Chantha's Blue Vurraeth

A Sprinkle of Seasoning Egg

Departing from a traditional oval shape, this egg is rather lumpen in appearance, almost seeming to have 'sides.' From afar, the shell has an unrelieved, even look, its color a flat shade of bright white. But when one moves near, the smooth image transitions into something akin to a rough granularity -- multitudes of tiny, clearish-white cubic bits liberally peppering the egg's surface. A stray, dull glint or two can be observed to twinkle here and there when the light is just right.

Egg Inspiration: Salt (also known as halite or sodium chloride) is mined in many places, and is a staple seasoning condiment and addition to many recipies. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Halite_crystal.jpg)

Hatching Message: There’s an expectant shudder, and then A Sprinkling of Seasoning Egg finally splits nearly in two, along the hairline crack down its middle. There’s no hesitation whatsoever-- the lithe, slightly mottled blue dragon inside steps eagerly into the world, not even noticing the small bits of shell still stuck to his hide. So /this/ is the world outside of the egg. This is freedom!

Refined Riverbend Blue

Tropical waters carry grayed silt over the hide of this graceful, lithe blue. There are no rough edges to him, fluid regality in both figure and demeanor calling to mind a river's flow. Eddies of tawny silver run down his refined neck and tail, pooling dark and shadowed along his slender belly and lending a shimmer of dust to soften his jungle-dark hide. A lengthy, flexible back sports mottles of variegated lapis and gray, uneven spots and rings reminiscent of feline markings and rippling water. Low, stealthy neckridges of satin twilight patter down his spine and broad wings bear rich azure spars and paper-thin sails of velvet slate. The easy flex of defined muscles and the gentle care of his nimble, jewel-toned paws grant him uncanny lightness of step and silence of movement. There is a knowing look to his features: prominent headknobs add nobility to his finely-boned snout and rounded chin. Wide, determined eyes whirl with confidence and a dash of cunning.

Final Size: 24.4

Dragon Inspiration:Vurraeth is based on Bagheera, the black panther from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Born in captivity, he fought his way to freedom and later helps a pack of wolves in raising the human child Mowgli. He is a mentor and a father figure to Mowgli, as well as his companion on many of his adventures. He has seen and done it all, and has an understanding of the dangers in the world, which are embodied in the tiger Shere Kahn. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagheera)

Vurraeth’s description is based on a jungle river, which is where Mowgli was found. In the Disney version, Bagheera is the one to find him there.

Name: Vurraeth - Vurraeth comes from the Sanskrit word 'ayurvedah', which means "knowledge of life", a goal integral to Vurraeth's appetite for living. We also attempted to give his name the purring sound that you requested and which suits his inspiration so well.

Mindvoice: Vurraeth’s voice is a deep, masculine, slightly raspy purr. When he speaks, it is always with complete certainty and the sights and sounds of a lush tropical jungle. Every new experience brings the sway of breezes and the brilliant flashes of golden sunlight to his rainforest mind. Rarely, if ever, is there doubt in his resonant voice, but if it sneaks in, it’d be apparent by the echoes of scattered avian calls barely heard behind his strong tones. He’s likely to give advice often, and even when not doing so, there might be a tone of such to his words. Even an innocuous comment such as << That brown’s rider seems nice. >> might have undertones of << You should spend time with him more often. >> There is nearly always depth of meaning to what he says, and it’s reflected in the deep bass of his voice.

Internal Impression Message: Your head pounds with the most intense ache you’ve ever experienced, and your vision swims. For a moment, you count doubles of the candidates nearest you, and of the hatchlings, but gradually they parse the split forms into one. But wait -- something is off -- Is the heat of the hatching sands causing you to see mirages? There seems to be a river running towards you-- but no, it’s a dragon, a lithe, elegant blue. << There you are. >> The voice that has slunk in and nearly whispers in your head is deep and confident, although it is edged with softness like a purr. He speaks as if he has known you forever, had only simply misplaced you for a second. << I have found you, Chantha. I am Vurraeth, and you will never be alone. >> There is not a trace of doubt in his words. << But I hunger. Now we should go find some food… together. >>

External Impression Message: Refined Riverbend Blue is hunting among those in white robes, though from watching him, it isn’t clear if he knows just what it is he’s looking for. Then he stops, suddenly, in front of a tanned girl with wide green eyes. Of course. He should have known it was she, all along.

Temperament

Weyrling:

This dragon seamlessly melds adventure and caution, the two inextricably connected in his mind. This duality will shape much of your relationship with him, as Vurraeth views life as an opportunity to glean understanding through experiences, so every encouragement comes with caution, every caution, with encouragement. From the beginning, he will be extremely protective, finding a wide range of reasons to advise you—from warning you against burning your tongue on hot klah to trying to prevent a broken heart. Simultaneously, most experiences, once weighed, spark his intense curiosity. << I believe between is inherently dangerous, but I cannot imagine such emptiness. We must try it for ourselves. >>

Vurraeth is quick to find his footing, skipping the awkward stages of growth and moving with grace even when he’s just emerged from his shell. When he stumbles, he carries himself with quiet self-assurance and a touch of denial of anything so unbecoming. This denial might crop up also in mischief –he may sleep on a clutchmates’ oil paddle and refuse to admit it even when the handle is visible.

Flying, from the first time he leaves the ground, will be a joy, a necessity, as elemental as breathing, and in the air, he will shine as he darts and whirls with lightning reflexes. A part of him will always fear the possibility of captivity—perhaps memories of time spent within an egg. Flying is the antidote to that fear, and throughout his life, he will do it with a passion.

He will be a natural hunter, as his restrained aggression is unleashed against some hapless herdbeast, so you will not be butchering carcasses for long. You might also find him stalking a beast, attacking and releasing only to attack again a moment later – and when it’s done he’ll lift his dignified chin and say << I certainly do not play with my food. >> He enjoys it so much, though, that you’ll likely hear a chuckle somewhere behind his claim.

Adult:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same…
     -Rudyard Kipling's “If”

For many pairs, the relationship between dragon and rider is more give-and-take, but to Vurraeth, you, his rider, are the focus of his world; he is a far second. He lives to expand your horizons and to remind you that even in failures there is something to be learned, something positive and important that comes from it. No matter the situation, he will always be by your side, encouraging you to live, to dream, and to take on all that life has to offer.

As he grows older, his outlook on the world will deepen and mature. Whereas before, he guided you with wisdom that only /seemed/ to come from experience, now that he’s lived a bit he will discover just which of those dangers are worth protecting you from. He will eventually stop treating you like a breakable glass figurine, the way he might have when you were weyrlings, and he’ll accept your resilience at last. It is only the truest dangers of the world-- Thread, the possibility of loss — that remind him how trivial so many other dangers really are.

With this realization, he will be more willing to take risks that could put you in harm’s way. And you will have adventures—oh, you will have adventures! He will be happy to do and try new things—visit a place you’ve never been, maybe, whether that’s ‘Reaches or a hard-to-get-to stretch of Istan beach. He may love to watch and try to sort out anything he doesn’t understand and your slightest curiosity may have him urging you to give it the hands-on experience he cannot.

Flight:

Vurraeth’s hunter’s grace and determination persists when he sets his sights on that alluring, glowing green--and he must chase. His desires are secondary to the thrill of the pursuit itself, instinct often pulling him before he even realizes just who has risen. Chasing is an excuse to show just how skilled he is on wing. He knows just how good he is in the air, and sometimes, this may end up being his downfall. He may be able to execute acrobatic stunts that some of the other dragons can't, but if he gets carried away showing off his abilities, it just might be that more stolid brown that takes home the prize. Help him learn to control his hubris, and he'll better use his talents to his advantage. Eventually, he'll be able to learn to pull such impressive stunts only when needed-- swooping in at an odd angle to twine necks with that pretty green, but resisting showing off until such tricks are necessary.

He will likely take to the skies as often as he has the chance, and a loss for him is less of a blow than it might be to some dragons—the exhilaration of that fast-clipped flight will stay with him even afterwards, and help to alleviate his frustration. And anyway, he knows there will always be a next time.

Wing:

As a smaller-sized blue, Vurraeth has abilities that lend themselves well to a fighting dragon. His grace and fluidity, paired with his love of flying, make him an ideal fighting dragon and an asset to any wing. Just as life in the jungle is a survival competition, Vurraeth has a similar understanding of his fight against thread. It's a match of wits, of skill against something mindless, yet so destructive. To survive in the jungle, you have to be the fastest, quickest, most agile; and so Vurraeth will become, teaching himself daredevil maneuvers and agile dives and turns that will always keep him one step ahead. His talent for hunting is likely to make an appearance in the skies—when the time comes for him to fight, he will seek thread out and flame it with single-minded determination.

As your faithful protector, whatever the two of you do together is not an accomplishment on his behalf, but rather, he is proud because it is something /you /have done. He will likely push you to do and be your best—which could mean being the best fighting dragonpair that you can be, or even encouraging you to take a leadership position in your wing. Whatever your successes, his own participation in achieving them will be downplayed—what’s important to him is that /you/ have done so.

Credits:

Egg: V'ryce
Description: Noemie and Griere
Temper: Noemie, Tegara and Griere
Puppeteer: Noemie