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Kyriatis, with all your uncertainty and questions, we did like you asked and gave you a dragon that didn’t have all the answers. Indeed, Omairhuith may be the source of even more puzzlement for you in the beginning, but as your bond strengthens, the two of you will grow to a depth of understanding that transcends mere language. - SerenityCo


Clutching Pose

Amani isn't really able to find words at the moment, nodding agreement to M'noq's sentiments and just keeping hold of his arm as she watches their dragons working together now. "The Weyr's going to have its hands full," she manages with a thick chuckle in the end. "They're all so different… Bright and dark, inviting and then not so much." And a few can't seem to decide themselves either way! Zymuraith hums a bit at Ravaith for his help; birthing is starting to tire her, though it'll be some time before she admits it. She'll readily make use of what her mate has put in place, continuing the arc and arranging them just so in what does indeed appear to be a circle. - from A Clutch of Contrasts

Careful What You Wish For Egg

Desiccated ashen grey creeps over to encompass the shell of this emaciated looking egg. Fine hatching of mud brown mixed with charcoal clumps sprout obscenely in a random array like tufts of long dead hair. Subtle shadows play tricks with the eyes of those unfortunate enough to behold this shrunken thing, the shape of three skeletal digits grasping menacingly at the watcher, inviting them to take a chance.


Touching Response

You want a nice egg, do you, Kyriatis? This egg is nice… It whispers promises in your ear. Riches, love, fame, glory, everything your little heart could possibly desire, all you have to do is wish. Think about it…a life of plenty, ripe for the taking without all that pesky effort. In an instant your life could change if you would just…say the words. Pressure now, to make a choice, to take what you deserve. Will you or won't you, Kyriatis? The prize is almost always worth the cost. - from ”Start Your Day Off Right”

Hatching Message

Careful What You Wish For Egg rocks only once before a large crack forms along one of the digits, one claw peeking out before retreating. Then with a shower of egg shards, a large foot breaks free from it’s confines, zircon tipped claws waggling in the air. Another great CRACK and a second foot joins the first as the dragonet inside kicks his his way through the shell. When the dust settles, among the wreckage sits a stout blue, overlarge feet struggling to get under his round body.

Out of the Darkened Depths Blue Dragonet

The cool purity of turquoise seafoam flows over every lithe and salient inch of this nigh-otherworldly blue, broken only by the faintest ripples of aquamarine. Touches of glistening shadow, deep and rich as the fathomless depths of mountain lakes in spring, course over each curve of his ribs, the muscles of his powerful haunches, and the narrow spread of his near-translucent wingsails. His talons, neckridges, and wingtips seem hewn from glinting blue zircon. Yet for all the svelte sleekness of his form, there is a touch too much muscle to his shoulders, his feet are slightly too heavy, his countenance is a tad too severe, and all of him seems to be on the brink of transformation into something unexpected. He is mercurial both in motion and regard, the danger, power, and beauty of the aquatic embodied.

Public Impression Pose

Out of the Darkened Depths Blue Dragonet has had enough of this waddling about; it’s entirely too much effort and he doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. With a decidedly dejected whuff of air, he arches his stout neck sharply and points his nose in the air, inhaling deeply. What was that? That smell? Like tilled earth and growing things. Time for a closer sniff. Ducking his head again, his severe gaze swings until he catches the scent again, and with a little more surety to his steps, he makes his way towards the dark-haired gardener girl, nostrils flaring wildly. Nothing stopping him until he is in front of her, eyes fixed and whirling as he trumpets his happiness for having found his bonded.

Private Impression Message

Just a trickle at first, the sound of dripping water insinuates itself into your consciousness. Then it starts getting hazy, as if you are staring through thick glass tinted a dark amber color. The water level steadily rises until you are submerged in its depths. Shadows slowly come into focus, leafy seaweed dancing languidly in and out of your field of vision as things swim closer, faint and unfocused with the low visibility. Then…a single word, bubbling from afar, muffled slightly. « Kyriatis… » The word is spoken hesitantly, testing the sound of it in deeply echoing tones that seem to reverberate through you. « I’m Omairhuith… » he projects more steadily, words becoming clearer as the connection solidifies. With one final sense of utter completion, you rush towards the surface of the water and break free into a bright new world, droplets catching sunlight and making them sparkle. Just as suddenly, you feel the gnawing hunger of an woefully empty stomach and a quiet desperation prodding you into action.

Egg Inspiration

The Monkey's Paw was a short story that told of a cursed item would grant wishes but with unfortunate and often deadly consequences. So while it could be considered a charm since it does make wishes come true, those who use it are usually left worse off than they were to begin with. - Alyna

Theme Inspiration

We read you loud and clear Kyriatis: no human in dragon-guise for you. Your Omairhuith is pure beast with a hint of the mysterious. Don’t ask what triggered it, but out of the blue the idea for a Nessie dragon popped into Alyna’s head and it seemed to fit perfectly with what you asked for. Did you know that Nessie and other similar lake ‘monsters’ are mythical creatures from Celtic and Scandinavian folklore also known as water-horses? Also sometimes calling them “kelpies,” the tales speak of a creature like a horse that will come on land, sometimes transforming into a person, and try to lure people to their doom in the water. While not so foreboding, and definitely not prone to drowning people, Omairhuith carries with him a sense of the mysterious and otherworldly that can be downright unsettling at times.

Omairhuith’s Zodiac Sign

With a dragon so tied to the water, it only made sense to pick a water sign for him. Cancer was the obvious choice, to us. It is ruled by the Moon, which tends to make those born under this sign prone to emotions as changeable as the tides, quick to flow from one extreme to the other. Cancers can also be very loyal and tenacious, and both those traits are reflected in your dragon. On the flip side, Cancerians tend to be moody and can become manipulative. Omairhuith will definitely test you in that regard.

Description Inspiration

“Riding upon the back of a waterhorse - what mortal had ever stayed in such a seat for so long? On a horse made of cold currents and liquid convergences, jests and trickery - pressed against a hide like the burnished sea of midnight, thing look different to the rider.”

― Cecilia Dart-Thornton, The Battle of Evernight

It all started with this picture. Alyna was Googling “waterhorse” and this image came up.

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You said you wanted a dragon that was ugly or beautiful in non-traditional ways, and we think this image captures what we interpreted that to be. There’s definitely something eerily striking about your blue, but also slightly foreboding. We also liked that this picture, even though the markings are bold, is rather monochromatic, with turquoise on display in all it’s glorious shades from pale aqua to the deepest, murky ocean blue-green. So we used these colors as a basis for your dragon, although on Omairhuith, the shift between shades is much more gradual and natural. We also added a smidge of horsiness to his physique in the bulk of muscle, a thickness of body and limbs, and finally those slightly overlarge feet of his.

Name Inspiration

Since the initial spark of inspiration was Nessie, we thought to play with some Scots Gaelic words associated with the legend. So we ran various words through Google Translate and came up with a lot of combos. We wanted to make sure we included everything you asked for in a name, and finally we settled on Omairhuith. It combines diomhaireachd (mystery) and uirsgeul (myth). The first is fitting because of his more bestial personality and minimal use of actual words; he will be a total mystery at first, so foreign and strange to your mind. “Myth” is in reference to the fact that your blue is, of course, based on a creature of legend. We pronounce it as “oh-MAIR-hu-ith,” but feel free to say it it however you wish.

Mindvoice

Omairhuith insinuates himself into your mind in such a way that you aren’t quite sure sometimes when your thoughts are your own or influenced by your blue. Even from the moment of impression, when other hatchlings burst into their new lifemates minds, Omairhuith is more like a trickle of water, constant and persistent as he makes himself at home in your mind.

As far as mindscapes go, your blue keeps things simple and in the realms of the natural, scapes that range from mountains, snowy wastes, deserts and jungle, and the thing they will all have in common will be water in some form . The first one that invades your mind at the moment of impression is the murky amber waters of a deep mountain lake. Visibility is low and you won’t be able to see anything until it’s too close to do anything about it.

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The bottom is silty with an array of mosses, slimes, and dancing seaweed to further obscure your view. This aspect of his scape is pure Omairhuith - the distillation of his essence, if you will. And it’s one part of him he will share with few besides yourself, one you will eventually discover signifies his undying love and devotion to you. Yeah, it may be a little cloudy and dim, but it is also safe and warm. Here is where he will bring you when you are frightened or panicking, and it will be a place where he will speak to you the most with actual words.

You see, your blue is ordinarily not much of a talker. Oh, he uses complete sentences, but his words are always direct and to the point. And the use of words seems foreign to him, as if he is learning a language that is not natural, though he makes the effort to learn as much as he needs. If he doesn’t know the exact word for something, he will make up creatively descriptive labels for them in hopes that you will be able to understand what he means.

« I need meat, Kyriatis. Lots of meat for the hole in my middle. »

» You mean your stomach, Omair? «

« That, yes! It feels empty like a hole is empty. It needs to be filled up. »


We hope you like riddles, Kyriatis, because for the first few months you’re going to have to put up with this on a daily basis until he has a large enough vocabulary to support him well enough in any conversation.

As he matures and expands his mental library of different places,you’ll come to learn that each landscape he uses coincides with any number of his many moods.

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Bleak snowy wastes for when he becomes rather morose.

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Somewhere green and teeming with life when he feels contented.

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Tropical beach scenes when he is totally relaxed and chill.

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Great stony mountains with jagged peaks and rushing waterfalls indicate a need for adventure.

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An erupting volcano in the middle of the sea when he is really angry.

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And finally a waterless desert when it seems all hope is lost.

These are just the basics; he’ll add more varied scapes throughout his entire life, each one enriching the depths of the conversations that can pass between you with limited words.

Physicalities

Though still as svelte and sleek as most blues, Omairhuith has a little more bulk to him even from the moment of hatching. He will be stocky from the start rather than gangly, and on the larger side even for an Oldtimer blue, matching size with some of the Nowtime and mixed heritage browns. But as a hatchling, he will have a sort of rolly-polly-ness about him.

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(Omairhuith is not nearly this cute, but the proportions are similar with his oversized feet instead of flippers.)

That pudginess is definitely going to make for some waddling about for the first few months until his gets some length of limb. You’d better get used to either leaving early or being late for things, because he will have to take his sweet time…or else end up tripping up over those large feet of his. That’s just on land, however. Once he discovers water in quantities enough to swim in, you will have a very happy blue indeed. His rotund little body doesn’t hold him back, and truly those extra large feet of his make perfect paddles to propel himself along at some impressive speed.

It won't take long, though, until his body grows in to compensate for his added bulk. Limbs will lengthen and weight will redistribute as his frame goes from round to more torpedo-like, a shape that will help him to cut through the air and water alike, giving him natural aerodynamics. Wings are perfectly in proportion to the rest of him, a little broad in the sails just like the rest of him, but help to compensate for his added bulk.

Being such a solid blue, there’s nothing really fragile about him, which is a good thing, because he will be rough and tumble from the start and indeed all through his life. Oh, he slipped and skinned his chin? He hardly notices as he continues what he was doing without hardly a grimace. Where did that bruise come from? He has no idea, it didn’t actually hurt until you touched it. It’s not that he doesn’t feel pain, it’s more that he doesn’t let it stop him as long as the injury doesn’t hinder him in some way.

Personality

Welcome to your moody blue, Kyriatis. Cancer is ruled by the moon and eventually you will come to see that his moods shift in time with the phases of the moons. Lucky you, Pern has two of the sharding things! So you will get to experience a lot of emotional roller coasters, from energized to the point of buzzing whenever one of the moons is full, to deeply contemplative when waning into the new moon, and every shade in between.

As he matures, you will be able to anticipate these shifts just by paying attention to the phases of the moon, which should help mitigate the worst of the moodiness. And that’s the kind of attention he needs from you, Kyria, because Cancerians crave to feel loved and cared for, even when they know they could be driving people mad with their wild emotions.

» What is it Omairhuith? I can feel your stomach rumbling but you’re not eating. «

A bleak winter landscape, snow covered sparse trees, a perfectly round lake completely frozen solid and a desolate blast of cold air.

» If I get you some fish instead, would you eat that? «

Snow begins to melt while cracks form on the surface of the ice. « Thank you. »


But in return for that kind of care, you are rewarded with utter and unbending loyalty. He will fight to his last breath protecting you, and he will always be there when you need him, often disregarding his own discomfort for yours because you, his bonded, are the most important thing on all of Pern to him.

That being said, like the crab that is Cancer’s symbol, he does some sidestepping when it comes to things he definitely does not want to do. And he won’t even hem or haw about it. He will outright tell you, « No, » and then patently ignore you any further. Here’s where you have to get crafty if you don’t want to get walked all over by your blue (and who’d want to be; have you seen the size of his feet?). Bribery will often work, be it in the guise of food (his favorite being fish), or in promises to explore new places together.

» Okay Omairhuith, enough rinsing off, we need to get to your oiling. «

« No. » He blasts you with a mental wave of murky dark water topped with frothy seafoam.

» Your choice. There could be more time in the ocean if you let me oil you, or maybe we could look for that lake with the waterfall feeding into it I was told about. But we can only go if we’re not late for drills… «

« A waterfall, you say? »


Speaking of favorite places, Omairhuith will feel a connection anywhere there is water - lakes, especially, and the more remote the better. If you let him, he will drag you all over Pern looking for new and exciting bodies of water to explore. Naturally, you can use this as a bargaining chip…and a rather effective one at that.

Truly, being alone with you is how he much prefers things. He’s no social butterfly, your Omair; he’s actually a bit of a loner and an introvert. He doesn’t mind the presence of others, just as long as he doesn’t have to interact with them all that much beyond duties and Threadfall, of course. When you have to choose your weyr, don’t be surprised if he goes for the remotest one with the least amount of neighbors. He needs his isolation to properly recharge himself or else you end up with a snappish, irritated blue who will straight up sulk until you take him away from everyone for awhile.

« Whatcha doing Omairhuith? »

« Being alone, Gamanturath. »

« That sounds like fun! I’ll join you! »

« Ok, you be alone here, I’ll find somewhere else.»


And if he can’t get away, he just kind of shuts down and retreats into his “shell,” which is basically deep into the murky waters of his mind. It doesn’t often get this bad. You’ll likely learn quickly how to get his needs met even though he never really outright tells you he needs to get away, but maybe his mind voice will start to project his safe place with an underlying sense of need.

Your boy isn’t always morose and moody. When a moon is waxing towards full, he’s actually quite carefree and almost playful. These are the times when he will put on his “displays” in the nearest body of water. He doesn’t merely swim! No, he puts on a show the likes of which most of Southern hasn’t seen from a dragon. Similar to what dolphins do, he’ll use his powerful feet and tail to propel himself out of the water only to let himself fall back down with a colossal splash. He doesn’t do it for attention or anything other than pure enjoyment. If he ever encounters dolphins (which is a distinct possibility, of course), he will find some kindred spirits in the waves.

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This is the kind of thing Alyna thought of when she pictured one of Omairhuith’s displays.

Instead of intellectual and thoughtful, Omairhuith is intuitive and instinctual. He doesn’t reason as often as he goes with what he feels is right, and sometimes that can come up against your need to question everything, Kyriatis. He won’t ever be able to tell you why he feels the urge to go hunting wild porcine when the feeding pens are right there or why he’s flying sweeps just a little higher than normal. It’s just what feels best for that moment, and no matter how many questions you ask him, he won’t tell you any different.

» Why are we veering east? Our sweeps are to the north. «

« Feel like there’s something there. »

» We’re not flying candlemarks out of our way because of one of your feelings. «

« No, we’re going east now. It’s the right way.»

Dragon Song

In keeping with Omairhuith’s less than wordy nature, we decided an instrumental piece would be most fitting. Celtic music seemed the perfect fit and with a little searching we came across Song of the Kelpie, a hauntingly beautiful piece which we think really captures your blue’s essence.

Dragon Scent

It’s definitely subtle, but it’s there - the lingering smell of damp. Damp earth, wet vegetation, even the musty smell of lingering mold and mildew. It’s not entirely unpleasant, not putrid or decaying, just sharply earthy with some richer notes of decomposition. Thankfully it’s only really noticeable when - you guessed it - he’s all wet. Then it will be sharp and obvious and a little in your face, but it subsides quickly enough as he dries.

Flights

Like many animals, Omairhuith’s mating habits coincide with a particular season. In his case it runs from spring through summer. Fall and winter, he may seek out a cuddle with an obliging female for the sole purpose of keeping warm and nothing more. But as soon as the seasons turn to renewal, there’s an abrupt shift and the need to mate is awoken within your blue. It will definitely show. He’s almost…friskier, his usual trudging steps taking on a faint skip, his cavorting in the waves will be more of a display than normal. Everything is just a little more upbeat about him during this time. Not that he’ll make any more sense than he normally does, but his usual murky depths are softly invaded with sunlight. It’s mostly subtle at first, almost to be brushed off as a simple good mood.

Then he will start chasing, and he won’t stop for near half a turn. Courtship for Omairhuith comes down to pure need, and nothing will stop him from getting to his prize. He doesn’t seem to notice the greens in that way until they are just about to fly, no matter how long they are proddy for. Maybe it’s that he reacts to whatever dragon pheromones they give off just as they are ready to rise, but your blue does not woo or sweet talk or cajole the greens for sevendays in hopes of winning her favor. He proves his worthiness in the sky alone, showing her that he is the best mate for her with a display of stamina, athleticism, and sometimes ferocity, the other chasers bearing the brunt of the last. Other males getting too close to him can expect at the least a warning growl and maybe some snapping teeth. At worst, he may rake another male with his claws if his warnings to BACK OFF are not heeded. Which, depending on the other male’s temperament and size, could get him into quite a lot of trouble.

When he ends up catching, there tends not to be a whole lot of sticking around afterwards. Maybe a quick nap curled up next to her if the flight was particularly draining, but when it’s all said and done, his interest wanes the moment she loses her glow. She then becomes just any other dragon to him, one who helped fulfill a need and nothing more. When he doesn’t catch, he will need to do something to burn off the excess mating drive, which is usually finding the deepest body of water and going for a long swim.

Given the fact that your Omairhuith only seems to fixate on a green who is about to fly within the day, there are certain steps you can take if you just need a break from his constant chasing. If you don’t want to be bothered when he starts dogging the steps of a glowing green, you’ll have to turn back to your trick of bribery. Perhaps you might offer him something enticing enough to get his attention from his primal urges, like a trip to his favorite remote mountain lake to cool his ardor, perhaps. Or you might appeal to his sense of duty and switch sweep shifts with someone. Maybe half of the time this will actually work for you.

Thread

Sorry Kyriatis, Omairhuith is built for stamina and he’s got it to last a full ‘Fall. He attacks the fatal enemy of humans and dragonkind with a feral ferociousness that will surely keep you on your toes. You’d better pay special attention in drills, because it’s only by endless repetition and training that you will be able to affect your control over him so that he will get a sense of when he should be “on the job,” as it were. This will take a lot of hard work on your part because you are fighting primal instincts, ones that are deeply rooted in his very essence, so you have to guide him to harness them properly.

During ‘Fall, he is the hunter, no useless waste of energy spent on fancy flying or tricks. He stalks Thread in the sky, conserving his flame until he’s in the right position to strike. His already limited use of mental speech trickles down to responses only when absolutely necessary, his focus on the hunt taking up all his faculties as he does what he was born to do.


Southern Weyr’s 8th PC Clutch
Gold Zymuraith & brown Ravaith
July 6th, 2018

Credits

Name: Alyna, Amani
Egg Desc: Alyna
Dragonet Desc: Amani
Messages: Alyna
Puppeteer: Alyna
Inspiration: Alyna, Amani

Clutchmates:

J'ay's Son of the Shirewode Bronze Iandreth

Talya's Catch the Morning Star Brown Turahaimajusuth

Katrya's The Truth in the Myth Brown Vinodestroth

Evka's Gift of the Fertility Gods Brown Saetyroith

Ginger’s Striking a Balance Brown Shokravanth

Calliope’s ??? Dragonth

Syri's Cold Paws, Warm Heart Blue Gamanturath

Kelati’s Laughter Takes Flight Green Takatath