Shrouded by Stardust Blue Duresketh
| Shrouded by Stardust Blue Duresketh | |
|---|---|
| Impressee | Mellayne |
| Hatching Date: | 22 July, 2010 Day 12, Month 4, Turn 23 |
| Current Age: | 45 turns |
| Egg Name: | Molten Fury Egg |
| Size: | 25.3 feet |
| Dam: | Peirith |
| Sire: | Dargonath |
| Lineage: | Here |
| Clutch: | Clutch:37 |
| Egg Credit: | G'dri |
| Dragon Credit: | G'dri and Isandre |
| Puppeteer: | Isandre |
Contents
Molten Fury Egg
Inky black tips this egg, slowly brightening into a dark, yet hazy red towards the midpoint of the shell. A clear, bright line of scarlet marks a sudden colour change into a bold, fiery orange over the lower half of the egg. Whirls of dull red and highlights of searing yellow and white create a molten appearance, liquid fire clinging to the lower curve, unquenched even by the sand upon which it rests. The sharpness of the transition between the top and bottom is broken only once, a splash of orange flaring upwards, spikes of white within its base and shading into bold scarlet as it curves into the beginning of an arch.
Sheer determination has finally resulted in a hole large enough to work one slimy foot through, the Molten Fury Egg bulging grotesquely in places where the shell has cracked without the inner membrane tearing. Without fanfare, without any spectacular showering of shell shards, a Shrouded by Stardust Blue /peels/ his way free of his ovoid prison, slithering out through the ever-growing hole to sprawl across the sand. He spares little attention for the empty casing behind, his interest quite promptly engaged by the wide-bright-noisy world he's discovered.
Shrouded By Stardust Blue Hatchling
Long bones and lean muscles combine to give this hatchling a sharp, streamlined appearance, a sleek promise that is only hinted at in his scrawny frame. He isn't much to look at, just-hatched, his hide so swirled with an amalgamate of blues it's hard to discern what is him and what is egg-goo. Deepest midnight is there, and dusk's indigo, and wisps of a pale blue like a haze across the sky. His head is a narrow wedge, barely swelling from muzzle to headknobs, though jawbones jut out and down in strong curves promising better proportion once he's put on some weight. His wings seem more stubs than proper lengths, back-swept and held so tight to his frame they seem melded to him, but set well back on narrow shoulders. His tail, too, is nearly an afterthought, peppered with flecks of sand and sable across a broad spade.
Temperament
Oh, Duresketh. So much for having a settled life, Mellayne. He's your buddy, your pal, your partner, your other half, your best friend and heart-brother. At first it might be strange having a male presence so closely entwined with you, but soon enough you'll hardly be able to remember him not being there. While you may not quite reach the point of finishing each other's sentences, there will be plenty of times when your thoughts run so in tandem that words will not be necessary to share ideas and intent. He will draw you in and lift you up, eager to experience everything the world has to offer with you.
He's an air-borne menace and a water-borne...Labrador? As agile as he is in the air, in the water all his enthusiasm goes into sound and exuberance, not skill. He's a dragon who will never master the quiet delight of sneaking up on fish. His approach to flying, while far more graceful, will also be marked by sheer physical energy, though it will manifest itself in different ways. Be prepared to find long clear stretches in which to take off and land, for he is not one for a sudden start and gentle drop. He prefers running starts to build up speed before strong wingbeats lift him up into the air -- and if you think that makes for bumpy take offs, just wait until the landing! Barrelling towards the ground at breakneck speed, he won't 'hit the brakes' until the last possible moment, galloping to a skidding halt.
Your life with Duresketh will be one of discovery, Mellayne, and this will be especially true in weyrlinghood. Possessed of an inquisitive nature, he is driven to learn as much about the world as he can. While not flighty, he is capable of following several different subjects at once, and works best when able to spread his attention and discover the connections and correlations between things. This ability to multi-task could serve you well in your own lessons, if it doesn't give you a splitting headache! He is not at all shy about asking questions to better his understanding, even if they seem silly or obvious, and he expects you to be able to retain the information and act as his long-term memory. Some things he will discard after his curiosity has been satisfied, but he will develop a great many disparate interests, and be very supportive and encouraging of yours in turn, though it may take him a while to accept that sometimes, a passing fancy does not a passion make.
He finds the most enjoyment in team-based exercises, be they coordinating with his siblings or just cooperative efforts between the two of you. Well-aware of his -- and your -- limits, Duresketh will still be very keen to develop his -- and your! -- skills to the absolute best they can be. Similar to Raikarith, he will seek to help his siblings hone their own strengths and overcome their weaknesses, though his approach is that of the supportive friend and teammate as opposed to her know-it-all leadership. As group-oriented and willing to find a satisfactory compromise as he is, however, he is not afraid of confrontation and when necessary can call on a strong willpower and dominant presence, metaphorically (and sometimes literally!) digging in his feet and refusing to budge if he believes his course is the right one -- or that theirs is the wrong one.
When it comes time to practice visualizations, Duresketh will need your assistance to overcome his lackadaisical approach to communication. Trusting that everyone -- most especially you -- will know what he means by verbal description and the sounds and 'feel' he associates with people and places, his visuals will be very slap-dash and sketchy (when he remembers to use them at all!). The two of you will need to work hard to produce a 'proper' image for transfer, though it may be that his visuals are better suited to getting the two of you through *between* and not suitable to share with others.
Duresketh thrives within a team environment, and the more well-oiled and seamless the unit is when working together, the better he performs. He doesn't seek to shine brighter than all others, but to shine /with/ them. Watching older dragons at their drills, especially admiring the precision and disciplined showmanship of Jasper, and Malachite's innovative teamwork, will help him hone his own ability for split-second timing and instant decision making -- though of course, it will take actual practice once he's in the air. Once he /does/ master the trick of it, his build and inclination both are exquisitely suited to showy, complicated acrobatic manoeuvers and he will take great delight in pushing the limit of safe speeds at which he can perform them.
Should you find yourselves tapped into a wing with any amount of internal disorganization, or just a lackadaisical attitude towards formations in general, he will try his best to seek to correct the 'oversight' and encourage his fellows to meld into a coordinated and cohesive whole. If this means going so far as to pursue a leadership role, so be it. He lacks an us-against-them competitive attitude, but does harbour a certain pride both in the performance of the wing and in the partnership you have nurtured.
Capricious about flights, some greens Duresketh will flirt outrageously with and not chase, others he will practically ignore and yet be after them like a shot once they rise. The upbeat rhythms of hand drums will mark a simple enjoyment in the game of flirtation, while the subtler, more flowing notes of deep woodwinds will betray genuine interest; learning these differences will give you a clue to his inner thoughts, but there may be times when he still manages to catch you off-guard. If he isn't lucky enough to catch the green, Duresketh will take it as a personal affront. Good luck drowning your own sorrows -- he'll demand your attention, and all of it, to cajole and coax him out of an unattractive sulk. He'll have no interest whatsoever in his usual pursuits, including flying. Left to his own devices, he'll hide within his weyr for days, refusing even to eat. It's when he starts looking to the skies again that you know he's forgotten her. If, however, he does catch, Duresketh will be all « Mellayne who? » If she enjoys flowers, Duresketh /adores/ them. If she swims, he likes nothing better. He'll be her devoted shadow for as long as she'll have him and even after. Some of these flight-born whims will reappear turns later, popping up for a day or three before disappearing again.
Capricious by nature, Duresketh will never be a dragon who can only follow a single track. It isn't that he doesn't have goals, it's that he doesn't see any need to have only one at once. His devotion to you will rarely need to be stated, for he knows -- like he knows he has wings -- that you'll always be there for him, just as he will always be there for you.
Public Impression Message
All speed and enthusiasm and tumbling feet, the Shrouded by Stardust Blue races, eager to find his match, taking no notice of those he leaves in the dust of his passage. Then - there! In a spray of gold and cream, he sets the brakes, skidding to a halt before a Candidate with pale ginger curls, showering her ankles in sand as he comes to a stop inches from her white-clad form, muzzle already lifted as he seeks her eyes.
Private Impression Message
It's like a sonic boom: felt more than heard, a shock to the senses as his mind collides with yours, reverberating along every bone. « Mellayne. » Beneath the shockwave, your name echoes, the sonorous beat of a gong attuned to his heartbeat and yours, a ponderous bass that throbs to his every word. « Mellayne, it is I, your Duresketh. » As his eyes lift to yours the clamor of the Sands rushes back, pinpricks of light swirling in joyous abandon at the edges of your vision. « Duresketh, » he repeats, and you know it, know him, have always known him and always will. « My other half. My partner. Now we are always together, yes? » His voice softens, oboe's coaxing quaver overlaying though not supplanting the gong. « After, that is, we find some food. My belly is on empty. »
Mindvoice
Duresketh is a study in sound. What few visual aids he uses to accent his speech are very ephemeral: shimmering ribbons of silver dust and sparkling starlight, used to emphasize extremes of emotion. His 'speaking' voice is incredibly deep, a gravelly and rumbling bass, and the cadence of his words is often slow, almost like a chant. Notes rather than inflection convey both emotion and intent of meaning, an ethereal musical quality that explores the deep, rolling tones of large chimes and bells, low woodwinds and drums. In compliment, his physical voice is very mellow, more often to be heard in a rumble or croon than a warble, and when volume is required, he'd sooner roar than trumpet.
Dragon Inspirations
Duresketh's physical appearance was based on both an image of a quasar (for the silvery blue look you said you liked) and a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet jet, the type flown by the US Navy aerial acrobatic team, the Blue Angels. His personality is based largely off of the traits commonly attributed to the Western Zodiac sign of Gemini. In Greek mythology, the twins Castor and Pollux were collectively known as Dioskouroi (sons of Zeus), and liberties were taken with that word to create his name.
Egg Inspiration: A solar flare.
| Clutch 37 | |
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