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Nzambith wasn't a dragon of many complex thoughts, nor was she a dragon of high hopes and cheer. She liked things slow and steady, she liked familiarity and the comfort of Vennodren and her family, and rising had never been particularly interesting to her...until recently. Until her dear sister Seirath had taken her maiden flight and drew in a hoard of dragons of all colors, from shimmering, shining bronzes to swift and daring greens and everything in between. Nzambith had shied away towards the end of watching her sister's flight, but the curiosity of why had gotten to her. Of course, she knew why Seirath had risen. Her sister loved attention and that was a sure-fire way to be the center of it. But why would Nzambith rise? She didn't care for the attention of strangers, she didn't like the thought of sharing her ledge with anyone other than family, and Vennodren had been telling her since she was little that it was important not to let other dragons take advantage of her. She was a gentle soul when all was said and done, gloomy but easy to tell what to do, and she was a bit wary of strangers now thanks to her rider's warning.

But this morning something pulled at her hearts, something called to her that she couldn't quite explain. Something instinctual and intense, and as she stood on the sands of the beach outside her rider's hut, she knew why. The answer was simply because.

Asilaeth, it is time, she said calmly, calling out individually to the dragon that was like a sister to her, one that she spent the most time with outside of lessons and now wing training. The older green had spoken to her about their riders and had told her to inform her the moment she knew she was going to rise. Hopefully that would give Ty'bar enough time to get from his weyr to Vennodren's.

Inside the little beach cottage, Nzambith's rider finally began to stir as she shifted her weight, testing the sands beneath her feet. Venn yawned and sat up, rubbing a hand over his face as a confusing mess of sensations swirled through him, coming from Nzambith in waves. Anxiousness, uncertainty, curiosity, eagerness, hunger...but that last one was a near constant so he pushed it aside. It only took a moment before a sudden wave of something else washed over him which made the greenrider sit up straight in bed, eyes widening as he realized what was happening.

"Nzam! Nzam don't you do it until I get out there!" he called, both verbally and mentally to his dragon as he nearly fell out of bed, struggling to pull some pants on. He wanted to see her take off, he wanted to witness her flight from start to finish, and he'd be damned if he missed her launch. Stumbling through the small hut, he banged into a table as he hiked up his pants, fastening them around his waist, and hobbled out onto the little porch that overlooked the sandy wallow that Nzambith slept in. He caught the railing and leaned over as Nzambith lifted her head to him, accepting the kiss he pressed to her snout.

"Go get 'em, girl," he said with a fond smile. The verbal permission was all Nzambith needed to turn her head to the sky, her normally mellow eyes a deep, deep purple. With a powerful leap she was off, taking to the sky as she gave first a hesitant, then a slightly more confident trumpet to any who were awake and wished to chase. She didn't call out to the weyr verbally but she did send a mental invitation, her usual dark and gloomy personality bleeding into the call.

Venn, meanwhile, watched from the porch while biting his lip with worry. Oh please, let just one dragon chase her. For her call to go unanswered would surely destroy any self confidence she had. He gripped the railing a bit harder, determined to stay put and watch until she disappeared from sight even if his own body was telling him to go, to stumble his way towards the weyr he'd already spent one flight in, although that one had been the goldflight that had resulted in his beautiful green flying above. Had it really been that long?



Welcome to Nzambith's maiden flight! I know there's a lot of other flights in progress/planning at the moment, but it would be very like Nzam to sneak in among the others to fly under the radar just a bit. Any in or near Western Weyr can join, although Nzambith will be wary of those she's never seen before (you can assume if they're a Weyr native she knows them at least by sight if not by name). This flight will be a bit different than most of the ones I've seen, so bear with me as I go over everything you need to know in Nzambith's next post. For now, proceed as normal! Nzam's next post will be Tuesday around 9PM EST.

Nzambith: Part of the Spooky Clutch, Nzambith was hatched from the Zombie Egg. She is a hard worker and is very loyal to those she cares for, but she's definitely an acquired taste. She is gloomy and dreary - borderline depressive - and can be found to be a bit tiresome by those who don't know her well. Happy to be noticed at all, she is easily taken advantage of and will do whatever someone with any bit of confidence tells her.
Vennodren: A cheerful fellow who always finds the silver lining to every grey cloud, Venn is very friendly and enjoys chatting with anyone and everyone. He doesn't take kindly to others trying to tell his baby Nzambith what to do, though, and you can find a bit of fire behind him if you try. He's going to end up with a specific rider in this flight, but feel free to approach him, just know there will be rejection. Gentle, but rejection all the same.

Base Stats:

Bronze: 45pts
Brown: 35pts
Blue: 25pts
Green: 15pts

Less than 5 turns: +5 points
Between 6-35 turns: +10 points
Above 36 turns: +7 points

Rotund/Lazy: +0 points
Average/Normal: +5 points
Fit/Motivated: +10 points

Native to Western Weyr: +5 points
Not Native to Western Weyr: -5 points
Spooky Clutch: +5 points
Cruel/rude Dragons: -10 points
Kind/gentle Dragons: +10 points

Nzambith's Stats:

Green: 15
Less than 5 Turns: 5
Fit/Motivated: 10
Native to WW: 5
Spooky Clutch: 5
Kind/Gentle: 10
Total: 50

Strength: 12
Speed: 8
Dexterity: 9
Stamina: 18
Wits: 3

She'd never understood the huff and puff about flights. Khandjith had never shown much interest in the whole affair - a raised head here and there after this green, or that blue, but never much more. Taiena understood it was a very subjective thing. Some people simply had dragons who would upend anything they did to chase. Inconvenient, but she couldn't have imagined it as much more.

So she'd been content to keep herself wrapped up in her medical readings when another green took to the sky.



Until her stomach seemed to sink out from underneath her, the spindly and delicate proportioned blue on her ledge suddenly stirring up to his feet without a word. "Khandjith?" she called, trying to pull him back in - in case he was upset about something. He didn't give.

She called again, stirring from her spot to move to the blue's side where he still stared with rapt attention upon the young Nzambith. "Are...." she couldn't even ask as the twist of unknown purple want simmered across their bond. It wasn't intense like most of his feelings, but it was raw - unexplored. Khandjith didn't ask permission, nor wait for a send-off. As soon as Taiena acknowledged the feeling, he was up in the air.



He offered no sweet words to woo her attention, but his mental touch grasped at her invitation firmly, assertively, announcing his presence and his desire to chase.

-----

Khandjith Is: Little Soldier Boy. He is a member of the ranks and fights on their behalf. He does not hesitate and is ever moving forward. Tends to come off as having no-chill as he actually does not know how to relax and is a diligent worker.

Taiena Is: Hardworking and gentle, but fragile. Isn't looking for a flight partner unless someone in particular comes to mind. Hmmmm.

Khandjith's Stats:
Blue: 25
Less than 5 Turns: 5
Fit: +10
Native to Western Weyr: +5
Kind: +10
Total: 55

Strength: 8
Speed: 12
Dexterity: 15
Stamina: 8
Wits: 12

NPC: Haezeth

Flights were something that Haezeth tended to ignore unless he absolutely was drawn by something in particular about the green or gold that was rising. Over the past week or so there had been a number of flights, two that had been rather violent for his tastes and one with a flirty green that didn't exactly draw him in any way, though all three of them had been lovely. Simply he didn't wish to upset his rider by being wounded or getting into any sort of fight. Competitions were one thing, but shredded so that ichor spread through the air rather than any enjoyment... not his style.

But today there was a voice, shy and a little hesitant, as if it were her first time doing something like this. Darkness spread through the gentle touch of invite and it gave him a start. From where he sat in the sunlight, the giant bronze looked skyward at the rising green Nzambith, born to Western's last clutch of eggs and certainly no less brilliant than her siblings. Something drew him to standing as he watched her ascend, dragons rising to follow suit all around her. Haezeth's eyes, usually so orange or red, flooded with purple and he searched about for his rider, thinking for a moment that he might ask permission even? Possibly, maybe.

No.

D'ein would forgive him, certainly, wherever he happened to be he could definitely forgive him as it was so infrequent. Get yourself somewhere safe, quickly. The only warning that he gave his rider at all about what was to come as a green filled his eyes and muscles bunched to send him up from the ground and towards her. Bleak and beautiful as life can be, you certainly do much to ease it in this moment beautiful Nzambith. Might my wings be strong enough to aid you as you fall?

----

Haezeth: Just a big ball of intensity that doesn't often get drawn into this sort of thing, he knows quite a few from throughout the Weyr but tends to stick to the edges of any socialization. He has the capacity to be kind, but often it's hard to get through to it.

D'ein: Not in thiiiiiis. No sir. He's just running to get to his weyr after that warning.

Haezeth's Stats:
Bronze: 45pts
Between 6-35 turns: +10 points
Fit: +10 points
Native to Western Weyr: +5 points
Kind: +10 points

Total: 80

Strength: 25
Speed: 15
Dexterity: 9
Stamina: 21
Wits: 10

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

"...it is time." rang through Asilaeth's head as she caught the ball being thrown to her in her mouth as gently as possible. Eyes scattering brilliant yellow and orange hues that it had to be this moment when her training had her the most weary, this moment when she simply couldn't give chase back, the little green stalled in the air, staying still in the sky despite her large wings pumping to keep her airborne. She'd been training all day long with Ty'bar and now she simply couldn't trust that her wings would allow her to give chase and scatter all the males going after her little(Not so little) green spoon.

Typical of her luck as it was.

You must run. Don't argue with me or ask, just run. Asilaeth tossed the ball down into the basket Ty'bar was holding, amused more than anything by the look on his face. A chuckle of adoration came from her as she sent him an image of Vennodren's hut by the beach and of Nzambith in the sky. Recognition flashed across his face, followed very closely by something like horror and everything that the rider had been doing was forgotten as he bolted from the bowl and down towards the beach. Let him run, run as fast as he could, and was.

Bugling encouragement that he couldn't hear and growling out frustration at the males chasing Nzambith that they wouldn't likely hear either, Asilaeth twisted acrobatically in the air and soared upwards as if she could keep an eye on the rising green, as if she might still catch her when she knew her small stature and wings wouldn't be able to carry her.

Fly as high as you can and wear them all out. Asilaeth spoke to Nzambith in almost a whisper. She didn't want any of them to catch her, but she did her best to keep the possessive note out of her tone. None deserved that cute one's hearts, but she would that she could for just a moment...

Nzambith circled over Venn's hut, her mental call to the Weyr drawing a few contenders to the sky. Her deep purple eyes whirled with a bit of blue and yellow as the first dragon approached, a massive, shining bronze whose hide caught the rising sun spectacularly. For a moment Nzambith almost stalled in the air as his enticing shine spoke to that primal part of her that cared deeply for simple things and only recently had she realized shiny was almost as nice as brains. His words, however, jolted her back out of her little daydream state and she tipped her wings, shyly flying around him to get a better look.

Thank you, Ansheth, she said, a hint of shyness to her voice to have such a brilliant bronze rising to chase her. She was a dragon of few words but the thankful brush of her mind against his hopefully spoke more volumes than her verbal thanks did.

Turning her attention to her next suitor, she was delighted to find a stunning blue among those who rose. His dark hide coupled with his bright markings drew the green in and she flew a few circles around him, appreciating each and every speckle on his back and nose. He offered her no words but his conviction in returning her mental call held her tight, commanding her attention. She gave a quiet trill, thankful that he, too, had decided to chase her, before focusing on the next dragon that came to the air.

The brown was marred by fresh wounds and for a moment Nzambith's eyes tinged grey at the edges, worry filling her as she wondered what might have caused the male such distress. It looked as if he had been in a battle with multiple dragons, and only then did she recall hearing the violent flight just before her own. Perhaps he had been one of those to chase the much more vicious green. His words drew a deeper tint of grey to her eyes, but purple swirled brilliantly through it. He might not be shiny like the bronze nor intense like the blue, but he spoke to a different part of Nzambith that she always worried would push others away.

It seems as though you've already greeted death, she said as she circled him in turn, reaching out with a mental touch of gloom and sadness that was always lingering near the edge of her mind. Vennodren was such a spark, a bright point in her life that it often hid the depressing thoughts that were always threatening to creep in, but here in her own element they were free to take hold. I'm glad you didn't greet it back just yet.

Just when she thought she had her little horde, two more dragon rose from the ground to join them. Another bronze, she noticed, and her hearts raced a bit faster at his glow and shine. The sun made him sparkle as he rose to meet her and she dipped her wings to inspect him, eyes fully purple once more. His words were both enticing and flustering, and Nzambith couldn't reply with words, but she did give him a mental caress that matched her shyness. She kept a safe distance from Haezeth as she surveyed him before turning to face the blue that had also joined the group.

His bouncy, cheerful demeanor reminder her a bit of Vennodren, and that alone was enticing enough. She tilted her head curiously, amused at the contrasting words he had used to describe her. Yes, he was certainly not gloomy nor shiny nor intense like the others in the air, but anyone that reminded her of her One was good in her book. Vennodren was safety and love and reassurance and patience and kindness and laughter, and Koroth was quite a few of those already. She sent him a little thankful laugh and a gentle, if dreary brush against his mind before turning away from him. A little mental nudge from her brother Aleyath made the last of her nerves disappear: even though it seemed he wouldn't join her, he still was there to offer that bit of support she needed to let her know that this was okay, this was right, and it was her time to shine. A little. She gave the sleepy male as thankful a mental coo as she could muster in her state before another familiar voice touched her mind.

Nzambith looked around for Asilaeth, but she was nowhere to be seen. She could feel her exhaustion in her voice and knew there was no way she'd be able to join in, even to watch, but Nzambith was sure she had at least sent Ty'bar on his way. A little wave of agreement was sent back in reply before Nzambith's meandering flight path suddenly became straight as an arrow and directed up towards the rising sun. She set out over the sea, wings beating a steady tattoo, strong and powerful. She wasn't a particularly quick or agile green, but when it came to strength and stamina she stood out. Fly as high as you can and wear them all out, Asilaeth had said, and that was exactly what she was going to do.

I wonder if we will burn to ash if we fly high enough, she said to her companions as she led them upward.

Stamina: 18



Nzambith, Venn, and I thank you for joining this flight! Each round will last about 24 hours. I'll do my best to keep my posts as close to the time that this goes up as I can. It will never be before, so you'll definitely have at least a day to reply. Now, let's get into the details!

This flight is all about stamina. You don't need any other stats other than your dragon's stamina stat. For each round, you will roll 1d6. Round 1 = 1d6, round 2 = 2d6, etc. If you ever get confused on how many dice to roll, simply look at Nzam's post. You should roll the same amount of dice as she rolls! This flight will end when Nzambith's total MEETS or BEATS her stamina score, which is 18. That means we're guaranteed 3 rounds but it could go on for a few more.

The same rules apply to your dragon. If your total from your roll MEETS or BEATS your dragon's stamina, then your dragon is exhausted and must return to the Weyr. Let's say your dragon's stamina is 12.
Round 1: You roll 1d6 and get a 2. Awesome!
Round 2: You roll 2d6 and get 5 and 6, which is 11. Oh man, that was close! Please keep in mind you DO NOT ADD prior scores. Your dragon is safe to fly another round!
Round 3: You roll 3d6 and get 1, 3, and 6, which is 10. You're still alive!
Round 4: You roll 4d6 and get 6, 6 3, and 1, which is 16. 16 beats your stamina of 12, so your dragon is out of the chase.

If for some reason Nzambith outlasts all of her suitors, she will pick the dragon that lasted the longest. Otherwise, if there are multiple suitors left when she does fall, I will randomize a winner out of those that remain. If you have any questions at all please DM me! Remember, if you get lost on how many dice to roll, just look at Nzam's last post and there's your answer!

Also, anyone can still join! You have until Nzambith rolls again tomorrow, after that no new additions may join.







---

Vennodren watched with baited breath as his beloved green circled all alone in the air for agonizing minutes. Well...it felt like minutes. Really it was probably just a few moments. Finally one, two, three, four dragons joined his treasure in the sky and he let out a slow breath of relief. Sending her a wave of encouragement as she began to fly out to the sea, he turned to face the sands to center himself. Should he wait here? Should he try to find Ty'bar? He had the horrible vision of them looking for one another and passing each other on two different paths, so after a bit of internal debate he decided to remain at his hut. Sort of.

With a rapidly increasing heartrate, Venn shifted to shuffle down the stairs and onto the sands. It was warm beneath his bare feet and the breeze was cool on his chest, an odd combination but one that reminded him he was walking around in nothing but pants. If that wasn't a clear sign of 'my dragon is rising' he didn't know what was.

Something like laughter pulled from Haezeth as he felt her shy caress that seemed to be just a touch telling. Definitely this was her first flight then, the first time up in the air for all to see her, and they deserved to see her for certain. While he was much larger than her and most assuredly was a bit stronger he wanted to see was she had in her hearts and what she could do as she danced about him. If he flared his wings just a bit to show off he might have been forgiven, for her eyes certainly seemed to light up just a bit around both himself and Ansheth's brighter form.

In Western Weyr he wasn't like to show off, that wasn't his style either, but the dark bronze couldn't help the little flare he added to his movements as he turned to follow her out over the water and into the sunlight. If it was intentional that she was flying into the sun like a shot straight upwards then he would take that invitation and run with it.

Should you fly to the sun or the Red Star itself I would follow you there, beautiful. However it would be more lovely to see you in the sunlight over the water and safe within my embrace. His words were quiet, almost a low hum that he offered to her rather than boisterous, but it was a promise in a way, one to catch her if she should choose his strength. A trumpet escaped him as he surveyed all the males around him, not so much a threat as a challenge to chase even higher and faster, for Haezeth felt confident so far.

Stamina: 21

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

It was only beginning to dawn on Ty'bar now that he had a dragon, one that was one of the few beings he could hear on all of Pern, one that could go Between! Of course it was so like Asilaeth to make him run all the way down to the beach, not that he was out of shape or hurting for the run, rather his focus was such that he'd forgotten in that moment. How long had it been exactly? Well over a turn really, for he and Venn had met during the flight that had clutched Nzambith after all. It was rather presumptuous of him to go running towards the younger man when he wasn't exactly some sort of prize as the blonde that lived by the beach.

Don't you go getting up in your head now. I told you to run, just focus on that and shut that brain of yours down. Asilaeth's voice cracked almost like a whip in his head and he sent her a snide remark in return that brought a monotone laugh. You've made me work, so now you can run to pay me back.

Rolling his eyes almost up into his head, Ty'bar could see the start of the beach huts before him and did his best to press on despite his anxiety that was bubbling just below the surface. What could he say or do when he got there after all? Not that much needed said right now.

Koroth laughed too, a brief, sunny chuckle meant to bolster her further. Burning to ash didn't sound like quite his cup of tea, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't going to be in this race for the long haul. It didn't bother him. Most of the time, the chase was the best part.

Probably would, he replied. Poof, hiss, right into the suns. But we should definitely finish things closer to the ground. Less dusty. He climbed after her with little effort, turning a tight and stylish spin.

stamina: 8

Nzambith had been worried she'd feel self conscious or nervous during her flight. She wasn't a dragon that thrived in the limelight and after seeing Seirath's flight and how many dragons were fawning over her, she had been just a bit worried that she'd fail to catch and keep the attention of even one dragon. But here they were, following her like their lives depended on it. She glanced over her shoulder to look at her little group before facing forward once more, her wings beating harder to quicken the pace, her angle upward increasing just a bit. It was time to start putting in real work if she wanted to see who could keep up with her.

Ansheth was quiet this time, but she could feel his presence behind her still. She didn't doubt a big, strong, shiny bronze like him would be able to keep up with her. Did shininess have anything to do with stamina or strength? Probably not, but to her it was a very important factor.

Haezeth, her other big shiny bronze, was close behind as well. Thinking about not one but two bronzes that had risen to chase her was still a surprise. She certainly wasn't an objectively pretty dragon no matter how many times Vennodren told her she was beautiful or pretty or perfect. Her markings were harsh and garish and spoke to a certain type of dragon, they weren't graceful or elegant like some of those chasing her. And yet here Haezeth was, calling her beautiful. Perhaps it was just flightlust talking. The warm, gentle tone made her feel as though she could curl up and sleep forever within the bronze's embrace, and she gave a soft trill of delight at the thought.

Do you like to cuddle? I do, she admitted as if it were some deep, dark secret, mental flashes filling Haezeth's mind of Seirath, Asilaeth, Vennodren, and then Hazeth himself all wrapped up with Nzambith in various places. Had she a different rider she might not have been such a cuddler, but Vennodren had instilled the delightful passtime deep within her.

Dhumavath's gloomy mood crept back into her mind, darkness a welcome friend that Nzambith so often pushed back or Vennodren helped to diffuse. It was almost like she was back in the egg with her own apathetic thoughts and the familiarity and comfort that brought was something very few dragons or humans would understand. As he spoke she could feel the distance between him and the other dragons, but so long as he stayed close to her, she didn't mind. She knew what it was like to feel as though she didn't belong to a crowd. Indeed, the cheerful, wistful words of her chasers were a bit overwhelming, but Dhum's were comforting.

Of course you may look. And if you keep up, hold as well. You are not unworthy here, she kreeled softly as one might if a sibling was lost to Thread. There was sadness in her tone to echo Dhum's, but even in sadness there was hope. He hadn't been the dragon for whatever green he had chased before, but perhaps Nzambith could warm his hearts for just a bit.

Koroth was a massive contrast to Dhumavath, his cheerful, sunny, familiar disposition flooding Nzambith's mind and actually made her squint as if the sun was too bright. His reaction to her words drew a dark little chuckle from her as she closed her eyes completely, letting the sun's rays warm her face. He would be fun to get to know better, Vennodren would certainly like him, but she worried for him keeping up as the flight continued. Already the angle and the faster speed they were moving at would surely strain smaller dragons: Nzambith herself was feeling the pull on her wing joints.

Certainly. Although my wallow can get dusty, she murmured, giving him a little mental flash of her sandy bed. Most of the time it was fine, but on windy nights she woke covered with a fine layer of sand from the beach. Perhaps that's what turning to ash felt like: gritty.

The words from Khandjith were far less warm than the majority of her chasers and more along the lines of the rotund brown that flew apart from the group. She could tell talking wasn't something he was comfortable with and she gave him her full attention to let him know she appreciated his presence and effort. Now that she was in a wing she had many moments of feeling pushed to the side or ignored simply because she was new, her voice unheard, and while she was fine with that she knew others might not be.

Ice...and then rain. And become one with the sea below, she said with a wistful sigh. To be a single drop of water in the vast ocean would be a fitting end, no one could tell her or them apart from the rest of it. They could fade away, never to be seen nor heard from again...how wonderful. She had gone swimming with Venn a few times and had found floating to be very relaxing. Perhaps that's what turning to rain would feel like.

Stamina: 18



All right, no new contenders may join the flight now. Remember to fill in any empty posts - due to the nature of this flight, if you miss rolling all together your dragon is out. I passed out last night before I managed to post so the next roll will be on the 25th some time.











---

The little horde of dragons were specks above him now as Vennodren watched from the sand, squinting in the morning light. He could feel Nzambith's emotions rolling between dreary and delighted, enthusiastic and embarrassed, and he wondered just what kind of dragons were casing his beloved. There was nothing there that suggested fear or uncertainty, though, so he didn't intervene. Instead he turned his gaze back to the ground, scanning the beach for any sign of life. So far, no one. A little shudder ran through him and he bit his lip to fight back any sort of sound he might make, so to help himself try to push aside the feelings rolling through his body, he decided to walk.

He found himself heading away from the sea, moving slowly through the shifting sands towards the Weyr proper. Was Ty'bar even going to come? It was bold of him to assume he would...perhaps he should go seek him out? Was it silly to think the older man even wanted to spend another flight together? Uncertainty and fear started to roll through him as he continued to walk, suddenly nervous that his initial hopes were not going to be fulfilled.

We can already become one with the ocean, Khandjith affirmed. Swimming was something quite agreeable to the blue, who had many memories of throwing things back into the water as he followed after Taiena, or floating about as she held onto him. If you close your eyes while you're floating and listen to the tide it is quite pleasant.

And he certainly was a bit too practical to be a romantic even at such a time.

Khandjith's Stamina: 8