Tungust Ferrtau (main antagonist, human, male)
visible age: early 30s
eye color: green
hair color: sun-blonde
hair style: medium-short, windswept
facial features: regal, noble-like
body type: tall and athletic
clothing: powered armor (with somewhat medieval aestethic; also, worn and battered), red-and-gold in color, with a golden four-pointed star emblazoned on the chest
Narrative bit:
(excerpt from Second Interlude)
I stood alone at the Shard, my first legion of Revenant ready to do my bidding with absolute loyalty. I could not enter the Temple, for the Keys had been torn from my hands, and cast Far Away where I could not reach. Darkness reigned, and Thunder roared; the Vortex of Void was engulfing the horizon, held back only by the sheerness of my Will. The Flame inside Me was Dying. Yet that single, burning desire, bright as the greatest Virtue, held my Vision clear, and my Mind focused on the task at hand.
What was I to do?
I knew only one answer: go to war.
I was a veteran of the Supremacy Wars, of the Axiom Crusades, and of the Starblaze. I have faced the countless horrors of the Void Demons, and have survived the massacres of the Dragon Independence War. I have mastered the Æther, and I have unlocked the knowledge of the Universe. I have peered into the Abyss, and I have walked the everlasting path of the Celestial Way. I have traveled among the stars for centuries, and I have known both peace and conflict. I have fought, and I have counseled; I have sought enlightenment, and I have risked my life in the name of my vow and the sacred duties I uphold.
And So Shall I Do Again.
It was time to make my own crusade.
Airo Blueborn (main protagonist #1, human, male)
visible age: early 30s
eye color: grey
hair color: black
hair style: short, with a hint of spikyness
facial features: strong and willful
body type: (same as Ferrtau's)
clothing: powered armor (sleek, Mass Effect-like style), charcoal grey in color with silver highlights
Narrative bit:
(excerpt from Prelude To Farewell)
Airo felt his dying heart, as he traced the titanic figure outlined against the sky.
They had told him what had happened.
An enormously large dragon towered amidst the center of the research complex, its wings eclipsing the dawn light, its tail crushing buildings in a sweeping arc, its lashing claws viciously razing whole sections. The colossal monster roared in overwhelming fury, the sound so fierce, it created an impact wave across the entire area.
No! Great Cosmos, no! Zee!
Inwardly, Airo screamed in anguish. His soul wailed, louder than any of the blaring avarial alarms of the base, torment rending his very essence. Outwardly, he was poised as a steel statue, his bearing a paragon of discipline, himself a champion of will and determination. He moved decisively, each running stride tearing him into a million fading pieces, yet his warrior spirit blazed with the fire of honor and nobility, compelling him to go above and beyond the call of duty: to save others.
And to end a tragedy.
Veralla (main protagonist #2, dragon, female)
dragon type: western dragon (4 legs, 2 wings)
visible age: ?? (very young for her species)
size: a bit larger than a human (akin to a 7 or 8-foot tall humanoid)
body type: somewhat heavyset
body features: bony fins running along the back (like Godzilla, simpler in shape, sparser in quantity, aligned along the spine); longer tail (almost twice as body lenght)
eye color/style: entirely vibrant purple, with vertically-slit pupils
scales color: uniform black, with irregular patterns of claw-like marks in groups of three (dark magenta/light purple in color)
head style: a row of triangular fin-like spikes from the top of the head to the base of the neck, two large leathery crests on either side of the row of spikes running all the way along the back (and getting proportionally larger), and a pair of huge straight horns on the periphery of the skull accompanied by two more pairs of smaller horns on lower positions
paws: six-digited, and equal -or near-equal- in length/thickness (forelegs have two opposable claws on either side of the paw, enabling tool use)
NOTE: If any detail is deemed/simplify too complex, discard as appropriate
Narrative bit:
(excerpt from Ch. 8)
Veralla was astounded by the myriad sights before her.
She had never been to a town before. Well, understandably, since she was very young and had not much exposure to the world in general. Yet her imagination was starved for new experiences, and she indulged fully in the marvel that was Dragon Retreat.
She ate a delicious meal, prepared by the nice red-skinned human named Usylor, and after thanking him went outside to wander the wide walkways. So many lights! So many new shapes! She relished the sensation of smooth stones against her feet, curious how her claws clicked against the pavement. She tried to lessen the sound, shifting her weight, changing her step, hrrr-ing in joy when she discovered different ways to walk other than the bounding gait she used when she traversed the snow-laden wilderness.
She coursed around the thoroughfares, staring and gazing at everything. Her webbed ears pricked at waves of new sounds, her forked tongue snaked out constantly from her jaws to explore complex blends of tastes and smells. Her small wings fluttered instinctively at the sight of the dragon statues in their regal splendor, and she compared her own body with those of the stone-and-crystal replicas of her kin down to the last detail, noting differences and similarities with playful abandon.
Ilsorin, last remaining bastion of the Order of the Radiant Knights
(excerpt from Ch. 10)
From a distance it appeared as if they were approaching a seemingly random summit in a mountain-rich region. However, when Vorzii got closer the summit simmered, and then the ridge's slope glimmered away, revealing a gigantic, rectangular tunnel with beveled edges. Vorzii flew into the gaping dark. The tunnel was rather short, relative to the skyship's proportions. Within seconds, it emerged on the other side...
...into a great upland, sprawled with mountain peaks everywhere to the edge of the horizon.
"Wow!" Veralla exhaled.
"Impressive," Kiana said in a low voice.
"Seems a bit repetitive, though," Zuckeroff commented.
"This is a self-instanced fractal dimension," Stamat explained, his eyes also bright with wonder, despite his familiarity with the location. "The only way in or out is through the tunnel portal."
Beyond, a large, fortress-like structure rose from one of the mountain peaks. Huge battletowers loomed over wide courtyards. Bastions and ramparts were layered atop one another in an intricate terraced pattern. Like in Dragon Retreat, the overall architecture was dominated by stone- and crystalwork, though this time there was a fair amount of light applied as a construction material. Despite himself, Airo was amazed. He hadn't seen such wonders even on Arceria during his youth.
Vorzii approached the stronghold complex, and landed on a plain, cleared platform near the top. The Radiant Knights began to disembark, and helped the refugees from Dragon Retreat to get settled in the base. Outside, more figures in red-gold armors emerged from the nearest fortified building, bringing tools and machinery, and began to service the skyship.
