Xanadu Weyr

Smooth and silky caramel swaths this dragon's hide in sumptuous regality. This bold, leonine color starts at the tip of his nose, but as if it has been stretched tight, it is swift to grow palid as it inches towards bright, brilliant eyes. Creamier tones slide across his face, streaked here, freckled there, and one can almost see the colors shift and move as dark, medium and light twist, battle, and slip amongst each other, melting slowly into a rich, heavy loam that enshrouds a thick neck and strong shoulders in a ruff of gilded browns. This play of colors dances along his 'ridges and down stocky, stubby legs. It's these legs that will never match those of his peers, thick like trunks yet their length never amounting to what one would consider 'normal'. Caramel, chocolate and cream twine their way along his hide, spiralling along his sides before climbing like vines up an expansive pair of wings. These sails are what his limbs lack, expanding for what seems like days, billowing out behind him like they could have a mind of their own. Dark espresso can be seen peeking from beneath them as he moves, deep tones warming to rich milk chocolate when light filters through them. Finally there's his twitchy tail, long but solid as the rest of his form. One perhaps might think that this would weigh him down but it seems to bring him a sense of balance, sheer length and flexibility making up for any lack brought on by his body's sure, heavy steps. It is only when one inspects his hide closely does the nearly hidden flecks of pale white cherry blossom make their delicate entrance. Dancing down his spine like a light spring rain, these petal soft shapes start to dwindle half-way down his sides and are gone long before making it to the bottom of his belly.

Egg Name and Description

Embrace the Memories Egg
Soft pinks and reds dapple the shell of this egg, a cascade of variegated rose-petals falling across the smooth curve of white satin that drapes the ovoid surface. The splashes of rosy hue are sparser near the top, but pool in heavy drifts around the base. They've been falling for a while, it seems - long enough to build up before this moment was frozen to catch this vision of air-dancing petals into a single shape. Between broad base and narrow apex, a twisted band of gold encircles the shell, like a ring slid upon it. A silent promise of what may be lies in that embrace that encircles the egg that in turn surrounds its precious occupant who grows - with time - inside that time-frozen shower of pink and red petals.

Hatching Message

Wobble Message
Embrace the Memories Egg twitches. A movement that may have easily been missed in the chaos of the hatching. But then there it goes again! Another twitch, this time powerful enough to cause some of the sand nestled against the side of the shell to slide away. Third time's a charm though and the egg no longer is coy about its movements as jerks viciously and then rolls onto its side a few feet away from where it was.

Crack Message
Embrace the Memories Egg has been there in the sand not doing much of anything for several minutes. Perhaps the occupant took a small catnap or needed to catch its breath. One may never know! A loud pop rings out as one jagged, solitary crack slashes diagonally from one side to the other. It stills for just a brief moment before the whole egg starts to vibrate causing more cracks zigzag across the shell. Bits of shell fall in on the occupant but movement has ceased yet again.

Hatch Message
Embrace the Memories Egg is having a party over here! Once again movement commences and little bits of shell go flying through the air like little pieces of confetti. Like a bomb getting ready to explode this egg shakes and quivers as mini explosions cause bits of shell to either fly up into the air or fall away like shattered pieces of ice. The finale is loud as egg shells burst in every which direction leaving a small hatchling upturned on its back in the wake of the disaster.

Sands Pose #1
We Shall Have Spring Again Brown Hatchling is a cocoon of wings and tail as it just lies there on the sand. It seems to be taking its time but eventually his long thick tail uncoils from the mess of limbs and extra long wings flop uselessly onto the sand. A lazy yawn tugs his little muzzle open before he rolls over into an upright position. For a moment he just stands there before he drops his head and stares at those little appendendages. A first step is taken but unfortunately that was a wing that his foot met with and he slips comically end rolls several feet away. Woooah. He lets out a surprised squawk and then finally turns to stare out onto the sands. What are all these things in white doing? Another step, this time more hesitant takes place, bringing him just a tiny bit closer to the candidates.

Sands Pose #2
We Shall Have Spring Again Brown Hatchling seems to be studying the sea of white that has been offered before him. He's taking his time, looking each one up and down and when he finally gets close enough to one of the stragglers on the side he gives them a great sniff, seeing if perhaps his nose can determine which one of these things is his. His nose wrinkles and he lets out a sneeze before he shakes his head and moves on to the next candidate. Very carefully he wraps his wings around himself, like a great cloak that one may see someone very important wearing. And let's face it, he's important. Super important at least to one special candidate. He just has to find them and that's the real tricky part. But it's so hard and his little head looks a bit droopy as he suddenly flops on the sand decides perhaps it'll be a better view from down here. His long tail twitches behind him anxiously and he stares at it a moment as if it is being offensive with its lack of patience.

Impression Message

Public Message
We Shall Have Spring Again Brown Hatchling feels a great roaring growl rumble away from his stomach and that wiggling tail seems much less offensive than that empty cavern of a belly! Languidly he pushes up on those stubby legs of his and makes haste with a sudden dive into the fray of white! One can almost hear him murmuring apologies as he moves through the candidates, nosing at one, sniffing at another and hey, was that a nip at the hem of someone's robe? Certainly not! He's far too dignified to nip at someone, but perhaps taste would play a role in helping him locate his one? He had to rule that out but if you call him out on it, he will be in denial that particular even ever happened. Finally his trek seems to be coming to an end as his great paws slow and he stops at the feet of a rather small, brown haired girl. He looks up into her green eyes and then nudges at her gently with the side of his head. Ah yes, this is who he was looking for.

Private Message
Gradually does it begin to draw your attention that something isn't quite right or, at the very least, is beginning to change. The chaotic din of the Hatching begins to slow down, as if the very sound of it is leeched away to nothingness despite the world around you being very real. Has the heat of the Sands got to you, in this crucial moment? Only there is no sensation of heat, but rather a wintry gust of air that tickles along your arms and up along the back of your neck - you may even swear that your hair ruffles slightly. There is mirth there, but no actual laughter save for the sensation of it and that of a pleased, satisfied smile. « Hello, dear heart. » A melodious voice, so warm and comforting that it could very well chase away any worry or anxieties you may have had. That warmth seems to chase straight to your very soul, as the two of you become one and whole in a single heartbeat. There, before you, stands a small and curiously built brown hatchling but no less mighty and grand. « Airin… You know me, do you not? I am your Kayinth and when I am with you, you are always safe - and I am always with you now. » Gently, he will nudge you and there is no need for words to explain the hunger you now both share. Time for food, perhaps?

Personality

“Courage, dear heart.” — Aslan, Voyage of the Dawn Treader

From the moment your Kayinth breaks free of his shell and your minds meet, you will find yourself forever-bonded to a dragon who is kind, and wise, and strong, and fierce. He will always encourage you to be better, he will lift you up when you fall (mentally, physically), he will be the epitome of patience and understanding. He will be a paragon of all things good, a force of nature that is firm and forgiving and understands that mistakes may be made, but that those missed steps are little more than disguised opportunities for you to learn from, lessons that you can build upon together to be stronger, to be kinder, to be better, to be more.

"You doubt your value. Don't run from who you are." - Aslan

Despite this unending support, he will always encourage you to be you - after all, you are the one he remembered from that time in his shell, the one whose touch made eternity ripple through the darkness and showed him stars - you're the one whose patience, and kindness, and acceptance woke him up and fed him possibilities, the one who made him loveyouloveyouLOVEYOUloveyouloveyouloveyou. And he will. He will always love you. He will be your constant, the one who loves you for who you are and who you have the very real potential to become. He will love you when you are happy, or hurting, or angry, or sad. He will love you at your highest highs and carry you through your lowest lows. He will always be there to remind you of your worth, of his love, of what you mean to him, and he will encourage you to face those many-faceted and complicated pieces of yourself, to see them for what they are, to honor and accept them as he does. Why? Because they are the pieces of the beautiful puzzle that makes you (his Airin, his Dear Heart), and you should never run away from who you are.

He knows better than most that sometimes those moments of deep self-reflection only serve to overwhelm and to break you apart that you might grow better again, and so Kayinth will build a fantastic world for you in his head, a place that you can escape to on those days when everything is just too much: a place meant for you and him and nobody else, where you can rest while he keeps guard and both of you can reignite each other with the courage and strength you find in those quiet moments.

“I have come," said a deep voice behind them. They turned and saw the Lion himself, so bright and real and strong that everything else began at once to look pale and shadowy compared with him.”

But for as gentle as your dragon is, Airin, he is great. There is nothing tame about him, not in spirit, not in those metaphysical landscapes you escape to, not in that shared mingling of your combined souls where you know him better than you will ever know anybody else and he knows you. There is something fierce and indomitable about the way he faces the world, takes on challenges, as though he knows just who and what he is. He simply is Kayinth, has been since you woke him in his shell, and will be until he carries you both between, and because of that unshakeable surety he is able to lend stability and inspire confidence in others.

"Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." - Mr. Beaver

Yet despite this instinctive knowledge of himself, you will come to learn that he is still wild, still dangerous, just as capable of biting winds and bone-freezing chill - that just because he tends towards patient understanding, it does not mean that he will bow so easily to the will and the whims of others. The mountain does not bow to the wind, no matter how it might howl. He has the command of a leader about him, the practiced confidence of an apex predator who knows that he does not need to bare fangs and flex talons to be lethal in any fight. He commands respect and loyalty with his presence — and not because your Kayinth believes in fear and intimidation as a means to an end, but because if you ever find yourself in a position of leadership, he will treat his peers as equals; he will be iron that bends, a conviction of absolution that is never cruel but sets clear boundaries for others to follow and still forgives them when they falter (after, of course, a reminder as to why that was probably not the best idea — or a thorough berating, depending on the severity of their transgression).

But for all of this strength and inner fortitude… he is also a cat. Okay, yes. He is a dragon, Airin, we know that. But for as much as your fiercely-capable lifemate stands up for justice, and righteousness, and doesn't back down from a fight, he is, for all intents and purposes, a cat.

Kayinth likes to be up high (even if it gets complicated by his short legs and LISTEN, who are YOU to judge him for his munchkin stubs ANYWAY? That'sWhatWeThought (and HEY, blame Leirith (and then blame yourself because YOU ASKED FOR THIS, Airin))). He also loves basking in the sun. He's a creature drawn to warmth, one prone to naps (yes, even after Weyrlinghood), one whose absolute favorite past time (after you and you and also you), is to lounge. He's the one you'll find up on the sunward-most cliff face, feet tucked in like a dragon-loaf or hanging out on his side with sails extended back (and back and back) behind him, paws stretched forward and crossed over each other with his chin pressed on that warm patch of stone.

But trust us, his feline tendencies go far beyond that.

Early in weyrlinghood, you will find that (while he is still small and capable), he enjoys being in your lap. He wants to be as close to you as he can, to absorb your heat and give his back. He wants you to read him stories while you warm up frozen extremities with hot teas, knitted socks, and mostly his caramelized hide, inching up onto your person with a total lack of regard for any protests you migh offer. What's that? You don't want his cuddles, you're trying to read? Preposterous. Now hold still while he squishes you into the just right position while you read aloud to him okay? Okay.

Lucy: Please, Aslan, what do you call soon?
Aslan: I call all times soon.

This also means that you might find yourself struggling to get him up for lessons, to be more than just an oversized blanket, to not be so dang lazy because the healers are GIVING YOU THE EYE (and the Weyrlingmasters are too).

"Kayinth, you have to move."
« Mmmmmmmfivemoreminutes. »
“Kayinth, come on.”
« Mmmmokaytenmoreminutes. »

What can we say. The boy loves his sleep. Things he also loves: you, warm things, you, naps, you, cuddles, you, stories, you, snow, but mostly also the sun (which is also you).
Things he hates: baths, water, baths in water, being told not to do something (especially when he reaaaaaallly wants to do it), and Zyddagath.

Okay, so he doesn't actually hate Zyddagath, because hate's an awful strong word, but the two aren't exactly sympatico (if you catch our drift) and there will be times when Zyd tests the very limits of Kayinth's patience with his… himness. It'll be a battle to keep his tongue in check, and you might wonder if Zyddagath will be the source of Kayinth's truest disdain, but no. It will become intensely, disturbingly clear that what he absolutely hates is water. And that gets complicated, Airin, because for as much as you will struggle to get Kayinth to so much as dip a toe into a washbucket (especially that very FIRST time), he absolutely loves to be clean. He loves the feeling of those scrub brushes on those itchy spots, he loves the relief of oils being rubbed into ever-growing hide, he even loves how that impressive hide of his looks after (stop staring at his stubby legs, it's rude). He just… doesn't love the water.

But we digress. When it comes to the rest of his clutchsiblings, Kayinth takes to them well. Sometimes you might feel like he's an outsider, but just remember that just because he may not participate in their pranks or their general childish glee, it doesn't mean he isn't tolerant of them; just because he may not break the rules, it doesn't mean he won't laugh when rules are broken. If you do not push at the boundaries and the limits set for you, then how do you expect that you will ever learn what those boundaries and those limits are? Mischief does not bother him; daring and courage speak to him (of which Tinaengrath, and Euclath, and Ceruadharth have in spades), and Kayinth is perfectly content (and just catfully-lazy enough) to remain the vigilant watch, enjoying the observation of so much strength and joy.

That said, just because he is arguably the most stable dragon in his clutch, it does not mean that he is boring. He may be wise, he may be patient, he may sometimes stand between one of his siblings and a dangerously terrible idea, but he will never, ever, ever be boring. He's a cat, remember? And that means he's just as capable of being playful too. It might be an alarming (and hilarious) contrast to his more intimidatingly good nature, but Kayinth will enjoy games of chase — be it with you, or any future progeny, or those other dragons. He loves to stalk through the tall grass, silent on his paws, tucking in wings and lowering his head as close to the ground as he can before he POUNCES!

Which means — you guessed it — your Kayinth enjoys the hunt. It's one of the things that he is best at, despite the hindrances that come inherently with those stunted legs. He is still a creature of grace even if sometimes that grace is undermined by his appearance. He is agile, and nimble, and capable; he is strong, and sturdy, and stable. He will be amongst the top performers in the art of herdbeast slaughter in his class — second only, perhaps, to Varequoth or Zyddagath, but only because they have a capacity for violence that rivals his own.

As he grows, some of that cat-willed laziness will come into a balance, and you will find Kayinth lounging in his down time instead of when he should be learning how to use those too-big-wings, or allowing you to fit him for straps. He is never ostentatious about it, won't outright refuse to do what it is that you ask of him — especially if he can tell you are genuinely in a rush. He will never hinder you, as a house cat might, but he prefers to do things in his own time. We promise you, however, that he will certainly — once that chunky body has come into its full development — be able to keep up with the rest of his siblings. There's no heights those impressive wings can't conquer, and he will come to love the movement of his body and the abilities he hones with the continued use of it.

What we can say will never leave your Kayinth is that he is a dragon who has a strong preference for never being tied down. He doesn't simply want to be a search and rescue dragon, he wants to be a transport dragon too. He doesn't want to wait in the wings while you pursue your craft and further the notoriety of your knot, he wants to be in the administrative wing and learn all of those things that leadership deal with in order to keep a weyr up and running. It's as much restlessness as it is a thirst for knowledge, even if his restlessness and curiosity manifest with more subtlety than that of many of his clutchmates. He is many, many things Airin. But never tame, never a domesticated brown.

When you and your Kayinth have graduated from the confinement of weyrlinghood and its strigidly implemented rules, your devoted lifemate will show a remarkable capacity for sacrifice as well. It will be just as much a physical willingness to put himself in harm's way as it will be enduring the anger of those in possession of authority at the behest of others — if he believes it was an honest mistake, and if he believes they can do better. That means you will probably find him taking the fall for Varequoth a time or two (and that is, of course, assuming that Varequoth lets him).

"I am sad and lonely. Lay your hands on my mane so that I can feel you are there and let us walk like that." - Aslan

But you will need to look after him, Airin, just as much as he keeps watch over you. Kayinth is not immune to hurt and disappointment even if he perpetuates the illusion because he shoulders the burden of it well. And if you let him, he will suffer those indignities and sleights in silence, calling no attention to his own pain, seeking no reassurances.

Love him well, for he will love you always.

Mindvoice

Everything In Time And Under Heaven

“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Kayinth's mind can easily be described as a world caught in the cusp between winter and spring. Yet there is no harshness with this wintry landscape! The imagery he tends to be fondest of is wilderness itself, a vast world of never-ending wonder and marvellous sights. Old forests, ageless and ancient, will sprawl out as far as the eye can see, but there is little to fear in these woods. Snow will either be abundant or sparse, depending on his mood at the time, drifts growing heavy when he feels it necessary to (literally) weigh his words. There is a quiet peacefulness here, unless he deems it otherwise and elects to fills that silence with the sound of birdsong, the song of creatures that have no name in Pernese culture. This is often underlaid by deep, echoing, nameless sound that runs deep and low and timeless, indescribable but present nevertheless.

Where there is snow and frost everywhere, it is often set beneath an aching blue sky. The sort of wintry days that bring no sense of gloom and foreboding but an energized feeling of something good just lingering on the horizon or lurking nearby characterizes his thoughts, creates a feedback loop of fervor between his mind and your own. Winter may be cold, but there is nothing to worry here about the cold or the scent of crisp and sharp wintry air. All in all?

His mind is beautiful.

Simple, but utterly beautiful and even ethereal at times.

The world in which he weaves within his mind is not limited to just winter's palate. Oh no! No, Kayinth knows color too and sometimes when inspiration or curiosity strike, he will give a telling hint to his inner musings by the sudden pop of springtime color. It could be the new buds forming along the branches of the trees or perhaps he will line your ‘path' with sprigs of purple or yellow blooms of the first flowers of spring. One can never be quite sure just what sort of creations he will come up with, but most certainly it is always with some form of purpose behind it all.

In the rare times (and they truly will be few and far between) when Kayinth is brought to enough anger or upset that even he is affected, then the landscape will be buried under cracked, jagged snow and hoarfrosting ice. The skies will be overcast, heavy with storm clouds just readying to unleash a freezing blizzard. These moments are blessfully quick pass, and will generally be followed by a springtime melt, perhaps to the point that his mindscape briefly becomes a land of greenery with not a single flake of snow in sight. Again, there is no exact rhyme or reason, except that Kayinth is firmly the master behind the creation of the world in which he wishes to share with you and others. He is constantly creating and recreating, even under winter's grip.

Yet within all this limitless world, he has created a tiny slice of it just for you, Airin. A safe place, a private place, tucked away deep in the heart of one of his snow covered forests. Here there will be a home - your home, in which you can always seek peace and security. Nothing can trouble you here and there will always be a warm fire lit in the hearth to welcome you. Cozy and rustic in design, it will be a well loved and cherished space. It will be somewhere where you can curl up by the hearth beneath the comforting weight of blankets and his presence there with you, while the storms of your troubles or worries can rage outside and no longer reach you until you are ready to face them again.

He will be there with you, always and forever, but especially in this space, deep baritone words offering gentle platitudes and warm laughter. His mindvoice is the stuff Harpers dream of, rough without harboring any cruelty, deep without losing gentleness, assured without patronization, it is the voice of a father, any father, perhaps all fathers at once, a reverberation of many lifetimes-worth of hard-won wisdom that blend together to create a perfect, loving rasp and a ready, hearty chuckle. It's the kind of voice to inspire greatness, to comfort hurts, and to elicit laughter even in the darkest of times.

Physicality

You wanted a munchkin cat dragon, Airin, and that is just what you got! And this little guy definitely is going to have a harder time getting used to everything that comes along with being a bit stubby and chubby. From the getgo he will be ravenous. I mean, all baby dragons are starving little balls of claws and teeth but Kayinth is like a bottomless freaking pit. Once you start feeding him he may fall asleep for a few minutes and then wake again and be just as hungry as before. One may wonder where it all goes, but he will quickly start putting on the pounds and rolls will start to form about his belly and neck. Unfortunately this may cause a bit of concern for the dragonhealers (as if his stubby legs don't have extra sets of eyes on him already) and during Weyrlinghood you may receive a bit of pressure to try to get him to eat less or do a few extra laps of exercise either on the ground before he's flying or in the air once he's able to do so. But to be honest, he doesn't mind being a bit chubby around the middle and he's okay with his appetite as long as you know, he gets fed. Faranth forbid if for some reason he's not able to get the meal he's craving because he will go from cute ball o' fluff to angry lion with fangs. Hangry! He will bring that word to a whole new level!

As for those short legs of his, they will cause him a bit of grief, especially before he can fly because he will be quite limited with anything that requires him to climb over. A fence? Yeah, don't even think about that happening. His couch? If that lip is a bit too high you may find yourself pushing his fat baby butt up onto it. But eventually as he gains experience with these stubby appendages they will be an asset rather than something to hinder. He is by far not a large brown, and if one was to stand him next to a large blue he may even look smaller on account of those stubby legs, but when he's in flight he can tuck them against his body so well and when he dives his speed can be almost unmatched! Like a speeding arrow aimed for a target (is it bad that I picture Toothless as he does his dives here?) his large wings will help him gain the altitude he needs before falling into precise dives that may work wonders to catch those ever-sneaky green dragons during mating flights.

And speaking of those wings, these will be something else for him to get used to wielding. They are huge and when all the Weyrlings are attempting to awkwardly learn to fly, do not expect that Kayinth is going to be first off the ground because… He won't be. He may or may not be last but it's going to take time and perseverance for him to get into the air. This may cause frustration on his part and he may get a bit huffy (just picture a small kitten with his fur all bristled up as it hisses and spits, so cute in its annoyance and anger!) but eventually he'll get it down and once he's managed to get into the air once, that will be it - he will be in love with being in the air. While his stubby legs make him work extra hard while on the ground, in the air his overly large wings will be just what the dragonhealer ordered! He will coast through the air gracefully and with a lot less effort then one would think. And he'll feel so at home just drifting through the sky.

Finally it comes down to his tail. This great tree trunk of a tail is both thick and long and will be an incredible rudder once he's up in the air for making tight hairpin turns. It will be his greatest asset outside of his wings up there, but on the ground it is going to be.. Quite literally a pain in the butt. Due to its size and length it will cause endless irritation while he's a Weyrling. At times it even seems as if it has a mind of its own and does its own freaking thing! Kayinth may be caught from time to time having conversations, or pep talks with it. « Come on tail, today is the day that you aren't going to trip me up during drills in front of the whole REST OF THE CLASS. » It's also heavy! And will make his short legs work that much harder and make him want to curl up and nap that much more before he can fly. Dragging that thing around is work after all. But he'll get the hang of it, and as an adult, while he may not spend as much time on the ground (since hey, who would when they can fly), it will mostly be used as a nice plush pillow that he can curl up and rest his head on. The conversations with the tail though may still persist though, so be warned if you ever hear Kayinth talking to someone and there's no one really around.. It is probably just his tail (which he may or may not give a nickname to, so be warned!).

Flights

"Things never happen the same way twice, dear one." - Aslan

When it comes to flights, your Kayinth is more inclined to practice his sire's more patient and predatory nature versus those over-eager, embarrassingly incompetent shows of flirtatious, groveling extravagance most male suitors execute. He is calm and collected even in the midst of glowing hide, his patience unwavering, his humor honed and delivered with an alacrity that does not discourage those soon-to-rise females — if they are kind.

You see, Airin, your Kayinth is too small to fly a Queen. He is aware (and okay with the fact) that there will never come a time or day when he will catch a golden prize and find his progeny scattered across heated sands, waiting for the timorous touch of that one perfect dragon-hopeful that will become their eternity. This means that he cares more about you than the thrill of a flight. This doesn't mean that he will not chase (because he will, and he will delight in it); it merely means that it requires a certain kind of dragon to lure him in.

He will chase golds, though the significance of winning holds little weight, and he will chase greens — even if the latter are more a means to sate a primal kind of violence as opposed to the continuity of dragonkind. The problem is that if those proddy females exhibit cruelty at any point during their proddy phase, Kayinth will not pursue them. He will walk away, winking you both between to somewhere far away, where it's quiet and safe and there is no threat of nature forcing him to pursue those that rise.

When he wins, he is an exceedingly kind and gentle companion, doting without the desperations of a love-sick pup. He is still confident, still strong, still a creature of poise and charm.

When he loses, he is resigned without the added complications or fury or frustration. He has you, after all, and he is not one to boast nor dwell on things that were or are or have been. Next time he will just simply do better — and he will learn to be even better if he fails again.

Inspiration

"Now you are a lioness," said Aslan. "And now all Narnia will be renewed. But come. We have no time to lose.”

AIRIN! Welcome to weyrlinghood! On behalf of SearchCo (and staff) here at Xanadu Weyr, please accept our warmest welcome and biggest congratulations! We so enjoyed writing your Kayinth, and we sincerely hope that you enjoy him! So let's get to all of the inspirations behind just what it is that makes your Kayinth Kayinth — but first, let's go with your name change.

We went through a variety of variations on your name and we settled with Airin. We wanted to keep the 'Rin' of your original name while adding a little meaning to it by around the order of some letters and giving you 'Ai' at the beginning of your name. If you didn't know, Ai is Japanese, and when translated into English, it means 'Love'! So if you want to pronounce your name with the Japanese Ai at the front, it would be, 'Aye-Rin', or you can pronounce it as it looks — 'Air-Rin' (like Erin or Aaron)! Or, really, you can pronounce it however you like (or change it back if you don't like it at all), because she is yours to do with as you choose!

The theme for Leirith and Garouth's holiday-clutch was two-line horror stories! The story for your egg was: "I can't sleep," she whispered as she crawled into bed with me. I woke up cold, clutching the dress she was buried in. The egg and all of its mindtouches was written by the one, the only D'lei!

This dragon was a combined effort collaboration from many of us here on the SearchCo! Ty'rian is mostly responsible for the description as well as all the physicality information and all the egg/hatchling messages. Much of his personality is in thanks to our crazy resident Risali. Our lovely Siobhan lended her amazing hand at tweaking the mindvoice, description, and also added to his robust personality. And finally K'vir wrote the mindvoice. See! We can all work together to create something awesome! I think.. I hope!

As for inspiration, Kayinth is roughly based off of the physicalities of a munchkin cat while his color is mostly just a combination of different type of candy with the wisps of falling cherry blossoms. Since you indicated these were things you liked and I wanted you to like him and have a good mental picture when you imagine him! As for his name, I wanted to keep it mostly simple and easy to say and it is based off of the name Kayin which means celebrated child since he is rather childlike in ways (cats are playful like kids afterall!) and because well.. Airin adores children and I'm sure she'll see him as her adopted munchkin (at least while he's tiny and easy to view that way).

For his personality, we went with a couple of different things, but most heavily we pulled from cats being… well… cats — and Aslan from Narnia. We thought giving you a good, stable, strong dragon would fit Airin's personality, giving her support and encouragement as she navigates her way through the confusions of weyrlife and makes a place for herself among Xanadu's riders. There is a touch of the song "Every Season" by Nichole Nordeman in both his mindvoice and in his inspiration, but the most heavy emphasis for his mindvoice came from your love for winter, and snow, and — of course — Narnia.

Please keep in mind that every RP tip and suggestion in this inspiration is just that — a suggestion. You do not have to follow what was written as if they are guidelines, because we made Kayinth for YOU and we would like to see whatever great things it is that you do with him!

— <33 K'vir, Risali, Siobhan, and Ty'rian!

Credits