Dex's Don Juan Triumphant Blue Nazkriuulth

Loving, beautiful, and hateful,

Beneath the Opera House he calls me

Singing:  soft as Thunder, building in agony.

My voice and my life helpless in his loving guidance.

Comforting as sleep, yet violent

As a storm at sea, tossing everything in sight.

A mourning lover for the life he never had,

But be like a messenger of Death, silent and fatal.

He will not stain a lady's honor or

Take the life of our frail kind.

But treat us with cold respect

Which only true love can change, and so I go

To him with my heart in my hand and say

I am your white rose with my petals open.

To Be, or Not to Be? Egg

To die, to sleep; perchance to dream. Bone white drapes its shrouded tones over this bumpy egg, a sombre soliloquy dedicated to that unanswerable question. A solemn calcareous grimace is almost teasingly wrapped around the lower part of the shell, while above it, three smudges of grey - two round, one triangular - create the appearance of hollowed openings, with the overall effect being that of a gruesome smirk. For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil?

Hatching Message

To Be, Or Not to Be? Egg trades contemplation for violent action and lurches erratically from the comfort of its home. Like a thing gone mad, it attacks the Sands, taking friend and foe alike with glancing blows.  It is a struggle of life and death as the beast within fights for breath and body.  Cracks begin to form, chinks in the armor to be exploited, until finally the egg fetches up against a wall and shatters with all the brilliance of a crystal chandelier. When the flutter of shell and sand is gone, the space is empty, the occupant passed unseen to hide, gaunt features peeking out from betwixt a parental curtain of bronze sails and golden hide to watch the drama on the Sands unfold.

Don Juan Triumphant Blue Dragonet

A spectre conjured from the inferno of man's darkest dreams, his is a figure of gaunt proportions, a skeletal blue animated with a gentleman's grace.  The great billowing sweep of his wings enfolds his long, thin frame in a cloak of mystery, methylated flame lapping against midnight sails.  Shadowy cobalt hide stretched taught over wiry musculature, the delineation of every angle, every curve, is outlined with a ghastly pallor, to belie the power coiled therein.  Despite this frightening countenance, a bearing almost regal in its elegance lends a certain debonnaire charm, from the proud arch of his slender neck, to the perfect posture of lean shoulders and hindquarters, to the groomed curve of his whip-thin tail.  His face, a porcelain mask of smooth planes and blunted angles, reveals nothing but the menace of his mesmerizing gaze.

Public Impression Pose

Don Juan Triumphant Dragonet pauses some distance from the fearful crowd in white, rocking back onto his haunches and pulling his skeletal figure to its full, if currently unimpressive height.  He spreads his wings with dramatic flair, his gaze locked on a single figure, lovely beneath her masculinity, an angel in disguise!

pemit: A voice, soft as though with distance, fills your ears.  There is command there, and power, beneath the resonant tenor, «I am your angel.  Come to me angel of beauty!»

Don Juan Triumphant Blue Dragonet is being ignored!  He lets out a roar of frustration, tension shuddering through his frame, then charges the pair holding back his precious angel.  He halts just before the tall young woman between them and raises himself to his full height, once more, wings outspread and whirling gaze intent.

Private Impression Message

The Sands recede and you are plunged into a darkness lit by the soft glow of candles.  There is music all around, haunting, almost chilling, and you see yourself, a reflection, as he sees you: the glow about your golden hair, the flush of your cheeks, and the dancing light in your clear blue eyes.  And he is there, this phantom, in your mind.  «Deni!  At last!»  A crow of triumph, those words, followed by a name, whispered at the back of your mind: Nazkriuulth.  You feel as though you have known it all your life.  And then you are overwhelmed by a sense of menace as he takes possession of you: body, heart and soul.  «You are MINE!»


Yes, in high school, I was that geek.  As part of an English assignment, I wrote the above sonnet to Erik (aka The Phantom).  I'd just finished reading Susan Kay's Phantom, and I was totally in love with the lonely, evil genius.  Before that, I was a big fan of The Phantom of the Opera musical, and I had always found the character of the Phantom to be sympathetic.  So, when you said that you wanted a dragon based on The Phantom of the Opera, I squealed with glee.  Not only were we getting the absolutely FABULOUS Lieutenant Snot for our very own, but she wanted a dragon theme that I was totally gaga for!

We are so excited to have you among our Weyrlings, this cycle, even though we already have your wonderfully motivated presence in Palia, and we look forward to playing with you and your tormented lifemate.  This is your Nazkriuulth: an evil genius, driven mad by desire.  He loves you, he hates you, and, before he is done, he may have driven you completely over the edge, but he is yours.  Love him as you will, do with him what you want.  Whatever you do, we hope you enjoy playing him, as much as we enjoyed creating him!


Egg Inspiration

…To die, to sleep;
To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there's the rub:
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause…

I suppose it's rather obvious, but the inspiration is Shakespeare's Hamlet, and, more specifically, the immortalized soliloquy the title character speaks when debating life and death. And what rivals life more epically than death? Rather than desc the egg based on the soliloquy itself, I used the imagery surrounding it (and most parodied too), which is the skull that Hamlet holds as he speaks.

Shazi’s note: The skull is actually part of a later scene and a later soliloquy, but it holds true that when most folks think of Hamlet, they think of “To be, or not to be…” and the skull.

Theme Inspiration

Susan Kay's Phantom is a man defined by the fear his face inspires, torn by love, and driven mad by desire.  He is a musician, an architect, murderer and fiend.  He is evil only because life gave him no other option: a monster, yes, but still a man, with a heart that bleeds and a soul that yearns for redemption.  It is from this deeper exploration of the character that spawned the musical that we take our inspiration.

Name Inspiration

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

You wanted a name inspired by Mordor, and we were happy to oblige.  Nazkriuulth, from the Black Speech for "one ring to bind them": ash nazg at krimp ul.  You are definitely, in the darkness, bound.

Mindvoice

The Phantom of the Opera is there… inside my mind…

Nazkriuulth has a very melodious tenor for a base voice.  It can be very mesmerizing at times, like his eyes, lulling the unwary into a sense of security.  It can take on a certain air of command, with considerable power behind it, and a sort of echoing, song-like quality.  Underneath it, there is the sense of a dark orchestra, with lots of strings, and the occasional pipe organ that emerges in times of extreme emotion. Threading through all of this is the scent of Indian incense, sweet, spicy, and a bit cloying when he is particularly upset.  Further notes, depending on his mood, may include the flickering glow of candles, the burning heat of stage lights, and the thick crimson of blood.

Physicalities

Buquet: Like yellow parchment is his skin… a great black hole serves as the nose that never grew…  You must be always on your guard, or he will catch you with his magical lasso!

Nazkriuulth is the dragon version of a very tall, very thin gentleman, which is how Erik was often described.  However, he should be closer to average in actual size, as opposed to either extreme.  He is frightening to behold, appearing in some lights as a ghoulish skeleton, with the pale outline that seems to follow his bone structure on a figure that is already quite slender.  However, this is tempered by his gentlemanly mannerisms to the point that he's likely to make people uneasy, but not to make them run in the other direction—a sort of… "I know there's something just *wrong* about that dragon, but I can't quite put my finger on it" feeling.  He uses the big wings that he got from his daddy as a magician's cloak, to disguise his fearful form and lend a certain air of mystery and power, as well as a touch of dramatic flair.  Obviously, we had to give him the Phantom's mask on his face.

Despite his lanky appearance, he is a very graceful dragon, elegant in his pride and mannerisms.  Even as a hatchling fresh from the shell, he will have this somewhat unusual grace and poise.  It is an image that he is very careful to cultivate, in the hopes of counteracting his creepiness.  At times, however, his grace, otherworldly as it is and coupled with the sense of power and menace that he seems to emanate, may add as much as it detracts from his frightening image.  We're sure you will find a way to play the perfect balance of creepy and gentlemanly.  :)

You asked for a blue that was dark, but not too dark, so we went with cobalt, which is a very vivid, very rich shade of blue, and then toned it down with shadow to make it a little less bright.  The outline that creates his skeletal appearance should be fairly faint, a pale blue that is a mix of cobalt and white.  The midnight of his sails should mostly be on the inside, where the "methylated flame" laps against them.  As for that particular phrase, methyl alcohol is supposed to burn with a pale (I'm assuming fairly vibrant) blue flame.  Said flame is a hint of Nazkriuulth's infernal origins.  The mask on his face can be depicted as a full-on white face, or a sort of faint outline of white, similar to that which makes his bone structure stand out.

All of the abovepower, grace, menacecombines to make a very sensual, sexually charged beast.  It may turn the ladies off as much as it turns them on, but it is certainly a point in his favor, a point which he will desperately need.  You see, Nazkriuulth's grace on the land does not quite extend to the other elements, those grand wings of his sometimes as much of a hindrance in the air or water as they are an asset on land.  They will give him power, and a certain amount of stamina, but he will have to learn to tuck them properly to be able to make any sort of fancy maneuvers.  With the lack of threadfall, it is not such a great loss, but he may have difficulty catching any greens in flight.

Personality

Phantom: Hounded out by everyone!  Met with hatred everywhere!  No kind word from anyone!  No compassion anywhere!

Nazkriuulth is destined from the first to be a solitary beast.  Not that he will ever be alone (he has you, after all), but he will have difficulty relating with his fellow dragons.  He may not be entirely hideous, but he can be frightening, which some will have difficulty coping with.  He also has the typical superiority complex that comes with being a genius (cultivated over years of facing the fear or cynicism of others), which will turn away some, especially those who can't stand the fact that there is REAL power and REAL intelligence there and not just bluff and bluster.  And then there are those who just don't understand him and never really care to.  But there will be a few willing to look past all of that, whether because their lifemates are friends with Dex or because they genuinely enjoy the company of the gruff and sometimes frightening gentleman blue (or they are equally frightening and are simply looking for others like them).

As he ages, he will eventually prefer that solitude.  He will grow weary of the wary glances and the subtle hostility (because, as much as he tries to hide it, they really DO hurt) and he will prefer to hide in whatever lair the two of you have carved out together.  Over the turns, he will trade enthusiasm for cold cynicism, a yearn for love for the searing heat of desire, and an eagerness to please for sheer selfishness.  It will take turns for him to reach that point, however, so until then, you will have to deal with the anger and anguish that comes charging along your link every time someone with whom he is honestly trying to connect runs screaming in the other direction.  As a youngster, fresh from the shell and full of enthusiasm, he will definitely try.  When it finally sinks in that he is somewhat repulsive to look at, you may find him playing off of that repulsion and actively trying to scare others, because it is far easier to take their fear when he is initiating it.

With an insatiable thirst for knowledge and the capacity to learn, Nazkriuulth may have you traipsing over the whole of Pern for this lecture or that study: Harpers, Healers, Weavers, Herders, it doesn't matter, though you may find yourself frequenting the halls of the first more than the others.    He has an eye and an ear for beauty (Who better to recognize its presence than one who keenly feels its lack in himself?) and will seek it out wherever he can find it.  You may eventually enjoy (or not) a hoard of artifacts cluttering your weyr, perfect examples of style, grace, and beauty.  If/when the two of you ride on Search, it will be the most aesthetically pleasing youngsters that he will choose. 

Despite the enthusiasm of his youth, Nazkriuulth can not retain any semblance of innocence for long. He is far too aware of the power he has over others, and he shall come into it fairly early on. That voice, those eyes, and that keen mind, all serve to further your dragon’s ends and he can be a manipulative bastard. As a telepath, he can not only throw his voice, but he can offer quiet little suggestions in the backs of people’s minds that, if they’re not used to such things, they could easily fall for. « He has made you angry, has he not? That knife in your hand can carve more than meat. »

Phantom: Stranger than you dreamt it - can you even dare to look or bear to think of me: this loathsome gargoyle, who burns in hell, but secretly yearns for heaven, secretly … secretly …

Dex is definitely no Christine Daae, no ingenue in need of a mentor, but she is still, by some definitions, an innocent.  It is her innocence, I think, as much as her beauty, that draws Nazkriuulth to her, like a moth to flame.  Deep down, he knows that he can never be good, but perhaps she can afford him some small measure of redemption.  He loves her, desperately, as a sinner loves his savior.  But she is no Christine, and her innocence, perhaps, is easier to break.

Their relationship is likely to take on many forms over the turns.  As a hatchling with no mother, he may look to Dex for that love and support he might otherwise have hoped for from Mynwiyath.  She is, at this point, his "angel": of mercy, of love, of whatever happens to fit the moment.  How she reacts to this may set the stage for who he becomes later in life.  As a young adult, facing a world that has difficulty accepting him, she may be his best friend and beloved, and perhaps even his tormentor: his "precious".  As they both age, she may even become his partner-in-crime, his "pet".  Throughout it all, however, he will hold a fierce love and dedication for her and will never, intentionally, hurt her.

Nazkriuulth has one heck of a temper, though; murderous rage is definitely part of his repertoire of emotions, and he could easily be the first dragon to actually kill a human in anything other than an accident.  When Dex sees blood coming across their link, someone is going to get hurt, maybe even her.  He is jealously possessive of his lifemate and will have a fit if she ever shows interest in someone else.  Fit will turn to plotting, plotting will turn to warnings, warnings will turn to pain, and then pain to death.  If the person in question doesn't get the hint, hopefully Dex will.

Nu’ra senses an overwhelming rush of hair-raising menace, tension dancing attendance on the high-pitched screech of a violin pressed to its breaking point. « Dex does not like you. Leave her alone! »

Flights

Christine: Have you gorged yourself at last, in your lust for blood?  (no reply)  Am I now to be prey to your lust for flesh?

Flights are another sticky subject.  As mentioned previously, he is likely to have difficulty catching, until age and experience gives him an advantage.  The pent up frustration of being unable to find a mate of his own species could eventually drive him mad, and he could very easily take it out on Dex, with a sudden onslaught of sexual tension, imagery, and dark music, to the point that she is almost drowning in it, unable to escape.

What have I become?
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end

You could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
If I could start again
A million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way
—Trent Reznor/NIN “Hurt”

This is your dragon, your Nazkriuulth, your Phantom lover.  Whatever you choose to do with him, however you choose to play him, is, in the end, entirely up to you.  We hope you love him, though, and we look forward to seeing you grow with him in the years to come.

Credits

Name: Tye and Shazi
Egg Desc: Rusalochka
Dragonet Desc: Shazi
Messages: Tye and Shazi
Puppeteer: Shazi
Inspiration: Tye and Shazi

Clutchmates:
L’fei (Feilan) and Proddy Alda Time Green Utonalloth
V’arik (Vostarik) and Cosmic Kid in Full Costume Blue Svitelloth
Rhaeyn (Rhaenyra) and Intoxicating Warrior Queen Gold Aevryscienth
Iasri and Kick Up a Row Brown Vosteyath
Jh’rek (Jhairecki) and King of the Alley Bronze Zsivanyoth
Tilla and Marylou Freebush Green Amuirnith
Isabeau and Tarnished Legend Brown Krobeskeluth

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