Ainslee’s Herald of the Neverending Tale Blue Keryth

Hi, Ainslee! You had us in stitches at times and so we couldn't let you leave the sands without Keryth to herald your praises! We wanted to give you the dragon that can encourage and support Ainslee like you wanted - but of course he’s now yours to play as you wish, and we hope you have plenty of fun with him!
-H’rik and Party Co

I'm Awake! Egg

Rumpled, crumpled and a serious case of bed-head - this egg has it all! Never fear, the shell is perfectly smooth but the play of light and shadow between less than crisp white bedsheets make it appear otherwise.

Egg Inspiration

Getting out of bed! Not an official celebration but sometimes it FEELS like one (and a reason to party)! Whether it be a hellish week, having to get up for the millionth time for reason A, B or C or getting over some nasty illness… this egg is for those rough mornings~

Hatching Message

The I’m Awake! Egg wibble-wobbles, the shell trying to resist the insistent battering that the occupant is giving it. A crack appears, grows, and then the egg can hold together no longer. No more time for sleeping! The white shell shatters into pieces, a skinny blue hatchling tumbling out in a tangle of legs and wings. It takes him a moment of scrambling to find his feet, but once he’s upright, he gives a squeaky bugle. Hello world! Here he is!

Herald of the Neverending Tale Blue Dragonet

Size: 55 feet
This blue is all length, a skinny thing. Bright eyes are set in a finely-boned face, the twinkle of mischief in the facets as they peer out at the world. The tilt of his head is curious, the hint of a smile always present at his jaw. Sharp, swept-back ridges are dotted down his slender neck and into his muscular back, gradually growing smaller down the length of his sinuous tail. Woad is his colouration from head to toe, rippling over muscles that linger beneath hide’s surface; the subtle impression of texture is evident up close, the faint striations particularly apparent on broad sections of his form. His wingsails are expansive, painted with the translucency of pale celestrine. His paws are tipped with silvered talons, stubby in comparison to the length of his digits.

Public Impression Pose

Herald of the Neverending Tale Blue has explored so many candidates now, but he hasn’t quite found the right one yet. They’re all so good, but he’s looking for the one who’s brilliant; the one that he’s going to have so many adventures with! WAIT! He stops for a moment as a dark-haired woman catches his eye, and with a happy bugle he RUNS towards her at full speed, eager to meet his lifemate!

Private Impression Message

First there is the beating of drums, distant at first but rapidly growing closer. And then, a single word: « Ainslee! » The voice is loud, too loud! After the initial burst of excitement, a bright flash of light like the sun blazing in your mind’s eye; then he manages to pull it back enough that it’s a all-pervading glow. His excitement is still there, bubbling over with delight as his mind joins with yours, the bugle of a lone trumpet accompanying his grand announcement.« My name is Keryth! I have found you, and now we will go forth together! » The trumpet crescendos into a grand finale as the two of you are together at last!

Clutch Theme Inspiration/Dragonet Tie-In

Your request was an interesting one, and so much fun to play with ideas! You wanted Ainslee to have a dragon who could support her, put her forward for things - give her a boot up the bum! Illuminated manuscripts and their bizarre, exaggerated events came to mind first. Add in heralds and the proclamations they made (Lords and Ladies need them - hello clutch tie-in!), along with a dusting of poetry, and Keryth came together! Hopefully he will get Ainslee into plenty of adventures and mischief, and show her they can do lots of awesome things together!

Description Inspiration

Tapestries such as the Apocalypse Tapestry and Bayeux Tapestry provided the basis for his description, to give him his colour and the subtle hint of being woven, which plays in nicely with his love of yarns both fabric and stories and makes up the bulk of his description.

medieval tapestry

Beasts of the Apocalypse Tapestry

Celestrine is a medieval word for a blue colour and there were some beautiful uses of it, like one of Queen Isabella’s prayer books:

book of hours with elaborate blue floral margins

And the murals and ceiling in Arena Chapel in Padua:

murals of the Arena Chapel

So many good, blue medieval pieces of art to base Keryth’s physical colors off of!

Name Inspiration

H’rik started with old English as a basis; Doji swept in with Latin and presented the word ‘ceryx’, which means ‘herald’. You wanted something short and straight-forward, and possibly with a k - so away went the c, to be replaced with that lovely k, and a little tweaking produced Keryth, Ainslee’s little herald!

We say it KEH - rith, but it could also be keh - RITH

Mindvoice

A field stretches out before you, seemingly endless. The mist of the early morning clears, and the grass is verdant in the sun’s light, the sweet fresh smell of the blades drifting on the air. This is the basis of Keryth’s mindscape; the open grassland where so many things happen in his excitable mind. For he is a blue who loves the world, and how fitting it is that the great wide field of life is the canvas on which he can make his presence known.

With Keryth’s active imagination comes an innate ability to conjure up all manner of images. They’ll arrive in his mind’s eye in all manner of ways: in brushstrokes, painting a form into reality. Or woven from coloured threads, the final product unclear until the strands all come together. Or sometimes shadowed figures against the a bright background. He’s no stickler for a particular medium. Whatever suits Keryth’s story best, he’ll use it to enhance his tale with gusto. The mood he’s creating will influence what technique he uses to convey it. This can be used to your advantage, too. If Keryth is feeling something but trying to hide it, the first giveaway will be the form of his stories. For a sad Keryth colours become muted as if faded by Turns laid out in the sun; when anger bubbles below his happy surface, those shadowy figures will dance wildly against a blazing orange backdrop. When thoughtful, the brush slowly paints out a picture, lingering before putting on the final touches.

An Indonesian shadow play

Puppetry!!!

It’s not just imagery that plays a big part of his mind however! If anything, music is an even bigger element of Keryth’s mindvoice. It’s unusual for there not to be the sound of some sort of instrument when he’s speaking. Mostly, it’s a lone trumpet - because what better to use to introduce himself, you, or anyone else he deems worthy of introducing!

Marginalia drawing of a bunny playing a trumpet

Just a bunny playing a trumpet. Marginalia are awesome!

And let’s not forget the drums! These can be more subdued, a simple slow rum-tum-tum that underscores his words. When Keryth gets particular excited, the tempo picks up into a full on drum roll, or an elated taradiddle or rapid fire rat-a-tat-tat. Strings? He’s got those! They’ll sound distinctly medieval: lutes, viols, fiddles, even the beautiful sound of a harp: his mood will be evident from the choice of instruments.

Tapestry of a drummer

Make some noise!

The volume of his invisible band will be something that he gradually adapts over time. Hes going to be LOUD when he’s younger, when the world is new and exciting and the music swells as his voice grows!.That, and he’ll have to make himself heard over the occasional brass fanfare! There may be a few headaches in your future until he gets control over the whole thing, the conductor of his merry band.

Merriment is not his only mood, of course - though it’s certainly his predominant one. The march of war will be there in the beating of solemn drums, the trumpet calling all to battle. To commemorate the loss of another dragon, notes pour like tears from a viol, mourning a life snuffed out so cruelly.

Physicalities

From the moment he hatches into the big, exciting world, Keryth won’t want to stop! This boy will be in to everything, and that means zipping around to explore his surroundings. He’s alarmingly quick - be prepared to turn around for a second, only to find he’s not where you left him when you turn back! Yep, that lithe body of his can move. In fact, every time he moves it’s with an intense determination: his whole body becomes one long line, the point of his nose guiding to what he’s aiming at. It’ll look funny at first, but Keryth can never be accused of being slow.

medieval book with long red dragon taking over the page

A creative interpretation of Keryth. But he’s blue and only has one set of wings… His tail might be that long though!!!

Unfortunately, that long body of his is going to take some growing into. Weyrlinghood will begin with a bundle of spindly limbs and a tail Keryth doesn’t quite have the hang of. Tangled feet and subsequent tumbles will be almost inevitable, usually accompanied by a chipper comment.

«Oops! Oh, silly feet! You should watch where you're going!»

And then Keryth will be picking himself back up and carrying on with what he was doing. Nothing keeps this energetic guy down! Even if he’s got an injury, he’ll just keep going and going - it’ll be up to you to make him slow down long enough to check him over, do any necessary healing, before he’s itching to get on the move again.

He’ll grow into his body quickly enough, as baby dragons do. He’ll get the full experience of all those fun growth spurts and the associated itchy hide, though he’ll be so distracted by whatever he’s currently focused on doing that he won’t usually tell you. The signs will be more subtle: a twitch of his hide at the base of his neck; the way his tail tip flicks restlessly; a hand idly scratching at a spot on his chest. You’ll grow to recognise the signs, with time. Getting him to stay still for an oiling, on the other hand…good luck with that!

For all his long-leggedness, Keryth will always seem to hold himself close to the ground. His wings are pulled in, and he scoots along, big feet carrying him easily over all terrain. In the air, those wings will open to their fullest, and he’ll be a graceful sight to see - and devastatingly fast, too. It’ll take practice, and no doubt a few mishaps at first, but once Keryth has worked out how his wings work best he’ll be a fantastic sight to see aloft. Maybe bring a vomit bag with you though, because he’s going to love pulling off fancy tricks: barrel rolls, sharp turns, loop-de-loops, the whole lot!

«Woah!! Edleveth, did you see that! We did a triple roll! I wonder if I can go into a double loop now…»

Personality

Hopefully you like adventure, Ainslee, because Keryth adores it. He lives for it. Once he’s explored the barracks for the fiftieth time, he’ll be itching to go further afield and see new things, have new experiences. At first this’ll be easy enough: exploring the training grounds will be neat, turning over rocks and finding bugs and making patterns in the dust. After that becomes old news, a trip to the lake to introduce him to water and the amusing concept of swimming will fit the bill. Then he’ll want to go deeper into the water. And look, diving is amazing!

« Ainslee, look! There’s a snail under the water with a golden shell and wings! »

marginalia of a gold snail with wings

It was totally there, he swears!

Ah yes, about that - Keryth has quite the active imagination. All that adventuring he wants to do, quite naturally, means he’ll have lots of stories to tell. He’s not lying, he’s just embellishing them! He’ll be an avid listener to Edleveth’s tales, but he won’t be able to help himself from making a few creative additions. What’s better than making an exciting story even more exciting? If someone questions his tales? Doesn’t matter: Keryth is completely, entirely, 100% sure of what he’s telling people. Once he’s laid down the details of his latest story, he’ll stick to them to the very end, with his usual effervescent manner of speaking.

Comic Poe receives fan mail from Jules Verne. Complete with drawing of them in a balloon that says bros

Keryth thinks he and Edleveth will be BEST friends, whether Ed agrees or not!

And boy, Keryth will looooove speaking to people. Dragons mostly, of course, and he can talk the hindquarters off of ‘em. Just like he loves exploring new places, he’ll also adores seeing new faces and getting to know people. He’s quite the social butterfly, going from person to person, catching up on the latest news and sharing all the latest exciting things he’s experienced (with his normal detailed flair!). If he’s rebuffed by someone? He’ll try his hardest to make friends, but you just can’t be friends with everybody. A knock-back will make him sad, for as long as a blue’s memory lasts, but he’s never self-doubting. He can let go, reminding you both that you can’t win everything!

When it comes to you, Ainslee, however, he believes that you can do no wrong! There’s no room for his rider to have any self-doubt! Through thick and thin, Keryth will be there, trying to do the right thing or say the right words to make you feel better when things are tough. Life isn’t a walk in the park, but he has complete faith that the two of you together can do amazing things. For that reason, he’ll be the first to volunteer you for things, since he just knows that you’ll be able to master them! And if there’s a set-back? Keryth doesn’t want you to be sad for even a moment! He’ll be there with rousing words of encouragement, determined to get you back on your feet and ready to try again. Nothing can defeat either of you! And is not failure just a way to learn and improve? Keryth certainly thinks so and he’ll have no shortage of ways to try to cheer you up.

« Ainslee! Ainslee!!! You should come pet Briamiorth’s belly! It’s super special and will bring you good luck for seven turns! Plus she’s soooo soft! » Don’t listen to this! Tuanhjaliteth will be the first to tell you it’s a trap!

The more he learns, the more he wants to learn, as well. Once you’ve swum for the first time? He wants to swim in the sea! Way way out! Had his first flight in the training grounds? The star stones look awesome, and he just knows he can make it up there! He’s not disobedient to the Weyrlingstaff, he’s just so damn enthusiastic! They’ll have to get used to him asking lots of questions too, because this blue is eager to learn the next thing, and the next, and then some more please! The more he knows, the more he can try out and master!

trinity college library

How Keryth imagines the archives

Oh, and once he finds out the concept of the archives? It will drive him absolutely crazy that he can’t fit in there himself and see this place of wonder. He’ll beg you frequently to go make trips to acquire ‘new’ reading material (although he is a dragon and will only remember so much of it for so long so you can repeat certain books after a while) and countless hours will be spent in the bowl or the lake or your ledge reading the stories to your lifemate. Be prepared to perfect your speaking voice and presentation because if you’re going to be reading a story, Keryth is going to insist on there being some feeling behind it. And can you really say no to that face?

That smile that always seems to be lurking on his face? Boy oh boy, does it make sense! It fits perfectly with his cheerful nature, as well as hinting that he’s perhaps planning up his next bit of mischief. The twinkle in his eyes should have given it away, too: if ever a dragon just looked impish, it’s Keryth. It’s not exactly a false impression, either, because Keryth will be drawn to mischief. Usually unintentionally, and usually because he gets over-excited and gets in too deep. He’s a little naive sometimes, poor thing, and open to suggestions: so if, say, Szokanith (for she’s going to try to exploit his nature shamelessly) asks him to do something that bends the rules but that sounds dreadfully exciting, Keryth will be there doing it! And even if it doesn’t sound too fun, he is overly helpful and has a really hard time saying no. He’s going to need you to stick up for him and put your foot down or else he will get taken advantage of. Saying no is hard! Luckily you’re not his only advocate as Tuanhjaliteth seems to know his little brother is a prime target and does not approve of Keryth being used either.

Excitement and adventure and sometimes trouble will always seem to find Keryth, possibly before you’re aware of it - yeah, keeping up with Keryth is going to be fun. This guy goes a mile a minute, physically and mentally - good luck!

Thread

"The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through." Sydney J. Harris

Marginalia of a bunny playing a drum

Drummer bunny! Who knew they were so multi-talented?

On days when Threadfall is scheduled, be prepared to wake up to the seemingly never ending rhythm of a harper beating out the warning call, except it’s no drum tower as Keryth provides his own. He’ll absolutely insist that the pair of you get up before the crack of dawn. There’s just so much to be done.

« Ainslee, we absolutely cannot be late! There might be changes to the plan… and we need to knoooow/! »

For Keryth is all about communication. Even if he can’t fly an entire Fall like some of the larger dragons, he will be intimately involved throughout the entire process! He was born to be a relay for information and while he can be rather elaborate in his retellings under normal circumstances, he understands there is a time and a place. His trumpets will bugle and pass on just the key details. There will be plenty of time after the Fall for his tapestry to grow with the grand adventure of the day. And he will definitely retell the entire Fall to you and anybody else that will listen.

Before and during the fight of a Fall, Keryth is all valour and glory. You’ll be hard pressed to a find a dragon more full of stirring words and he’s always quick to establish himself as his wings cheerleader. If someone’s strength starts to flag, he’ll be there. Threadfighting is not a solo endeavor is a fact that he knows very well. Although there may be many heroes in a story, they all played a particular part in a greater whole. High flight or low, he’ll be content with whatever position your given. It’s a duty and he’ll carry out his orders to the fullest.

Sound trumpets! let our bloody colours wave!
And either victory, or else a grave
-Henry The VI, Part III

And while he normally sticks to telling the most stirring of stories after the ‘Fall, the horrors of injuries and death are not lost on him. For such a chipper blue, Keryth takes each death hard. He’ll be one of the first to start keening and ever after the keens stop, the dirge will play on in his mind. The tables will be turned a little and he could actually use you to be his encouragement instead of the other way around. But time will move on and draconic memories fade quickly. Before too long you’ll have your cheerful, imaginative, enthusiastic Keryth back again.

Flights

Ah, romance. Love. Courtship. When it comes to matters of the heart, Keryth takes them very seriously. He won’t be a one green sort of blue, not when he knows just so many of them! He’ll want to court them all properly and prove his devotion.

That musical mindvoice of his? Oh yeah, it’s going to come into full effect when it comes to wooing his lady. The usual drums and trumpets subside, lutes and woodwind coming into play instead. They’re a gentle accompaniment to his voice - and boy, is Keryth going to love to use his words He must get this from his father, though fortunately Keryth’s won’t be quite as cringeworthy. That said, it’ll tend towards being quite long, because the more elaborate, the better, right? Expect to be drawn into helping him think these up too, or hearing a preview before he heads on over to his lady’s ledge to deliver his hard work.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning "How Do I Love Thee"

Whether or not it’s effective is up to the lady who gets to hear it, of course, but Keryth will certainly try his best to woo her. He’ll sigh to you about his lady loves, mooning over one or the other, talking about Szokanith’s beautiful colours, or how good at pouncing Briamiorth is. His head will well and truly be in the clouds when one (or more!) greens have caught his eye. He’ll be nothing but a gentleman to them of course, practically bowing when he greets them, or announcing their arrival to all and sundry. Embarrassing! Not to Keryth of course, but his enthusiasm and suddenly over the top manners may well be for you.

Elaborate tapestry of a suitor approaching a lady

Poetry: The way to win a lady's heart?

Gifts are a big part of courtship, of that Keryth is sure! The most important gifts for a lady? Flowers, as beautiful as she is! Prepare to be roped into some trips to go find just the right flowers, from places ranging to the nearby Bazaar, to more exotic locales such as Ista Island. Keryth will be determined to find exactly the right mixture of flowers for his particular love, so that he can personally deliver them to her.

When it comes to flights themselves, he’ll be talkative in the air, though not quite as poetic! He’ll still be singing the green’s praises, but when he has to focus on flying, it’s hard to concentrate on being lyrical as much as agile! He’ll be as nimble as ever in the air, putting all the aerial tricks he’s learned to good use: as much to keep on the green’s tail as to try and impress her with how swift and clever he is!

Credits

Name: Doji, H’rik
Egg Desc: H’rik
Dragonet Desc: H’rik
Messages: H’rik
Puppeteer: H’rik
Inspiration: H’rik, Doji

Clutchmates:
Ca'elian (Iandicael) and Hero and Scoundrel Bronze Tuanhjaliteth
E’gus (Fergus) and Sorceress of Storm-Tossed Seas Green Szokanith
E’rys (Daenerys) and Always Lands on Her Feet Green Briamiorth
Sesa (Edlsesa) and Dreams No Mortal Ever Dared Dreamed Blue Edleveth

Harper’s Tale’s 79th PC Clutch
Igen Weyr’s 8th PC Clutch
Diem’s gold Zsaviranth x H’rik’s bronze Wendryth
March 24, 2018