Arcana (Morrigan3's Lair)

## History

Arcana was never quite at home in the clan of her birth. She had no interest in caring for children or taking a mate, and was generally perceived as emotionally distant and aloof by her clan mates, a designation she accepted with the same cool aplomb with which she treated all interpersonal affairs.

Eventually, Arcana chose to leave her clan and went to dwell amongst the twisted, shining trees of the Starwood Strand. It was there that she encountered Lucien and Ramona, who told her of their endeavor - to create a new clan, one where no-one would be rejected or made to feel unwelcome because they were unlike their fellows. The clan was small yet, and nameless, but they had a set of caves to their name, and a few like-minded dragons had already joined them.

Arcana did not go with them, that day, but over the next few weeks she met with all the members of this odd group, and one morning, she appeared on their doorstep where she was welcomed without question. Though the clan (now known far afield as the Starsong Sanctuarium)has grown large, with a vast honeycomb of tunnels and many members, there are few as devoted as Arcana, whose cool exterior is matched by a fierce devotion to those she loves.

## Personality

Arcana prefers cool regard and calm processing of information to an outward expressiveness, but while she may keep her emotions well controlled those emotions are powerful. She love or hate easily, but when she loves it is with a devotion drives her to any extreme necessary to ensure the happiness and safety of her beloved. When she hates, it is a cold, considering hatred, and her response in undertaken with all the patience and implacability of a predator hunting prey.

## Relationships

Arcana has 3 relationships with clanmates that have the greatest impact on her daily life: the Skydancer Apollo, and the Wildclaws Teliza and Kira.

### Apollo

Arcana's relationship with Apollo would be considered odd by other Skydancers, and even by many other dragons-She gives Apollo children, and he raises them without any input from her. Among Skydancers, where the family unit is highly valued, this sort of arrangement would be unthinkable, but the Sanctuarium accepts it easily, and there is no shortage of available assistance for Apollo should he require it. When they began their arrangement, Arcana was concerned that Apollo would try to pressure her into "being a proper mother" but the success of their first clutch assuaged her fears. Apollo himself came from a clan where his desire for children came into direct conflict with his lack of interest in having a mate, so he too finds their arrangement entirely to his liking.

### **Teliza**

Arcana's relationship with Teliza grew slowly, over a number of months after the Wildclaw joined the clan as Kira's mate. She was initially suspicious of the newcomer, who was difficult for her to read but clearly had secrets. The Wildclaw was friendly but not outgoing, with flashes of *something* underneath that Arcana couldn't quite make out. Arcana resolved to keep a close eye on Teliza, which of course necessitated hanging around her and (increasingly) frequent interactions. Without quite being aware of it, she came to think of the other as a close friend, and their lives intertwined until one day Teliza approached Arcana for a serious conversation.

The clan of her birth, Teliza explained, was a relatively happy place, but upon reaching adulthood she had succumbed to wanderlust and traveled for some time. She finally settled down in a clan that was peaceful and happy to take in new members, in large part because they held a territory rich in resources, and maintained distant but cordial relations with local beastclan tribes.

She had lived happily in her chosen clan for some time, but a subtle menace was growing that would lead to it's utter devastation. Rival clans, jealous of the success enjoyed by her own, sent agents to infiltrate and foster unrest among the peaceful, trusting dragons. While the plot was eventually it uncovered, it was first successful in creating distrust and tension among her people. In this state, they fell under attack from a force of centaurs, incited by their rivals through careful deception and trickery. Between the centaurs and the rival clan's forces, they were slain almost to the last dragon, and the survivors scattered to the four winds.

When she came to the Sanctuarium, she vowed that her new home would not suffer the fate of her birth clan, and she had been making plans with Kira to further that agenda. And then she had become aware of Arcana's suspicions, and had at first thought to encourage their friendship to assuage her doubts, but she had also found herself startled by the depth of her developing feelings and resolved to lay all her secrets before her dear friend and pray that their relationship endured.

The gamble paid off. Not only did the friendship survive, it strengthened immeasurably. Arcana became a partner in the endeavor, and brought in 2 other clan members, Kenshin and Aramina, who would take the role of spys and scouts for the Diplomatic Corp. The revelation also hastened the development of Arcana's friendship with Kira, who had been somewhat reluctant to make overtures when he couldn't be completely honest.

Arcana loves Teliza with a terrible fierceness which shocked her. She has a deep affection for Kira, and will always love the clan leaders for what they gave her, but her feelings for Teliza surpass anything she ever thought herself capable of.

### **Kira**

Arcana and Kira were clanmates for sometime without really interacting. She had evaluated him when he first arrived, decided he wasn't a threat (and after hearing his story, that he probably needed someone to look after him)and proceeded to give him no more than the general consideration she paid to all clan members who were not Lucien or Ramona (who would likely never completely understand the level of devotion they inspired when they invited one helplessly lonely Skydancer to join their fledgling clan). It was not until she became irresistibly entangled in Teliza's orbit that she truly came to know him, and then she found that beneath his pacifistic nature and quiet exterior, lived a brilliant scholar who was as devoted to the clan in his own way as she was. The two have, much to Arcana's surprise, developed a close friendship.

## Trivia

Arcana, as with several of her clan mates, woke the morning of the clan's first Starfall to find herself changed, most notably in that certain feathers have taken on the look and feel of gold, and her wing membranes now reflect the night sky over the observatory.