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As if water had been given solid shape and form, the glistening iridescent hue of midnight-blue flows in a torrent over the muscular well-proportioned form of this newborn hatchling. From a slim, dished muzzle that curves boldly out to a broad forehead crowned with knobbly headknobs, the same dark-toned blue shadows cloak his entire being, smooth silky-soft dragon hide dyed with the pigment of electrum and midnight. Dappled midnight and ebony shadows upon blue dance along the curve of the long sinuous neck, that melds gracefully down to firm, strongly muscled shoulders before trickling along lean, smoothly curved hindquarters, and streaking down the long whiplike tail. Twilight and midnight blue deepen the contrast against his throat and underbelly. His long wings, angular rather than broad, are tinted a paler electrum and midnight, so light a hue to add to the illusion of near-transluscence. Against the darker hue of his base coloration, opalescence can be found in the veins of pale quicksilver that streak across his hide; as if ipples of water were flowing downwards along the entire length of his body. Bright talons, sharp and gleaming pale gold complete his apperance; contrasted against the deep blue shadows that be seems to resemble.
Egg Name and Description
Tree of Golden Delicious Immortality Egg
Soft muted colors of garden-green and endless sky-blue enfold rounded curves of this egg; a panorama of emerald, moss and ivy green tones that blur and blend together in an earthly display of verdancy along the lower half of the egg whilst from there, hues of aquamarine and azure reach up towards the upper curves of the shell, almost seeming to disappear into a great vastness of endless blue. Darker streaks of shadowed pine and ebony-touched sage weave and intertwine amongst the lighter shades of green, spots of tangerine-orange, pansy-purple and rosy-pink hints at a spectacle of pastoral peacefulness in a country garden. And there, centermost and overlapping both verdant ground and open sky, snarls of ceder and mahogany reach upwards, tipped with flecks of leafy-green, and laden with spheres of brightest gold fruit.
Hatching Message
The friction of eggshell against sand creates a rustling sound as the Tree of Golden Delicious Immortality Egg rocks back and forth in its mound of sand, a rapid staccato sound heard as the dragonet within the shell knocks frantically against its confining enclosure, seeking release.
Tree of Golden Delicious Immortality Egg rocks sharply upright, tilted along its long axis for a moment, as two large pieces of shell fall away, flakes falling to the sands to lie forgotten, and an infant dragon breathes its first scent of life in the outside world.
With its first breath of life, the hatchling renews its relentless struggle to escape the egg, and Tree of Golden Delicious Immortality Egg topples sideways, a loud crack echoing in the vast chamber, and the egg splits neatly into halves, the hatchling within oozing out onto the sands — like liquid poured from a jar — smooth and flowing, lying along the sands, utterly limp as he rests briefly from his efforts. And then, he rises slowly to his feet, seeking out his chosen one, and that promise of food to ease his hunger pangs.
Impression Message
If anything, the acoustics of humming dragons, cracking eggs, and shouts from spectators and fellow Candidates alike must surely be promising quite the headache. Combined with the heat, no doubt you're feeling tired, sweaty and uncomfortable. But then, a sensation brushes across your mind, cooling and soothing like a dipperful of the sweetest spring water you can ever imagine tasting, and a presence makes itself known within your thoughts, even as a dragonet that seems made of water appears before you; the Quicksilver and Midnight Water Blue Hatchling looking up at you with a pathetic meep of hunger. « Yes! » comes the voice, crisp and cool, « Yes, Conchetta! I offer you love. But first, you must feed your Aeskath. I am so very hungry! »
Personality
Aeskath is, even from hatching, somewhat set apart from his fellow dragons. Oh, he's a dragon, he knows that, you'd never catch him thinking he was a feline or a runner or anything so completely different from him that it seems alien. It's just that he's not quite like other dragons; he knows he has wings and a tail like any other dragon, and physically he's not any different from them — save perhaps for a slightly larger size for a blue. Furthermore, his slight apathy towards his kith and kin doesn't mean he's snobby, far from it. He's well aware of the fact that he's a dragon, and a blue nonetheless, and he's comfortable with that, he knows where he stands in the world. Should other dragons greet him, or respond to him, he will reply back, although he might not always correspond with other dragons, depending on who's speaking to him. You might say he has taste, and endlessly happy bubbly dragons or broody melancholy dragons aren't necessarily high on his personality list. Aeskath prefers a select company, and you will learn, that in only one way does he resemble a feline. For like a feline, he chooses to grace that select company of his friends with his presence, and with his infrequent commentary.
Growing up, you will find that Aeskath likes to have everything just so. He's extraordinarily tidy, and you will soon learn, he likes to trick you into snatching at the first bite of meat in your bucket before you even put it down. He even will willingly snatch meat out of the air if you toss it to him; anything to hear your laugh. Such tricks however, are childish, and by the time he's hunting for himself, he will likely have outgrown them. You will find however, that one facet of Aeskath's physical growth is that he will almost constantly be itchy as he lengths and grows out to a well-sized blue; larger than most, although he'll never quite tip the record scales as the largest blue ever. He'll keep you hopping to keep him oiled, and always remember to thank youpolitely once he's be attended to.
As Aeskath weathers the passage from adolescense to young adulthood, he will become more interested in the greens; but never fret, because such interest is merely fleeting, and he will always be loyal and loving for you. His affection for greens is simply temporary, and usually only when there's a mating flight going on, although he might find himself drawn to his green clutchsibs as affectionate accquaintances.
Aeskath's comfort with his own self is what will make much of your life together good. He's comfortable being a blue, and you can remind occasionally him that blues can often rise to prominence within the Weyr, but even if such an event never comes to pass, you'll find that Aeskath has no ambitions for himself. After all, what does it matter as long as he has you?
Mindvoice
Crisp, Fruity Taste of Eternity
First contact with Aeskath's mind often leaves you with the impression of a jovial, yet mercucial personality. Although he's somewhat aloof around other dragons, to the point that his mental voice is heard but rarely among his kind, he's optomistic for the most part and given to amusement, — and the desire to make you laugh — possessed of a wit that might almost seem cynical to those unfamiliar to him; dry comments designed to amuse which show the depths of his intelligence and understanding — certainly rare amongst dragons for whom long-term memory seems to be a failing. But not Aeskath, for he prides himself on this fact that sets him slightly apart from his kith and kin, for being different, and yet fully confident in his own personality and conciounce that he doesn't feel uniquely special for it. He is who he is — a blue dragon — and he's comfortable with that.
He favors the seasons, you see, the changes between his cheerful and happy moments, and those times when he is at his most reserved. Moody? No more so than any other living entiry, for Aeskath's definitely not cursed with a dual-personality or anything of that sort. He's just … himself. Given to moments of mirth and happiness, when his mental images are of the abudance of the wet season, with the sweet taste of oasis water and bright blue and green colors that predominate his thoughts. Whereas in his darker moments, when he may be given to brooding silence and cynicsim, he's like the dry season; the gritty feel of dry sand, and blazing hot tones of red and yellow. He doesn't brood for long, as he's never been given to hold a grudge, but neither is he an endlessly happy-spirited dragon. He's Aeskath. And if one were to ask him such a question, that would be his answer. And as you will find in the Turns to come, Aeskath is — as stated before — somewhat aloof towards his fellow dragons, tolerant of them, but not necessarily fond friends. It is perhaps a measure of the bond between you; that he is part of you as you are part of him, and he compliments you as well as opposes you. Together with you, it almost seems as if there's no other room for anything else in this world. For you see, he offered many things, fame, power, wealth and glory, but it was love that drove him to choose you; and for as long as Aeskath has your love, there's nothing else that matters within the world.
Crisp, Fruity Taste of Eternity awakens, a brief flurry of consciousness stirred into life by the brush of hand against shell, as awareness flares into greater understanding and fueled by a desire to search. Tendrils of thought brush out towards you, sensually sweet and cloying, like too much sweetener, fingerlets of misty thought touching, delving, searching. A hint of promise lingers therein — promises of great glory, of renown and fame. Images flash by, power, glory, wealth and fame, like bursts of light and color, much is offered to you, what would you do, dare you seek this offered prize or, as another hint lingers, dare you see what else might be offered from the being within?
Crisp, Fruity Taste of Eternity offers anew, a promise, a hint. But gone are those brief flashes of power and fame, of wealth and glory. And too fades the cloyingly sweet thoughts, for now there's a crisper taste to them, almost sharp and bitter, but still smooth and silky like slightly-soured cream. Now, you are offered a warrior's prowess, a flicker of imagery of Renegades vanquished, and a hint of that long-ago time, when Thread threatened Pern, only to be fought back by those dangers dragon-braved. No longer is wealth and power offered, but agility, training, the moves of a warrior. Dare you take this offer, or perhaps is there somewhat more you wish to see?
Crisp, Fruity Taste of Eternity wafts sweet perfume across your thoughts, the scents of spring, when redfruit is in bloom and gentle thoughts of innocence and love are felt. Such offers as before, of power and wealth, or the fame of a great warrior are gone, vanished into the darkness of a void. Now, there are only gentle shades of pastel hues, pinks, violets and blues and greens. Soft, mesmerizing and gentle, they swirl and dance across your mind. Why — the question seems to be more feeling than word — would you choose anything less than love? For there's a far greater prize offered here — greater than wealth and martial skill. A brief flash of draconic vision, offered here with all tenderness and grace. Choose, the mind seems to whisper, choose love, and win a greater gift for you.
Inspiration
The clutch theme for the Winter 2006 clutch at Igen Weyr was "Ancient Treasures" and the Tree of Golden Delicious Immortality Egg was inspired by golden apples. Golden apples in Norse and Greek mythology were said to have been the food of immortality, and kept the gods young. The golden apple that Paris awarded to Aphrodite in return for the love of the most beautiful woman in the world as said to have sparked the cause of the Trojan War, and the Eleventh Labor of Heracles was to fetch the golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides. The dragonet theme for the clutch was "Dragons in Myth, Legend and Fiction" and your Aeskath was inspired by Kashet, Ari's blue dragon from Mercedes Lackey's "Dragon Jousters" trilogy (but we're due for a fourth book eventually.) Aeskath gets his name from Kashet. I'd probably pronounce it "EES-ka-th" but you may of course pronounce it any which way you like. Enjoy!
Credits
| Name | Silver and Midnight Water Blue Aeskath |
| Dam | Gold Isisth |
| Sire | Bronze Albarith |
| Created By | Lonriya |
| Impressee | Chet |
| Hatched | February 11, 2006 |
| Igen Weyr | |
| PernWorld MUSH |