Clan Aria Echoes

## Origins

As a young adult, Flannery was separated from her mirror clan due to an unfortunate injury. She travelled alone for some time before getting caught up in a violent storm.

In the aftermath of the storm, she came upon tundra Abraham and pearlcatcher hatchling Garnet. Despite initial trepidations, Flannery agreed to help Abraham find Garnet's birth clan.

They searched for months, all the while growing closer to each other. After realizing she cared deeply for Abraham and Garnet, Flannery began to fear loosing them. Much to her surprise, when they finally *did* meet the hatchling's birth clan, Garnet chose to stay with her new friends.

The trio formed Clan Aria Echoes, and made a home in the Crystalspine Reaches.

## The Clique System

The Clique System is one of the key characteristics of Clan Aria Echoes. Half social structure and half guild system, a dragon's Clique(s) are largely determined by their roles in the clan. However, a dragon may be considered part of Clique he or she spends a lot of time with, despite not participating in normal Clique roles. Additionally, some smaller Cliques are more social than anything else.

### Cliques

* Founders- The members of the Founders Cliques are the inaugural members and leaders of Clan Aria Echoes. They usually put the clan's wellbeing before their own, and will act on whatever they deem to be the best course of action for the clan.
* Explorers- These dragons are scientific and adventurous. They will travel near and far in the pursuit of their disciplines. Often described as "the most Arcane dragons in the clan," Explorers are constantly trying to expand their knowledge of the universe, and will often spend hours sharing information with each other.
* Mischief Makers- The clan's pranksters. Their "fun" can range from harmless to near-insane. Often the catch-all group for trouble makers, their personalities range from fun-loving to almost anarchistic. Fortunately, none of their antics have caused any physical harm or permanent damage...*yet*.
* Inventors- For a long time, this Clique was considered part of the Explorers. However, it soon branched into it's own animal. While the Explorers are scientists, the Inventors are engineers and innovators. They love tinkering with machinery and strive to make clan life more efficient.
* Hoard Keepers- The Hoard Keepers work with the clan's material possessions and money. In addition to organization, inventory and appraisal, some in this Clique are Traders. For this reason, this Clique is the clan's economic powerhouse.
* Defenders- These are the clan's guardians and warriors. Most are devoted to the protection of the clan, but some are more focused on prospects of conquest. While generally noble, their are some who are in the Defenders for the thrill of the fight.
* First Clutch- These are the first four dragon born into the clan, the sons and daughters of Abraham and Flannery. They often take on leadership roles and are generally respected. They spend much of their free time with each other, despite all having different roles.
* Magic Makers- The magic powerhouse of the clan, this clique is responsible for almost all of the clan's magic research. They are valued by all their clan mates as one of the most integral cliques, leading to slight power complexes for some and a stressful burden for others.
* Caretakers- The main responsibility of this clan is to care for the clan's hatchlings and the ill. However, many of them work as storytellers and actors, and frequently entertain the clan with regaling tales.
* Adventurers- Three close friends who strive for adventure more than any other dragons in the clan.
* Diplomacy- These are the dragons who represent the clan in other flights. They are skilled ambassadors, negotiators, and politicians. Though some are more open about their methods than others, they're all considered invaluable.
* Summer Triangle- Three dragons and close friends. They support each other through trying times, and largely try to remain neutral in the face of all conflict.

## Time in the Crystalspine Reaches

The clan's time in the Crystalspine Reaches was relatively short and largely uneventful. During this time, the clan grew and prospered. Flannery, Abraham, and Garnet took on most leadership roles. The Clique System fell into place and—with the exception of adding new Cliques—remains largely unchanged.

### The Kidnapping of the First Clutch

The biggest event from this time was the kidnapping of Felicity, Fox, Fiona and Abel (the First Clutch) by a flock of rogue harpies. By the time the time the four escaped, they were already deep with in the Viridian Labyrinth. Meanwhile, Flannery and the stowaway Arthur set out to retrieve them.

The hatchlings ran for their lives, and Flannery and Arthur tried to find them, these members of Clan Aria Echoes travelled all over Sorneith. Tales of their journey are still popular amongst clan hatchlings.

## Time in the Starwood Strand

The first part of the clan's move to the Starwood Strand is rather uneventful. It didn't take long, however, for unrest to start brewing amongst the clan's younger dragons. Stirred on by an unfortunate attack and Fiona's daughter, Tess, the clan starts to fracture in two.

### The Incident and Soon Afterwards

After several months in the Starwood Strand, the clan suffers an attack from mysterious mercenaries that results in severe injuries to six dragons. This attack—usually referred to simply as "The Incident"—results in the rise of Fiona's daughter, Tess.

Tess begin to argue that the clan's non-aggressive ways are outdated, and that they need to be feared so things like the Incident won't happen again. Flannery, however, believes that her granddaughter is wrong, and while they should take preventative measures, there is no need for violence.

Despite Fox's best efforts, they never find out who hired the mercenaries or what their motives were. At any rate, Clan Aria Echoes never hears from their attackers again.

#### Dragons Injured in the Incident:

* Garnet
* Percy
* Abel
* Uriel
* Ignatius
* Mina

### Tensions Building

After the initial shock from the Incident wears off, tensions amongst those who support Flannery and those who back Tess start to boil. While some are driven by the desire to bring glory to themselves and their clan, most dragons siding with Tess do it out of fear for their loved ones' safety.

Many of Flannery's supporters, however, remain silent in the face of Tess's rallying cries. They believe that these feelings of discontent will soon blow over with their clan mates' healing wounds.

### The Breaking Point

During the second Battle of the Bay, Tess and eight of her allies at the time go against Flannery's orders and fly into the fray. Flannery and a small party of her clan mates retrieve them before they could get hurt, thus preventing them from any significant contribution.

Flannery punishes these nine rebels with a strict and indefinite grounding, refusing to let them fly "higher than the tree-line or farther than the boundary of the Strand." Little does she realize at the time, this punishment only deepens the divisions in the clan.

Meanwhile, many dragons are still torn between their clan mates' opinions or struggling to remain neutral. Some even began to fear the conflict will result in civil war.

#### Grounded Dragons

* Tess
* Rusty
* Ignatius
* Uriel
* Phinehas
* Caitlyn
* Chantal
* Tristam
* Gwyneth

### Fissuring (Parts 1-9)

The Grounding proved effective from deterring any outright revolt, but it ultimately only results in driving Tess and her followers into the shadows. The differences between Flannery's and Tess's ways of thinking are still a hot topic of debate amongst the clan's members.

In the meantime, Tess and her inner circle begin formulating a plan that involves sending two of Tess's most loyal followers and the clan's leading magic researchers—Acworth and Kennesaw—to the Pillar of the World in Dragonhome. Though Flannery's faction is almost immediately aware of this trip, the details—including their destination—allude them.

Even after the pair returns with their young son and confess to their time in the Earth Flight, it is impossible to pry any further aspects of their purpose.

Eventually, the clan's head defender, Rhiannon, turns to Vega—the clan's personal prophet—for assistance. Vega refuses to unveil any details to her, and merely advises her to send dragons to the Sea of a Thousand Currents.

Without any other leads, Flannery and her followers have little choice but to follow his suggestion. They send Cesium and his mate, Echo, to the Fishspine Reef. They return soon afterwards, with their newborn son.

## Time in the Focal Point

Clan Aria Echoes moved to the Focal Point purely out of necessity. In the midst of boiling tensions, it was an unsettling time for everyone. Dragons began to fear they couldn't trust their own clan mates, and it was often unclear who would side with whom.

### Fissuring (Part 10)

In a secret meeting, it's revealed that Kennesaw and Acworth retrieved a powerful magical entity during their stay in Dragonhome. Tess's followers discussed their course of action, some arguing that they should continue their search for entities similar to the one they already possess, and others (namely Uriel) arguing that it would be "a waste of [their] resources."

Eventually Tess decided that they would continue this search if the opportunity arose, but they should focus on the internal struggles of the clan in the meantime.

### The Calm

Relatively soon after the meeting such an opportunity arises, and Tess sends a member of her inner circle—Shepherd—and his wife—Lacy—to the Southern Icefield

Meanwhile, Adara—a member of Tess's inner circle and the clan's ambassador to the Shadow Flight—and her newly-hired twin bodyguards—sisters Nightmare and Nightshade—continue to keep an eye on Flannery's faction. They quickly discover—thanks to a tip from the enigmatic Shadow—that Cesium and Echo retrieved a magical artifact from the Water Flight similar to the one Tess's followers retrieved from the Earth Flight and were in the process of retrieving from the Ice Flight.

Upon hearing this news, Tess is fairly confident Adara's theory that Flannery and her followers are clueless to the purpose of the artifact. Still, Adara looks into how they came to posses this artifact without Tess's faction becoming aware.

She later consults the clan's head magician, Chantal, and realizes that the magical energy from the then-newborn Triton probably covered up the energy from the artifact. This revelation initially startles Chantal, as this was the same method they used to smuggle the Earth and newly-retrieved Ice artifacts into the clan. Nightshade and Nightmare assure her that this was most likely a coincidence, and therefore unlikely that Flannery planned this.

Soon afterwards, two mysterious hatchlings seek out the clan. The first is Howden, a shy and socially awkward mirror apparently from the Tangled Wood. The second is Glaucus, a talented soothsayer from the Sea of A Thousand Currents who spent his entire life seeking out and watching over Clan Aria Echoes. A clan forager/scavenger, Deneb, takes Howden under his care. Meanwhile, Tess takes in Glaucus in direct defiance of Felicity's orders. For this reason and his almost creepy knowledge of their personal lives, the clan ironically seems more accepting of Howden—who goes through great lengths to avoid social interaction—than Glaucus—who's desperate for his clan mate's affection. While many see Tess's acceptance of Glaucus as direct defiance of Flannery's supporters, no one outright protests the hatchling's presence.

Even as the clan relishes the current lack of outright conflict, however, they begin to realize that the situation has already passed the point of peaceful resolution. Meta—a normally lazy, cynical, unmotivated fae—becomes the best example of this sentiment as he begins to worry about Tristam—one of Tess's most devout followers and the only dragon he considers a friend. Meta appeals to Tess's mother, Fiona, in an attempt to forestall whatever disaster he sees coming.

### Starfall

On the first day of Starfall, Tess and Flannery call the clan together and make a truce. The clan starts to celebrate in peace, but some dragons still worry about the state of the clan.

## List of Clan Members by Faction

### The Old Guard

* Flannery
* Abraham
* Garnet
* Stella
* Darwin
* Philomelus
* Ash
* Merlin
* Rhiannon
* Arthur
* Felicity
* Fox
* Kit
* Abel
* Minerva
* Rosie
* Persephone
* Woods
* Cesium
* Echo
* Aldebaran
* Triton

### The New Guard

* Phinehas
* Caitlyn
* Uriel
* Chantal
* Penny
* Tess
* Rusty
* Ignatius
* Abigail
* Gwyneth
* Meta
* Tristam
* Avocado
* Adara
* Shepherd
* Lacy
* Forestsong
* Acworth
* Kennesaw
* Columbus
* Nightshade
* Nightmare
* Rin
* Glacus
* Hadan
* Dinas
* Travers
* Warden

### Torn Clan Members

* Fiona
* Bradley
* Artemis
* Mina
* Cobalt
* Polaris
* Sirius
* Arcturus
* Jackie
* Lyre
* Violeta

### Neutral Clan Members

* Percy
* Puff
* Abner
* Mortimer
* Coco
* Alrischa
* Core
* Vega
* Altair
* Deneb
* Holly
* Brise

### Questionable or Unsure Allegience

* Adam
* Pinky
* Shadow
* Howden
* Prae