Brynden Rivers with a dragon that's also stunted and deformed. A small black creature that looks more like a snake with wings than any actual dragon. No legs and completely solid black with the exception of a dot of red where a third eye would be. He would probably name its something like Spite or if it's considered female he'd pull a Sansa and name it Lady or Mistress.
Shiera Seastar also having a tiny deformed dragon that is a runt and permanent size of a cat. An opal colored dragon that honestly is more cat than dragon and probably given a Valyrian name like Corlys or something.
The way you descripe Mistress (I think is a v.good name) makes her sound like she’s de-evolving into a fyreworm, which I love. I imagine shes not as black as Valonqar dragon, who is more vanta black. Rather she is the black that blends into shadows. She is actually pretty useless at espionage as she refuses to leave Bryndens side and will eat his ravens if given the chance.
Also if it’s like a Fyreworm it is more likely (from the images i've seen) to have little hands but no feet. Just a giant snake with a dragons head and little hands ready to commit murder on a whim. She does like to hold Daeron II hand which upsets everyone but Daeron who thinks its his brothers way of asking for affection.
I do like the concept I saw once which is that Dragons dont really have genders onto themselves. Like mating season either will have the eggs depending on the more dominant or impressive display.
I say this just so Mistress can be Hellfyres mate. Maekar hates this. Especially since Darys is trying to make Hellfyre. (another reason for Maekar to hate Brynden)
With Shieras dragon I do like the fact of it being cat sized but also like the Idea of her being a regular bigger dragon, maybe the size of a row boat or a long haul truck. The diffrence is he’s so looooooonggg like long neck, body, legs,tail, teeth, tongue and wings. He loves to float in the sea and while He can’t ‘swim’ he can dive deeper than any dragon recorded. He also has pinkish looking ring around the bottom of his neck, the only thing that breaks up his perlesant scales. Shiera names him Vaemond because of this.
Brynden has to be real careful out side because as soon as Vaemond sees him, he’s picking him up in his mouth and flying him over to his nest in Dragonstone.
I also thing Aegor has a similarly deformed dragon that could have made it to adulthood fine but he hated it for being a ‘bastard dragon’ (what the keep had started calling the deformed dragons, that only seemed to come from the Great Bastards dragon eggs) He ended up killing it in a rage. Believing if he could get a new dragon egg he could get a 'real' dragon like Daemon. That never happened. The next dragon egg merely turned to stone. And all subsequent dragon eggs of Blackfyres never hatched again.
Enough dragons and riders, more of Ancient Dragons. Enough of the dragons coming when they’re called, more of humans in a thirty mile radius perking up and straightening because there was a shift in the wind that told them the Dragons Need Their Help. Enough of the dragons being a weapon of war and a mount to soldiers and more dragons descending upon the lands to protect a war-torn kingdom not because anyone asked them to but because they heard the people’s cry for a god and decided that if god wouldn’t answer, they would. Enough dragons having cute hoards of books or selfish dragons having hoards of gold, more dragons being protective over cursed treasures and objects that no other human can touch. Enough young dragons learning alongside young humans, more Dragons So Ancient You Can’t Comprehend Their Age patiently dealing with a young child or an equally as old hero that needs help. Enough of the person reaching out to touch the dragon and the dragon letting them and more of the person not even reaching out to touch them but instead bowing low to the ground in respect and having the dragon return it. More Ancient, Amazing, Divine dragons that are more than just a dog or cat in scales. More DragonElves.
Dragons are gifters. They show affection by showering loved ones in gold and jewels and other precious items, this is how they show trust and that you’re as or more important to them as their hoard
A similar vibe to dragons are absolutely why scaly theropods hold such public appeal, why not just cut out the middleman?
I kinda want to see a fantasy universe have shamelessly awesomebro, Jurassic Park style theropods but they're not referred to as dinosaurs at all, but a kind of dragon. A flightless relative of the wyvern most likely. They can even have fire (or wyvern venom) for extra shameless edge points.
@nilefreemans I am so sorry that I have been sitting with this for like, days. I’ve been awash in thoughts about it.
So I decided to take this ask as ‘what kind of dragon they’d be’, and here’s my thoughts on that. Since dragons also exist in so many styles, types of verses, I went with a sort of basic ‘element type dragons’ for the sake of clarity.
I once again, stuck to just the Guard themselves, but I can do the other characters in another post, if so.
ANYWAY. Here be Immortal Old Guard Dragons, below!
Andy/ Andromache the Scythian
Earth Dragon
Why? Because to me, Andy is a very ‘earthy’ type of individual. She’s intense. She’s passionate, adaptable, strong-willed, courageous. She’s also grounded and holds fast to her beliefs. If you know of little in the world, you know that Andy will always be there. Andy is the leader. The very groundwork for which someone may build themselves. Much like the earth, she has simple pleasures and desires. Just as happy with good food as she might be with luxury.
Earth rotates. It can be deadly when spun out of it’s axis. (Earthquakes anyone?) it is a fickle thing. But even with cracks, with depressions, with unrest, it remains solid. Intact. It’s hard to send earth skyrocketing. It’s hard to displace earth. A core element, a being. I see her as quite nature loving.
And no this is not a chance to say she’s as old as the dirt itself. Shh.
Earth is mighty. Earth is your guiding line. Earth is what keeps us here. It’s beneath out feet at all times, almost. Someone like Andy, who has morals, anger, love, care. Is intense, a natural born leader. A comfort seems very much like an earth dragon to me.
Quynh
Metal Dragon
For what we know of Quynh, we know she is strong. That she clearly felt things very deeply. That she was adaptable. Quick, moldable. Strong. Metal can be defined with fire. Metal can be changed, melted down, and bent. But at the same time, some of the strongest metals can survive in any and all elements. Some metal, depending on it’s type, cannot be bent, or changed. There are types of metal that could withstand any type of disaster and remain in tact.
It can be sharp or soft. It is used in almost all materials. It has been with mankind for centuries and remains an important element. It’ll be interesting to see more of Quynh and add to possible headcanons.
Lykon
If we find out more about him, I’ll add him. I never like just not mentioning him, though. We’ll see sir!
Nicky/ Nicolò di Genova
Water Dragon
Water is such a curious element, isn’t it? It can be gentle, but also the most terrifying, and devastating naturally destructive element on the planet. It cleans us, it comforts us, it damages us.
Water is unpredictable, but continuous. Water is needed for survival. A cool, comforting stream, a soaking rainstorm. Water can do many things. Without water to hydrate both us and crop alike, we cannot survive. Water can be soft, but it’s consistent. We know water will always be there (mostly), we can rely on water.
Nicky is both your calm stream and scary ocean. Nicky has the same ebb and flow of consistent compassion, but also the intensity and ability to flare up should he feel threatened (or if his family is threatened). Water is also deceptive. People have mistaken calm waters and paid the price for it.
It can also be a tease. Oh you think it’s going to rain? Have precisely two tiny drops.
Joe/ Yusuf Al-Kaysani
Air Dragon
I’m not going to lie, Joe has been a bit tough to decide upon. But I’ve gone with air dragon. Air can be dangerous, (a bad wind storm can be, like water, surprisingly devastating) but it isn’t usually so. Air is normally fairly calm. I think of Joe’s nature as being very air like at times. He can carry a conversation in any direction. You’d feel comfortable following his path. He’s the comfort of a cool breeze in a deadly heat wave, or the security of showing you where danger might lurk.
He seems to go with the flow. He also clearly enjoys speaking, and is very good at it with a lovely voice. The air can have a voice at times, I find. Like a whistling hum or a slighter sound that’s barely noticeable, a gentle touch. Air is passionate too! It’s intense and it can gather up further intensity, depending on the scenario or if something is coming.
Air is also necessary for life. You can can count on air. Air is a comfort when you’ve had too little of it. Air will remind you you’re alive. It can be warm or cold, but it’s always there, always present.
Booker/ Sebastien LeLivre
Fire Dragon
Another tough one, but I went with fire. I picked fire mostly because fire is, well, unpredictable. And at it’s worst, one of the most deadly elements on this planet. Fire is going to make or break you. It’s fast. Intense. It can go for days on end or be quick and devastating. And sometimes you’ll never see it coming.
Obvious commentary is obvious.
That, and fire is never not intense. When it’s cooking food, or when it’s warming a home, it always runs hot and fierce. It’s always untouchable, it’s always aggressively there. Even if you don’t see it.
A character like Booker, always kind of stewing in the background, unseen but no less lost in his own head, feeling at all times, seems to be fitting of this description.
Fire is going to comfort or hurt. Fire can love you. Fire can hurt you. Fire can be sweet, a reminder of warmth when it’s cold outside. Or something that is going to wreck everything in sight.
Fire is fickle.
Nile/ Nile Freeman
Space Dragon
Not an element-but bear with me.
Space is always looking down upon us. Space is optimistic. It’s been here since the beginning, been with us and will always be so. Stars that existed in the beginning are still here now. There is promise with space, there is hope. It’s always seemingly fresh, yet old too. What exists in space? What doesn’t exist in space?
I see Nile as the future leader too. She thrives. She feels things intensely. She has her morals, her guiding beliefs. She’s the one that can look ahead, a new face but somehow, an old reminder too. Something that brings to mind the thought of ‘what next’?
You can look up at the sky at all times, and I see someone as Nile being the kind of individual who’s presence is always felt. A new hope, but an old comfort. Smart. Defining. Clever. Fickle. Devastating.
And it sparkles and shines and has a cleverness to it. Space is just fascinating.
