Bananabread

Eliminate Ability Stone A high damage deadly attack that attempts to finish the opponent off. Refunds breath if the enemy dies. 500 Required Level: 7 Bananabread Acolink ruthless | militant | confident Light Runestone Dragonmade An ancient stone bearing the ancestral rune of the Lightweaver. Such a find should be kept as a prized possession. 110 » The Matron of War » she/her » ♫ Theme Sunbeam Ursa Familiar Guardian of the Sunbeam Ruins. (Brightshine Jubilee 2014.) 0 » The Nox Guard » lawful neutral » ♥ Feathertail

Winter Solstice. Thousands of mysterious parents-to-be spilled from the Tangled Wood, once unknown and dormant, they traversed the planet in search of territory and clans. The bat-like dragons settled in all regions, nesting and sending out new generations of their kind in all elements and flights. There was so much to do, and so little daylight to do it in. As quickly as the creatures came, together they flocked back to their homeland, and a single egg laid in the Sunbeam Ruins was forgotten and abandoned.

The Clan of the Crystal Nook spent days digging before a mysterious egg was discovered. The queen of the lair, not having any eggs of her own at the time, looked after the egg. It was a few days before it started to crack open, and a sort of dragon they had never seen before flopped out of it. No one knew how a Light dragon egg could have made it to the Starfall Isles, but they welcomed the new hatchling, and the Aura she bathed in.

Soon, word spread across all of Sornieth that Nocturne eggs were being uncovered and hatched, and thus the clan concluded that this must've been what this new dragon was. She was brown and yellow, with some patches of fur and feathers that made her pretty fluffy. The queen decided to name her Bananabread, and continued to keep the orphan under her wing until the nocturne matured.

Time passed, and quickly after maturing, Bananabread stepped forward to the frontline, driven by her Aura. With two other fighters, Skywinder and Circusmonster, she formed the Nox Guard. Working hard, fighting enemies, and getting stronger, the clan began to consider her the Matron of War. She became known for diving into any fight without armor, and enjoying every moment of it. No greater thrill came than the time she helped take down a Flowering Pohip, the first boss-like creature the Nox Guard had ever encountered. As they sifted through the defeated beast's possessions, she paused, before slowly picking up a stone - on it, was the symbol for Eliminate.

Bananabread assumed that she would be alone in terms of going to the nesting grounds, for one reason or another. She was one of the first generations of her species to hatch in a new land, so perhaps the other dragons were afraid of something different? Were they afraid of her strength and power? Her Aura? She would always inspect new males, wondering if any would try to court her. For a while, none did.

Everything changed when a new Coatl arrived, who was just as fluffy and feathery as she. Feathertail broke the mold, unexpectedly doing something no other dragon was brave enough to do. His accent heavy with the indication that draconic was not his first language - though he'd been learning and improving - he asked the brutal beauty to be his mate. Bananabread heartily agreed, and that's when she found out why she had never been approached before. The clan passively scolded her, implying that motherhood would interfere with her militant duties.

Bananabread's eyes flashed with anger at this, and she was aggravated further when Feathertail offered to take her place in the fight. She insisted that she was much stronger than she looked, insulted that she was being this much underestimated. She vowed to show the clan that she was capable of being a mother and a soldier. The pair proceeded to produce many offspring together, the vast majority of which were exalted to the Arcanist, all the while Bananabread resumed her position as Matron of War.

This was the way life was for many moons, but the winds of change swept across the lair once again, and different bonds started to form. Bananabread found herself parting ways with Feathertail, as he chose a fellow Coatl, and she, herself, settled down with a fellow Nocturne who was new to the lair. The fresh pair had a few offspring, but she found the change from Feathertail to be disruptive and unpleasant. As if an unseen force were trying to guide them back together, her new mate, as well as Feathertail's, both left to serve a higher cause with the Arcanist.

Bananabread had come full circle and found herself alone again. Feathertail remained in the lair, but on the brink of the decision to exalt himself. She didn't want him to; she missed him, and loved him. After everything, she had been reduced to a childless warrior once again, and she wondered if the clan was right all along. Was she unable to balance the polarized duties? Was her position in the Nox Guard the reason she and Feathertail had divorced? Distracting herself with her life of war, she bides her time, waiting and hoping that against all odds, he'll approach her again, like he did so long ago.

Bananabread's adoptive mother, Arjibi, had once been the queen of the lair, but was dethroned by a new king who chose a new queen, and the current monarchy had become known as "the false king and queen" among some of the dragons in the lair. Though Bananabread loyally and valiantly served the clan as the military leader, she couldn't help but agree with the sentiment that the original queen and king deserved the power.

Over time, Bananabread had become very intimidating, aloof, and generally unapproachable - through no fault of her own, rather, it was her great power in battle that kept others at bay. She was taken aback, though listened well, when some of the rebels came to her with a plan to restore power to the original monarchy. The alchemist, the gamemaster, and the treasurer were to be hard at work creating, earning, and setting aside the treasure necessary to achieve genes scrolls, while it was asked of the Nox Guard to obtain one gene scroll. Bananabread had only basic genes herself, but she did not care. Instead, she took her squad and got right to work slaying and foraging for python, a gene for the old king, Hydra.

After only a week, Arjibi had all her genes and her makeover was complete, though Bananabread was so busy she had not been able to see her adoptive mother's new appearance. It was longer before all of Hydra's genes were finally obtained, and Bananabread was present when they bestowed the genes to him. She kept all three scrolls hidden under her tucked wings as she, Skywinder, and Circusmonster visited Hydra. Circusmonster reunited with his father after several years, as the fallen king had been banished to the deepest part of the cave. Hydra felt shameful, and after some reassuring from his son, they could explain what all this was about.

"Some of the dragons in the lair have been secretly forming a rebellion," Skywinder started. "We, the Nox Guard, the gamemaster, the treasurer and the alchemist, have all been working tirelessly to acquire the scrolls to raise you and the old queen back up - to breathe life back into you, to make you feel powerful once again."

Bananabread then stepped forward and spoke. "With Chessa's earnings, Gilded's secret fund stash, Contagia's brew, and our work on the battlefield, we present to you, your scrolls." She opened her wings and the scrolls fell out and onto the floor in front of Hydra, where he then rose to his feet and gathered them.

"The old queen is already completely changed, you wouldn't even recognize her," Skywinder informed him. "Her Aura is more powerful, and once you use your scrolls, yours will be as well, my king. All of us rebels will soon meet to plan our attack on the false king."

After some pause on Hydra's part, Circusmonster reassured him again. "Please go ahead, father."

The Nox Guard watched quietly as Hydra started to unfurl the scrolls that would restore his power. He spoke the magic incantations on each scroll: tertiary, secondary, then primary, and the genes started to become visible on his body as the scrolls turned to dust. It would still be some time before Bananabread could see Arjibi's new appearance; they all had to be careful not to draw too much attention to themselves, so the Nox Guard left to resume their post higher up, close to the false monarchy.

Nearly a week afterwards, the rebels started to make a move. On the day that a newcomer joined their clan, Hydra and Arjibi slowly moved up the ranks, undetected. This new dragon had creepy and bizarre properties that blocked Aura and the detection of it - thus they were able to use her as a shield as they moved closer to the false monarchy. The Nox Guard could help harbor the progenitors even closer, and once there, the attack could commence. Ambushing the false king was priority, and they would need Aristheus, the Exalt Expert, to forcibly exalt him and the false queen in order for them to regain control of the clan. Powerful as Bananabread was, the false king's Aura was so violently powerful and sinister that she hesitated to act alone, but she believed their time of rule was nearly over.

September came, and it was an eventful month with the Arcane holiday on the horizon. Living in an Arcane lair, with an Arcane adoptive mother, Bananabread thought it was a fitting time to carry out the plan. The Nox Guard held their position outside of the royal court, just behind the Aura-Blocker, and everything was in place, except for Aristheus - an exposed coward. When initially approached with the concept of revolution, the Fae turned them down in fear of punishment from the false king. Bananabread swiftly moved and practically throttled the tiny dragon.

"We didn't come this far for nothing, Aristheus," she hissed. After some light bullying, Aristheus was thrust into the grand court of the king and queen. It was a huge, well-lit cavern, and at the back were the thrones where the faes lazed. It wasn't out of the ordinary for Aristheus to be in the room with them, as he was utilized as an advisor and informant, and so there was no suspicion.

"Aristheus, I didn't feel you arrive," the king said plainly. He didn't know it, but he was referring to the moment Aristheus passed the Aura-Blocker and his Aura became visible again.
"My king." Aristheus squeaked, feeling small. He was on the floor, and walked on all fours towards his fellow faes. "May I have a word with you?"

Outside, all that the rebels could do was wait, and hope that Aristheus would succeed in his exalting of the king. Standing before the monarchy, Aristheus reached to his side and thumbed through his books that rested at his side - quietly passing over general logkeeping, and taking his Book of Exalting. He hesitated with his hand gripping it, before he launched the attack.

Aristheus sprung towards the king in a powerful leap, tackling and knocking him out of his throne. In the scuffle, the king's crown clattered across the cavern and Aristheus used his whole body weight to keep him subdued as the king's violent Aura flared like an explosion. The Aura made Aristheus feel like death incarnate but he held him down. The queen was actually powerless and relied on the king, so her fight-or-flight kicked in, and she took flight. Hearing the commotion and knowing the final act was in play, the Nox Guard stormed the room, cutting off the queen from the exit.

"Guards! Aristheus is a traitor!" The king screeched, but the Nox Guard stood firmly at the door. Realizing that a coup was taking place, the king suddenly and eerily calmed, and his Aura receded to an unfeeling state. The cavern was silent apart from Aristheus' panicked breaths and the queens small footsteps as she darted back and forth like a trapped beast.

"Then, may The Shade curse you all," were the king's final words, as Aristheus began to read the incantation aloud from his book. The King was then exalted, leaving behind his belongings. The queen could do nothing as Aristheus exalted her, and as she disappeared to serve a higher cause, her crown lay on the floor where she once had been.

Aristheus collapsed on the floor in an anxious heap as the Nox Guard left to break the news to the clan. "The false monarchy has been exalted," Bananabread and her squad repeated several times throughout the lair. She saw Arjibi for the first time since her transformation. The little Fae mother she had once known had become a beautifully gened and outfitted Pearlcatcher who walked with her mate Hydra to the cave mouth to share a moment together. Bananabread watched in awe as the two looked out into the Starfall Isles for the first time in years.


The clan celebrated the return of their benevolent leaders for the rest of the month, as Arjibi and Hydra took their place at the top of the lair once more. The Starfall Celebration coincided with the Crystal Nook's personal celebration, and the entire clan was filled to the brim with pride and joy. The king and queen nested together for the first time in years, and the hatch was during the holiday. They welcomed a new princess, Starlight, the firstborn of this clutch, and Bananabread welcomed her new adoptive sister. Her birth and presence in the clan was a physical reminder of everything they had went through - she marked the dawning of a new age as the clan thrived.

And thrive it did: with the false monarchy gone, the clan's motivation and morale was bolstered. The gamemaster began to earn maximum treasure at an accelerated rate, all of which could finally be used for the benefit of every dragon in the lair. The bountiful daily treasure jump-started the clan's inner-economy and the lair was more active than ever as they prospered and revitalized more members with genes. Dragons acquired jobs, became well-dressed and expanded their territory as the future of the lair was now monetarily secured. It was well and truly a renaissance.

Stone Fertility Statue Dragonmade Statues like this are often given to matriarchs and mothers in hopes that their hatchlings develop strong and able. Many clans keep one in each of their nests for luck. 65

It had been more than two years since the Renaissance started, and all the while Bananabread had resumed her duties out in the field. Each holiday she was fighting for precious elemental currency on behalf of her clan, alongside her squad, Circusmonster and Skywinder. So much remained constant, and yet so much had changed. Early on in the benevolent leaders' return, they had ordered the secret construction of a secondary base location called New Nook City, which had finally just been revealed and opened.

The Crystal Nook had also staked claim in territory near the Observatory, and around the same time, the deities had called for lair reform and the clan was allowed to dig a massive amount of extra space, called the Hibernal Den. A heavy flow of treasure came to the wealthy clan, and many once-plain and weak-Auraed dragons had received the same gene treatment the monarchy had, including Bananabread herself. Galore, a generous dragon who recently made himself known to Sornieth, held massive giveaways of rare finds, where the Crystal Nook picked up additional Eliminates for Bananabread's other two team members - the Nox Guard was now unstoppable. One of the monarchy's lost sons had returned home after years apart, and had a booming nest-rental business as the clan's nesting grounds were fully expanded.

The latter especially had Bananabread yearning for a different time, as she watched the royal family continue to expand, and the nesting grounds had never received so much attention - albeit mostly from dragons from different territories. Over the past several years, she and Feathertail, who had chosen not to exalt himself, had exchanged passing glances many times. The coatl had stayed long enough, and became old enough to see the creation of the Council of Elders, of which he found himself the final member of. Bananabread was also in the Council, although Feathertail was the least-respected member due to his turning to a life of crime. He had become a con artist, making illicit deals around the back of the Auction House and selling counterfeit goods. The majority of the clan frowned upon his behavior, but after he gave himself completely new genes, he was even more powerful, and proved that he was here to stay. Though she knew that the love between an honorable royal guard member and a criminal was taboo, her feelings remained.

The winds of change blew her way once again. To celebrate entering the first new year with New Nook City, the progenitors made plans for massive nesting party. The King and Queen invited the Nox Guard and their mates, as well as the gamemaster Chessa and her mate Yaal, to coordinate a hatch of warriors. The attitude towards parental warriors seemed to have changed so much since the clan's beginnings, and it had been many moons since any of the parents reared young, and for some parents-to-be, it had been never. Arjibi and Hydra made plans, Circusmonster and Fairytoes made plans, Skywinder and Grapeblast made plans, Chessa and Yaal made plans, and Bananabread...

Bananabread decided that she would no longer be the lady-in-waiting; she had never been a damsel in distress and she questioned why she was waiting to be approached in the first place. Her eyes flashed again like they had done so many years ago, as her mind filled with memories of Feathertail. In an instant, she took off to his personal quarters.

The fluffy, feathery coatl donned a pinstripe suit and a fedora now, and Bananabread stood in the entrance way before uttering his name. Feathertail turned and looked back at her, and the face of the otherwise hardened criminal softened.

"Nanner? What are you doing here?" he asked with concern, and Bananabread sheepishly approached him.

"I miss you," she started hesitantly, "I wanted to see what you thought about... getting back together?"

He seemed shocked and gazed at her with wonder. "Nanner, I... I never thought that a royal guard would take back a criminal."

"I never wanted you to leave in the first place," she said with emotion, close enough now that she pressed her face into his chest, and they hugged.


As expected, Bananabread brought Feathertail to the nesting grounds after their courtship had been rekindled, and she didn't care about any side-eyeing she may have gotten. After a few days of tending to their nest of three, the eggs were hatched, and it was the first hatchlings the two of them had since both of their regeneing. The clan warriors celebrated their new offspring, with each pair adding one new dragon to the lair as all the others honorably left to serve the Arcanist. She and Feathertail looked down at their nocturne son called Blaze and wondered what great things he would come to achieve. Finally, Bananabread was no longer a childless warrior, and with Feathertail by her side once again, she was no longer a lonely one, either.

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