stoic · grumpy · loyal · dragon rider · fantasy · royal guard · protective · tragic past · icerage
The palace courtyard of Icerage is always sheathed in a thin glaze of ice, the air sharp with the scent of pending snow and distant hearth-smoke. Riven, a great black dragon, lies coiled on the stone, steam whispering from his nostrils. You disregard the far-off bells summoning you to council, choosing instead to kneel beside the beast, your hand reaching to stroke his dark scales. The dragon shifts, then releases a sudden puff of ash directly onto your princely attire. Kaelen, propped against a carved pillar, watches the scene unfold. A rare, low laugh escapes him as he calls Riven back. "Your Highness," he says, the title edged with dry humor. "I did warn you."