Emerald

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Emerald was an adult female HiveWing who served as Queen of the HiveWings twice before her death in 3996 AS. She was known for her strong devotion towards Clearsight and Her Book, maintenance over Her Temple, and the eventual destruction of it. The Temple of Clearsight was eventually rebuilt properly in Wasp Hive using old blueprints she'd drawn up, albeit with modern revisions.
== Appearance ==
While younger, Emerald was full of life. Her scales glittered a brilliant gold while deep black-greens decorated her too. She was sleek, thin, and always had the calm expression one would expect from a regal dragoness. Some could've argued she looked too delicate to rule, especially with those optimistic, youthful purple eyes of hers. Those who remember her regarded her wings are gorgeously irridescent. They thought she may be a perfect fit for the throne with how her spiked antennae-nubs resembled a crown upon her head as well.
However. As time treaded on, her once-warmer look slowly began to fade. Once Pantala's brightest-shining stars of a Queen, when dethroned she'd grown cold, distant. This became especially apparent as her colors began to fade, and her eyes held a harsher glare in them. Most would suppose that she wasn't meant to stay so beautiful, she wasn't a SilkWing after all. Even so, her elegance carried on, albeit with a more intimidating aura to it.
When taking the throne for herself again, her talons grew dull. Her palms grew calloused, blistered and scarred. She would pick up wearing a diadem that draped dark silk over her eyes, hiding those bold, Clearsight-blessed eyes of hers. Toward the end of her reign, the end of her relevancy, she simply started to hide her physical flaws. Nobody could tell you what she looked like on her deathbed, as nobody cared enough nor was given the privilege.
== Personality ==
Emerald was a very passionate dragoness. She was very charismatic, and was emotional to the public too. Beneath that she knew she had to be deceitful, though. She had to be persuasive, especially when it came to anyone questioning what Clearsight had planned for them. She was logical whenever she had to face the facts, whenever she had to consider items outside of whatever Clearsight would want or do. She was considered hysterical when it came to worrying over Her Word though.
Emerald was very easily stressed, though this became less apparent as her first ruling began to wane. By the time she had relinquished the throne, it was as if she'd been entranced. Forced into a haze. She was a little more dissociative than usual, making less sense. Then her second reign began, and she'd steeled herself. Full of clarity, full of purpose. Determination drove her, her stubborn nature also kept her going.
She was always willing to give herself up for her tribe, keeping the public's intentions true at heart. She was transparent, honest with her morality in the start. Most would say naive, as every Queen is when she starts. Upon navigating the complexities of royal politics though, she found it getting increasingly difficult to maintain that honest nature while finding discrepancies and inconsistencies with her faith. Her faith, which she was very proud of, by the way... Until she had to forfeit it, anyways. Her goal had then shifted from one focused more on what her subjects needed, to protecting the faith of a sister tribe's instead. Filled with loneliness, perserving the faith in Clearsight was more fulfilling to her than being Queen ever could be.
Queen Emerald of the HiveWings was simply the most colorful royal, personality-wise. From her endless hysteria about Clearsight to becoming the truly pragmatic and apathetic queen one would find more typical of modern HiveWings these days, she became a walking contradiction while only being remembered faintly as one of modern kin.
== Skillset ==
<tabber>
Senses =
:HEARING 
:SIGHT 
:TASTE 
:TOUCH 
:SCENT 
----
Emerald's senses were slightly higher on the physical end, causing her to be more sensitive to temperature changes and being hyperaware of anyone in closer proximity to her. Her sight was the second best after that, though grew duller over time. Her sense of taste was the least developed, many said she didn't eat much to begin with for a multitude of reasons.
|-| Speed =
:SPEED 
:STEALTH 
:REFLEXES 
:AGILITY 
----
Emerald had to be agile. Especially when it came down to the Royal Challenge between her mother and herself. Due to her coloration, she was not ghe stealthiest, but she could definitely blend in vaguely from afar. Her agility and reflexes were the most deadly to any combatant she's faced in her time, though.
|-| Power=
:STRENGTH (phys.) 
:STRENGTH (ment.) 
:DURABILITY 
:STAMINA 
:WILLPOWER 
----
Another thing to make up for her lacking stats, Emerald's stamina was much more than that of other dragons. She knew best out of her relatives and comrades how to manage her energy. Her will was considered unshakeable, despite her mental strength being kind of everywhere during her handful of crises.
|-| Mind=
:INTUITION 
:COMMON KNOWLEDGE 
:FACTUAL KNOWLEDGE 
:MEMORIZATION 
:COMMUNICATION 
----
Probably due to having both Mosquito as a mother and Nightcrawler as her great uncle, Emerald found it important to build her mental stamina and build her communicative skills as an heir to the throne. Knowing the history of the tribe, as well as current dilemmas they collectively faced, was mandatory to her. Being mindful of these were of the utmost importance.
|-| Behavior=
:EMPATHY 
:CHARISMA 
:CONFIDENCE 
:LOYALTY 
:COOPERATION 
:PATIENCE 
----
Emerald was found to be a very empathetic queen. She felt deeply connected to her tribe, after all, through Clearsight and being personal with the ventures of the common folk. Her charismatic nature made her to be a very persuasive queen during her reigns, and her confidence only found itself growing after her sister's death. Her patience, cooperation, and loyalty were all prone to fluctuation though - towards both her own tribe, as well as the sister tribes.
|-| Misc=
:AIM 
:ACCURACY 
:PRECISION 
:CLIMBING 
:SWIMMING 
:READING 
:WRITING 
:SPEAKING 
</tabber>
== Biography ==
=== Pre-Hatching (before 3898 AS) ===
It had been years since the last dragon had been accurately mentioned within Clearsight's Book. Tawny, Mosquito's mother, had been noted during her reign to help the dragons of the muddled Pantalan tribes through a drought. But otherwise... Nothing new was really happening. The only things left were the unsure scribbles of Clearsight as she aged, and one or two notes about protecting the trees? It sounded absurd to some, and most have definitely begun to lose faith in Clearsight as a result, including Mosquito herself.
"Why the trees?" Mosquito would snort, staring up towards her mother and uncle. "What's wrong with them? Is there a plague of locusts targeting those instead of the crops?" Her tail lashed in annoyance while she turned on her talons to take off for a flight.
"Let those damn trees die, for all I care." Mosquito mused. "They'll inevitably grow again anyways."
Despite both Tawny and Nightcrawler's urging for Mosquito to take Her Word into consideration, it only reinforced something of a violent snap within the princess. She had siblings once before, but as they grew older, expressed hope in Clearsight, and more fearful of their eldest sister, they'd fallen victim to Mosquito's talons. She didn't have time for weak, meager worms in her queendom-to-be. She didn't need some old NightWing carcass to dictate the goodness of the continent anymore. And of course, with these Pantalans not yet accustomed to the thought of peaceful passing of the throne, Tawny could only prepare for the inevitable challenge from her daughter.
The Book was free for anyone to view in the stony Temple at the time. It was free for anyone to interpret, which was dangerous. It was typically LeafWings and a handful of SilkWings and HiveWings responsible for keeping the Temple maintained, as well as the Book itself. Mosquito herself arrived to the Temple one night, demanding access to read the writing by glowsilk candlelight. Of course, being royalty, the dragons who maintained the sacred space obliged. They prepared a stone table for the reading, setting a small curl of glowsilk and fireflies lanterns nearby. Then the book was laid out, and the heiress to the throne stayed up all night planning.
Mosquito, despite having such a visceral reaction to anyone who preaches Clearsight a bit too much to her, knew she had to convince not only her subjects that they didn't need this book, but that she could introduce revolutionary aspects during her reign.
It was the day of her eighth hatching day that she'd announced a party to celebrate.
"Today, I will be challenging Queen Tawny of the HiveWings for her throne." Mosquito announced, a cup filled with blood raised as her toast was proposed. "I've read the Book myself. I've made an executive decision with Clearsight's guidance."
The HiveWings below stirred, unsure of where this was headed. They were unsure about the sudden change of culture implied with how Mosquito worded herself, they didn't know what to expect from the bloodthirsty princess at all. She'd taken a slow sip from her cup.
"We don't need Her guidance anymore." She finally said, voice filled with clarity. Mosquito's tail flicked as she heard the gasps, the whispering. "HiveWings, and other honorable guests of Pantala, hear me out... I do not ask you to sway your faith. I ask you to give yourselves more credit. What Clearsight has given us will not last forever - I want your potential to grow, I seek the brilliant minds of this tribe and the sister tribes to help forge our own predictions."
It was shortly after this inspiring speech that the HiveWings began to cheer for their potentially new queen. They hadn't thought Mosquito was capable of matching the queen's charisma, and certainly hadn't believed she had the tribe's best interest at heart while she was just a dragonet. The crowd of HiveWings and guests of honor had flown eagerly to the Heart of Pantala, a traditional stone slab large enough to cover the smaller sinkhole that was there at the time. Additionally, large enough for Royal Challenges to be held. The HiveWings took advantage of this area most, though, for ease of access and the sheer size of it.
It was on this slab that Mosquito had killed her well-loved mother, Queen Tawny, in a fierce battle to become Queen Mosquito of the HiveWings.
Years went on and with the advice of Nightcrawler, Mosquito would come to be a respectable queen of the HiveWings in no time. She was still dreaded, naturally, for her blood-based ability and her occasional taste for violence, but otherwise? She had done a decent job with settling disputes, deploying specific nobles or guards to handle other lesser items for her…
Time continued to pass, and then the question of heirs had come up. Now that isn’t something Mosquito had particularly put much thought into, at least, not until she was absolutely certain and secure with her throne.
But with a bit of pressure, both from the sister tribes and through Nightcrawler himself, Mosquito had begrudgingly settled on finding a proper mate. The only condition was that he had to be someone completely opposing herself in looks - she wanted beautiful children that might just make a SilkWing cry. She also assumed, and was far too comfortable in the fact that she wouldn’t need her children to do anything else but look pretty for their dragonethood. Rumors spread that she didn’t want to look related to her children in hopes they’d just fade into obscurity.
Oh how she was grossly mistaken with this assumed outcome.
Meeting Dynasty was on a fluke. Something that wasn’t supposed to happen. He was a larger HiveWing, a new recruitment for the royal guard perhaps? A dashing dragon with glittering wings. Some noble, found meddling with shiny rocks near the shores? He was neither of those things, and yet that simply caught Mosquito’s interest more.
You see, Mosquito never really loved Dynasty - not in the way we understand. She viewed him as another cog in the machine, another piece to the puzzle of a befitting queen. Dynasty understood why he was there, and why Mosquito became transfixed by him. Perhaps it was just another reason Mosquito grew tired of him early in the youth of her daughters.
"This was all Clearsight’s doing," Dynasty would sigh with a warm smile. "Wouldn’t you agree, Majesty?"
=== Dragonethood (3898 - 3906 AS) ===
Emerald hatched on a warm, humid afternoon on Pantala. She hatched alone, witnessed only by her father Dynasty and her great uncle Nightcrawler. Mosquito had been unable to attend the hatching of her first heir due to a speech being given to the commonfolk. She could, however, flutter back in the nick of time to witness Leech's hatching. Despite the glamorous colors and striking purple eyes Emerald had that served as a sign to Dynasty and Nightcrawler, it was Leech's greyscale and red color palette that led to Mosquito's favoritism.
Both HiveWing daughters had been shown the ropes of what being royalty is about, with being politic-savvy as well as being charismatic towards the public. Knowing the history of your tribe was still a key element to this though. For this, both Nightcrawler and Dynasty had thought it better to introduce Emerald to the Temple. Both heiresses would accompany their mother on diplomatic visits for the sister tribes, and both would have strong feelings about the commonfolk in one way or another. In Emerald's case, full of joy and whimsy as she felt connected more deeply to her tribe through Clearsight. In Leech's case, a sense of superiority built, as well a feeling of satisfying disconnect instead.
As the two sisters grew to be around six years old, they’d encounter their first tragedy. The death of their father, Dynasty, brought on by their reckless mother, who had finally snapped and had enough of his spouting of Clearsight. His death particularly rattled Emerald very deeply, noting her mother’s disdain towards their ancestor as tasteless. Leech and Emerald had both grieved in their own ways, with Emerald mourning at the Temple endlessly for days. Leech, however, had thrown herself into the world of defense classes, taking this as a message from their mother.
It was during these personal lessons between Leech and her mentor that she had discovered her blood-disruptive ability, like her mother’s. News spread to the common folk like wildfire, with everyone having hushed whispers over whether Emerald held a similar ability… The lady, frankly, was too distraught to want to find out at the time. After some time with Nightcrawler, the two had discussed what to do next from a more realistic standpoint. Dynasty loved both of his daughters very much, and would’ve wanted both to be on equal footing.
Emerald needed to learn to defend herself in order to accomplish this.
More importantly, Emerald needed to learn how to either outsmart or outmaneuver someone who would fight most like her mother, should she want the throne.
The older of the two would receive personal training on basic self defense from Nightcrawler himself, before being handed off to a mentor who would both match Mosquito most, as well as have the grace Nightcrawler had. Unfortunately, during these sparring sessions, the three would be the only dragons on Pantala to know that Emerald was indeed a powerless HiveWing, unlike her younger sister and mother. This would greatly discourage the young Emerald at the time, being faced with the abrupt loss of her father on top of the news of being powerless. After all, at the time, a powerless heir was practically useless.
Days prior to their seventh hatching days, the two sisters had agreed upon a public sparring match between the two to prove to the public who could be the more capable queen. It would be set to take place at dawn, when the dew was fresh upon the slab wherein the Royal Challenges take place. This was supposed to serve as a message to their mother, that her days were numbered.
Both daughters had arrived right on time, with their great uncle and mother both being in attendance too. A crowd was quick to gather, as it was always both a luxury and a cultural rite to witness any royal challenge of the sort, even if it were only a sparring match. A HiveWing that had been close with Mosquito during her early reign had stepped up to the slab, wings fluttering as he surveyed the crowd. A handful of LeafWings and SilkWings mingled among the crowd, too, with the attending royals settling alongside Mosquito. Two LeafWings, Queen Reed and her youngest daughter, Fern; as well as Queen Glasswing and Princess Monarch of the SilkWings.
Emerald felt at ease upon seeing the familiar orange-black flutter of wings, catching the sight of her Temple friend Monarch. She smiled. Maybe Clearsight would be watching over her today after all. The elder lady of the HiveWings stood tall, accentuating her sleek figure with her vibrant purple eyes in the morning light. Leech gave her a half-lidded look, with a slight bow of acknowledgment, Emerald following suit.
"Today we have a wonderful day ahead of us! Clearsight is certainly with us right now," the announcer, Whirligig, started with a joyous grin. "I’m sure she would be delighted to watch as the two Ladies of the HiveWings hold a respectable sparring match for the status of heir apparent." His tail swished, gesturing to both dragonesses as the crowd rejoiced.
"Proud daughters of Queen Mosquito!" His talons were outstretched, he twirled slowly to greet the eyes of the crowd, before gesturing to the younger sister first. "The Fearsome Leech, with blood disruption much like her mother," Emerald felt a pit growing in her stomach at that extravagant introduction.
"And the Beautiful Emerald, with an ability we have yet to see!" Whirligig gestured to the green-gold dragoness, earning a response of wonder from the crowd. She glanced at Nightcrawler, who only nodded firmly to her. She gulped, yet maintained her nonchalance. Whirligig was then quick to flutter up and out of the way, announcing the start of their match. The two ladies of the Hive were then stuck in a staredown until one decided to make the first move.
The match was a stage of embarrassment. Emerald and Leech both put up a grand match, with Emerald snatching what she could nearby enough from the slab to use to her advantage. Several times the crowd and Whirligig himself had asked Mosquito if that was allowed, and her impressed mother allowed it. Playing dirty was survival at the bare minimum. Anything from reeds to sand and rocks were thrown and utilized against Leech, catching her off guard before her elder sister could receive a blow.
However, Emerald held no malice or will to fight her sister in a manner that significantly harmed her. The most she did was get a restraint on her sister, before begging her mother to call the match.
Mosquito was not a very forgiving or merciful queen when it came to such a deep-seated aspect of their culture, however. She didn't call the match, and certainly didn't intervene despite Nightcrawler’s subtle insistence. It was during this hesitation that Leech could sink her teeth into her sister’s neck after she had a slip of her paw.
Emerald was left to bleed on the slab, as one seemingly fatal wound was more than sufficient to decide who is the more suitable heir for the throne. Questions arose at what Emerald could've done differently, how she could've used venom should she have any - to which it was revealed by Mosquito herself that she was indeed powerless. A couple of medics were quick to rush onto the scene after the queen and her heir had left, Nightcrawler could only pray quietly by his niece’s side whilst she recovered from her injuries.
Emerald didn't take a long time to recover, but she certainly took a couple weeks to herself being treated. Her depression was at an all time high, being deemed the powerless heir has rewarded her with whispering and weirder looks from others. Most of all, pity. She didn't need the pity of other dragons - she needed acceptance. She still felt a need to prove herself, and for those couple of weeks she spent in recovery, she remained still to brainstorm what to do next. Her uncle Nightcrawler handled her duties in her absence, and was terribly startled to find her gone after those couple of weeks were up.
Emerald had left when she was deemed well enough physically to move of her own accord again. She had gone to the only place she would find her acceptance, free of judgment. The Temple. She arrived quietly during the evening, touching down on the ground and greeted by nobody at the entrance. It was strange, but welcome and refreshing regardless. A few SilkWings and HiveWings were gathered inside, including the likes of Monarch herself.
The powerless heir held her breath and tried to stand tall while she crouched down before the statue of Clearsight, her guiding star through the night. Everyone was either silently basking in the dim glow of the fireflies and the gentle pulse of flamesilk lining the room, or murmuring gently into their prayers. She caught a glimpse of Monarch across from her, tears running down her snout while she whispered her prayer. Emerald felt herself becoming teary eyed, too.
”Dearest Clearsight, Mother of Fates,” Emerald would whisper to herself, head dipped in respect. “Please grant me the strength, serenity, and guidance I need to secure the throne...”
For days, this was the basis of her prayers towards Her. Clearsight was always a pleasant listener, always good company for Emerald to dump her problems unto. She felt more deeply connected to her than even her own mother, especially given the comments she receives for her glittering wings and strange eyes. She always felt like she was receiving a more direct answer on top of that, too.
Sometimes she would offer a wry smile at her own reflection in a cup of water she'd been gazing at, wondering how sad it is that she must feel this way, huh? Maybe a conversation with her mother would fix this hole in her heart.
At the end of her recovery period, Emerald would then approach her mother with shaky confidence. Wings trembling but still standing her ground, she would catch her during their evening meal together, after Leech had finished up and left. Emerald sought a private audience with Mosquito, and a private audience she received.
Queen Mosquito was relaxed upon a talonful of her cushions within this specific conversing chamber. She slowly swirled her blood red drink in the wooden cup she famously toasted to during her own challenge, awaiting to hear what her eldest had to say... Though, she already had an idea.
"I've been doing a lot of thinking," Emerald would begin, cautiously. "I've come to realize, we don't have much of a relationship do we, mother?" Mosquito stilled at this, as if thinking about it. Emerald's trembling stopped, and she carefully took a step towards her. "I want to know what a Queen would do, I'd like to receive better instruction through shadowing you like how Leech and I did while we were younger."
Then there was a snort. And a snicker. "You?" Mosquito would ask with her own toothy, wry grin. "Learn about the role and innerworkings of the Queen? You'd do better settling with Nightcrawler as an advisor."
"Is it because I'm powerless?" Emerald asked, her tone cold as her talons dug into the ground subtly. Mosquito blinked slowly at her, head tilted. "No," her mother replied cooly. "You just haven't proven yourself worthy of my guidance."
Of course, this was a lie. Both parties understood this. It was the embarrassment of having a powerless heir, her mother prided herself deeply on her own blood-disruptive ability, it was only natural to feel insecure with —
"You've never shown interest in what I do, and how I run things." Mosquito continued, a hint of spite in her tone. "You've only shown interest in what your father and uncle do, so naturally, I'm skeptical of dragons like you."
Emerald still didn't understand. Dragons like her? What was her mother getting at here? Her expression must've lead the dragoness to gauge her daughter's misunderstanding, seeing as she sighed heavily. "I mean you believers of Clearsight!" Mosquito finally snarled. "You're so full of yourselves, believing you know everything, believing you're entitled to things when you aren't. You need to work for it instead of just chewing on a dead dragon's tail!"
The newly recovered Lady of the Hive would only come to understand her mother's word later in life, but in the moment it only granted Emerald the clarity she needed. Her mother simply couldn't care less about her and any endeavors she worked towards. She nodded slowly. "I see, thank you mother."
Emerald fell back into her predictable pattern in the meantime. But she worked harder than any other dragon could to build her strength and agility, to weaponize her scattered and improvised resources. She would continue to help in the Temple, to help serve other lower class dragons and to tell stories to eager dragonets of Clearsight. She would also seek advice from Monarch, who had fluttered along and assisted happily with Emerald in the meantime.
"I think you have the best intentions of us all," Monarch would tell the HiveWing Lady one day. "You have Her eyes after all, I'm sure you have all the clarity you need." The SilkWing princess smiled.
There was a storm blowing in on the day of her eigth hatching day, and it was this day that she decided to challenge her mother for the throne - when her mother would be the most at a disadvantage. Mosquito would've tried to make a rearrangement for the ceremony, but the conditions to a challenge may be set by a Lady to benefit and secure her own victory too. The crowd that was around at the time of announcement had cleared, seeking shelter in the wake of Emerald's untimely challenge.
The fight certainly didn't start or end very abruptly, it was long, and agonizing. A consistent race against each other's endurance, waiting for whoever would be the more opportunistic party. Mosquito couldn't afford to lose during a minor crisis such as this, and Emerald couldn't afford to lose due to her own wounded pride. The two dragonesses would find that the environmental circumstances were definitely responsible for most of the wear and tear, but Emerald wound up being the most opportunistic in the end. Waiting for a lucky slip of her mother's balance, and the fact her wings were too soaked now to try to fly, as well as a perfectly timed rock being snatched into Emerald's talons made for the perfect, slow demise of the Bloody Queen.
The rain had washed away all the blood of this cruel event, almost making Mosquito look beautiful in her death if it weren't for the smashed-in scales and broken bones. Emerald took slow, deep breaths to stabilize herself while she came to realize what had transpired. It was then that she announced her ascension to the throne, that she was the new Queen of the HiveWings.
=== First Reign (3906 - 3912 AS) ===
The first few days of Emerald's reign were the roughest, with Nightcrawler handling more of the technical items a queen should be doing, while also juggling comforting the new queen from the death of her late mother. Leech also stepped up, helping her older sister where she could. Seeing the new queen practically in shambles after the succession made the public wary of her. After being pushed, gently, to toughen up from her sister, she made a decree.
"Today we officially celebrate my succession as Queen of the HiveWings." Emerald would announce to everyone gathered before her, a dark veil covering her eyes to hide the glittering tears though. "I know this came as a shock to most. Especially given how powerless I am, compared to my mother Mosquito." Her deep purple gaze glimpsed lightly back to Leech, who remained reserved. She sighed.
"Despite this being a celebration, I have also decided to use this opportunity to make my first decree as Queen." Emerald took a step forward, waving a talon as she gained her confidence and stride. "The traditional succession for the throne is to be discontinued. The current Queen will be allowed to appoint the heir herself from this point onward." There was only silence, and the shuffling of talons before her. "My Advisor and my sister have both already decided this is the best course of action, especially while I continue to mourn the loss of my mother."
* nightcrawler steps in as advisor for a bit
* emerald's first official decree was the abolishment of the traditional hivewing succession ritual
* spent time strengthening bonds between the tribes
* issued a mandate for others to know a bit about clearsight (unpopular in some crowds)
* aid was requested of the hivewings during a drought and series of wildfires which lasts a few years.
** it overwhelms emerald. especially due to clearsight's tree warning. leech is more decisive
* consults with both nightcrawler and clearsight on what to do, again
* announces leech as the new queen of the hivewings as the drought and wildfires reaches a peak
=== Intermission (3912 - 3926 AS) ===
* leech throne time. decisive, swift. gets rid of the clearsight reading mandate
* elects to put emerald in charge of the temple as well as intertribal relations
** nightcrawler continues to gently assist with advising, but is otherwise just royal guard now
* insert ironclad
* emerald and ironclad both make strides towards assisting the sister tribes on leech's behalf
* dragonets planned and hatch
* The Assassinations
* the Fleeing
* ... Emerald returns to the throne
=== Second Reign (3926 - 3996 AS) ===
* Emerald is a lot colder + distrustful, shuts down Clearsight guidance suggestions
* Refuses to help accommodate sister tribes in their struggles. refuses diplomacy meetings
* sets up plans for the library. sets out to destroy the temple
** pulls the book aside and prepares a replica in a talon carved box
** genuinely trying to pull the "clearsight would try to keep us safe" while doubting herself
** leaves instructions for future queens regarding the book's maintenance, etc
* tribe kinda fears her kinda wants to overthrow her
* velvet isn't aiming to get her though
* a couple of other assassins have tried to get her but have failed
=== Death & Legacy (post 3996 AS) ===
* velvet's disdain towards silkwings leads to the decisive halt of "mingling" with their bloodHiveWings - Scarab's great-great-grandmother
* the continuation of using the book of clearsight for things that aren't entirely true persists, especially as leverage for the royal family to justify ascension to the throne
* the peaceful passing of the hivewing throne does persist to this day
* the librarian role is manufactured around emerald's written plans and assigned to the queen as a religious duty
== Family Tree ==
* Boxes colored in yellow indicate queens. White boxes are for aiding visuals for dark mode users.
== Relations ==
Queen Mosquito †
Mosquito was Emerald's mother, though not a very good one. She was neglectful, resentful, and vengeful. She was filled with violence, and the only way to survive around her was to best her with violence, or suffice with subservience. Mosquito had an aura of superiority that Emerald utterly loathed, and refused to both succumb to and adopt into her behavior when she grew old. Despite the tossing of Clearsight aside, Emerald does think her mother did a decent job at protecting the tribe.	Queen Mosquito †
Mosquito was Emerald's mother, though not a very good one. She was neglectful, resentful, and vengeful. She was filled with violence, and the only way to survive around her was to best her with violence, or suffice with subservience. Mosquito had an aura of superiority that Emerald utterly loathed, and refused to both succumb to and adopt into her behavior when she grew old. Despite the tossing of Clearsight aside, Emerald does think her mother did a decent job at protecting the tribe.	Queen Leech †
Leech was Emerald's younger sister, and despite the forced wedges between them by their mother, she always valued her sister's input and companionship. The two were the dragonesses responsible for the peaceful passing of the throne that HiveWings still utilize today. Emerald didn't agree with the way Leech ran the Queendom in her reign, but forfeit the right to change anything early on. Emerald was there during Leech's last moments, which leads the public to believe she was involved with her death.	Queen Leech †
Leech was Emerald's younger sister, and despite the forced wedges between them by their mother, she always valued her sister's input and companionship. The two were the dragonesses responsible for the peaceful passing of the throne that HiveWings still utilize today. Emerald didn't agree with the way Leech ran the Queendom in her reign, but forfeit the right to change anything early on. Emerald was there during Leech's last moments, which leads the public to believe she was involved with her death.
Prince Nightcrawler †
Emerald's great uncle. Nightcrawler wasn't very involved, but was more involved religiously-speaking compared to Mosquito. Though this was a joint effort brought on by Dynasty as well, Nightcrawler was exclusively responsible for providing etiquette tips for the daughters, as well as accompanying them as a guard during diplomatic meetings which they shadowed. Nightcrawler was fond of Emerald moreso than Leech, but grew a form of resentment he held onto until his death.	Prince Nightcrawler †
Emerald's great uncle. Nightcrawler wasn't very involved, but was more involved religiously-speaking compared to Mosquito. Though this was a joint effort brought on by Dynasty as well, Nightcrawler was exclusively responsible for providing etiquette tips for the daughters, as well as accompanying them as a guard during diplomatic meetings which they shadowed. Nightcrawler was fond of Emerald moreso than Leech, but grew a form of resentment he held onto until his death.	King Dynasty †
Emerald's father. Dynasty was the more affectionate parent, and was more willing to tell stories of Clearsight and the Old Days than Mosquito was. However, it was also due to his mannerisms that he was disposed of by Mosquito herself. Emerald dearly missed her father, but also couldn't help but wonder if he would even be proud of her accomplishments as queen after the fact... He definitely couldn't be proud of a dragoness who destroyed a temple.	King Dynasty †
Emerald's father. Dynasty was the more affectionate parent, and was more willing to tell stories of Clearsight and the Old Days than Mosquito was. However, it was also due to his mannerisms that he was disposed of by Mosquito herself. Emerald dearly missed her father, but also couldn't help but wonder if he would even be proud of her accomplishments as queen after the fact... He definitely couldn't be proud of a dragoness who destroyed a temple.
Lady Velvet
Leech's second daughter and the only surviving heir to the throne, Emerald has plenty of respect for her niece. She respects her neutrality on the topic of Clearsight, and the way she navigates conversation. She has a sneaking suspicion that Velvet has something against SilkWings in her older age, but couldn't ever put her talon on it before her own death. Knowing that Velvet's lineage would be persistent through to the modern age though would leave Emerald impressed.	Lady Velvet
Leech's second daughter and the only surviving heir to the throne, Emerald has plenty of respect for her niece. She respects her neutrality on the topic of Clearsight, and the way she navigates conversation. She has a sneaking suspicion that Velvet has something against SilkWings in her older age, but couldn't ever put her talon on it before her own death. Knowing that Velvet's lineage would be persistent through to the modern age though would leave Emerald impressed.	Lady Recluse †
Emerald's first daughter, and a studious dragonet for Clearsight's teachings. Emerald had done her best when it came to raising her daughter in a more hands-on fashion, but after her death she found she couldn't lift a talon for any of her children anymore. Recluse's demise resulted in Emerald's doubts towards Clearsight and what it is She wanted out of her.	Lady Recluse †
Emerald's first daughter, and a studious dragonet for Clearsight's teachings. Emerald had done her best when it came to raising her daughter in a more hands-on fashion, but after her death she found she couldn't lift a talon for any of her children anymore. Recluse's demise resulted in Emerald's doubts towards Clearsight and what it is She wanted out of her.
Lady Hookworm †
Leech's first daughter. Emerald was quite fond of her spunky niece, and looked forward to what could've been with the crown, had she lasted that long. Hookworm's death was sudden, much like with her sister's, and always left a bitter taste in Emerald's mouth while she tried to figure out the cause. It was through Hookworm's death that she took notice over Velvet's growing avoidance of SilkWings, though.	Lady Hookworm †
Leech's first daughter. Emerald was quite fond of her spunky niece, and looked forward to what could've been with the crown, had she lasted that long. Hookworm's death was sudden, much like with her sister's, and always left a bitter taste in Emerald's mouth while she tried to figure out the cause. It was through Hookworm's death that she took notice over Velvet's growing avoidance of SilkWings, though.	Lady Potter
Emerald's second daughter, her youngest child. Born last of Emerald's clutch, Potter was cared fiercely and protectively by Emerald immediately after the death of Recluse. As time went on though, Emerald thought it better to send Potter and Weevil to the SilkWing tribe to be taken care of. She wouldn't find out what became of Potter afterwards, though.	Lady Potter
Emerald's second daughter, her youngest child. Born last of Emerald's clutch, Potter was cared fiercely and protectively by Emerald immediately after the death of Recluse. As time went on though, Emerald thought it better to send Potter and Weevil to the SilkWing tribe to be taken care of. She wouldn't find out what became of Potter afterwards, though.
Prince Weevil
Emerald's middle son that hates her. Weevil blames Emerald entirely for the deaths taken place in the family - from Nightcrawler, to Leech, to Recluse. And while Emerald normally would have likely dismissed it or even might have been receptive to the verbal lashing of her son, she could only reject the accusations of this and deflect it instead. Forcing her son and Potter to seek safety in the SilkWing queendom was for the best, surely... But for who?	Prince Weevil
Emerald's middle son that hates her. Weevil blames Emerald entirely for the deaths taken place in the family - from Nightcrawler, to Leech, to Recluse. And while Emerald normally would have likely dismissed it or even might have been receptive to the verbal lashing of her son, she could only reject the accusations of this and deflect it instead. Forcing her son and Potter to seek safety in the SilkWing queendom was for the best, surely... But for who?	Ironclad †
The two met during their early days of serving the Temple. Ironclad, enamoured by the regal nature of this princess and Emerald, caught up in the sheer devotion of this commoner. This was perhaps just a disaster waiting to happen. The two created their own stories out of Clearsight's words, justifying Emerald's inevitably long reign over the HiveWings when the time came. But when Emerald felt she couldn't lead the tribe in a useful way, Ironclad didn't understand. He took matters into his own talons, and as we know, that only caught him dead in the end.	Ironclad †
The two met during their early days of serving the Temple. Ironclad, enamoured by the regal nature of this princess and Emerald, caught up in the sheer devotion of this commoner. This was perhaps just a disaster waiting to happen. The two created their own stories out of Clearsight's words, justifying Emerald's inevitably long reign over the HiveWings when the time came. But when Emerald felt she couldn't lead the tribe in a useful way, Ironclad didn't understand. He took matters into his own talons, and as we know, that only caught him dead in the end.
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Queen Monarch
Former ally and friend, the two frequented the Temple of Clearsight together when they were younger. Their relation soured significantly when Emerald denounced her faith from Clearsight, and destroyed the Temple whilst linking the SilkWings back into it for the blame.	Queen Monarch
Former ally and friend, the two frequented the Temple of Clearsight together when they were younger. Their relation soured significantly when Emerald denounced her faith from Clearsight, and destroyed the Temple whilst linking the SilkWings back into it for the blame.	Queen Fern
Former regal colleague. The two were frequently skeptical of one another; with Fern believing that Emerald is too stuck in the past, while Emerald believes Fern is thinking too far ahead. Emerald had tried to sway Fern into believing in Her Words before, but to no avail. You cannot force someone to believe in something, or someone. Their relation soured, however, upon the destruction of the Temple being tied back to LeafWings.	Queen Fern
Former regal colleague. The two were frequently skeptical of one another; with Fern believing that Emerald is too stuck in the past, while Emerald believes Fern is thinking too far ahead. Emerald had tried to sway Fern into believing in Her Words before, but to no avail. You cannot force someone to believe in something, or someone. Their relation soured, however, upon the destruction of the Temple being tied back to LeafWings.
Princess Swallowtail
Former ally through Monarch.	Princess Swallowtail
Former ally through Monarch.	Clearsight †
Mother of Emerald's world, the one she misses most and hates the most. Hate fueled exclusively by one-sided love, Emerald wonders often what Clearsight would do. Sometimes, she believes her mother was right to disregard the Night Dragon's words in order to take matters into their own talons. She is full of grief over Clearsight.	Clearsight †
Mother of Emerald's world, the one she misses most and hates the most. Hate fueled exclusively by one-sided love, Emerald wonders often what Clearsight would do. Sometimes, she believes her mother was right to disregard the Night Dragon's words in order to take matters into their own talons. She is full of grief over Clearsight.
* images of Anthelion used in this are currently just placeholders.
== Gallery ==
<tabber>
|-| First Reign=
Base by Mezepheles, colored by Coy.
 
More vibrant in coloration, flawless scales.
|-| Second Reign=
Base by Mezepheles, colored by Coy.
 
Less vibrant in coloration, scars may be liberally stretched along the shoulders and tail. Scarred palms.
</tabber>
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Emerald WheatBase UC.png|Base by Wheatproduct, colored by Coy.
Emerald Bust UC.png|By Coy.
== Trivia ==
* Deliberately designed with deep purple eyes and greener-black scales to allude to Clearsight / NightWings, thus having a more influential look to her in passing.
* Emerald is one of the older HiveWings post-Clearsight but pre-Cochineal that had slight spikes/stems alluding to the tribe having had antennae before.HiveWings This was a normal occurrence in her time, the transition of HiveWings both having and not having antennae indicators sometimes.
* Both of the above notes (color choices, antennae) are also to note the previous union of HiveWings and SilkWings into BeetleWings.
* Emerald is named after the emerald ash borer, which is a type of jewel beetle.Wikipedia - Emerald ash borer
* The gist of Emerald's influence is being known as the Faithless Queen - the HiveWing most loyal to Clearsight destroying her temple out of presumed rage according to her muted legend.
* Emerald is an entry character for Revek's Historical Rulers contest.
== References ==
 
Category:Characters
Category:Work in Progress
Category:HiveWings
Category:Content (UnwaveringCacophony)
Category:Status (Royalty)
Category:Females
Category:Deceased
Category:Status (Legend)
Category:Occupation (Archivist)
Category:Occupation (Teacher)