Kal's Lost Gem of the Indian Shore Brown Neshath

Some day you will realise
that the sounds and words and visions in your head
are not garbage
but that they hold their own inner meaning.
No matter where you go
they will be with you.
Suddenly boundaries will not be where they used to be
and impossible things will become simple.
You’ll recognise the key to life when you find it
some day you might even find out how to use it
It might not open any doors
but with it
your world will be your own.

Clutching Pose

Nissionath's eyes whirl with bright blues and greens, satisfied with her creations as of yet. Now, Cadgwith's, on the other hand..well. She won't comment. Instead, she eases herself to the backside of her current little eggies, and with a bit more irritation that she anticipated, Glory of the Sun Egg reluctantly falls from its previous habitat. The gold turns to scoop sand around the egg with a forepaw,and before she can even fell the pains of another egg approaching, Will-O-Wisp Egg zips down to the ground, and promptly rolls around a bit before finding the furrow that becomes its home.

Glory of the Sun Egg

Overshadowing its kin with pulsing heat, this egg may look as if it belongs up in the sky with Rukbat. Flamenco reds, neon orange and bursts of pale yellow radiate from the crown, to the bulging equator and down to the bottom. Solar flares, explosions resulting from the intense mixtures of colors, ignite in a shape like the tails of runners or your traditional tongues of flame. Consuming itself, it will burn with unrivalled intensity but will eventually be its own demise in the end.

Hatching Message

Glory of the Sun Egg begins to crack, brilliance of color fading away into the sunset of shell. Dark cracks begin to creep in like encroaching night, finally giving away to the darkness within. When the shards fall, all that is left standing is a newborn brown.

Lost Gem of the Indian Shore Brown Dragonet

Jewel-toned earth hues rival each other in an unwitting paradox; starting at the shadowed visage, rough near-black overcomes chiseled muzzle and petite headknobs, while striating lines of amber lurk among his lengthy neck, expanding into shining glory across his barrel chest. Earthen brown dominates over his forelimbs, while forepaws are dipped in crimson: like blood rubies, the vivid shade has an enchanting gleam to it, giving up slowly to the rich mahogany. Meanwhile, luxurious topaz seems to drench his wiry back and mix with the deeper shades upon his tail, creating a rich luster to the dark levels of charcoal-hinted brown that swells ever upwards, a nefarious darkness which envelops oversized wings and drapes along the base of lengthy neck. Neckridges edged in terran browns are razor-sharp and lightly touched with hints of copper, darkening as they approach the foreboding depths which are his back and neck. Sturdy and compact, the exotic wealth of his rich color cannot hide the dark danger that seems to lurk just below the surface.

Public Impression Pose

Lost Gem of the Indian Shore Brown Dragonet finds it, finally. The young brown manages to maintain his poise as he finds those feet, those lovely feet and kneecaps that fit him. He makes his way forward, slowly and carefully, with only a slight stumble before he finds himself with Her. Looking upwards, he lets out a short croon as he stares up at Kaltia.

Private Impression Message

Suddenly your nose begins to tingle, hints of peppery spice tickling at you as swirls of ruby and gold fill your mind. A richly amused baritone envelops your mind with a soft chuckle, « Hmm. » A pause, and the low, thick voice fills you. « Yes, you are definitely mine, Kal. I am Neshath. » The taste of warm cinnamon is suddenly there, almost comforting. « Oh, we will work out well together. Very well. »


Kaltia! Our Kal! We're keeping you for good, and we're not letting you go no matter what. Sorry. Hopefully Neshath will keep you company. We're absolutely delighted to have you here and we really hope that you enjoy Neshath and the High Reaches. Welcome! —HRW SearchCo.


Egg Inspiration

What better than the sun when it comes to fire? A healthy 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit remains the temperature of the sun's surface during its hotter moments and the sun spots (darker hues on the surface which are cooler) are more around 8,000 degrees. But that's still hot enough to get you a /wicked/ sunburn :P If you want to know why it's so hot, check out nuclear fusion (which makes a lot of energy/heat. Our sun, a star (but you knew that already I'm sure) is approx. 5 billion years old and counting. And imagine, not even a wrinkle! The main components of the sun are Hydrogen which it changes into Helium. When there's no Hydrogen left to convert (in about 4.5 billion years), it'll turn into a 'red giant', become a lot bigger and the Earth will be swallowed up. For a star, I think medium sized (but don't quote me) even though it's 109 times larger than Earth.

Theme Inspiration

You wanted a dragon that talks big but backs down, a dragon who can talk the talk but won't walk the walk. We've attempted to create that in Neshath, giving him enough quirks and flaws to make him anything but sunshine and roses. The basis for him is the deities of India. He's a mixture of Indian mythology, taking on aspects of different gods and goddesses. Much of him, from his desc to his mindvoice, has a regal touch. But that doesn't mean he's perfect or divine. Certainly not. He's a loner, a bit surly, and while he has the traits of gods, it doesn't mean he knows how to utilize them. He's got everything from Vishnu to Kali in him, from intelligence to loyalty to a manipulative streak.

Description Inspiration

Neshath's description is meant to give hints of India with a big emphasis on gemstones. I think of him as a sort of diamond in the rough, and so to be a mix of black sand and obsidian, with rubies and topaz also adorning him. His desc was meant to walk the line of abandoned coastline and a kingdom's splendor, of rich stones and earthen soil. He's very dominating in appearance, to contrast the fact that when challenged, he'll run with his tail between his legs. It also gives him his very solid shape, with sharp ridges, a wide chest, and a very compact form, which will overshadow some of his scrawnier clutchmates.

Name Inspiration

Neshath. It rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Short and sweet with a very smooth sound to it, the name is derived from Ganesha. We felt Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, to be a good base for the name, as you've had some obstacles but you're now here. A bit more information can be found here: http://www.saigan.com/heritage/ganesha.htm. As for pronounciation, it's fairly easy, but emphasis can be placed wherever you please — Neh-SHATH or NEH-shath.

Mindvoice

Neshath's mindvoice is soft, mellow baritone, constantly tickling it's way around your mind. He will fill your head with warm spices, the taste of cinnamon and cloves, a nose tickle of pepper and the soft smokey flavor of curry on the back of your tongue. His voice has sharpness to it, odd mental tinges that will set off your taste buds, as the zing of curry powder and exotic spices will follow the sound of his voice regularly. Occasionally when he is amused the fresh cleansing of delicate tea will fill you. Rich, deep crimson reds and warm ruddy golds, delicate topaz sparkling with kissed hints of jewel tones will enrich you, the glimmering enhanced with his moods. When he is at peace, Neshath is an almost cozy presence in your mind. When he's angry, however, or in the midst of a mating flight, the curry and spice will become more prominent, the usual reds and golds and ambers of his mind becoming even more pronounced and vibrant. When he's uncomfortable or confused, the slightest stutter may appear. « I am certainly aware of that. It's just that. Um. Ah. Er. » Even so, he'll smother it under the faint scent of tea, under darkening colors to try and use every other dimension of his mind to give the illusion of authority, to bluff his way past anything.

Physicalities

'Sturdy' is the best word to describe Neshath. He's a bit oddly proportioned, with a wide chest and a large body, equally large wings, but an unusually short neck. He's not fat, definitely not, for his form is well-toned with muscles. He's very solid, basically built like a tank. He's not built for dainty tricks in the sky, but for being able to take whatever hits could be thrown at him in Threadfall. Closer inspection will reveal a slight irregular shape to his wings, slightly undersized talons, and neckridges that seem almost sharp.

The color of his hide is the most drawing element about his form — its a mix of darkness and topaz. His hide is a bit rough and will need some extra oiling, particularly around his muzzle — the dark spots that seem almost like black sand. The near-ebony brown appears across his head and neck, where he seems to take on the colors of gemstones. Topaz, amber, and hints of ruby-red all appear on the base of dark brown. The topaz adds a particular element of exoticness to his hide around his wings and tail, and the crimson is certainly the strangest shade, making a warm mahogany that will make the blood of his kills occasionally blend in on his paws.

In flight, he'll never be one to turn a ton of loops and tricks, but he'll manage to pull off some surprising manuvers when he needs to. He's got stamina and strength on his side, and they'll definitely help him out during mating flights. On the ground, though, he'll be a bit more awkward, and embarassment over it will cause him to walk in a slow, stately manner, in an attempt to keep from making a fool of himself by stumbling.

Personality

Independent. Shrewd. Cautious. Neshath is a dragon of strong personality and an ability to lead others through a mixture of charm and intimidation. With his glittering appearance and robust form, he is certainly a large and dominating presence, physically. The sensual touch of his voice — for who could resist such spice, such powerful zest? — only aids in his abilities to control others, while a natural eloquence is the icing on the cake. « I assure you, it would be /most/ beneficial to both your rider and mine if we should switch sweeps. I heard that you like the early mornings, the freshness of the air… Am I /wrong/? » A playful touch to some of his harsher commands will keep many confused as to how to approach him. Some dragons may choose to avoid him, rather than deal with him. Neshanth has no qualms about using others and his knowledge of them to further his own ambitions.

However, as big as he talks and as intimidating as he can act, the moment he is challenged, he retreats. It is something many dragons will not pick up on, but those that do will find great benefit in the knowledge. Some of his more confident clutchmates may end up benefitting from the discovery. His certainty will slip from his tone, and he'll often backpedal, trying to find a way out of the situation. He is simply not comfortable with the idea of an argument. Neshath likes certainty, and when a question is directed at him that he has not already carefully calculated, studied, and prepared an answer to… He'll falter. Complete crash and burn. A slight stutter will appear, the tea thick. He'll bluster and try to bluff on occasion, but to come up with a cohesive response, one that will make his adversary back down? A rare event. All the bravado hides the fact that he really /isn't/ sure of himself, and doesn't know how to get what he wants any other way that through scaring the tails off smaller dragons. Only you are privy to his secret confessions, the late night ramblings of self-doubt, of wondering whether someday the sheen will leave his hide, he'll grow gray and unable to frighten the greens into letting him have the juiciest herdbeasts.

"All our acts, reasoned and unreasoned, are selfish."
—Mark Twain

Not that he does all of this for himself. No, there is an odd sort of chivalry in some of his actions. He may snake his way into trying to shake the confidence of a potential rival for wingsecond in hopes that you could have that knot. He has no problem going behind your back to try and spread rumors about someone who may be vying for the affection of another rider who's caught your eye, then denying it to you. He'll break down and admit to you the second you question him, however. While he can on occasion stand a bit of challenge from other dragons, from you, he cannot keep secrets. Even when he'd desperately like to. « I want you to be happy. » he'll explain, the scent of incense in your mind. And that is the simple truth — he trusts you to stand by him, so to him, it's important for you to be happy.

"And I'm supposed to do this just out of the evilness of my heart?"
—Spike, 'Buffy: the Vampire Slayer'

He's not even malicious in a lot of his actions. Neshath simply believes that everyone has to do what is best for themselves and their loved ones. Survival of the fittest, and he is willing to do what it takes to make sure you and he live as you want to. He's shrewd in his actions, there's an intelligence to him that is simply uncanny. He's willing to take advantage of any situation, call in any favor, use any extortion that life calls for. But he will defend you, even if it means the expense of his own dignity… Yet odds are, he'll find a way that will make you two both come out on top.

"Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, Only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness; So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another, Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence."
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Unfortunately, to keep up his bravado, Neshath is a loner. He's not the kind to go socialize with his fellow weyrlings, instead preferring to remains perched on his ledge, watching whatever action is below. The reputation creates makes him uncomfortable to spend much time out in public, and he'll always be a little nervous. You'll need to encourage him to get out sometimes, to go sun instead of sulk. He'lllament to you sometimes, of his inability to play well with others, particularly when a dragon's caught his eye that he can't approach. « So I convinced her that she didn't want to be wingsecond. You would be much better, Kal, and she should realize that. She should still talk to me. Her hide… it is so beautiful. I cannot stand to not hear the touch of her mind. Oh, why must she be so stubborn? » He'll want easy answers from you, unable to accept having to apologize when he feels he's in the right. On occasion he may simply be too shy to approach the object of his affection, desiring encouragement, or if nothing else, some solid excuse to be in her company. « Kal. I think I need a scrubbing at the lake. Right now. » You may end up with an obsessed dragon on your hands — an unhealthy obsession — unless you encourage him to go and at least try to talk to whatever green meets his eye. Though be prepared for a morose dragon on your hands after rejection. Even if he gets acceptance from the green, it will be a bit of fire that will burn out quickly. Neshath isn't a dragon for committment or attachment to a female dragon, he's a male of flings and flights.

Even with the self-imposed isolation, there will be a few that get to him. Fellow loners will appeal to him, other dragons whose presence won't cause many to come over and greet them. It won't always make sense those he chooses to associate with — perhaps he'll take a snaggle-toothed, homely green under his wing, protecting her in a strangely noble gesture. Perhaps he'll find company with an overintellectualizing, older blue and they'll spend the hours discussing philosophy and the world. It won't always make sense to you, the few 'friends' he chooses to have. Some of them will be dragons he can use, those that can give him an advantage, like spending some time with who Neshath thinks might win Cadgwith's next flight. But some… there will be only friendship. A confusing and unusual friendship, but one all the same. Like the Indian god Vishnu, who would aid his devotees when called upon, when Neshath befriends a dragon that is younger or weaker than himself, he will not hesitate to protect his friend, to u se his manipulation to aid any dragon he is particularly close to.

Saraswathi is a goddess of India, a goddess of wisdom and the holder of ultimate knowledge. Neshath also is a dragon of knowledge, one who seeks out any information he can. « Why is grass the color that it is? What are stars made of? » His questions do not come with the casual wonderment that Morvorth's tardy queries will, but with a hunger that runs deep — one for intellectual satisfaction. He has little care for myths and stories, his concern is with facts and the reasons of reality. He believes in order, in structure. Your time as a Starcrafter will be particularly fascinating to him, and he will quiz you constantly on what and why the moons are, what they affect, how many stars can be seen in the sky. The night sky fascinates him — it's mysterious, it's dark, and it's been written about by poets for ages. And perhaps every now and then he will reveal to you how much he loves the sky, talking about it with a deep wistfulness in his tone. « Sometimes I want to go up there. Think of it… to be alone

certainly, but surrounded by light. Burning with it, to accomplish what no one else can. I don't see why we cannot get to a star, you and I. »

"Yet mystery and imagination arise from the same source. This source is called darkness… . Darkness within darkness, the gateway to all understanding."
—Lao-tsu

He will be another of the browns of High Reaches that prefers to roam the darkness, and will greatly enjoy staying up throughout the night in order to see the sunrise in the morning. Clear nights at the 'Reaches, ones where the stars are all visible, will be his favorites, and he'll want to know why the stars change, the differences between the sky in summer and winter. On occasion he'll try to convince you to remain up with him through the night, to prowl and prepare for the sunrise. He never quite enjoys the pleasantly warm days with clear skies that most people enjoy. He likes days of extreme temperature — the clouds overhead and fierce cold of winter at the 'Reaches, the scorching heat of an Igen summer. He feels most alive when he can revel in the far ends of the weather spectrum and may drag you out to Ista or Igen on one of those sunny 'Reaches summer days when there's a nice breeze blowing through.

The inherent wisdom in Neshath will let him love the simple things, like the darkness, a good herdbeast, and a night relaxing with you in his mind. But the practical side of him has a tinge of greed, a love for you two to have material possessions. Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu, represents wealth, from wealth of material things to to wealth of attributes such as courage. Neshath is certainly one with a hunger for wealth. He likes having things, and he likes them looking good. He'll want your weyr to be the best, the most luxurious at the 'Reaches. An occasional con or even outright stealing are not beyond him, if he is fairly sure he won't get caught. He's got a flair for decorating, and will instruct you on how to make your weyr the most elegant ever. « No, you need curtains covering the entrance. Not like /those/, they must be dark red and soft. And you need more pillows surrounding your bed, it looks so spartan. That is not appropriate for you, Kal. You need something soft, something beautiful. » He does have a keen eye for beauty, and can turn even the odd accessories into a good fit in your weyr.

But he also hungers for wealth of spirit, and is always desires to improve himself. He will always want to learn more, to train more, to become a better dragon. He knows his faults (though he quite likes some of them), and it is his inability to answer a challenge, the fact that he gets scared and backs down that he'll try to work on. And fail. This will be his aspect of self that he detests most. He will try to be stronger, more courageous, while ignoring some things about himself that could use improvement — social ability, compassion,working on his temper. His temper may become a problem for him, as frustration will send him banging about the Weyr and fuming. And who wants a brown dragon banging about? That's a potential disaster, but he simply cannot control his frustration, whether over backing down to Kzavketh or after losing a mating flight. You are his only chance to calm down, Kal, because you are the only one he will always listen to and respect.

"Sometimes, when one person is absent, the whole world seems depopulated."
—Allphonse de Lamartine

Neshath is not the most comforting dragon. While he'll do things for you and always be a solid presence in your mind, he's very uncertain as to how to deal with your emotions. If he feels sadness from you, he'll dash to your side, but once he gets there… He can be rather useless. « Tears? Why are you crying? There is no reason to cry. …Stop it. Now. Um, please? » He sit there, unsure what to do to cheer you up. On occasion he'll make attempts, going out and finding you some sort of shiny trinket, or a herdbeast leg (after all, they make him happy, shouldn't they cheer you up?), but when you're upset, he certainly will be as well. And if you're sadness is over romance, he'll definitely be confused. « Why do you need someone other than me? » Empathy is not his strong point.

But you can trust that when you need to talk, Neshath will be there and willing to listen. Even if he doesn't always understand you, he will be very honest and blunt with you. This may be unpleasant when you're seeking comfort and he doesn't see the situation improving. « It's going to be bad for a long time. I do not see how it could be anything different. » But with this honesty, when he sees there is a light at the end of the tunnel, you know that it's not a train, because he'd certainly tell you so. When he says it will be all right, you can trust him, because he's not the kind of dragon to ply you with false hope.

Kali is "the black one", the mother goddess, a deity of order and destruction ( http://www.pantheon.org/articles/k/kali.html ). It is from her that Neshath finds much of himself. Just as she is fearsome in appearance, so is he — even if he doesn't have the whole divine power to back it up. And just as Kali maintains order and rewards knowledge, so will he. Neshath knows full well that he is intelligent (you will find modesty is definitely not one of his strong points) and if a dragon should come to him with an open mind, looking for advice on anything from Threadfall manuvers to the history of the Weyr, Neshath will greet him or her with as much kindness as he can muster. Which isn't always a lot. But he is always open with information, always open to teaching. This could make him valuable at working with weyrlings, or as a wingsecond. With the gruff, almost surly, attitude he can give off, it is almost strange how patient he can be when teaching, or how open with information, but that is simply Neshath.

Down to the earth i fell with dripping wings
Heavy things won't fly and the sky might catch
On fire and burn the axis of the world that's why i
Prefer a sunless sky to the glittering and stinging
In my eyes i feel so light this is all i want to feel
Tonight i feel so light tonight and the rest of my
Life gleaming in the dark sea i'm as light as air
Floating there breathlessly when the dream
Dissolves i open up my eyes i realize that
Everything is shoreless sea a weightlessness is
Passing over me everything is waves and stars
The universe is resting in my arms
—Nina Gordon, "Tonight and the Rest of My Life"

Flights

Like a predator, Neshath is merciless in flights. He has no qualms about shoving a hapless blue out of the way, or pulling a few sharp and dirty manuvers to try to get close to the flying green. He'll go all out, the blood screaming in his veins, and he will ignore all weariness to focus on the one goal: winning. It's not about the green, it's not about anything but victory. He sees it as a game, a race, an end rather than a means.

Even with all his intelligence, he's rather oblivious to when a green's hide first starts changing. He will think nothing of it should a female dragon attempt to flirt with him, and it'll be a few Turns before he even believes proddiness exists. He'll go on blissfully ignorant, noticing personality changes but too dense to associate them with an upcoming mating flight. When the green heads to the pens, however, and the tension is in the air… That's when his instincts will kick in. It may make him one of the last to arrive at the feeding pens, but he'll get there, ready to go.

Neshath has no problem giving in to his instinct, letting it take over. He'll follow the green with all his heart, lust burning in his body, and little tricks and turns may emerge, ones he'd rarely be able to pull off during Threadfall manuvers. He's got a lot of stamina, at least, that will help make up for the fact that he can't pull off some of the loops and twists that some of the blues may use.

If he wins a flight, he'll be a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am type of dragon. Neshath may stay twined with her til the next morning, but after that, he drifts off like the wind. He's not big on 'committment' and while he'll chase a little tail, it is the game of flirtation thatappeals to him. Once he gets the conquest, he loses interest. If a green or gold should fancy him, he's likely to be his usual tactless self. « It was just one night. Leave me alone. You're annoying. » If he should find any particular use to remaining with her, perhaps your wingleader's green, then he may play it up for as long as he can stand, going along with however much doting she cares to do, playing the dutiful consort and leaving herdbeasts at her ledge.

Every now and then, a female dragon may intrigue him. And Neshath will never turn away from something that catches his eye. He'll try to form a cautious friendship, perhaps attempt to sway her to favor him. But he is a dragon of changing interests, and the fascination may not last long. Perhaps every now and then a truly complex and equally ambitious green will keep his interest for Turns, even, but this may be something you only see once. If that. Neshath is not one to be forever to a green, not one to devote himself when he's already got the woman in his life that he needs. You are all he needs, Kal. You are the one that matters to him, in the end. Your opinion on those few that catch his attention will be vital to him, you will be the one that can bring him back to his senses when he gets in a temper. You are the one constant to him, the one he trusts to always be at his side.

"What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies."
—Aristotle

Neshath is a schemer, a dreamer, a wiseman, a hero, a coward, a villain. He can be your eternal defender and your greatest tormentor. But regardless of what he does, he will always be there for you, always be a protector to you both. This is only a suggestion of how to play Neshath, and we hope that you enjoy him as much as we enjoyed creating him.

Credits

Name: Orbit, Lylia
Egg Desc: B'ane
Dragonet Desc: Lylia; Orbit, Sii'kyn tweak
Messages: Orbit, Lylia
Puppeteer: Lylia
Inspiration: Lylia, Orbit, Jiu

Clutchmates:
My Little Paradise Pony Green Sundanceth and Mehgan (Amehgani)
Statue in the Deeps Green Ericath and Pycia
Ditzy Royal Blue Tang Blue Guppyth and Fl'ush (Flourish)
Mermaid of the W.Indies Blue Morvorth and Zarelyn
Shiver Me Timbers Blue Taiith and A'ran (Caeran)
Tea with Alligators Green Chrideth and Alasse
Predatory Assassin Bug Green Zuleikath and El'wyn (Llewellyn)
Dancing Hula Charm Green Hiakith and Lexi (Lexia)
Quints Curious Treefrog Green Ainth and Lauria
Lost Gem of IndianShore Brown Neshath and Kal (Kaltia)
Shipwrecked SargassoSea Brown Kzavketh and Imi (Ulimi)
Sun 'n Sangria Summer Brown Seishuth and K'bai (Kibai)
Flaming Pink Flamingo Brnze Minoyath and M'nty (Monty)
Migratory Visitor Heron Brnze Jydhaeth and L'uc (Lucan)

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