Traveler upon Stranger Tides
Twenty Third Day of the Eleventh Month 293 AC
Shadow Tower, Restricted Library, Sorcerer's Deep
Saenena Caleris sighed in contentment looking down at her current iteration of the spell-scale template, by far the most difficult of the ones she had been trying to reconstitute. The warrior draconian and the kobolds servitors had been unusual, yes, posing anatomical and systemic issues by the score, but this was so much more. Wild magic sang in a spellscale's veins, the same strange power that ensured when two elder dragon breeds crossed not even they would know what might hatch from the eggs.
And all it took was the end of the world... The air caught in her throat, at the reminder, like suddenly stepping upon broken glass.
That Which Stands Forbidden Complete 13/8
"Would you care to take a break, mistress?" her diminutive pseudo-draconic assistant chimed up. Not 'do you require assistance' as it had originally asked. That had been grating, all the more so for the truthful answer being 'yes'. Here in the library or on Claw Island dealing with the dragons one could almost forget the past, almost pretend that she had gone on some eccentric journey to the edge of the colonies in the service of her studies, and if she turned her eyes east Lyceos would be waiting for her, the true Lyceos, not the accursed place of wailing flames she had glimpsed among madness and loss.
The flames of an inquisitor's pyre burn just as bright, Saenena, remember that, she told herself. It did not help much.
"Thank you Zaefyros, I do not need to pause, my task is complete," she replied mostly truthfully, he would have to go through the notes and compile them for the convenience of the flesh-smiths, as well as ensuring the subjects' reproductive systems were fully functional since the Archon of these lands had an objection to sterile thinking creations just as he did to enforced obedience, both likely a reaction to the grotesque creation of Ghiscari 'Unsullied'. Truth be told if she had lived in a world where that was common practice throughout most of Essos she would likely have an impulse to free and pay any and all servants as well. Oiled kindling to the flames of rebellion and ruin, one that devils were trying to cast sparks on if what she had heard of Wisdom Malarys' mission to Meereen was true.
Again Saenena breathed deep, this time of the night air of Sorcerer's Deep, for all the arcane lamps casting strong steady lights upon the fused stone of the streets and the shadow of winged beasts overhead one could not mistake this place for a Valyrian city, too many tongues ringing through the air, too many traders and visitors of other worlds walking boldly for all to see, and not even a wall to guard set clear boundaries and awe its people into submission. Of course in a world without dragons, their mere presence, not to mention the fact that the young Archon was of the Old Blood would likely suffice for the task, but that she could see the reasons why something strange worked did not make it familiar, in a way it just made it stranger.
And now I probably added three new breeds of dragon-kin to the mix, the sorceress shook her head at her own pointless regrets. Four centuries had come and gone, the world's magic had been broken and made anew.
To complain about the changes now would make me little better than the fools who would have burned me on a pyre made of my life's work.
"Zaefyros, do they have a new gallery at the Imperial Academy of Arts last I visited?" she asked her assistant, setting off at a determined peace.
"Yes mistress, art of the First Men, including grave goods from the far north which Wisdom Amrelath recovered," came the reply. "I am certain Wisdom Aenie would very much enjoy accompanying you."
"Yes, I am entirely aware that my daughter thinks I spend too much time working," Saenena's voice was dry but without any bite. Aenie's way of dealing with this new world had been to seek the deepest waters, the Dragon Dream itself and dive in. That much had not changed about her daughter at least even with all she had gone through. Though children oft need teaching, perhaps the philosopher who said that parents might yet learn from them also was not wrong, not that she ever intended to say so aloud.
OOC: I cut back on describing the research itself for this one since the various dragon-kin are going to be covered in detail as they come into being.