Lair Review (Moons, #108830)
Beginning notes? Your lair was so hard to narrow down to six that I like. There is just a wonderful aesthetic all throughout, and I won’t lie and say that (being a bit of a TES nerd myself) I didn’t nearly pick some dragons based off of name alone. I love your use of Ayleidoon. And I just want to give a shout-out to essentially every one of your Imperials because you’re a boss at dressing what I believe is the most difficult breed to dress.
Now to the six I picked:
Konahrik was an easy selection, though I won’t lie and say it’s not because of a personal bias. Guardian dragons are the best dragon, and males typically don’t get a lot of love seeing as a lot of folks aren’t fond of their pose or find them hard to dress. And heck, they are hard to dress, which is why I’m impressed with this absolutely handsome Fire rep. Everything is just coordinated together wonderfully, from the skin you’re using to the apparel you chose for him. I’m usually not keen on using straight sets of apparel on a dragon, but the Brutal outfit looks like a whole new beast with the touches of festival apparel given to him to bring out his inherent fiery nature.
Also, while probably not intentional, I like how the skin he is wearing has areas of glow that seem to correspond with his halo and embers. It gives him a dynamic appearance that I don’t see in a lot of dragons, and was initially what made him catch my eye in your lair.
Duneripper is magical. Most of the desert-themed dragons I see on site have more of a survivalist adventurer look to them, but I don’t see a lot of survivalist nobility. His accent matches his colors and genes perfectly to a point that I almost couldn’t tell where he ended and the accent began, and I love the clever use of the seraph jewellery and light halo to enhance what his genes and accent bring to the table instead of covering it up. I honestly thought the jewellery was part of his accent at first, they match up so well. That’s to say nothing about how clever it is to “complete” the halo added by the accent, which is a really lovely touch.
Also, the shadow tertiary and secondary? What perfect choices! They complement the gold on him very well, and make him match his familiar oh-so well. And, well, can I just say I am getting some kick-ass post-apocalyptic vibes from this dude? If Xerxes and Max ever had a kid, and that kid was a dragon, it’d look exactly like Duneripper.
I already said I wasn’t a fan of straight sets of apparel, but Karan is just… wow. Despite being a XXX dragon, there’s enough variation in his genes to make him visually appealing and the color itself, umber, is one of the most underrated colors to date. It’s just so smooth and dark and velvety to look at, and with the autumny oranges added by his butterfly do well to add a lovely pop of color to him. It also goes well with the greens and grays of his apparel, since everything is otherwise so muted. Warrior he may be, he’s absolutely gorgeous and calming to look at.
Also, the headdress. The headdress looks like it’s a part of him instead of a lion skin, like he’s the big scary cat in question himself. The lighter beiges almost match the sparkles of his glimmer, and the darker bits match the fade of his wings. Everything just flows so well, making him one of the most appealing dragons in your lair.
Alasilnen. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more fitting Water dragon in my life, despite being a Lightning dragon (we’ll just ignore that). Everything about her is just so free-flowing and ethereal, from the kelpie mane to the sage attire, all of which gives her one hell of a personality just from a glance. I didn’t even have to read her bio to know she was very obviously an oracle, as everything from her apparel to her regal stance to her apparent Water affiliation screams “mystic.” It’s so hard to put into words just how pleased I am to see somebody put into pixels the aesthetic I’ve had in my head for Water dragons since the get-go, let alone using the “right” breed.
I love the “extra fins” she has in the Sylvan apparel. I love her colors and her beautiful, beautiful accent that draws the eye and helps her wisps fit in with the rest of her outfit. I love how well her kelpie mane matches her safe apparel, right down to the kelp itself matching the edges of her shawl and sash. She’s beautiful, she’s wonderful, and she’s a dragon you should be very proud of.
Satakal. Just… Satakal. There’s not much written about him aside from the fact he’s a gem trader, but I can definitely see it just by looking at him. Like Duneripper, he has a very distinct desert-dweller feel, though his choice of apparel conveys his profession perfectly. A mantle and goggles to help him brave sandstorms, or perhaps the goggles are magnifiers that allow him to inspect the integrity of his stock. The Gem Thief apparel for him to carry his wares as he travels from one prospective trade area to the next. The adorable little cornsnake travel buddy sticking out of his scarf, which is both precious and practical. Pets are good for stress, and a merchant’s life is stressful.
That’s not even getting into what an absolutely beautiful dragon he is beneath all of that. I never would have imagined that algae opal, of all colors, would look so fitting for a desert-dweller theme, and the contrast of his obsidian is to die for. Then, there’s the accent, which practically glows against that sleek backdrop of black before fading into the larger patches of opal on his wings. Just, everything about him is so perfect!
I picked her because of her name. As previously mentioned, I’m a bit of a TES geek myself. But, the more I looked at her, the more it became apparent that this is undoubtedly one of the prettiest dragons you have in your lair. She has a dark elegance and refinement about her that I’ve not seen in other dragons in a very long while and is extremely hard to place. It’s haunting and beautiful, kind of like flowers growing out of a bleached ribcage. That sounds angsty as all hell, sure, but it’s the same kind of aesthetic she gives off with her golds, her violets, her roses, and her dark past.
I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but considering the Argonian-related name she has, I’m assuming her past as an assassin is a nod to the concept of Shadowscale assassins. In which case, I 100% approve and also like the way you made her actually have shadow scales, seeing as her skin almost matches the color. And if that’s not intentional, you’re more than happy to claim it is now, haha.
