| "There are worlds beyond our knowing, Where we might not understand, The words that are spoken, Or the writings in the sand, But the basic ideal of Life, However serene it may seem, Remains as full of Vice, As we've ever known it to be." |
| Korakua |
| Soulseed |
| "An exchange was made, so that they may survive. Not as they were, but as we made them to be." |
| The Eclipse passed by on a hesitant day, where the living on the Ice Plains collectively held their breath. All too aware of what had become of the last group born on the Eclipse, they were unwilling to embrace the horrors this one too may bring. The Lost Year had left a hole in the hearts of many, and only fools would let their offspring be born on such a day. Fools, as ever, are always ready to oblige. Cubs were born under the Eclipse, and in the continuing curse of that day, they were taken away hours later. Consumed by green light and ferried to worlds unknown. "They'll die," many whispered. "Just like the year before." |
| Only they didn't, not right away. Taken to a world where the watcher of souls was a kind-hearted entity, they'd not so easily be tossed into the jaws of death. Korakua was an ancient world, and the old ones had many ways of preserving life. Shortly after their arrival they were found by a Starmender, a Zethn of the soulworld, whom was surprised to find such creatures alive on Korakua. For thousands of generations no Raveen had been seen on the planet; they were long extinct. Korakua was a world of the Zethns Dragons. Only the dragons were sentient on this world, all other creatures were lesser - unable to speak, to think, to feel in the same way they could. But they knew the stories of the ancient times, of when Raveens lived among their world as well. Until the cataclysm in the stars, when they drew their last breath upon Korakua. The Starmender had found living relics of the old world. But they were not right, there was something wrong with them, a disease in their souls. Their Elements were dangerous, twisted, things that coiled and spasmed in greed. If given time the cubs would have grown up with Elemental Mutations that would prove hazardous to Korakua and the Raveens themselves. It could not be allowed to happen. So an exchange was made - reaching into the soulworld she offered the Elements to the divines. "Save them from their fates," she asked of them, and the many faceless spectres looked back at her with knowing. "Will we will make an exchange," they spoke all at once, "We will take their Element, if they take a Clan." She nodded in acceptance, picking the cubs up one by one from the rocky plain. The terms were agreeable. The terms meant Life. "As you say," she promised, "Let it be so." In that moment the Raveen Cubs were given a new life. Their Elements, and their hazardous mutations, were taken away. Their colouring changed, morphing to fit the world they now belonged to. No longer were they wholly Raveen. They were Clan now. But being Clan meant they belonged to Clan. And as she looked over the cubs she noticed they had each taken on characteristics of different Clans. None of them would grow up knowing one another. It was a price, but a small one. |
| They were given to the Clans they had been chosen for, left to the Zethns to raise and watch over. Some were raised as Kin, others as curiosities to be kept safe. They were aware of others like them - not Zethn, but Other - although they had no contact with them. For as long as they were on Korakua, they were strangers to the other WoRs. Zethn Clans on Korakua were highly territorial, and respected the boundaries of other Clans. Never did they wander into the territories of others, and they only hunted the prey animals found within their own borders. It was how they kept the peace in a world that had once known great war. Korakua was a tropical world, filled with lush coastal regions and thick interior forests. There were only a few areas where the land was barren, and fewer where the land was lost to decay. There were old shrines nestled away in hidden corners, the only remaining remnants of the Raveens that came in The Before. The stories behind them changed many times, and many more times depending on who told their tales. Chosen Clans Covedweller - Claiming their territory as the eastern isles, Covedwellers are proficient aqua Zethns that can thrive both above and below the depths. They own all hunting rights to the fish of the eastern coast. Efficient killers, Covedwellers are heralded as masters of the art. Usually peaceful, with a taste for collecting things, but quick to attack if threatened. Identifiable by their burgundy hues and wing-like fins. Ashrunner - The white dragons of the southern plains, the Ashrunners lived in territory that was most exposed to sunlight. Always warm, and often untouched by changing seasons, the southern plains were bountiful in strong prey and easily burned woodland areas. It was not unusual for Ashrunners to start fires for no reason at all, often delighting in the display. White scales, with charred spikes along their backs, made them easily identified by others. Stormspinner - A nocturnal Clan, Stormspinners called the central mountains their home, and were rarely seen by those outside their Clan. Gifted with an affinity for storms, they often chased the stormclouds of Korakua, for the storms at night belonged to them. Usually of calm mind, Stormspinners only seemed to fully wake at the sight and presence of changing weather. Stormspinners ranged from dark to pale blue hues, and had colourful feathers growing on their bodies. Cliffdancer - Although hearing the name may lead one to believe this particular Clan is peaceful and elegant, the opposite is true. Cliffdancers are named such because they're a wingless Clan, but somehow able to climb up mountains and vertical surfaces with ease. They're often gruff in attitude, preferring strength over politics, and let their physicality speak for them. Often red to dark brown in colouring, with rock-like scales on their bodies that make them easily stand out from other Clans. They claim the northern mountains as their territory. Poisoneater - Sticking to the western badlands, Poisoneaters are regarded as unusual by most Clan standards. Surviving off decayed land, and letting fungus grow upon their bodies, they were sometimes called "Graveeaters". Flightless, and bound to the ground, Poisoneaters remained in their lands. Light green hues made up their colourations. There were countless Clans on Korakua, but only those that raised one of the WoRs would be known to them. Spoken of in whispers, for they too had taken in one of the relics. Shortly after being taken in by Clan, the WoRs were visited once more by the Starmender that found them. She gave them each a gift; a Soulecho, a small Zethn that only those blessed by a Starmender is given. These dwarf dragons were not like their larger counterparts; not only in stature, but in their sentience as well. Unable to speak, they were more akin to intelligent pets than anything. But the WoRs had an unique connection with their Soulecho. For when their Element was exchanged, it was the Soulecho who took on their lost colouring, and preserved it. Each WoR shares a soulbond with their Echo, so they can always sense the whereabouts and health of their bonded. They can also communicate in empathic ways, although words and learning still seem beyond them. *These WoRs not only lost their Element in the exchange, but also lost their IriKan. However, during times of great distress, their Echo begins to react to rising threat levels by gaining Elemental attributes. This may lead one to believe the Echo harbours a piece of the IriKan, although not fully awakened. *The Starmender has no name, as the only one of her kind on Korakua, she had no need of one. |
| "Five years after finding a home on Korakua, they disappeared as mysteriously as they had appeared. Taking themselves, and their Echoes, with them." |