AsteriTails

**Description:** Night, dawn, or dusk colors with ripples changing the colors every few seconds, aerodynamic build, bird-like wings

**Abilities:** Sometimes able to "communicate" with souls, advanced aerodynamic sequences, burning venom in teeth

**Location:** Kitsune's Scars, Comet Gorge, Chickadee Caldera

**Queen (Canon):** N/a

**Diet:** Various prairie game such as bison, horses, and small forest game such as foxes, seafood

**Alliances:** Formerly NightWings and SandWings, FlameWings and FernWings

## Description

AsteriTails, alternatively called StarWings, are normally black, or even grey, with scattered stars and the occasional comet. Because of the ripple effect on their scales, the stars and comets have the uncanny appearance of moving across a dragon's scales. Gifteds, however, are dawn and dusk colored, and have fewer stars and comets. Once in a blue moon they will have a sun on the horizon. All of them wear a necklace with at least one pendant.

Their heads are an aerodynamic shape in order to reduce as much drag as possible, and their horns protrude from the sides of their head, curving into a knife shape. Their wings are one of the more defining shapes, the closest resemblance being bird wings instead of the common bat wings. The wings, while joined closer to the torso, are able to individually move at the tips like feathers, stacking on top of one another when folded. They also have two ridges going down their spine, not one.

StarWings are stereotyped as distant and only half on this world. To the StarWings, this is true, as they are the more Native American tribe of them all. They believe in several deities, as well as believing they are they are the most spiritually connected. Which is all true of course. They also have a slightly less strict honor code compared to the LightWings.

## Abilities

StarWings’ Gifteds are able to access the knowledge of any dragon within a certain radius, believed to be connected to the earth themself and the deity. Instead of having firebreath, (though some still retain that ability) they typically have a burning venom, injected through a bite. The venom will spread in a certain area depending on how long the bite lasts, allowing more venom to enter, and subjects the victim to a searing pain that resembles being burned by fire. The longest it can last is unknown, though records have shown up to a week.

StarWings are also the most skilled at flying, and their body shape compliments that. They can perform complicated maneuvers after practicing for a shorter time than LightWings, and invent new maneuvers daily.

## Government/Military

The StarWings are perhaps the most disconnected of the tribes, and have several clans. The chieftains of the clans meet every full moon, and either one, two, or three full moons decides how many times they meet, which always takes place under the Spirit Tree. The chieftains are the government, which makes for several civil wars between clans. Otherwise, they are peaceful, and trade often, including the Scorched Festival, the Listorian festival hosted by the StarWings. More is listed below. Chieftains, being the main government, obviously need a way to be ousted from the position. That being said, Chieftains may be challenged by someone within the clan, or another chieftain.

When needed, the military is put into use at the Kitsune’s Scars, a barren basin that has long since dried up, said to be from a Kitsune scorching the earth permanently. They have a less sophisticated military, and specialize in aerial combat, making a grounded StarWing a dead or dying one.

### Clans

Clans are how the StarWings organize their tribe. There are no more than four in existence at a time, and all four have different ways of life, being either hunters, foragers, traders, or fishers. The chieftains of each clan are decided through ceremony, which differ from clan to clan but all involve some form of competition. The clan name, which is decided by the original chieftain, is typically some sort of flora or fauna, and cannot be changed until the clan chieftain is defeated in a challenge of the clan.

### Challenging of the Clans

When a clan is challenged, the challengers must first have a large enough group of supporters. Secondly, the chieftain of each clan engages in a series of challenges, decided by the chieftains of the other clans. The challenges take place at the Titanium Tree. After a clan is disbanded, the remaining members will then partake in the Spirit Tree ceremony once more. As for the clan, it will take the subsequent role of the defeated clan, whether they were fishers, hunters, traders, or the foragers.

## Culture/Traditions

### Scorched Festival

The Scorched Festival, the StarWings' Listorian festival. Because of their arid habitat, (contrary to belief that is where the FlameWings should reside) they host a montage of the escape from the scavengers, and the separation from Pyrrhia, whether through plays, storytelling, or other arts. It takes place in the Kitsune's Scars, where trees blackened beyond healing isolate the groups traveling from depiction to depiction.

### The Titanium Tree

The Titanium Tree is essentially a map of the clans that have existed, past and present. It is forbidden to know the clans of the future, and if a Gifted does, they are muted through harsh ways to prevent the telling of the future clans. It is placed in the center of their territory, Chickadee Caldera.

It is a large metal tree constructed at the beginning of the clan tradition, with the lower branches having pendants of the original clans' watermark dangling from the branch. The bottom level is the only set of branches to be exactly the same height off the ground, as some clans last longer than others.

When a clan is challenged, (see below) if an established clan is defeated, the pendant, originally made of silver, is painted with red, the color of blood. If not, the challenging clan is given a wooden pendant next to the challenged clans' silver one. This is how much of history is remembered for non-Gifteds. The original four clans were the Kitsunes, Mikarnas, Selkies, and Gartooths.  Each name came from the four base mythical creatures who in lore created the earth.

### Deities

The StarWings have few deities compared to the nomad scavengers of the past, but have 6 base deities, as well as an ambassador deity for each clan.

#### The Kitsune

The Kitsune is one of the base 6, being the ruler of fire. It was said to be a white and red fox with paws that blazed with unearthly fire. The most powerful had nine tails, and the young of a Kitsune had to earn a tail as they grew older. They could toss fire as a FlameWing could light their tail, and were mainly solitary. To see one is to be great luck. They scorched the earth in the Kitsune's Scars during the Great Battle.

#### The Mikarna

The Mikarna were huge flying birds, responsible for the sky. Their wings were far larger than a dragons’, strong enough to create gusts of wind and throw lightning from their sharp talons. They were vibrant shades of purple, blue, and green, colors complimenting their razor sharp black beaks. They were stormcallers, and were said to be responsible for Comet Gorge and the Stormtooth Mountains.

#### The Selkie

The Selkie is said to be a regular seal able to shed their pelts and become a dragon. The tribe of dragon varies, as well as the seal's pelt color, but their powers were all the same. They could control water with alluring singing, as well as the sea creatures. It was responsible for many of the islands in the Frost Archipelago, as well as the carving of the four talons.

#### The Gartooth

Despite its name, the Gartooth is commonly passive in lore. Responsible for much of the landscapes' design, it was a long crocodilian with a snout filled with razor-sharp teeth, and claws used for gouging into the earth. Its tail was flat, in order to ensure many of the landscaping he did was stable.

#### Risparn and Hiraya

Risparn and Hiraya are the last two base deities, Risparn resembling dark and death while Hiraya stands for light and life.

Risparn appears to be melanistic, with dark black scales, bat-shaped wings, red eyes, and a long tail ready to take dragons into the dark, which is how the StarWings refer to a death. In some cases, they appear as a black wolf and piercing white eyes.

Hiraya appears to be albino, with gentle features such as short but pointed talons, vivid purple eyes, and the signature long tail, used to coax dragonets out of the shell and into the light. In opposition to Risparn, Hiraya occasionally appears as a white fox with pure black eyes.

### Spirit Tree (Metal Family)

When a dragon is with egg, it is their duty to bring it to the Spirit Tree, where they are cared for with no real knowledge of their parents. Few are actually orphaned. They are taught by the dragons that guard the pitch white tree about each of the four clans, and trained to hone their skills. When the time comes, at the age of seven, they choose their clan, and receive their full name.

### Names

When a dragonet is first hatched at the Spirit Tree, (per the accordance) they are first referred to with an adjective describing them. For instance, Ebony, or Cometbearer. Once their clan is chosen, they then receive a full two-part name. If they are part of the fisher clan, their name will be somewhat passive, such as Murmuring River, or Laughing Leaf. For the most part the fisher clan's names are alliterative.

The foraging clan are the most passive aggressive, normally in someway or another combining a more aggressive adjective and passive noun, or vice versa. For instance, Storming Lark, or Singing Viper.

The traders are the most erratic names in the clans, due to their erratic way of life. They often spend time with each clan, and bring wares from different clans to circulate the territory. They could be names such as Falling Ash, or Rising Sun.

The hunter clan are the most aggressive, their way of life heavily reliant on the game in the territory. They have entirely aggressive or intimidating names, such as Roaring Tiger or Stalking Wolf. In any case, it will be a present, past or future tense verb followed by a noun.

### Gifteds

Gifteds to StarWings are considered to be equals, with very few differences in privilege, position, or role. Though officially, treatment varies from clan to clan, they generally follow the rules of never looking into the future, abusing the power, and to treat others equally. Due to the ability of knowing what is asked, there are many issues. Therefore, when a Gifted is found to have broken a law, they attend a trial of chieftains instead of clan elders. After the chaos of the FernWings' Queen Bushel's reign, many of the Gifted laws were put in place, and the happening told in order to frighten the Gifted dragonets into obeying.

### The Seeker Ritual

Regardless of clan, there is one part of tradition all dragons partake in- the Seeker Ritual. When a dragonet reaches adulthood, considered to be age 12, they engage in the Seeker Ritual, where they meet their ambassador spirit, similar to a clan's ambassador. It begins after the dragonet enters Comet Gorge and the caves that reside there alone. They stay there for a total of three days, where the only light received are from the few bioluminescent organisms there. They do not eat and only drink, sleeping constantly over the three days.

It is said to be that in those three days, the dragonet will be visited by their ambassador spirit, which can be a number of different things in their environment, living and non living, or even spirits considered to traditionally be ambassador for another clan.

When the dragonet returns, they are no longer treated like young, instead given a role in the clan and permission to request a courtship in the clan.

### Necklaces

Necklaces are symbols of status. All dragonets are given one at birth, with their first two pendants being the ambassador spirits of both parents. Parents will always pass on the skill of carving to their dragonet, no matter the level of skill.

The third pendant is given once they choose their clan, the pendant being the namesake of the clan. The fourth is given once they complete their Seeker Ritual, and is a carving of their personal ambassador spirit. When they recieve their assigned role, they get a pendant representing their role. Healers have a dragon eating its tail in a never ending circle, hunter-gatherers get a dragon ready to take off, crafters get a dragon with one paw raised as if ready to swipe, and the chieftain gets a dragon with both wings flared. A pendant is given once they court, though it can be broken if they do not stay together, and a pendant of two dragons entertwined is given to both parents for each dragonet they have.