Ah, wasn't sure if it might bog down the descriptions to much. Currently, there are no plans to introduce abstract gameplay mechanics - at least for now this is purely a narrative quest. Rather, faction/background is a big deal for Rell and Ozerilet's relationship to each other, their home, and other dragons/nations.
In the short term, each faction will have sent a different number of dragons on this mission. The Heritage Clan will have sent four; the Accionite Empire will have sent three; and the Pactlords or Mercenaries will have sent two.
More long term...
--- The Accionite Empire relies on a large, disciplined, and well-oiled military in the pursuit of expanding their territory far beyond the small collection of city-states they started as. Besides having instituted the concept of "citizen-soldiers" on a large scale (that is, conscription), their military might comes from having recently discovered methods for controlling mantlejaws and riding dragons. The official stance of the government is that dragons aren't fully people, and you will have had it engrained into you since childhood that dragons not aligned with the empire are automatically a dangerous threat. The other dragons and their riders with you on this mission are colleagues and fellow soldiers, and so there's a mutual respect that comes from that. However, you are looked down upon by non-rider elements of the military.
--- The Taslodite Pactlords are land-holding noble lineages that long ago allied with dragons for protection and as symbols of their authority. Although you are the youngest child of a relatively small noble house - only having a handful of dragons in your family total - you are still automatically deferred to and revered by the serfs and laymen of your nation, but will generally be looked down upon by other dragon riders who are older and more experienced. Dragons and dragon riders that aren't aligned with the Taslodites are viewed with distrust, but in an awed, respectful sort of way.
--- The Heritage Clan are a relatively small, isolationist society that has survived larger and much more aggressive neighbours through the centuries because they long ago created bonds of friendship and understanding with dragons, attaching a sort of religious significance to the bond between dragons and their riders, and you have been given biological immortality (agelessness) for this reason. You will have been taught to view all dragons with respect, but to look down on dragon riders from other societies. The other dragons and their riders with you on this mission are considered to be your close friends and equals, both mentors and students, and you would have grown up closely with some of them as part of growing up with Ozerilet.
--- As part of a Mercenary Band you only know the others here loosely, in passing, or from prior business arrangements. Dragon riders who work as mercenaries often tend to either stick closely to one band for consistency of work, or - as is your case - will be loners who attach themselves to a mercenary band temporarily as part of a contract.
[X] "It's a dream I keep having. Sometimes it enters my mind's eye as if it were really happening, sorry." [X] TASLODITE PACTLORDS: Your brother's tent, almost twice the size of everyone else's and beautifully decorated for what is supposed to be a scouting mission.
I mean, the potential for a Valyria-esque scenario, IE a nation of dragonholding landriders- I mean, dragon riding landholders is very high here. I am definitely onboard for weird, dynastic politics coming from dragon riding bloodlines and such.
[X] "It's the memory of someone I haven't seen in a long time, that's all."
[X] TASLODITE PACTLORDS: Your brother's tent, almost twice the size of everyone else's and beautifully decorated for what is supposed to be a scouting mission.
... maybe it's just me, but I love the potential of the "memory" phrase, especially in any of the non-Empire settings.
[12] "It's a dream I keep having. Sometimes it enters my mind's eye as if it were really happening, sorry." [10] HERITAGE CLAN: The group of three dragons and their riders surrounding the central fire, playing games and singing songs.
Thank you all so much for the kind votes, I'll do my best!
You are Rell, born into the nineteenth generation of the Heritage Clan, the chosen people. Your dragon, Ozerilet, chose you when she hatched from her egg, and you have been inseparable since.
You can't help but laugh at the sight. Crouched around the largest and warmest fire at the centre of the camp, the bulk of the three dragons reminds you of small children fascinated by a particularly wriggly bug. Two of your fellow riders - Essme and Marr - are excitedly eating and laughing about something, and Marr has obviously gotten into one of his really excited moods because he swings an arm far enough that he taps Tornaulimet on the snout.
You can't help but think, Tornau really puts up with a lot, doesn't she?
I know her well, Rell. She wouldn't have it any other way.
Looking down at the trio of dragons there, you can't help but pick up some sense from Ozerilet that she takes joy in knowing that...
PICK ONE -- DRAGON WEIGHT CLASS CHOICE:
[] ...she's easily the fastest here (LIGHT-WEIGHT): Ozerilet is a relatively small dragon, approximately six meters long and almost fully grown despite her young age. She's well built and healthy for her size, mind, but she's always going to have to prioritize speed and agility in the air over a direct confrontation if she has to fight. [] ...her flame burns the brightest (MEDIUM-WEIGHT): Ozerilet is a fairly well-balanced dragon for her age, being approximately eight meters long. Her main strength is the fact that her balance of weight and power lets her make the best use of her inner fire and thus will be able to both breathe fire in a wider range of ways and to have a decent measure of both agility and distance in the air. [] ...she's easily the strongest here (HEAVY-WEIGHT): Ozerilet is a particularly large dragon for her age, being roughly ten and a half meters long. Her inner fire burns hot but struggles to change directions quickly, so her skillset will always be focused on being the scariest creature in the room and flying long distances.
The softness of the moment is drawn away - both at the camp and from your position as Ozerilet settles into a gentle landing glide. The sting in your side starts to feel sharper, and it strikes you that whatever hit Oz hasn't gotten easier to handle or numbed against the winter air - it's burning worse than before.
The look on your company's faces lets you know whatever's happened is dangerously visible.
With the scattering of cliffside dust under the draft from Ozerilet's landing, you let go of the harness and lean back, still viewing things through Oz's eyes. Essme is the first to approach, pushing a looped braid away from her face to look directly into Oz's eyes. You recognize that look, unfortunately.
"Rell, you ass! Get out of Ozerilet's head and help me with this wound, what the hell happened?!"
You and Oz grit your teeth but you're not going to argue this, she's right of course. Hesitating only long enough to get over your nerves, you and Ozerilet close your eyes as one... and with a rush of light and deep, eye-stinging smoke your eyes are your own once more.
You try to blink, and there's still darkness.
... Well.
The flight mask doesn't help so you try not to throw up as you swing your neck backwards and grab the latch at the back of the mask. It takes some effort to navigate it purely by touch while your whole body is wracked by moments of over-sensation followed by moments of your limbs and digits feeling further away than they should, but on the third try you're able to get the loop undone and the mask falls away with a soft thumb as it hits the harness. Your senses are a little more your own again, and you try to blink away the smoke.
The camp is a bit clearer, thankfully, but it's still a massive disappointment to be perceiving the world this way again. Your vision swims in haze and darkness, silhouettes that are almost people you could recognize.
Don't worry... Rell... it's meant... to get easie-
The ground beneath you jolts forward and you feel a spike in your side, just above your kidney. You hear a dragon's cry echoing in front of you, and you almost bite your tongue from the pain.
"What was that?!"
"Sorry, sorry! This is, uh, oh gosh... Milo! Anne! A little help here please!"
You hear the sound of the two non-rider members of your small crew scrambling with something in one of the tents, when Marr's hand taps you on the leg. You reach down a hand into the fog and feel the warmth of his grasp, slightly clammy from fear but firm, as he supports you in dismounting. It's a sharp hop, but not a difficult one, and you quickly shake it off despite the continued sense of your body being suspended in darkness.
You feel Marr's hand on your shoulder and glance to make eye contact, though his features are fuzzy. The mop of curly brown hair and the heavy brow are unmistakable, though.
"You okay, Rell? What happened out there?"
You do your best to ignore the mounting sense of something moving in your guts, shake your head, and focus on answering Marr.
"Oz could see something was wrong at the edge of the storm, so we went to investigate..."
PICK ONE:
[] "...and discovered a... wound, in the sky, with a purple fog drifting from it into the ground."
[] "...and discovered these... purple chains, glowing with light, reaching out of the ground and up into the sky."
[] "...and were attacked by... someone, we didn't get a good look. They ambushed us with this... dark purple energy."
Marr seems confused by what you've just told him, but before you can clarify or mention anything else of what happened your ears are filled by another roar, reverberating inside your skull.
Eugh... Rell... you snap your view to try and make out Oz's form in the fog, shuddering slightly at the realization that her breathing is getting shallower. Sharper.
Please... let me access... your pain...
Your mind shudders with the sensation of something wriggling, and you can feel your nausea worsen. It wants to get the better of you, but...
PICK ONE:
[] ...you grit your teeth and let Oz access your pain. You're not going to leave her to bear this terrible pain by herself. [] ...you shake your head and refuse her access. You'll be of more help if you can recover your sight and see what the attack actually did to Oz, and that'll happen quicker without more sense sharing.
[X] ...she's easily the strongest here (HEAVY-WEIGHT): Ozerilet is a particularly large dragon for her age, being roughly ten and a half meters long. Her inner fire burns hot but struggles to change directions quickly, so her skillset will always be focused on being the scariest creature in the room and flying long distances.
[X] "...and discovered a... wound, in the sky, with a purple fog drifting from it into the ground." [X] ...you grit your teeth and let Oz access your pain. You're not going to leave her to bear this terrible pain by herself.
[X] ...her flame burns the brightest (MEDIUM-WEIGHT): Ozerilet is a fairly well-balanced dragon for her age, being approximately eight meters long. Her main strength is the fact that her balance of weight and power lets her make the best use of her inner fire and thus will be able to both breathe fire in a wider range of ways and to have a decent measure of both agility and distance in the air.
[X] "...and discovered these... purple chains, glowing with light, reaching out of the ground and up into the sky."
[X] ...you grit your teeth and let Oz access your pain. You're not going to leave her to bear this terrible pain by herself.
So, that dark purple stuff is.... Parasitic? Or did it propel something into Ozerilet?
Did someone from the empire research division went rogue?
[X] ...she's easily the fastest here (LIGHT-WEIGHT):
[X] "...and discovered these... purple chains, glowing with light, reaching out of the ground and up into the sky."
[X] ...you grit your teeth and let Oz access your pain.
While I was originally partial to being the biggest dragon, I did eventually realize that speed is probably far more important for a dragon rider. As for the other two, weird gasses and fogs are pretty normal in most fantasy settings, but ethereal chains connected to something in the sky? That's new, and likely freakier
[X] ...she's easily the fastest here (LIGHT-WEIGHT): Ozerilet is a relatively small dragon, approximately six meters long and almost fully grown despite her young age. She's well built and healthy for her size, mind, but she's always going to have to prioritize speed and agility in the air over a direct confrontation if she has to fight. [X] "...and discovered these... purple chains, glowing with light, reaching out of the ground and up into the sky." [X] ...you grit your teeth and let Oz access your pain. You're not going to leave her to bear this terrible pain by herself.
... I'm pretty glad we didn't end up with the Empire. I'm already getting far too attached to this dragon.
[X] ...her flame burns the brightest (MEDIUM-WEIGHT): Ozerilet is a fairly well-balanced dragon for her age, being approximately eight meters long. Her main strength is the fact that her balance of weight and power lets her make the best use of her inner fire and thus will be able to both breathe fire in a wider range of ways and to have a decent measure of both agility and distance in the air. [X] "...and discovered a... wound, in the sky, with a purple fog drifting from it into the ground."
[X] ...you grit your teeth and let Oz access your pain. You're not going to leave her to bear this terrible pain by herself.
Ouch, seems like the purple lightning... thingie hit harder than I thought. Oz did a good job carrying Rell, what I presume to be miles, while dealing with it. Anyhow, I figure middle ground for the win when it comes to weight class. Good at maneuvering but can also pack a punch when they need to.
[X] ...her flame burns the brightest (MEDIUM-WEIGHT): Ozerilet is a fairly well-balanced dragon for her age, being approximately eight meters long. Her main strength is the fact that her balance of weight and power lets her make the best use of her inner fire and thus will be able to both breathe fire in a wider range of ways and to have a decent measure of both agility and distance in the air. [X] "...and discovered these... purple chains, glowing with light, reaching out of the ground and up into the sky." [X] ...you grit your teeth and let Oz access your pain. You're not going to leave her to bear this terrible pain by herself.
[X] ...she's easily the strongest here (HEAVY-WEIGHT): Ozerilet is a particularly large dragon for her age, being roughly ten and a half meters long. Her inner fire burns hot but struggles to change directions quickly, so her skillset will always be focused on being the scariest creature in the room and flying long distances.
[X] "...and discovered a... wound, in the sky, with a purple fog drifting from it into the ground."
[X] ...you grit your teeth and let Oz access your pain. You're not going to leave her to bear this terrible pain by herself.
[X] ...her flame burns the brightest (MEDIUM-WEIGHT): Ozerilet is a fairly well-balanced dragon for her age, being approximately eight meters long. Her main strength is the fact that her balance of weight and power lets her make the best use of her inner fire and thus will be able to both breathe fire in a wider range of ways and to have a decent measure of both agility and distance in the air. [X] "...and discovered a... wound, in the sky, with a purple fog drifting from it into the ground."
[X] ...you grit your teeth and let Oz access your pain. You're not going to leave her to bear this terrible pain by herself.
CLOSE OF VOTING NOTIFICATION
So between this next update being a big one; me getting better from covid (yay!) and thus having to go back to work (boo!); and family reunion stuff this weekend, I'm gonna have to set a fixed cut off time for votes.
The votes will be tallied and the results posted in approximately 26 and a half hours, and then I should have the next update written and posted a couple of hours after that (possibly more if it needs extra work).
Sorry about the long wait in comparison to past updates.
[X] ...she's easily the fastest here (LIGHT-WEIGHT): Ozerilet is a relatively small dragon, approximately six meters long and almost fully grown despite her young age. She's well built and healthy for her size, mind, but she's always going to have to prioritize speed and agility in the air over a direct confrontation if she has to fight. [X] "...and discovered these... purple chains, glowing with light, reaching out of the ground and up into the sky." [X] ...you grit your teeth and let Oz access your pain. You're not going to leave her to bear this terrible pain by herself.
