Horvatch


image made with Portrait Workshop

STATS
Name: Horvatch
Age: 547
Gender: Female
Race: Dragonoid
Class: Slightly Suspicious Woodworker

Description: Horvatch is a dragonoid with two separate sets of horns, a long nose, sharp teeth and vestigial wings and tail. Her eyes are a very brilliant shade of blue and are what most people first notice about her. Her white hide is protected by scales and her gender is hard to tell outwardly. Still she confirms to the societal convention of wearing clothes. When she goes out into the woods, she usually foregoes them quite readily. 
Personality: Horvatch is a 'mind your own business' kind of girl. She's lived a long time, has seen more than enough drama to know that she doesn't want to borrow trouble. She doesn't mingle much and usually keeps to herself. Getting to know her is hard. Her tough exterior keeps people away and she is not bothered when people first think she's male as it usually makes for less trouble. Inside Horvatch is content to spend her time quietly. She likes woodworking and sells tools, furniture and statues to live and wanders around when she feels she isn't getting enough customers. 
Skills
     *Telepathy
     *Verbal Speech
     *Paralyse: the ability to freeze others with her gaze
     *Woodworking: the skill of making items out of wood, gained by centuries of experience

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AMASSING A FLOCK OF SNAKES
Horvatch pushed through the dense growth. The scratching of branches felt good against her skin. There was little that could pierce her hide so she wasn't worried. The one thing that did worry her was that she'd need to stop soon and make camp. Sometimes she preferred to keep going, but it had been too long since she'd last rested and that could be dangerous. Sitting down, eating and napping a couple of hours would recharge her batteries. And then maybe she'd be able to trek to the other side of this forest and set up shop to sell her wares. 
As she pulled out the dried meat and fruits that she would eat, a winged snake flitted into view. Her little cousin was bright blue with green feathers and a green diamond pattern. Fangs and a stinger were testament to the creature's power and Horvatch proceeded with caution.
"Want to share? I'm just passing through."
Horvatch left out some of her food and watched as it was devoured within seconds. The blue-green winged snake looked up, made eye contact and Horvatch got the feeling that she was a lot smarter than she'd given her cousin credit. Just as the white dragonoid wanted to gather her things and move out of the winged snake's territory, she noticed the very well camouflaged black and brown snake slithering into her backpack. 
That snake was smaller and sported feathers on his tail but he lacked wings. He shared the diamond pattern and Horvatch surmised that they were related. Horvatch stepped away abd decided she could always get another satchel. The teal-blue female snake seemed to find it odd that Horvatch would leave without her things and without a fight. Enough so that she broke the silence: 
"Are you scared of us or is this a trap? No-one will ever cage me." 
"I can spare what you want and will not be worse off without it. Take what you need." Horvatch replied.
"What if we take you?" the brown snake joined the conversation.
"My brother seems to underestimate you." the female, Tiyl'isa remarked.
"He does seem strong." Horvatch supplied.
"He is not." Tiyl'isa scoffed.
"You're not that much stronger!" Kohl'isan growled and if he'd been able to fly he might have attacked his sister.
"This one is far older and far stronger than all of us combined."
Somehow Horvatch got the impression that Tiyl'isa didn't just mean the two of them. There was an urgency behind her words that put off the loner dragonoid. Whatever was behind her words, it spelled trouble. And yet there was something about these two that wormed through her defences.
"Is something wrong?" Horvatch asked. 


Tiylisa was hatched at the Sanctum Dream

STATS
Name: Tiyl'isa
Gender: Female
Colour: Diamondback Smog-Slime
Parents: Taphixia x Ormand'isan and Ophion'isan
Species: Amphiptere - AAM Beast
Rank: Basic #3
Size: 17 to 33 feet
Personality: gutsy, bold and lecherous
Abilities

     *Venomous Bite
     *Verbal Speech
     *Telepathy


Kohlisan was hatched at the Sanctum Dream

STATS
Name: Kohl'isan
Gender: Male
Colour: Diamondbanded Black-Black-Mud
Parents: Taphixia x Ormand'isan and Ophion'isan
Species: Amphiptere - AAM Beast
Rank: Basic #1
Size: 15 to 31 feet
Personality: unpleasant, crass and contrite 
Abilities

     *Venomous Bite
     *Verbal Speech
     *Telepathy

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Following the two snakes back to their home might not have been Horvatch's best decision but she was curious about why these snakes were around. She'd travelled these woods for centuries and had never come across anything like them. That meant they must be an imported species. 
"Did you come here by yourself?" she asked.
"We escaped." Kohl'isan snarled.
"We were taken and held in captivity." Tiyl'isa added.
Horvatch wondered who would even try to mess with a species that was clearly equally dangerous as intelligent. But then humans weren't the best example of how they treated others. They weren't always kind to their own species either. And Horvatch felt pretty much akin to these cousins. They were small still but the would probably grow much larger and live long lives.
Just as she was thinking that, the trio reached a clearing. Tiyl'isa made a whistling sound and two other snakes crawled out of the shrubs. One was a banded snake in blue, white and brown. He gave of a male aura but seemed hurt. His companion was a female snake with small arms and a feathered tail. She was not really a snake at all then, but she again seemed related to the other three. She had the same diamond pattern but in bright yellow and red colours. 
"Why did you bring a biped?" the latter hissed.
"Horvatch will help Tacome-isa." Tiyl'isa answered.
"Pinshou'isan needs care that we can't give. Not even you with your arms." Kohl'isan added.
This seemed to quiet the feisty, argumentative snake. Horvatch waited a bit, but when no-one else spoke, headed for the injured snake. The male happily let her pick him up and burrowed against her skin. Though she didn't really like it, Horvatch dressed and the snake instantly seemed to grow warmer and more content.  
"Follow me." Horvatch then said, "If my old cabin is still around we can take shelter there and eat."

 


Pinshou'isan was hatched at the Sanctum Dream

STATS
Name: Pinshou'isan
Gender: Male
Colour: Banded Ash-Smog-Mud
Parents: Taphixia x Ormand'isan and Ophion'isan
Species: Amphiptere - AAM Beast
Rank: Basic #1
Size
15 to 31 feet
Personality: sultry, affectionate and jealous
Abilities

     *Venomous Bite
     *Verbal Speech
     *Telepathy


Tacome'isa was hatched at the Sanctum Dream

STATS
Name: Tacome'isa
Gender: Female
Colour: Diamondbanded Oil-Ash-Blood
Parents: Taphixia x Ormand'isan and Ophion'isan
Species: Amphiptere - AAM Beast
Rank: Basic #2
Size: 16 to 32 feet
Personality: withdrawn, terse and untamed
Abilities

     *Venomous Bite
     *Verbal Speech
     *Telepathy

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Luckily, the cabin was still around. it needed some repairs but the inside was protected from the wind and most rain. A cellar had provided her with some leftover preserves. She'd need to restock but what had been left would tide them over for a couple of days. Enough for Horvatch to get them organised. 
The dragonoid then set to work on tending to Pinshou'isan. The banded snake happily let her, his tail and head often stroking against her scales in tender movements. It seemed not all of these were hostile in nature. But maybe that was why he'd gotten injured in the first place. 
As days knit together into a longer expanse of time, Horvatch started to notice that she could feel the presence of the winged snakes more acutely. Though she'd never intended to make such a lasting bond, she knew that she'd become part of their flock and would not say goodbye to them. 
The thought wasn't bad. In fact, Horvatch felt rather joyous about gaining companions. 

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Lantessama Isle
Background image from deitydiva