Summary:
Tempest is a young Arctic Oceanic Drake from a dying breed that’s been poached into near extinction for their ability to manipulate water. Since being liberated from the New Zealand royal navy’s control, he’s been roaming the seas alone for several years in hopes of seeking out other dragonkin.
Personality:
For the most part, he's a jovial type of being, lazy, and an idiot at times, rarely takes anything seriously.
Abilities:
- Aquamancy -
Tempest possesses an advanced form of water manipulation, being able to create tsunamis, summon hurricanes at will, conjure up storms, whirlpools, or shoot beams of pressurized water at either an enemy or prey. His skills even allow him to influence the water molecules in a person’s blood to a degree. For fast travel across the seas, he can manipulate the surrounding water to propel himself at unimaginable speeds below or above the surface.
- Ice Magic -
Another unique trait his kind carries. This includes being able to cool his surroundings, freeze a selection of water, create hardened ice spikes that can be turned into projectiles, and cause a devastating hailstorm by freezing a small portion of the heavens. A common defense move used by him is creating thick ice walls.
Weather Manipulation - Like the rest of his kin, he can conjure up devastating storms and hurricanes. This allows him to flood entire towns and cities if given enough time. While weather control can be one of his most powerful abilities, it often burns out most of his magic depending on the scale it’s being done on.
Lightning Redirection - Exactly what it sounds like. Knowing basic Atomkinesis has enabled him to draw electrons from the atmosphere until they can be charged enough to create a brief bolt and be projected where he wishes. If not done correctly, Tempest can risk frying himself in the process or anyone around him. This rare attack move doesn’t change the fact he’s vulnerable to electricity naturally. This can only be used if a severe thunderstorm is present.
Weapons:
Poseidon’s Trident - A legendary item given to him by the God of the seas himself. This allows Tempest to use more special forms of water manipulation and can be used as a melee weapon while in human form. In addition, the Trident can break any Ocean bound curse or be used to alter the sea level.
Appearance:
Tempest is roughly ninety-one feet in length from head to tail. Reflective azure scales cover most of his hulking form, with a golden underbelly and varying turquoise flippers. Three horns can be found bent back across his head almost like a trident, along with emerald serpentine irises, and webbed ears. While he lacks a pair of wings, two large fins remain on his back to keep him level in water. Gold spinal fins run down along his armored back and stop near the end of the tail.
Long ago sea drake populations used to range in the hundreds per pod, arguably one of the ultimate apex predators with the exception of Leviathan. There were many different variations of them, from their unholy deep-sea cousins to freshwater species, tropic breeds, and many others throughout the globe. While their winged counterparts inland were being wiped out, their numbers in the wild remained unchanged for some time.
With the industrial age came the ultimate decline. As mankind's technology became more advanced, so did their weapons, and that enabled them to finally combat the aquatic dragons effectively despite their docile temperament. But this was not the root cause for their elimination: Pollution of the seas claimed more of their lives than humanity's crusade over could. As a direct result, most became biologically vulnerable and died of illness. All that contamination wiped out many of their pods. Tempest is one of the few survivors of this.
Prior to being forcibly separated from his mother, the juvenile of a drake was captured and had undergone training to serve the Navy for a new program they created. Though defiant at first, they managed to tame him when a woman named Diadena Hernandez was assigned to him as his handler. She succeeded in getting him to corporate and went on a number of missions with her Draconic partner. The two became emotionally attached after a period of time.
Once the news had spread of a decision to dissect him came about, Diadena removed his tracker and turned him loose. From there, he fled from the Naval base before migrating hundreds of miles away.
It was only later until the young Dovah heard a song coming from the shoreline. Something about that melody had drawn him towards it in ways that could not be described, other than an uncontrollable urge to confront it and be with whoever was singing it. The one responsible was what appeared to be a young brunette woman, who was too shocked to flee at the sight of him. In his seemingly delusional state, Tempest showered her with affection in the form of licks, nuzzles, and even attempting to hold her. As if knowing he'd be in danger just for staying out there in the open, she chose to travel and run off with him.
Whether his love for her became willing or was a long-term side effect of her sings, the two became an inseparable pair who got in and out of trouble together.
He was a Sea Dragon, she was a Siren, and neither one had a place to call home.
Together they became an unlikely duo, like two fugitives who had no one but each other to rely on.
As they carried on together, the two became increasingly frustrated with the size difference between them, it almost became a sort of barrier. To compensate for this, he drained the Siren's blood and replaced it with his own, which held some magical properties that could convert another into one of his kind. As a result, Clarion instead became a sea serpent. It was through him that she learned how to hunt prey with her new lifestyle. Them migrating together became a daily routine.
. . .
Sometime prior to meeting a man who forged an adopted family of monsters, something terrible happened that forced their group to disband. In the midst of all that chaos, Tempest and his mate Clarion were unable to locate each other quickly enough and fled separately. Just like last time, he was required to travel alone for a second time.
Hopefully for the last.
As for his whereabouts, Tempest is currently on an endless migration, whether it be in search of Clarion, the family, or to seek something else. With no one left to turn to, he conceals himself from any boats or ships that would draw attention to himself. He'll frequently roam in shallow waters, and is known to occasionally take on human form to explore any populated coasts thanks to a special transformation powder.
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Alternative Muses:
Answerer:
One of Tempest's surviving siblings, who was captured by Onyx Corp, had his memories wiped, received heavy augments for combat, and trained to be paired with a handler/rider. Like all augmented water drakes, Answerer mostly lacks a personality and only knows how to follow orders due to the brainwashing inflicted by his captors. He has a difficult time when it comes to independent thought.
Now without a rider, the modified brute actively seeks out another in hopes of being given a purpose again, unable to contemplate the idea of choosing his own path or going against what his mind was programmed to do. Anyone with a resemblance to his prior handler, even just personality-wise, is likely to be approached. It's not uncommon for someone to react negatively before Answer either retaliates or continues on.
When interacting with others, one of three things are likely to happen: Either assisting them, eliminating the one in question, or simply ignore said individual. Avoid falling into the wrong category unless he can be subdued.
Trua:
Being a former prince from a long-lost empire, Trua is a hybrid between an Eastern dragon and a European sea drake, able to wield both water and air-manipulation-based magic. This has enabled him to take to the skies, in addition to being amphibious.
Despite the incredible feats he's capable of, he is unusually small for a Dragon, being only twenty feet long from head to tail. The former royalty suffers from amnesia, unable to remember his past. To make matters worse, he often experiences back problems due to the disproportionate amount of weight on his spine from his body structure, also mute from an injury he received to his vocal cords.
It's common for him to hide his walking disability from others, which affects him even in human form, often choosing to sit in a wheelchair when possible, or swim in water while in his true appearance to reveal the strain on his bad spine. Others may find out from him hurting himself by accident or abruptly stopping during a lengthy walk.
To communicate with others since he's mute, Trua will either use sign language, or physically write words into soil or paper if someone doesn't know it.
Mel:
Being a biological uncle to and the same species as Tempest, Mel is an ancient sea drake who is also Trua's father, in addition to being the former leader of his now long lost pod. Said beast is very well composed due to being literally thousands of years old, he is both the oldest, largest, and most wise member of his kind, often being a father-like figure to those around who befriended him.
Having vast experience in combat, he is a prodigy with water-manipulation magic. It is said that wherever Mel is present, a great tropical storm will follow, and that his aquamancy is so advanced, that he can separate the hydrogen from oxygen, and ionize it to create a burning hot plasma, which can be fired in beams. Mel is also highly proficient in the use of cryomancy since ice is just water in a different form. Despite how devastating most of his ranged attacks can be, the big guy prefers getting up close and personal during a brawl. Very heavy explosives are needed to pierce his armored scales.
Due to his massive size, only large prey is sought after, often favoring large species of sharks (including Great Whites), walruses, and rays. One exception to this is sea lion pups, which he finds sweeter in terms of taste. Despite hunting all sorts of marine life, he does not prey on humans or two-legged beings.
Comments
At this PROCLAIMATION the Accountant's Head turned.
Then his body turned.
Wait. He was backward again.
Bean flipped a coin and decided to turn JUST his head.
He looked at the blue dolphin that reminded him of an old college roommate that stole his sweater at the Homecoming jamboree while finishing his final year of his Masters in business finance and accounting.
Bean blinked.
No, wait.
That wasn't Ğ̴̢̧̹͕̮̠̲͚̞͚̀̔͌̈́̂̓͆̃͗͗̌̕r̶̹̘̰̘̙̻͖͋̃͂ę̵͍̤͑̏̀͒̈́̃͋͝g̶̛̭̻̱̜̺̉̔̀̊̈́̏̽̎̂̉̂́͐͝.̸̡̛̝̫̯͋̀͠
The beast's feet tippy-tapped toward the much stretchier looking stranger and his S m o l front limbs came out of his floof to pat his chest. It was apologetic. Soothing. S en s ual.
"Mi mam says Wee can' play together."
The blade returned to Spencer’s bag and he fell into listening for the time being. There was so much to discuss with the dragoness about the times of old, the civil war, and the catch-up on what devastation happened above the waters while the Water Nation fell silent. They would get their time, though not likely at the front doors of the temple palace. He glanced back while they ascended the next flight of stairs but said nothing.
Yuna’s gaze was a burning thing. Glowing orbs never quite left Tempest while she waited for the answers. The pieces to the puzzle she wasn’t quite sure how that fit, yet. There was an unmistakable sense of curiosity as the story was painted. Hundreds… stories of the temple’s youth depicted as many drakes and creatures that had flourished. Their numbers had dwindled into far less as well. The name sparked something in the dragon’s expression as the tale started.
Her maw wrinkled at the fire dragon’s mentioning. Spencer’s own gaze fell on Tempest as he spoke while trailing along behind inevitably.
A giant of the waters… an early war. A conflict of kin. A migration.
Somewhere deep down the young heir felt she had heard all of this once before. If only her mother had been present to clarify those old tales. Yuna’s horned head turned back some to catch a glimpse of Spencer while the story went on to testify of the activity on the coasts with humans. Her gaze went forward once more with a huff. “Humankind strikes out of fear, this has grown to be none different over the centuries.”
“What of your mother’s Rider?” Spencer chimed in with a tilt of his head. Yuna seemed to huff at the exception.
“There was a reason our Nation only held one Rider in its presence… and he was my mother’s… yes. She carved this temple out to accommodate him for what he was. He stood for our clan on the shores and calmed the land villages on our coasts when needed… but in all our history, no other human would do the same for us. Arris was no simple human.”
“That’s an Elvish name...”
“Yes.”
At the top of the stairs, they reached a point where their path forward went on no further. The ‘windows’ three or more stories up overlooked the back of the palace where a courtyard waited down below. Beyond it, the cliff base marking the boundary of the temple was volcanic and still alight with the warm glow of the lava still alive from the strike.
“Well then, Tempest, newly of Nightwing…” Yuna spoke as she looked out, more at ease than her arrival prior. “You say it was your uncle who led an exodus out of his home, presumably leaving behind some of his clan and taking those willing to flee?” She summed up with a slight tilt of her head. “Tell me more. Please.”
"Surfing?" Raiya was hardly an acquaintance of the sea. While she had made visits to the shorelines in the past, said visits were few and far between. Her grip subconsciously tightened around Tempest's spikes as he pushed through the waters at increasing speeds.
A pit of uncertainty began to settle within her stomach as the cold waves lapped against her legs. Flying through the air had its own inherent dangers, of course, yet "flying" through the water made the elf slightly uneasy. Water held a power that the air did not, and Raiya recalled witnessing that display of power once many, many years ago.
The dive beneath the surface was startling and unexpected, causing Raiya to sputter somewhat as the frigid water attacked her face and sinuses alike. The cold, however, did help snap her back into focus; she kept herself low against Tempest's form to avoid drag, and held on with a new sense of determination. When the large wave came up and over, all she could do was stare in awe of the magnificent dance of tide and light. The water shone like stained glass over their heads, and the sheer brilliance of the visual display made Raiya forget the uncertainty she had once felt. She wasore prepared for the next dives beneath the surface, and made sure to shut her eyes and hold her breath as they dove under. Once they were surfaced and upright again, Raiya realized she had been white-knuckling the horns. She brought her hands together and rubbed a the thumb of one hand into the palm of the other in attempts to work out the stiffness.
"-How are you holding up back there?" Raiya looked towards Tempest at the question.
"That was..." Fun? Terrifying? Raiya could not find the words to describe it. However, a grin formed. "Let's do it again."
Yuna had bristled at the sight of the male sea drake… after so many years, what did this mean? She would have wished to have her mother’s presence over her shoulder. She and all her years would have known what to make of the strangers at the front gates of their temple home. There was no questioning in her thoughts that the Late Queen would have stood tall… and so, she did.
Her stance would find slight ease as she spoke; the Nereid’s presence that had guided them to their gates was reassurance. What of the third presence of the triad? Spencer earned a darting glance. Yuna knew the ways of dragons and their Riders despite their absence in the territory. Oh, so many questions at hand. As the sea drake offered up his name, the dragoness’ crown of horns dipped a fraction respectfully. She paused the gesture partway and looked up from her brow to study him once more. “Carminite…?” It couldn’t be. Could it..? The thoughtful glance lasted a moment where her feelers stood still in the waters. She raised her head thereafter. There was something somber in the energy given off toward the mentioning of the calamity above ground. “So you felt the quake…” Yuna hummed. She shook it off, if only for now.
. . .
Behind them both, unbeknownst to the others, Amatheia snapped back to life at the title. Her eyes would also dart to Tempest at this newfound information but she held her silence. She turned her gaze back to Yuna. Her thoughts were short-lived when she heard a shout from one of the distant corridors.
“Éla grígora, Amatheía! Pou eísai!?”
Her attention darted in the direction of a corridor below. With one look to Yuna in request to leave, the dragoness gave a subtle nod and the Nereid turned tail and rushed back down the staircase, to be seen disappearing into a lefthand corridor below.
. . .
Yuna’s eyes trailed her until she was gone and then returned to Tempest’s. “Through calamity, our waters have thrived. We have come to live upon new growth due to Vulcan’s actions and the actions taken by my mother to preserve us… calamity brings forth change of all kinds. -And what of the surface?”
“We have faced our own hardships since you might have last known… I wouldn’t know where to begin.” Spencer stated quietly.
Then came Tempest’s question. Yuna seemed to pause momentarily in thought. She knew tales of the battle and had heard her mother’s stories over the years, but even a dragon’s mind could grow hazy.
“...Roxell,”
The dragoness’ pupils widened and peered back to Spencer who had been quietly putting it all together as he observed. The man’s face was oddly grave.
“What do you know of this, Rider?”
Out of the messenger bag, Spencer had already begun pulling out the blade. Sheathed in burgundy leather with bronze embellishments, the hilt depicted the busts of two dragons standing guard over the wielder’s grip. “I know he is gone, this is what is left. He left his scars above ground as he did here.”
Yuna’s maw wrinkled distastefully. “You carry a slayer’s sword that has taken the lives of countless dragons… why is this?”
Regret or remorse was missing from Spencer’s expression. “A sword depends on its wielder for direction… I took it out of killing hands and gave it a new purpose. He took something precious from me. I took something precious from him... at the very least.”
There was silence for the moment after. Yuna’s tension dissipated although her gaze on the object was distrustful. Her nostrils flared and her body twisted to look forward the next stairway up. “Come then, walk with me.” A corner glance out of her eye went to Tempest who she seemed to wait up for. “We were once a nomadic pod before my mother in her youth settled in Nightwing’s waters. Tell me… from what direction did your pod travel? How many of there are you?”
The history was coming together for Spencer little by little. The conflict was spoken of but it was a remnant of old tales from the coast that had gotten wind from the other side of the territory. Chanook had neutrality to the shore, but a tenuous line with the late Earth Nation leader. Amidst their own internal conflicts between villages and nations on land, there was enough to keep Spencer at bay in those younger years in the territory.
Then came the chime of another voice; it had the mage tipping his chin up the stairway but not without casting a look to Amatheia. The Nereid’s aggression over the topic of wars of old left her features as she watched onward. He saw Tempest’s scales moving past out of the corner of his eye and something of a quiet worry came across his face. They hadn’t found the best luck so far when even Irrlith had nearly broken the sea drake in half upon meeting. Still. He wouldn’t take the moment from Tempest.
The cerulean eyes glowing from above the stairs watched with a certain ferocity as Tempest approached. Seemingly weightless feelers rose and fell cyclically in the water, and the dragoness’ mane rose freely from its resting places like a strange energy compelled them. Each mane-like strand was akin to the fins of a betta. Her maw wrinkled and front incisors flashed for a mere second as she assessed the drake she knew to be a stranger. The thinner portion of her tail also shifted rather impatiently at the sight.
Her eyes narrowed to slits momentarily as Amatheia and Spencer joined them, stopping just after the steps ended. She addressed the Rider first.
“The Earth Nation ruler nearly brought our home to ruin... He perished by his own doing when he couldn’t control the havoc he had created. By the time the blast left him it was already too late.” The words left the dragon’s mouth gravely. In the meantime, she began to circle within the platform. Her steps were equal parts cautious and curious. “Vulcan was not alone in his assault. He had the assistance of a sorcerer rogue to Nightwing’s lands. My mother gave the energy of her very soul to provide safety in times of calamity… as she will continue in her afterlife, among the stars.”
There was a pause to process where her gaze flickered from one patron to the next. It ultimately landed back on Tempest speculatively and her steps came to a halt. “You are not of our waters,” The dragoness deduced. “My name is Yuna. I am the daughter of Naga, the Late Queen of the Water Nation Temple… What is your name? Why have you come to our waters?”
........
-Casually j u s t-
Raiya heeded the inviting flick of the tail, and picked up her pace until she was in stride with Tempest's shoulder. The stretch of silence between the two while they neared the destination was not an uncomfortable one. Rather, she found a certain degree of comfort in knowing there was no need to rush, no need to throw wary glances over her shoulder, and no need to concern herself with the day to day necessities. The silence reminded her -even for those short moments- that she could relax. It was a pleasant change indeed.
Raiya blinked at Tempest's statement, and uttered a quiet "Ah" in response as she pieced together the reason. Hindsight was always clearer in the present moment, and a mental note was taken to bring an extra change of clothes the next time around. Her jacket was removed and placed over a rock, and it was soon accompanied by her shoes and whatever few miscellaneous items she carried in her pockets.
Raiya then climbed up onto one of the taller rocks to grant her easier access. When his neck extended, she reached out and used the slightly protruding spikes to hoist herself comfortably upon the nape of his neck. She took a second to curiously peer at the exquisitely -shaped horns, delicate-looking fins and glistening scales around her. Excitement began to blossom with every detail taken in, and she didn't bother hiding it in her voice.
"Where are we, exactly?"
"You stole this from Nemo?" Raiya's voice was threaded with suprise, and she approached the laptop with the intentions to pick it up. Maybe she could give it to the albino whenever she saw him next? Yet upon closer inslection, the overall poor state of the electronic did not go unnoticed. Raiya sighed as she stepped back from it, opting to not touch the less-than-appealing item.
She looked up at Tempest with a hum at his question, and her head tilted slightly until she registered the offer. "Swimming?" Huh. The elf tried to remember when the last time she was near a body of water, yet memory stretched all the way back to a particularly old homeland and faded. She shrugged and offered a smile. "Sure, why not. Lead the way~"
The sea drake’s answer earned a speculative gaze from the Nereid, who let herself float momentarily as she studied him. There were so many questions at hand, so many thoughts. She seemed hesitant to speak for the moment which put a curious expression on Spencer’s face, even. No, it wasn’t for her discussion. Not without the Queen and her council in their presence. She turned to keep moving.
There was something serene yet menacing about the temple’s gates. The water was near-silent other than the flowing traffic of sea life and the atmospheric sounds of the glowing pits below. Not to mention the sense of weightlessness to it all that came from the depths that were calming so long as he had control.
. . .
“Escort runes,” Amatheia spoke after Tempest once they started to ascend the stairway. She moved at a more leisurely pace now. “They come alight in the presence of a bonded Rider… I have not witnessed their light since the late Queen.” A somewhat ‘knowing’ glance was cast to Spencer, to whom she had his full attention.
“...Late Queen?” Spencer questioned. Kaida? It was all he could think, Temp could have been on to something… but down here? It had his thoughts reeling.
So the man did not know? The Nereid hummed gently. “Many of the villagers have never witnessed the lights in their lifetimes.” She looked behind them at the tunnel back to the Village thoughtfully. It was almost melancholic. “They saw your presence at their gates. It reminded them of war. Our young do not know of the tragedy but the old still fear it could come again.”
“The labyrinth, then… It was meant to keep outsiders out? How many Riders does the Water Nation have?”
“It is… and it has protected us for many years.” A coy smile appeared on Amaltheia’s lips at a private thought. It vanished just as quickly. There was a prolonged silence as her progress up the stairs drifted to a halt. “One. There was… one Rider.”
Before further questioning could be done, Amatheia strode ahead up the last of the stairs and waited for them at the top. When the two had caught up, she pressed a palm to the doorway and watched as it opened slowly with a deep rumbling sound and some bubbles to trickle upward.
Spencer glanced up to Tempest momentarily, sticking close once they reached the top. By the time he looked forward he caught a glance at what lay beyond the door, little by little.
A large vestibule greeted them upon entering the enormous temple chambers. The cobbled stone beneath their feet led up to a central chamber that seemed to glow with energy and light at its center. Through the central columns of the space, the molten heat of the magma flowed like a liquid through class-like channels, churning. It warmed the waters to a temperature suitable for even human life. The halls were filled with intricate carvings and passages that still showed the influence of the architecture of the topside world.
From beyond the railings on either side of them, the hallways that encircled each level seemed to go split off on either end, as well as straight ahead of them. Several floors went on below where they were to a bottom that tapered off into the dark. The center column of the space went both below and above to the next floors; the path straight ahead hosted a flight of stairs upward. The schools of fish that swam freely in the center spaces seemed to avoid passing over the hallways and footpaths where the strange gravity still kept the two tethered.
“-What do you know of our War, Spencer of Nightwing?” Amatheia Questioned.
“I know… nothing,” The Ex-Rider answered quietly. “I have known the Water nation as a forgotten place. One that disappea-”
“-We turned our backs on your world as the topsiders turned their backs on ours.” Amatheia’s voice grew short. “There was a time when the dragons of our temple ventured above the waters, when our Nation, as well as yours, was young. We guarded and governed the villages under our rule. We spoke peace with the neighboring Nations… It began when the Earth Nation thought they may lay claim to our Nation. Their leader grew arrogant over time... negotiations of peace grew to be tenuous.”
“Are you speaking of Vulcan?” Spencer questioned.
Theia shot the man a sharp glance. “Do you know of him?”
“I have heard turbulent stories… forewarnings, indirectly. He was distanced from Chanook at the request of Kaida in order to keep the peace. We never met.”
Looking forward again, she began to ascend the staircase toward the center space of the room.
“Vulcan waged a Civil War on our nation when he pulled out a weapon powerful enough to reach our depths. He could have destroyed us. The blast from his flame was unlike nothing ever seen from the dragons of land. We still bear scars of this, centuries after, but we have come to adapt… in return, he rests in our waters for eternity.”
“The gravesite… in the labyrinth?” Spencer questioned.
. . .
“-Yes.”
A new voice entered the venue from the stairway above. A crown of horns was first to appear in their vision. The dragon that followed after was surprisingly small for the velvet tone of voice. Blue scales held the shimmer of the surroundings with a greenish highlight to pass over them in the light. Her frame was wiry, wispy. In size, she was no larger than Tempest himself, if not a slightly smaller presence. That wouldn't stop her from a rigid stance as she peered down below at the strangers with light cerulean hues. She carried the attributes of the European dragons—if only their days had not come and passed.
Raiya's expression shifted through an array of emotions in that short window of time. The most predominant of those emotions transitioned from confusion, to alarm, then finally, to disgust.
A grimace dominated her expression as the adverse smell hit her, and Raiya stepped back with a shake of her head when Tempest brought the brush to her.
"Keep it." She said, before glancing at the rest of the upchuck. "...Dare I ask who's laptop that is?"
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