#seryndra

[fireeaglespirit]

Just some chatter @viviane-lefay haha, concerning the idea of Kigaly talking with the ‘dead’ and her wish..

This is the thing I’m super excited to think about now cause I just love the trope ‘villains’ coming back to life after a thousand years... you can expect them to be kind of decrepit at first since when they were defeated back them things got messy... and they're angry! As I said, I think the only part of the empire that was left relatively untouched was Draetera so we have Polaris here but she’s too weakened to even fight back and just decided to protect what was left. Other ancient dragons such as Ishanur the lord of shadows just disappeared... so we have these remnants of the balaur/dragon power.

This is actually the whole thing about Eltanin is that he’s trying to bring back the dragon race to its former glory for a very specific reason and then everything will be mixed in the very contrived plot I have in my head... haha. as you know it will be complicated as the side that seems evil is actually trying to protect something too, well they know of something very important.

But yeah!! I can’t wait to show you the ideas I have about them all, they’re kinda scary people of the past that had lots of power and now are ‘dead’ but they're coming for sweet revenge.

I kinda love resurrection tropes as you realized, and I like to play with the concept that its ‘wrong’ to search and undo death as its a common thing in many cultures, but in my mind I have this twist that things aren’t exactly like this in fact... I would never blame Kigaly or anyone for trying to stay with the ones they love. It just isn’t an easy thing to be done and in the case specifically there are certain preparations that must be done to the body in order to preserve its soul attached to it (as in Egyptian lore) and since Seryndra died tragically and her body wasn’t even recovered we have some problems...

I like to think Kigaly went and collected as much as she could of material (per example, hair from Seryndra’s brushes, etc..) but things are complicated. I base that on my own desire as a kid to keep my dog’s fur (I still keep them) and that I believed I could have them back somehow with the aid of science... clones or whatever.. silly me of course as I know the essence of a being isn't the body or genetics but the memories which are lost forever.

Perhaps Seryndra could have more luck as the world’s laws are different from ours.

[fireeaglespirit]

Mourning song for Seryndra

Seryndra’s mausoleum

[fireeaglespirit]

Another of Adrian’s songs for Seryndra/Kigaly...

Because its sad but hopeful... and ties perfectly to their story.

[fireeaglespirit]

Known fact, but some of Kigaly’s theme with undying love for her sister, Seryndra comes a bit from musics from Evanescence... not entirely, but... I always found the idea of love going beyond death a fascinating theme.

In Kigaly & Seryndra’s case it is a sisterly bound so strong its unbreakable, no matter how different those two characters are and how they have been separated in the most definitive way: death...

Here’s some Ev. music which slightly remind me of Kigaly (as I know they are about Amy’s love for her sister so its extra fitting).

“Even in death our love goes on...”

“Some say I’m crazy for my love..”

and

“Stay low, soft, dark, and dreamless Far beneath my nightmares and loneliness I hate me for breathing without you”

This song is indeed fitting for her...

The last sentence, is a recurring feeling for Kigaly... her self loathing is immense and unbearable. But unlike in the lyrics, she doesn't feel like joining her sister in death... instead she goes against everything to bring her back. 

“Nothing real love can't undo..”

She doesn’t conform to reality, she is positively haunted and obsessed about it... its unhealthy to an extreme.

“And though I may have lost my way All paths lead straight to you”

Seryndra becomes and ideal and an ultimate goal for her, their relationship becomes unhealthy as Kigaly clings to it desperately... 

[fireeaglespirit]

Some fast Avian & Draconian queens..

Damaris & Seryndra... 

Damaris looks worried/sad for some reason. Well, its been eons so this looks messy.

[fireeaglespirit]

Had some fun with my draconians (Eltanin, Seryndra, Rastaban, Kigaly, Sindra, Nix & Nusira) in the FFXIV benchmark tool...

https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/benchmark/download/

Very cool to create characters even with the limited options. I’m in love with the Au Ra (the horned race) design, looks a lot like my aesthetic... just wish the horns weren't tied to the facial presets >.> but its fun as it is... 

Some of them look weird but I tried. 

Eltanin and Seryndra looks cool enough, I think... they even had the right hair for him (albeit not long enough).. and Rastaban could have a better face, he is supposedly very angelic but the creator didn't allow me but I tried xD 

Kigaly was very fun to work with.. I love how the hairstyle suits her younger days, but she is supposed to look more sultry when older.

Sindra looks almost perfect, just wish I could tilt her horns upwards a bit xD Nix was also a delight to work on... I think I’ve fallen in love with her sweet color scheme here :3... Nusira needs different eyes, but I think it was cool to envision her better... gonna work on the other dragon priests and people from ancient Aralath later...

[fireeaglespirit]

Seryndra and Kigaly + a little bit of draconian meta

So.. I managed to think a bit and decided a little bit of story for the last picture: 

Kigaly is the current Queen of Draetera, (Kingdom of the draconian race). Kigaly was never meant to be queen, however she eventually rose to the throne of thorns after her sister, the rightful Queen, Seryndra was slain by a band of dragon slayers.

Seryndra and Kigaly were royal princesses descend of the lineage of Ishanur, thus suited to rule their brethren. They had a complicated relationship, but loved each other on their own way, and it is said... during childhood they were inseparable.

Kigaly was always looked down for her uncommon pair of mismatched horns, a trait considered bad omen by her kind, and Seryndra naturally was expected to reign, since she was the elder child, so naturally Kigaly felt a lot of resentment towards her, but could never truly hate her… for she was the one who protected her the most. Seryndra always had a kind heart..  and was a promise of a peaceful rule. Yet it is said it went too far and she lost her mind after enamoring the one who would become her royal consort, a priest of the Eldest Polaris.

In the last years of her kingdom she was known for her compassion towards humans, what caused her reign to be disapproved by the ancient ones. She lost support, and eventually paid the price... having herself, her consort and elder son betrayed and slain by the ones she sought to protect, humans.

*Kigaly rules until Sindra achieves full maturity as a draconian (when she will have her second set of horns).

*Polaris is an Eldest, an ancient Balaur, known as the kindest of the Eldest, the ‘white mother’. Balaur (dragons) were the first sentient inhabitants of Aidera, created by the gods to rule over the other inhabitants of the world. However, their kind degenerated and few of them survive to this day, these are known as the Eldests, each having still a horned priest to serve them.

*Dragon overlords ruled the earth in the beginning, but instead of dealing with it themselves, they choose children among mortal men to serve them in exchange of receiving knowledge and power... and shared with them their own nature. These were called the Horned ones, the demi gods, who were even above kings of men. They are relics of ages gone, but one day, the Horned ones ruled over every grain of sand and every drop of water… with the Balaur’s blessing. The small kingdom of Draetera, hidden in the shadow of icy mountains is now all that is left of this ancient power…

*Seryndra is her working name for now, I used to call her Serena too.

[fireeaglespirit]

Draconian sisters - Seryndra and Kigaly