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Warm russet brown covers this noble dragon ready to meet the world. He has a squared shape to his muzzle, the tip dipped in black as those he put it in a well of ink and stained the hide. Black outlines his eyes, the ridges above them arched in a perpetually curious expression. His headknobs spread to the sides from there, broad at their bases and gradually narrowing as they curve gently downward and darken along a gradient until they reach a deep bistre at their rounded tips. Those ridges continue back along his head, small undulations in the hide like a brow furrowed in thought whose wrinkles merge into the ridges of his neck. There's a splash of paler tan around it, low on the neck where it meets his torso. It's at about the spot a rider would sit, passing over his shoulders and down along the sides as if that part of his hide was shielded from the sunbeams that warmed the rest to that rich brown. Similarly pale is the hide along his underside, a soft fawn along his belly and the inner surface of his legs. Large paws end those legs, their black talons turned slightly outward to better grip the ground and support his body. He's solidly built, but with an impression of balance; not out of proportion in any particular dimension, yet well supplied in each. A ridge of dark cocoa runs along his back, starting just behind his shoulders and continuing to between his hips, where it ends just before the start of the tail that counterbalances his neck with its curve behind.
Egg Name and Description
Cracked Like An Egg
Rough corrugations cover the surface of this egg, the shell wrinkled in on itself like crumpled laundry. Maybe it didn't develop properly? It's one of the largest eggs on the sands, a wet grey shade like the bucket of water used to mop some particularly dusty cavern… and the string mop that's been soaking in it, draped in convoluted tangles along the shell. A larger crack runs through the center of the egg, those folds not crossing from the left to right halves. Perhaps this egg began as two under-developed ones, now smashed together inside their crazed shell.
Hatching Message
Cracked Like An Egg shifts with a tapping from inside the shell, one that seems to move around as if exploring just what happens with various pokes and prods to that outer curve.
Cracked Like An Egg continues that tapping, but now it seems more focused on a single spot. Tap… tap tap… tap tap tap… and a fragment of shell falls loose, surely the first of many as that persistence pays off.
Cracked Like An Egg falls away into pieces, the weak spots of its shell exploited so that the whole thing crumbles away… though it might be even more quickly than the occupant expected, for he tumbles to the ground as the egg-wall he was leaning on abruptly gives way.
Impression Message
« I am Sanarth! » A sense of glee and wonder come with the words as they fill your head, so eager to make your acquaintance. « I am Sanarth. » Did he already say that? Yes, but there's so much more meaning to it! He's not just an egg any more, no longer merely potential waiting to be unlocked. The doors of his mind open to you, an expansive gesture that reveals the halls of his memory palace… still mostly empty, yes, but he's already begun to fill them from his few moments of life… and your memories, too. For… « We are Sanarth… » Love surrounds you, warm and deep. He's found his partner, the pairing to his mind and body. No more will you be alone, either of you. « …and Brynnjan. » That name is written in the book of his heart with an indelible ink… but a thought stirs in him, pieces put together. « Say Bryn'jan, so they know you are mine. » He adds a new page in the book; a new name, written for your life together. « We are Sanarth and Bryn'jan. » He's proud of finding you, eager to learn more… and hungry, as you can feel in the pit of your own stomach. « We eat now? »
Personality
In you, Sanarth has found a lifelong companion, and in him you'll find an intelligent and social creature capable of great things… though his ambitions may sometimes exceed his grasp, and he'll need your help to understand what bits of knowledge and expertise he's missing and why he's just not ready for that challenge… yet. You'll both get there in time, if you put your minds to it!
Speaking of challenges… he'll be rather clumsy at first. It's like he hasn't quite figured out how to properly use all his limbs yet, and so he'll trip over his own feet or clip his wings on openings he doesn't realize were quite that small until he's already halfway through. He's a sturdy creature, though, and it's unlikely these accidents will have any worse consequences than a few bruises and minor scrapes for the dragonhealers to patch.
As he grows and learns more about how his body works and responds, that clumsiness will disappear, replaced by a confident control in his motions… though some of the gangly awkwardness may briefly re-emerge as an adolescent if some growth spurt changes his proportions too quickly and he has to once more adjust his mental model of how his body works.
Once he's gotten a proper sense of himself, he'll take to the physical side of your training readily enough. He's solidly built and strong beneath that warm brown hide, moderately handsome in a rugged sort of way… but it's what's on the inside that truly makes him his own remarkable self.
He's a thinker, your Sanarth. He's not always the quickest wit, but he'll apply himself to understanding what's going on with a dogged determination that will get him to a solution eventually… and once he's figured out the answer, he'll remember it for next time he finds himself in a similar situation. No memory is perfect - especially not when it comes to dragons - but Sanarth has a better one than most. Some dragons live in an eternal now, their rider their only hope of long-term planning… but things stick in Sanarth's head. You may sometimes find his memory better than yours! …though it can be rather strange what does and doesn't linger in his head. He might forget the name of that smith you spoke to - but remember that, « His socks didn't match. One was more faded than the other, and it had a hole. »
As a hatchling, his curiosity will dominate, giving him an impulsive nature. What's that? And that? And ooh, that looks interesting! You may find yourself racing after him in an attempt to keep him safe from his own short attention span and the amazing possibilities (and dangers) of the wide world around him. Sometimes he'll explore on his own, but more often you'll find him as a companion to one of his siblings - or curiously following around an older dragon. Whether it's sharing observations with Faeth to figuring out how things work, being infected by Leirith's enthusiasm and following her off a cliff, trading clever quips with Azrith or spending a quiet moment resting with Sihryth… he just plain likes being around his friends, and the young Sanarth will readily assume that everyone around him is a friend just waiting to be made.
The time will come when he believes he understands the world. Not everything, of course, but still, more than most. He knows what's going on… or thinks he does, anyhow. In short, the sort of know-it-all adolescent that drives weyrlingmasters to drink. His impulsiveness will wane, replaced by a desire to engineer plans and make a real difference. Running around to play? That's what hatchlings do. He's better than that now. It's time to move on, for him and his friends to do something real and prove themselves… and he should be the one to lead them.
After all, he's the smartest of his siblings. Sure, Azrith may sometimes have a quicker wit, but that's all it is; mere wit. Clever, certainly, but not what you need in the architect of your schemes. The adolescent Sanarth will be quite certain he knows better than the vast majority of those around him, though some few people may manage to retain his respect through those rocky years. He may find himself in conflict with Sihryth when the bronze disapproves of his attitude, or butting heads with Leirith when they're both equally determined that their plan is best. Still, even at his worst he'll care for his friends - though his sense of intellectual superiority may lead to conflict as his development in emotional intelligence and empathy lags a bit behind his memory and wits.
Eventually, he'll mature enough to understand that - intelligent as he is - mere brainpower doesn't actually mean he's qualified to rule the world. Oh, he can certainly be a leader - but that means respecting other people and working with them, not just telling them what to do. It even means that sometimes, the best thing he can do is stand back and let someone else have the glory of being in charge… so he can have a chance to observe and make plans without constantly being interrupted. Besides… he actually does enjoy seeing his friends shine. They should get their moments in the spotlight, whatever that means for their particular skills and abilities.
He'll come to realize that everyone has something they can contribute… and that understanding and appreciating differences will get him much further along than simply making snide comments about those who don't appreciate his genius. Faeth's desire to help others isn't just sentiment - it actually makes the whole team better when everyone is happy to be there. With this new enlightenment, he'll seek to rebuild bridges he may have damaged in his adolescence, learning humility and working to resume any friendships dropped by the wayside.
The curiosity he had as a hatchling will become balanced by knowledge and tempered by caution. He'll never be staid or a worrywart, but he does know that last time he tried to land in a small clearing, he got poked with tree branches and it hurt… so this time, he's going to be more careful. He seldom makes the same mistake twice! …though there are an endless supply of new mistakes to be made - and learned from, as he does with all his discoveries.
He'll often be willing to share that hard-earned knowledge with others, letting them benefit from his mistakes and experience… though sometimes he may have a hard time figuring out what he needs to explain to actually get the point across. It all makes sense in his head, but actually getting those ideas into someone else's head presents its own set of challenges! …though in a way, not being listened to is a form of cosmic justice for that time as a know-it-all adolescent, and while he may become impatient when people don't listen, he'll at least appreciate that sometimes those important lessons just have to be learned the hard way. Besides, maybe someone will figure out a way to succeed at the things he thinks are impossible! Then he'd get to learn something new right along with them.
At some point, he'll discover how attractive a gold or green can be to him. It's a curious thing, that desire. Hard to understand, but equally hard to ignore! He may be awkward at first when it comes to those interactions. It's not that he doesn't know how to be friends with a female, it's just that his awareness of how attractive she is seems to get in the way and tie his tongue up in knots! When the time comes for a female he favors to rise in her mating flight, he - and you - may be surprised by the strength of his desire to pursue and the lust that comes with it.
His first few pursuits are likely to end in failure. He doesn't understand how they work! And while some males can be swept along by sheer instinct, Sanarth is one who needs to actually know what's happening. Still, his urges are hard to ignore, and he'll continue to chase until he figures out what it takes to stay with the pack… and win. When he does, his desire to linger will depend on who he's caught. A pretty face is all well and good for a night of fun, but if he's going to stick around he needs some kind of mental connection to go with it!
When it comes to your future together, the sky's truly the limit. Whether Sanarth turns his keen mind to aiding your work in technology with Asteroid, or his sturdy strength and endurance to work in rescue on Galaxy. Perhaps you'll even find that the logistic challenges and heavy burdens of Comet draw your attention, or that his ability for analysis is valuable in Quasar or someday training the next generation of weyrlings with Pulsar. It will depend on how your own interests and his develop, but wherever the two of you end up, Sanarth is sure to gain a deep understanding and insight of the space that will serve the two of you well in optimizing the world and making the people around you just a little bit better… one step at a time.
Mindvoice
With so much information tucked away in his mind, perhaps it's no wonder that the shape of his thoughts comes to resemble a grand library… or museum. There are shelves of books filled with his observations and display cases holding the memories of key moments in his life - and yours. Over time, he may add to those cases with the memories of others important to him, a living history of his friends and those for whom he cares. He and you may roam freely in these halls, through the many wings and strange corners of the museum. Each wing seems to have a different design, from the grand marble foyer with elaborate wall tapestries and a burbling fountain in front of a curved staircase, to the almost claustrophobic brick and wrought steel of the stacks overflowing with books… to the comfortable modernist reading nook where soft jazz plays from a hidden speaker. They're all connected by dream logic into one building, though the paths between them sometimes change unexpectedly… as does the nature of the helpful docents who seem to dwell in the corners to keep the library neat and direct visitors. Some parts of the complex are open to visitors, their memories and knowledge curated to be appropriate to guests, while others are only open to those close to him… or are kept locked away in the back stores, too personal to share.
Inspiration
His personality is drawn from a variety of sources - baby Groot's impulsiveness and friendly charm, the exceptionalism and social growing pains of Draco Malfoy, the sense of teamwork and the spirit of exploration in Captain Picard. It's all mixed together with splashes of other things besides, and you're sure to find plenty of bits and pieces in his character. He's a complicated dragon, after all, and definitely not one you should judge by his cover! His physical description was inspired by a Rhodesian Ridgeback dog - a strong-willed, intelligent, and loyal breed that seemed to suit the character. The theme of the eggs for this clutch was Organs, and his Cracked Like An Egg was based on the brain, with touches inspired by a migraine headache. That also led me to his name - the word "sanar" means "thinker, reflecter" in Quenya - one of Gandalf's gifts for his character. (The others can remain subtle, much like a wizard!)
Credits
Sanarth and his egg were both written by Soriana. Of course, he's your dragon now, and you can change him to better suit your story - really, isn't life all about growth and change as you learn new things? We hope you enjoy your explorations and adventures together!
| Name | Sanarth |
| Dam | Meirath |
| Sire | Draukaith |
| Created By | Soriana |
| Impressee | Brynnjan |
| Hatched | Spring 2017 |
| Xanadu Weyr | |
| PernWorld MUSH |