Shadows of Athaya (AU)

Created by Sparrow, Coco, and Echo. Be warned, already lots of writing and we are not even done.
Welcome
Far from Pyrrhia lies a strange land with even stranger rules. 
Nothing is as it seems, like leaves in the wind. 
Magics more dangerous than animus powers roam freely, and clans of dragons fight till their last breath.
This is Aythaya. Fear, or be feared.
__TOC__
Prophecy
Delivered by Starseeker the NightWing, many decades ago.
On a moonless night, dark and clear
A dragon stands before a pile of bones
No one to love, no one to fear
Their soul is shadow, their heart full of stones
Consumed by rage, grieving and alone
A time of change has arrived
The stars once again shine bright
The darkness once lost has survived
The frigid spirit will once again see the light
The branches split apart must reunite
Aythaya will only have this one chance
For an age of order, an age of peace
Lead with the head, not the lance
The hatred and cruelty must cease
But there will still be one missing piece
The treasure of the dusk must be found
Restored to its rightful master
But beware the trouble all around
The winner isn’t always the one who is faster
Fail and all will be crushed by the approaching disaster.
History
In the era we are writing about, it's been a few years after Darkstalker's demise and the events of the second arc.
The continent of Aythaya has been plunged into chaos ever since the glory days, when the tribes were newly established. After only a few generations, the peace of the dragons was torn apart by conflict, distrust, and misfortune.
Geography
Aythaya is covered mostly in mountains and forest, with a complex river system in the central area. However, there is a variety of different biomes and climates. In the East, past the mountains, is is always hot and dry, but on the other side of the mountains, the climate is mild- hot in summer, cold in winter, but just right in between.
Regions
Locations with strange qualities or of some significance
<tabber>|-|=
|-|The Fog Valley=
The Fog Valley
This is a valley deep in the mountains, and fog clings to this place, never going up. The fog will cause vivid hallucinations and possibly death in dragons who inhale it.
The fog is caused by a special plant that releases the fog and it only grows in the valley. It is a tall ivy like plant with white and blue flowers at the end. Don't pick them! It releases even more of the fog. Some animals live in the valley because they are immune to it.
Researchers speculate that firescales will be immune to the fog, since the toxins burn up very easily, but no one has volunteered to test this theory.
It is the sacred place of almost eighty rainwing clans.
|-|Ice Tower=
Ice Tower
No one knows where the tower came from. There are rumors that it was built by an animus to be used as a palace. The tower itself is a tall blue and white structure. Its a very pretty sight to see.
This place is home to one of the Renderalls, but unlike his siblings, he is actually crazy. He studies the Arctic through silently watching it when he thinks it "isn't watching". His real name is Nautilus but they call him Snap Freeze. A name as cold as his heart.
The tribes send their worst criminals to him, insane killers and the like, and in return, he stays in the arctic, banished from the rest of the world. What he does with the prisoners is not decided by the tribes. 
It turns out, he conducts horrible experiments on these prisoners. He cuts off their wings and throws them into a walled lake, so that they can't escape. He clogs the gills of any Oceanwings, so they won't be able to escape underwater. The only entrance or exit out of the lake through a locked-from-the-outside door built into the wall. He doesn't bother to catch any that escape, but he does have an absurd amount of defenses in and around the tower.
Only a few have managed to escape before, but they came out mutilated and traumatized. Each of them died shortly after the escape, one by his own hand. 
|-|Death Valley=
Death Valley
Every sensible dragon avoids this place. You can spot it because it has no plant life whatsoever, and you can see dragons walking in circles indefinitely. Living dragons feel steadily increasing pain when they enter this place, and only the dying feel truly at home here. If a being dies here, it rises with glass eyes, and without breathing, it marches military-style towards the center of the area. Dragon bodies are unable to come back alive. Some theorize that the valley is growing an army. The dragons don't leave the valley.
The rainwing tribe of Bloody Talons thinks this is a sacred place, but they're not known to be sane.
|-|Flying Fish Delta=
Flying Fish Delta
Exactly what the name implies. Dragons can fly faster and more battle-ready as well (more adrenaline). Sometimes there are flying sharks. No one really understands why this happens.
The only city near it, as there no villages, is Wen. It is the unofficial Duskwing capital, as most Duskwings don't really have a ruler or a government. Its more of a resting spot for caravans and traders and tourists who want to see flying fish, plus some peace parties. The fish only stay in the center of the delta and rarely go to the edges.
Ruby River is an extension of the delta, but it sparkles ruby red at dawn and twilight. Some think its a deeper red, and some tell of finding rubies in the river. Panners are an occasional sight.
|-|Peace Glade=
Peace Glade
This little glade is fit for a unicorn, and its always peaceful and warm even in winter. The grass is a deep green while a light wind always seem to run through. It seems the sun is shining always. A small waterfall glides into a pond, and seems to make you heal faster, but it only reveals itself to those looking to use it for noble purposes.
Dragons who enter seem at first amazed and never want to leave, but they soon realize that this is not a life. They mediate and turn peaceful and leave knowing their life will be forever at peace. Many dragons don't believe it exists, but the few who know it's real will never doubt it's existence.
|-|Sage Valley=
Sage Valley
It's not really a valley, more like a few hills and some dips, but this area stimulates the dragons senses really quickly and it actively tells you if there is danger. The entire valley reads minds, and not just dragon minds. 
It is a very interesting place to go to all in all.
|-|Biscuit=
The Biscuit Island
The Biscuit Island is found on the outskirts of the Javanica islands. Biscuit is a nice little island where there is a little forest—but it’s not a tropical forest, it’s a pine forest. The forest smells delightful and that makes dragons want to come and visit it. On the island there’s a little shop owned by a OceanWing named Chain. The shop is called All You'll Ever Need and it sells biscuits and other travel necessities. There’s also a little hotel that you can stay in. 
Travel Reviews
"Biscuit is a wonderful island! There were the best biscuits I ever had, and everyone was really nice and welcoming. I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a calm, relaxing getaway."
~ by Anonymous traveller
"Ew. This place is horrible. I hate biscuits, and I'm allergic to pine trees. I don't even know why I went there in the first place."
~ by Anonymous traveller
--- If you would like to add a travel review, leave it in the comments below :) ---
|-|Watery Caves=
Watery Caves
Under the dirt and high up north there is a special giant cave. Its not ordinary at all. Once you step inside, you start to fall upside down, or float if you use your wings. There are bubbles coming from the ceiling (floor?) And their odd colours. Dragons begin to breath out bubbles as well. You still have to bring your own light source to see this place.
Many dragons are not aware that it exists. Its too odd for physics!
|-|Scattered Ruins=
Scattered Ruins
Among the land and civilaztion, a few cities from the old empires still stand. Even some ruins are inhabited still, considered towns, rebuilt from the ground up.
Shrines infested with vines are in the eastern forest and mohntains. Once a giant palace was in the desert, but only a fraction stand and its stripped bare anyway.
Only archaeologists and the Renderall family bother to study them.
|-|Desert=
Desert
No one is able to survive there, and no one would bother to visit one of the most dangerous places on the planet anyway. Very few plants live there and cactuses are small anyway. The ruins there are preserved.
</tabber>
Cities
A description of each of the major cities.
<tabber>=
|-|Scri=
This independent city state is a melting pot, but the majority of the population is rainwings.
|-|Wen=
This is a coastal capital (and only city) of the duskwings. It is mainly used as a vacation city or a merchant city.
Just off the coast is a strong wall that is circler with some small huts outside the walls. Some farm, some fish, but they do pay a small tax.
In the middle of the city a large white stone tower looms. Called the Glowing tower, it is where most dragons work, ranging from the goverment building to mail letters. Flying fish tend to go there when the sun is going down or up.
The few dragons are duskwings or a smaller percent of oceanwings.
</tabber>
Tribes
A description of each tribe, and the state of their society.
<tabber>|-|=
|-|Rainwings=
RainWings
Leaders: King Grace, King Gravity, Guildmaster Temperate
"Challenge us, suffer."
There are three rainwing kingdoms. Think thats too much? Nope.
In one of the rainwing kingdoms led by king Grace. they are warriors and refuse to be weak. If the matter does not seem dangerous, instead of fighting they will hide among the trees and slowly pick off an invading force. When they are not in the trees, they have no mercy and will slay your entire kingdom. Many fear them. When you turn four, you start learning how to fight, and less on education.
They are stunted, and some have fungi growing on their backs. They have brighter colours on their scales as well.
Those with fungi were born and put into a marshy pond for a few days, and waited. It is a conisidered a blessing, but they die earlier and have physical diseases a lot more. Their scales are weaker too.
--------------------
"Step one. Mediate." 
The other forest kingdom many take a vow of no fighting, but they are just as dangerous. 
They are the tallest of every dragon on Athaya, almost unnaturally, and more isolated than most. Their tails curl so much it seems to not have bones but cartilage (shark tails and human ears).
Their names are soft sounding that flow easily, and based off flowers and plants. Some names are Shal, Grass, Whom, Masse and Peche.
Since they rarely leave their forest home and much less trade with other kingdoms, they are considered weak. They believe that mediation is the key and don't worship material goods. They take this maybe too far sometimes. The king is named Gravity and is basically Yoda. The castle is a giant wood tree house spanning along the coast. Many other temples exist, all high in the clouds. They believe their higher than war fare, and dislike their cousins because of this. Some temples are also in caves, becoming more attached to earth instead of the sky. Many think they don't exist or their crazy.
Overall, don't mess with rainwings. 
|-|Duskwings=
Duskwings
"How about just relaxing?" 
These dragons are descendants of escaping nightwings and rainwings, assumed to be criminals or very scared dragons, possibly going on a quest or some sort. They were never seen again and assumed to have made a secret home of some sort. After some time, the night wings began to only have hybrids with rainwings, and eventually, only hybrids were left, and all the generations from then on were hybrids until they became their own tribe.
Duskwings live in small groups, or live in giant city. They are a small race, and its not odd to see a mudwing like duskwing or an oceanwing one.
Their main city is Wen, which is also a vacation spot for flying fish delta. As a race, they are welcoming, opening and happy friend. You think they would be be cold and lazy, but they do have a few secrets. They keep most of their abilites secret so many dragons think they are naturally weak. Any dragon that has been to the mountains and fought a duskwing knows the truth.
 Duskwings are raised to keep their secrets, and some duskwings go so far as too pay the mountain duskwings clans to not get too close or to raid.
*they have frills for sure. Their faces and snouts are pointed, jagged with sharp features.
Their body seem long but not dead skinny, they have extra flaps at skins (look at dashounds for example). Their scales are circles not edges like many dragons.
Almost every duskwing have a cool scale mark. 
They also have gray or another colour of forever changing stars on their wings. They cannot stop and cannot be changed, and can be different colours at the same time.
They have medium sized horns running along their bodies. Their tails are whip thin but strong enough to balance on a tree.
their wings are very long and seem to stretch unnaturally but they are good fliers. Their talons are long and firm, good at slashing. Almost as good as icewings.
their tongues are short and split off at three long ends, but their teeth are weak and easy to shatter. Their tongue is purple as well, so they are not good at tasting foods. Its more dull and untasty to them.
they might be short
their colourings can change to mostly dark colours and more equally to black. Their underscales change as well. Some scales turn the same colour but shades darker, leaving them to look odd with dark clumps on them. (I.e turns gray, some scales go black)
When Duskwings are born in direct sunlight, their eggs turn golden and begin to break. The dragonet then wants anything but the egg to pick up, and mentally attune to anything lower than their own body mass (not known why). When they do this, they become sluggish and tired until the age of ten. The object begins basic thought patterns only the user can understand. Many duskwings don’t let their eggs out in sunlight and those with this ability tend to not tell others. Its not welcomed, and any with the ability is looked down on.
When a duskwing is born under the moons, two different powers happen. If born under all three moons, duskwkngs have horns that grow out of random parts of their body, all gold or brown. They have thin horns on their head that start black and fade to red. They dont have underscales on their chest, but when they breathe fire (duskwings cannot do that) it starts blue in the chest and shoots out normal fire. Their intelligence seems lower but its not confirmed.
The other moons can...well, Work in progress
|-|Oceanwings=
Oceanwings
"Ignore us, we'll ignore you." 
Leader: Anglerfish
They're an evolved version of SeaWings that split off of the tribe a few million years ago. Their colourings can be a velvet light purple to faded background ocean blue while their underscales are blue, white, gray or black. Their photophores are little shapes of octagons and triangles all over their body, and placed randomly on every dragon. They have dull talons to dig or use like a club and their webs are slightly longer. They have two extra gills lower on their chest. Their teeth are extra long and their fangs go a little higher than their snout. They are actually smaller than seawings, but they can go twice as longer than your average skywing (but they still beat them at flying!)
Their leader is Anglerfish, and her title is Protector, which is the same rank as queen or king.
She rules the inner lands and the outer lands, and many appluad her for somehow ruling over them. The inner land are more civilized oceanwings that have jobs and farm for them and their families. Its still dangerous however, because there are raids and oceanwings are just as crazy sometimes from oceanwings on the outerland.
The outer land is everything outside the giant bay. The oceanwings out there dont really have laws, and its every dragon for themself. The few dragons expecting different soon found out. Some oceanwings make groups, but only some succed, and the ones that do are thicker than family members. This is where criminals run too when their wanted, but some groups manage to catch them. 
The groups cannot be ruled, but they join you if you give them shiny stuff or extra food. This is what Anglerfish does, and the groups in turn try to rule.
Over a hundred years ago, there was a plague that hit Aythaya, and killed many mudwings. The few oceanwings living on the surface died slowly and the sympotims were nard to catch, and some oceanwings went underwater. It began to spread slowly, and they began to die. The oceanwings thought mudwings cursed them with their 'devilish ways'. Since then, the two tribes have never gotten along.
|-|Sandwings=
SandWings
"Gutteral noises" transalates to "We will get revenge." 
(Maybe a little too dark? Please tell me thanks. Might be a WIP)
Sandwings once was one of the strongest tribes in Anthaya. They used to have a great empire and even ruled over oceanwings, mudwings and skywings (nightwings and rainwings were elsuive). Everything was peaceful and simple. Until corruption happened. Then a coup of the century. More than half of the sandwings died overnight and a few dozen ran, underground. Only a few stayed on the surface, and they intergrated or died. 
They tried to group together, and went further underground. They became nomadic and kept going because dragon groups were attacking them, and they had every advantage. After a few years they were in the true underdaark, and strange and wonderous beasts fought them, or the sandwings began to worship the passive ones. Slowly they began to adapt.
Their scales began to dull and start turning gray or dark yellow, some dark purple. Their senses other than eyesight began to get a lot better. One talon began to grow longer, like a raptor, and they began using it for messages- clanking it agasint the wall in codes. With very few dragons thst weren't wounded, some began to have eggs with eldritch like beings, which didnt cause much, but their snouts were replaced with sharp blueish beaks. 
Their fire began to dissapear, and turned into a heat wave that overheats foes. And thsn they use their front leg talons to finish the fight. Their wings have gotten smaller but they can still glide. They really don't like bright lights, the only thing a few can still see, so bring an endless torch.
Today, sandwings are known as a scary legend to make dragonets behave. But they exist, fighting odd creatures and thinking the legend is a strange lie. They barely have a coherant language, and the occasional grunt in different pitches is how groups speak.
They have lairs not villages or cities, since they are so spread out over the continent. Lairs sometimes go on nomad journies and join another lair. They tend to act more on instincts and animalitsic nature. Lairs sometimes act like cults, guided by one thing greater than themselves.
(Sparrow or echo you can change this! Thank you)
-----------
The SandWings could be the strongest tribe in Athaya, but now they have lost all hope and fallen down to being probably the weakest.
They’ve shrank down to being the smallest tribe, and their wings have grown. They’re eyes have gotten smaller and have lost all their sheen. They still have venom and it is stronger now. Their faces changed a lot. They how have more of a beak like face, Anne their thing that runs down their backs is more spikey.in colouring they’re more brown and greenish, though mostly yellow.
|-|Skywings=
SkyWings
"Dont get in our way." 
They are similar in appearance, but far different in government, poltics and even personailty. They are nomad clans that wander through the east side of Athaya or sometimes raid the mudwings.
They often have dangerous or scary names, or names of colour. Some names are Ironclad, Tailchomper, Severed-tongue, Bladewing, and Magenta.
Skywings here look more orange yellow and white than red but it can happen. Their underscales are often more pale of their main scales than not. They have large heavy bodies with four legs that can easily balance the weight. Their feet are more long and worn out, like flippers almost. Around their mouth the scales seem to look like their is white or pale orange flames coming out. The horns on their head are a lot longer and thicker, which makes head ramming much easier.
Each tribe is different. Some are pure nomads, some have certain villages they return to in winter, and some prey on the other clans. 
If you know where to look, a few clans make a profit in being a guide through the mountains, as flying wont do you any good because its way too high and you'll just be attacked by tons of skywings. Careful, some guides are fakers, but its better than being lost and getting frostbite!
Its not odd to see a rainwing, a mudwing, a duskwing or hybrids in the clans. They steal eggs sometimes and raise them as their own, and sometimes have hybrids. Or some a city born and came to the true path of life (they worship nature and the chaotic wild).
Some clans have sacred places or villages that can be used freely and even allowed to take stuff that was left behind but when they return to that spot they kill the one using it. They leave for months or years at a time, though sometimes only a few days can pass. Many advise mountain goers to simply pass or if its a watering hole, use and go because it's probably a sacred place for fifteen clans at least.
|-|Mudwings=
"Go away."
They look more gaunt, and are slim from lacking food. They’ve lost their muscular built and now rely on running morbthen fighting. Their eyes are now commonly coloured red, amd yellow is more in their colour scheme.
The mudwings trust no one. They've been betrayed too many times. When there's a war, they don't ally, or get the news of war coming too late, so their population has been decreased a lot. That makes them an easy target. 
they've been dispersed around athaya and there's only one mudwing city, though it's more of a village. It's called Megascops and is located near the waterfall. 
The Mudwings have a senate, and the dragons in the Senate are the strongest ones there. They meet once a month to discuss whats happening everywhere else. They get their news from the traveling merchants though when the new gets to them it's usually outdated. 
The Mudwings are very superstitious and they raise their dragonets in fear of the other tribes. They make up nursery rhymes so they always remember to be scared.
Over a hundred years ago the mudwings suffered a plague. it came and wiped out over half of them, and left the others haunted by all the death. The plague was called Lanigera, and it mainly affected the healthy adult dragons. Still around five deaths from it happen each year. 
|-|The Renderalls=
The Renderalls
"Learning is our trade!"
The Renderall family is a clan of icewing-seawing hybrids who live in the tundra. They live in the Dawn mansion, a complex of three odd buildings made of rock. They radiate a sense of homeliness and welcoming while at the same time like an icewing in the desert, out of place. One is the main building, the living space. It has an endless number of rooms, many still unexplored. The second is the barn, where all the food is. The third is an odd yet lively shack with a little chimney. Inside is a fancy hall.The mansion can move around the tundra, but only in dangerous situations, and at least a century has to pass between each time it moves.
The Renderall family is a complete mystery to other dragons, as they are all hybrids and their ways are odd. They study the natural, supernatural, aliens, and just about everything in between, and some practice their own ways. They're all seen as crazy tricksters that do parlor tricks or are mad fanatics. Their scale pattern is a swirl of blue or green mixed with white or grey, and they have extra horns and sharp talons with odd tails. They don't allow bloodshed and have become something like their own tribe.
They dont give dragonets names under two years of age, and its often a great thing they did or something the parents research a lot. Some names are Dirt, Roomless, Fallacy, Saver, Brightstar, and Pine.
They dislike hybrids among their family, but welcome hybrids as long their okay with being stuided, so its not uncommon to see hybrids of other dragons with them.
|-|Hybrids=
Hybrids
Hybrids are few and far between, but in the mountains or in Scri, they are more uncommon then rare.
It depends on which tribes however. For example a mudwing skywing hybrid is more common than a oceanwing sun rainwing.
The mountain clans steal eggs and raise them, and have no problem letting them have eggs. Sandwings are clearly isolated by thousands of feet or kilometers to have any hybrids, and their hybrids are half abomiation anyway. Mudwings destory any hybrids quickly, oceanwings adopt many hybrid eggs to charity or sell them on Scri. Scri istelf is part melting pot, mostly rainwings, so hybrids still stick out but not banned.
But this isnt talking about parents who will love their egg! Some mudwings run to Scri to raise their dragons, some turn to the Renderalls and fit in with their crazy lifestyle, or go to a random Javanica island to live life! Not all are bad and the few who love their partner will love their child as well.
Soul rainwings will either see if they are weapon ready and raise them like weapons, crush it, or leave it. Sun rainwings are also isolated, but some might have skywing hybrids. Many will act indifferent.
Renderalls themselves with news of hybrids from their kin can be unprecdiabtle at best. Many shrug it off and accept them being in the family, besides, arent they themselves, and duskwings, hybrids of other tribes? A few might take the egg to study, give it back, and study the dragonets habits throughout their life.
Oceanwing mudwing hybrids: very unlikely, and many would be destoryed or thrown away from family members. They tend to hate eachother alot.
Any rainwing with another rainwing: cannot see this happening. Too isolated and they dont leave their forests.
Duskwing skywing hybrids: could happen. They have no powers however.
Etc? Eh.
Tribal Relations
Once every two years, all the kingdom leaders come together to talk about their current situations and to make alliances or declare war. None of the skywing, mistwing or few duskwings clans go however.
*A former meeting, a year ago, was humilatling and rather shameful but a good laugh to those that were there. An avatar of Temperate got water all over Anglerfish, then king Gravity tripped and fell on king Grace. Also a pie was ruined, and a giant mockwar ensued. It just gets better in age. Sadly, the duskwing leader was sick, so they missed it.
 
*The last meeting a year ago was more polticly inovled. The mountain clans were more active, and actually got close to the dusk manison, which they rarely came near. Some captured skywings claimed sandwings were coming back. They were let go, but the sandwings were never confirmed.
The Mudwings are known to be famously paranoid and Oceanwings have never been good at alliances, so it's not surprising that these two tribes current leaders hate each other down to the bone. The Mudwings often attack Oceanwings going through their territory and Oceanwings sometimes raid the surface, and the Duskwings are caught in the middle. No war has been declared yet, mainly because the leader of the Mudwings rarely go to the meetings.
The Soul rainwings dont have much of international poltics, instead only having one leader be a speaker, in charge of internal affairs and counting coins. Many soul rainwings look up to him as leader, so no coups yet.
</tabber>
Misc
*They do speak another language than dragon, though a more common dialect of dragon is used in secret meetings and old dragons sometimes know it. (Feel free to change this)
*Aythaya is to the far east of Pyrrhia. It's hinted, but never said. To get to Pyrrhia, go west in Aythaya.
*When roleplaying, try to keep duskwings and Renderalls normal gen one hybrids. Because it hasnt been millions of evolving, oh no. XD
*OC Pages: 
**Chain
**Nautilus
**Temperate
20180628 085032.jpg|Original Map (Coco)
1530295271135760551917.jpg|Colored Map (Coco and their sister)
Aythaya.jpg|Digital Map (Echo)
Shadowsofathayasketchedbysparrow.jpeg| Sketches (Sparrow)
IMG_0045.jpg|Fog Valley Sketches (Echo)
1531256256407-708571005.jpg|Original Map of Scri (Coco)
Gallery
Category:Content (Sparrow the Skywing)
Category:Content (Cocoheart)
Category:Work in Progress
Category:Collaborations
Category:Alternate Universes