Rynnion

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• Description

  Natural Form

  Glossless dark-green scales covered the bare form of this dragon from head to talon, seeming to absorb more light than they reflect. Only the leathery membranes between the fingers of her wings could be considered lightly-colored, and even they would appear more shadowy than tan out of direct sunlight. To most creatures, her gender was indeterminable until the dragoness spoke; not many among mortal kind had spent enough time amongst the rare beasts to recognize the subtle differences in crown, shoulder, and chin that marked a dragon as male or female. The dragoness had little use for ornamentation on her four-pawed form: wings, claws, s-curved horns were only ornamentation outside the sea of scales she wore.
  
  At first glance her every movement was calm and conservative, though that did little to make the beast seem more approachable. Whether moving past another creature or being passed herself, her eyes stayed locked in silent judgment, her stride or seated stance shifting to posture her shoulders towards the object of her attention; despite the efforts she took to appear relaxed, her motions were that of a feral beast, prepared to attack or flee from whatever creatures held her attention at that moment.

  Human Form

  Brown tunic, grey leggings, and tan wraps about the wrists and feet: every article covering the human female was frayed, mismatched, and bland, patched and held together by twine and string. The muted tones of the fabric, along with her dark skin and black hair, would have left her entire form colorless if not for her eyes, glistening with a dark green.
  
  From her tattered clothing and unkempt hair, to the bare heels and toes to dirt-smudged face, nearly every aspect of her appearance gave the impression of a vagrant. Indeed, the only hint that she was anything but a beggar were the twin daggers pommels protruding from into the sash at her waist, painted a dull black to avoid sparkling in the sunlight. Even those had the curious habit of diverting the eye, to the point that most creatures would not notice they existed. Without notice of the weapons, only her bearing hinted that she might be anything more than a common peasant; she stood and walked with more confidence than an urchin of the street should have.

• Basic Info

  • Name: Rynnion
  • Gender: Female
  • Played by: Morhe
  • Race: Dragon (Western Form)
  • Age: 224
  • Age (Relative): 33
  • Weight: 324 lb
  • Height (Shoulder): 4'11"
  • Height (Crown): 6'10"
  • Length (Seated): 5'8"
  • Length (Full): 10'6"
  • Wingspan: 9'7"
  • Scales: Green
  • Nature: Cautious
  • Demeanor: Cold
  • Motivation: Pride

• Setting and Species

  To save myself some trouble of having to retype things, this section will be used to store information about the setting Rynnion is originally from. Don't bother reading a section unless it's needed for a roleplay; I intend to add more information as things come up, so it may become somewhat encyclopedic after a while. Additionally, keep in mind that your character should not necessarily know this information; i.e., it doesn't make sense for your character to know all the subtle nuances and caveats of Intent Filter based charming spells unless they're a spellcaster themselves.
  
  

  Dragons

  Color

  Dragons in Rynnion's setting are not born into a particular scale color. Rather, the color of their hide represents their general philosophy and alignment. Hatchlings are almost always born red, and gradually blend towards their true color as they grow into their personal identities. It is possible for a dragon's color to change if their alignment changes, even after reaching adulthood, though this is rare and becomes less likely as a dragon ages.
  
  From most "Evil" to most "Good," the possible colors are Black, Gray, Green, Red, Blue, Yellow, and White, with some highly rare circumstances in which neighboring colors mix (never the product of the two colors; they will be one primary color with patches or speckles of another.) The further towards Black a dragon's scales are, the less light they reflect and the less sheen their scales have, with the opposite being true as colors approach white. As such, the scale colors are sometimes referred to as "Midnight," "Shadow," "Forest," "Rust," "Sapphire," "Gold," and "Silver" dragons, respectively.
  
  Note: There is no representation of Chaotic vs. Lawful in dragon scale color. A dragon of any scale color may be chaotic, lawful, or neutral, or any shade in-between, and there's no reliable way of knowing which they will be without interacting with them. It is also important to note that although the colors are described in terms of "Good" and "Evil," the scale really only represents how much a dragon is focused on their own needs versus those around them. Whether the scale is truly a measure of good and evil or simply "self-centric vs. empathetic" depends largely on which dragon you ask.
  
  Black (Midnight): Narcissistic Evil
  Black dragons represent pure, narcissistic evil. They care only for themselves, and will do anything within their power to get what they want regardless of the cost to others. Note that this does not necessarily imply that they are prone to betrayal. Many black dragons are even more reliable than other flavors of "Evil" dragons, if only because they recognize that betrayal is "bad for business" and has a way of making it more difficult for them to get what they want in the long run; being a creature with a potential lifespan measured in centuries, the long run is all that counts.
  
  Gray (Shadow): Cynical Evil
  Gray dragons are "Evil" for very simple reasons; because being nice doesn't seem likely to get them anywhere in a world where most other creatures would kill them simply because their species is feared. As with all of the darker colors, gray dragons would call themselves "realistic" rather than evil. They are cynical and uncaring, and in many ways the most dangerous color to an outsider or even another dragon, since they generally lack the black dragons' willingness to compromise to get what they want.
  
  Green (Forest): Survivalist Evil
  Green dragons represent uncompromising survivalism. This does not necessarily mean that a green dragon is concerned only for themselves; in their case, "survival" may be the preservation of themselves, their species, someone they care deeply about, or even an ideal they have sworn to uphold. While technically a neutral alignment, green dragons often associate with, and are often counted as one of the darker scale colors, due to their tendency to act without mercy or remorse in order to protect themselves or their kind.
  
  Red (Rust): Neutral Wanderer
  Red dragons are often called "wild" dragons (not to be confused with "feral") due to the fact that they are the only color that commonly lives without a full brood of their own kind. Red dragons rarely place themselves on either side of a conflict, doing so only when it is necessary to protect themselves, their families, or their homes. Though they generally live in smaller, single-family groups of dragons or secretly integrated into human societies, it is not uncommon for them to work for a larger brood, even if only temporarily. Red dragons are considered by humans to be the most dangerous of the colors, due to the fact that it is very difficult to determine where their loyalties lie as well as the fact that they are far more likely to interact with humans than any other color.
  
  Blue (Sapphire): Optimistic Good
  Blue dragons represent optimism and self-control. Like green dragons, they are technically a neutral alignment even though they are often instead counted with the lighter scale colors. They side with "Good" not because of morals or obligation, but because they believe it is the easiest and most effective route to comfort and stability for themselves and others: in short, "because Good makes sense." Unlike many of the lighter colors, blue dragons are more than willing to get their claws dirty and won't hesitate to attack any creature that threatens their life, though that does not mean they won't attempt reason when they aren't in immediate danger.
  
  Yellow (Gold): Idealistic Good
  Yellow dragons are the most idealistic of the colors. As one of the "Good" alignments, they side with the silver scales largely because they would not feel happy with themselves if they did not; unlike blue and silver dragons, they are not content to let evil happen without interfering. Often times this is a source of unnecessary conflict for them, due to their inability to resist meddling in affairs that do not concern them.
  
  White (Silver): Paragon
  White is the "paragon" color of dragons. White dragons seek to do what they believe is right regardless of the cost to themselves, and as a result are generally the most self-sacrificial color. A white dragon will almost never engage in conflict, and usually will only do so to protect someone other than themselves. They are slow to anger, but by far the most determined of enemies if provoked.

  Magic

  Mechanics and Behaior

  Auras

  Will and Domain
  In Rynnion's setting, magic is a type of energy that can be found nearly anywhere on the planet (akin to "background radiation"), but which has a tendency to coalesce around living things. This natural hotspot of magical energy surrounding a creature is colloquially known as that creature's "Aura." As a general rule, the more intelligent a creature is, the stronger their aura will be. Creatures who are well-practiced in the art of shaping and casting magic tend to have stronger auras as well, especially if they have trained their minds to more readily draw magical energy from their environment.
  
  Within any particular creature's aura, their word is law... at least where magic is concerned. No magic can take place within that space, unless the creature either allows it or wills it themselves. More intelligent creatures may sometimes pick and choose whether or not to resist a spell based on how trusting they of the spell's source, but all creatures naturally resist any spell that enters their aura if they aren't aware of the spell or its source. The aura is also where spells begin, as a caster must use the energy in their own aura to shape a new spell.
  
  Magic Sight
  In order for a creature to be capable of performing magic they must first be able to sense it, since without the ability to sense magic it would be impossible for them to properly shape their aura into a spell.
  
  Although this ability is often referred to as "magic sight," a more technically correct definition of it would be "an awareness of the locations and shapes of magical energy concentrations throughout local physical space." Most creatures' minds tend to interpret this sense of space as a second form of sight, since sight is the only primary sense most creatures possess for which their mind's-eye's interpretation is one of three-dimensional space. A sightless creature that relies on touch would likely refer to it as "feeling magic," a creature that relies heavily on echolocation to judge the shape and distance of objects might think of it as "magic's sound," etc.
  
  Magic sight is technically a spell in its own right, specifically the first spell that any user of magic can ever learn. Magic sight is easiest to learn at a young age, while the brain is still developing and in a state that is well-adapted to assimilating new languages. For most creatures, failing to learn this sense before adulthood means that they will never be able to perform magic themselves, and many species of mythic creatures will instruct their young in its usage at a very early age for this reason, as it will enable them to use basic spells later in life even if they are not particularly gifted in magic.
  
  The most untrained of creatures generally can't "see" far past their own aura with this sense, but with practice their range of "vision" improves. In extreme cases, creatures with purely magical professions like magi and enchanters can spend so much time in this sense that it becomes second nature to them, to the point where it may take a conscious effort to switch back to regular sight.
  
  Spellcraft: Intention and Shaping
  Before a spell can be cast, energy must be drawn from the caster's aura, given the spell's intention, and shaped into a useful form. Often times, the shape of the spell will be even more important to defining what sort of spell it becomes than the intention behind it. For instance, one might imbue a spell with the intention "impart kinetic energy," shape it into a long, broad air current, and use that to bring a needed object to them from across the room without getting up. That same intention, when shaped into an intense arc of energy and directed at an opponent, could break bones, crush lungs, or throw a victim against a wall.
  
  As a result, the ability to interpret the shape of another caster's spell is a crucial skill for magi; if another mage is focusing magic into a narrow, highly-focused line of energy, it's reasonable to assume that they intend to use that line to pierce someone else's aura. Although the shape of a spell alone doesn't reveal the effect it will have on its victim, it does reveal its delivery mechanism, which can be a very strong clue as to the intention it is imbued with.

  Colors of Magic

  In Rynnion's setting, "Magic" subdivides into four basic categories. Despite the naming convention, the colors do not actually represent the spell's place on the scale of good or evil, and are instead indications of the fundamental way in which the spell interacts with auras. Despite this, black magic does indeed tend to be more useful for hostile purposes than white magic, and vise versa.
  
  White Magic
  White magic is any magic that operates on or through a willing aura. Most protective magic falls within this category, as do all spells cast on oneself by definition. White magic can be used to strengthen, protect, and heal, as well as manipulate and manage magical energy for use in other spells. Despite this, it can be the most dangerous color of magic to master, as it deals with direct uses of one's own aura, making it easy for a novice mage to overtax and potentially harm themselves.
  
  Certain lesser known and diabolical "betrayal" spells exist that would technically be considered white magic, since they use the target's trust to circumvent their resistance, and thus the victim's aura is willing despite the fact that the spell itself is hostile. Additionally, most illusions are classified as white magic, since they function by allowing their victims see what they want to see.
  
  Black Magic
  On the opposite end of the spectrum, black magic is any spell that forcibly overpowers an actively-resisting aura in order to execute an effect on its target. The archetypical example of this is the "Strike" class of spell, which simply bores through an enemy's sphere of influence in order to apply force, fire, or some other undesirable effect, but the school also sees use in other, less-dramatic applications as well. Many medical applications for magic are considered black magic, for instance, because an unconscious or otherwise unaware patient is resistant to outside magic merely by instinct.
  
  Red Magic
  Red magic is unique in the sense that it doesn't involve auras at all. A spell is considered red magic when it never interacts with a living aura, be it intelligent or animal. This includes the manipulation of physical objects, as well as certain "convenience" spells, such as those that provide light. In combat, red magic is used primarily to gain a tactical advantage over opponents by controlling the environment in one's favor, though it can be used in a direct fashion as well: contrast to a black "Fire Strike" designed to breach a target's resistance and then set them on fire, a red magic "Fire Bolt" would simply construct a ball of fire, and then hurl it at the enemy. Consequently, magical resistance does not offer protection from red magic; instead, red spells are avoided via taking cover or simply getting out of the way.
  
  Binding Magic
  The fourth category of magic falls outside the rules of the other three, by neither altering a living aura nor avoiding auras entirely. Binding is a class of magic that includes any spell to assign an aura to an object that otherwise would not have one. In its most common form, this is used to store spells in objects for later use, such as a mage binding a spell to a particular page of their spellbook. It can also be used to grant a spell's properties to the object itself, such as an enchanter imbuing searing heat or a sharper edge to a sword. The more"unique" an object is, the more susceptible it is to enchantment, with objects such as gemstones or hand-crafted trinkets and weapons being highly enchantable, and common or factory-produced items being all but worthless for the purpose of binding.
  
  Because this process effectively grants a will to otherwise inanimate objects, binding is known to cause objects to "develop a mind of their own" or "come to life" in a sense. In mild cases, binding results in behavior such as a wizard's staff only behaving properly for persons it "knows." In more extreme cases, this property is used to construct artificial creatures, such as golems and phoenixes.

  Common Spells

  Fade

  One of the more subtle uses of binding magic, Fades are a class of simple enchantment designed to distract the senses from whatever object they are applied to, causing them to "hide in plain sight," in a manner of speaking.
  
  Effects
  "Faded" objects have an unusual effect on observers. While they do not cease to reflect light, and still produce sound when dropped or moved, observers tend to quickly forget about these stimuli. A thief rummaging through a box might pick up a priceless (but faded) gemstone and simply set it to one side to continue their search without realizing its value, a guard might overlook a faded dagger when searching a prisoner for weapons, and so on
  
  Because fades work by preventing a person from becoming aware that an object exists, they do not hide objects from persons who are already aware that the object exists. This is often viewed as a useful feature rather than a weakness, as it means the owner of the object will still be able to find it when they need it.
  
  Larger items are more difficult to fade than smaller items, due to what is known as the "eclipse effect;" the more objects that are obscured behind the faded item, the more likely one is to become suspicious and take a closer look. The more perceptive a searching creature is, the lower the threshold of size for the eclipse effect, though not all fades are created equal; a sufficiently skilled mage might be capable of fading much larger objects than one might expect.
  
  Because fades rely on binding magic, they cannot be used on living creatures, though when applied to the right object they can certainly help one "disappear" regardless; a cloak or camouflaged covering could be significantly enhanced by being faded. Note that because fades do not constitute true invisibility and motion naturally attracts the eye, fades will not hide a moving object, or the person said object is obscuring. Consequently, drawing a faded weapon will also make the weapon visible to anyone who notices the motion. Note that "motion" in this context represents an object moving in relation to its background or "parent object;" a sword or dagger worn as part of a person's outfit or equipment won't be revealed simply because the person wearing them moves, because that motion draws the eye to the person as a whole, not necessarily individual objects they are wearing.
  
  Caveats
  In many mythic communities, fades are outlawed as illegal enchantments, due to their potential for abuse when applied to weapons and/or added to objects with other, dangerous magical effects.
  
  Like any enchantment, fades respond to spells designed to detect magic. Ironically, faded items are easier to locate than unenchanted items when revealed this way. Their tendency to distract the eye does offer some form of protection from this, though only in the sense that a mage would have no reason to cast a magic reveal if they don't notice the potentially-enchanted item.
  
  Once a faded item is forgotten or moved from the place where it was left, it is very difficult to locate, even for the item's owner. Spells that reveal magic are particularly useful for finding a misplaced fade, though the best option is still to simply remember where you've put things.

  Index

  Intent Charm

  The most common form of mind control in Rynnion's setting is a charm type spell called an "Intent Filter." Relatively simple and elegant, Intent Filters have two targets (a victim and a focus), and in actuality only do one thing; prevent the victim from completing any action in which the victim has hostile intentions for the focus.
  
  Note: Throughout this explanation, "Victim" and "Focus" are used loosely to represent the two respective targets of the spell, and don't necessarily imply victimization or control.
  
  Preparation and Casting
  Preparing an intent-based charm is a slow process compared to most spells, taking somewhere from ten to fifteen seconds to complete. Characters with the ability to detect magic can sense power being drawn to the caster, and those with second sight or the ability to see magic would be able to see the individual parts of the spell as they are formed. (Descriptively, this appears as a series of glowing hook shapes being formed one at a time, with intensity and number depending on how much force is needed to overpower the intended target.) Characters with neither would not be able to detect the spells preparation at all, though the focus and concentration of shaping the spell might be noticeable on the face of less subtle casters. In all cases except second sight/magic vision, exactly what spell is being prepared would be guesswork at best.
  
  Once cast, the spell latches onto it's intended target in an intermediate state that echoes the caster's commands. In this state, the caster must root the spell into the target's psyche by issuing a command of ownership, traditionally the phrase, "You belong to me; you are mine." If the target is able to resist the spell, they will deny this command. Otherwise, they will respond with an admission of defeat, traditionally the phrase "I am yours." At this point, the target becomes the spell's victim, and the caster becomes the spells focus.
  
  Effects
  The Intent Filter's advantage over more direct domination spells is that intentions cover a much wider variety of actions; not only does it prevent the victim from attacking the focus, it also stops them from knowingly attacking anyone close to them in order to harm them indirectly. Even killing a guard or other unrelated person is prevented in most cases, since the victim obviously intends to cause trouble for their "owner" in doing so.
  
  While the spell doesn't directly compel its victim to follow orders, it does prevent them from taking any action other than speak until they do so. The victim may try to convince the focus to rescind the command, but ultimately they have no choice to comply if their "owner" remains instant. Under this effect, previously protected persons are vulnerable even if they otherwise would not be; even the focus themselves can be harmed if they order the victim to do so.
  
  Caveats
  There are two minor caveats to using an Intent Filter over a traditional mind control spell.
  
  The first and most important caveat, given the nature of the spell, is that Intent Filters cannot prevent the victim from completing actions out of genuinely good intentions, unless that action contradicts a standing order. This is particularly dangerous if there are misunderstandings between victim and focus, such as a situation where the victim is ordered to protect the focus, and incorrectly perceives someone as attacking the focus.
  
  The second caveat is that, while in the frozen state following a command, a victim with sufficient willpower and motivation may resist the command and disobey. This is rare, difficult, and in most cases leaves the victim mentally exhausted and unable to resist additional commands. When used against older, more strong-willed creatures such as dragons, the spell is generally reinforced after its initial casting in order to negate this possibility.
  
  Breaking and Transfer
  The focus can transfer control over the spell to a new focus by simply ordering the victim to belong to someone else. All standing orders expire, and control over the spell passes to the new focus. The original focus cannot reverse this process; the only way to regain control over the victim is to have the new focus repeat this process in reverse.
  
  While permanent, Intent Filters dissipate under three different circumstances. Because the spell requires both a victim and a focus, it will break if the focus orders the victim to be released, or if either the victim or the current focus of the spell is killed. Additionally, ordering the victim to harm themselves causes a sort of "willpower feedback loop" that may or may not cause the spell to collapse.
  
  What level of harm is required to trigger this effect depends on the willpower of the victim and their tolerance for harm, so more harmful orders are more likely to break the spell. Minor actions have little or no chance of allowing the spell to break, more severe harm is more likely to do so, and permanent harm has a high chance of generating willpower feedback. It is generally accepted that it is impossible to use an Intent Filter to order someone to kill themselves. Note that what constitutes "harm" is highly dependent on the perception of the victim, not the focus.

  Mindsend

  Strike

• Author's Notes

  -Rynnion's magical talent is fairly limited compared to most dragons; she's a bit of a "grunt" in that regard. She learned what she needed to get by, but prefers to rely on her guile and persuasion, or her reflexes and determination should combat become necessary.
  
  -Rynnion is not a "nice" character. She is racist (towards non-mythic species), manipulative, distrusting, and blunt. Please don't take her behavior towards your characters as a reflection of my attitude towards you as an author.