Hystari

Befouled Brotherhood ;; by Cicerax
Nestled within the pulsating hills of the Rotrock Rim, hidden behind the thickets of oozing plant forms there rests a series of large wooden structures.
In this ageing wooden village where the ground moans with disease, a clan of dragons reside with a mixed series of traits. A group of hardy folk with an admiration of growth in lands where death is the norm.
Here, if one so desires and their coin purse permits, a dragon can purchase for their clan a finely trained messenger Raven from the clan's monumental Rookery.
A large decrepit inn 'The Stout Dunhoof' beckons those who pass their pulsating boundaries to rest for the evening - adjacent to an expansive field of plump snowelk, horns cut and used in weapon production and tonics.

The baying of warhounds can be distinctly noted from the thick stone of the kennels, and a sharp scowling Mirror merely nods to a sign indicating their price.
Residing over the town is the proud Guardian Prince, usurped and sour because of it. The clan is a proud one, the creatures they produce being the highest skilled Exalts in the region.

by Cicerax

“None of you will be alive to tell it. ”

Nothing but a hot-headed runaway when Myrikki founded her, barely out of the nest yet with the attitude of a raging bull. The Tundra soon schooled her in the fields of respect and discipline, hard-earned traits that the young Mirror highly prides herself in.

Being the personal trainee came with many perks, if not a tad of smugness on her part; she became an elite warrior in a matter of years, and was certain she would be granted the position of Myrikki's executioner. She didn't abide well with many of the other Blades, yet she did get into some mischief with Kortan and Bertulf, the three training and adventuring together.

After Bert was declared executioner, the two had a fierce falling out, both receiving their fair share of scars for the act; but Mirrors are not Tundras, and they don't hold grudges. After a quick shake, the two were back to being fast friends.

She was hesitant to take the Wolf blood, and mainly pressured into it by the Wildclaw brothers, both of whom had already gone through with it. She enjoyed it for a part, yet she soon found the lack of control it presented a huge disadvantage to the discipline she prided herself in.

Myrikki's mutiny during one of her hunts was the final straw, and she swore off of transforming after the event. It was to the surprise of none that she followed Myrikki where ever the new-found Seer pleased.
Although not initially enjoying their nomadic lifestyle, she found it resonated a pleasant instinct within her. Mirror ways, she supposed, though it was evident she was far more timid than any Mirrors they encountered in their travels.

The Brotherhood was not an easy concept for her, the idea of settling with others so soon after the mutiny didn't bide well with her. However, Myrikki deemed it wise and she was not one to argue with her, extensively.

Galen was an unexpected surprise for her; just as blind to the Mirror ways as herself, the two find joy in hunting and venturing together, perhaps even studying their heritage if they can tolerate it. The rest of the Brotherhood she avoids, but she makes an exception for Galen."

by Cicerax
“"I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”

The sharp, melodic notes of a panflute cut through the disease ridden air, twisting and artful. The instrument is clutched by the hooked and bloodied talons of a small mirror, skin decayed and only remaining on his body in angry raw plumes, clearly a botched job of a live skinning. Though the gruff creature - Galen- claims he feels no pain, the waver of his neutral expression and hitch of shoulders as leather caresses the raw flesh may suggest otherwise. None dare confront him on this however, as he is a hot-headed and ferocious as all Mirrors.

Galen's prowess in battle is anticipated, adorning a collection of scars, scattering the canvas of his flesh akin to diseased constellations. These wounds were acquired through his ventures of the Mire, where Galen will be content to guide and serve any dragon seeking to venture through or around the area, should they award him a fee. The brash Mirror slunk into the ranks of Brotherhood with ease, aiding in training the Sacrifices to the Priestess of Rot, his tolerable personality easing their mind as they swiftly approach their demise.

Galen never intended to remain with the Brotherhood, their tendency to eat cooked and frilled foods flipping his stomach uneasily. However, he soon found himself under the Charge of Vana, the captain of the Clan's guard - the two forming a fast sibling like relationship.

Though Galen fancies himself a wanderer and an unreliable figure amongst the ranks of the Brotherhood, it is simple to find him joining their sides in conversation or inquiring in a hushed tone about tonics or creams to soothe the burn of his exposed flesh. Though the drake is frantic to assure that he does not mind the open expanse of tendon he truly views himself as a beast much akin to those that haunt the wilderness. His ghastly appearance knocked the Mirror's overzealous confidence, and when alone to do so, he often sulks and abhors his appearance.

It is rumored that long ago, Skinless stripped the flesh from their lean bodies of their own volition, as a message to the rest of dragonkind that they were invulnerable to pain, and could not be frightened by threat of violence. It has since become an inherent trait. Despite the horrifying appearance of the the Skinless, rest assured that they are not in discomfort. The exposed nerve endings of muscular and connective tissues are far less sensitive. Their surface vessels release rivulets of fresh blood, which help to cleanse dirt and bacteria amassed in a typical day. This emission is constant and accumulates as a tacky, clotted substance which covers them like a protective layer. They will avoid water at all costs, as washing away the bloody coating will leave them vulnerable to native infections.