Zephyr Dancers

Whispers on the Winds spoke of a native tribe of Skydancers that called the Zephyr Steppes their home. For many ages they were believed to be nothing but rumors, as no dragon had ever spotted one. They were called Zephyr Dancers, a nod to their breed and their supposed ability to dart quickly from one location to another, leaving nothing but a light breeze behind. Additionally, others just referred to them as the Zephyr Dragons due to their supposed stomping-grounds being on the Zephyr Steppes.

One dragon set out to either prove, or disprove the existence of this Subspecies. After months of careful tracking she had returned with a full notebook of documentation. She found them! They were real, and there was much to share about their hidden culture!

## Lore & Origins

When first contact was made with a Zephyr Dancer tribe, the Elder invited the curious dragon in to their tribe to learn about their history. She seemed more than happy to share the legend of her kin with the outsider. For hours the Elder spoke of her tribe's illustrious history while the newcomer scrawled notes down on a roll of parchment.

### Subspecies Origins

The Zephyr Dancers are an ancient tribe. The Elders had taken their first breaths while territories were sill being divided by the Gods. The lands around them rose and fell as the Deities duked it out for the land that best suited their needs. According to the Zephyr Elders, the first of them were born of the Windsinger's whisps as he darted around the Plateau making it the perfect dwelling for his followers. One by one the Zephyrs were born and they drifted into the tall grasses of the Steppes, making themselves hidden as they took in the sounds, sights, and smells of the world around them.

Due to their swift nature, and love for flying low to the ground, the Zephyrs are likely responsible for the vast variety of local grasses and flowers in the Windswept Plateau. They tasked themselves with dropping fist fulls of seeds from leather pouches as they flew through the tall grasses and reeds as to help their Father with the development of the territory.

When the first Clans of dragons came to the land, they watched timidly from the bamboo clusters. The initial settlers were more fierce than the Dragonkind we know today as they rushed to claim the best pieces of land to call their home. The Zephyr's withdrew into the reeds, living in secrecy for many generations. Eventually, their Wind heritage overtook them, and they could no longer thrive happily hiding in the flora of the land. They would send out their fastest flyers to zoom through the land and tasked them with bringing back bits and baubles from the Clans of dragons around them, which were given to the elders to study. When it was determined that these settlers were not a threat to their well-being, they contemplated revealing themselves to all of Dragonkind but were not sure how to go about doing so without becoming vulnerable if they were not received with open arms. They knew the dragons of the Windswept Plateau were friendly but... they did "borrow" a lot of different trinkets and foods for quite some time and were concerned about backlash or worse- banishment.

Relief came in the form of an Imperial Dragoness who took interest in their culture and attempted to make contact with them. Now they are slowly emerging from the their ages-old homes to make contact with the Clans, offering them a taste of their culture in exchange for added protection and shelter from the elements.

### Favored Companions

Most Zephyr Dancer Dragons have companions. In fact, it is rather rare to find a Zephyr who does not have a Familiar to keep them company. To the best of our knowledge, there isn't a familiar that Zephyr Dancers avoid having... though we've noted that these are the most common companions kept by the species:
Bamboo Phytocat, Wind Sprite, Cloudkeeper Herald, Cloud Chaser, Gale Wolf, Mantled Foo, Peacock Firebird, Ringlet Amphithere, Salve Kamaitachi, Spined Cobra, Spotted Pukasloth, Tuxedo Floracat, Warcat Protector, Black-Wing Hummingbird, Chimera, Celestial Antelope, Clouddancer, Colorburst Buttersnake, Elk, Grassland Trunker.

### Favored Trinkets

The Zephyr Dancers are simpler dragons, and prefer natural adornments. Many go without apparel altogether. These are the items that are most favored by the tribes of Zephyr Dancers.

## Breed Standards

### The Zephyr Steppes Standard

This is the most common type of Zephyr Dancer, dating back to their initial creation. Their striped bodies worked to keep them hidden within the grasses and reeds, and their glittering wings were used to communicate with other Zephyrs when verbal commands could not be given.

* Breed Requirements: Skydancer
* Color Requirements: Maize/Green/Spring
* Gene Requirements: Tiger/Shimmer/Okapi

This variant of the sub-species is most commonly found around the Zephyr Steppes and at the base levels of the Reedcleft Ascent. They are incredibly nurturing and always put others before themselves. They have a particular fondness for their offspring and have trouble allowing them to move on to different Clans. Their nature as Wind Dragons wants to nurture the instinct to travel and explore, but their dedication to their kin makes it difficult to let go. Many first time Zephyr parents mourn the loss of their offspring for weeks on end and slip into depression. The more experienced family groups will step in to re-assure them that their hatchlings are just fine. It is not uncommon for a hatchling to visit 2-4 times their first weeks out of the nest to ensure their parents are doing well.

### Warm Thermals Variant

The first documented variation originated from the Zephyr Dancers of the Warm Thermals tribes. Over the generations these dragons traded their striped coat in for a smooth, lustrous sheen. They are nearly identical to the Zephyr Steppes Tribes, the only difference is their glittering overcoat.

* Breed Requirements: Skydancer
* Color Requirements: Maize/Green/Spring
* Gene Requirements: Iridescent/Shimmer/Okapi

This variant of the sub-species is most commonly found around the Reedcleft Ascent. These dragons have adapted to their cool, gusty environment by taking on a special heat-retention lair to their bodies, allowing them to take in and retain twice the amount of heat that the Zephyrs of the Steppes can. It is essential for their survival to sprawl out in the open, wings spread, and absorb at least an hour of sunlight. This can be risky, as their shining forms can be easily spotted by soaring dragons... so on most days, large groups emerge to sun together. They lay on their backs to absorb the sunlight, and lightly wiggle their legs in the air to mimic bamboo swaying in the breeze. To date, no dragon has witnessed this daily event, so their centuries of perfected camouflage are envied by local hunters and trappers. These dragons find humor in everything, and enjoy playing harmless pranks on their friends when they can.

### Glittering Windchimes

The most recent variation of Zephyr Dancers, these dragons are excellent musicians. Their most notable feature is their gem-like wings that clink and clatter when they move, like a delicate wind chime

* Breed Requirements: Skydancer
* Color Requirements: Maize/Green/Spring
* Gene Requirements: Tiger or Iridescent/Crystal/Okapi

This variant can be found in most regions of the Windswept Plateau but were believed to originate from the Cloudsong. It is believed that some of the early Zephyrs took to the skies seeking out their Creator. As they drifted upon the great Cloudsong, they found the Windsinger humming to himself as Wind Sprites danced around him, making music by tapping the reed clusters and wind chimes that hung from the structure. As the Legend goes, the Windsinger spotted these Zephyrs, and he coaxed them out and encouraged them to play music for him, and for the region. The Windsinger then waved his tail, covering the Zephyrs in a warm breeze which caused their wings to transform and take on the appearance of stained glass, as the sun shone through them. As these newly transformed Zephyrs danced, their wings would chime to the rhythm of their bodies. This variant of Zephyr Dancer tends to be more sociable and light hearted than the others. Wanting to continue to spread music and happiness through the region, even if it risked their discovery.

## Variations

Within the Subspecies of the Zephyr Dancers, there are some interesting variations in hue and even species that have been notated. Read below to learn more!

### Acceptable Secondary Ranges

While the typical Zephyr Dancer sports three colors: Maize, Green, and Spring, there have been noted cases of varying Secondary colors. Below are the documented Secondary colors seen in the Subspecies, and noted traits of those who bear these colors:

* **Avocado:** Frequently spotted in Reedcleft Ascent dwellers, these dragons can be very, very chatty and have a penchant for talking over and interrupting other dragons.
* **Swamp:** Found in tribes nestled at the top of pillars of the Reedcleft Ascent, these dragons are shrewd and tend to give a cold shoulder to those they do not know.
* **Forest:** This variation can be spotted mostly in tribes who remain hidden in the Bamboo Shoots. They are stoic in nature, refusing to let their feelings show.
* **Spring:** The most common variant, they can be found mostly in Steppes tribes. They are very hygiene oriented, nearly to the point of being vain. They love social grooming!
* **Leaf:** First discovered in tribes between the Reedcleft Ascent and the Zephyr Steppes, these dragons are VERY energetic! They're always on the go, not happy unless they're doing something!
* **Green:** The Standard Color for Zephyrs, they tend to be lighthearted sentimentalists.

Of course these notations are not written in stone, as we are still learning much about the Subspecies!

### Acceptable Breeding Partners

It is not uncommon to find a Zephyr Dancer paired with a look-alike of a different Species entirely. While most Zephyr partners are Skydancer and Skydancer, there are many documented pairs who are Skydancer, and either Wildclaw, Nocturne, Imperial, or Coatl. The tribe shamans claim that if a Zephyr shows a true act of the heart that they may be blessed with a transformation into another form. The form they take on is wholly dependent on what act spurred the change~

* **Wildclaw:** An Act of Bravery
* **Nocturne:** An Act of Honor
* **Imperial:** An Act of Intelligence
* **Coatl:** An Act of Loyalty

When nesting, these pairs will exclusively birth Zephyr Dancer hatchlings. Though there have been very, very rare documented cases of a single Other-Species dragon being hatched. These are the holiest dragons within the tribe, and are treated as royalty from the day they were hatched. Most move on to become shaman of their own Zephyr Dancer tribes, and others seek out to found their own tribe. When one of these Species is born, they will grow to be the true size of that Species. However, if a Zephyr is transformed by an act of heart into one of these four species, they will stay similarly sized. So a transformed Imperial will remain Skydancer sized, but if he bears an Imperial hatchling, that dragon will grow to a full Imperial size. Remarkable!