only one egg can be bought per month, others must be found scavenging or in the coliseum. AS OF JANUARY 1ST 2015, I AM STRIKING OUT THIS RULE. New rule: Eggs can only be scavenged or found in the coliseum. Unless the amount of dragons in the lair falls below five, they can no longer be purchased once a month.
3. Scatter scrolls cannot be used on dragons below level 25 I'm just not scattering at all. Period.
4. A dragon cannot be given a primary gene until level 10, secondary until level 15, and tertiary gene until level 20.
5. One breed change may be purchased for every egg found gathering or in the coliseum, and can only be used on a dragon the moment of its hatching.
6. Food cannot be gained through gathering, only the coliseum.
7. Exalt for coliseum death.
8. Nest Hatching: For every hatchling, flip a coin. If tails, the hatchling has died, exalt.
9. Coliseum cannot be reloaded to avoid death, you have to use the flee option and take the hit to energy.

Bonus Round:
1. Dragons can only breed if they are reasonably sized to each other. *Yup. No fae/guardian babies.*
2. Keeping true to lore, adult guardians must leave for their Search, never to see their original clan again. Any guardian dragon born into Rising Embers will leave the clan after they reach 2 months *FR time* of age.

My Own Spin: PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. Things like familiars and obtained eggs should be documented if they are found in the coliseum or scavenging, and other than the one egg purchase allowed per month, neither eggs nor familiars can be kept unless found and documented like this. *That means no Pinkerton! No chests! Those ones get sold.* (Yeah, I can say 'goodbye' to any familiar-collecting achievements.)

The next group of dragons I get up to 25, I'll probably release my own personal 'LagMonster's Nuzlocke Coli Build' guide or something. But until then, here's a chart and a blurb about how to best keep your dragons alive! Please note, this blurb was posted to someone else's Nuzlocke thread and is not a place to ask/discuss the build. PM me if you have questions or comments. I'll make an official post for it elsewhere as soon as Diego and his crew are 25.

Table of Contents
An Ending
A New Beginning
The First of Our Challenges
A New Friend
Onward and Upward
A Reminder
A Janus By Any Other Name...
Seeing Doubles
Home Is Where Your Familiars Are
A Touch of the Arcane
Large Blessings in Small Packages
Just Another Day In...
To Bear the Scars of the Flamecaller's Touch
Missing Part of Me
All the Creatures, Great and Small
The Army Grows
It Seems So Easy, Being Green
Return to the Stars
It Goes On
Hidden Talents Brought to Light
Snakes on a Plain
The Rotten Egg
Nameless Rift
Plagued by Plague
Can a Dragon Change Its Spots?
All That Glitters Could Be Goldenrod
Some Static Shock
A Name to Weather the Storm
We Went Hunting?
Round Two - Fight
Gilda, the -
Slice of Life
The Wind Beneath My Wings
Grin and Bear It
Follow the River
A Homecoming to Remember
A Song in the Wind
Thankful For...
A Fa(e)ted Meeting
Sort of Like 'The Ugly Duckling,' But... Not
A Cave of Green Scales
Bringing Home the Bunch
Eggs
A Name to Grow On
A Rose at My Side
Familiar With Familiars?
Of Wood and Fire
Fluffernuggets
For a Hope to Rise From the Ashes
Double the Mystery
Clan Leader Garr
And Then, the Hunting Party Returned
Crystalline Memories
Mirror-Creature
Song on the Wind
A Parade of New Faces
A Clan That Grows Together, Part 1
A Clan That Grows Together, Part 2
Letters From Afar
When Shadows Speak
Shifting Sands and Gifts of Stone
A Tale of Two Longnecks
Kalikakka and the Stone Guardian
A Journey Begun
Hard Lessons
What Shadows Bring
A Passion In All
Intruders
A Bustle of Life
Clan of Tigers
Second Thoughts
A Sign of Things to Come?
Blessed Day
Those Who Yearn to Craft
What Dreams May Come
Lady In Red
A Cautionary Tail
A Clan at Work
Gifts They Come Bearing
On the Subject of Names
Two Families (Home)
Six More


Love Nuzlockes? Want more? I have some Nuz-buddies who are also running challenges of their own! Feel free to check them out:
CrypticGirl's Nuzlocke
Nindeanwa's Nuzlocke
KingDoge's Nuzlocke Challenge
Neige's Nuzlocke
VictoryInSolace's Nuzlocke Story
Clan Ferox Nuzlocke
Khoshekh's Nuzlocke
IcefireStarfire's Nuzlocke Challenge
Kaial's Nuzlocke: The Arcane Exile
Nature Nuzlocke - Gabbia's Challenge
Feldoras' Nuzlocke and Roleplay

Having a lot of fun and want to interact with me/my clan? Apart from the fact that I make an effort to reply to every comment left here, I do accept RP letters from other clans! I may be slow to respond at times, and mention of our interactions may or may not show up somewhere briefly in my Nuzlocke chapters (depends on the timing, and how the story is moving, and etc... can't make any guarantees either way), but I have a lot of fun with them, and Garr likes to know he's not alone in this big, scary world of Flight Rising!

[b]An Ending[/b] I am the last of my clan. Originally a small band of forgers and craftsmen, we lived in peace in the northern region of the Ashfall Waste. We had heard of the rise of the Beast clans, but thought little of it. Our clan was not a warring clan, so what issues would we have with them? We thought we could simply continue to live in peace. We were wrong… A wave of feather and scales bore down upon our lands; harpies carrying alchemical weapons of disaster bombed our hearths, releasing venomous clouds and toxic gases that quickly took down even the most stalwart of smithies. I am alive only by the grace of my moment of cowardice. I am not a fighter, I am a crafter, and when the sky darkened with the bodies of the harpy assault, I fled and hid away. I am alive, yes, but to what purpose? There is nothing left of my old clan, and now I must move on. I am Garr. And I am all that is left. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=6918379] [img]https://31.media.tumblr.com/5670f5eb55c81efb8aa7c4c833dbb16f/tumblr_inline_ndecd8gJ9X1t2f6de.png[/img] [/url]

[b]A New Beginning[/b] With nowhere left to go, I beat a slow, aimless retreat along the fiery lands of lava pools and magma vents, the memories of my clan and their forges playing out in my mind. I was directionless, homeless, hopeless… Perhaps I could find another to take me in? But what clan would want such a coward among their ranks… After days or weeks, I cannot tell, I finally stopped walking. My legs, too sore to continue, my stomach, to empty to give me peace. I collapsed on the ground in a heap, ready to give up. And then, the most curious of things… An explosion of fire. One of the vents near me had built to such tremendous pressures, erupting at a scale I had never witnessed before along the Emberglow. Lava spewed out, steam hissed at deafening proportions, and heat, such powerful heat enveloped me and everything around me. But even through all of this, I was not afraid. It may have been that the exhaustion was simply too great, that I did not have the energy to even feel fear or apprehension, but no, I think it was something else… I think I heard the voice of the Flamecaller in those deafening hisses. I believe I felt her touch in the flames that licked my scales and the ground around me. I heard her tell me to get up, to go on, to grow [i]strong[/i], and to help push back against these Beast hordes. And when your deity beckons and commands, well, what else can you do? Still weak and tired, but with new resolve I pushed myself to my feet and looked around as the steam and fire cleared. The explosion had left a great crater, riddled with shallow cave-like holes and streams of lava. If, in fact, it truly was the Flamecaller telling me to go on, then I can only assume that she had left this place for me, and so I crawled down into the steaming, scorching crater, and began to dig and carve myself out a nook. More days passed as I worked, and though tired and hungry, the Flamecaller gave me small blessings as I continued. Rats, lizards, and other small creatures scurried by, giving me something to fill my belly with and store away for later. Slowly, with all of the carving and building, my claws grew sharper, and my muscles stronger. Finally I had a small lair cleared out of my own. Nothing grand, and certainly not equipped with all the luxuries of a finer lair, but at least I had the barest of necessities. It was a start. It was mine. No sooner had I finished and nestled down for a much needed moment of rest when a noise caught my attention. Still wary of the harpies, and concerned that their flock was passing over to raid and destroy even more small clans, I fled into one of my deeper caves, hiding away as I peered out from beyond the darkness. What I saw stilled my pulse for a moment. A great green head, colors so vibrant I thought it was from the Labyrinth, peered down into my crater. Burning amber eyes told me the dragon was another of the Flamecaller’s many children, and I relaxed a little, though hesitant and still confused. Who was this, and why were they here? As the dragon descended carefully into my carved and hollowed crater, I could get a better look at it. It was a guardian. A great, jade guardian, with deep green wings, and she seemed to move with purpose as she entered my crater. I saw her raise her head and sniff the area, looking around, and then she peered directly into my cave, directly at me, and stopped. I didn’t know what to do - guardians are massive beasts, compared to my own small scale, and she was easily more than twice my size. I understand that mirrors are supposed to be ferocious and dangerous, but when compared to something so large, I hardly felt it. I probably should have bared my fangs and given a snarl, but instead I tucked my tail and let out a whimper as I scooted farther back into the darkness. And then, because curious happenings simply were not finished with me, an odd thing happened: I saw her sit and bow her head as she peered into the darkness of my lair, and I heard her speak. "Do not be afraid of me. I have come here for [i]you[/i].” "That doesn’t sound like something that would make me any less afraid," I admitted to her loudly, my voice more raised and shrill than I would have hoped. I heard her chuckle. "You misunderstand. I have been on my Search for many months now, and it has finally led me here. To your lair, to you. You are now my Charge." "Your… [i]what?[/i]” Another laugh was her response. “My Charge! You are the one I have been seeking out! The thing I shall now protect and guard and watch over until the end of my days.” I frowned. Having a guardian around didn’t seem too bad, but this just seemed a little… [i]weird[/i]. “Don’t I get a say in this?” "Not really," she gave a shrug of her massive shoulders, and who was I to argue? A single foreclaw of hers could probably have swatted me down without issue. With a reluctant sigh, I slunk out from my cave to get a better look at my newest… clan member? Lair buddy? Guardian. My new guardian. "What is your name?" I asked as I peered now from the entrance of my cave, still hesitant to approach. "I am Deesha," she stated with a smirk. "Well, Deesha, it’s… good to meet you," I stated with a hesitant nod. "Welcome to my, er… our? new home…" [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=6918380] [img]https://31.media.tumblr.com/ab95786e949569121e99267d21b695ee/tumblr_inline_ndedtvOrfO1t2f6de.png[/img] [/url]

[b]The First of Our Challenges[/b] I awoke to Deesha rummaging about the holes and caves of my crater, and gave her a frown. “What are you doing?” "This is all bad. This is unacceptable." She was shaking her head. "What is?" "There is nothing here!" "Well, of course not!" I huffed indignantly. "I’d only just dug everything out when you arrived! I haven’t had time to even [i]think[/i] about constructing forges, or starting an armory, or-“ "No no no," she shook her head. "The food! We are too low on food!" "Oh," I gave a frown. She was right. Flamecaller’s blessings had kept enough rats and lizards pouring out of the various nooks and crannies while I was digging to keep me fed, but now everything was very scarce and empty. It was possible I had already feasted on all of the inhabitants of the area. "Well, what do we do?" "Come. We will need to go searching." She gave a nod of her head toward the edges of my crater, and began climbing up it. "Wait, [i]we?[/i] What?” I hesitated. Did I mention already that I’m a bit of a coward? I’d never hunted in my life. I’d barely even scavenged as it is. Yes, digging out the lair had made my claws sharper and made me a little stronger, but did that really mean I was ready to go out and tackle actual [i]dangers[/i]? Deesha turned and gave me a disapproving frown, her various sails and fins fanning to make her already impressive form seem even larger. "Well, I certainly can’t do it all on my own!" With as large as she was, I was finding it hard to believe that. But also, I didn’t want that big of a beast and all of the power implied in her form to be turned on myself, either, so with reluctant acceptance, I slunk out after her. [img]https://31.media.tumblr.com/fdd8f1f4655a408e441e140d25b8b1d2/tumblr_inline_ndeel0YvWe1t2f6de.png[/img] The entire ordeal was terrifying. We fled many times, just barely escaping with our lives. Well, [i]I[/i] fled many times, in ways that I’m pretty sure meant I’d barely escaped with my life. Deesha often followed after me with a great frown. By the end of it all we had very little to show for it, and with my energy drained from all of the valiant fleeing, our already low food stores were shrinking even more. "We cannot let hardships in the process mean that we will not even try," Deesha stated with assurance, and drug me back out to what she called ‘the training fields.’ I think she was pulling my leg with that name. I’m certain of it. Don’t let anyone tell you that moths and mice can’t hit very,[i] very hard[/i]. Still, with much patience and guidance from Deesha, I found myself growing braver and braver with every new encounter. I was beginning to learn how to best strike out at my opponents and then duck away in time to avoid them. I was learning where to vitally hit creatures to bring them down faster and more efficiently. I was learning things I had never fathomed before… I was learning how to be strong. How to be brave. How to[i] fight[/i]. I guess, deep down inside, all mirrors really are a little vicious. I had been a coward my entire life, but now, picking bits of mouse and moth from between my claws, I was fighting… and I[i] liked it[/i]. Also, our food stores were doing better for it. [img]https://31.media.tumblr.com/d8b0cfbcde421c3c768e53c02fc18dd6/tumblr_inline_ndeffrs9qs1t2f6de.png[/img] The small bugs were of no interest to me, they seemed to hollow and crunchy, but Deesha appeared to enjoy their flavor.

[b]A New Friend[/b] For many hours we continued our battles, and as we sat aside to rest and regain our strength, munching on a few of our spoils, yet another peculiar thing occurred. As I sat, picking bits of feathers from my claws, I heard a most curious buzzing behind me. Thinking we’d been ambushed I quickly jumped and turned to face the threat, back up against Deesha for defense as she sat behind me.There before me stood a Bumble, one of many that I’d already seen before, but this one seemed different. It did not appear aggressive or hostile in any way, though it did seem rather wary as it watched us. I gave an awkward hiss at it, and behind me, Deesha chuckled. With confusion, I turned to look back at her. "This one is different," she noted with a grin at me. "Look at how it watches us." "Yeah, well… it’s making me nervous." I frowned. "Pay it no mind," Deesha stated calmly, and we resumed our rest. The bumble never quite left the area, flitting and pacing about where we recovered. From time to time I would look over to it, and it would look over to me, but that was the extent of our interactions. Eventually Deesha and I continued our battling, but as the day wore on we decided it was time to bring back all of our spoils, and so we returned home. Oddly enough, the bumble followed. "Why won’t it go away?" I asked Deesha with a frown. She just chuckled once more. "It seems curious about you. We should keep it around, I think. It’s not hostile, and it could be helpful." Well, Deesha’s advice hadn’t let me down yet, so with some reservations, I allowed the strange creature into my lair. [img]https://31.media.tumblr.com/1b8c7c239a225ea63e4378b3f1056da7/tumblr_inline_ndeg04IqGy1t2f6de.png[/img] It seemed my “clan” was already growing in the most interesting of ways…

[b]Onward and Upward[/b] Many times we returned to those ‘training fields’ to stalk and hunt and bring home food. Much of what we managed were bits of insects, legs and antennae that break off easily. Tried as I might to run down a few of the Charger herds, they constantly escaped my reach, and so real [i]meat[/i] was rarity to come by. But still, the scraps that were collected were enough to bolster our otherwise scarce food stores, and for the first time in a very long time, I sat back, relaxed, taking in the surroundings of my crater, and I smiled. It was very possible that things really were going to be [i]okay[/i]. I turned to share this outlook with Deesha, but found the area strangely lacking of her massive, vibrant form. With a frown I scrambled about, searching for her in the shallow holes that made the dens of our home, and all around the crater. Panic began to grip me as I looked with no avail - she’s much to big to lose, where could she possible be? I was about ready to race out of the crater, calling her name, when her great form appeared lumbering casually over the edge and down the side of our personal caldera. I shot her a worried, confused glare as she approached, and the look gave her brief pause. "What is it?" she asked, all too casually for my taste. "Oh, nothing." I gave a low snort and looked away. She frowned, then shrugged and seemed to dismiss the matter. "I was out exploring to see how much farther we could safely push our hunts." "Oh, [i]were[/i] you?” I had hoped to make the question not sound so accusing, but my tone failed me miserably, and Deesha flashed me another sour look. I ducked my head down, feeling sheepish and apologetic. She was the large guardian, after all. If either of us was going to scout out hunting grounds, she was certainly the better of the two. And besides, what was I complaining for? Just days ago I would have been too skittish to leave the crater at all and would have happily let Deesha head off on her own. But now, I couldn’t help but worry. She was my only fellow clan mate as it was, and having grown so accustomed to her presence, I did not want to think what would happen if she were to run into trouble while she was out on her own, or where that would leave me if she were gone for good… "Yes. And I think I’ve found us better grounds for hunting. Come, I will show you." Her voice broke me from my thoughts, and she stood and turned, making motion for me to follow her. I frowned once more as I spotted something very…[i] out of place.[/i] "Deesha? What is that on your back?" "What?" Deesha turned to look back at me, then craned her head to look down at her back. "Oh, right. That. I nearly forgot that was there." Nestled between her shoulders was a luna mith, the creature huddled up and motionless save for the random errant flutter of its wings. "Light as a feather, these things are." "Where did it come from?" I was still wary. These creatures had been part of our hunts already, and I wasn’t certain what to think of this one. Deesha gave a low chuckle. "It was like your bumble. I found it following me as I was returning home, so I simply let it hitch a ride. But I suppose it would be best if it stayed here while we went out." "Are you sure that’s… safe?" I asked, hesitant. "It won’t eat all of our food while we’re out? Or anything like that?" "Lava pools are not a natural commodity to its homeland, I’m sure. The poor creature will probably just huddle away and wait for our return." She turned to walk toward one of our shallow lairs, stopping to look at me, and I could see the humor in her eyes. "Relax, Garr. I’m fairly certain that it is literally more scared of you than you are of it." I gave a weak cough that I’m sure I’d meant as a chuckle. [img]https://31.media.tumblr.com/aa9083f4c31dea2242a9671ad7c3bad1/tumblr_inline_ndese79zQS1t2f6de.png[/img] The creature did, in fact, huddle away, joining the bumble as they kept to the safety of the back of one of our caves. I gave a low sigh. When the Flamecaller had told me to grow strong and fight back against the Beast clans, I don’t think she’d meant for me to start by first building an army of large insects. "Come," Deesha commanded of me once more, and I turned to see her already heading back up the side of our crater. "We should test out these new hunting grounds." [img]https://31.media.tumblr.com/c501bfbfc5c9782b266d44609585f3a8/tumblr_inline_ndesuuxD7Y1t2f6de.png[/img] [img]https://31.media.tumblr.com/2a7b7a5b5bf2659ff44c577ca0ae1366/tumblr_inline_ndesv9O8zt1t2f6de.png[/img] Delicious.

[b]A Reminder[/b] The other night, I heard the flapping of wings once more. It’s been so long, but there they were, moving fast overhead in great flocks. The four of us - Deesha, myself, and our two over-sized insects - huddled together at the back of one of our shallow caves, listening to the army moving overhead. What were they doing out here? Looking for more clans to ambush, I have no doubt. I’d never been more grateful that our little crater was so scarcely furnished as to not draw any attention. We listened for what felt like an eternity until the last of their beating wings trailed off into the distance, and then we continued to listen for hours, making sure that they were truly gone. None of is managed to go back to sleep after that, even though it would still be dark for hours. Unable to sleep and too restless to wait around in our cave, I crawled out to scavenge the area for any supplies or items left behind, possibly dropped by the passing harpies, or simply discarded from others out along the Emberglow. Deesha gave me a look for it but made no attempt to stop me as I headed out. I was a scrapper in my old clan, you see, and was part of the group that would go hunting about for discarded scraps and junk to take home and use for refurbishing or building items. Not everything is useful, but some things are. I found nothing of note, but we may have use for the few things I did find. And if not? Well… no better garbage disposal than open lava pits, am I right? Eventually Deesha joined me out of the crater. “Come,” she said with a low snort, “if you’re so set on not sleeping, then we may as well spend our time doing something more useful than scrounging around for rotting leather and moth-eaten fabrics.” So… we headed back out for some nocturnal hunting. [img]https://31.media.tumblr.com/b2c3dc745a511eff6e7181343a926bdd/tumblr_inline_ndffg2IfJf1t2f6de.png[/img] Nocturnal creatures are horrifying. My heart nearly stopped as I watch Deesha stagger back in pain from a great blast sent by the dryad. She was weak, but still standing, and she bared her fangs in a snarl, but I grabbed her tail in my mouth and gave an insistent yank before turning and darting away from the angered creatures. I could hear the heavy pounding of Deesha following after me, and we finally stopped when we were certain they weren’t giving chase. She looked a little bruised and scratched, but I could see in her eyes that the pain was mostly felt in her pride than in her body. She doesn’t like it when I force her to run. It’s not that I don’t think she’s strong enough to take on these challenges, it’s just that I don’t think[i] I’m[/i] strong enough to keep going without her…

(Nice! I may read this instead of playing videogames tonight... Also: Rule #2--oh, good. this should make starting out a bit easier. I must've missed the possibility of purchasing eggs the one time I read the rules.)

@LagMonster Can I be added to the pinglist?

@StrykeSlammerII Ha! That' makes me feel pretty awesome to hear that this competes with video games. XD

@CrypticGirl Absolutely! :) Thanks for the interest! And I'll be happy to see how your own Nuzlocke goes along, as well!