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Hey fellas. This will be a short-ish quest revolving around the life of a dragon character. The setting is from an old adoptable site, that has plenty of existing ecology for its dragon species. This initial vote will determine the main environment of the quest, and the species of dragons that will be provided as player options.

Will aim to update at 24 hour intervals.

>>5840174
>The Alpines

>>5840174
>>The Swamps
we basically a big croc

>>5840174
>The Volcanoes

>>5840315
You know what? I'm going to back this for how off-the-path it is. It'll be interesting to see how an amphib dragon evolves.

>>5840315

Supporting, swamp drake sounds fun

>>5840315
Supporting this as well. Underwater lair go.

>>5840174
>>The Alpines

>>5840174
Hey it reminds me of another quest...
>Swamp drake

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>5840315
>>5840392
>>5840394
>>5840424
>>5840447

Taking this. Will only do one more short post for character creation, to not drag it on too long, then make a real update afterwards.

~~

The swamps. Your egg sits in a wet, murky region, where the foliage is dense and life is aplenty. You’ve been laid safety within a cave, though whether your parents are ever to return still remains a mystery. The warm and humid jungles lie to the South, and up North, the estuaries branch out like innumerable veins to form a brackish mangrove.

As a creature living in this clustered region, you lack the space to grow to titanic proportions. The swamp-dwelling breeds are often far smaller in the first place, and there is a lower chance of you emerging to conquer swathes of land like a greater dragon may.

As your awareness expands outwards, you mentally examine the crib that holds you. Your egg is…

>Lime-green and striated with red. You softly chirp within it. (An ambush predator.)
>Patterned with an orange flare. (Physically weak, yet with a stinging tail for defense.)
>Pitch black, yet emanating a faint green glow. (Closest to a traditional dragon, possessing magic and fire.)
>A deep green, nestled among flowers and grass despite the lack of light in the cave. (Flightless, with affinity with plants.)
>Shady and small, lurking out of sight. (Small, roguish, but swift.)

>>5840617
>Pitch black, yet emanating a faint green glow. (Closest to a traditional dragon, possessing magic and fire.)

>>5840617

>A deep green, nestled among flowers and grass despite the lack of light in the cave. (Flightless, with affinity with plants.)

Swampy

>>5840617
>A deep green, nestled among flowers and grass despite the lack of light in the cave. (Flightless, with affinity with plants.)

>>5840617
>Lime-green and striated with red. You softly chirp within it. (An ambush predator.)

>>5840617
>>A deep green, nestled among flowers and grass despite the lack of light in the cave.
Gatormaxxing

>>5840617
The Gator speaks for the trees!

>A deep green, nestled among flowers and grass despite the lack of light in the cave. (Flightless, with affinity with plants.)

>>5840617
>A deep green, nestled among flowers and grass despite the lack of light in the cave. (Flightless, with affinity with plants.)

>Pitch black, yet emanating a faint green glow. (Closest to a traditional dragon, possessing magic and fire.)

>>5840640
>>5840646
>>5840898
>>5840913
>>5840931

Writing!

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As you telepathically reach out to experience the world around you, several presences brush against your mind. You feel numerous lesser ones, their thoughts muddy and indistinct, and a looming figure that seems to be drawing closer. You curl up tight and focus. The more time you spend thinking, the more you become able to feel your own body. Tendrils are wrapped snugly around your torso, as you bob in nearly depleted fluid.

Casting out your mental network even further, you're stunned by a titanic presence. It's as though the tendrils of thoughts that you're sending out are slipping right past it on contact, unable to even comprehend its immensity. Before you can spend time exploring it, or even shrinking back, you feel something strike your egg.

The first major presence you felt, which is still dwarfed by the ancient mind, seems to spark with excitement. It bashes your egg yet again, and you feel your whole world shake. Terror floods through you, and you immediately swing your head. Your snout smashes against the eggshell, sending cracks spreading across its surface. Light begins streaming in, and the presence is cowed by the action. You attack once more, breaking open a small hole. Again. Again. Your head darts forward in quick succession, until the gap is wide enough for you to burst through. Your eyes are already functional, but even the low light is blinding after an eternity in darkness.

You're surrounded by rocky earth, sitting within a shallow depression in the ground. A dripping ceiling sits high above, and your nostrils are immediately overwhelmed by the sheer breadth of sensations that flood through you. Alien sounds rush in from the gaping hole that the light is coming from, and you wonder if this is another egg you have to emerge from.

The mental presence nudges you again.

>>5840972
You turn to look, and your eyes rest on another creature for the first time. No true words or language cross through your mind, but you recognise what this is. Sibling. This one is older than you, and has hatched first. Three more eggs sit in the clutch, each inhabitant slumbering soundly.
You focus on them as they stalk back and forth, their appearance surely mirroring your own.

They're a deep coloration that elicits ancestral memories of sharp smells and churned soil. Nubs sit atop their head, and long tendrils trail across their body. Your own twitch in response. An eternity seems to pass in the silence of your birthplace, before it shatters the tension with a growl. The sibling steps closer. You growl too.

Ancient instincts offer several courses of action, their innate meanings becoming vaguely clear in your mind. You feel a bridling aggression within you, but it may be best to temper it.

>Stand your ground. This thing may be bigger than you, and older, but you shan't be cowed so early on.
>Attack. This thing struck your egg and terrified you into hatching. You won't let it exert power over you.
>Cower. You're weaker than it. At least in this first instant, submit to it so it doesn't wound you right from birth.

>>5840973
>>Stand your ground. This thing may be bigger than you, and older, but you shan't be cowed so early on.

>>5840973
>>Stand your ground. This thing may be bigger than you, and older, but you shan't be cowed so early on.

>>5840973
>Stand your ground

>>5840973

>Stand your ground. This thing may be bigger than you, and older, but you shan't be cowed so early on.

Step off, big bro

>>5840973
>>Stand your ground. This thing may be bigger than you, and older, but you shan't be cowed so early on.
(I have no recollection on whether I voted on this in the morning or not)

>>5840973
>>Stand your ground. This thing may be bigger than you, and older, but you shan't be cowed so early on.

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>>5841041
>>5841059
>>5841256
>>5841260
>>5841278
>>5841282

>Stand your ground. This thing may be bigger than you, and older, but you shan't be cowed so early on.

You don't back down. Neither do you attack. Your very first interaction in this world is already hostile, and you're swiftly forced to prove your cautious nature. From sensing their mind, your sibling’s intent becomes clearer: they’re looking for submission. You won’t give it to them.

As they come closer, their orange eyes bore into yours. You freeze up and convey a silent challenge. The pit of anger within you struggles to erupt, but you force it down, knowing that you would lose a fight. Just when you think they’re about to turn away, however, your head explodes with pain.

One of your sibling’s whips have struck you across the face. No blood is drawn, but you immediately cry out in pain. It’s a sharp keening noise that you barely recognize as your own voice. The hatchling lashes you again, then pounces at you and begins battering you with their limbs. You panic and attempt to push them aside, but you’re too weak to repel such an assault.

Just then, a mental presence paralyses the both of you with its full enormity, by merely focusing its attention on your conflict. Your sibling freezes up, attempting to escape notice, while you quiver in your curled up position. A tendril the thickness of your entire body slithers into the nest and captures your sibling. It pulls them out of sight, and the next thing you know, your vision is being filled with a colossal shape. A yellow eye stares out amidst it.

You feel an immediate sense of safety and understanding. Parent. This is your mother. The assault is over.

~~

You’ve received no actual injuries, and your survival as a hatchling isn't jeopardised. But you’ve failed to show your sibling that you’re not to be messed with. Life with them will be tough because of this, and you can only hope that you grow faster and stronger than them.

After ensuring that the beating has stopped, your mother recedes. You gaze up at her colossal form as she moves. Her body takes up most of the rocky space, and her back is a mass of tendrils. They look far more matted and tangled than your own, yet boast distinct power. Her body is stocky and dense, with a low posture, and a fan of spikes are spread across the back of her head. You feel an instinctive sense of safety as you watch her move towards the entrance of the chamber, back towards the light.

Where to now?

>Follow your mother. Her mind is so vast and alien that you can barely communicate with it. You’d like to see where she’s going and hang around her more.
>Stay with the eggs. There are several more. You’d like to give them a better welcome than your sibling did for you.
>Search for your sibling. Your mother placed them somewhere in the cave. This isn’t over. You may have just lost, but you weren’t exactly fighting either. Challenge them and attempt to remedy this.

>>5841382
>Stay with the eggs. There are several more. You’d like to give them a better welcome than your sibling did for you.

>>5841382
>Follow your mother. Her mind is so vast and alien that you can barely communicate with it. You’d like to see where she’s going and hang around her more.

>>5841382
>>Stay with the eggs. There are several more. You’d like to give them a better welcome than your sibling did for you.

>>5841382

>Stay with the eggs. There are several more. You’d like to give them a better welcome than your sibling did for you.

We should team up with the newborns and then murder the eldest child.

>>5841382
>Follow your mother. Her mind is so vast and alien that you can barely communicate with it. You’d like to see where she’s going and hang around her more.

>>5841382
>Stay with the eggs. There are several more. You’d like to give them a better welcome than your sibling did for you.

>>5841382
>>Follow your mother. Her mind is so vast and alien that you can barely communicate with it. You’d like to see where she’s going and hang around her more.
I'm not sure why, but this seems like a good choice. OP, what do we look like, roughly? I'm having a hard time picturing it from the descriptions.

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>>5841817
Better zoom of the hatching image. Will call vote in a few more hours.

>>5841384
>>5841428
>>5841455
>>5841548
Writing

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>>5842799

>Stay with the eggs. There are several more. You’d like to give them a better welcome than your sibling did for you.

Your older sibling is stronger, clearly, but you possess a level of natural cunning. They made a bad first impression when they began prodding your dreaming mind and slapping your egg around. If you can ally with the other three, perhaps you could overpower the eldest. Gently reaching out with your telepathy, you grasp their meagre presences. All three of them still slumber, and you refrain from bothering them. You decide to remain with them as often as possible, rather than exploring your surroundings.

Curling up quietly in the nest, you wait for movement from the eggs. It takes a while. Every second feels like an eternity to you, and you swiftly grow impatient. Eventually, you drift off to sleep as well. Your energy is spent after that brief scuffle, and you'll need lots of rest to grow up big and strong.

Being to young to even dream, your sleep is peaceful and seamless. You're eventually awakened by heavy footfalls approaching the nest. The only creature it could be is your mother, and you look up as her bulky form comes into view again. A smaller set of scrabbling claws become audible from deeper in the cave, and your sibling sprints over. They're already steadier on their feet than you are, and charge into the nest in anticipation. You fear another attack, but with your mother looming over the both of you, that fright ends up being unfounded.

A low hum resonates from her chest, calling you both to attention. Your beloathed sibling seems to already know what’s happening, leaving you to stare upwards in anticipation. Her great head descends, hovering over your own. Your sibling roughly pushes you aside and opens their mouth, turning their neck upwards.

Your mother heaves with her chest and throat, throwing up a mass that your brother clamors to snap up. You feel a gnawing in your own belly, and your nostrils flare in jealousy. Hunger. The concept strikes you for the first time, and before you know it, you’re chirping and begging for a taste. A glob of the substance finds its way into your mouth soon enough. It’s absolutely delicious. It tastes sharp and tangy, though has a certain stinging quality that makes your tongue shrivel. You swallow it with relish, supping on the fine goop while competing with your elder sibling. They constantly push you out of the way, and by the time mother is done, they’ve gotten the biggest share of this food.

Your mother walks off immediately, leaving you unattended once more. Your sibling growls, but is too full to cause trouble this time. You settle down by the eggs, satisfied by your very first meal.

~~

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An indeterminate amount of time passes, as you sit there in the rocky cave. Your sibling shows up every so often to bother you, creating a mounting frustration in you, but they spend most of their time outside of the nest. They only return to sleep, while you spend all your time watching over these eggs. Your mother seldom shows up, and only to provide food for you both.

Eventually, your patience pays off. You feel a twinge of awareness from one of the eggs, as the mind within stirs. Reaching out in excitement, you gently coax them out of the shell, lightly brushing against their thoughts instead of battering them like your sibling did to you. You sense fear and hesitation, but you remain patient while waiting for them to emerge into the darkness of the cave.

~~

The last of the eggs hatch eventually. In that time, you've grown quite a bit larger and stronger due to the repeated feedings. In your current state, you'd have been able to fend off your sibling during that first confrontation. Unfortunately, they've grown at the same rate, and remain dominant. Now that all your siblings have been born, there's much less food to go around. The other three seem to defer to you, often hiding behind you when your sibling gets aggressive. In exchange, you take the second largest share after your elder sibling.

Your mother still pays little attention to your clutch, leaving you five to work out a dynamic among yourselves. How will you establish your relationship with these other hatchlings?

>Nurturing. In the absence of your mother, you take it upon yourself to become a leader, and have them follow you around. Sticking together in a group will help ward off the eldest, but you're not showing your own dominance over them either. It's self-preservation that keeps them in line, rather than any sort of power.
>Dominant. You may not be as aggressive as the bully, but you can't let these walk over you either. You aren't afraid to nip them or strike them with your whips when they go too far. You want to establish yourself as stronger than them, yet not the worst option in the cave.

>>5843622
>Nurturing. In the absence of your mother, you take it upon yourself to become a leader, and have them follow you around. Sticking together in a group will help ward off the eldest, but you're not showing your own dominance over them either. It's self-preservation that keeps them in line, rather than any sort of power.

If we try to dominate the hatchlings, they might decide our sibling is the lesser of two evils. It's better to have them help us subjugate the real threat and then agree to coexist.

>>5843622
>Nurturing. In the absence of your mother, you take it upon yourself to become a leader, and have them follow you around. Sticking together in a group will help ward off the eldest, but you're not showing your own dominance over them either. It's self-preservation that keeps them in line, rather than any sort of power.

>>5843622
>Nurturing
Father is absent; mother is distant; eldest sibling is a bully. Presenting ourselves as a reasonable authority figure, and inspiring affection in our younger siblings is to our benefit.The stronger they become, and the greater their loyalty to us, the better we can balance out the bully's power. Not saying we should neglect our own personal growth-- but as the saying goes, "It is best to be both loved *and* feared".

>>5843622
>Nurturing. In the absence of your mother, you take it upon yourself to become a leader, and have them follow you around. Sticking together in a group will help ward off the eldest, but you're not showing your own dominance over them either. It's self-preservation that keeps them in line, rather than any sort of power.

>>5843622
>>Nurturing. In the absence of your mother, you take it upon yourself to become a leader, and have them follow you around. Sticking together in a group will help ward off the eldest, but you're not showing your own dominance over them either. It's self-preservation that keeps them in line, rather than any sort of power.

>>5843629
>>5843677
>>5843691
>>5843754
>>5843805
Writing

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>Nurturing. In the absence of your mother, you take it upon yourself to become a leader, and have them follow you around. Sticking together in a group will help ward off the eldest, but you're not showing your own dominance over them either. It's self-preservation that keeps them in line, rather than any sort of power.

You haven't the penchant for lording over the weak, even if you have that boiling pot of violence that's getting harder and harder to hold back each day. No, you'll form a bond with your younger siblings through mutual cooperation. This empathetic connection is picked up by them early on, and your relationship with the smaller hatchlings goes smoothly.

~~

After several feedings, you've managed to notice a sort of cycle in your mother's actions. They correspond to the amount of light drifting in from the cave. She enters the cave to feed you and your sibling several times a day, then carries each of you out of the dropping-stained nest. However, when there's no light coming from the outside at all, you feel her presence lingering at the edge of the entrance. She never comes in to sleep, but is present regardless. You're unsure if you're simply fearing her less, or developing fast enough that she doesn't seem quite as vast as before, but her mental signature has become far more comforting as of late.

~~

Several cycles of light and darkness later, once all your siblings have been born, your mother thunders into the cave again. This time, rather than spitting up food, she reaches out with her tendrils and grabs each one of you. You're used to the handling, and sit there calmly. Your older sibling seems hesitant to be touched, and still nips at the waving fronds every so often, while your younger siblings panic a little whenever they're grabbed. Your own composure is affected when your mother starts bringing you towards the entrance of the cavern, rather than to the clean and empty nest.

Your eyes are struck by the light, forcing you to shut them tight. As you're washed in the overwhelming glow, you're reduced to a mewling, squealing mess, kicking out and begging to be let back into the cave. Even the eldest sibling is affected in this manner, and you feel waves of panic coming from the minds of your younger companions. Mother remains firm, keeping the five of you raised in the air until one by one, your eyes adjust and you stop struggling. It takes a short time for your vision to return, and when you open your eyes once more, you're amazed by what you witness.

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>>5844680
The sights, smells, and sounds of the outside world wash over you, flooding your senses with everything that you've been denied up till now. Mother's body is the largest thing in your vision, and as the rays of light shine down upon her, you see her resplendent coloration for the first time. It's a deep shade, similar to the fuzzy masses and soft-looking carpets in the distance. A mass of tendrils wave about, and amidst them are several dangerous-looking growths, whose colours make you hungry, angry, and instil a sense of yearning at the same time. Your siblings all react with similar amazement, and your mother slowly lowers you to the ground.

That's when you feel it. Her massive, overpowering presence, reaching out and grasping you all for the first time. She's finally communicating with you.

My Children...

You feel waves of emotion striking you like a tide. You're too young to make much sense of it, but her intentions are clear enough to grasp. She wants you all to experience the world for the first time. Several seconds later, your turn comes to be released. You land unsteadily on a floor that's far softer than the rocky cave ground. Immediately, your claws start digging into the dirt, feeling it part easily beneath your efforts.

This first exploration will be of great importance to you. Your siblings are already running off in random directions to discover more of the outside world. Mother's watchful gaze falls upon each of you in turn. She's absolutely colossal. Out in the light, you can get a far better comparison. A faint sense of pride hits you. Will you be that big one day?

You stop pawing at the ground and straighten up, deciding on your next activity.

>Stay with Mother. You wish to see more of her, and have her exchange those emotions with you once again. Understanding her may be important to your identity as a dragon.
>Go further out. You can vaguely sense a large and powerful presence, not dissimilar to your mother's. One sibling is already heading towards it.
>Play with your siblings. Two of them are paired up and exploring. Since you've already started to commit yourself to being their guardian, it may be good to establish bonds.
>Stalk your rival. Learn how to be sneaky and quiet, as you follow their lead and see what they get up to when unattended. Perhaps you'll find some weakness or opportunity.
>Be by yourself. You need no other company, pursue your own independence and learn more about the world alone.

>>5844682
>Go further out. You can vaguely sense a large and powerful presence, not dissimilar to your mother's. One sibling is already heading towards it.
Dad?

>>5844682
>Be by yourself. You need no other company, pursue your own independence and learn more about the world alone.

My introversion calls me to this option, lmao. Sometimes you just want to chill and think on your own.

>>5844682
>Play with your siblings. Two of them are paired up and exploring. Since you've already started to commit yourself to being their guardian, it may be good to establish bonds.

>>5844682

>Play with your siblings. Two of them are paired up and exploring. Since you've already started to commit yourself to being their guardian, it may be good to establish bonds.

I still think we should gang up and murder the eldest

>>5844682
>Go further out. You can vaguely sense a large and powerful presence, not dissimilar to your mother's. One sibling is already heading towards it.

>>5844682
>>Be by yourself. You need no other company, pursue your own independence and learn more about the world alone.

>>5844682
>Play with your siblings. Two of them are paired up and exploring. Since you've already started to commit yourself to being their guardian, it may be good to establish bonds.

no

>>5844698
>>5844702
>>5845320
Siblings it is, locking in.

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>>5845742
>Play with your siblings. Two of them are paired up and exploring. Since you've already started to commit yourself to being their guardian, it may be good to establish bonds.

You'd rather spend some time forming alliances. Two siblings are gone, so your best chance for interaction is to pursue the other two siblings. You quickly catch up to them, doing your best to examine them in the light.

Their coloration is different from your eldest sibling. From looking at your own front limbs, you recognise that four of you are the same shade, with only the bully being different. You chirp at them softly, watching over them as they play. Both are the same size, so they can wrestle with each other fairly. At first, they bite each other, only to squeal in pain once. they feel the sensation used against them. They both stop biting after a short while, finding their rhythm. Eventually, you're invited to join the fray.

Only one wrestles and brawls at a time, making use of restrained strikes with their tendrils and headbutts. With your superior strength and age (by a matter of a few light cycles, but a difference nonetheless), you can defeat each easily. However, they seem to be getting more sullen each time they fail to win.

>Go easy on them. You feel like they may stop playing if all they do is lose. Creating this inherent sense of fairness and allowing them to think they stand a chance can keep the game alive.
>Do not. You are stronger, and you need them to know that. Giving up intentionally is a surefire way to ensure they never know their place.

>>Nurturing. In the absence of your mother, you take it upon yourself to become a leader, and have them follow you around. Sticking together in a group will help ward off the eldest, but you're not showing your own dominance over them either. It's self-preservation that keeps them in line, rather than any sort of power.

>Go easy on them.

Your earlier decision comes to the forefront of your mind.

While tussling with them, you allow them to win every so often. Sometimes, two of them leap in at the same time, and while you can beat each one easily, you pretend that their combined efforts are wearing you down. Eventually, the three of you are tired out from playing. The light coming from outside is fading out as well.

Mother lets out a low rumble, catching your attention. She wanders about the clearing and picks you all up one at a time, with the last being your sibling who went off chasing the presence. They look completely unharmed, so it must have been safe. She deposits you in your nest and wanders off again, right as the light dies.

Now that you've all lived through actual experiences, the mental network that the five of you form is sparking with activity. Your siblings seem eager to chitter to each other and let out impressions of what they've discovered. Even the eldest joins in, with much reluctance on either end.

>>5846101
The one who ran off sends you all a brief impression of a creature. It's nothing like mother, nor any of you. Yet it moves on four legs. It's the same shade as the earth outside the cave. It tells you of how gigantic tendrils, not unlike mother's, rose from the earth and broke its body. You feel your own twitch in anticipation. Then it tells you of the other massive presence lurking on the edge of your awareness. And its title.

Father.

Whatever else it learnt, it's not willing to share, so you move on.

You and your two other siblings then share your experience roughhousing, and the rules that developed. No biting, no clawing. The eldest bristles with aggression throughout, eager to take part next time. Then it becomes their turn to share.

They share their experience digging through the earth, and the joy and ease they felt when carving through churned soil. It came completely naturally. You're eager to try the next time you're let outside.

Finally, mother returns with food churned up in her gullet yet again. There's a scrabble of activity as the eldest pushes for the largest share again. Your little game today helped you see the current situation a little better. Alone, you could defeat both siblings. And it could defeat you. Maybe if every last one of you piled on, you could beat it into submission, but you're not quite ready yet. You'll need to solidify your coordination first, and ensure everyone reaches a minimum level of strength.

You take special care to not broadcast your thoughts in your excitement, not wanting them to know of your plotting. Once the food is consumed, it's time for slumber once again.

~~

The next day, mother lets you all out for free time again, after your morning feeding. From sensing her mental impressions the other day, her desire is to have you all learn and adapt for a short time. She intends to train you all in earnest eventually, however, and teach you the ways of the world.

You wander the grounds, aware of mother staring at you from behind. Unlike yesterday, she doesn't seem open to spending time with any one of you in particular. You sense muddied emotions in her mind. Today, you'll...

>Wrestle with your siblings again. The two of them will need good practice if you want to attack the eldest after all.
>Go spend time with the singular sibling who ran off yesterday. They seem to be running around and jumping on things that you can't see.
>Wander off to look for the presence you know of as a Father now.
>Attempt to evade mother and go in the exact opposite direction. See what lies beyond this cave and clearing.

>>5846104
>Go spend time with the singular sibling who ran off yesterday. They seem to be running around and jumping on things that you can't see.

>>5846104
>>Go spend time with the singular sibling who ran off yesterday. They seem to be running around and jumping on things that you can't see.

>>5846104
>Wrestle with your siblings again. The two of them will need good practice if you want to attack the eldest after all.

>>5846104
>Wander off to look for the presence you know of as a Father now.

>>5846104
>Fetch the two roughhousing siblings and take them with you to meet Father
Let’s go in a group.

>>5846104
>Go spend time with the singular sibling who ran off yesterday. They seem to be running around and jumping on things that you can't see.

>>5846104

>Wrestle with your siblings again. The two of them will need good practice if you want to attack the eldest after all.

Gotta train up

>>5846121
>>5846154
>>5846914

Going with this, then, with our protagonist splitting attention to encompass all the other siblings.

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This update is going to be a long one, but I'm out of time to write for today. I apologise for that, I'm going to post what I have so far, which stops before the point where you guys get another vote. I'll hopefully be able to write out the actual option in the next day or so.

>Go spend time with the singular sibling who ran off yesterday. They seem to be running around and jumping on things that you can't see.
You're curious about this sibling, who met your father the previous day and didn't share all of what they learnt. Now, they seem to be playing about in the dirt. You approach and observe for a moment, before sending out a mental probe to catch their attention.

'What are you doing?' you convey, as they stomp about in the dirt. They send an image right back, of the tiny moving object captured in their mind's eye. It's a round, fat thing, but is a little smaller than a single one of your claws. You crawl closer and see the same thing being battered between your sibling's forelimbs. They smack it around and slam the pads of their feet down on it, but the creature continues to get up and move after.

This thing is alive! It's a living thing, much like you, mother, and your siblings. However, you feel the urge to strike it— an urge echoed by your sibling. Their tendrils slowly uncurl as they try to wrap them around the tiny beast. However, they lack the fine motor control needed to pick up such a small object. Their thoughts are echoing with what they saw yesterday, of the great appendages bursting from the earth to slay a far larger creature. Your sibling shares a little more with you, finally allowing you to grasp why they're so intent on smashing this thing.

Food! Meat! The delicious substance that mother spits out comes from these creatures. After father felled the creature, he had given your sibling the smallest of bites beforehand. You feel a twinge of jealousy. You could have had it too, had you followed. But now, your sibling is hungry for more, and the idea that they can just claim their own food at any time is highly attractive to them. You watch them bat at the rounded, many-legged thing once again, but to no avail. They can't seem to smash it to death, or even strangle it with those vines.

The both of you puzzle it out for a moment. You feel a slight competitive spirit, and the urge to push your sibling away and claim this one for yourself, but your desire to maintain a good relationship with them wins out in the end. Eventually, you spot another one of those things in the dirt. With the youngest of the clutch still in sight, you begin hunting your own target.

>>5847707

It's quite the challenge. You never manage to make it stop moving, nor does pressing it into the dirt work. Each time you do, it pops back up and starts scuttling across the wet muck again. It seems resistant to your crushing and whipping. Just as you're about to give up, however, a stroke of inspiration flashes in your mind. Food is consumed with your mouths. Why not just pick this beast up directly?

Your rounded muzzle darts forward, capturing it easily. You feel an unpleasant sensation, as it crawls across your barbed tongue, but quickly align it between your jaws and bite down.

Crunch. Liquid sprays out of it, as you feel the hard shell give way. You did it! You swallow, disappointed by the resulting flavour. It's nowhere near as good as the food that mother brings daily, but you feel unmistakable pride at your success. Your sibling is still having difficulty, so you share your knowledge with them, and soon enough, they've gotten a bite too. The two of you spend the rest of the day hunting down similar creatures in the dirt, crunching down on them in hopes of finding satisfaction.

Once the light begins to die out, mother ushers the lot of you back into the cave again. Similar to yesterday, the five of you exchange experiences, sharing what you know and offering up knowledge of the world to one another. Your eldest sibling joined in on the wrestling in your absence, leaving the two others battered and worn. They're rather upset today, having failed to win a single round of tousling, and they're discouraged from trying again. Everyone perks up as you and the youngest share your hunting experience. A whole new world seems to have opened up to them, and the five of you drift off in anticipation of the next outing. All of you are excited to chase more of those little creatures.

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>>5847709
~~

Even after you wake up, mother doesn't come to feed you. You all sit in the nest, growing more and more uncomfortable. Your siblings feel worse off than you, since they didn't spend all of yesterday hunting on their own. Once all five of you have started peeping and chirping in attempts to summon mother, she finally makes her appearance. She steps into the cave and scoops you all up with her tendrils. You notice that you've all grown much bigger than before, and each of her many cords is that much thinner when compared to your torso.

The outside world is blurry and indistinct this time. A strange, wispy mass lingers by the ground, rapidly being displaced as mother walks. She's always covered in dirt and grime, but it's particularly thick today. The bright spot in the sky shines down upon you, causing your eyes to constrict.

Mother takes you all to the clearing that Father seems to be permanently parked. Unlike the front of the cave, the entire area is devoid of obstacles, providing nothing but wide open space for all of you. You sense his overwhelming presence somewhere within. It stirs in response to his mate and his children, and you feel him awakening.

With a momentous heave, vast amounts of dirt and ground-fuzz are displaced. A roiling mass of limbs and snapping jaws emerge first, before revealing the great back that they're rooted into. Dark scales glisten with moisture as the appendages begin sweeping the dragon clean. Father approaches, emerging from the earth for the first time and rubbing his long snout against mother's. She sets the five of you down, and you look up, rapt with attention. You sense their minds reaching out, working in concert. It's time to learn. The ancestral knowledge within you could suffice if you were abandoned in the swamps, but it can only take you so far. They seek to give the five of you a respectable education, teaching you the ways of the world, and how your kind ought to be.

There are many lessons that the two of them attempt to teach you. Which of them do you particularly excel in, on this first session?

>Hunting. Father shows you all how to look for your own food. Learn to fight straight away.
>Survival. Mother teaches you more about the world you live in. Ground yourself and understand the place you live in.
>History. Together, they show you what it means to be a dragon, and get you in touch with your identity.

>>5848939
>>History. Together, they show you what it means to be a dragon, and get you in touch with your identity.

>>5848939

>History. Together, they show you what it means to be a dragon, and get you in touch with your identity.

Give us the plot dump QM

>>5848939
>Survival. Mother teaches you more about the world you live in. Ground yourself and understand the place you live in.

>>5848939
>Hunting. Father shows you all how to look for your own food. Learn to fight straight away.

>>5848939
>History. Together, they show you what it means to be a dragon, and get you in touch with your identity.

>>5848939
>Hunting. Father shows you all how to look for your own food. Learn to fight straight away.

>>5848943
>>5849143
>>5849253
Writing

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>>5849947

>History. Together, they show you what it means to be a dragon, and get you in touch with your identity.

Mother and Father begin their teachings, imparting knowledge upon the five of you. The first thing they do is send you numerous impressions of objects and sensations that cluster around your home. You don't fully grasp all of it, but you finish the lesson with a sense of familiarity. You at least know what things are now. Cave. Day. Vine. Meat. Swamp. Water. Sun. Sky. These things remain cemented in your mind.

Then Father takes you all into the clearing and makes you watch and wait. Your parents bury themselves in the dirt, with Mother's vines protectively reaching out of the soil to guard you. You observe as the red flower on Father's back emerges from the ground and exudes a scent. As time passes, the same brown creature you saw in your sibling's memories shows up, attempting to take a bite of the plant. That's when the vines emerge to grapple it, and father bursts from the ground to end its life with a powerful bite to the base of the neck. You feel no particular confidence in being able to do the same, but your vines twitch in anticipation of the possibility. It also becomes the first time that the rest of your siblings eat solid food, straight from the body.

Finally, with your hunger sated, your parents settle you down and prepare to coach you on the world around you. There is much to learn. Too much for a hatchling to absorb in a mere day. But you discover your passion soon enough. You're a quick study when it comes to this.

Your swampy home sits on the landmass of Thousia, and your family has wandered from afar in order to settle in its murky waters. Southwards, the trees grow thicker and denser, and Northwards, the mangroves eventually give way to a massive ocean. It won't serve as a good home for you.

Your parents strongly impress upon you that, as a Dragon, you are superior to all. You can take whatever you wish from all others, and they have no right to say otherwise. For it is with the divine right of strength that you prove your place in the world. Your eyes sparkle as you hear this.

However, Father warns, there is hierarchy even among dragonkind. High above all others are great Dragons. Spirits of nature. Guardians, even, who wielded their prodigious strength long before your ancestors walked Valkemare. He warns that there are creatures far more powerful than the five of you could ever imagine, and to never earn the ire of these gods and demigods. Their control of magic puts them at a distinct advantage over your kind.

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>>5850351

Magic? You air your curiosity to them, and receive a lengthy response. Your siblings are beginning to lose focus, but you're extremely motivated to find out more about dragonkind, and what exactly you are.

Magic is a force of creation, destruction, and change, powered by mana that occurs in nature. However, your bloodline is incapable of making use of it. Though your body has an affinity with certain elements of mana, and you have innate control of the dragon grass sprouting from your back, spellcasting is beyond you. You blink hard, slightly disappointed, but not quite understanding what you're truly missing.

Your parents do not stop to console you either. It is merely a fact of life for their kind. Instead, they tell you stories of their own lives, and of your ancestors. Your siblings perk back up here, as they regale you with tales. It is not a full history, but they weave a clear enough tapestry to understand your kind better.

Your bloodline is referred to in instinctual words and impressions that best translate to 'Vine' Dragons. Claiming enough territory to form dominions and kingdoms is highly unusual for your kind. Instead, your parents have carved out an area that's absolutely and utterly theirs. The only things that move within it are food, and the idea of sharing is laughable. Within the conjoined clearings that make up your home, everything exists only for your comfort.

A sense of fear rises in you and your siblings, as your parents make their intent known. For now, you are welcome. You are cared for. You hold some amount of value as their progeny. But one day, you will leave, and you will not return. Or you will be strangled by the same vines that so lovingly carry you about. This is the nature of your kind, and your parents are immutable in this regard.

Apart from that, however, the swamps and jungle beyond will be yours to claim. When you reach adolescence, you will venture out to claim untouched lands, or battle another dragon for theirs. Your eldest sibling seems enthusiastic about the latter possibility.

By the time the lesson is over, the sun is beginning to set. Father ushers you away from the clearing so that he may burrow and hunt once again. As Mother leads you back to the cave, you attempt to pay more attention to your surroundings and learn how they've claimed their territory. However, you're too tired to truly understand it. You're still young, and your stamina is lacking. You need your rest.

Rest doesn't come so easily, however.

~~

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>>5850354

In the evening, mother returns with food. Like earlier, she no longer spews out half-digested meat from her throat. Instead, she drops a deer straight into your midst, nearly crushing one of the middle siblings. She stares at you all furtively, as though having a brief moment of contemplation, then wanders out of the cave. Despite becoming familiar with the formidable mental presence of your parents, it feels... Distant.

You're drawn to the sound of your eldest sibling snapping and snarling, pushing the others away so that he can get at the meat first. You've since given up on attacking them directly. You'll want to guarantee success before even attempting it. However, what catches your attention this time is the fact that your youngest sibling is charging straight ahead. The little one slams into them head-on, eager to get a bite after gaining such an enthusiasm for hunting. No matter what your eldest brother does, the little one fails to relent. Even as the vines push and shove him, and the oldest sibling butts him away as easily as you knocked the beetles around, they don't stop trying to steal the first pickings.

The eldest snaps.

The next thing you know, blood is being drawn. Your younger sibling's cries of rebellion turn to screeches of pain. Mother doesn't so much as turn tail to come investigate. You watch as your sibling slashes at their hide with sharp claws, failing to gouge through the armored scutes on your youngest ally's belly. Their jaws descend a moment later, gripping their tiny limb and beginning to crush it. Vines reach out, wrapping around their neck and beginning to choke them. A picture of your father executing that struggling buck flashes through your mind.

They're trying to take your youngest sibling out for good.

>Interfere. This isn't like a normal fight. Nothing like that first beating you received at birth. Your eldest sibling is going wild, they're genuinely going for the kill. If you try and save your sibling, you will be injured as well. Nothing else is guaranteed afterwards. Anything could happen if you're in a weakened state, and you cannot yet rely on any loyalty from your siblings to protect you while you recover.
>Allow it to happen. You won't be hurt, of course. Your youngest sibling is the runt. Despite your intent to be nurturing, you're still a dragon. Mother has impressed upon you how much strength matters. Let them suffer the consequences of trying to battle your brother alone. Perhaps the extra food from now on will let your two siblings grow stronger, and they'll also see the need to form an alliance with you.

>>5850355
>Allow it to happen. You won't be hurt, of course. Your youngest sibling is the runt. Despite your intent to be nurturing, you're still a dragon. Mother has impressed upon you how much strength matters. Let them suffer the consequences of trying to battle your brother alone. Perhaps the extra food from now on will let your two siblings grow stronger, and they'll also see the need to form an alliance with you.

Might is right.

>>5850355
>>Allow it to happen
put later talk to our other sibling that we should gang up on and kill the eldest. they clearly have no qualms about killing the rest of us and anyone could be next. Wereas the rest of us each have a fighting chance against each other.
After that we make a non agression pact against one another.

>>5850355
>Interfere. This isn't like a normal fight. Nothing like that first beating you received at birth. Your eldest sibling is going wild, they're genuinely going for the kill. If you try and save your sibling, you will be injured as well. Nothing else is guaranteed afterwards. Anything could happen if you're in a weakened state, and you cannot yet rely on any loyalty from your siblings to protect you while you recover.

>>5850355
>Interfere.
We leap to his back while he's distracted trapping a good portion of his vines against it's body with our own, then we anchor ourselves to him with our claws and tail like a lamprey, as we grab it by the back of his neck with our jaws and all our vines before pulling back with all we have, dragon or not it's neck can only bend backwards so much before snapping like a twig.
Also with our body as dead weight, he wont be moving much and his vines will not be as swift and effective since we are crushing them against it's body, if things start to get ugly, we can ask our other two siblings for help, they received a free beating yesterday and aren't gonna let such a chance at payback slip their claws for sure.

>>5850355
>Allow it to happen.

>>5850360
>>5850399
>>5851066
Writing

>>5850355
>>Interfere. This isn't like a normal fight. Nothing like that first beating you received at birth. Your eldest sibling is going wild, they're genuinely going for the kill. If you try and save your sibling, you will be injured as well. Nothing else is guaranteed afterwards. Anything could happen if you're in a weakened

shit i'm late

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>>5851152

>Allow it to happen.

You force yourself to harden your heart. Leaping into the fray will result in injuries for you both. Saving your sibling will come at a cost to yourself that you're not willing to pay. There's no chance of the other two leaping in to help. Their place in the pecking order had been firmly displayed, and the tyrant has the upper hand in every way, apart from numbers.

Savage jaws clamp down harder on the limb, wrenching from side to side until it breaks from the pressure. Meanwhile, the vines completely restrain all four of their limbs, entangling with the roots on their own back and ripping chunks of them out. The roots emerge, wet with blood. Your youngest sibling's cries grow weaker and weaker, choked out by the verdant tendrils that wrap around their airway and constrict. Their eyes flicker about, wide and alert in panic, and you can feel the waves of fear washing out of their mind and overwhelming you.

But nobody comes to help. Not mother, not father, not the other two—

Not you.

~~

Night falls outside. The nest is in disarray, with your largest sibling snoozing peacefully on one side. The limp body of your youngest brother lies in the middle of the rocky enclosure, cold and unmoving. The other three of you are curled up, pressed together on the opposite end and remaining as far away from both the corpse, and your sibling as possible. None of you move, speak, or even think, only hoping for morning to come. And yet, you dream the dawn all the same, for fear of the sun casting its light over your sibling's body.

>>5851278

~~

At some point before sunrise, while the four of you were sleeping, mother snuck into the cave to remove the body. It's gone by the time the sun is up. You and your remaining siblings awaken to the sound of swamp birds crying in the trees, and insects chirping outside. You hunger, but the idea of squabbling with your eldest sibling for food strikes fear into your hear. You've already submitted to their demand for the largest share, and refused to fight against it in any way. It'll continue for the time being, until you can muster up a rebellion.

Mother emerges with several creatures. They're small, brown, and fuzzy, a little bigger than each of your bodies. They have wide, flat tails. She says nothing of the night's events, and your instincts tell you to not press the subject with her. Just like you three, she chose not to protect anybody. After the eldest snatches up several of the beasts, you and your siblings share a single one, quickly scraping the flesh off it and leaving a mess behind. However, one of your younger siblings bites into a ropy portion in its abdomen, releasing a vile smell that fills the nest. Even your eldest sibling's appetite is ruined by it. When mother enters the cave to clean up, she notes just how much is left uneaten, and ushers you all into the sunlight.

Today, you're being given some time to play around again. They have no lesson planned, and are leaving you to develop independance in your free time. You choose to:

>Spend time with your two siblings. You're permanently down by one now, and it's best to strengthen bonds with the others.
>Approach mother. You want to know. You want to know why this happened, and why she did nothing to prevent it.
>Explore on your own. Step away from the clearing and see what lies beyond.
>Approach father. See what he can teach you, and observe how he hunts for the food that you all eat.
>Stalk your eldest sibling, and attempt to remain unseen. Perhaps if you observe them and learn more about what they're doing, you'll find a chance to act against them.

>>5851279
>>Approach father. See what he can teach you, and observe how he hunts for the food that you all eat.

>>5851279
>>Spend time with your two siblings. You're permanently down by one now, and it's best to strengthen bonds with the others.

>>5851279
>Stalk your eldest sibling, and attempt to remain unseen. Perhaps if you observe them and learn more about what they're doing, you'll find a chance to act against them.

>>5851279
>Spend time with your two siblings. You're permanently down by one now, and it's best to strengthen bonds with the others.

>>5851279
>Stalk your eldest sibling, and attempt to remain unseen. Perhaps if you observe them and learn more about what they're doing, you'll find a chance to act against them.

>>5851279
>>Spend time with your two siblings. You're permanently down by one now, and it's best to strengthen bonds with the others.

>>5851318
>>5851366
>>5851469
Writing

Gonna be slow for the next week, heading on vacation after posting the update.

>>5852788
thanks for the notice, keep us updated

Have fun QM

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>>5852840
>>5852845
Will do! Can't promise posts, since I doubt I'll have time to type out satisfactory updates on mobile or in transit, but I'll at least get some drafting done while travelling.

>>Spend time with your two siblings. You're permanently down by one now, and it's best to strengthen bonds with the others.

You meet up with the two of your siblings. Spirits are low after what happened last night, and even as you wrestle, none of you really feel it. Instead, you all wander around the clearing, steering clear of where your beloathed eldest sibling went. You settle down to exchange thoughts and feelings with them, impressing upon them the need to stick together. To combine your strength so that last night's events don't repeat.

The younger of the two stares at you with doleful eyes, then sends its own question to you: Why did you not fight? You're the second largest.

You hesitate before daring to muster your response. Your thoughts have already been put in order, however. If you did so, you would have been wounded just as badly. There's a big difference between winning a bout of wrestling and ripping vines away from a dragon that's under attack, while deflecting blows from each combatant. If the two of them had charged in at once, perhaps you'd have been able to beat back the assault. But there was no chance of them coming to help, was there?

They confirm it with a flick of their minds. You can almost taste their fear upon your tongue, spreading acridly across each and every image they send you. You're not willing to live under that fear until something worse happens, however. You bear a strong grudge for what your sibling has done so far. Once more, you look to the two, attempting to get their allegiance and assurance. They're not completely willing, but they reluctantly agree to help if they think they can win.

Though you've lost one member of your brood, you've secured the aid of the other two. The most important thing now is to get stronger and gain the ability to fight on your own. Once all three of you are powerful enough, you can strike down that lout.

~~

At the end of the day, mother ushers you back into the cave. You wait in the nest, suspiciously eyeing your sibling, who seems to be licking themself clean without a care in the world. Their dark body is caked in dirt, and their vines are scraping beneath the scales to pull soil out of the grooves. They look like they've been busy. You step away from the nest and head to the back of the cave, where a trickle of water constantly flows from the rock wall. It tastes fresher than the stagnant pools in the swamps outside. Both your siblings follow close behind, unwilling to be alone with the eldest. You feel a measure of comfort at the thought.

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>>5853607

When you return, mother has something special planned. She drops something light brown and fuzzy into the nest. Upon hitting the ground, it immediately jumps back into the air, making a break for the opening. You react on instinct, lashing out with your vines and grabbing hold of it. It's small and weak, and you easily prevent it from fleeing. As expected, your oldest sibling pounces on it with a snarl, savagely ripping into it while it screeches and screams. The sound reminds you of last night, and you shudder. You release it from your grip, just in time for mother to drop another one.

These beasts are a lot tinier than the one you had this morning. They have long ears and fuzzy muzzles, with powerful legs that daze you when you get kicked. They're no match for dragons, however, and you're soon feasting on their stringy flesh. You're transferred to the other nest before going to bed, while mother cleans up the fur, bone, and grime that was left behind by the swamp-prey.

~~

In the morning, your parents pull you out for another lesson. Today, your siblings are a little more focused. The talk you had yesterday has bolstered their spirit, and they're eager to focus on whatever they're being taught. The faster they grow and can leave the nest, the fewer chances your sibling has of killing them. Today is another exhibition of hunting, and then mother intends to show you all the surrounding swamps. Which one do you handle with ease?

>Hunting. You focus more on physical pursuits today. Just securing food isn't enough to truly flourish, but you can't neglect the ability to fight. You're prioritising this short-term conflict over a solitary future.
>Survival. If you intend to live on your own, instead of being choked to death for refusing to leave the nest, you'll have to learn more about the world. By focusing more on what mother teaches you, you prepare for that, rather than strengthening yourself for the revolt you have planned.

>>5853611
>Hunting. You focus more on physical pursuits today. Just securing food isn't enough to truly flourish, but you can't neglect the ability to fight. You're prioritising this short-term conflict over a solitary future.

>>5853611
>Hunting. You focus more on physical pursuits today. Just securing food isn't enough to truly flourish, but you can't neglect the ability to fight. You're prioritising this short-term conflict over a solitary future.

>>5853611
>>Survival. If you intend to live on your own, instead of being choked to death for refusing to leave the nest, you'll have to learn more about the world. By focusing more on what mother teaches you, you prepare for that, rather than strengthening yourself for the revolt you have planned.
maybe we could poison your older sibling somehow to weaken them in a fight

>>5853611
>Survival. If you intend to live on your own, instead of being choked to death for refusing to leave the nest, you'll have to learn more about the world. By focusing more on what mother teaches you, you prepare for that, rather than strengthening yourself for the revolt you have planned.

>>5853611
>Hunting. You focus more on physical pursuits today. Just securing food isn't enough to truly flourish, but you can't neglect the ability to fight. You're prioritising this short-term conflict over a solitary future.

>>5853611
both are important, grrr...
>>Hunting

>>5853611
>>Hunting.
Survival required is to live to see adulthood. Let's prioritise being equipped to get there first.

>>5853611
>Hunting. You focus more on physical pursuits today. Just securing food isn't enough to truly flourish, but you can't neglect the ability to fight. You're prioritising this short-term conflict over a solitary future.

>>5853611
>Survival.

>>5853615
>>5853622
>>5853899
>>5853969
>>5854261
>>5854270

Going to lock in Hunting, so I have time to begin drafting a bit of the post.

Writin

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Back home, got comfortable and leapt back into writing. May take a bit longer between posts in the upcoming days, while I busy myself with unpacking.

>Hunting

Father deigns to teach you all the ways of the hunt today. You put all your focus into it, leaving you exhausted for Mother’s lessons in navigating the swamp later in the day.

First, the four of you are made to dig shallow furrows for yourselves. You barely fit into yours, with only your lower jaw and belly making contact with the muck. Everything else is still exposed. Father sends up a gentle dusting of dirt, covering your tops with another layer of camouflage. He orders absolute silence and discipline from you, as he returns to his own hole, that your heads are all pointed to. He bids you pay attention to the surroundings. To what the clearing looks like, to any sort of presences you can smell or sniff, and to what he does with his body. Your older sibling pays just as much attention as you.

You notice things, just like he ordered. The clearing is free of obstacles. There’s nowhere for a creature to hide once it enters the area. Father has uprooted every plant and flung every boulder out of the way, leaving them sitting by the edges of the circular copse with mold and algae growing atop them. Every so often, your siblings pipe up, but your father silences them with a mental lashing. You and the eldest never once peep, however, focusing fully on what he wants to show you.

Eventually, a creature enters the clearing, attracted by the red flower that blooms from his back. His mind goes still, making sure no waves of killing intent wash over the deer. Slowly, it steps towards the flower, poking its head upright in search of predators. When it finds none, it steps closer and closer to the centre, where it can claim its sweet bounty of nectar.

Vines burst from the earth, wrapping around it before it can even cry. It's immobilised, and father pulls its legs into the dirt. Soon, the creature is buried and tangled amidst his briars, unable to struggle. Its neck extends upwards, screeching and screaming in terror. He doesn't kill it, however. Instead, he makes sure to question the four of you and make sure that you were watching. This is how your kind hunts. You lie in wait, and use your vines to subjugate large prey all at once. At your size, you can barely wrap your own around its forelimbs. However, father urges you forward.

It's time to kill.

Your eldest sibling catches on first, and his jaws descend on the deer's side. It squeals, but its struggling is for naught. It cannot kick you away, as much as you wish for it to shatter your sibling's skull with an errant hoof. You're next to charge, biting into its flank and beginning to eat it alive. Through this method, father gets the four of you used to taking life. Life that screeches, squeals, and begs, even as your savage jaws part its brown flesh and shear into tender venison. This is the way the world is.

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>>5859607

~~

Your hunting lesson has been fruitful. You now know the value of burying yourself and hiding your presence. As you grow and practice, your control over your vines will improve as well. You're not confident you can kill anything just yet, but you at least know how. You've also gotten to taste the fruits of your effort. Father has made it clear that he expects swift growth, and by the next moon, you must have successfully hunted by yourself at the very least.

You're so focused that you find yourself struggling when Mother tries to teach you about living in the swamps around you. She strikes your rump with a vine when you fail to respond to a query for the third time, eliciting a yelp from you. Snarling in displeasure, she impresses the importance of soil conditions upon you once again. Ground that's hard and baked will be tough to burrow through. Soil that's too wet will see fewer prey wandering atop it in the first place. She tries to teach you about smells and scents that mark the territory of other creatures, but you're too distracted to absorb much more. Eventually, she leaves the four of you to play among the trees, with strict orders to return once called.

While out and about, you suddenly sense a presence on the edge of the treeline. It senses you as well, and a wave of curiosity washes against you. You approach slowly, preparing to whip it if it turns out to be a threat. You're equally curious, for no prey has sent out such awareness before. Only your own siblings!

You emerge from the bushes at the same time as the other creature, and you both behold each other in the afternoon light. It's another dragon! It's nothing like you, however. It's bright red and blue, with a more sinewy frame and a snout that's more angular than beak-like. The hatchling peeps softly, seemingly highly cautious.

>Play with it! This is the first dragon you've met. And it's not prey. This is a prime opportunity to socialise with something outside your family unit.
>Call your siblings over. See what they make of it. Unfortunately, your eldest one will likely be included in this.
>Attack it. It's near your clearing, so that must mean it's intruding on your territory. Show your superiority by defeating it first.
>Cry for Mother. You haven't been taught of other dragons inhabiting the swamps yet. She knows best, defer to her.

>>5859609
>>Play with it! This is the first dragon you've met. And it's not prey. This is a prime opportunity to socialise with something outside your family unit.

>>5859618
I see the value into getting wildly different dragons with wildly different ability to act together

>>5859609
>Play with it! This is the first dragon you've met. And it's not prey. This is a prime opportunity to socialise with something outside your family unit.
A friend!

>>5859609
>Cry for Mother. You haven't been taught of other dragons inhabiting the swamps yet. She knows best, defer to her.

>>5859609
>>Attack it. It's near your clearing, so that must mean it's intruding on your territory. Show your superiority by defeating it first.

>>5859609
>Play with it! This is the first dragon you've met. And it's not prey. This is a prime opportunity to socialise with something outside your family unit.

>>5859609
>Play with it! This is the first dragon you've met. And it's not prey. This is a prime opportunity to socialise with something outside your family unit.

>>5859618
>>5859653
>>5859824
>>5860059

Writing

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>>5860537

>Play with it! This is the first dragon you've met. And it's not prey. This is a prime opportunity to socialise with something outside your family unit.

Stepping closer, you lower your front limbs in preparation to pounce. Your tail wags rapidly, in anticipation of a wrestling match with this stranger. Your vocalisations are sharp and high, and as you approach, it seems to relax as well. You both open your minds to each other, revealing friendly intent. The hatchling leaps forward to collide with you, and you both tumble into the soil. The smooth, large scales of your playmate seem to allow soil to wick off easily, while your rugged scales trap all manner of dirt. Their paws rise to bat at your face, but vines reach out to restrain it. This one knows how to socialise and play-fight, so it must be part of a family.

Your battle ends in your victory, for it seems like their experience doesn't include battling grasping vines. They chirp softly, then lead you towards a little creek, where you both splash in the water. To your surprise, your new friend jams their face straight into the mud, beginning to rifle about beneath the shallow water. Their jaws emerge with a brown creature struggling between them. Its shell reminds you of the beetles you hunted with your youngest sibling before their death. One bite later, the animal is gone, and the red dragon is looking at you expectantly.

You dig into the mud, but your snout isn't as long as theirs. It'll be many more years before your skull elongates to the length of your parents'. You can't reach deep enough to seize the tiny mental presences within the dirt. Your companion thrusts their face in again, seizing another one. They swing their head sideways, throwing it at your face, and you open your mouth to catch it.

Crunch.

It's delicious! The shell is hard, and you don't like that shards jam themselves between your teeth, but the meat is soft and sweet. It's much better than the beetle.

Eventually, you learn to use your vines to dig them up, impressing your companion greatly. The two of you eat until you're sated, each grateful to be in the company of a new friend.

~~

You're so engrossed with your new companion that you fail to notice mother calling out for you. The two of you are only reminded of your curfew when thunderous footsteps make their way across the undergrowth. Your friend turns to run, but mother's familiar mind batters against the both of yours, paralysing your friend in fear. You chirp in alarm as they bury their head in their paws, and their tail hangs low in submission.

Mother emerges from the foliage, her colossal head beholding the both of you, and the little stream that now lies pockmarked with crab-holes. You feel instinctual aggression rising within her, and vines uncurl as she sees the other dragon. A sense of alarm passes over you, and you consider for the first time that she might not take kindly to other dragons being so close to your family.

>>5860583

However, her vines ignore your friend. She roughly seizes you and places her on her back, where you can't wander off any further. You turn back to bid your companion goodbye, and they slowly rise up once mother begins to leave. They return your farewell, and you feel distinct excitement at the thought of meeting you again in the future.

Mother's thoughts are silent, as she brings you back to the cave. That night, you let your siblings eat the second-largest share, for your belly is already full of morsels.

~~

For a while, you have no time to go out and play. The next few weeks are full of vigorous training, that gradually prepares you for life outside. You notice you and your siblings growing rapidly. The nest is too small for the four of you, and at one point, mother surprises you all by destroying it completely. You're to find your own spots within the cave, or if you dare, sleep outside in the soil. Your eldest sibling opts to stay among the rocks, while you sit at the border between earth and stone, where mother has softened the dirt with her constant digging. The way you've been raised so far impacts your development by quite a bit, as you sit on the cusp of adolescence.

Your eldest sibling remains dominant, socially and physically. You've never once claimed high ground over them.
Your relationship with your siblings is good, due to the nurturing role you took in their youth. The three of you are willing to support each others' survival.
You are skilled in Hunting, and place much focus on your identity as a Dragon, allowing you to connect with strangers easier.
Your relationship with your parents is non-existent. You're aware they'll drive you out soon, and you've never made an effort to connect with them as a result.

~~

Finally, you have a free day once again! Mother and Father leave you be, and you're in a position to be exploring the swamps again. Or pursuing one final goal before your lessons ramp up in intensity once more.

>Head out into the swamps. You're lacking in survival knowledge, despite knowing the basics. Perhaps you'll learn more about your surroundings, or meet dragons like last time!
>Train with your siblings. Your eldest sibling has been growing more and more aggressive, and the rift between them and your siblings has deepened. There'll be a reckoning soon.
>Learn more from your parents. They're old, and have much more to teach. They're too aloof, and you're too old now to worm your way into being their favorite, but a bond still has uses.

>>5860584
>Train with your siblings. Your eldest sibling has been growing more and more aggressive, and the rift between them and your siblings has deepened. There'll be a reckoning soon.

>>5860584
>>Train with your siblings. Your eldest sibling has been growing more and more aggressive, and the rift between them and your siblings has deepened. There'll be a reckoning soon.
>include fren in training if possiible

>>5860584
>>Train with your siblings.
Make up for with numbers what we may lack in experience.

>>5860584
>>Learn more from your parents. They're old, and have much more to teach. They're too aloof, and you're too old now to worm your way into being their favorite, but a bond still has uses.

>>5860584
>Train with your siblings. Your eldest sibling has been growing more and more aggressive, and the rift between them and your siblings has deepened. There'll be a reckoning soon.
>include fren in training if possible

>>5860664
>>5860756
>>5861078
>>5861451
Seems quite overwhelming. Writing!

>>5861653
Taking a bit longer, sorry. Had plenty of deadlines to catch back up on after vacation. Will write it up soon, but probably won't have images to post along with it.

>>5862541
no worries

>>5861653

>Train with your siblings. Your eldest sibling has been growing more and more aggressive, and the rift between them and your siblings has deepened. There'll be a reckoning soon.

In your free time, you opt to combine your strength. The four of you are all getting larger, but your growth is slowing from its previously explosive rate. You're many times bigger than when you were a hatchling, and your eldest brother isn't that much larger than you now. With the three of you now strong, you feel ready to engage.

While the eldest is off doing whatever it is that they vanish to do, you and your siblings fight. You make sure it's a two-on-one situation at all times, so you can have the experience of ganging up on a target. It also helps you all imagine how a target would fight. You won't have this luxury in the future, however, as your kind hunts alone. All this training is only for a single battle.

You gain many new insights during your wrestling, and you're exhausted by the time morning passes. Your stamina is far better than before, and this week, Father is making you catch your own lunch. You sit out in the clearing and wait, while Father deploys his flower. None of you have grown yours yet, so he's in charge of luring. You simply wait and hope that you're fast enough to grab the rabbits that come by.

Any spare food that makes it to Father is snatched up and stored underground. He only feeds those who are unlucky enough to have nothing come in range, like you and your eldest sibling. For the two middle children, who outright failed in their catches, he provides no meal. He intentionally leaves them to battle for scraps, turning your meal into yet another squabble for portions.

>Share. These two are to be your partners in an upcoming battle. You'll need them strong, of course. Plus, if they're falling behind in their hunting, they need to eat more anyway.
>Fight for your meat. You won't be as violent as your eldest sibling. Nobody can reach that level of viciousness they show. But this meat is still yours, given to you by father. You'll show you mean business and stop them from charging you until you're done eating.

>>Nurturing.

>Share.

You join the battle for the rabbits, but not just for yourself. You only compete against your eldest sibling, and the three of you manage to snag a substantial portion today. They look livid that they're not claiming the largest share all by themselves, even though your individual portions are way less than what they have. You feel a flare of that familiar, terrifying anger that took your sibling's life, and you almost rebut it with defiance of your own. But you wait for your chance. Not now. Not yet.

~~

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>>5863054

In the afternoon, you decide to leave your siblings be, with orders for them to stay near Father. Your eldest sibling won't dare lash out at them if they approach Father with the pretense of getting hunting practice. He won't tolerate squabbles in the clearing, for it'd accomplish nothing but scare away wild game.

Instead, you head out into the swamps, hoping to perhaps find your friend again. You remember them well. Red-scale-blue-horn. That's how you've come to think of them. Now that you're pondering it further, you realise that neither you nor your siblings have names or titles. You've been thinking of them in only the simplest of terms. The eldest. The youngest. The sibling, the other one. It's much unlike a rabbit or deer, where you know what their kind is called.

You resolve to ask your parents about it later. They're old, surely they have names and forms of address they could bestow upon you and your siblings.

~~

You hear a rustling in the trees up ahead. Your mind reaches out, finding an unfamiliar presence in the canopy. Unlike Red-scale, it doesn't respond to your mental probe. It comes into view moments later, and you strain your stout neck to keep your gaze upwards.

This dragon is a greenish-blue, with spots of brown on its lithe body. It has nubs of wings sprouting from its back, and is about the same size as you. Horns sprout from its head, and it bears a short mane. You chirp in greeting, and it turns to face you curiously. There's still no outreach of thoughts and feelings from it. Interaction with this one feels rather alien. However, it reacts to your presence all the same, and jumps from the tree without a sound. Its paws land on the dirt and it trots over to sniff you.

You do the same, taking in the scent of dew and leaves. You smell blood on its breath, and know that it’s been eating. Hopefully you’re not a target for seconds

Like the last hatchling you met, you slowly inch forward to play with it. This one looks a lot more agile, with partially developed wings, so maybe it’ll give you a different bout. You still barely get any mental recognition from it, but maybe it’s just shy. It’s receptive to your playing, and the two of you tumble about for a bit. Despite the antlers and extra digits to latch on, it’s nimble enough to avoid your vines, even up close. It’s a little rough when playing, though, and you find yourself annoyed by the real bites you receive.

Tired out, the two of you lie down near each other, basking in a patch of sunlight and taking in the swampy air. You enjoy the sun far more than your new friend does.

A thought comes over you, and you mentally prod your friend. Do they have a name? Anything they go by?

It raises its head to look in your general direction, but doesn’t fancy a reply. You eventually get back to basking in silence.

~~

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>>5863056

Right as you’re about to leave, you hear a sound from behind you. Your friend immediately turns to bolt, but you send heavy waves of reassurance to them. They still seem highly spooked, but are curious enough to watch as your mother’s gigantic head emerges from the undergrowth yet again. She beholds the both of you, and you sense a growing tension in the air. She’s caught you out past curfew again, playing with another dragon. Hopefully she’s not annoyed. You walk towards her, ready to be picked up and brought home.

Only to have a colossal vine swing past and smash your friend into the dirt, crushing every bone in their spine and flattening them into a red-and-teal smear. You screech in alarm, as she seizes you and drags you away, leaving the buzzing flies to descend on the body. Other vermin will strip it clean before the sun sets.

>Rage. That was your friend, who was just smashed into dirt like a bug. You don’t care what this is about, bare your teeth, bear this grudge, and lash out, heedless to her reaction.
>Cry. There’s no siblings to expose your weakness to here. You couldn’t reveal your sorrow at losing your sibling, for it would have emboldened the villain in your home, but it’s just happened again. Bemoan the loss and let your emotions ring out.
>Wait. Then ask. There has to be a reason for this. Your emotions are rolling around within you, but you have to learn more before you let them burst free. Calmly work your way through this and try to figure out mother’s intentions.
>Nothing. You… Don’t feel anything. They were simply a playmate, and a rather poor one at that. You completely sever yourself from the situation and let it wash over you like murky water. That is how you will deal with events such as this: by hardening your heart. ((>>Nurturing: CHOICE UNAVAILABLE))

This will be the last of the milestone choices that finishes cementing our dragon protagonist's overall personality. As you can see, that Nurturing choice back then was an extremely major one. Their hatchling stage will pass soon, so this vote will affect how they grow up, in combination with choices and priorities that have already been made. I'd advise voting on a basis of establishing a character, rather than any sort of optimal pick/

>>5863058

>Wait. Then ask. There has to be a reason for this. Your emotions are rolling around within you, but you have to learn more before you let them burst free. Calmly work your way through this and try to figure out mother’s intentions.

wtf mom, explain yourself

>>5863058
>>Wait. Then ask. There has to be a reason for this. Your emotions are rolling around within you, but you have to learn more before you let them burst free. Calmly work your way through this and try to figure out mother’s intentions.

Obviously it's territory, we should have expected that.
But playfighting with other dragons teaches us how to actually fight them eventually

>>5863058
>>Wait. Then ask.
We may be nurturing but not ruled by our infant emotions. Kind and patient to put it generously I guess.

There must be a reason mother smashed this dragon and not the last. Maybe it's to do with it not being able to talk?

>>5863058
>>Wait. Then ask. There has to be a reason for this. Your emotions are rolling around within you, but you have to learn more before you let them burst free. Calmly work your way through this and try to figure out mother’s intentions.
Cry a bit though.

>>5863058
>>Wait. Then ask. There has to be a reason for this. Your emotions are rolling around within you, but you have to learn more before you let them burst free. Calmly work your way through this and try to figure out mother’s intentions.

>>5863063
>>5863150
>>5863287
>>5863295
>>5863310
Closing and writing when free

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>>5863871

>Wait. Then ask. There has to be a reason for this. Your emotions are rolling around within you, but you have to learn more before you let them burst free. Calmly work your way through this and try to figure out mother’s intentions.

You swallow down your feelings, and take some time to calm yourself. Your flight reflex is still acting up, causing your vines to twitch involuntarily. As your legs flail in the air, your muscles twitch in preparation to run and burrow. Mother is silent, like before, and as she brings you through the trees, you recognise that there's no scolding or admonishment coming. She's calm, and your body slowly begins to mirror that. Once your nerves aren't firing off, you ask her:

Why?

In response, dozens of images flood your mind, and you slowly understand.

That was no dragon, my child.

And indeed, it wasn't. In Valkemare, there are countless different breeds of dragons, and an unacquainted mind might have trouble telling them apart. The creature you were playing with was a drake—a lesser cousin. No wonder there was no exchange of thoughts. Despite the shape of its body, it's no smarter than an animal. It has none of the emotional depth that dragons, or even the distant two-legged folk hold. Swatting it is akin to crushing a rabbit.

If you had run afoul of it, it would have fought for its life like any other animal. There are species of drakes who are highly aggressive, and a hatchling like you would have little chance of overpowering those. Better to quash them before they come too close to the clearing.

Though you began to appreciate that creature's company, its life held no value in the end. Unlike your friend, who is merely a neighbour. Mother would not hesitate to strangle them if they approached the clearing, but out in the wilderness, they will be left alone.
The new understanding dawns on you, and you're glad that you took the time to learn more before making judgements. That analytical nature will be helpful in the future. You're rapidly maturing, and your mind must keep up with your body. This is a good start.

Mother is not ignorant to the sense of loss, however. She gives you a rare, tender moment of reassurance. Perhaps one day, when you're grown, you can find another drake to do as you wish to. When you create your den, it is yours, until you deem to share it.

The rest of the trip passes in silence.

~~

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>>5864068

Dinnertime comes. Father makes a rare trip to the cave, leaving mother to hunt instead. He drops a young deer into the nest, and then leaves to stand guard as night falls. The four of you squabble for food as usual. Today, the meat is split unevenly again. Your eldest sibling claims the largest individual share, but the three of you manage to take all the rest. Their total is less than yours, in an inversion of this morning. And they're furious as a result. Jaws snap down on your vines, and a few are even severed by the savage teeth of your sibling. The new youngest hatchling has a thin one ripped straight from their back, and they cry in alarm. Once all the food is swallowed, your sibling can do nothing but sulk. And that's the end of that, you think.

When it's fully dark, however, you hear a shuffle from ahead. You barely have time to react before your eldest sibling barrels for the three of you, colliding with the current smallest. You recognise that look in their eye again. Killing intent.

Their vines lash against your sibling's, keeping them still while a savage paw presses their neck into the ground. Just as they're about to bite, the other one tackles them away. You follow up by spinning around and whipping the side of the eldest's head with your tail, making it clear that it's three on one. You hope that they'll back down, but it's not enough. In fact, it only seems to infuriate them further. They want one of you dead, and seem set on enforcing it.

You're their next target. The second oldest, who was beaten into submission at the instant of your birth. They hold you in no regard, and quickly dash forward to attack.

Finally. The time has come to fight. You hope that together, you can overthrow this tyrant and beat them down by force. What's your strategy here?

>Lead the charge. You will be at the highest risk of injury, but it'll mean shielding your siblings from the worst of it. You're the largest among them, so you can put up the best fight face-to-face.
>Let your siblings go first. You'll pop in where opportune and deliver deliberate attacks. However, they'll likely receive more harm than otherwise. You must let it happen in order to secure victory.
>Have all three attack at once, unrelenting. All three will have an equal chance of being hurt badly, and the chaos will give the eldest little time to react. There is a chance that every last one of you receives severe wounds.

Your training:
>Play with siblings
>Learning to hunt
>History
>Spending time with siblings
>Hunting
>Training with siblings

Their training:
>Learning to burrow
>Learning to fight
>Hunting
>Learning to burrow
>Hunting
>Hunting

>>5864070
>Have all three attack at once, unrelenting. All three will have an equal chance of being hurt badly, and the chaos will give the eldest little time to react. There is a chance that every last one of you receives severe wounds.
of happening

>>5864070

>Have all three attack at once, unrelenting. All three will have an equal chance of being hurt badly, and the chaos will give the eldest little time to react. There is a chance that every last one of you receives severe wounds.

We specced into pack hunting, now is the time to use our numbers effectively

>>5864070
>>Have all three attack at once
Wolf pack! Wolf pack! Wolf Pack!

>>5864070
>Have all three attack at once, unrelenting. All three will have an equal chance of being hurt badly, and the chaos will give the eldest little time to react. There is a chance that every last one of you receives severe wounds.
Dragon pack! Dragon pack! Dragon pack!

>>5864070
>Have all three attack at once, unrelenting. All three will have an equal chance of being hurt badly, and the chaos will give the eldest little time to react. There is a chance that every last one of you receives severe wounds.

>>5864070
>Have all three attack at once, unrelenting. All three will have an equal chance of being hurt badly, and the chaos will give the eldest little time to react. There is a chance that every last one of you receives severe wounds.

what happened to the fifth sibling are they sleeping somewhere else

>>5864484
I hate breaking it up to you but...>>5851278

>>5864098
>>5864106
>>5864111
>>5864194
>>5864462
>>5864484

Locking in this option.

I will not be using dice very often. In this case, it's appropriate, to reflect the chaos of the struggle. Each anon who has left at least two prior votes may roll 3d10, with the first dice affecting the MC's level of injury, and the next two for the siblings. +2 from training.

You may then vote on one anon's result to use.

Rolled 2, 4, 5 + 2 = 13 (3d10 + 2)

>>5864596

Uh, like this QM? Are we trying to roll high or low here?

>>5864599
Crap, knew I was forgetting to mention something. Higher is better.

>>5864611
Forgot to mention another important part. The +2 only applies to the main character, meaning that the first dice is affected by it. Anon's roll would then be 4, 4, 5, which is quite low for all three dragon siblings.

Rolled 3, 4, 4 + 2 = 13 (3d10 + 2)

>>5864596
Rollan...

Rolled 6, 7, 10 + 2 = 25 (3d10 + 2)

>>5864596

>>5864722
Oof, Lady luck, what a beautiful smile you gave me there.

Rolled 10, 1, 5 = 16 (3d10)

>>5864596
I'll take a crack. I'm assuming higher is better since we're getting a plus 2.

>>5864745
Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

>>5864722

Well this is objectively the best roll of the 3, so I vote for this

>>5864494
damn guess I missed that post

Rolled 7, 9, 1 = 17 (3d10)

>>5864596

I am >>5859618, on a different IP as roaming for work; I totally get that you can reject this claim though.

Rolled 10, 5, 8 = 23 (3d10)

>>5864596

>>5864831
>This is a good one. I vote here.

Rolled 1, 4, 10 = 15 (3d10)

>>5864596

>>5864831
I'm voting for this

>>5864596
I kinda want to vote one where one of our other siblings dies too for storytelling purposes... yeah, why not
>>5864745
this one

>>5864722
I vote for this anon's roll.

>>5864722
Am>>5864830; voting for this set - assuming we can't get over 10 for MC

>>5864722
8, 7, 10. Good results across the board. Writing!

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>>5865540
>Have all three attack at once, unrelenting. All three will have an equal chance of being hurt badly, and the chaos will give the eldest little time to react. There is a chance that every last one of you receives severe wounds.
>8, 7, 10

You charge forward to meet them, lowering your head so that the top of your skull collides with their open jaw. It's not so easy to catch them by surprise, however. Their response is lightning-quick, and the two of you end up with your meagre horns clacking against each other. Despite your training, you're surprised by the amount of force they're mustering up. The size difference is no longer colossal, but you still feel overwhelmed.

Until your siblings come to help, that is.

The younger one takes advantage of their small size and leaps onto their back, beginning to yank and pull on vines. The eldest sibling pulls away from you and begins thrashing, just in time for the last one to charge them and knock them over. All three are back on their feet in an instant, and you feel the anger intensify. Waves of red-hot killing intent wash over you, and you do your best to harden your resolve. It's a fight for your life now.

A vine speeds towards your head, and you fail to knock it away in time. It whips you hard, and you feel it cutting across your closed eyelid. Blood trickles from the wound, and your own whips sail forward to strike. Your youngest sibling tries for the back again, but misses their pounce and lands on the edge of the nest.
Rather than try to pin you, your beloathed sibling goes for the next largest target. They strike your sibling hard, bowling them over, where they sit with their legs flailing in the air. You recognise it as one of Father's moves, allowing him to tear a deer's belly right open and spill its guts. You cry out in alarm as nasty jaws descend on the yellow scales.

Fortunately for the three of you, your eldest hasn't spent enough time sparring. Their experience has revolved around killing prey, and that makes them deadly in their own right. But they've forgotten all about the armored scutes that line the underbelly of Vine Dragons. Their jaws fail to find purchase, and after several unsuccessful bites, they resort to mauling a limb instead. The struggle gives the other two of you time to run forward and pin them down until your sibling can slide free of the assault.

Roaring victoriously, they go for the vines the moment they're released. They successfully draw first blood on the eldest, by tearing vines apart and pulling them straight from their back, in a shower of crimson that appears pitch-black in the darkness of the cave.

~~

>>5865978

The battle is arduous, but all three of you manage to avoid major wounds. Bites and scrapes are common, but there's nary a scar on your youngest, who swiftly dodges claws and jaws. You receive a few more welts, but it's nothing compared to the beatdown that they're getting. Ancestral instinct takes over your mind, and the fight slowly drifts towards the entrance of the cave.

Bloodied and beaten, the eldest rears up and goes for one more swing against the side of your face, aiming to rip into your eyes with their stained claws. You swing your forelimbs right back, knocking them off balance. Before they hit the ground, you're darting forward to bite. Your jaws close around their snout, and you feel your teeth sinking through the scales. With a toss of your head, you send them tumbling out of the cave. They scream and roar, at a volume that must surely be waking every creature in the swamp. But Mother and Father leave you be. Just like they

You and your siblings stand side by side, blocking off the entrance to the cave. You could chase them further, and keep pursuing them until you've ripped their body apart, but they're already beaten, with their head hanging low. In an age-old show of dominance, you've forced them from the cave, and they're not to return. Casting them out in this manner is final, and even if they were to crawl back in the morning, they'd no longer be acknowledged.

They take a moment to stare at the cave that they've spent all their life in. A moment too long for your liking, so you dart forward with your vines swinging towards its face.

They flinch.

And that's enough for you. You smugly watch as they quiver in rage over their own involuntary show of submission. Then they turn tail to flee into the undergrowth. You hope that the dangers of the swamp consume them whole, and turn back to celebrate with your siblings.

~~

In the morning, Mother arrives to deliver food to your tired bodies. She says nothing of last night's battle, and as usual, she's inscrutable. You don't understand her well enough to gauge her reaction towards the disappearance of your sibling. They were the oldest and strongest, and ought to have been the one she's proudest of. Yet they were the first to kill one of her brood. You're left wondering what she must be feeling, for it's too late to start connecting with her.

Whatever it is, though, your life will hopefully be smoother-sailing as you head into maturity. The largest threat is gone, and your bond with your two surviving siblings is secure.

~~

Gonna take a little bit to write a timeskip, leaving this half-update here first.

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>>5865979

Several moons pass by. In that time, you have many new experiences, and with your eldest sibling removed from the equation, you're the new golden child. Father redoubles his efforts to teach you hunting, and Mother shows you more about living in the wilderness. Your interest in other Dragons remains, but you know better than to press them to teach you. They're preparing to send you out into the world soon, so you need to treasure every lesson.

Most of the food is claimed by you, but you ensure that you're not a tyrant in daily life. Your relationship with your siblings is strong, and your blood bond has been strengthened by your victory. On one rainy day, the three of you sit at the now too-small entrance to the cave, watching as water pools in the various pits that speckle the ground. Mother has dug a system of channels to funnel the flood away from the hole that she rests in, and one of your siblings is staring at it closely. The other turns to you wistfully.

"Sister."

"Hm?"

"It is nearly time, isn't it?"

"Yes. Till Mother drives me from the cave."

"Where will you go?"

You pause, thinking hard on his question.

>South. Down towards the jungles. Time for a change of scenery. Trees will be denser, and you may end up finding stranger beasts, but it's sure to be filled with food.
>North. Your snout seems to shift to this direction naturally. Up North, you'll find wetter terrain. Plenty of mangroves and estuaries that the swamp feeds into. You can't go too far, or the ground becomes unsuitable to dig, but it's still swampy enough.
>Either East or West will do. Stay in this same relative region, where you will have to adapt less. You can make the best use of your survival knowledge, but you'll end up competing for territory with your family.

>>5866054

>South. Down towards the jungles. Time for a change of scenery. Trees will be denser, and you may end up finding stranger beasts, but it's sure to be filled with food.

Are we a girl dragon? Has never been referenced previously

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>>5866055
Yup, first mention thus far. That's what this roll was. >>5840617

>>5866054
>North. Your snout seems to shift to this direction naturally. Up North, you'll find wetter terrain. Plenty of mangroves and estuaries that the swamp feeds into. You can't go too far, or the ground becomes unsuitable to dig, but it's still swampy enough.
Follow the snout

>>5866056
FeMC? This had better not descend into yurishit :P

>>5866054
>>North. Your snout seems to shift to this direction naturally. Up North, you'll find wetter terrain. Plenty of mangroves and estuaries that the swamp feeds into. You can't go too far, or the ground becomes unsuitable to dig, but it's still swampy enough.

>>5866054
>>North. Your snout seems to shift to this direction naturally. Up North, you'll find wetter terrain. Plenty of mangroves and estuaries that the swamp feeds into. You can't go too far, or the ground becomes unsuitable to dig, but it's still swampy enough.
follow snout + hope for dragonfrens

>>5866054
>>Either East or West will do.
Gotta stick around at least to make sure our siblings don't get picked off by the eldest. We can always move on later right?

>>5866054
>>North. Your snout seems to shift to this direction naturally. Up North, you'll find wetter terrain. Plenty of mangroves and estuaries that the swamp feeds into. You can't go too far, or the ground becomes unsuitable to dig, but it's still swampy enough.

>>5866054
>South. Down towards the jungles. Time for a change of scenery. Trees will be denser, and you may end up finding stranger beasts, but it's sure to be filled with food.

>>5866062
>>5866068
>>5866258
>>5866350
>North
Moving North. Writing.

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>>5866833
>North.

You desire wide-open areas, where you can bury yourself and hunt. Though your expertise in ambushing doesn't extend to the creatures that swim in the waterway, they'll be an enjoyable treat. You don't want to sit in one place all your life too, and going Northwards into the wetter portions of the swamp seems like a good way to avoid competition from your acquaintances.

You trust your brother enough to respond.

"I'll head upwards, where the rivers run swift."

"I see. Then I will know where to go, to see you again."

"But not to live alongside me, I hope."

He blinks slowly, and you sense assent. The three of you watch the rain cascade down, and you imagine your future up in the estuaries.

~~

A few more nights pass. Crimson flowers have grown on your body, and they're a sign of maturity. Once Mother feels the whim, she will kick you from your home, like you did to your older brother. From there, you'll have to make it out into the world.

You sit within a pit after one of your final lessons, where she's taught you how to direct water away from your tunnel network. A curious thought re-enters your mind, and you finally indulge in it today.

"Mother?"

Yes, daughter?

"What did our ancestors call themselves?"

You receive flashes. Sounds, smells, impressions, bits of personality that they defined themselves by. Sometimes, they took names in the tongues of the two-legs. Other times, their names were lengthy poems, crafted from deeds that they've accomplished. Others were features that they took pride in: Bright-scales, Burning-eyes, Bloody-Thorns. You sense approval from her, that you're thinking of such a thing for yourself. Your identiy as a dragon has always been fairly strong, and now, you want a name to solidify who you are.

"Then... What are you and Father named?"

She tells you. It's a name that tells a story, of battles she fought in youth, and of prey that she's claimed. It's almost a saga of its own, and you understand your mother just a bit more from merely hearing it. Then she speaks Father's. It's much shorter, comprising words and deeds granted to him by allies.

You want a name as well. Something that reflects your own personality, to mark you as a Dragon worthy of carving out a place of her own in the world.

>Come up with a name. You have to decide what to define yourself as. Some feature of yours, that you'd like to draw attention to? Your deeds in protecting your siblings from your brother? Something reflective of your own personality, even if it's a word or phrase or sound that strikes you out of nowhere. (Write-In)
>Ask Mother to name you.
>Ask Father to name you.

>>5866850
>Dvinoontanx
Meaning "the clan's growth" in draconic, based on our nurturing and fren side

>>5866850
>postpone the decision, you want to accomplish deeds first
>ask mother playfully if choosing a name for ourselves is enough of a sign of maturity and if she'd kick you out immediately if you'd say one now.
>But reassure her that we'll maybe take a few more days, pay our respects and leave peacefully on our own.

>>5866962
+1 I like this one.

>>5866962
>>5867815
Going with this

>>5868329
QM?

Having some pretty bad block while trying to write the next post. Still working on it, will be a bit longer. Sorry for the wait.

>>5871171
thanks for dispelling my worry
glad you're alive

Been stuck for a couple days and I still can't get back into the groove of writing much. I think I've ran out of inspiration, sorry fellas.

Hopefully sometime in the future I can hop back into it, because we're at a good milestone point at the end of the life stage. I'll finish up the post and end off the thread, thank you for playing so far.

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>>5872757
>Postpone the decision

You want a name. But not now. You wish for something that will stick with you for life, so the time will come to make the decision when you accomplish something of note.

"If I choose one now, will you decide that it's time for me to leave?"

Yes.

You meant it as a joke, but her response is wholly serious. It's almost time now, whether she throws you out or not is arbitrary. Anything you do from now on could be seen as a sign that you're ready to leave the nest.

"I see... It is almost time. Soon I will go. I would like a few more days with Brother and Sister. And with you and Father as well."

Her gigantic head stays still, and she coldly watches you with a large eye. She blinks at a glacially slow pace, then gives you a mental prod of assent.

You stay in the pit for a little while longer, enjoying one of your last few days here.

~~

Finally, as the moon hangs high above, you stand at the cave and look back. Your siblings are fast asleep, and your parents are surely standing guard outside. Several days have passed, and you've said your farewells. The two of them will do well out there, you expect. All three of you have grown strong, and while you might have gotten stronger by taking more for yourself, you've chosen to form connections instead. It'll serve you well in interacting with others of your kind.

Your red blossoms twitch errantly, and you wrap the vines tightly around your body. They do little to shield you from the cool air. With soft steps, you exit the rocky nest and wander past where Mother stands guard. She says nothing, and does nothing, but you feel a flicker of her awareness peek out from the hole in the ground. Father is next, sending a silent farewell from the clearing up ahead. You turn back many times as you depart, but eventually, you're deep enough in the treeline that you can't sense their minds anymore.

You're all alone now. It's time to go make your mark on the world.

~Hatchling stage: Fin~

>>5872758
thanks, good quest

>>5872758

Nice work OP, I’ll be waiting for the next part

>>5872758
I enjoyed it. I hope you come back op