#oc: alystin torrath

[bardic-tales]

Tumblr Games: OC Name Meanings

Thanks for the tag, @blind-the-winds.

Rules: Put down an OC or more and tell what their name means.

This is open tag.

I am going to do this for the love interest and protagonist of Flight of the Dragon, my dark fantasy novel.

Alystin Torrath

The initial personality I choose for the protagonist was a determined and independent young woman. Since she is the daughter of the queen of a tribe, I wanted to name Alystin "Alison", as that means "Son of the Noble One". Alison is from English Origin.

Since it is a fantasy novel, I tweaked the name to make it fit easier in my fantasy setting. Alison became Alystin. So, as it currently stands, her name doesn't have a former meaning, but it is still inspired by the English name.

Brennan Draig.

When I first started to draft and outline Flight of the Dragon, it was to be part of a universe I created under a different nom de plume. FotD was set in what would be Wales and explore the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and featured "What If Arthur survived the attack from Mordred and most of the other characters passed on".

With that in mind, I named him Brennan Draig. Brennan is from Irish origins and means "sorrow". I think that this fits how the audience / readers first meet Brennan. He has lost almost all of his flight, and he blames himself for it. He is sorrowful. Guilt plagues him.

Draig is easier to explain. It is simply Welsh for Dragon. In this version, Brennan was a giant red dragon with black markings. I decided to keep that name when I was redrafting to fit FotD into the Planes of Existence universe.

[bardic-tales]

OCs as "Ten but"

I wasn't tagged, but I was inspired by @pluttskutt 's post.

rules: list your ocs as “tens but” to give us a not at all comprehensive scope of their characters

Alystin - She's a ten, but she might send you to another dimension.

Anabelle - She's a ten, but she is in love with a man she only knew a fortnight.

Brennan - He's a ten, but he's duty-bound

Cyras - She's a ten, but she is more likely to spread gossip about you if you even think of complimenting her.

Seamus - He's a ten, but he is in love with the enemy but just doesn't know it yet.

Vaene - He's a ten, but he will expect you gone in the morning.

[bardic-tales]

Penguin Classics Tag Game part II

I was tagged by @elijahrichardwrites

Rules: Use this website to make a cover of your WIP(s) in the style of the Penguin Classic covers!

Open Tag and Tag List (no pressure and soft tagging)

@writingpotato07 @worldstogetlostin @garthcelyn @wordsformysoul @thecorneroftheweirdone @eleanorawritesfantasy @cbolandwrites

If you would like to be on my tag list for notifications on any Tumblr tag games I might participate in, check out this post here. If you wish to be taken off this taglist, feel free to tell me!

[bardic-tales]

This is only a placeholder until I can get the character page for Flight of the Dragon filled out. It lists every named character in Flight of the Dragon.

This list will grow as I flesh out Flight of the Dragon's outline.

character list and age template created by @athenixrose

Characters:

Animal Companions (Flat characters):

Emray - Emray is a malamute. He stands about 26 inches in height at the shoulder and weighs about 95 pounds with a a plumed tail that is held over his back. He is stockier than other working dogs in Olessa. Emray has a thick, coarse black double coat with white muzzle and legs. He is extremely loyal to Alystin, even going as far as almost attacking Brennan after the Huntsman was burned to the ground, but once he realized that Brennan would not hurt her, Emray would become his best friend.

Dead Characters

Queen Constantine - Queen Constantine was the queen of the Blarney tribe, who would lead her tribe in uprisings against the Glorendt forces, call Brennan Draig and his Flight her family and friend, and the mother of Alystin Torrath, the Child of Prophecy. She would be brutally murdered hours after giving birth to her child. Constantine is considered a symbol of the struggle against the forces that wish to destroy Cirel.

Flat Characters:

Amés - Amés is the god of ecstasy, fertility, love, life, lust, passion, and resurrection. He is considered the king of all the gods and father to most of creation. As a god, he is a very prophetic being. He would rather meddle in mortal affairs than to see everything he created destroyed.

Beatrix Draig - Beatrix is a silver dragon who almost always takes the form of a blonde hair and grey eyes. After their fathers arranged a marriage between them, Beatrix would become Brennan’s lead consort and bore him many children. She would become battle-hardened and oversee the training of Brennan’s knights. Before the Cult of the Old Gods sieged Adwen ferch Afan castle, she had fallen deeply in love with Brennan and a bit possessive of him.

Main and Secondary Characters

Adeon Torrath - Adeon’s real name is Adeon Hesjing Vargach. He is also a silver dragon like Brennan and Beatrix. Adeon is the best of Brennan’s knights and his best friend. He is the one who went in search for the Hart for an animal sacrifice to ensure Alystin would grow up strong. Adeon is Alystin’s foster father and, eventually, comes to regard Isona as his mate.

Alystin Torrath - The most striking detail about Alystin is that she is actually a Child of Prophecy, a title given to those who are foretold to hold the fate of the Planes of Existence in their hands. Alystin is the only one who can open a portal standing on a leyline to the Death Plane from the mortal plane.

Brennan Draig - Brennan is a silver dragon and the ruler of Seralia, a section in the Olessa region. This region will become the Olessan Providence, Olessa Major, and Olessa Minor when the Olessan Empire is formed. Brennan’s family has watched over the Blayney tribe as it was foretold a Child of Prophecy would be born to one of its queens. When his castle is sieged by a mysterious cult devoted to the old gods, he will become a knight-errant to search for information about its existence and motives.

Ellarian Jhaer - Ellarian Jhaer is the product of chaos and the High Seer of the Cult of the Old Gods. She was born in a small Glorendine village. Her father would sell her to a chieftain from a neighboring tribe. She would be abused before she murdered the chieftain at a young age. At 10, Ellarian would be abducted by Enethian members of the cult and tortured until she broke mentally. She just wants to watch the world fall into chaos.

Kitos - Kitos is an orphan boy who grows up in Siollán. Alystin befriended him when he was younger, and the other children refused to play with them both. He is also a member of the Cult of the Old Gods. He would betray Alystin and burn down her foster parents’ inn.

Tertiary Characters

Isona Torrath - Isona is the midwife and wetnurse of Adwen ferch Afan castle. She was there the night Alystin’s mother was murdered by the High Seer of the Cult of the Old Gods. Although she cannot own the property, she and Adeon manages the Huntsman Inn. Isona is Alystin’s foster mother and eventually falls for Adeon, the young silver dragon.

[bardic-tales]

Hey there NL. I don't know if you're doing the ship tag game, but I have a feeling you'd have some beautiful answers.

So if you are, I'd love if you could answer for for Alystin Torrath and Brennan Draig from your novel Flight of the Dragon.

1 - What are their love languages? 19 - How do they silently/subtly express their love for each other? 29 - What is something they can never agree on? How do they meet in the middle?

Hello, Verba. I took some "me-time" yesterday, so I missed this game. I'll answer these questions anyway, as I love to talk about these two. I hope you're having a wonderful day or night.

What are their love languages?

Alystin Torrath's love language is physical touch. When Brennan revealed he was in fact a dragon and she was not hallucinating, her first instinct was to stroke him between his eyes. It amused Brennan that she didn't act hesitant as most humans would when confronted by a 640T creature.

Although she loves physical intimacy with him, she adores small, physical gestures as well. After Brennan has the Alabaster Citadel built in what will be known as the Olessan Providence, Alystin and Brennan could be regularly seen in the gardens. She loves to sit on a stone bench with a leather-bound book in her hands. Brennan will drape his arm over her shoulder as he too reads.

cw: pregnancy mention

She will regularly run her fingers through his hair and brush the back of his neck with her fingertips. Although she always protested as she didn't want to offend him, he insisted that she rides him when she's pregnant with his children. Alystin will rest her hand along the enormous frill running down his back.

For Brennan, I did a lot of research on animal mating rituals. I wanted him to have qualities that would be realistic as possible. Brennan is a dragon with an impressive hoard, which is lost to him when his home was under siege. This is reflected in his love language as his is gift giving.

Many would assume that giving a gift to a dragon is materialistic and about items, but this is a misconception. It could be that his loved one found flowers that remind them of Brennan, purchasing his favorite foods, or leaving a small token of affection for him to wake up to.

The most expensive present that Alystin ever gifted him was a knightly sword with a silver fish-tail pommel that was said to be forged from metal gifted from the gods. She would have it inscribed with a blessing from Amés, the god of love.

After Brennan united all of the Olessa region and created the empire that is featured in Cold as Ice and Pale Fire, all of the dragon emperors possessed this sword. Crown Prince Vaene Arturis possesses it in the last act of Cold as Ice. Vaene would need this sword to prove his birthright in the last novel of the Dark Savior trilogy.

cw: death

Brennan loves to shower Alystin with gifts, too. There are times where he will take her shopping. It was during one such event that he would purchase a necklace with a blood carnelian carved into a heart. She kept this necklace all through her life and was buried in it.

The most expensive gift was given to Alystin after her death. He returned to Adwen ferch Afan castle, where she was born, with her. Her body was entombed on the island. The exact location was lost to the passages of time. Brennan would commission a lifelike statue of her and keep a watchful eye over the shrine. He would drive away any who dare step foot on the island.

As an aside to their primary love language, both of their secondary one is spending time together. After Alystin was hurt by a cultist and Brennan transformed into his true form to quickly put an end to the attack, they would stay in a room Brennan rented from an inn.

Here, Brennan would regale her with tales of his knights. They would also ask each other riddles. Brennan would complement her on her cleverness, further deepening the relationship between them.

How do they silently/subtly express their love for each other?

While they do occasionally say I love you, Alystin and Brennan are confident in their relationship that they usually do not need to say it. They just don't find it important to say "I love you" all the time, and I would go as far as to say they wouldn't feel comfortable doing so.

The biggest way that they show their love for each other is that they're open and vulnerable. When she learns that almost all of Brennan's flight was wiped out by the Cult of the Old gods, Alystin weeps and wishes that the gods didn't bless her with her abilities. Brennan would respond that she is stronger than she often lets on, and she doesn't need to carry her burden alone. He would be there for her every step of the way.

cw: arson/fire mentioned

After the Huntman is burnt to the ground, Alystin escapes with her family and animal companion into the surrounding forest. They stumble upon Brennan's campsite. At this time, they aren't in a relationship, and Alystin only knows him as a patron of her parent's inn. Brennan is the one who tells her the truth about who and what she was and offers to train her to protect herself. They will always support each other -- even when they were only friends.

Adeon, Alystin's foster father, was the first one to notice the developing relationship between his daughter and Brennan. Whenever Alystin and Brennan would see each other, their eyes would sparkle. After they break after a kiss, they are always smiling.

What is something they can never agree on? How do they meet in the middle?

As a 1200-year-old dragon, Brennan is among the oldest beings in Arathea. The only creatures that are older are the Great Horses. He tends to have a powerful stride and overwhelming presence. With his age, he tends to have limitless patience. He always weighs the pros and cons of any outcome.

Alystin is the complete opposite. As a human, her life span is short. It is common for people who have access to body magick to expand their life to the mid-90s. Without the intervention of the magi, the life expectancy was around 32.2 years. Because of this, the short-lived races were always considered impatient by Brennan's standards.

She is not immune to rashness. In fact, impatience is her fatal flaw. Her need for instant gratification makes it hard for her to appreciate what she has. Brennan does support her, as she has the fate of the world upon her shoulders, but he also encourages her not to be as hasty.

They meet in the middle by talking over each other's valid points and accepting that they are two different people who have experienced different events. Brennan has seen loved ones come and go. Alystin is only experiencing those losses now.

[bardic-tales]

Tag Game: Ship Song

Thank you for the tag, @darlingsmoon. I just listened to the song included in yours, and I love it.

Rules: Tag the song you associate most with your ship.

Flight of the Dragon - Alystin & Brennan

I sense there's something in the wind That feels like tragedy's at hand And though I'd like to stand by him Can't shake this feeling that I have The worst is just around the bend And does he notice my feelings for him And will he see how much he means to me I think it's not to be

[. . .]

Try as I may, it doesn't last And will we ever end up together No, I think not, it's never to become For I am not the one

-- Sally's Song by Amy Lee

Cold as Ice - Cyras and Vaene

In sleep he sang to me In dreams he came That voice which calls to me And speaks my name And do I dream again?

[. . .]

Sing once again with me Our strange duet My power over you Grows stronger yet And though you turn from me To glance behind

-- Phantom of the Opera - Jonathan Young and Malinda Kathleen Reese's version

[bardic-tales]

Alystin Torrath

Alystin Torrath is a child of prophecy, being born to a legendary family in Olessa.

She has the ability to peer into the future and see events that are not yet pass. This will add Brennan in his quest to save not only his city-state and the other ones, but it will ultimately decide the fate of the mortal plane.

[bardic-tales]

Happy STS,

Do any of your OCs have hidden strengths that they might not be aware of? how do they find these hidden strengths?

Hello. Happy STS. I hope you are having a wonderful morning. Thank you so much for the questions.

I am going to answer this for Alystin Torrath of Flight of the Dragon.

This is actually an immense plot point in Flight of the Dragon. Alystin is a Child of Prophecy, a title for people who are foretold to hold the fate of the Planes of Existence in their hands. For Alystin, this comes with the ability to open portals to any plane of existence on a leyline.

Alystin is currently being hunted by the High Seer of the Cult of the Old Gods for this hidden strength. Her identity and birth were kept secret from her. Alystin Torrath isn't even her real name, but a clever ploy to keep her safe from those who would exploit her abilities.

She was originally the daughter of Constantine, a queen of an Olessa tribe called the Blayney tribe. Alystin didn't realize that she could potentially be a great leader, and she could take on a more leadership role. In essence, she didn't know her potential was already there.

To "save the world", she and Brennan will have to raise an army and unite the entirety of the Olessa region. This is where she learns to find her assertiveness and teamwork and collaboration skills. She will become known as Queen Consort Alystin, the strategist.

She does faulter and doubt herself on the way, but Brennan reminds she is Queen Constantine's daughter, that her family and his Flight have been waiting for the prophecy child to be born. Most of all, he reminds her that she should believe in herself.

[bardic-tales]

Hi! Happy Blorbo Blursday!

What is the one thing that one of your secondary characters would never do for your protagonist? What's the worst way they could realize this?

--Joy (@italiangothicwriteblr)

Happy Blorbo Blursday, Joy. Thanks for the questions. I hope that you are having a wonderful day.

As I am working on FotD this week, I'm going to answer this for one of the secondary character: Adeon. Adeon is the foster father of Alystin Torrath and the most accomplished of Brennan's knights and his best friend.

What is the one thing that one of your secondary characters would never do for your protagonist?

Adeon is like any other silver dragon once he accepted a mate and had offspring. It didn't matter to him that they were human. Even if meant that he would lose his life, he would protect them until the final breath left his body.

Adeon does not agree with Alystin having Brennan for a mate. In the second book of the Dragon Chronicles, this is a major source of contention between the two dragons. Brennan is a bit of a wanderer as he searches for clues on the cult that is hunting Alystin and Adeon wants a stable life for his daughter. His friend cannot provide this for her.

Then, Adeon knows the fact that Brennan is a dragon means that he will live long enough to see Alystin pass. This actually does happen and causes Brennan to go mad, which is hinted to in Cold as Ice and shown in the last trilogy set in the Planes of Existence.

If Alystin went to him and asked for his permission to marry Brennan, Adeon would refuse. She has a bit of wanderlust, but the fact of the matter is that Brennan's entire flight was wiped out and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Her father thinks she is safer in their village.

What's the worst way they could realize this?

As Alystin looks up to her father, the worst way for her to find out that he doesn't approve of a relationship with Brennan would be if Adeon criticizes his friend directly.

Adeon would have a frank conversation with her about why she didn't think marrying Brennan was a good idea. He never raises his voice to her, but this makes it worse for Alystin. She hates to disappoint her father.

Flight of the Dragon Tag list

@blind-the-winds @verba-writing

If you wish to be removed or added to this list, just let me know. I don't have a post like I do with the others. Just comment, dm me, or send me an ask, and I'll add you.

[bardic-tales]

Happy Blorbo Blursday!!

Your characters are planning a collective day out. Where do they decide to go, and who brings what?

-@quill-spills-ink

Hello, quill. Thanks so much for the ask. I hope you are having a wonderful Blorbo Blursday.

I am going to answer this for Flight of the Dragon.

If the characters of Flight of the Dragon decided to go on a collective day out, it most likely be a picnic in the woods surrounding the town of Siollán.

Brennan - Brennan would most likely bring chicken or beef to make hamburgers. He would grill the meats.

Alystin - She would most likely bring a desert in the form of some type of fantasy apple pie with a rose-looking crust. She enjoys baking and cooking.

Adeon - Adeon would defer to Brennan as he is the oldest of the Flight. He would bring smashed potatoes with cheese within them. Isola would enhance his dish with a chimichurri sauce.

Ellarian - Ellarian Jhaer is the antagonist of FOTD. She most likely would be excluded, but if she weren't, she would bring something easy like a fruit salad with whip cream.

Emray - Emray is the animal companion of FOTD. Although he is trained well, he would most likely lay at Brennan's side and keep watch in case any meat fell to the floor.

Kitos - Kitos is the romantic rival of Brennan. He would bring a caprese salad, knowing cheese and tomatoes are some of Alystin's favorite foods.

Isola - Isola would most likely bring Prosciutoo wrapped cantaloupe. She is Alystin's foster mother and the reason Allie loves to cook.

[bardic-tales]

Happy STS!

Do any of your characters have or would have children? If yes, how many and what are their names?

Hello, Leia. I hope you are having a wonderful morning, afternoon, or evening. Happy STS. Thank you so much for the questions.

I'm going to answer this for the main love interests in all three WIPS: Cold as Ice, Flight of the Dragon, and Pale Fire.

cw: child murder. death

Children play an important role in Cold as Ice, as well as Cirel. Both Cyras and Vaene have children from relationships / marriage that they had before they became involved.

Cyras has two children: a boy and a girl. These children are named Camila and Carmine (who might have a name change). Camila has a sub plot in Cold as Ice as we see her travel from the Avis region to the Olessa Providence with her marriage prospect and Garus, her bodyguard she knew since she was relocated to Avis.

Carmine is introduced in the third book in the Dark Savior series. He is a squire to a knight of Agosto at the moment. As a knight, he cannot assume the title of Steward after his father passes.

Vaene had a son named Segan. Through a favor for the duke, she was arranged to marry Vaene. His wife was involved in a plot to control the Arturis family through Vaene. After she had his son, Ambrosia softened. She had started to fall in love with Vaene and was threatening to tell him everything. As a result, she and her child were assassinated by the Wraith.

This trauma changed Vaene. He vowed to never allow anyone to get close to him again, as he feared for their safety. Vaene now lives his life for vengeance, but Cyras shatters the metaphorical armor he placed around himself. She, herself, fears love.

Together, they have at least one child, Lukas. Their union is needed by the gods to prevent the destruction of the Planes of Existence from the god of war, Vittore. Lukas' descendants will lead to Sandric, the vessel of the god of love.

cw: blood drinking. pregnancy. labor

Brennan has many children before he starts a relationship with the mortal Alystin. Most of his flight is wiped out as they protect Alystin as a newborn Alystin and her mother from the cult sieging Adwen ferch Afan castle.

The only two children who survived were with the shadow dragon Kalzeruth. Due to Kalzeruth training both of them, they were away from Adwen ferch Afan.

Brennan and Alystin do have two children together. They are twins, and it is obvious that they are the product of a dragon and a human. The newborns are covered in soft silver scales.

By consuming Brennan's blood, Alystin becomes a dragon knight. This fosters a bond between Alystin and Brennan, allowing the silver dragon to feel Alystin's emotions and pain. He arrived to be by Alystin's side right when she had gone into labor. She delivers their children in a dirty inn room away from onlookers, as Brennan and Kalzeruth know that they are in danger from the moment they took their first breaths.

Brennan is the one who names their children, stating that he needs to "know them" before he gives them their true names. I haven't got so far as to name these children yet. The Arturis family is direct descendants of Alystin and Brennan.

cw: death. pregnancy.

Anabelle and Shae's relationship is full of tension. Their problem is that they tend to never communicate. This is from the very moment that they met to their reunion many years later.

They spend four years together, and both fall deeply in love as they try to stop the Shadow Council from securing dragon artifacts. These artifacts can change the course of the world and do. In a follow-up story I have plan for Cold as Ice, Cyras stabs one of these artifacts, a book, and causes the moon Andrea to shatter.

When a former shadow council member does not hand over the artifact they possess, Annie and Shae kill them. They both are remorseful. It was during one such event that Seamus murders his old flame, a Glorendine woman named Rosette.

Seamus sends Annie back to the Olessan Empire as he reasons that he cannot keep her safe from the events happening around them. He never thought Rosette would die and by his own hand, no less. They would conceive twins that night: Keiran Seamususon and Máire Niamh Eileen Seamusadottire.

[bardic-tales]

HAPPY STS!

If your WIP(S) were to be made into movies, which actors and actresses would play as your characters?

Happy belated STS. I hope you are having a wonderful day.

I'm going to do this for the protagonist and love interest of each novel.

Gif warning below. 😂

Cold as Ice:

For Cyras Covelli, I would choose Kirsten Dunst.

For Vaene Arturis, I would choose David Wenham. Vaene's original description was inspired by his portrayal of Faramir in the Lord of the Rings.

Flight of the Dragon

For Alystin Torrath, I would choose Doutzen Kroes.

For the silver dragon, Brennan Draig, I would choose Henry Cavill. He would have to have a deep scar over his eye and silver eyes.

Pale Fire

For Anabelle Vasser, I would choose Keira Knightley. My friends actually chose this as her faceclaim, and it's been that way ever since.

For Seamus Jorinuson, I would choose Mads Mikkelsen.

[bardic-tales]

Fun Fact Friday Part III

Thank you so much for the tag, @jessica-writes22.

Rules: List as many fun facts about your ocs, writing process, or wips as you want

One of the many theme songs that describe Cyras and Vaene's relationship is Through Glass by Stone Sour.

Cyras grew up in the southern part of the Olessan Empire. Many northern Olessans will vacation in the south during winter as it is warmer.

Niccolo will often harm Cyras, but he will always weep and apologize afterward. She developed a harsh view upon the world because of this and other events that have happened in her past.

Niccolo has a gnarled hand. His fingers are usually curved inward. He can't participate in the events that he had in his youth. Because of this, he will often have his right-hand man, Salazzar, to do what he cannot.

Salazzar is a full-blooded Drakl, a descendent of Alystin and Brennan in Flight of the Dragon. He is also the father of Vincento, best friened to Cyras Covelli.

Before Alystin, Brennan had a mate named Beatrix. In dragon hierarchy, the female partners usually are the heads of the family and decide the flight's actions. Beatrix has forbidden Brennan and her children to transform into their true forms before the lesser races.

Alystin is a waitress at the Huntsman, an inn owned by her foster family. She loves her job, but she yearns for adventure. She will get that in spades.

Alystin loves to run around barefoot and feel the earth underfoot.

Although Brennan is a knight errant who is proficient with melee weapons, he also knows a bit of archery. He teaches this to Alystin, aiding her in her quest for vengeance but also keeping her out of the reach of their enemies.

Alystin loves foods that are tart. For her naming day, her foster mother will make her a pie filled with elderberries. She will take the pie and retire to her bedroom and meditate upon her life and relationship with the vener (gods). This can last up to 3 days to a week.

Seamus has a certain swagger to him. He tends to strut when he walks, as he is full of confidence in his abilities.

Shae often gathers his hair into a tight ponytail, as the Glorendine military discourages unkempt appearances. Anabelle loves to see him with his dark hair down.

Even when he doesn't show it, Seamus cares deeply for Anabelle. After they reunited, she jumped into the arctic sea. Without a thought, Shae jumped after her to rescue her.

Shae will always give his enemy a chance to do what is right. He tried to talk Anabelle out of helping him in his mission numerous times as her "hands aren't stained by his sins yet."

While most shadow blades worship VIttore, the vener of war, Seamus worships Agosto and Augustine, the vener and venera of justice, divine order, fairness, law and good council. He can often be found leaving offerings of wine to Agosto and Agustine.

Open Tag and Tag List (no pressure and soft tagging)

I'm going to tag some people randomly off of my tumblr games list and some I think would be interested in doing this.

@midnights-melodiverse, @whimsyqueen, @galaxygamersblog, @galaxy-writer, @365runesofwriting, and @blind-the-winds

If you would like to be on my tag list for notifications on any Tumblr tag games I might participate in, check out this post here. If you wish to be taken off this taglist, feel free to tell me!

[bardic-tales]

Happy STS! Do you have any minor details or themes that repeat themselves in your writing? Not necessarily tropes even, but just tiny things you can’t seem to stop writing.

Hello. Happy STS. I hope you're having a wonderful day. Thanks for the question.

This is actually something that I have been noticing lately as I was typing up the descriptions of my protagonists. All three of the protagonists have foster families.

Alystin Torrath from Flight of the Dragon is the foster daughter of a silver dragon and a midwife / wetnurse. They protect her from the cult that is hunting her. Adeon was the loved interest's most proficient knight and best friend. When Brennan started to show an interest in Alystin, Adeon outright forbade it.

Anabelle Vasser was taken off the street much like Cyras was and raised by Jackson Vasser. He would be emotionally and physically abusive to her. She was being groom by Jackson for the Shadow Council to infiltrate the nobility and keep tabs on the royal family. She was also being trained as a treasure hunter. Anabelle is a master of disguise much like the Wraith, one of the main characters of Cold as Ice.

Cyras Covelli from Cold as Ice was raised by the Duke of Avis. He was cruel to her, as he was a harsh disciplinarian, only concerned with his own schemes. He is amongst the highest of the nobility and groomed her for the Olessan court. Cyras would learn quickly that a man's word could ruin a woman's reputation.

[bardic-tales]

For the ship that fits best or you wanna talk about:

💘 was it love at first sight, or a slow burn?

🧚🏼 what was their relationship, if they had one, before they got together?

💌 who says 'i love you' first?

Hello. I hope your day is going great.

I am going to answer this for Alystin Torrath and Brennan Draig in Flight of the Dragon.

💘 was it love at first sight, or a slow burn?

Alystin is a Child of Prophecy who is capable of opening a portal to any of the planes on a leyline. Brennan is a 1200-year-old silver dragon. The God of Love, Amés, charged Brennan to protect Alystin, and as a reward, the dragon would be able to have the afterlife of his choosing with his lifemate.

It wasn't love at first sight. Brennan is the type of person who takes his time and examines all of his feelings. He has always taken his time on deciding upon things: a mate, taking his father's place as the warlord of Seralia, a city-state in the Olessa region.

cw: violence

Alystin and Brennan have been through so much together. She did not know she was raised by dragons until they were attacked by a cultist member who was able to use elemental magick. Alystin was slammed against a wall, broke her arm, and hit her head. To save her, Brennan would shapeshift back into his true form. She didn't know if what she saw was a hallucination or not.

After much internal debate, Brennan would eventually tell Alystin the truth. The silver dragons prefer human forms as they enjoy the culture that the mortal races have, but it takes some time for one to trust someone enough to tell them the truth.

She still didn't believe Brennan, so he took her out deep into the forest and transformed into an immense dragon. Alystin was awed as she stared into his eyes. They would eventually settle upon the grass with her resting against his side. He would use his wings to shelter her from the rain.

This peace didn't last long. A black dragon would be attracted to Brennan's presence in the woods and attack. These dragons were created by the god of war and were little more than beasts. Black dragons are especially territorial and look down upon the silvers.

cw: death.

After an intense battle, Brennan became enraged and killed his opponent. He was injured during the fight as the other dragon clawed his face. Before he could shift back, Alystin would clean it to the best of her ability. He would utter the spell that would transform him back into a human, clasp her hands in his, and tell her that he is wise enough to know how she felt about him as she was fretting over something that was little more than a scratch. Brennan would admit that over the time they spent together he had grown to love her, too.

🧚🏼 what was their relationship, if they had one, before they got together?

cw: corpse

Up until a certain point, their relationship was only one of acquaintances. Then, it was a friendship as he taught her how to use her magick and martial skills.

Through a holy man's corpse, Amés would remind Brennan of the oath his flight pledged to him. They were to look over the family that the prophets had proclaimed that a Child of Prophecy would be born to.

Hours after Alystin's birth, an Enethian cult would siege the castle in hopes of securing the child to force her to open a portal to the Death Plane, allowing the Endless Hunger to be released upon Arathea. During the fierce battle, the high priestess would summon a blood golem who was powered by a draconic soul. Brennan would pray to Amés for deliverance, and the god of love answer. In exchange for his divine help, Amés required Brennan to keep the promise his flight made long ago and charged Brennan to protect the child from the Cult of the Dead.

Brennan, his best friend, and a midwife/wetnurse escaped with the newborn and made a promise to keep her identity a secret. Brennan would leave Alystin in the capable hands of Adeon and Isona, his best knight and the woman who brought Alystin into the world. They would settle in Siollán with Brennan taking his leave. He couldn't foresee that the cult would have cells all over the mainland.

As Alystin grew, he was often away. Brennan would go to different countries and city-states as he tried to find any information on the cult and the old gods through tomes and other ancient texts. He would return to Siollán and Adeon's inn.

Adeon would tell Brennan not to interact with Alystin as he was sure he would compromise the safety of his daughter. Adeon is a fellow silver dragon, and as such, he is extremely protective of his mate and those he considered his offspring.

cw: death

Alystin would serve him in the common room. There was one time when a group of five drunken men tried to assault Alystin. Adeon and Isona had gone to market and left their daughter in charge of the inn. Brennan would end up drawing his sword and killing these men before comforting Alystin who would tell him about her experience in Siollán.

She would complement his kindness. That was the extent of their relationship as she lived in Siollán. The entire exchange would anger Brennan, who wasn't known to become angry easily. Brennan would scold Adeon for leaving Alystin alone and would tell him that he hated to think what would happen if he had been away.

cw: fire

This would all change when Alystin's first love was revealed to be an agent of the cult. Kritos would set fire to the Huntsman. Alystin and her family would be forced to flee into the woodland surrounding Siollán into the camp of an errant knight.

Brennan would then reveal Alystin's background to her, telling her all he has learned about the cult. As moonlight streamed down upon the camp, Alystin vowed to start a quest of vengeance to stop the machinations of the cult and its high priestess.

��� who says 'i love you' first?

cw: pregnancy. blood

After Brennan realized she loved him and he told her he loved her too, they really don't say I love you all that much. I can think of three times when they said this: when he realized she loved him, when she drank his blood to become a dragon knight, and when they find out she's pregnant.

Their actions let the other know that they still love each other. When she is pregnant with his child, Brennan hunts game to make sure that she gets enough protein. A draconic hybrid tends to gorge on the mother's lifeforce if there isn't a substantial supply of protein available.

If they were to say I love you, it would be before a battle that one might not come back from. Alystin typically calls out to him to be careful, to come back to her and their children, and that she loves him. He smirks at her in his human form and tells her not to fear needlessly as there isn't really anything a dragon of his size fears.

CHARACTER RELATIONSHIP QUESTIONS

FOTD Tag List

@verba-writing (as you expressed interest in FOTD before)

[bardic-tales]

hello and how are you?

let's go, 📝📝📝 ˭̡̞(◞⁎˃ᆺ˂)◞*✰

Hello, Rune! I'm quite fine. How are you?

Although I always say that Cold as Ice is what launched the Planes of Existence Universe, it wasn't the first manuscript that was set in the Arathean world. That goes to Faith's Fall. CAI is the one that created the planes and the other gods and the lovecraftian old gods.

I originally went to college to become a forensic psychologist before I decided that I wanted to write full-time. I use those classes and the things that I learned to build the personality of all of my characters. For example, Niccolo Napoli, the antagonist of CAI, has several traits from the Dark Triad.

Each WIP that I am writing is connected in some way and usually has been manipulated by the god of love. For example, Alystin and Brennan are the mother and father of two species: the humans and the Drakl. The humans bred out their dragon-like traits over time; the Drakl, vice-versa. Cyras and Vaene needed to have children so the god of love can be born 800 years in the future. Pale Fire sets up Seamus as the eventual king of the Glorendt Kingdom with Anabelle as his Queen. Cyras and Vaene will need to escape to Glorendt.