Byval

image made with Portrait Works

STATS
Name: Byval
Age: Ageless, virtually immortal unless intentionally killed
Gender: Male
Race: Drake
Class: Knight

Description: Built like a brick wall and just as strong, Byval seems to be made of muscle upon muscle upon bone. His skin is as tough as wood and just about as grainy as treebark. His face is square with a distinctive ridge below his large reptilian eyes. They have an unusual blue colour, softening what would otherwise be a predatory look. Without ears, horns or fur, Byval has little else to groom than his skin.
Personality: Byval is a protector, a knight in shining armour. He cannot help but respond to pleas for help and will go out of his way if it ensures the safety of even complete strangers. Anyone trying to harm him (or a stranger that seems to not be happy with the setting), will get to know his fists intimately. Byval is sometimes rash, quick to anger and hasty in his actions but they always come from a place of caring.  
Skills: Strength enhancement, Solid skin, Endurance (almost Berserker in nature), Teleportation
Enjoys: A good sandbath in nearly scalding sand (deserts and volcanoes much appreciated)
Dislikes: Cold, injustice, parasytes digging under his skin (they itch!)
Pet: -

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BONDING
Byval stared in wonder at the water that flowed through the air, plunging down from a floating island down to a vast ocean. He was more of a steady connect-with-the-earth kind of rock-dweller but expanding your horizons every now and then wasn't so bad. Travelling was fine. Roughing it was fine. What bothered Byval was that he didn't have a task, a goal, a mission. Some would say that the travel of itself was a goal but Byval wasn't one given to such whimsey. Figuring that the locals might have some work for him to do, Byval headed for the nearest settlement.
When asked, people had given him directions to Nidus Asteri where he would surely be a candidate for some lofty goal or mission. Byval wondered if something in the translation had  gone wrong because he felt that what they were hinting at was far from using his muscle to move some heavy items around. But a goal was a goal and Byval craved being useful.
At Nidus Asteri, Byval quickly learned that the lofty goal was bonding a dragon. There was an Elessadian clutch hardening and the dragonets would be born swiftly. And until that time Byval would get to learn, do chores and train. Which seemed like a pretty good deal.
It was only two weeks later when Byval was called to the Hatching grounds. He hadn't really inquired but there was more than 1 dragoness on the sands and there were more than a few candidates waiting. Clearly the lack of candidates had been acute and the neighbouring villages had known this. Byval felt good that he'd followed their good advice. If he could care for one of these cursed dragons, he would save a life. There was little that was of more value than that.
As eggs cracked, shattered and spilled their contents, people cheered and candidates cried, laughed and one even fainted. And then suddenly, a brown hatchling appeared by Byval's side. Looking up, the bond snapped into place and Byval's life became the saving grace of the yet-unnamed hatchling. He would choose a name when he was old enough to pick one.
"Welcome to the world, it's a curious place." Byval greeted the dragon, feeling a bit lost for words.
After a pauze he added: "Let's go get something to eat." for which he was rewarded by a happy squeak.

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MATING
About a year later, Byval and Grit were away on a training mission for the Nidus when they spied trouble. Usually these training missions were your standard: "fly surveillance over area X" or "Go report message Y to officer Z who's at location A." But every so often something interesting happened.
Like spying a damsel in distress. All of Byval's senses went into alert and his nerves felt like tightly wound strings. Beneath him, Grit had had a similar reaction as he too had seen the problem. Below them a green dragon and her rider had found themselves besieged by a herd of wild animals. They were likely spooked but instead of boasting their way out of it, the duo seemed intent on showing they were no threat. Byval could go on and on about why this was a bad idea.
The duo swooped in and Grit released a mighty roar that belied his young age. The wild animals retreated, knowing better than to stand up to a dragon charging. When they landed, Byval approached the rider of the green who turned out to be a dainty little dragonoid with translucent wings - in truth Ledoru wasn't all that small, everyone just looks dainty next to Byval.
"Glad to have been of assistance." Byval said.
"I had it covered!" the Trembling Leaf said defensively.
Looking closely at her, Byval noticed that she too was an Elessadian dragon although her wings seemed to glow with more colour than Grit's. And speaking of his dragon, he seemed quite enamored by the spunky female.
"We couldn't tell from the sky, my lady. We figured there'd be strength in numbers." Grit replied chivalrous.
This seemed to appease the green's temper and her rider seemed to be all the more relieved for the help they'd been given. Introductions were made and Byval and Grit soon forgot all about their training exercise as they showed the other duo around. A start of a series of outings that would eventually lead to Ledoru inviting Byval and Grit to join them to live at her forest.

Grit bonded at Nidus Asteri

STATS
Name: Grit
Gender: Male
Origin: Nidus Asteri (Empyrean Stair)
Parentage: Red Lake In Ivory & Black Mirage
Species: Elessadian Dragon
Colour: Brown
Size: 8.5' at the shoulder, 30-35 feet long
Personality: Valiant, Protective, Proper, just as Knightly as his bond.
Abilities:
     *Verbal Speech
     *Excellent Vision, Good Hearing, Reduced smell of Taste and Scent
     *Fire Breath
     *Magic-repellant Scales
     *Elessadian Curse: require a bond at (or just after) hatching to survive

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Lantessama Isle
Background image from deitydiva