Dragon Riders

[Gildraug]

Note: you do not need to have any knowledge of the game Skyrim, for this is only loosely based upon it. Please, do send me a message if you have any questions/suggestions!

 

 

 

Background

 

It is three hundred years after the Great Dragonborn defeated Alduin - the dragon who was destined to devour our world - in Sovngarde, the land of the heroic dead. When the Great Dragonborn's victoriously return to Skyrim, the common dragons and the Great Dragonborn made a pact: all the future Dragonborns would have a dragon partner, much like Odahviing was to the Great Dragonborn. This meant that the future Dragonborns and dragons would not have the need to kill each other, and there could be peace amongst them.

With the help of the wise Paarthurnax, the eldest dragon now that Alduin was dead, and the Greybeards - mortals who follow the Way of the Voice - the Great Dragonborn linked his blood with the dragons even further. Now, the Dragonborn was destined to a dragon and they would be linked when the time was right. Paarthurnax and the Greybeards swore to guide the future Dragonborns towards the right path, and the dragons who would be partners with them.

 

Ever since, all the Dragonborns that arrived to the world were sent to High Hrothgar, the fortress located on Skyrim's highest mountain. In High Hrothgar the Greybeards, Paarthurnax, and the Great Dragonborn taught the new Dragonborns and their dragons. Soon, the term 'Dragonborn' was abandoned after the death of the Great Dragonborn, and the new 'Dragonborns' became Dragon Riders, instead.

 

Now, you have discovered (or discovered ages ago), that you have the blood of dragon in you - and you must come to High Hrothgar, answering to their call: Dovah Zoriik, hon un for!

 

 

Map and location (and other random pictures)

 

Here is the map

(No worries, I'll tell where exactly on the map everything is, so you do not need to waste time trying to search for something - for example, High Hrothgar is in H5)

High Hrothgar itself

High Hrothgar interior

Throat of the World

Nord Ruin (exterior)

Nord Ruin (interior)

In Nord ruins, you encounter Draugrs ...and sometimes a Dragon Priest

Dwemer Ruin (exterior)

Dwemer Ruin (interior)

Bandit Camp

 

I can also put more pictures, if someone wishes so

 

 

Thu'um and Dragons

 

Thu'um is from the dragon language (dovahzul), and means 'Shout'. Dragons know naturally how to Shout, Dragon Riders must learn how to Shout in the dovahzul. There are up to three words to each Shout, each strengthening it.

Here's a link to all the Shouts (scroll down a little, to the part 'Shouts' - we'll be using those.)

 

You may all make your dragon, but pretty please, keep your dragon realistic, e.g. no rainbow-colored dragons that breath happiness or whatsoever, thank you. Here's a link to what types of dragons and what their names are canonically in Skyrim - but this is merely a suggestion on how they should look and be named (do be creative)!

In High Hrothgar, the dragons will sleep on the peak of the mountain with Paarthurnax - at the Throat of the World. On missions, if the Dragon Riders go into dungeons/areas where a huge flying lizard cannot go to, the dragons will be roaming close by, and can be summoned back by a shout (taught to you when you meet your dragon).

Dragons are immortal, but can be slain in battle.

 

 

Plot

 

There will be two constantly ongoing plots: one set in High Hrothgar, where the Greybeards and Paarthurnax teach the Dragon Riders.

The second plot will be following the more mature Dragon Riders, who have mastered their Thu'um and their dragon.

 

First plot: New students - those who have felt the Greybeards calling - start their journey from Ivarstead (on the map H6), a town where there are 7,000 steps that lead to High Hrothgar. When they have completed the pilgrimage of walking those steps up to High Hrothgar, they will be greeted by the Greybeards. After their greeting, the Greybeards will introduce dragons to the students. Each will choose their dragon, and a Thu'um to call their dragon will be taught.

Training starts, with equal amounts of combat, reading, flying and meditation on Thu'um. Training will be tough and troubles emerge between the dragons and the students alike.

Basically, like any school-based RP plot. Depending on how skillful the Dragon Rider is, they will graduate sooner or later in this RP (unless you do not want - that's fine, too).

 

Second plot: The 'graduated' Dragon Riders fly across Skyrim, ensuring everything is alright. Do some minor quests, like clearing out a bandit camp, exploring a Nord ruin or a cave, helping the common folk, teaching a lesson to a wild dragon that has been causing havoc, and so forth.

However, while encountering one of these wild dragons, the Dragon Riders discover that these dragons have become immensely more powerful. Defeating one and questioning it, they discover that these wild dragons have been flying to Sovngarde and feasting upon the souls there, much like Alduin - and thus, becoming stronger.

Not only that, but the dead of Skyrim, who had been - more or less - sleeping peacefully in their tombs, have now awakened. But what is behind all of this? What to do about all of these more powerful dragons that do not follow the peaceful Way of the Voice?

 

 

Misc.

-There are four Greybeards in High Hrothgar teaching: Aenar, Fjolfr, Haaki, and Thonro (all males). They can be RPd or they can be NPCs, depending on how many we have RPing.

-I will RP Paarthurnax, unless someone especially wants to RP him.

-Dragons and their Riders share a mental connection, formed in High Hrothgar when they first meet; they can talk mentally with each other, but this link is weaker the further away they are from each other.

-The dragons need lots of food, so they will fly off to hunt every now and then, keep that in mind (just to make this more realistic).

-Unlike in the game, you do not need to kill a dragon to gain its knowledge of a word. Instead, your dragon - who knows dovahzul - will share its knowledge every time you learn a new word.

-Your character can specialize in one Shout after graduating - requires meditation with Paarhurnax

-Upon coming to High Hrothgar, you know only one Shout, and one Word.

-Weaponry is limited to swords and bows (and all alike those); no guns or anything, as Skyrim is still stuck in the Viking ages.

-Races in this game: High Elf, Argonian, Wood Elf, Breton, Dark Elf, Imperial, Khajiit, Nord, Orc, Redguard

-Classes: Archer, Mage, Knight, Warrior (difference from Knight: usage of two swords/axes/daggers/whatnot instead of a sword and shield), Thief, Ranger (a mixture between Archer and Thief), Assassin (mixture between Warrior and Thief), Monk (mixture between Warrior and Mage)

-Some weaponry and other stuff you probably want to check out

 

Rules

-Have fun!

-Do not be afraid to tell me your ideas

-NO LIMIT for characters; just make it clear when you make a transition between characters

-"Character is talking"; Character is thinking; ((Out Of Character, or OOC))

-Keep your characters realistic, please - no god-like characters

-Be fair in fights; do not always win with one hit

-If there is a problem, inform me

-The longer your posts are, the happier I get!

-Mild romance and cursing allowed

-Skyrim Wiki is your friend, if you want to know anything additional related to Skyrim itself

-You might find this link VERY handy

 

 

Character Sheet

-PM this to me!

-Those who wish to RP as an Greybeard, contact me

-Your character can be whatever gender/sexuality you wish

-Name generator, if you want one

-You may be a mixture of two races, if you so wish

-Try to keep the amount of students and graduated even

 

[B]Player[/B]: (You)
[B]Character name[/B]: (Your character's name)
[B]Age[/B]: (Gives an idea on how long will your character be in High Hrothgar - the younger, the longer will the studies take. We're not going to mess with the different lifespans between the races - just go with human years.)
[B]Race[/B]: (High Elf/Wood Elf/Dark Elf/Nord/Orc/Redguard/Khajiit/Imperial/Breton)
[B]Class[/B]: (Archer/Mage/Knight/Warrior/Thief/Ranger/Assassin/Monk  - Student/Graduated)
[B]Appearance[/B]: (Basically, how your character looks? Height, hair, eyes, style of dressing (<- remember, Viking Ages), does he/she have piercings or tattoos, and so forth. The better the description, the easier it is for your fellow RPers 'see' your fantastic character.)
[B]Personality[/B]: (Tell us how your character thinks/analyzes/feels/remembers and so forth. Describe what goes inside your character's head!)
[B]Background[/B]: (Your class defines your background slightly, but do not let it hinder you. Be creative! Note: if we have a lot of 'tragic backstory' or the background 'will be revealed later', it gets boring.)
[b]Dragon[/b]: (Describe your dragon here)
[b]Shouts[/b]: (What Shouts does your character know when coming to High Hrothgar? Note: maximum one full shout (three words) and one incomplete Shout. Those who have already graduated know all of the Shouts, but which one has your character specialized?)
[B]Misc[/B]: (Here goes anything I missed to ask you guys to tell. You can, for example, put your starting inventory here.)

Edited December 24, 2014 by Gildraug

[Gildraug]

Accepted Characters

 

 

Player: Gildraug

Character name: Paarthurnax

Age: Thousands of years - one of the eldest dragons

Gender: Male

Race: Dragon

Class: Teacher

Appearance: Image

Personality: Calm and wise - loves to have long conversations with the students, especially if the subject is philosophical. He remembers things clearly from years a back, if given time to recall. Mixes a lot of dovahzul in his speech, but remembers to clarify himself if the student is confused. Paarthurnax teaches words of Thu'um and meditation on them.

Background: Despite his violent past as Alduin's lieutenant in the Dragon Wars, Paarthurnax betrayed the black dragon and taught mortals how to Shout. He then started following the Way of the Voice, which claims that Thu'um should not be used as a martial weapon, but to meditate upon. Paarthurnax helped the Great Dragonborn to learn how to find the Dragonrend Shout, which allowed him to defeat Alduin. The Blades - an ancient organization that wished to wipe out all dragons - asked the Great Dragonborn to kill Paarthurnax, so his previous actions could be justified. Paarthurnax replied to the Great Dragonborn as he approached: "Which is better: to be born good, or to overcome your evil and become good?"

This convinced the Great Dragonborn that Paarthurnax, in fact, was good after all.

Shouts: Has complete mastery over all Shouts

Misc: Even though dragons are immortal, Paarthurnax shows signs of growing old. He is also the Grandmaster of the Greybeards.

 

 

***

 

Player: Gildraug

Character name: Dinorn

Age: 21

Race: Wood Elf

Gender: Male

Class: Mainly thief, but as a Wood Elf has a love for archery - Graduated

Appearance: Slanted, amber-colored eyes. Short and messy raven-black hair with ornaments like a feather and glass beads. 182cm (6'0") tall and 70kg (154 lbs) heavy. Wears light leather boots, fingerless gloves that allow him to fidget with lockpicks and a dark green cape with a large hood to cover his face. Under his cape he wears a tight thief's outfit, shaded with greens and browns to give him camouflage. Dinorn uses two elven daggers to fight, but always has a bow and arrows with him - just in case.

Personality: Dinorn is quite a tricky person. At first he may seem anti-social towards others, but actually loves to have friends. He communicates by expressions and actions rather than by speaking. Others find easy to trust him, since he doesn't go blabbering about everything.

He protects those of whom he cares with a fire in his heart, and does his duties well - and might grab a few coin purses as he does so. Dinorn has run into troubles with the guards of various Holds, but as soon as the guards try to catch him, he simply throws out a smoke bomb and vanishes into thin air, alongside a rough laughter.

Background: Living in a fairly wealthy family, Dinorn always craved for danger. And he got it. Too often the guards came to the blacksmith his parents owned, and demanded answers why did the Jarl's favorite pair of boots find their way into Dinorn's feet.

A limit to his crave for danger came, too. When Dinorn was sixteen, he tried to clear out a bandits' camp alone. Just as Dinorn had defeated the others, the bandit leader slashed towards his throat, and only by sheer luck the blade merely hit his throat, instead of cutting. But it was a strong hit, damaging Dinorn's vocals permanently - this gives him a rough, low voice, which he prefers to use only to Shout.

Dragon: Filkunah - translates as Star Light Hunter. Filkunah is a frost dragon. She usually speaks for Dinorn.

Filkunah is very social, but by nature is very unpredictable. She might be either in an excellent mood, or a crappy one - and you'll notice it quite soon. She has a creative mind and prefers to use poetic forms of describing things. She enjoys flying during nights when the skies are clear and the Northern Lights are out.

Filkunah is about 200-250 years old.

Shouts: Specialized in the "Throw Voice (Zul Mey Gut)" - Shout, that allows him to fool his enemies of his whereabouts.

Misc: Dinorn prefers not to speak due to his wound, but Filkunah talks in his stead. The two of them share a deep bond.

 

 

***

 

 

Player: Tenanye Gytha

Character name: Tsabhira

Age: 18

Race: Khajiit

Class: Student-Ranger

Appearance: Appearance Height: 5'10 Weight: 110lbs She prefers wearing leather armour or hooded robes like the ones worn by the priests and priestesses of Mara, usually in a way that hides her face and tail.

Personality: Hira is the type to give what she gets and sometimes more. Lets say if some one were to come up to her and call her a sneak-thief, She would go out of her way to either pickpocket them or steal from their home while they are sleeping though she isn't racist towards anyone unless they seriously tick her off. Shes also rather relaxed content to just fall asleep where shes sitting.

Background: Hira had been living with her family, avoiding the few who were addicted to skooma, as a merchant up until the age of 17 when they stopped in Skyrim. She got into a lot of trouble due to her personality when she was younger. After getting to skyrim she found it much more fun to mess with any racists she met and hunt animals with a bow and arrows she may have 'liberated' from one such person. She actually doesn't like going into the holds so that wasn't a problem with her.

Dragon: Osley Her dragon's name is Osley. She is about 190 years old and looks like this Osley Has a tendancy to act much much younger then she is comparable to a small child.

Shouts: Aura Whisper (Laas Yah Nir) one word of Animal Allegiance (Raan)

Misc: She enjoys drawing on any blank surface wether it be a peice of paper of the wall of one of the holds. She also likes cooking but may just fall asleep leaving it to burn if she isn't woken up.

 

 

***

 

Player: Gildraug

Character name: Torlin

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Race: Redguard

Class: Warrior - Student

Appearance: Torlin is 170 cm tall and weights 60 kg. He has dyed his hair pure white, which contrasts drastically with his dark skin and his eyes are between cardinal red and dark brown - there's some Dark Elf blood in his family, which has resulted into their red eyes and slightly pointed ears. He wears traditional Redguard clothes (first one from the right).

Personality: Torlin's mind is as sharp as his blade's. He thinks the best while in action, so even the most intense battle cannot confuse him. He's very confident of himself - to the point of arrogance, and he doesn't take failure as an option. If he were to fail, he takes it very personally and might be moody for a long while after it. He strives for perfection in every aspect, which makes him a strong competitor.

Background: Torlin has never had a real home. All of his family - parents, their siblings and their parents - were sellswords, traveling across Tamriel and Skyrim. The family sometimes broke into smaller sections as they traveled into different countries. Torlin's section went to Skyrim. He hated to be there, since it was so cold and the Nords were hostile at them because of their dark skin. However, he and his family quickly gained the battle-proud Nords respect with their skills of sword. After that, Torlin and his family enjoyed easy life as the Nords knew to whom to come when in need of a sellsword. Then, one day, Torlin met a dragon. It didn't say anything to him, nor he to it and the dragon flew away. A day later, when Torlin was sharpening his sword, he heard the Greybeards call.

Dragon: Wuthkloviing

Torlin's dragon is Wuthkloviing - his name translates to Old Sand Wing - Torlin usually just calls him Wuth. Wuthkloviing is about two thousand years old, which makes his way of thinking very different from Torlin's. He, due to his many years of experience, often instructs others on how they should act. Unlike Paarthurnax, he has very little patience with his 'students', so he's very harsh on Torlin. However, he does care about his Rider and always reminds him to strive forwards. Wuthkloviing prefers solitude, and talks rarely to anyone else than Torlin and Paarthurnax.

Shouts: Unrelenting Force (Fus Ro Dah), and first word of Elemental Fury (Su).

Misc: Uses two scimitars in fight and is quick on his feet. Has some food, a healing potion, and some gold with his arrival to High Hrothgar.

 

 

***

 

Player: Esko_the_Wolf

Character name: Esko

Age: 14

Race: werewolf/elf-student

Class: Archer(but always equipped with a dagger)

Apperance: Pitch-black hair, mostly doesn't smile, very tall, speedy and agile, wolf ears instead of elf ears and a wolf tail attached to him, claw-like nails,has a scar on his neck,and is quite attractive

Personality:he seems cold-hearted at first glance, yet get to know him(which he doesn't really allow people to do) he can be a teddy bear. He is known for his "really face" ( ) and has killer stealth and strength when provoked.

Backround: he has had a rough past, which lead to his trust issues. He had been stolen as a young child by thiefs when he was 3, and had learned stealth and speed from them. When he was 13, he heard the Greybeards calling, and left the thiefs to venture to this place the voice called him to. He arrived to the steps on his 14th birthday.

Dragon: a frost dragon named Derino, level-headed and patient.

Shouts: Dragon Aspect

Misc.: Starts out with a bow, an iron dagger,a few small bottles of poison, and a small sack of food.

 

 

***

 

 

Player: Marcus Pheonix

Character name: Whisky

Age: 20

Race: Khajiit

Class: Assassin

Appearance: Whisky looks like a panther that has been in many fights and has learned to stand on its hind legs. He has near pitch black fur and overly large upper canines that poke out over his lower lip. He has heavy scarring on the left side of his face and his left eye is permenantly closed. The scars continue down his whole left side ending at the thigh, they appear in a semi criss-crossed pattern. His eye is a brilliant gold, to contrast with the rest of him, and he keeps the hair on his head slicked back and in a ponytail that hangs to just below his shoulder blades. He is 180cm tall and is very lean but still reasonably muscular at approximately 60kg. He wears dark brother hood armour with matching enchanted boots designed for muffling sound.

Personality: He’s rather cold and doesn’t like getting close to other people, but he also tries fairly hard to pull off a cool appearance. Deep down he’s nice and has good interests at heart but he can be somewhat chaotic in his way to display his good deeds (as assasins do their good deeds are often just murdering people worse than themselves). He’s also well known for going with the flow and is fairly devout in his belief of the gods considering most happenings a sign from the above and as such can succumb to peer pressure fairly easily. But similarly he is heavily against those who dislike the gods and often can’t still his hand when around them.

Background: A slave since his birth Whisky was named after the beverage that the man who bought him was drinking at the time of purchase. Since then he participated in slave fights, starting as the whelp but slowly growing into the champion of the ring. One day a member of the dark brother hood came to put an end to Whiskeys owner and seeing the potential in Whiskey accepted. Using his wiry athleticism he performed admirably for the dark brotherhood before ultimately learning of his dragon blood. Heeding the call, as he’d done when the Dark Brotherhood first took him in, he travelled to High Hrothgar to learn the way of the voice.

Dragon: Vulomven, which translates to Darkness Wind is a sleek navy blue Elder dragon of around 3000 years. Acting as a foil to Whisky he is loud and has taken a fondness to mortal meed, often drinking barrels. He is also quite talkative and during flights the conversation is usually fairly one sided. He also cherishes the young and in comparison to him, that’s most.

Shouts: Specialized with Marked for Death (Krii Lun Aus)

Misc: He is almost souly an unarmed fighter, however he carries several poisons and a Sword should things get hairy.

 

 

***

 

Player: MrSpyro

Character name: Fenandre

Age: 15

Race: Breton

Class: Mage (student)

Appearance: His skin is pale and he's a bit skinny, because he spends a lot of time reading and practicing magic indoors. His hair is chocolate brown and often described as "fuzzy", and his ears are somewhat pointed. He prefers light armor, usually cloth and occasionally leather, because he finds metal a hindrance to his magic.

Personality: He's a major bookworm, and often ignores people in favor of a good story. When he's not reading, he can be funny, and is good at breaking tension. He's also smart, and gives pointers and tips to his friends when they need help.

Background: He was born to a rich family, all of whom were nearly unmatched in combat. He lacked that gene, and his parents and four older siblings were always pitying him because of it. That's when he discovered his potential for magic. He devoted himself to learning every spell he could, and eventually surpassed his brothers and sisters with his knowledge of the arcane.

Dragon: Iilahvrii, a frost dragon he met on the way to High Hrothgar. She's very young, not even big enough to ride. He heard someone crying "Help me" in his head one day, and found her badly wounded by a river. He healed her with his magic, and, seeing as they could communicate telepathically, took her along with him, as they were probably destined to be together anyways. She's a frost dragon with silver scales, which is where her name, which means "moon scale" (unless the translator was messing with me) and often curls up around Fenandre's neck.

Shouts: None

Misc: His starter inventory includes a staff, (main weapon) a few health potions, and some money.

 

 

***

 

Player: Lumikkja

Character name: Dragostea

Age: 17

Race: Argonian - Student

Class: Warrior

Appearance: Dragostea is an imposing female Argonian, with a tall and well muscled build. Her scales are dark red with black accents, offset by a yellow facial tattoo. She has a plume of yellow feathers and black horns, and an old scar on her left eye which she received from a childhood encounter with a Dwarven Centurion.

Personality: Dragostea is a very hotheaded Argonian, and she does not get on well with members of other races. At a young age she learned how to defend herself from harassment, and is quick to offend. She is trying to learn how to keep her temper under control, but she has difficulty dealing with others. She prefers the company of other Argonians, as well as her own privacy. She encountered a friendly dragon in her childhood, and as such has a fondness for them - she also has a fascination with the dead Dwemer civilization, despite a bad encounter with one of their automatons in a Markarth mine. The best way to earn her friendship is to stick with her through a bad situation, or to just take your time getting to know her. Also, she won't readily admit it, but she has a soft spot for children.

Background: Dragostea grew up in Markarth, near the forge and lumber mill. Early in her life she learned a love of weaponry, considering that she was often harassed by adults (and occasionally children, if they were brave enough to come near her) for being an Argonian. Her mother did the best to look out for her, but as Dragostea grew older she got into several brawls with other teenagers. Some of the other Markarth residents were about ready to drive her out of the city when she felt the call of High Hrothgar, and began her journey to Ivarstead.

Dragon: Sahvahrukt, a Revered Dragon whose scales are more red than orange, thus matching Dragostea (do we get to decide this before we get to High Hrothgar?)

Shouts: Storm Call - Strun Bah Qo

Misc: Dragostea favors heavy armor such as Nordic Carved Armor and her preferred weapon is the warhammer. She likes to spend her free time forging weapons, as well as learning enchantments to increase the effectiveness of those weapons.

 

~~~

 

Player: TotallyDrow

Character name: Azael Thirvayn

Age: 19

Race: Dark Elf

Class: Warrior - Student

Appearance: Azael

Personality: Azael is very level headed, often knowing where to draw the line in various situations. Being the provider for his make shift family, he knew how best to provide them with sufficient food without going beyong his limits to do so. He knows his own strength and is not afraid to 'sheath his sword' and run when up against an adversary he has no chance of beating. He knows value in the little things that are often overlooked.

Background: Azael was one of three orphans that grew up together as foster siblings near the borders of Morrowwind, Cyrodil and Skyrim; taking ownership of an abandoned cottage. The second oldest out of the bunch, it was Azael's duty to act as the provider for the 'family' in terms of food. Having realized his potential as a hunter from a young age, Azael honed and developed his skills as a huntsmen, being able to singlehandedly kill a bear by the age of 17; with some preperation beforehand. His older brother was more of the intellect type; inheriting his imperial fathers brains and sought for a peaceful life in the cities of Cyrodil. Their sister sought a more adventurous life, wanting to see Tamriel for all it was; deciding to join a group of travelling merchants; her gift of the gab was put to good use in selling their wares. It was during one of Azael's hunts that he stumbled across Kestrein; both had their eyes set on a cave bear that had wondered out towards the lake. Azael struck first, ambushing the creature and digging his blade into the back of the animal; Kestrein struck second snatching the bear from the ground mere moments after Azrael rolled off and prepared for a second lunge. It was at that moment that he heard the call.

His foster siblings understood and allowed Azael to answer; supporting him in his future endeavors and promising one another to meet up again in several years time once they accomplished their goals

Dragon: Kestrein A dragon that has been around for several centuries. Whilst he shared the common view of being superior to men and mer, he chose not to act upon it to such a degree in which he would harm them directly. Plundering a farm for its livestock was his most common method of interaction towards them. As long as they knew their place in the hierarchy of power he was satisfied. With the introduction of rider and the wisdom that comes with age, he has softened his views a bit, deciding to see for himself the new potential of men.

Shouts: Whirldwind Sprint (Wuld Nah Kest - Grants the ability to dash rapidly forward

Misc: Weapons: Lakonian Short Sword, a bolas and a Metal Bracer on his left wrist capable of parrying a blade.

 

I take no credit for any images used. Credit's belong to their respective creators.

Edited February 22, 2015 by Gildraug

[Gildraug]

((Well, it has been two weeks since I posted this RP, so we'll start RPing here already - just to make the time pass faster.))

 

Torlin shivered as he stood on the first steps leading to High Hrothgar, the cold wind of the north chilling him to his bones. The 7,000 steps were laid ahead of him, and the mountain loomed above him. The sounds of Ivarstead were distant and he was thinking whether this was the right way or not for him - to become a Dragon Rider.

"Do not doubt on Kynareth's sacred mountain, child."

Torlin turned around and saw an old male pilgrimage, wearing only the simplest clothes to show his humbleness. He was a Nord, his eyes blue as the ice and hair white as the snow.

"I am not doubting, sir." Torlin replied to the pilgrimage, who chuckled.

"My dear boy, I have walked these steps so many times with so many different Dragon Riders. You all doubt before taking the first step and the start doubting even more as you continue climbing."

"So will you walk with me? Up these stairs?" Torlin inquired, feeling ashamed that he needed the presence of this elder man that he could climb these steps.

"I will. But not yet, oh no, not yet. There are yet others coming, and we shall wait for them," the elderly man said, pointing his walking stick towards Ivarstead, across the swift river.

"Sir, how do you know this?"

The pilgrimage turned his face towards Torlin and for the barest moment his eyes glowed.

"Kynareth has blessed me. I shall guide Akatosh's grandchildren to his children." Torlin knew that the dragons thought the god Akatosh as their father, so technically the Dragon Riders were his grandchildren... in a way. Better not think the relationships between gods, dragons, and mortals too much.

"Very well, we shall wait then," Torlin sighed as he sat down, his back against the mountain's side. The elder man sat down with him and so they began to wait.

 

~~~

 

'Dinorn, we must hurry! I don't want to miss the ceremony of the Greeting!' Filkunah groaned through their mental link and flapped her wings, impatient.

'Just a second,' Dinorn replied as he pulled out another lockpick and started fiddling with the lock. They had just cleared a small bandits' camp and he was now looting their treasure chest. Some bandits had remained to fight them, only to have their throats slit or to be frozen to death, but most had fled when a dragon stomped into their camp.

The lock made a satisfying 'click' and it opened. Eagerly Dinorn checked inside, finding only a few health and stamina potions, some gold, and an iron sword. He took the gold and potions but left the bulky sword. A pathetic catch, but it was something.

'Fiiiinaallly,' Filkunah sighed as she lowered her neck, allowing Dinorn to grab one of her neck spikes and haul himself to his saddle.

'Well, now you have the chance to prove you're a fast flyer,' he smiled and patted Filkunah's neck, who sighed, letting out a small gust of frost before she started flapping her wings. Soon they were up in the air, where the wind was blowing even harsher than down on the ground. Dinorn pulled his cape closer around him and lowered himself down. The scales of Filkunah were cold, unlike most of the dragons. It was nice during the short summer, but during the long winter that was on the way... not so nice.

The Throat of the World loomed ahead of them and Dinorn could spot High Hrothgar's fortress. Other dragons were flying towards it, too - it was, after all, a big ceremony, which hadn't happened in a half an year.

'There are two of them, right?' Filkunah asked.

'Well, at least two are coming with the guide. There has, however, been a burst in the amount of Dragon Riders and there will come more students over time. That is what the Greybeards informed us a month or two ago,' Dinorn replied as Filkunah began to land. Soon they were on High Hrothgar's yard, where tens of dragons and some Riders were already waiting. Most dragons had their own Rider, some were dragons who followed the Way of the Voice, and then there were two dragons that had felt they were ready for a new Rider. Paarthurnax himself was there, too, standing above all dragons and watching everything carefully.

"Ah, you have arrived! Studen, excellent. Our aak, guide, has already met with the first Dovah Zoriik. The second Zoriik will arrive soon, too. There are yet more to come, but all in good time. Some will arrive now and some shall arrive on their own," Paarthurnax said to the gathered dragons and Riders, who all nodded in response and then returned in talking amongst themselves. Dovahzul and human language flew in the air, the harsh tones of the dragons mixing with the flowing words of mortals.

Dinorn stood next to Filkunah, not feeling that social to go and talk with the other Riders.

Edited December 17, 2014 by Gildraug

[Tenanye Gytha]

Tsabhira rubbed her eyes as she crossed the river pulling her hood down abit more over her face upon noticing the two standing at the bottom of the steps. This should be interesting depending on who they were. She'd make her way over to them and give a small wave. "Hello there." She glanced between the two of them. "Are you two waiting for something?" Looking to the steps she didn't want to think about this too much and just get the climb over with. Hira breifly wondered why she had even stopped to talk to them when she could have just started climbing, she supposed that she couldn't just move on after asking that question without getting an answer.

[Gildraug]

Torlin had fallen asleep while waiting and now jerked awake, his hands automatically going on his swords, but never unsheathing them. He saw a Khajiit in front of him and assumed this was the other summoned. Speaking of Khajiit, he had nothing but respect for these cat-people - every now and then he and his family had done missions with or for them, so he knew how great warriors, and thieves, they were.

"We, in fact, were waiting for you, milady. My name is Torlin," he bowed his head and their guide stood up with the help of his walking stick.

"Now then, shall we start climbing? The others will come after us," the guide smiled to the summoned.

"Others?" Torlin asked.

"Why yes, of course! But it would make no sense in waiting for each and every one of you - some prefer to come alone, and that is fine."

 

The sun was already setting and Torlin's legs were burning from the climb. They had been climbing for the whole afternoon, stopping only briefly every now and then to allow the newcomers to catch their breath. Their guide didn't seem to be bothered with the climbing nor the cold wind. Instead, he walked with ease, jumping over occasional rocks like a goat.

Then night fell and the Northern Lights light up the world with their ghastly green and blue dance. They were having another break when Torlin heard howling. Wolves.

"Sir, please stay behind me," Torlin announced to their guide and stepped in front of him, drawing out his blades, listening for the wolves. They were circling them, their golden eyes reflecting the Northern Lights, their fur ruffled by the wind - there were four of them. A moment of silence lasted before the wolves snarled in unison and attacked, two against Torlin and two against the Khajit. He ducked the first wolf and slashed at the second, before jumping after the first one and finishing it - he had dealt with wolves countless of times, so this was almost a routine to him. Torlin saw that the Khajit had dealt with the wolves easily, too.

"There are all sorts of dangers on this road, but it would seem wolves are the least of your problems," their guide laughed heartily. "Now, let us continue!"

So they continued to climb.

Edited December 17, 2014 by Gildraug

[Dauntingale]

Hello! This is Dauntingale.

 

Would you still want to get this RP approved? I know it's been a long time. Just checking in. If you want to continue, I'll help you out.

[Gildraug]

Hello!

Of course it would be nice to get this RP approved! ^^

[Polar]

Vallisa had started climbing only a few minutes after the other 3, and was in no hurry. She didn't seem to be bothered by the climb, but if one was paying attention they'd notice that she was breathing a little harder than normal. She decided it would probably be safer to travel closer to thegroup now - the sun was going down. Were they ever going to reach the top? It felt like she had been travelling a long time, yet it had only been for a few hours. Oh, who was she kidding? That was a long time to be travelling up these stupid stairs. Who puts that many stairs down anyways? She was no architect, but that just seemed like bad judgement. Or, perhaps it had been done that way on purpose? She wasn't sure. But Vallisa just sighed, and kept climbing.

-----

After a long journey, Viper landed on the Throat of the World, folding in his wings and huffing slightly. So he had arrived. Now what? He wasn't sure where he was supposed to go, even. He supposed his best bet would be to find Paarthurnax, so he ventured off to find him, tail flicking.

[Gildraug]

Paarthurnax was sitting on the very edge of High Hrothgar's yard, looking down the mountainside. He heard as Viper approached him and turned around to greet the younger dragon.

"Drem yol lok. Peaceful fire ((dragons' greeting)), young one. Zu'u los frund hi vorohah nii pruzah het. I am glad you made it safely here," Paarthurnax said with his deep, slow voice. "Felniir los meyz, winter is coming - I can feel it in my ancient bones."

At that very moment, Filkunah and Dinorn also approached the elder dragon, bowing their heads as they did so.

"Drem yol lok," the Dragon and the Rider said in unison, Dinorn's harsh throat voice mimicking a dragon's growl. Paarthurnax replied in kind.

"Hello, Viper! Excited about the ceremony yet?" Filkunah said cheerfully, her mood excellent thanks to the cold air. Dinorn nodded to the green dragon and gave a small smile.

The night was still young and the Northern Lights bright. Soon the ceremony would begin. There was a stir in the air, excitement amongst Dovah Zoriik and stress amongst the dragons whom Rider was yet climbing - an exception being Wuthkloviing. He was sitting patiently, staring at the sky. He had had many Riders before, this was nothing new to him.

'I feel bad for that poor person who gets old Wuthkloviing as their dovah,' Filkunah noted to Dinorn, their conversation silent to others.

'Show some respect for the elder. He may not be the nicest one around but he's good.'

'But still. You can't argue he is a horrible partner.'

'Maybe he is. Or then maybe he's perfect for the Zoriik. We don't know what kind of people the Greybeards have found.'

 

Paarthurnax lifted his head and stared towards the gates of High Hrothgar.

"Nust los het. They are here," he said to nobody especially.

 

***

 

Torlin was sure his legs were about to let him fall as they stopped for the final break. Huffing, he rubbed his calves, trying to get rid of the stiffness. Their guide told Torlin and Tsabhira to stay put for a moment, as he went a few steps backwards. Torlin couldn't see nor hear the guide for a moment, but soon he came with a young Nord woman behind him, who didn't seem to be bothered by the cold. Well, Nords never were.

Torlin straightened himself and greeted the Nord carefully. She was certainly a few summers older than he was, and he had learned to respect his elder. Especially Nords, since they were great warriors of the Northern snows, whilst he was a warrior of the sands. Similar, yet different.

"Come now, Akatosh's grandchildren, we are almost home," their guide laughed and started sprinting up the stairs. Torlin let out an audible groan and took a deep breath before he went after the guide.

He had not expected to see a giant stony fortress at the end of the stairs.

 

"Welcome to High Hrothgar, Dovah Zoriik. Welcome home," their guide said at the steps that led to the fortress.

Besides the howling wind, Torlin could hear distant growling. It did not belong to a beast, but to a dragon. His stomach lurched. This was it. When he climbed those last twenty steps up into the fortress, there was no going back in being just a regular Redguard sellsword.

Edited December 18, 2014 by Gildraug

[Esko]

(Can I start rping soon? I would love to be added to the character list now. Please respond so I know I can roleplay! Thanks for letting me join you guys! )

Edited December 17, 2014 by Esko_the_Wolf

[Polar]

((Sorry it's short, I thought it would be longer than this, but my Mom says I have to get off the computer now.))

 

Viper nodded to Paarthurnax respectfully. "Drem yolok. Thank you, Paarthurnax." Viper said, his voice deep. Viper turned to Filkunah. "I'm not sure that excited is the right word... more like nervous, perhaps? Well, nervous, but excited." Viper told Filkunah in response. Viper could feel nervous energy buzzing through him - had he made the right decision, coming here? He paced back and forth nervously, tail flicking in anticipation. "Fos koros melaat revkoron? What happens during the ceremony?" Viper asked Filkunah.

----

Vallisa followed the guide as he brought her to the rest of the group. She noticed in amusement that the boy - who was a few summers younger than him - greeted her with respectfulness, and obvious unease. "Greetings. I am Vallisa." The Nord said briefly, a slight smirk on her face. She heard the roars of dragons, and while her face gave away nothing, her stomach churned with unease. What dragon would she be paired with? Vallisa bounced slightly on her toes with impatience. She wanted to get this done and meet her dragon.

[Gildraug]

"You worried about the ceremony? Dreh ni uful, pah fen kos flogah! Just trust your instincts - and let the Mudozaan, the Greybeards, guide you. I'll admit, I was terrified during my ceremony. Waiting is the worst. But trust me, the second you will be assigned your Zoriik and he or she will be taught the Shout to call you, everything will become yostrah baar, crystal clear," Filkunah babbled, excited about the ceremony. Dinorn sighed and smiled apologetically to Viper.

"Dinorn says I should shut up, that I'm just making this worse for you. Krosis, my intention was not to make you nervous. Just... relax, okay? See how calm old Wuthkloviing is? This is like routine to him," Filkunah chuckled, pointing with her tail towards the elder dragon.

"Hm, yes, no need to worry about the revkoron, the ceremony," Paarthurnax agreed huffing gently towards Viper. "Your Zoriik is just as nervous, I'm sure."

 

***

 

"Why aren't we going in yet?" Toldir asked, his teeth clattering, whether from the cold or from anticipation, he did not know.

"Just a moment, young one. Just a moment," the guide said, looking to the sky as if waiting for a sign. "Akatosh and Kynareth have not yet given me the permission to enter."

"Given permission?"

"Yes, you see, not just anybody is allowed to go into High Hrothgar. In the early years some tried to become Zoriik by force. After that, the gods created a... hmm, well, you could say they created a barrier to protect High Hrothgar."

"How long will it take them to accept us in?"

"Just a moment, calm down."

((Giving a chance for Esko to bring his character to High Hrothgar))

[Esko]

(Yes! Thanks, and let us have an awesome time!)

Esko walked up to the staircase. 7000 stairs. Doesn't seem THAT bad... he thought. He enjoyed the air that didn't smell like thief camp. He checked to make sure that his supplies were there, checked his bow and secured it on his back, and made sure his knife was sharp. While doing so, he cut a slit in his glove. Dangit, he thought as he gritted his teeth. Then he calmed and looked at the stairs. His tail flicked, and his ears twitched as he went down on all fours. This shouldn't be a problem he happily thought, then, on all fours, dashed up the stairs, much faster than a human racer and somewhat faster than a speeding horse. He was running nonstop for 2 hours when he saw the gates, the guards... And other people? He slowed a bit, just a bit, and his huge fur steel-tipped boots made clomping noises. The other people and the guards heard the running and saw Esko charging on all fours, which confused the people, as well as the wolf ears and tail. They seemed to expect him to charge into the gates because of his speed, and cleared a way for him( the youth were standing at the sides already) but to their surprise, he jumped up and gracefully landed on his feet. "So, this is High Hrothgar?" Esko asked, "Defidently looks like I'm not the only one called. Well, who else is coming? Or can we go in? I'm a little chilly from running"

Esko looked and saw great lights, lights that he thought were for him, but instead, were for the youth all together. Suddenly, he felt a gut-wrenching feeling. He felt nervous, which usually wasn't a word that describes him. He realized that this was a great event that nobody could NOT be nervous for. The other youth were looking at him, and he didn't respond.

(I'll post the image soon. This only real difference is that the hair is pitch black.)

[Esko]

(My character. Remember, pitch-black hair, and he has a bow, and a knife sheath. And a sack at his waist. Here you go! Clarafication)'>Click for my character's look! clarafication time!

He is dressed in this clothing. Thanks for letting me in!

Edited December 17, 2014 by Esko_the_Wolf

[Tenanye Gytha]

"I almost can't wait" Tsabhira stared up at the stone building, not paying much attention to the new person with them just yet. She thenshook her head and looked at Vallisa. "My apologies. My name is Tsabhira though I suppose you could call me Hira if you wanted." She paused, turning her attention to the guide now. 'huh...I wonder if theres anyone else comming I mean Vallisa is here.' She shrugged and pushed the thought from her mind,focusing again on High Hrothgar. She honestly wasn't paying much mind to the actual Ceremony in a attempt to keep from being nervous about it.

 

(Uh...Esko Wait your character has wolf ears and a tail all the time or something? Is that right sorry I'm just confused)

Edited December 17, 2014 by Tenanye Gytha

[Esko]

Esko looked at the new people and the guide. He thought that Hira was nice....and so far, nobody else had responded to his arrival much. thanks for making me feel invisible. Hmm. I wonder when the others will speak. It feels silent...not in there though he thought, looking at the fortress. Suddenly, a cold, powerful wind kicked up. Gah! Stupid wind! How can people live THIS cold?! Well, the Nords can. But brrrr! Esko picked up a rock and threw it, and heard the tiny noise of it landing on the mountainside. He sat down and threw more rocks, some on the fortress walls, some on the mountain, to keep his mind off his nervousness, until he couldn't ignore something else: his grumbling stomach. He hadn't eaten since his charge up the staircase. He ruffled through his small food sack, seeing what he could find. i REALLY hope they supply food here, because would they really expect us to hunt? Well, maybe, with the fact that we have dragons

----------------------------------------------

Derino sat, waiting even longer. Now most of the conversations were involving stuff like, "when will those gates open?" Or, "did the newbies get attacked or somethin'?" And Derino, no matter how patient, was wondering that too. He decided to talk to the recruited dragons. He turned to the green one and asked (in Thu'um), "Hello. My name is Derino. And you are?"

Edited December 18, 2014 by Esko_the_Wolf

[Gildraug]

Just as Esko had arrived, their guide stepped forward, the gigantic gates leading to the fortress opening without seemingly anyone's help.

"Now that you all are here, we can enter," he smiled and inclined the newcomers to step inside. Torlin walked up the steps with shaky feet and slightly clattering teeth - the sounds of dragons had disappeared at once when the gates opened.

 

Beyond the tall gates was a large yard, circled by the edge of the mountain, the mountain side and the High Hrothgar's fortress. In this yard were dozens of dragons and some Riders, each and every one of them staring at the newcomers. After all of the summoned had stepped inside, the doors behind them closed. Torlin gulped - he felt like he had been trapped. Then, four old men clad in greys and an old, old dragon behind them, approached the summoned.

 

"Valokein, Zoriik! Welcome, Riders. We have been waiting for this day for a long time, yes. Dez lost drun hi pah het, fate has brought you all here. Of course, whether or not do you believe in fate is up to you. Oh, but I forgot to introduce myself. Krosis, krosis. I am Paarthurnax, the eldest child of Akatosh now that the world-eater Alduin is dead. I am the Grandmaster of the Greybeards, who are Aenar, Fjolfr, Haaki, and Thonro. They will guide you all on your Way of the Voice. But now, I must refrain myself from talking for too long. Wuth dovah lokaal wah tinvaak erei tiid nimaar oblaan. Hear, Dovah Zoriik, the Greeting of the Greybeards, which the Great Dragonborn and Tiber Septim - a man who became a god - heard, too!"

 

Paarthurnax and the other gathered gave way as the Greybeards led the summoned to the very center of the courtyard. Aenar was positioned where north was, Fjolfr stood where south was, Haaki where west and Thonro where east - they formed a diamond, in which the summoned stood silently, waiting.

 

Then the Greybeards lifted their hands towards the skies and started to Shout:

"Lingrah krosis saraan Strundu'ul, voth nid balaan klov praan nau.

Naal Thu'umu, mu ofan ni nu, Dovahkiin, naal suleyk do Kaan, naal suleyk do Shor, ahrk naal suleyk do Atmorasewuth.

Meyz nu Ysmir, Dovahsebrom. Dahmaan daar rok!"

 

For a moment, the sky and ground rocked by the sheer power of the Greybeards' Voice. Then Aenar stepped forwards and bowed to the Zoriik.

"'Long has the Stormcrown languished, with no worthy brow to sit upon. By our breath we bestow it now to you in the name of Kyne, in the name of Shor, and in the name of Atmora of Old. You are Ysmir now, the Dragon of the North, hearken to it.' Those are the Words we Shouted at you - and you are true Dovah Zoriik, for few can resist the full power of the Greybeards. Well done. Welcome home, Dovahkiin."

 

"Valokein hofkiin," all the dragons and their Riders said at the same time, the ground rumbling at the force of their combined sounds. Then, Paarthurnax stepped in front of the Zoriik and nodded to them.

"Well done, indeed. Now, you shall meet your Dovah. They will share their fire or ice with you, their knowledge of the dovahzul, their wings, and their power. Dreh ni vodahmaan tol, do not forget it," he said, before turning around and called out the chosen dov:

"Viper, Osley, Wuthkloviing and Derino. Come forth."

 

These dragons came from the crowd and the Greybeards came towards the Zoriik. They stepped in front of Torlin first.

"Torlin, your partner shall be Wuthkloviing. We will bind you with this Shout: Wuth Klo Viing, for his name is a Shout already. Remember it well." Wuthkloviing walked to Torlin and the Greybeards touched first Torlin's forehead, then Wuthkloviing's. Suddenly, Torlin realized he was connected mentally with the old, red dragon.

'If you are going to panic, please do so after the ceremony,' Wuthkloviing said dryly, staring at Torlin.

 

Then the Greybeards walked to Tsabhira.

"Tsabhira, your partner shall be Osley. We will bind you with this shout: Osley Hulir Ven. Remember it well." Then they connected the two.

Vallisa was next.

"Vallisa, your partner shall be Viper. We will bind you with this shout: Prakem Bron Bo. Remember it well." The Nord and the black dragon were linked.

Last was Esko.

"Esko, your partner shall be Derino. We will bind you with this shout: Krah Fiit Nel. Remember it well." After Esko and Derino had been linked, the Greybeards lifted their hands towards the skies one last time:

"Aal fil kun hin ven fod vulon los ahk vul wah koraav. Rah kogaan voknau hi."

 

When the last echoes of the Greybeards' Shout faded, then the crowd started to cheer. All the Dovah Zoriik came closer to congratulate the new Riders, mostly the Riders.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Gildraug

[Esko]

Esko was bewildered. All his life, the only people who cheered for him were the theives. Never a huge crowd, much less a Dragon Rider crowd. He didn't show it: he knew how to pull of a poker face when needed. uh-oh he thought, for he felt a burp coming. "you feel gas, don't you? Let it out, I'm sure it isn't that bad" Derino thought to him. Esko put his scarf around his mouth sneakly, preparing for a burp. But...

PPPFFFFTTTT!!

A FART.

A big one too.

The audience looked at the new riders, knowing the gas blast came from there. The newbies looked around, confused, as well as Esko, masking that the fart came from him. Derino had sighed. Then they smelled the burst. It wasn't just a big fart: it was a big STINKY fart. And keep in mind, no matter how stinky it was to everyone else, Esko's nose was four times as powerful. To change the subject and keep everyone's mind off the stench, he asked while pinching his nose, "so, where do we go next, Paarthurnax?" If he was supposed to say sir, then he didn't realize, for growing up with thieves, he never learned one thing: manners.

Edited December 18, 2014 by Esko_the_Wolf

[Gildraug]

Paathurnax blinked his eyes a few times, as if Esko's question was somehow something he had not expected.

"Hm? Pruzah, vulon naram wuth, so I would guess you go to laag, sleep, now? There are rooms in the fortress, from where you can pick yours. They're all the same, but you can leave your belongings there, they will not be touched. Your lessons will begin tomorrow," he rumbled.

 

Torlin carefully turned towards Wuthkloviing.

'Uh, sir?'

'No need to 'sir' me, even if I have been existing longer than your family has. What is it?' the old dragon sighed.

'Where do you dragons sleep? I doubt highly you fit into the fortress,' Torlin said, feeling a little embarrassed.

'We - those dragons who are with a Zoriik - we sleep on the peak of the mountain. There we will sleep or meditate or have conversations. I, being so old, mostly talk through the night with Paarthurnax. We remember so much,' Wuthkloviing replied, his tone slightly sad towards the end. Torlin nodded to Wuthkloviing, thanking him for the information.

 

Already some of the loner dragons took flight, circling above them and roaring farewells in dovahzul. Some Riders also departed, but a few remained. Dinorn and Filkunah approached the newcomers.

"Greetings, Dovah Zoriik," Dinorn rasped, his voice sounding like a dragon's growl, especially when he spoke dovahzul.

"Hello, everybody! My Zoriik doesn't like talking that much, so I'll do it for him most of the time! If I'm not around, just don't think he's being all moody or something. Anyways, I'm Filkunah, and this is Dinorn. We've been Dovah Zoriik for about three years now! So if you guys have aaany questions, like really, any questions, we'll be happy to answer. Or well, I'll be happy to answer, he won't blabber too much," Filkunah chuckled, ruffling Dinorn's hair with a frosty breath. He sighed in response, but then smiled a little before turning back to the newcomers.

"Dinorn would also like to remind you guys that now you have a connection with your dragon, you should talk a lot and form a good bond, so in battle you will be incredible! Okay, he didn't say incredible, but you get my point - you guys will be stuck until either of you is slain or dies from age, so you'd better get well-accustomed that there's someone stuck in your head and talking. Speaking of which, Dinorn is telling me to shut up now," Filkunah sighed and bowed her head in apology.

 

Paarthurnax laughed, making the ground rumble slightly from the force of it.

"Ahrk zu'u lor fo dovah lost krah wah rinik sil! Dinorn and Filkunah, you are always welcome to High Hrothgar. Do you have a mission yet?" he asked, looking at the Greybeards, who shook their heads in unison.

"Well then, I hope you two will stay for the night, since you have no mission."

"Of course we will!" Filkunah said cheerfully and Dinorn started walking towards the fortress. "Hey young ones, follow Dinorn, he'll show you guys around. Also, remember to ask your dovah if you have any questions, and Paarthurnax and the Greybeards are always here, too! We're all here for you!" she said before taking flight and flying toward the peak of the mountain.

'I shall go, too. Don't do anything stupid,' Wuthkloviing said to Torlin and flew off.

 

Torlin sighed a little, wondering how he could 'form a good bond' with the old dragon. Then he followed Dinorn, who was waiting at the doors of the fortress that everyone were ready.

[Tenanye Gytha]

Tsabhira had been chatting away with osley after the ceremony. Osley glanced at the others leaving then back to Hira to draw her attention to it. Maybe you should go to bed we can talk more tomorrow.' "Hm? Oh! ehehh..." Hira scratched the back over her head sheepishly, realizing she had ignored most of what was said by the others, darting after Torlin and Dinorn. "Getting distracted is happening a little to much lately..." She mumbled under her breath. Osley would take off and follow Filkunah.

[Esko]

Esko thought he would be last, but then saw Hira running after the group. Esko sighed. He just wanted to sleep. He realized just now that his legs were aching badly from his run up the stairs. He yawned as Dinorn was showing them around. His eyes were drooping, and he tried hard to keep up, jealous of their energy. When he had a feeling that people were looking at him funny, he jerked awake, and followed, his legs screaming for rest

[Gildraug]

After the brief tour - showing the main hall, the dining room, and the lecture room - Dinorn showed the sleeping quarters. Most of the rooms were empty, but those occupied had their owner's name written on the door.

"Choose," Dinorn rasped and allowed the students each to pick their own rooms. When they had chosen, he wrote their names on the doors with ink. "Sleep well. Training starts tomorrow."

"Thank you, sir," Torlin thanked the older Rider, who nodded in response, withdrawing to his own quarters. "Good night, everyone," he said to his fellow newcomers before going to his own room.

 

It wasn't much: a small room with a window, a bed, a wardrobe, and a chest. He put what little extra items he had into his chest, and took of his armor and weapons before throwing himself into bed. But sleep didn't come easily, the day's events still rolling in his mind.

'You seem troubled, young one,' Wuthkloviing's voice echoing in his mind, not as loud as it had been earlier. Probably because of the distance.

'It's just that a lot has changed in such a short time...' Torlin replied and felt a short pang of sympathy from the elder dragon, but then he became stern again.

'Time for dov is nothing. Nor should it be to you, since your lifespan will grow thanks to your dragonblood. Focus on the present and do not let the future nor the past to hinder you,' Wuthkloviing said sharply in Torlin's mind.

'I, uh, understand,' he replied and tried to relax himself. Through the mental link, Torlin could hear how Wuthkloviing and Paarthurnax were talking - the sound wasn't loud, since he wasn't focusing on it, but the sound of the conversation lulled Torlin to sleep.

 

((I will make a time skip very soon, unless someone has something against it.))

Edited December 19, 2014 by Gildraug

[Esko]

Esko was glad to be in his room. His room was the same as the others. He flopped on the bed, curled up like a dog, and fell asleep. He was starting to dream of a glorious robbery with the thieves, but soon fell into a deep, deep sleep, his life changing overnight, forever.

[Polar]

Valissa greeted Viper ((Viper is mostly black, guys)) before following Dinorn on a tour. She chose a room with a large window overlooking the mountain and carefully put her bow and quiver away neatly, hanging them on pegs that were probably used for cloaks and overcoats. She reluctantly removed her knife from her waist and hung that up as well, certain that no one would attack her in the night - yet the niggling fear that came from years of being poor and susceptible to robbers still lingered in her mind.

'What's the matter? I can feel your unease through our link, little one.' Viper asked, the worry only slightly evident in his voice.

'My family is poor and was easily attacked by robbers. I was taught to always keep weapons on me - to take them off makes me uneasy.' Valissa told him.

'No one can attack you here that doesn't already live within our gates. The dragons that live here would fight against any threat, and no thieves could get past our watchful eyes. The only ones that could even have a remote chance of attacking are the other riders - though to do so would be worse than betrayal. You are perfectly save here, you see.' Viper soothed her, his voice rough but with a somewhat gentle quality.

'Hmm... you're right, of course. Just instinct, nothing more.' The Nord said dismissively, calmed by Viper's words.

'Don't hesitate to trust you're instincts - they just might keep you alive. Now, you should get some rest. Training starts tomorrow and we don't want to be tired. The young dragon said wisely. Valissa could feel that he was quite comfortable, seemingly curled up away from the howling winds.

'Goodnight, Viper.' Valissa said, sounding drowsy.

'Goodnight.' Viper responded, but by the time he had responded, she was already asleep.

[Gildraug]

((And swoosh, next morning))

 

'Dinoooorn, the sun has risen! Wake up the Zoriik for their first day in High Hrothgar! We'll go for a quick hunt as you guys eat breakfast with the Greybeards!' Filkunah's voice snapped through Dinorn's dream. He blinked his eyes a few times, staring at the stony ceiling. He had seen a wonderful dream, but now it slipped away like water between fingers.

'I'm awake. Are you going to take long?'

'Doubt it. Paarthurnax and some other dragons caught sight of a pack of mammoths yesterday. I don't like eating them, they're all hairy, but it's good meat and there's lots of them. Probably takes an hour and then we'll be back,' Filkunah said and Dinorn could see briefly through her eyes that she took flight.

'Safe travels.'

 

Dinorn knocked on the doors of every student and waited outside for them to wake up. Torlin was the first one to be up, his white hair sticking in all directions and his eyes still half-closed.

"G''d m'rning..." he muttered, rubbing his eyes even as he was fully dressed. Dinorn nodded in reply. "You sure don't talk a lot, why is that?" Torlin asked, the cold stone under his feet waking him up. Dinorn lifted his chin up and showed a scar going across his throat. Torlin understood.

"Ah, I see." After a moment of comfortable silence, Torlin realized he didn't sense Wuthkloviing. So strange, they had been connected for barely twelve hours and already he felt empty without the dragon. Torlin stretched his mind outwards, looking for the elder dragon, finding only an echo of a thought - a thought of hunting and eating.

"The dragons are hunting, right?" Torlin asked. Dinorn lifted an eyebrow and nodded, surprised by how Torlin had found it out. Or maybe it was just common sense.

 

"Can I just go already? I'm getting hungry," Torlin yawned. Dinorn looked at the doors and waved a hand.

"I'll wait, you go," he rasped before pointing Torlin to where the dining hall was.

The hallways were empty and Torlin's steps echoed from the walls. The fortress was chilly and he pulled his cloak closer to himself. When he entered the dining hall, Torlin noticed that there were only the Greybeards - no other Zoriik were present.

"Good morning, sirs," Torlin greeted and stood at the doorway, unsure if he should just sit down and help himself or wait for a permission. Haaki smiled and signaled Torlin to sit down next to him on the round table that circled a fireplace. The Greybeard offered Torlin some bread, a cheese slice, and some cooked beef. None of the food or the plates were fancy, but high up the mountain there was very little choice for variety - High Hrothgar relied heavily on Ivarstead and on what goods the Dovah Zoriik brought home. But the fireplace was hot, the food was good, and Torlin felt like this being a Dragon Rider wasn't so bad, after all.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Gildraug