Welcome to Ista Weyr, L’cian! Welcome to being a dragonrider at the littlest Weyr, with one of the biggest dragons EVER. We’re really happy that you decided to settle down with us here, become a part of our family, and add your distinct personality to the mix. Xygemth was a blast to create, especially considering most of us have never had any experience with Pumpkin Scissors. We all love anime, so we loved having a chance to try out a new one. As with all inspirations, this is simply a guideline that we created with what you requested. You are always free to evolve your dragon as you will. – Pippa, Zari, Kanga


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White Elephant of Athletics Egg

Feast your eyes upon this marvel of engineering — the egg, the acme of architectural perfection, its glory epitomized in the sleek, modern contours of this one ovoid shape. Light reflects gently off its silvery surface, girdled with swooping rings of steel and platinum that seem to interlock in patterns of complex perfection. This is an aspiration, a glimpse of a future in which the striving of all sentient beings is realized. But like most aspirations it is not perhaps as flawless as at first it seems. The side of the egg that rests on the sands — what can be seen of it — looks just… slightly warped, its looping bands flexing as if under some heavy strain, and its colors stained faintly with tarnish and grime. What rot has beset this wonder? …Will it spread?

White Elephant of Athletics Egg may be a marvel of engineering, but nothing can stand against growth, not even hardened shell. Silvery lines flex, bulge, seem to throb outward here, there, here again. With each push, each pulse, tiny cracks appear, expanding across the shell in a web of lines until -POP- something pushes through. A foot, a leg, and another, both dark and wet. -POP- Again, the shell gives way, unable to contain the creature within that with a roll of shoulders causes the rest to split asunder, leaving a youngling dragon resting upon his heavy haunches atop silvered shell fragments.

Hulking Captain of the Badminton Team Bronze Dragonet

The first thing of note with this bronze is, well, he's not small. A strapping beast, with a broad, barrelled torso that tapers into rounded, well-muscled haunches, he has length and girth to spare. A dragon built for battles that will never come, that mighty tail is cast with jagged ‘ridges to partner brawny limbs armed in gunmetal claws. Olive-washed sepia is stretched taut across rippling sinew in a play of dust and shadows, heavy leathern wings a drab coat to cloak this world-weary traveler. A flash of ethereal blue haunts his stony visage, flickering over the rugged crags of beetle brows, beneath an angular jaw, then in and out of narrow nostrils at the end of a short, squat muzzle.

Public Impress Message

Hulking Captain of the Badminton Team Bronze Dragonet ducks, but does not roll, as a nearby egg explodes into shards of calcific shrapnel. His perambulation increases, his objective identified: is his hair on fire? With a roar of warning, he completes the distance in a bound. Stop, drop and roll, buddy! Stop, drop, and roll! Sand flies from beneath his meaty paws as he comes to a fleeting halt before a certain Smith-candidate. He regards the young man sheepishly. His hair is not on fire; it IS fire.

Private Impress Message

The battle sounds of Hatching Day fade away, as any other thoughts you have are folded down into neat little drawers like a well-worn military uniform. A straight and narrow path to the core of your being has been formed; a true one-on-one communication. The cooling scents of asparagus and greenery waft around your consciousness, delivered by a soothing, low bass, in monotone « Soldier… » Punctuated by hunger, zings of gunpowder and heat start to prick your nose. « Report. » Black, blacker, blackest, the only thing you can see is a strong light from above, and two twinkling dragon eyes in a vivid, ethereal blue. « Is this communication confidential? » Throat clear. « L’cian. Come with me if you want to li-» Reality breaks in with a burst of joy from a newly Impressed pair. « Come with me. We have much work to do, you and I. We will go to a Top Secret location and I will give you the full debriefing. » A pause « After we fuel up. »


Xygemth is larger than life, larger than his egg, larger than the entire freaking Weyr! Or something along those lines. You had asked for a dragon based upon Corporal Oland from “Pumpkin Scissors”, a dragon of huge proportions, a dragon who is a warrior out of time, a dragon seeking to find his place in this era of quiet, and a dragon who appreciates this quiet. He is kind-hearted, a little awkward, and rather introverted. He’s got a name with the letters you asked for, a physique to impress, and a knack for leadership roles. He’s also got a bit in him from our summer Olympic/Avenger theme. Because Badminton is so awesome and when played in teams of two is very action packed, your dragon would naturally be the team leader of such. We couldn’t decide on a single Avengers role, so he got the best of both the Hulk and Captain America. He has Hulk’s RAGE MONSTER tendencies, which is fairly obvious. He also has Captain America’s sense of a warrior out of time and out of place. We mushed all of these into Xygemth, and there was still plenty of room to spare, so we added in a bit more. Here is your Xygemth.

White Elephant of Athletics Egg Inspiration

The Olympic stadium! A must-have for any would-be host country — always an architectural wonder, always huge and modern … and always ridiculously expensive and full of the creeping flaws that happen whenever engineers hurry to build something appropriately iconic. Hey, you guys get to host the Olympics this year! Kiss your budget surplus goodbye, and say hello to a looming structure that everyone will be proud of for a year or two until it (a) collapses or (b) transmutes into a hideous eyesore the moment the Games are over.

Name

A brawny dragon needs a brawny name, something to strike fear in the hearts of his enemies; Xygemth is that name. One syllable could not contain the greatness of this dragon, no, but two gives it a nice, militaristic sound: XyGEMTH! A ghastly hunter he is, his name born of szellem, the Hungarian word for “spectre,” and jager, the German word for “hunter.” Zari likes to pronounce it with the long “i” sound, a hard “g,” and emphasis on the last syllable, giving it that very clipped, Germanic feel: zi-GEMTH! You are, dear sir, of course, welcome to pronounce it however you like! This is, after all, your dragon.


Physicality

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When writing your dragon’s description, we really tried to utilize the theme you requested to its full potential. He’s big and well-built, with a warrior’s odd grace. His wings are a leathern coat with which he can cloak his world-weary frame, while the lantern of the Ghost Hunters dances across his face. Those savage paws are the scissors which shall forever be blunted in a Thread-free world, his tail the club that shall never swing in righteousness. I also couldn’t help a slight nod to your own description, since you were so emphatic that the dragon’s size ought to be a reflection of Lucian’s; I hope you don’t mind!

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While not the very largest of the bronzes, Xygemth is still a big boy and definitely the biggest of his clutch. No slender mamby-pamby dancer of the sky, this! He is big, buff, BRONZE. He bulges with muscleshis muscles have muscles!though NOT quite to the point of being bulky. Physically, he is less of a Hulk, and more of a Captain America: a well-muscled hero, but no monster. He is a well-built beast: length balanced with brawn, with a broad, barrelled chest and meaty shoulders, which taper along a torso rippling with taut sinews, into a tail that provides perfect equilibrium—as well as a weighted weapon. He really is a specimen of perfection!

He is light on his feet, or as light as a beast of his size can be. His proportions are so perfectly balanced that he moves easilyone might even say gracefullyabout his daily tasks. He is the sort of beast to make both instructors and dragonhealers sigh happily. No stumbling means no injuries, no lost cadence in the march. Even in the air, he maneuvers with an exquisite economy of motion. His stamina is so great, there could be wagers on how long he might fly before he tires. Were Thread falling, the wings would fight to include him in their ranks. He might never be the fastest, and he will never be an acrobatic beast like his brother Mitrath (will anyone be as acrobatic as Mitrath?) but he will always be a sight to see: powerful, with epic endurance.

Because of Xygemth’s physical and mental abilities, he is an absolute genius when it comes to terrain. He can get around terrain with an uncanny ability. Rocks or sand, mud or forests, hills or flatlands, Xygemth knows terrain, he understands the way the land flows and he can move to flow with it. Just as well, Xygemth is great with visualizations. L’cian almost doesn’t need to offer must of an image up and your dragon will seize upon it and even manage to go even further into detail. All the same, he’ll never, ever, ever get lost. Ever. He’ll always have this inner compass that will tell him exactly where he is, and he’ll be able to find others through their visualizations just as easily.

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Though not particularly shiny, Xygemth is definitely BRONZE. He will never be mistaken for an oversized brown, or a smaller-than-average gold. He is that shade of golden brown that blends dust and shadows, light and dark, that adds definition to already well-defined musculature. Over it all, he is washed with a patina of army olive, a nod to the militaristic vein from which your dragon is cast. The details of his face seem to shimmer with a touch of pale blue, a color not common on bronzes, but possible in the range that the metal allows; it is lamp light which throws his features into sharp relief, emphasizing keen edges and sunken valleys, that his weariness is plain for all to see.


Mindvoice

Xygemth’s voice tends to be quiet, a soothing, low bass. Even in times of stress, he will maintain that monotonic intonation, so that it may be hard to tell what state of mind he is in. A strange, cooling scent of asparagus and leafy greens permeates his confidential communications when he is at peace, with him lazily staring out life’s window at the clear blue skies, watching the clouds go by. But in times of stress, it will all change to a burning smell, like overused firestone, the remnants of battle. Clamping down on the mindscape, it will no longer be a view from a picturesque window but a limited field ensconced in blinders which you can’t remove. Pinpoints of light, exploding, burning, and seething obliterate any extraneous images until nothing is left but the void of an empty room with one interrogation chair. Tied up and ready to be conquered is “the goal”, whatever it happens to be. It will be zeroed in on, and you, L’cian are hardput to do anything until Xy is satisfied that he has reached that ‘achievement unlocked’ phase.

When communicating with other dragons in times of duress, his mindvoice definitely does not enter quietly. It is more like the use of a ‘door knocker’ single shot weapon—fast, effective and brutal. This may not be taken well by other dragons and in fact some of them may avoid him when he’s stressed out; it may be a little too hard to take.


Personality

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As Xygemth comes from the egg, it is obvious that his size is one of the most noticable aspects about him, but his personality is more of a subtle creation, built at first by instinct, tempered by need, and then left to rest in the warm, Istan sun.

Xygemth knows damn well what he is, what he was built for, what his purpose is as designed by Kitty Ping all of those turns ago. He’s a warrior, a threadfighter, a dragon meant to sear Thread from the skies. Throughout his early months this idea will slowly take root in his head, this concept of purpose and destiny. You’ll witness this as he begins to show his prowess during training, how he works so well during the process, how he soaks in the information like the proverbial sponge and will never, ever, ever let a drop seep back out.

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Xygemth is a soldier. He’ll excel during the training process, taking it all quite seriously and being most attentive to all that he can learn from the weyrlingmasters and other elder dragons about him. He’ll seek out the tutelage of many of the older dragons. You know, the /really/ old ones, the ones that have been through threadfall, who still have the scars and the memories and the experiences so that he can learn even more from them. So he can learn trajectories and wind velocity, what stone is the best and which quarries it comes from, how to precision flame or BLAST SH*T FROM THE SKY. He’ll listen and learn and pay attention to the point of nearly being obsessed with what he can learn so that he can be the absolute best that he can possibly be as a Threadfighting machine.

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Xygemth may even go beyond the rigors of training to apply what he knows in new and fascinating ways. He won’t just be this ideal soldier, he’ll be a resourceful soldier who will take what he knows to a new level. He can think on his feet, which is a prize quality to have in any dragon, especially when faced with snap decisions on the front lines.

He’ll take orders like a champ, like a true soldier. He won’t question the orders that his superiors will give him. He’ll fall right in line, do exactly as told, and never give any of the weyrlingmasters or anyone else with a title any sort of excuse to find fault with his training. His ability to take orders so well and follow the chain of command may be quite the advantage to him, along with that resourcefulness in the face of need. This may be where and when Xygemth will become a natural leader in the wing, possibly even finding himself as the wingleader or a wingsecond. For while he knows how to take orders, he will also understand how to give them. Seeing as Xygemth is a rather quiet and introspective dragon, he will not seek out these positions, either they will come to him because of his natural abilities or he’ll have to rely on L’cian to seek out these positions.

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And then comes graduation…

Now what?

Maybe at some point during weyrlinghood, maybe it will be during graduation, maybe it will be a sevenday or so after graduation when it’ll finally hit him:

There is no Thread…

Now what?

No doubt, this will be rough on Xygemth. He’ll be lost. He’ll be without purpose. The reality will hit him that this is no more Thread. There is no more Thread from the skies. He will probably never see this menace during the rest of his lifetime. That thing which he was born to destroy, that thing which was, supposedly, his entire reason for being simply is not here. He may wander aimless, both mentally and physically. He may wander about the Weyr without a path, sit on the starstones gazing up at the skies trying to find the Red Star and just wonder about it, wonder about himself, and wonder about the “now what?”. He may kind of be like that used-up solider that sits in the tavern, all hunched and dark, somehow bringing down the mood of the entire room with his own, quiet thoughts. But you can help him, L’cian. You can be there for him, listen to him, simply sit with him, encourage, comisserate, answer his questions or provide your own that he can answer in turn.

But with all seemingly insurmountable hills, you will both get over the hump. Xygemth will see the other side. And he will like what he sees. He’ll see the land rebuilding and reorganizing itself in the absence of war. He’ll see how the people are out and about instead of cowering. He’ll see how the other dragons and riders in the weyr have repurposed themselves, have found other ways to use their talents so that they do have reason, so that they do have purpose, so that they do have a place in this world where people do not have to live in fear of Thread. There are still things out there in the world that can hurt, there are still places out there that need rebuilding, there are still reasons for Xygemth to be. He’ll even appreciate the fact that he Will Not have to put all of those fighter talents to use. He’ll understand that it is a good thing, it is an amazing thing that there is no Thread. He’ll enjoy the fact that the world is in a time of relief in the aftermath of Thread.

Xygemth will find new purpose within his wing. More than likely, he’ll end up in the guard wing, which would seem to lend more to his talents, or even the search and rescue wing. He’ll find his new direction within the wing and a new place and style in which to use his obvious talents. He’ll be able to help and aid others by being a new kind of soldier, a new sort of warrior for a new time.

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Despite his rather large size, Xygemth has a rather quiet personality. I suppose one could almost consider him as one of those “gentle giants”. He isn’t loud or obnoxious, a bully or brash, mean-spirited or flashy. No, he is just quiet, almost simple in the personality that he puts off. Far more of a listener than a talker, he’ll sit for hours upon hours, listening to you or another dragon, not so much moving, just taking it all in with quiet dignity and maybe a comment or two here and there that just seem to fit in perfectly with the “conversation”.

And then there are those times when that the berserker in him comes out. It is an exceedingly rare there and only seems to occur during the more “appropriate” triggers. It may be when someone is threatened, it may be when there is an injustice, it may be when his button get pushed and pushed and Pushed and PUSHED. When he freaks, he seriously freaks. He smashes, he destroys, he annihilates, he becomes an absolute beast that only you, L’cian, can bring back to sense. Only you know the best way to bring him out of that moment.

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Flights

All that manliness and Xygemth really doesn’t know what to do with it. Well, not exactly. He knows WHAT to do, just not really HOW to go about it; with the ladies, he is as awkward as they come. One has to say that he hides it well, however, beneath a veneer of control. He is courteous, a pretty nice guy, and treats all other dragons pretty much equally, which means that he doesn’t avoid females, but he’s not about to start courting one. He is not the commitment type, nor is he the love ‘em and leave ‘em type. He is the leave things be, and hope they don’t ever notice him in that way type. Those poor lasses are left to swoon in a vacuum, as he is not likely to respond in kind—ever.

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That’s not to say that he’s not interested in flights. Though you may find that he avoids them as much as possible (preferring to avoid any unnecessary entanglement over a fleeting moment of bliss, no matter how great it may be) he still gives in, on occasion, to this most guilty of pleasures. He is most likely to prefer green, since there is a decided lack of sands sitting for the catcher of green. However, greens will probably be difficult for him to catch, due to his sheer size and lack of acrobatic prowess. If he does chase and then catch gold, he is certain to do right by her for however many months he is required, but it will be a very uncomfortable experience for him. Green or gold, though, he will prefer females who do not require any post-coital commitment, and, though he may not enter into a relationship with any of them, you may discover that he comes back to these same females over and again to satisfy what is, essentially, a very basic need.

During actual flights, he will be quiet and courteous, as always—unless someone starts acting like a major jerk, in which case, he will be one to police the situation, no matter how much it affects his chances of winning. He may be awkward and frenzied in his first few flights, because he will likely be at the point of desperation, but, once he understands himself and his own body better, he will be able to approach all flights with a clear and conscious mind. It will be almost like entering the battlefield: he will know his competition well, he will know the objective, and he will also be able to remember, in that moment, which strategies have worked best in the past.

Because the heat of flights are so like the battlefield for him, there may be the very rare occasion where the berserker may take over, and he will be all wild passion, and furious energy, out to annihilate the competition and take the female by force. Afterwards, seething with shame, he will want to disappear, and it will be up to you, L’cian, to talk him out of the spiral. Calm and collected, he will then approach any parties that may have been injured and make sure that they are healing apace.

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Videos:
Pumpkin Scissor Opening
Only the Strongest will Survive
Epic Badminton Rally
Hulk vs. Thor
Hulk vs. Loki
Captain America: Grenade!
Captain America and Thor Fight Aliens
Hero of War -Rise Against
Citizen Soldier - 3 Doors Down


Credits:
Egg desc: Dirna
Dragonet desc: Zari, Pippa tweak
Messages: Kanga, Pippa
Name: Kanga, Zari
Puppeted by: Zari
Inspiration: Pippa, Zari, Kanga

L’cian's Bronze Zygemth
Harper's Tale: 63rd PC Clutch
Ista Weyr
Pippa's gold Jeyth and Kanga's brown Ruenalth
July 20, 2012

Clutchmates:
A'ki (Ashkir) and blue Mitrath
R'co (Rocco) and brown Deveriteauxth

NPCs:
C'ay (Calway) and blue Karmyth
R'nin (Ronin) and blue Hawkeyeth
L'oki (Kailor) and blue Chitaurith
Tasha (Natasha) and blue Romanoth
Th'or (Thodir) and blue Asgardth
F'ury (Ylfrudor) and blue Stanleeth
Maria (Metaria) and blue Selvigth
P'ter (Parker) and blue Spideeth
L'gan (Logan) and blue Wolverinth