#aethergarde academy

[lalalian]

aethergarde's plot--

(my fantasy dragon rider academy dr)

this is how physically mapping out plot is going so far...

im not even 1/4 done yet

i haven't even hit 1st yr yet T-TTTTT

yk this dr would actually make a fire novel

[smallestinfinity]

𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞

trend with my dr's! very much so inspired by @fragments-ofkimdokja and @saintnyneve <3

𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐫 : on a cold february weekend when you're 15, you'll be bored and see a reddit post about a casting call in NYC. it's very important that you go to that audition.

(you'll get the part, body the role despite having no acting experience, meet one of your longest-term friends, become one of the defining actors of your era, get filthy rich, pay for your friends to follow their dreams, and change the course of your life forever.)

𝐦𝐡𝐚 𝐝𝐫 : in sophomore year of high school, you'll be waiting for the school bus when you see a twitter post discussing UA high's new application season. it's very important that you apply.

(your acceptance is the beginning of a very long battle against the hero system, but it's one you'll win by leveraging your influence and power after helping Izuku Midoriya and the rest of your class take down All For One. with him gone, and one of your closest allies (and lets be honest, friend) as the acting President of the Hero Commission, it's only a matter of time before your name is carved into the world you shape.)

𝐣𝐣𝐤 𝐝𝐫 : when you're 14, you'll storm out of a meeting with the American Neo-Exorcist Society and stumble upon a fight between one man against 3 level-three entities. it's very important that you intercept and exorcise them yourself.

(the man's name is Satoru Gojo, and he'll be your mentor, teacher, and surrogate brother for the next few years. ultimately you'll save his life and countless others—defying fate itself and subduing Ryomen Sukuna—and you'll be the best man at his wedding to Suguru Geto, while he'll be the best man at yours to Yuuji Itadori.)

𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐝𝐫 : when you're 16, your aunt's friend will cash in a favor she's owed and you'll be volun-told to participate in a cutthroat soccer competition across the globe. it's very important that you go.

(you'll make an international name for yourself in a sport you don't even care about, have crazy relationship drama, and forcibly fix the relationship between your childhood best friend's rival and his little brother. and then you'll graduate college.)

𝐚𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐫 (shoutout to @lalalian!!!) : in the middle of your sophomore year of high school, you'll wake up in a completely different world with only your parents and the sudden title of 'chosen one'—forced to cope with school, social life, mental health, and the politics of a magical monarchy facing impending war. you'll be told that you must become a living weapon, but it's very important that you keep choosing kindness.

(you'll bond to a dragon, establish the most motley-crew of heroes known to man, drug your best friend with laxatives, hate-love-hate-love a blue-eyed, white-haired BITCH named callisto, 'seduce' no less than 3 villains by showing human decency, outshine the legend everyone compares you to, go to and win a war, and save the world by the time you're 23.)

(you'll overthrow the government before 40 and establish the longest-lived democracy aena will ever know.)

[reverieshifts]

𝑺𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒏 𝑭𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒚𝒗𝒂𝒓𝒂

𝒂𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆 𝒅𝒓

𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔

𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔: Ren, Sori, Twig (Teagan), Trouble (I just call him this in like all my drs ok), Renny (his mom is the only one who calls him this and he HATES it)

𝒂𝒈𝒆: 15

𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒔: he/him

𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒔: dragon rider

𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕: 5'11 (he's eventually gonna hit like 6'2 tho)

𝒔𝒆𝒙𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚: bisexual

𝒎𝒃𝒕𝒊: ISTP

𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚: Nov 23

𝒛𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒄: sagittarius

𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕: south Eudoren (slight irish accent)

𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔: English

𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆: Delmyre (a small town in south Eudora)

𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆

he looks like something like a combination of the two outside images, but younger because we're like 15, and just like... better looking I guess??? idk, I can never find a good faceclaim for him. also the pic in the middle is what his eyes look like because I need visuals for literally everything.

Soren has a lean, athletic build shaped more by years of hands-on work than by formal training, with the wiry muscle and quick movements of someone used to climbing, lifting, and constantly being on his feet. His skin carries a warm, sun-bronzed tone from hours spent outdoors, with faint, pale scars across his hands and forearms — the inevitable marks of a carpenter's son who grew up around tools, wood, and the occasional sharp edge.

His hair is a deep earthy brown, thick, and just long enough to brush his shoulders, with a tendency to fall untamed into his eyes when he’s focused on something. He rarely bothers to keep it perfectly neat, letting it settle into its usual wind-ruffled state, as though the breeze has claimed permanent rights to it.

Soren’s eyes are his most vivid feature—amber, with a faint gold undertone that catches the light, giving them a restless, watchful quality. They hold the warmth of a hearthfire but burn with the quick, discerning sharpness of someone who rarely misses the details others overlook. There’s often a flicker of dry amusement in them, as if he’s perpetually on the verge of a clever remark. His smile tends to be a little lopsided, carrying a warmth that softens the keen edge of his gaze.

There’s an undeniable vitality to him, a mix of sharp-eyed awareness and easy charm. Even at rest, there’s a coiled energy in the way he stands, as if he’s always ready to move—or vanish—at a moment’s notice.

𝒔𝒕𝒚𝒍𝒆

Soren dresses for movement and durability rather than fashion, favoring well-worn shirts in earthy or muted tones, often with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His trousers are sturdy and comfortably broken-in, paired with scuffed boots that have clearly seen their share of long days and rough terrain. He keeps accessories to a minimum—usually just a leather belt with a pouch or two for random odds and ends.

𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚

Soren is quick-witted, sharp-eyed, and unapologetically himself. He has a knack for reading people, often picking up on undercurrents others miss, and his dry humor tends to surface at the most unexpected moments. While he’s not openly combative, he’s not afraid to challenge authority or call out nonsense, though he usually does so with a remark that toes the line between playful and provoking.

He’s steady under pressure, more inclined to think three steps ahead than to charge in without a plan, though he’s adaptable enough to improvise when things inevitably go sideways. While he doesn’t seek the spotlight, he’s confident in his own abilities and has a quiet presence that draws attention when he chooses to speak or act.

Though he sometimes tends to keep his guard up, he’s not unfriendly—just selective with where he spends his energy. Around those he trusts, he’s far more open, showing an easygoing charm and a streak of playfulness that borders on mischievous. He’s fiercely loyal once someone has earned his trust, and though he might not say it outright, he’s protective to the core (he will take a knife for you if he actually likes you).

And though he'll deny it, there's an underlying warmth to him. He looks out for those he cares for, often without making a show of it. He prefers to let his actions speak for him, whether that’s stepping in at the right moment during a fight or quietly ensuring a friend eats after a long day.

𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒔

𝒇𝒍𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒔: Once his dragon is old enough to carry him, it'll be hard to get him off of her. The faster she pushes herself, the more alive he feels. He will 100% be involved in dragon racing (and he'll probably be damned good at it too).

𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓: Few things please him more than trading clever remarks, especially if he gets the last word.

𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎, 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒅: Fresh bread, roasted meat, and anything cooked over an open flame.

𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Sparring matches, aerial races, or even card games—as long as he can win (or cheat).

𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔: Whether it’s repairing gear, carving wood, or fiddling with tools, he finds focus in practical, tactile tasks.

𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒑: Not because he cares about the drama, but because he often finds the absurdity of it entertaining.

𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔: He gets a quiet thrill from subtly ignoring social protocols around people who expect them. He gets in trouble for this more often than not, but does he stop?... no

𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒔: He’ll deny it, but a kitten or puppy can completely derail his focus.

𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒔

𝒏𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏: He has little patience for people who act superior based on birth or title.

𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉: He finds it irritating when resources are wasted for the sake of showing off.

𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈: If it’s uncomfortable or restrictive, he’s not wearing it.

𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍𝒕𝒚: Whether it’s toward people, dragons, or animals, it’s something that instantly sets him off.

𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒐 “𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒑𝒖𝒕”: It's the one order he'll break the fastest, even if only to be defiant (he does eventually grow out of this though. sort of.)

𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒔: He’ll follow the ones that make sense, but the others... not so much.

𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅, 𝒘𝒆𝒕 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓: Rain he’s fine with, but a damp chill that seeps into his bones? Absolutely not.

𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒔: He finds them distracting, especially in close quarters (sorry Straus).

𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅

Soren was born in the town of Delmyre, a small, tight-knit place where everyone knew everyone—and where gossip traveled faster than the river. His mother, Maya Fennor, worked as a carpenter, known locally for her precise craftsmanship and no-nonsense attitude. She raised Soren on her own, teaching him the value of hard work, self-reliance, and speaking his mind. And while their home was modest, it was always filled with warmth, laughter, and the comforting scent of fresh-cut wood.

Growing up in Delmyre gave Soren a grounded, practical view of the world. He learned to fix things before replacing them, to value skill over title, and to see through pretension a mile away. His distaste for nobility came naturally—too many stories of lords who took more than they gave, too many encounters with officials who looked down on working folk.

He wasn’t a troublemaker by nature (yet), but he wasn’t one to sit quietly when something felt wrong. Whether it was defending a friend in the town square or calling out a merchant for trying to swindle someone, Soren’s sharp tongue and steady gaze often landed him in the middle of things. Still, he had a knack for talking his way out of trouble—or at least making the other person too exasperated to bother.

While Delmyre wasn’t a place for grand ambitions, it was a place that fostered resilience, wit, and quiet confidence. By the time he was grown, Soren had inherited his mother’s steady hands, her stubborn streak, and her belief that a person’s worth is measured by what they do—not the crest on their ring.

𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒂 𝑭𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒓

Maya is equal parts gentle and iron-willed. She’s the type who will slip an extra warm roll into her son’s hand on a cold morning but also expect him to work for what he wants. There are no empty compliments in her household—praise is earned, and advice is given straight. She taught Soren how to sand a board before he could properly lift a hammer, and more importantly, she taught him to stand his ground without losing his humanity. Fiercely protective of him, Maya’s love is quiet but unshakable, and a constant anchor in his life.

𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒃𝒂𝒕, 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒔, 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔, 𝒆𝒕𝒄.

𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒚𝒍𝒆

Soren’s approach to combat is all speed, precision, and adaptability. He wields a pair of finely crafted twin blades—balanced for swift strikes—that can interlock at the hilts to form a deadly double-bladed weapon. This versatility allows him to fluidly shift from close-quarters slashing to wide, sweeping arcs that can keep multiple opponents at bay. His movements are quick and unpredictable, favoring sudden bursts of speed, feints, and deceptive footwork over sheer force.

He thrives on momentum, darting in and out of reach before an opponent can properly adjust, and he’s not above using the environment—or his opponent’s assumptions—against them. A handful of sand in the eyes, a well-placed trip, or a fake stumble that sets up a lethal strike… to Soren, a win is a win, and a “fair fight” is one you walk away from alive.

While his duel blades are his preferred weapons, Soren is never without alternatives. He always keeps a set of throwing knives strapped within easy reach, using them for quick, opportunistic strikes or to break an opponent’s focus mid-fight. For longer engagements, he’s deadly accurate with a compact crossbow, able to pick off enemies from a distance before closing in to finish the job. The combination of speed in close quarters and precision at range makes him unpredictable—foes never quite know whether the next attack will come in the form of a blade at their throat or a bolt from the shadows.

his blades would kinda be like this, but a lot less pretty and elegant I guess??? Like they wouldn't have jewels or that fancy little hook at the end. He wields his blades like the tools they are, not as accessories.

𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒔

𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒕: Soren has a sharp eye for detail, able to pick up on small things others miss—be it a subtle shift in someone’s tone or a glint of movement in the corner of his eye.

𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅: His relaxed manner, common upbringing, and bond with a less “impressive” dragon often make others dismiss him before a fight even starts. He’s learned to let that assumption work in his favor, striking hardest when opponents least expect it.

𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒓-𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒅: Soren has an easy way with words, able to weave a convincing lie or charm his way into or out of trouble without missing a beat.

𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘: He moves so quietly that people often don’t notice him until he speaks, which he finds endlessly entertaining.

𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏-𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒓: Soren has a knack for cutting through heavy or awkward moments with a well-timed quip or offhand remark, often earning a laugh when it’s needed most.

𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕-𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚: Soren is uncannily good at picking locks, palming small objects, and lifting coin purses without notice. If asked how he learned, he’ll just smirk and say, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓: His interlocking twin blades give him a fluid fighting style, allowing him to change tactics mid-battle without losing momentum.

𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔: Whether it’s repairing a mechanism, adjusting his blades, or improvising tools, Soren is remarkably capable when working with physical tasks. (I don't wanna constantly pay for weapon and gear repairs, so I'm just gonna have Soren take care of all that.)

𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒓: Soren thinks on his feet, and is able to adapt and improvise even when a situation turns sideways.

𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔

𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚: His habit of questioning orders and calling out hypocrisy can land him in hot water with commanders, nobles, or anyone who expects blind obedience.

𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒑 𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒆: Soren’s wit is quick, but not always well-timed. A sarcastic remark at the wrong moment can make tense situations worse.

𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆: Dares, wagers, and impossible odds are almost guaranteed to get him involved—even when he knows it’s a bad idea.

𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆: His speed and agility are his strengths. If he’s forced into a pure power contest, he’s at a disadvantage.

𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓: His willingness to use underhanded tactics can give him a bad reputation among those who value “honorable” combat.

𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆: His loyalty can push him into dangerous situations without thinking them through.

𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒔𝒆-𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔: While he’s capable of careful planning, if something strikes a personal nerve he can act on instinct rather than logic.

𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚: He doesn’t easily forget a slight or betrayal, and while he’s not one for dramatic grudges, he has a talent for subtle payback.

𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚: His deep-seated distrust of the upper class can cloud his judgment, making him slower to trust allies of higher status—even when they’ve done nothing to earn his suspicion.

𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒔

𝒓𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒚: Has a tendency to hold full-fledged conversations with his opponents in the middle of a fight, even if they don’t answer. Sometimes it’s taunting, sometimes it’s casual small talk, and sometimes it’s so mundane it completely throws them off.

𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: Can seem like he’s not paying attention, only to repeat back every word later, along with things you didn’t say out loud.

𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔: Constantly fiddles with something—flipping a dagger, drumming fingers, rolling a coin over his knuckles—when he’s thinking.

𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏: Carves small, useless figurines out of wood scraps during downtime—half for practice, half because he can’t keep still.

“𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒚” 𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔: Gives people nicknames whether they like it or not, ranging from flattering to mildly irritating. And if someone complains about the nickname he gave them, it only evolves into something worse.

𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓: Prefers leaning against walls, sitting on counters, or perching on the backs of chairs rather than sitting properly.

𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒄𝒕: Has an infuriating habit of slipping away without people noticing, only to reappear at your shoulder like he’s been there the whole time.

𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒆: Often flashes a quick, disarming grin right before doing something risky—or dangerous—making it hard to tell if he’s joking or dead serious.

𝒑𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒑𝒊𝒆: Has a habit of absentmindedly collecting small, interesting objects—shiny rocks, trinkets, unusual buttons—and forgetting they’re in his pockets until days later.

𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒇: Thinks nothing of stealing a bite (or more) off someone else’s plate, especially if you look distracted.

𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒓: Sleeps lightly and irregularly, often found awake at odd hours wandering the halls, sharpening his blades, or staring out at the sky.

𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓: His voice is low, and rough-edged, but surprisingly warm and steady. He only ever sings under his breath while working with his hands or when he thinks no one’s listening. Nyvara has absolutely ratted him out more than once.

𝒏𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆: If he’s comfortable around you, expect him to casually invade your personal space—leaning over your shoulder, standing too close, or draping an arm around you without thinking.

𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒄𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕: Always tries to find unconventional paths—climbing over walls, slipping through half-open windows, squeezing through spaces no one else would consider.

𝒎𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚: When confronted by authority, sometimes bows or salutes with exaggerated politeness, just to be cheeky.

𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒂

𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: duel-toned metallic vivid sun, inside is solid black, fading out into a deep blood red.

𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔

𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒏: magic is brighter, stronger, and hotter, and helps with fire resistance and long range attacks, but using it can damage vision or cause burns if not using protective magic or gear.

𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 + 𝒓𝒆𝒅: fire resistance (red), poison resistance (black), sigil magic affinity + extra evoker ability, fear manipulation (combo effect)

𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓: harder to control magic.

𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒄: heightened precision.

𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏

idk if this is accurate to what wyverns look like, but it was what I pictured when I thought of her

𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆: Nyvara

𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅: wyvern (fairly common, 2 legs instead of 4, one of the fastest breeds, tend to be energetic, friendly, and vain)

𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓: black (fire, ash, and shadow affinity, considered rare)

𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

Nyvara may be small for a wyvern, but every inch of her was built for speed. Her lean, narrow body and long, falcon-like wings—slightly longer than average but noticeably slimmer—give her an edge in acceleration and razor-sharp turns that few can match. This unique build is the result of Yelkard’s Syndrome, a rare condition that usually affects low-tier dragons. While it drastically reduces size, muscle mass, and endurance, in wyverns it’s considered a prized gift—turning an already fast breed into a living projectile.

Her scales are a deep, unbroken black, so glossy they almost gleam like polished obsidian in the light. In shadow or night flights, she all but disappears, melting into the darkness with only the faint glint of her sharp, crimson eyes to give her away. Her wing membranes are similarly dark, with a faint iridescent sheen visible only at certain angles, like oil on water.

While other dragons rely on size or intimidation, Nyvara thrives on precision and unpredictability. She’s infamous for her ability to dart through the narrowest gaps, skim along cliff faces, and change direction in a blink—a living embodiment of “good luck catching us.” In races, she’s a blur; in combat, a phantom that’s already gone before her opponent even realizes where she was.

so basically if a normal dragon's wings look like that on the left, Nyvara's resemble those on the right.

𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚

Nyvara is a whirlwind of charm, sass, and sky-high confidence—and she knows it. Endlessly social, she seems to know every dragon in the rookeries and has a running commentary on their latest escapades. If there’s gossip to be had, she’s already heard it (twice) and is ready to share—often mid-flight, when her rider is far too busy hanging on for dear life to interrupt.

Her vanity is legendary. She’ll spend extra minutes preening her scales to a mirror-like sheen and, much to Soren’s dismay, extends this care to him as well. Wrinkled shirt? She’ll nip it smooth. Messy hair? Expect an undignified lick or nudge until it’s fixed. She takes her role as both partner and presentation manager very seriously, no matter how much he squirms.

Beneath the chatter and polish, Nyvara is an adrenaline junkie. She lives for tight turns, daring dives, and breakneck races—the kind that make onlookers gasp and other riders pale. While her smaller size means she lacks the brute strength of larger dragons, she more than compensates with precision flying, razor-fast reactions, and a willingness to take risks that others wouldn’t dare. In her mind, there’s no point in winning if you don’t make it look spectacular.

𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑺𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒏

Nyvara and Soren’s bond is less “rider and dragon” and more “bickering siblings who happen to share a soul link.” From the moment she hatched, she took it upon herself to keep him presentable, polished, and (in her opinion) halfway respectable—a nearly impossible task considering his constantly disheveled hair, wrinkled shirts, and refusal to take her fussing seriously. Her commentary ranges from affectionate nagging to open exasperation, and she doesn’t hesitate to scold him in front of others. If he tries to ignore her, she’ll double down, making a show of “fixing” him in public until he caves.

Yet beneath the teasing lies an ironclad loyalty. Nyvara may gripe about his habits, but she has an unshakable faith in Soren’s instincts. She trusts him to guide her into the riskiest dives and hairpin turns, never once doubting he’ll find the path through. In return, he trusts her speed, reflexes, and razor precision to pull them out of situations that would kill anyone else. Their style is a perfect mirror of their personalities: chaotic, unconventional, and held together by an unspoken understanding that neither would let the other fall.

To outsiders, their dynamic often looks ridiculous—a dragon fussing over her rider like an overbearing mother while he groans and protests. But those who’ve seen them in the sky know better: the banter is just the surface of a bond forged in absolute trust. Nyvara is his anchor and his wings both, and though Soren would never admit it out loud, he wouldn’t trade her for all the rare, prestigious dragons in the world.

𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒔

𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕: Nyvara is obsessed with reflections. Any time she sees herself in water, polished armor, or even a window, she pauses to preen and admire how “flawless” her scales look. Soren swears she flies slower past lakes just so she can sneak a glance.

𝒕𝒉𝒆 “𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄”: She’s constantly stealing flowers, ribbons, or shiny trinkets to “decorate” Soren, insisting it makes him look more presentable. He’s been caught walking to lessons with leaves tucked in his hair more than once.

𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒂 𝒄𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒓: Despite her sass and showmanship, Nyvara is surprisingly affectionate in private. She’ll curl protectively around Soren when he naps near her, tucking him under a wing like he’s her hoard.

𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔: Nyvara holds grudges against dragons who insult her size. She makes a sport out of humiliating them in races, and her favorite form of revenge is flying circles around slower, bulkier rivals until they’re too exhausted to continue.

𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒏: She’s addicted to racing. If another dragon takes off at a sprint, Nyvara will drop everything to chase them down, no matter where they’re headed. Soren has nearly lost his seat more than once because of her impulsive “oh, we’re doing this now” takeoffs.

𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘-𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒐𝒇𝒇: She never leaves the ground without flair. Even if they’re just heading out for a routine flight, she’ll snap her wings wide, execute a dramatic leap, or do a little roll just to draw eyes.

𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒆𝒓: During races, Nyvara actively heckles the other dragons mid-flight, tossing in insults or sarcastic commentary, “Lovely turn, sweetheart, maybe next time try not to almost crash!”. Soren just clings tighter and prays she doesn’t start a fight in midair.

𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓: She commentates Soren does, sometimes loudly enough for others to hear: “And here we see my rider, disheveled as always, pretending he knows how to hold a saddle strap…” Soren groans, but everyone else finds it hilarious.

𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓-𝒕𝒉𝒆-𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒑𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: If Soren refuses one of her decorating attempts or ignores her “advice,” she’ll turn her head away with a loud, offended huff—then start muttering under her breath like he’s ruined her entire reputation.

“𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅” 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒅: She loves roasted meat—so much that she’ll “innocently” nudge or snap up anything left unattended, even if it’s not hers (especially if it's not hers). She pretends it’s because she’s saving Soren from eating “low-quality scraps.”

𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒄𝒉: She lets out a piercing, triumphant cry every time she wins a race or pulls off a risky stunt. It’s half war-cry, half smug trumpet blast.

𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒆: 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒍 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆

Soren can ignite flames that burn far hotter than a typical blaze, glowing in the same deep, blood-red as his aura. These flames don’t just consume—they choke. Every fire he creates produces thick, dark clouds of ash and smoke that linger unnaturally long, clinging to the air and smothering the battlefield.

his fire and smoke kinda look like this

𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔

𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒉: The smoke cloud acts like a curtain, giving Nyvara perfect cover to vanish into. Her black scales and crimson eyes all but disappear inside it, allowing her to dart in and out with pinpoint strikes. To enemies, it’s like fighting ghosts in a burning fog.

𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒂𝒍: The blood-red fire and thick black smoke is visible for miles, a natural flare. Soren can use it to mark locations, call for aid, or mislead opponents with false beacons.

𝒑𝒔𝒚𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒆: The combination of suffocating ash, disorienting smoke, and the unnatural crimson blaze plays directly into his aura’s fear manipulation. Many opponents panic before the fight even begins.

𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒍 𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Unlike most riders—who must activate sigils with blood or spit—Soren can burn them alive with his fire. His aura lets him channel magic directly into the mark, igniting and empowering it instantly.

𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒔

𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒔𝒚𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑵𝒚𝒗𝒂𝒓𝒂: Her speed, maneuverability, and black scales make her practically designed for this kind of niche.

𝒑𝒔𝒚𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆: The unnatural red glow in the smoke and the suffocating haze play right into his aura’s fear-manipulation trait.

𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚: Can be used offensively (burning an an opponent to a crisp) or defensively (covering retreat, hiding from pursuit).

𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔

𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒕: The hotter the flames and denser the smoke, the faster Soren burns through his reserves. Prolonged use risks burns, coughing, or disorientation (he's gonna find a way around this eventually though, but at first, he's quite literally burning through his mana).

𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚: While perfect for disorienting enemies, allies can’t see through it either, making coordination difficult.

𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒗𝒖𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚: Strong gusts or air manipulation can scatter the smoke, leaving them suddenly exposed.

𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆

𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏

𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅

Soren’s role in ARETE is not to rush headlong into the fray, but to linger in the shadows, waiting for the precise moment when his strike matters most. As the guild’s assassin, he conserves his mana, strength, and focus until the tide of battle truly demands his hand. He is both observer and executioner—watching with an unblinking eye until he becomes the guild’s last resort, our hidden blade. Unlike warriors who earn glory in open combat, his victories are measured in silence: a battle ended before it begins, a commander felled before their order is given, a threat erased before anyone else even notices.

𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏’𝒔 𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆

𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒍: A hidden tattooed sigil behind his ear grants him two powerful techniques. Silencing erases all sound of his presence, but at the cost of his vision, which blurs dangerously the longer it’s held. Telepathy allows direct communication with allies, but only so long as he holds his breath. Each use demands discipline, and each choice is a gamble.

𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒄 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉: His aura’s raw force amplifies the sigil, letting his mental voice cut through battle’s noise with clarity. He becomes both an unseen watcher and commander, able to call for shifts in formation or warn of ambushes without ever breaking cover.

𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏: His control over his aura is unnervingly precise. He can reduce his magical presence to nearly nothing, masking even the faint “pressure” most riders project on the battlefield. Many enemies never realize he’s near until it’s too late.

𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒔𝒚𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑵𝒚𝒗𝒂𝒓𝒂: Their pairing is almost unfair. Her speed and ability to vanish into his smoke make them a ghostly presence—appearing, striking, and fading before the enemy can grasp what hit them.

𝒑𝒔𝒚𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆: Enemies rarely see him directly. They see shadows moving, feel their lungs burning with ash, and glimpse a red glow in the haze. Fear does half the work before his blades ever draw blood. 

𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚: Though blades are his preferred tools, he’s never without alternatives. Throwing knives and a compact crossbow ensure that he can eliminate threats at range without giving up his position. A well-placed bolt or blade can scatter enemy focus long enough for his allies to seize control.

𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔

𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒈: His crimson fire and suffocating ash create an environment that disorients enemies and empowers Nyvara’s stealth. To foes, it feels less like facing a man and dragon, and more like being hunted in a nightmare.

𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒂𝒍: He can signal the guild with smoke flares visible for miles—or deceive enemies with false beacons, luring them into traps.

𝒂𝒔𝒉 𝒗𝒆𝒊𝒍: In close combat, he can ignite bursts of fine ash that sting the eyes and lungs, leaving foes vulnerable for a killing strike. 

𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒆: By combining his misting sigil with a blade throw, he can kill without sound—no clatter, no scream, just a body collapsing into the fog.

𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒍 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: His fire allows him to burn sigils into surfaces mid-battle—on walls, weapons, even enemy armor, turning the battlefield into a shifting trap.

𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒂 “𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆”: He can briefly flare his aura in one spot, then suppress it and move, leaving enemies convinced he’s still there. Used sparingly, it makes him feel like a phantom.

𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅-𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒚: By combining his telepathic link with the cover of smoke, Soren guides his guildmates from the shadows, acting as a hidden tactician even while invisible to our enemies.

𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔

𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏: His role demands conservation, but his niche can burn through mana quickly if overused. A single miscalculation—staying in the open too long, expending too much fire—can leave him too drained to fulfill his duty as our last line of defense.

𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒔: The misting sigil exacts a heavy toll—silencing blinds him, telepathy suffocates him. Every use is a razor’s edge between effectiveness and collapse.

𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒔: Neither he nor Nyvara are suited for prolonged, grinding combat. They excel in swift precision strikes, but falter in drawn-out endurance battles where attrition decides the victor.

𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈: His strength lies in choosing when to strike. A mistimed assault or premature reveal can undo the guild’s entire strategy.

𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒔: His smoke conceals allies as much as enemies. Unless carefully timed and placed, it risks sowing confusion among his own.

𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒂𝒍: The assassin’s strength lies in secrecy. Once forced onto the battlefield, his role shifts from hidden safeguard to high-value target. If enemies discover him too early, his entire position is compromised.

𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕: As the guild’s hidden blade, he bears the crushing knowledge that if he fails, no one else can finish the fight. The assassin cannot stumble—because there is no one after him.

𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆

Soren is ARETE’s last line of offense, our unseen safeguard. His presence alone shifts battles—even when unseen, the knowledge that he could strike unsettles our enemies. While others fight openly, Soren ensures that when the tide turns darkest, there is still one weapon left in the shadows.

To our guild, he is more than an assassin; he is a promise—that no matter how dire the battle, we are never without an edge, never without a blade waiting in silence to finish what we began.

𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏

Soren’s responsibilities extend far beyond combat. Within ARETE, he takes on the vital role of the repairman—the one who ensures that every blade, bowstring, saddle, and harness is in flawless condition before a mission. His sharp eye for detail and natural precision make him uniquely suited to this work. He rarely misses a fraying strap or a bent hinge, often catching small flaws before they can become life-threatening on the battlefield.

𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒅𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔

𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆: Soren takes full responsibility for keeping the guild’s gear in working order—swords sharpened, bows re-strung, armor plates reinforced. A single loose rivet or dulled blade could mean death on the battlefield, and he refuses to let his guildmates fall to carelessness.

𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓: Broken hinges, dented shields, or snapped clasps rarely survive more than a day under Soren’s watch. His practical skillset makes him the most efficient repair hand in the guild.

𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌: When equipment breaks mid-mission, Soren can patch it together with whatever’s on hand. His creativity under pressure often means the difference between salvaging a fight and retreating.

𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔

𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆-𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈: Thanks to his fire niche and his resistance to heat, Soren can weld broken metal together with his own bare hands. This makes him invaluable when traditional forges or equipment aren’t available—turning even a battlefield into a makeshift workshop.

𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Give him scrap metal, broken parts, and half a minute, and he’ll make something usable. His resourcefulness often means we can stretch our equipment longer without needing costly replacements.

𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Though not a master sigilwright (idk I needed a word for someone who works with sigils 😭), Soren understands enough about sigils to etch and maintain them on gear.

𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: Known for pushing limits, he often experiments with small modifications—balancing a blade’s weight, adding hidden mechanisms, or strengthening blades with reinforced alloys. His “touch-ups” usually make gear lighter, sharper, and more durable than before.

𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒅𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔: Each guild member’s equipment bears Soren’s mark. He tailors adjustments to suit our fighting styles, whether it’s recalibrating the draw-weight of Anoa's bow, strengthening the blade on Straus’s sword, or re-etching the sigils on my whip-sword.

𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔

𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆: Soren is a repairman, not a master craftsman. While he can patch or reinforce gear, he cannot create intricate enchanted items or brand-new masterpieces from scratch.

𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒚 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏: Prolonged use of his fire niche for smithing can leave him physically taxed, especially when balancing it with combat duties.

𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅-𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔: His time is almost exclusively devoted to keeping the guild supplied and battle-ready—leaving little room for personal projects.

𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆

Soren isn’t just our assassin—he’s the one we trust with our lives before the battle even begins. Every weapon polished under his hand feels sturdier, every piece of armor sits more comfortably. While he brushes off the importance of his work with jokes, his guildmates know the truth: when our gear holds fast against dragon flame or enemy steel, it’s because of him.

plus he's gonna save us a shit ton of money!!!!

𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒓𝒂

Ok, so if you're reading this, you probably know this, but aethergarde is not at all my idea and was created by @lalalian so FULL CREDIT TO HER!!!! In fact, even the way that I structured this post is actually based on the way that she formatted her people section in her script, as well as the way she described her own people in the dr.

Also, because I had so much to fit in here, I unfortunately had to keep a lot of the sections shorter than I usually do, so it's a bit less detailed than my usual work, but it works. Maybe eventually I'll decide to do a more extensive deep dive on him, but I figured you're all probably a bit sick of hearing about him since I script him in literally every reality of mine lol.

But anyways, I tried my best to make Soren feel like someone who could feasibly fit into this world, like by giving him jobs and roles and traits that some of the other people didn't seem to have, so I hope I succeeded on that front, and I'm sorry if an of this is inaccurate!

Also, it was really fun developing him, because, usually people / characters that are in some sort of an assassin or stealthy role tend to be all broody and mysterious and whatnot, but nope, Soren's definitively NOT that.

@lalalian obviously I'm gonna tag you as this is your dr, hope you like it!!!

@aprilshiftz @reyaint thought I'd tag the both of you since you seem to like aethergarde stuff.

[theofeet]

lwk i wonder if ppl will see this

plot ss (for aethergarde)

[lalalian]

a lesson in magic PT.3 | glyphs and multi-level spells | aethergarde academy dr

date: march 18, 2026

this took forrrrr fucking ever, but i do hope it kinda makes sense?

glyph systems is by far the hardest magic system in aena for a reason; let's kinda dive into why!

all magic post parts:

magic post 1; aura-weaving/rider magic

magic post 2; spells

magic post 3; glyphs and multi-level spells (you're here!)

(WIP) magic post 4; manufactured magic/magitech

(WIP) magic post 5; sigil writ and draconic magic

table of contents:

will not be providing desc of each heading today, ive gotta get to the fairy dr

glyphs

glyphs; layers

bases and lineography

symbols

symbol uses

catalyst symbols

common symbols

movement

layers

layer one

layer two

layer three

theoretical nuances

example

mathematical nuances

circumference

trigonometry

glyph-specific occupations

glyphmaster

glyphscribe

sounds a little unfair?

multi-level spells

anti-cheating spells

documentation spells

mass dragon call

conclusion

𝒈𝒍𝒚𝒑𝒉𝒔

Oh goddd the one section I’ve been putting off writing for SO long… Glyphs. You may have seen my post about glyphs— I think it was particularly why they’re so difficult. We’re doubling down on that aspect here, sorryyyy💞💞

𝒈𝒍𝒚𝒑𝒉𝒔; 𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓𝒔

Glyphs are composed of layers of bases, lines (linography), and symbols. Certain layers affect how the lines and shapes affect the glyph, and we categorize these groupings into thirds or halves (so three equal parts for thirds, and in two halves for halves). The grouping is decided by how thoroughly the glyph can be split OR if it can’t be split in half/thirds at all. If a glyph isn’t split well enough (like if 18 was split in half instead of thirds), the glyph is going to be unstable. You must split glyphs that are divisible by three into thirds, essentially. So if we were dealing with a 27-layered glyph, it’d be grouped like this:

layer 1-9

layer 10-18

layer 19-27

What if you’re dealing with a prime-numbered glyph? One, you won’t learn about them in class because it’s just too hard for beginners to learn how to deal with prime glyphs (no professors will teach you formally, at least, about mirrored glyphs), and two, let an experienced glyphscribe deal with it. Do not tamper with glyphs if you don’t know how to unwind them; some are made to sense tampering, especially with super complex ones like primes, so it could alert whoever made the glyph that someone’s trying to fuck up their shit.

Glyphs are typically drawn with aura; either you’re etching it into something, or you’re warping your aura into the glyph itself. You can also draw them regularly. Since glyphs have layers, all you’d be drawing each layer over itself (if that makes sense) like drawing w only one layer in an art program.

𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔 & 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒚

Bases are where the symbols, linography, and spells reside. Linography is the art and concept of lines within a glyph’s base, and symbols are just that— symbols! The most common symbols are the sun, the moon, and stars. Spells are etched into glyphs that require a spell to be used with them, those glyphs are the hardest ones to conjure. Sub-bases are smaller circles within a base, or balancing on the side of a larger base.

The only base without linography is 1; it has a symbol of a dot inside of it instead of any lines.

There are 12 main bases, they’re pictured below:

ignore the dookie patching; this is also not AI, one of the earliest posts of this (altered) image is from 9 yrs ago, og image here

𝒔𝒚𝒎𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒔

Not all of these have the linography lines, but excluding linography, these is what symbols typically look like (besides for lettering).

Again, the moon, sun, and stars are the most common. Some others include:

Wings

Compasses

Hearts

Runic language

Dragons

Planet imagery

Phoenixes/Birds

Swirls

Swords

Gems

Liquid

Fire

Vines

Bunnies

Shells

Mermaids

Lace

Eyes

Flowers

𝒔𝒚𝒎𝒃𝒐𝒍 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔

Their use and meaning really depend on where they are within the glyph. Large symbols usually represent a really large portion of the spell or may serve as a catalyst for other symbols.

To be more specific,

Effect symbols are symbols that provide magical effects, like fire, speed, and the cooler (and simpler) stuff.

Some effect symbols cannot stand by themselves, so they need catalysts to work properly.

Linography also plays a part in being a catalyst, though it’s centered around effect clustering rather than connection

Clustering refers to the containment of spells within a base or collection of lines (like a large triangle).

Catalysts facilitate the connection of effects. The best way I can explain this is with a diagram.

𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒚𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒚𝒎𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒔

Let the symbols mean:

Blue teardrop = hydration

Purple abstract bird = carrying

Orange flower = vegetation

Yellow four-pronged star = attraction

Besides the square linography, the abstract purple bird symbol acts as a catalyst for the blue teardrop and the orange flower.

The bird allows water to be carried to the vegetation. Because the rain drop is on the left and above the flower, it not only happens first, but it pours water on the plants from above.

Notice that the star isn’t apart of the bird, flower, or tear drop— it has nothing to do with the process of carrying water to plants. Instead, it subtly attracts animals and people to the vegetation.

We’ll revisit this concept again in the glyph example when multiple layers are present.

𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒚𝒎𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒔

MOONS

Glyphs with all the moon phases, or multiple phases, are usually about the passing of time— anything related to speed has moon phases, including complex mending spells where segments of flesh are healed rapidly. It can also mean transmutation/change.

Spells with crescents ease something into or out of place, but the larger the crescent is, the larger the effect. Glyphs dealing with fine movement use crescents. Crescents can also call upon water in certain configurations.

THE SUN

The Sun tracks daylight. Sun symbols only allow the glyph to activate as long as the glyph is active where it sees sunlight— they are often used as a daylight sensor too.

STARS

Stars usually specify time (like it can activate when the stars align in a certain way, usually tuned to constellations). But they can also be used to make certain crystals glow permanently, or to ring similar to a water-filled glass. Stars, if used for instrumental purposes, are typically refined with musical symbols within the glyph itself (like clefs, sharp, or flat symbols). Star-focused glyphs can be found commonly found in instruments and ancient structures.

COMPASSES

Compasses direct information to the glyphscribe. Compasses are the most variable symbol— they have almost 17 different official uses. Moving compasses (a non-static variant of the compass—ones that allow the hands to move) are almost always tracking a target.

WINGS

One wing on the outside of the glyph indicates that there is another glyph— a mirror glyph. These glyphs can be used for transportation, but they’re often hard to maintain.

HEARTS

Hearts show up in healing glyphs, accompanied by vein-like lines, to facilitate circulation. It’s very easy to mess this glyph up if you add certain elements (namely the veins and heart) too early, because they’ll start pulsing when they auto-select a target. Hearts are also found in glyphs regarding bonds of all kinds, like love.

RUNIC LANGUAGE

We’d be here for wayyy too long if I rattled on about the diff kinds of runic lettering and their meanings, Amon can do that for you LOL

The meaning of the runes correlates with their glyph use, but they’re hard to place inside glyphs since they tend to undo lines. Runic language is used sparingly.

DRAGONS

Dragon imagery refers to an ‘apex predator’ if that makes sense. Dragon imagery can be used to instill fear, drive animals to do something, or to protect. Dragons are pretty much always found in ward glyphs.

PLANET IMAGERY

Anything dealing with deep geological movement, like seismic or volcanic activity, involves planet symbols. When paired properly, they can be used to simulate some kind of planet-like movement, so a crescent + a planet can simulate waves.

PHEONIX

Phoenixes, if the focal point of the glyph, use a LOT more mana than most other symbols. Phoenixes act as both a catalyst symbol and an effect symbol. As an effect symbol, phoenixes allow you to breathe in smoke. As a catalyst symbol, it directly carries effect A through effect B. For ex, if effect A is a dragon (for warding) and effect B is the Sun (burning) that ward could burn upon touch or burn everything within the ward.

Another example is (I really don’t recommend doing this) if effect A is fire, and effect B is like a heart (healing), fire will be used to burn the affected wound on a deeper level. 😬

SWIRLS

Swirls represent enhancement, or precise movements. Precise movements are noted with keyframes and a timeline-like lines and dots. For this, the lines would still be arranged in a swirl, but like the lines would be wavy (see image caption for more details). Turmoil can be expressed alongside mask symbols to further ascribe a type of turmoil within the glyph— these combos are typically used when someone is forced to speak the truth, like in court or something. Enhancement is usually done on specific symbols, not the whole glyph, since swirls can link too many incompatible symbols together.

*so the swirl lines would look like the lines and dots shown on the right panel if it’s used for precise movement— keyframes are set with intended movement, then placed on the lines as dots, like the timelines found in after effects. Easing can be implemented too by changing the dot to >, <, or >< for ease in/ease out/ease in out, for those who aren’t familiar w animation software, it makes the action less robotic in a sense

SWORDS

Swords signal offensive actions and allow the glyph to become sensitive to metal. Metal sensitivity refers to the glyph sensing and pulling metal towards it. This is often used for traps.

GEMS

Gems represent rejuvenation. Of course, glyphs with gems can be used for lotions and serums, but they’re also used for flight drops. Flight drops are eyedrops that riders use to ensure their eyes are resistant to the wind, though they are a bit expensive. The rejuvenation effect can also be used for damaged fruit, particularly if they’re somewhat physically damaged.

LIQUID

Liquid usually denotes the state of mass that the glyph is enchanting. If the item that’s being enchanted is not solid, like flight drops, the glyph needs to know that it’s going into the liquid. Liquid could technically also be used for movement, but it’s only really used for easing moment— it’s still not recommended to use it for that purpose due to how finicky this symbol can be for fine movement.

FIRE

Fire, in glyphs, represents instability and heat/warming. The fire needs to be tempered with another symbol for it to regain some stability, typically a catalyst symbol, even when using it for warmth. If the symbol remains unstable in an active glyph, it could set the area on fire.

VINES

Vines act as a trapping element. Vines will specifically act as something that holds a foreign object down; if no material is provided, vines will do the shackling.

BUNNY

Bunnies are a very common symbol for healing, health, and mending. It isn’t uncommon for healer-specialized guilds, sick houses, and infirmaries to include bunnies somehow, simply because bunnies are very often used in deep healing glyphs. The central use of this symbol is healing blunt trauma, specifically crushed/torn blood vessels. Bunnies have different configurations that differ from their central use; like if bunnies + fire are present, cauterization will be facilitated.

SHELLS

Shells can make fabric or other items shimmery, amplify sound from an attached shoreline (though it must be attached to another shell glyph for the glyph to last longer than a few minutes).

MERMAIDS

Mermaids are never used unless glyphmaster is especially knowledgeable in knowing how to tame this glyph. Mermaids are associated with great luck or misfortune, and they require a lot of management to avoid rupturing the glyph. The actual effects of this glyph are debated, since many say that simply ‘luck/misfortune’ isn’t a realistic effect. Mermaid glyphs need a whole other set of glyphs and layers to stay together. Less than a handful of ancient glyphs utilize mermaids. If a mermaid seems distressed or is moving into a more distressed position/expression, you either need to leave immediately or console the mermaid somehow— hints to that can be within the stability glyphs.

LACE

Lace is used to slow a certain process down within a glyph. Lace is best used for this purpose than moon phases simply because lace is much more malleable in this aspect, and it’s generally not a finicky symbol.

Lace can also be used as a repeater. The repeater lace pattern differs from the slowing lace pattern.

EYE(S)

Eyes are not used lightly. The use of eyes in glyphs has been heavily debated due to their use in over-surveillance. Eyes do not only see information, but they also sense certain bits of information as well. Anything you can feel with your eyes (including your eyelashes), the eye symbol can sense. High-risk places, like prisons and the inner chambers of palaces, utilize eyes. Eyes, like mermaids, are not a static symbol; once activated, eyes will look around.

FLOWERS

Flowers allow a glyph to lightly tint fabric and hair (something thin and flexible) the color of a certain flower. With tweaking, this quality can be like some kind of duo-chrome. They can also be used in bonding ceremonies to temporarily change the color of crystals to the color of a petal.

𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕

Glyphs can be moved with spells to rotate constantly, to hide on sight, or to rise at a certain time.

Rotation really depends on the glyph’s contents, especially the symbols, so I can’t really say what it does definitively. Rotation is the easiest kind of movement to apply to your entire glyph— all you’d have to do is cast a rotation spell on the first group. Individual elements are quite a bit harder, but it’s best to integrate rotation manually (with spirals) into the glyph.

Obviously, allowing the glyph to hide on sight allows it to stay hidden, but the con with this is that you may find it hard to find it yourself. Even if you’ve set it to not hide from you, it’s hard to keep the glyph within a certain area. Usually, a ward is planted to keep it within a certain place, but then you’ll get a bunch of false alerts.

Allowing a glyph to rise at a certain time is pretty commonly done for commercially used glyphs. They sink to a room below, where riders power the glyph, then rise when it’s got enough mana/it’s been fixed.

𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓𝒔

Reminder that layers contain groups of glyphs, imagine slicing three slices of crepe cake, and then stacking them atop one another— each slice of cake is considered a layer, and each crepe in said cake is a glyph apart of the glyph system!

𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒆

The first layers are referred to as the first third (in three-tiered glyphs) or the base group. All glyphs in this layer must have extremely stable bases since they’ll be supporting the thirds or groups above it. To ensure they’re strong, you’ll need to create a strong enough base. What a strong base is depends on what kind of glyph you want to create. Sometimes, making a base too weighty may trap mana inside the glyph, causing unwanted explosions— so only create super super strong bases for glyphs that actually need it.

9-12 are the most common bases found within the first layer and group because of their strength.

𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒐

Layer two generally establishes the main function of the glyph. So if we were making a glyph based on watering crops, this layer would outline the basic procedure of picking up water + dumping it on the plants. Lots of symbols are used here, and it’s probably best if at least one catalyst symbol is used if it makes sense for the function.

5-8 are used more commonly in this layer.

𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆

The last layer always groups the detailed bits of the glyph. Sometimes incredibly detailed bases are used here, other times extremely simple bases are preferred instead— it kinda just depends on how much content layer 2 specified.

Referring back to the watering crops example in layer 2, layer 3 would probably outline how often the crops are watered, along with little particularities like checking water temperature or ammonia levels, and dissuading the glyph from watering the plants with the liquid if it’s not suitable.

Bases 3-4 are used in layer 3 most often.

𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒏𝒖𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔

You’ll be required to read glyphs, so you’ll be presented with a clear photo of a glyph, and then you’ll have to predict its:

Effect

Complexity

and feasibility (will it work or not, and why, how could you fix it should it not work)

𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆

*for simplicity, symbols and glyphs would look a LOT more complicated than this, this glyph doesn’t rlly have a group 1 layer, and this would technically be layers 2-3

Each base (all of them are just plain circles for simplicity here) contains symbols, but some may overlap over the main base, aka the centerpiece (the largest glyph, usually located in the symbol + carrying the smaller symbols).

There are seven symbols here, two of them are catalyst symbols— can you guess which ones are catalysts?

The catalysts are the lilac blob and the red vine.

It’d be easier if I categorized some of the symbols with effects, so let’s say:

red vine = growth

blob = passing of time

orange flower (not a catalyst) = flowers

green hexagon = abundance

pink heart = preference for pink

yellow four-pronged star = deterrence

blue waterdrop = bleeding (bleeding nutrients in this context)

Other notes:

The small circle on the left and the centerpiece base are within the same layer, denoted by ‘1’

The smaller circle on the right is located on the layer above

This configuration itself is very clearly about growing flowers just based on the notes and symbol definitions alone. The centerpiece consists of a heart, vine, abstract shape, and a flower; as time passes (the blob), flowers (orange flower), are encouraged to grow (the vine). The flower is placed on the lower right side of the triangle to connect the flower with the preference base. The preference base, located in the same layer, has a pink heart, and a green hexagon in it. It notably resides on the other side of the triangle— opposite of the flower— which allows the preference for pink (pink heart) and the green hexagon (abundance) to link to the process of flower growth to the function of preference by chunking each function into a different base. The second layer contains a smaller base with a tear drop and a star. This base represents the process of depleting nutrients (tear drop) from unwanted products, in this case, flowers. (yellow four-pronged star).

Will this work?

One major thing to consider is context. Is there enough context for mana to assume the meaning of a cluster of symbols? I’ll specifically visit the base with the tear drop and the star in it. Is there enough context here? Yes and no, because the presence of a deterrence symbol and a bleeding symbol overlaid (within the same group, but diff layers) on a glyph centered around preferred flowers— in this case, pink flowers. All other flowers will bleed themselves of nutrients… but where will it go? To fix that base, adding a catalyst behind the tear and star, specifically the vine (vine represents growth here), will allow the glyph to assume that depleted nutrients should facilitate the growth of desired flowers.

𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒏𝒖𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔

NOTE that I’m good at math as I am with narrative writing, so if anything seems realllllly off, do let me know! I did a slight bit of research for this, and this is what I could find for this class.

It is not unlikely that you will be learning more mathematical theorems than what is presented here, but here are the concepts that you will learn for sure. You will, of course, be tested on this.

𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒎𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆

Ya’ll, for the most part, won’t struggle with this— It’s pretty simple. Just know how to find the circumference of a circle!

𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒚

I fucking HATED trig in high school, but sadly, I do think that we’ll learn this in a LOT of depth in magic theory and glyph systems.

You’d be required to learn the circle theorems. Here’s a chart on all of them, but I will provide some step-by-step guides on each of these theorems. I recommend that you kind of skim all the pages very briefly, you don’t necessarily have to read them— just log them into your subconscious— if that makes sense!

𝒈𝒍𝒚𝒑𝒉-𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄 𝒐𝒄𝒄𝒖𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔

Many places and people need to utilize glyphs somehow, but since those who typically have the capacity to use and learn glyphs go into fancier jobs (mercenary guilds, healing, knights), not many riders go into this profession since it’s a lot less exciting. Because of this, the glyphscribe arose.

What is the difference between a glyphscribe and a glyphmaster?

𝒈𝒍𝒚𝒑𝒉𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓

A glyphmaster is someone who can activate, form, read, and use glyphs. Only riders can be glyphmasters because only riders can do all these things to create a glyph. By law, glyphmasters must oversee glyph operations due to the constant need for large amounts of mana, so they’re usually the heads. But since there aren’t enough glyphmasters to do public glyph work, human glyphscribes stepped up to fill in this gap.

𝒈𝒍𝒚𝒑𝒉𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆

All glyphmasters will start as glyphscribes since their work is heavily reviewed and reworked, but humans cannot ascend to the title of glyphmaster due to their lack of natural mana. Humans can still learn the art of glyphs and activate them with mana crystals.

Because glyphs are so tediously made, many organizations will almost bribe a rider to become their glyphmaster by ensuring human glyphscribes do all the hard work. Hard work includes inspecting the expected field site, drafting the glyph, etching the glyph into the site, decipher information collected from the glyph, and replacing all low mana crystals used to artificially power glyphs with new crystals.

All a glyphmaster has to do is critique the drafts and power low mana crystals.

𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓?

Well, it is, and glyphmasters get paid a lot, too. The caveat is the societal dislike of glyphmasters. Your glyphscribes (unless they’re high-tier riders) will hate you because you genuinely do nothing, and even people who don’t know you will dislike you since you are the one listed as the author of the glyph.

This specific situation is particularly bothersome to Traditionalists. While laws and rules have been passed to lessen the workload of glyphscribes + increase the workload for glyphmasters, it’s often met with boycott among glyphmasters. Glyphmasters will threaten to leave their jobs if policies change, and a significant number of them have actively left their jobs enough for laws to change.

Many have argued that glyphscribes don’t need glyphmasters, but because it’s a lot cheaper to have a single rider recharge mana crystals instantly than it is to buy them, it just isn’t so feasible.

𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊-𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒔

Multi-level spells include both a glyph and a regular spell to execute an action with magic. This is also called stacking.

These spells are often created for a very specific purpose, and multiple versions of them may exist.

𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊-𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒔

A very good example of this is academy-tailored anti-cheating spells. Typically, only private academies will do this; public ones or less wealthy schools will use a general anti-cheating spell

Aethergarde’s infamous anti-cheating spell differs in its communication network. Of course, everyone is going to know eventually— though, Aethergarde’s spell communicates it not only extremely efficiently, but it also catches cheating quick. If a student is suspected of cheating, the spell will automatically blacken the entire page, and alarm the proctor/professor.

𝒅𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒔

Documentation spells, like the one used in Harklorn, may document who/when someone leaves/enters an area and/or alarm wards when someone blacklisted or unidentified tries to enter.

𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍

To call bonded dragons to gather somewhere, a multi-level spell is needed. Note that this is a request, not a demand nor some kind of mind control spell— so it’s entirely possible the dragons won’t show up. It’s courteous to create an identification glyph, and attach it to this spell, so the dragons you’re calling have a full run-down of who you are.

𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏

so um definitely my longest post on record

i will probably take a break on magic for a sec to work on gods (again.. sigh sigh) and then plan out student profiles part two

i have shit ass memory, so this is all i currently remember asking me to tag them? i think? I took these from my last magic post, so if ive forgotten, you can comment here for tags, and I'll reference this when i post next time!

tags(?): @shiftermagicsystemlover08 @mindscapeofthedivine @notoriouslyshifting @reyaint @reverieshifts

[lalalian]

i'm curious about dark narrative aethergarde!! could you talk more about it and what separates it! i love fellow shifters with darker drs

hihi!

I’ll have to be a little careful here since I don’t want things to be misinterpreted about me or my blog— though I do think a lot of the people interacting with my Aethergarde things aren’t necessarily moral police type ppl, it’s completely fine to not be okay with these topics!

I don’t wanna get jumped, so if whoever is reading this is not familiar with my blog or my drs:

the version of my DR is typed ‘dark narrative’ for a reason! It’s not necessarily meant to be experienced, but it includes all the dark elements that would realistically happen in this setting. Other versions rinse the grit out for a nicer shifting experience. Whether people choose to shift here or not is up to those who choose to, not those who disagree!

once again, please note that the narrative dark ver is treated more as a story rather than a shifting experience because it's meant to be a story, not necessarily a DR

now that the disclaimer is out the way, some elements that are part of the dark narrative aethergarde that aren’t in the reg script may include:

- uhhh like more death in general

- prominent people/person death (non-protagonist)

- more extreme unhealthy coping mechanisms (non-protagonist)

- major scarring on prominent people (non-protagonist)

- plot will be far less vague and thoroughly explained in a way that is unfortunately more realistic to the event/situation, for ex, ???’s experience will be more clearly detailed

- war is grittier, more than just sneaking around

- body horror (non-protagonist)

- some derealization maybe

- protagonist and friends may witness murder, or kill in defense (against evil but sentient beings)

- some people may experience a lack of autonomy (non-protagonist, but depends on what niche is canon for canon aeris)

- betrayal (this is also in the reg script but it will go a little deeper in the dark one)

- violent fighting between two close friends (non-protagonist)

- some people undergo extreme manipulation

- blood, blades, that kind of stuff

- psychological conditioning (non-protagonist?)

- realization that you are also training to kill sentient beings in the academy if need be

- depending on S/O, a lot of distrust (not their fault tho)

- may deal with people who are clinically psychotic

Alright that’s all i can think of for now at least! Some arcs may not be available in the regular script due to violence.

[lalalian]

haiiii lian :33 im back again!! (junior year has been BEATING MY ASS what the helllll)

ahem anywayssssss... because i'm isekai's into my aethergarde dr, do you think that ??? and i having met each other in our dreams would be a good stand in since i wouldn't really have known him prior to the plot?

hihi!

Yah it’d be a great stand in!! I would suggest you script that he has also seen you in his dreams a lot too, since him knowing you for that brief time in childhood is rlly important to his character/mental health

[lalalian]

What would kairos act like in each stage of his life?

hihi!

it's been awhile since I've answered a kairos ask--! It's really important to consider his temperament when caring for kairos since gildeds are specifically far more prone to anti-social behaviors and having a lack of innate trust in their rider.

It will mostly depend on how you reward and discipline him, but if we're gonna go by canon care guides (wip atm), it'll go smth like this!

In first year, when he just hatches, he'll be incredibly hot and cold. He'll latch onto you and refuse to be away from you so much so that you'll probably get called out of class to soothe him. If even one thing seems unfair or off to him, he'll attempt to deal with it on his own, so it may be hard to properly pinpoint the issue. When he's cold, he'll be nippy, growly, and accuse you of things he thinks you feel. Like let's say he's been eating too much liver and not enough lean meat-- he could say that you're making him eat lean meat simply because you think he isn't allowed to enjoy things, or that you think he's not eating enough 'strong dragon feed' because he's behind in his little dragon lessons.

Speaking of dragon lessons, in the nursery, Kairos will also be learning things while you're in class. At first, it'll be basic things. How to hunt, fly, produce fire, that kind of stuff. But since he doesn't respond well to the presence of other people, he'll likely be a little behind in certain things, especially in social etiquette. He'll be really stubborn, but once you point out a bunch of things + with a bit of nudging, he'll warm up to his social obligations eventually.

It's best to be someone he can look up to and rely on. You have to really display a 'strong front' for baby kairos, or he'll lean too far into your weaknesses. If he thinks you're too weak, he's much less likely to trust you with extremely important things, like plot and dire stuff-- which would, of course, cause him to try to figure those things out himself.

Around mid-end second yr, he'll be going into his tweens. His hormones are prob gonna be ALL over the place, esp again bc of his breed, soooo you'll see a lot of sulking and protesting here. If you're doing things right, his 'cold' side will start warming up a lot in this stage despite his body's changes. Do note that Kairos will NOT BE ALLOWED in the dorms anymore as a tween-- keepers will herd him out (if thats even possible). He'll still be really REALLY snappy to strangers, even more so to humans. Remember that dragons pick up an almost sulfuric scent from humans, so this unpleasant smell won't make his reaction towards them any better. Plot will make it even worse, but that's a topic for another time! Tween Kairos is gonna think he's a big strong boy already, but at the same time, he doesn't think he's strong enough to protect himself, nor you.

This cognitive dissonance will mess with him a lot more than you think. Again, make sure you are his 'rock'. If things are continuing to go well, he'll be more open befriending other dragons, namely ???'s dragon. Through ???'s dragon, ??? will seem more trustworthy to Kairos, which will later encourage him out of his shell regarding riders a tad bit more.

In 3rd yr, Kairos will be a full-fledged teenager. If Kairos trusts you and sees you as capable, his protective instincts will go haywire in third year-- which sucks since this is a pretty plot-heavy year. He'll be a big ol snooper in his teens, so expect your bags to smell like ash or dragon breath in the morning.

He'll watch and judge you ALL the time when you're fighting and casting magic. If you're going with the scythe, he'll either complain that you chose too hard a weapon to learn, OR he'll subtly praise you for looking cool fighting. Or both, actually.

I do think he'll be really interested in you fighting on dragonback as well in his teens!

4-5th yr is when he's considered a young adult dragon. I do not ever see Kairos being a social butterfly, but I do see him having a close relationship with the main cast's dragons. I do not see him having a mate before grad yet, though, since so much stuff will be happening.

He'll still be pretty thorny, but his irritability will not be directed at you anymore. He won't be so nippy with humans as long as he's not touched or provoked without permission. Still, he'll hate receiving pets from humans and unknown riders. Do expect some growling around humans when touched.

By this time, he may allow some of the main students to ride him, specifically ??? and azel.

He will still default to a more defensive attitude around people he just does not know.

A few years after grad, he'll be considered a full adult. I don't think he'd change too much aside from the things he'd become fearful and defensive of due to the events happening bc of plot.