Tallailath
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Her Royal Awesomness Jordan 's Green Tallailath
Dragonsfire's 58th PC Clutch - Ista Weyr
Meliaith and Paquith’s clutch
Hatching Date: August 13, 2011
Clutchmates:
Neeva and blue Zimmerth
Or’nl and brown Lloighrth

Egg theme: Under the Sea!

Dear Her Royal Awesomeness,
You’ve been a part of the tribe for a long time. You stuck with us through thick and thin, became an integral and important part of the herd, and we salute you not only for your longevity through tough times, but for your awesome as well! We reached way down deep inside and pulled out our hearts to spill across these pages and we hope to hell you enjoy it, but take from this inspiration what inspires you and leave behind that which doesn’t. It’s only guidelines, not written-in-stone hard set rules. Not even close! We won’t be hurt, we just want you happy and playing with us for an elephant’s lifetime! Congratulations, Prisone— um, Weyrling Jordan.

-From Ista Weyr Search Co

Egg:

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Sublime Submarine Grotto Egg
Deep indigo inks its outer circumference, shading to black at the apogee of the shell's curve but marbling lush galaxies with cerulean and teal where the eye meets the surface dead-on. Mountainous architecture underpins sweeping arcs of emerald cut and shadowed by twilight clover, giving even the lurid billows of glowlight green a rocklike structure in shadows and planes. At the core of swirling color awaits visual respite: an arrowhead pool of deep sapphire and turquoise crisply edged in pale gray and gold, while focus comes from a blinding gleam of silvery white to the pool's right. Dimension and direction have little value, leaving the viewer to determine whether the tunnel draws one in, or leads one out.

Hatch Message:

Sublime Submarine Grotto Egg thumps with a rhythm that speaks to the root of every being, reverberating vibrations that cause the ovoid to shiver all over until tiny hairline cracks begin to form. Like the core of the planet breaking through to the ocean of color the fissures become epidemic, expanding with each new quake, promising a cataclysmic conclusion. Just about when the stress fractures become critical, a commanding fatal blow is dealt to the egg, rendering it asunder as the creature within crashes through.

Hatchling Name: Marching To Her Own Beat Green Dragonet

Dragon Description:

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An intricate design of sweeping elegance graces a proud crown, held high with dignified contours that plummet down to an adroit muzzle that is likewise ornamented. Similar henna embellishments tenaciously climb powerful limbs and twine the swing of a crafty tail, only to be rent asunder at the brink of the battlefield by the boisterous celebration of riotous emerald hues that dance in an ecstatic frenzy over her palatial form. She is born to rule the winds with the flair of her majestic wings and walk the earth to the percussive beat of stately paws armed with polished ivory talons. Expressive eyeridges only add to the dramatic, yet playful effigy, setting the scene for nature’s grand gift of imposing indomitable grace.

Impression Pose (what the audience sees):
Marching To Her Own Beat Green Dragonet wastes no time, the moment she’s clear of the bonds that kept her for so terribly long the decisive green’s feet are moving, stampeding straight for a target, dithering not, passing many a candidate without so much as a glance, tearing through the heated black sands to reach that moment she’s been waiting for. It doesn’t take long at that pace, and soon she’s right up on a pair of candidates missing the sleeves of their robes. In that instant, she chooses!

Impression Message (what you see):

From the core of all beings there sprouts roots, rising, twining, tangling, chasing away your doubts, fears, and misguided expectations. This is not an invasion, this is a rebirth, today is the day when you are stripped bare of that which has been weighing you down, hiding your soul under layer after layer of nonsense notions that you are ultimately to be forever alone, never to trust, never to let down your guard to the full extent that would allow you to live in free abandon. All of that is torn away by roots that tap in to the very rhythm of the world, only so that you may be lovingly wrapped in a custodial embrace unimpeded by your past. What happened yesterday no longer matters, it’s all about the here and now, and the you that became two, only to be conjoined as one. The soul of a warrior queen has touched upon yours, beckoning it forth into a future full of honor and adventure, to travel together towards a singular all-encompassing goal. « I am here, Jordan. You are the /one/. I choose you. » For what? « To feed me. I’m hungry. » A spark of humor ignites in your mind.

Personality:

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As you learned quite quickly, your Tallailath has more than a pocketful of confidence, in herself, in her decisions; there was no dickering, picking, or choosing for she just /knew/ exactly who she wanted and where you were at the time her egg was finally broke open. She didn’t give you any room to object either, and this will be something you will commonly have to deal with. It’s all that confidence, not quite to the point of arrogance, but all the way right up to that line.

A part of that confidence comes from that which her cranium contains, which is a mite bit more than most, if not all dragons, especially of her size. She’s intelligent, and in a lot of cases, or at least in a lot more than usual, she can actually remember things. It’s certain types of things that she can remember, usually to do with the very reason she exists - fighting thread. If it is that dire important, she can find space in that sizeable brain for it. That doesn’t mean she will remember everything, not even close. Just the really important things.

She also has a selective memory, picking and choosing what she wants to remember. Tallailath will even feign not knowing something that she knows she can pull from your head. If Ai’den or someone else annoys her, they will get sliced right out of her mind and blocked from yours. You: “Ai’den said you smacked Kaijuth. Why?” « Who? » It’ll be spoken in an honest tone, because she’s blocked it out!

She is a tribal matriarch in her mind and in her spirit. So what if she’s green! Not all greens have been cut off from their maternal instinct. Not this one for sure. Akin to many a matriarch through the history of the planets throughout the universe, this translates to a defensive, sometimes offensive, position that will be innately ingrained in her soul. It’s a warrior queen’s soul, tenacious, composed, caring, unfailingly determined, and willing to get right in the middle of any riot!

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Tallailath is calm, cool, and collected in general, casual and not overly serious. She has a subtle intensity about her, a passion for her "people" and life in general that adds an underlying current of excitement to who she is and how she behaves. While overall she has a tellurian’s queenly repose - a tranquil, composed facade and dignified demeanor - there is always something more lurking beneath the surface. It's the beat of the earth and the ultimate threat of being overwhelmed by its majestic beauty… or its terrible wrath. Talllailath is diligent, unwavering in her determination to protect Pern and all that lies upon it. She has a mother’s warring spirit, a matriarchal characteristic that sees her web of protection extending to all she sees, including the very ground she treads upon.

Her tribe is her family, and you obviously make up the central axis with which that family pivots. Family is who you deem it is. That will mean Ai’den, Kaijuth, the firelizards and the pests- pets that you and he claim. The second you pull away though, they’re gone. History. You cut Ai’den off? She will cut Ai’den off and everything that is attributed to him. When you take him back, she takes him back. Just like that. There will be no lingering love to bridge the gap. She will love abundantly while it lasts - well most of the time - but when it’s over, it’s over. Wiped from her brain.

While they’re present though, /they/ /are/ /present/. Ever seen a feline adopt a canine’s puppies? There is this instinct to care and protect the young of the world, the small and helpless, the weak, no matter the species combination. Well, she's got a bit of this instinct, as was said, and it will cause her to poke her nose in where it likely isn’t needed, wanted, or otherwise invited. Baby Jordan is born and wails all the time « You’re wrapping her too tight. » « Let her free! She’s got those arms for a reason! » « She’s not a meatroll. » on and on. Even in the dead of sleep she’ll be on duty, and the second the baby of any species within her family fusses just a little, an eyelid will pop open. She’ll stare, keep watch, but otherwise she is hands off. When the fussing starts, or the kitten starts to wander and whine about hunger, it’ll be a jarring nudge in your head « Wake up. It needs you. » It doesn’t need her, it needs you. Nudgenudge. « You wanted it. »

The times she will be a bit more hands on is when you’re not around, or she thinks you’re failing somewhere, or when you are tired or ill. She will offer her warmth, food if it’s plausible, or a licking to clean a dirty face (imagine a dragon tongue bath), but really only the essentials, or what /she/ deems as essential. There is no coddling. She is no prissy grandma. She was born tough, expects everyone around her to be tough, and if they aren’t or show weakness, her disappointment will be obvious.

Don’t get her wrong though; she has a soft spot, thousands of them actually. It comes with her odd-for-a-green motherliness. When they’re playing and making fun sounds or cute faces, she’ll be all over that. « Aw, look at that, little you’s face is so cute, like a dried redfruit. I see the resemblance. » Kerwhack! You hear the crack of her whip-sharp wit? Get used to it. She’s a clever girl. That wit and soft side will transfer to the others in her family as well, taking aim at Kaijuth and Ai’den quite a lot. Especially the wit part. Kersmack! « I don't know who's worse. The big doofus or the one who lets him ride on his back. »

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To a much lesser degree, this motherly instinct, this soft spot, reaches out to the rest of the Weyr, and eventually Pern as well. Mostly the Weyr, her tribe. Her people. She isn’t going to infringe upon the queens, but she will show her willingness to help should they wish or need it. « If you wish to stretch your legs and feast, I’d be willing to keep an eye. » Of course that will not likely happen with most queens, but it doesn’t mean she won’t offer. It doesn’t mean you won’t catch her up on the hatching ground ledges watching now and again, especially when she suspects candidates are up to no good.

This carries on to Weyrlinghood, and with or without you she is going to watch over those little beasts, stick her nose in, give them a nudge or three now and again, or even a smack on the rump. It’s her drive to assure the next generation is brought up /right/ so they can fight without the stupid mistakes made by the older generations. She could very well end up being the first ever AWLM dragon without a rider. Watch out, Paquith!

She isn’t into babying those babies though. Nono. She’ll give them a gentle word of encouragement, sure, but if they do it wrong, *Crack* It’s a mental thump on the head, especially if they do something /stupid/. It can translate to physical as well, her tail becoming a whip, her paw a blunt instrument. Thump! « For the sake of my dwindling sanity, stop being such a pea brained trundlebug with the sense of a tunnelsnake that’d mate with a hose! » Kaijuth persists and suddenly finds himself confusedly freefalling, only belatedly realizing he’s just been shoved off his own ledge.

There’s her biggest quirk; Tallailath has a short rope. When she reaches the end of it, any lady-likeness goes POOF in a ball of fiery smoke! When she turns, she turns big! It’s like dropping off a cliff. Snapping a branch. It’s instantaneous, and she grows a dagger sharp demeanor that’ll cut right through to the chase, but… BUT, usually in a keenly clever way that ends up coming off somewhat humorous. Not at all clown comical, mind you, but humorous. Like funny to the bystander, but not at all funny to the person who is being verbally ravaged. (Think 1960s/70s comedy sitcom “To the moon, Alice! To the moon!” style acridity. )

When she faces a threat, Tallailath is quick to stomp it out. Sometimes literally. Those paws can be downright dangerous and her tail incredibly painful when used right. Talons and teeth are so obvious they don’t even need to be mentioned. It’s with a blinding speed that she will do this, crushing the threat against her people with a firm, just hand.

Her justice is swift, clean, and slices right through you like a hot knife through butter should you be in the wrong. Should you be in the right, it is a quiet, gentle hand that she’ll reward you. A loving hand that caresses with the touch. Hand being her mind, of course. That or her tail, but more on that later.

She likes the fights! Oh man, that’s when she’s really alive, when she’s fighting thread, fighting the weather, fighting the beasts that will be her FOOD. They do not fall under the shadow of her protection, they are the necessary byproduct of life on her beloved Pern. Animals/creatures not raised as food can fall under the umbrella of safety, but not her food. They aren’t quite the enemy, but their death is a necessary evil that she won’t sweat in the slightest and should they fight, all the better! Then she will feel right and good about ending them! « Silly beast, they should understand and give tribute to the one that makes the world /safe/. »

When she is fighting she is just AWESOME. Oh man, so damn badass! Do not get in her way! Big bad bronze dragons? Feh. She’ll run them right over. « Watch it, brute! » She lets loose a burn not far from his head with a freaking amazing accuracy « It almost got you. Good thing I was there! » Zoom, she’s gone. Males the dominant of the species? Hardly. This is a matriarchal society! The women /rule/. The Weyrleader dragon? Temporary. The queen decides! The /females/ decide! They are the strength of the entire planet.

That strength comes in many different guises. For some it’s literal, for others it is emotional, administrative, but for Tallailath it’s /all the above/. She bows to no male. It doesn’t mean she will be disrespectful, she knows ranking, she recognizes it, yet butt kissing she’d never do, and a blind follower she is not! She’s going to make the Weyrleader, Wingleader, and any other administrative dragons work for her respect. They have to /earn/ it. Even then, she’ll remain quietly, and sometimes not so quietly doubtful of the males. Kaijuth will forever be in doubt, but then who doesn’t doubt that one? She /will/ care for him though; he is her people.

She has little patience for the inept. There is no room for mistakes!! The Rani can make no mistakes and she expects the same from the people around her. Cowardice is pretty much the same. That isn’t typically a dragon trait, so this will be something she will mildly fume at when she sees it, but it’ll be so rare it’ll likely be more or less nonexistent.

The only thing she likes less than ineptitude and cowardice is deceitfulness. There are times when a little white lie is okay, but the truth is always king. It’s always the better avenue and if people cannot handle the truth, that is their problem, not hers. Deceit can be defined as anything that is contrary to life, love, and the pursuit of a peaceful existence. The Red Star, falling under the header of both cowardice and deceitful, would be very much a target of her ire. Even the mention of it will send her into one of her rare burning moments. Others that cause her “people” harm or threaten them will fall under the same baleful eye. M’tr could be used as an example. While neither will give a care about her, many many /will/ be wary, because she is badass and fearless; she will take no quarter and give no quarter. Do not mess with her! Do not mess with her own! Those that try will find her a force to be reckoned with!! A force that will never give up. She will prevail or she’ll die trying!

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That or she’ll gossip them to death. There is nothing she likes more than hearing a little, juicy tidbit that she just has to pass on to someone else. It makes her wriggle, squirm, even shake sometimes as she tries for about five minutes to hold it in, and then it’s with a gusty explosion that it all comes rushing out into some unguarded ear. « Did you know…. ?! » Problem is, these aren’t important details, so they don’t go into that special place in her memory banks that keeps details straight. This kind of information just kind of glances off the cerebrum, getting jumbled and mixed up to be spat right back out to someone else.

Take note of the mention of “jumbled and mixed up”, because that is the key to unlock the door to what your future holds. /Lots/ of embarrassment. She can’t help it or doesn’t really care if it gets all screwy and funneled back wrong. « The mate » Ai’den will be known as The Mate « wears these little flimsy purple things they call panties. I don’t understand the use. What’s the point? »

While she won’t be disciplined when it comes to her tongue, she will be in pretty much everything else, though not at a stoic, rule mongering, obsessive-that-sees-the-world-as-black-and-white degree (Not that the writer had anyone in particular in mind there), but rather in a self-assured, self-aware manner. Tallailath is simply in control of her mind and her body, impressively so. This doesn’t mean she is all muscle and exercise, but rather that her mind and body are cohesively active and aware - until she doesn't want it go be!

When it comes to flights, or more so the aftermath, she’s independent; she doesn’t /need/ that male. She’ll tolerate his presence for a little while afterwards, but then one of them needs to leave. Tallailath will typically choose to land somewhere else when it’s over, like the winning male’s ledge or somewhere else completely, so that she can leave when she has had enough. It’ll hardly ever be her own ledge if she can help it.

The one deviation to that would be if Kaijuth won, since they share a ledge. It only changes the destination though; it doesn’t change anything else. In this case, Tallailath will make /him/ leave their ledge when she’s had enough of his presence. « Go away. I need space. » Kaijuth: « But I live here. » Her: « And? Go away. » Not forever, just for a day, until she forgets. That doesn’t mean she’s cold, it’s just that her attention span for such things, her patience for them, isn’t all that long.

When he comes back she’ll be warmly welcoming. « Kaijuth, where have you been? You look cold. Come get warm! » Her warmth she will share, her food yes, her wisdom, her strength, but never her soul. Her soul will always remain unattainable.

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This is where she gets kind of complicated. She’s a complicated girl with immense intelligence that won’t allow her to be pigeonholed into one stereotype. Tallailath is feminine grace, elegance, and caring, yet on the flipside, she is warrior spirit, a get down and dirty type. She’s not one to play it safe at the back of the pack, because she desires to be right smack in the middle of the battle, if not in the lead! Weyrsecond? Damn right! Wingsecond? You bet! Wingleader? Of course! Assistant Weyrlingmaster? No question about it. She was born to lead. She was born to guide the masses into battle from the front, not the back, but from right sharding /there/ with her immense courageous, honorable heart.

The scrapes, bruises, wounds, and scores that she will earn are exactly that, something she /earned/. Badges of honor. Tallailath will wear them proudly and expect you to do the same. You’ll learn this quick during weyrlinghood. She’ll prove that even though she’s a lady, how tough she is when she dives right into the fray, all rough-and-tumble, wrestling her classmates as they learn defensive techniques alongside their lifemate. She is a leader in the making and so she needs to know it all, do it all, experience it all and she’ll drag you right in with her. « The blood stains won’t ruin your clothes; they’ll add provocative character. » Afraid of a little dirt? Not a chance. She takes after her dam in that aspect.

In essence, she is the kind of dragon that you want as a friend and never an enemy. You want her on /your/ side, because you know that she'll get stuff done and things will happen. She’ll always be a driving force to see things accomplished and nothing will stand in her way of getting there.

Manifesting in odd ways, it often will seem as if the forces of nature work on her behalf. The truth of the matter is, be it good luck, bad luck or just random chance, the universe's karmic forces seem to strongly manifest around her. It is something that won't be apparent immediately, it will take work for Tallailath to understand the idea of karmic justice - and more so, that some are influenced by the forces of karma stronger than others. It’s an idea she’ll have to grow into. That some folk seem to have a keen ability to fly under nature's radar, while others seem to have the fortunate or unfortunate (sometimes both) luck to run right smack dab into the thick of karmic rebound.

Physical:

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So incredible, those wings! Her wings are the ‘pièce de résistance’. They are a sight to behold. So regal, so strong, they’d be Kitty Ping’s pride if only she had lived long enough to finally see it realized. Kitty’s pride though, not Tallailath’s. She sees them as incredibly useful, but unlike her granddam with whom she inherited the awesome wing trait, she doesn’t dwell in their perfection; they’re simply utilitarian.

Those wings are rounded more than normal across the top, not to the point of deformity, but rather in elegance. You will hear that word attributed to your lifemate a lot - elegance - because she truly is. Elegant, stately, well formed, born with proper proportions. The wings, though, are epitome of this adjective.

She’ll likely be one of the very few dragonets ever that don’t have to grow into her wings. Sure they’re on the larger side, but not disproportionately - she’s big, and they’re bigger, but in a grand manner. They’re broader, taller, longer, impressively so, and she has the goods to keep them aloft, which she does almost constantly. It isn’t out of pride for the awesome that they are, but because they are so sensitive, /she/ is so sensitive to vibrations in the air currents, harmonics, the subtleties of nature, that she becomes a conduit to the world when her wings are flared.

The world will communicate with her on a continual basis, such as the soft vibrations of a vtol’s wings, touching the fabric of the universe around her, sending her signals on the weather, the tensions of the beings around her, the chemical and energy shifts that are effected by psychology or behavior of others. When that storm is coming, she’ll know before anyone else. Tallailath becomes the warning bell to all of nature’s nasty tricks, including Threadfall. The Falls have been erratic since the Pass started, truly hard to predict, but now Pern’s weyrs have a tool, an organic tool that will help them do so.

It could take /turns/ to work this out likely, because not even she will understand it at first. She’ll just feel those vibrations tickling her fragile membranes, sending signals that her over sized brain will instinctively react to. Her reaction will likely begin to tip people off after awhile when she keeps popping up with « I don’t want to go outside. The rain will ruin my oiling. » You look outside and the sky is crystal clear. “It’s not raining.” There’s no answer, but she’s not budging. An hour later clouds begin to form, within a short time one of those freak tropical storms will be torturing the Island. « Told you. » She /knows/.

When it’s hot though, the wings come in handy just as much. On scorching days she will casually flap her wings almost constantly, which not only creates a very handy breeze that you too can utilize, but it will also cool the rich network of ichor vessels that flows throughout the fragile membrane of her sails, which will in turn be shunted to the rest of her body, acting as a coolant throughout.

Her wings will also work really well to stave off any acts of aggression by would-be predators. It’s as simple as flaring them out to assume a larger than life footprint that would be flatout intimidating, especially when she starts charging, which she will do without hesitation. An alarming sight to seen by said wouldbe predator and most times they’ll just turn tail and burn a trail right out of there.

Igor: Abby someone.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: [pause, then] Abby someone. Abby who?
Igor: Abby… Normal.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: [pause, then] Abby Normal?
Igor: I'm almost sure that was the name.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: [chuckles, then] Are you saying that I put an abnormal brain into a seven and a half foot long, fifty-four inch wide GORILLA?

-Young Frankenstein

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That brain. It has to fit in somehow! It’s abnormally large, especially for a green. She has an enormous potential for vast cognitive ability, but how much of that ever gets utilized is completely up to you and her. It’s up to the future and it’s anyone’s guess. She will definitely be artful when it comes to manipulating elements in her world, and she will do so often, making the entire world her own personal toolbox. In short, she has the tool making capacity that humans do, and will use it in clever unique ways.

It’s with her tail that she does most of it, paws too, sure, but the /tail/. It’s not just another limb, it’s magnificent, her single most important apparatus, which she will utilize in the most imaginative ways. More slender than normal, yet lacking nothing for strength, she’ll be able to do most anything with it. Something in your way? No problem, it’s amazingly narrow profile is beyond flexible, curling around that obnoxious log/tree/rock/Ai’den that is in your way, and removing the obstacle without fuss. The slenderly spaded tip will wiggle its way into many small compartments, searching, exploring that which cannot be seen due to her dragon-sized head. Drop the key to your press down a tunnelsnake burrow? No problem, she’s got it. First she’ll poke her tail in and smack the ugly out of the resident, and then she’ll craftily retrieve your key, presenting it with an arrogant flair.

The problem with this? Her tail is somewhat more sensitive than most, which does mean she can /feel/ what she’s blindly doing much better, but it also means it’s prone to getting hurt, and it’ll be prone to pain as well. To most it’d seem exaggerated, it’s just a tail, but as an extension of yourself, you’ll /feel/ it, so you’ll know. You’ll be more than aware your girl does not exaggerate. This minor fragility will force her to keep it tucked in when she’s not using it for one of her clever tasks

That muzzle of hers, she’ll use it to get up close and personal, nudging, nosing, nuzzling, just flatout getting into your business. As we said above, your business will become everyone’s business, so when you find her snout burrowing through your cast offs, don’t be too surprised if you later hear descriptions of your purple lacy lingerie being bandied about around the Weyr.

All that grey matter will result in some physical manifestations as well, such as the gentle curve of her glorious skull, more rounded than typical, creating a graceful arching line that suddenly plummets at the temples, slowly tapering, flowing past the small ledge of her expressive eyeridges, on down the elongated jawline, growing ever leaner, right up until the muzzle reaches just past the smallish nostrils, and then it curves off rather abruptly. So yes, her head is broader at the top, and rounded to fit all that brilliance, but it’s a beautiful line that is created, especially with the ever present backdrop of those incredible wings.

Her heart, it is enormous, and not just because she’s a dragon, or a large green, but because all that love for her people, for you, for Pern, for the /fight/, has to fit somewhere, and just like her brain, it’s oversized to compensate. Tallailath’s heart thumps hard in her chest, sometimes visibly hard, but most always audibly hard, and sometimes alarmingly so. She is transmitting the heartbeat of the earth as it thrums through her, winding about in her extensive circulatory system, and them amplifying it to the unaware.

This percussive beat is also broadcasted via her walk, which is most always with an assured calm, without a care or sense of urgency in her step, thumping solidly in the tribal rhythm of the planet and all that walks upon it. Don’t be surprised if you catch yourself being caught up in it, stepping with a little jaunty bounce as you too become rhythmically in tune with the world.

She is a big boned green, thick, solid, but not in the slightest ungainly. Tallailath carries herself with fluid grace that comes from copious confidence, an inner strength that is both physical and psychological. The best way to describe her all over adult size is gigantic. Yes, she is a gigantic green. As a matter of fact, she is a graceful gigantic green, comfortable in her own skin, muscled compactly tight to thinly and sleekly layer over those big bones of hers without losing the /power/ of her size, which starts inching in large for even a blue. Sleek, but not meek! She’s built for the fight, both quick and agile, while retaining the punch needed to knock the world on its butt, or Kaijuth, whichever gets in her way.

She knows how to work with illusion, the illusion of both size and her inconsistent coloring that tricks the eye with the hills and dales of her musculature. As was mentioned with the flaring of her wings, she can create size even above her green enormity, by the way she carries herself, her demeanor, which commands respect, makes her a force to be reckoned with, but also in the clever and stately way she stands, head high, chin up, legs firmly placed so that shoulders rise and expand, elbows flaring. It all works into the illusion.

A lush emerald color twists and turns, curving about, then winding back upon itself with a lighter brighter hue, which fans out into vibrant pinwheel leaves, spiraling into an oblivion of celadon, only to be interrupted by dazzling lemon-lime sunbursts that soften with celebratory fingers of light which gently stroke the density of darker greens that threaten to consume, only to be chased into shadowy crevices by the strength of their illumination. There isn’t a green hue in existence that can’t be found in her coloring, she is not just one, or two, or three shades of green, but more so /all/ shades of green, brought together in a dramatic, yet tasteful festival of color.

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Her patterning is more subtle, caught within this vibrant verdancy, creeping like henna vines, the embodiment of life, light, the inner and outer sun, up her legs in an artful mehndi display. A depiction of Rukbat centers the palms of each paw and from there grows an intricate design that that is so complicated that it elusively seems to change as she grows, expanding the secret that is whispered in each elegant flourish. Similar patterns tip muzzle and tail, while also decorating headknobs and the apex of her crown, though all of which is quiet, understated, more an undercurrent or suggestion than blatant tattooing. Threatened, the green grows prickly thorns to keep the patterning at bay, containing it to those few limited areas.

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Tallailath’s ivory talons are an enormous benefit and hindrance. They’re strong and will stand up to the harshest of treatment, be it digging in hard soil, or burrowing in rocks, but they’re quick to grow, and grow, and grow, and if she does not keep them naturally filed down with more use than normally needed, they will get out of hand. Picture yourself with a large rasp, bent over, filing away for hours. Keep on her! Give her tasks that will grind them back on a regular basis.

Mind voice/scent:

It starts so mild you might not even notice, it’s more the sensation of sound tugging at your ear, rather than actual noise. Before long your foot is reacting, sending vibrations straight from the earth into the rest of your body, thrumming through flesh and fiber, realigning your pulse to match the heartbeat of the planet beneath your feet. It’s primal, straight from the root of man, carried throughout evolution, the solution to the notion that we all come from somewhere down deep, somewhere utterly connected to a single core with roots that travel through soil, water, and even rock. It goes right straight to your soul, uniting every single being on the planet with a rhythm that transcends the trivial and takes you to that place within yourself where you can be as free and feral as you want to be. It is the tribal beat.

http://open.spotify.com/track/23tUmMAG8FEKaHumU5Zi5J

It comes straight from the matriarch, from where the earth ends and she begins, the constant connection to nature’s pulse, thrumming through her, out to everyone she touches. It comes fast, it comes slow, it comes in tune with the rhythm of her mood.

When she’s angry her ichor surges so hard and so loud that it will make your ears ache, thumping in her chest, abusing any mind that dares to connect with hers. That is the beat of the warrior queens, reaching back through time, spanning the gap between Pern and Earth, tapping into their fury and making it hers. This will be the scary time when it is hard to fight her influence as the tribal beat threatens to absorb your soul. Thankfully it is such a rare thing that you may only feel it once in your life, but what a crazy moment that will be.

http://open.spotify.com/track/3oVqlkxruyAq73jRNU7Y0N

It won’t be quite that intense on the norm, but it will still pulse hard when she gets caught up in the moment, tearing free of the reins that restrain her, giving herself over totally and completely to the sensations that surround her. This is her favorite time, when she’s caught up in a storm of emotion, caught up in the fight that she loves so very much. Any fight, be it with Thread, dragons, humans, food, the elements, she will /thrive/ and come alive, her mind soaking in the chaos, instinctively honing in on the rhythm that is threaded through it and making it hers.

Her mind is epic! Always! So rich, and it reaches right into the depths to touch your primitive core, speaking to that part of you that is so completely and totally instinctual, still very much in tune with the laws and cycles of nature. Pulling you in, lovingly wrapping the earth around you, gently reminding you of the struggles/fights/love/joys/thoughts/desires of your ancient ancestors that walked upon it before you, tearing back the protective layers that you have so painstakingly armored yourself with, so that you and she can connect in a way that no one has ever connected with you before, on that level that you’ve hidden for so long. Because she loves you most on this level, when you and she are not so different, when the distant link, that evolutionary chain, is twined together as a single entity. It’s down here that you will truly feel the enormous love that she has for you, the respect, the pride, because everything else doesn’t matter. Just you and she, and the lovely, lovely rhythm of your hearts beating as one.

682ce1b3-ed20-4879-be47-cf253cb6d8a6.jpg

It’s not just about the beat though, that’s just the addictive pulse that runs through the magnum opus of her mind. She is the song of India, evoking sensations that go far beyond that of simple place, but yet deep into the pulsing heart of the people, how they live, eat, think, the sights, sounds, smells, and most definitely the colors.

Bengal
A sultry and unruly blend that emulates the ambient scent of the markets in ancient Bengal: skin musk with honey, peppers, clove, cinnamon bark and ginger.
http://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/wanderlust.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKBAwa2MDCQ

India celebrates every day with color, bold, vibrant, lush color, far flung across the vast spectrum to each end of the vivid rainbow. Possibly in her mind it could even be endless, but only time will tell. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if she invented colors, because she loves them so very much, especially splashing them about in her mind, tossing them in big powdery bursts at anyone she comes across, most especially the darker minds that she touches. Those she will positively coat in color until what lies beneath is no longer recognizable.

This is especially true on days in which everyone around her is celebrating, or she simply finds something glorious to celebrate. Then her mind will really go wild with unfettered abandon, and no one, not even the dour muckity mucks will be safe from her brilliance.

Even when she’s mad or serious her mind is full of color, even if the colors become slightly less sharp, more in the jewel toned realm. Lining her keen words with gold filigree that is sewn right into the fabric of her frustrations, giving them not only weight, but a sharp cutting edge that will bite right through to the point.

She has many a marker for her moods and in time you will learn them, or she’ll settle into them, though even then nothing becomes written in stone. One month she will use the a swirling plume of nag champa to induce a soothing trance upon the mind, but then a month later she’s spitting it out in gales to punish her attackers with the suffocating smoke and the intensity of the aroma as it is doubled and tripled in quantity.

Sri Lanka
Indian sandalwood and cedar, and the dry incense smoke of olibanum, gum mastic, patchouli and myrrh.
http://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/wanderlust.html

As was said, her mind is rich, so very rich, and the possibilities are endless.

Physical Voice:

dragonvselephant.jpg

With Tallailath the term ‘physical voice’ takes on a completely different meaning than one might expect. In this case her physical communication is almost completely derived from physical acts that create communicative sound or suggestive gestures that relay what she is thinking. She is all about the body language and you will quickly become an expert at translating her actions into solid thought.

The suggestive gestures are actually pretty easy to decipher, so they’ll likely catch on quick. It’s as simple as using her ivory talons to drum out the beat of her impatience or annoyance, or a full body wiggle to express satisfaction, or a slap of her tail on something with a percussive quality that will reverberate her frustration. Others might be things like blowing of air through pressed lips, causing them to vibrate in a show of disdain, or blasting air through her nostrils in a derisive snort, or even literally kicking up dust as a defensive sign signaling the need for distance. She’ll incorporate pretty much every body part, including that sassy rump, and they will speak for her on pretty much every occasion that one would use a physical voice.

Some are a lot harder to understand and will more or less become her own personal language, formed over time and likely understood by very few; likely only the ones that really try and get to know her. This will start with the sound of her wings flapping, signaling her want for attention, then moving on to more tactile things such as caressing with her tail in a reassuring manner, and maybe gently touching snout to nose as a sign of affection or devotion. The possibilities are endless and up to her and your imagination.

There are a few rare exceptions when she will actually vocalize, using those fragile cords, but they’ll be infrequent, relying mostly on the physical actions. The most prominent, but still quite rare will be used when charging into the battle or during the height of fight or other moments of intense excitement. This is how she expresses the intensity of emotion that cannot be transmitted through the softer subtleties of body movement. It’s loud, it’s full of adrenaline and emotion, thrust straight from the gut through the lungs and out into the world, and it can be infectious! It can charge up everyone around her, setting hairs on end, and that is part of the purpose, but most of it is straight from a primal need to let loose! It’s a hollow roaring trumpet infused with a vibrating quality that expands as the sound waves plunge down the long variegated pipe of her throat.

The quieter ones are things such as a soft purring when she wants you to know whatever you’re doing, oiling her, scrubbing her itchy hide, feels really good. When wanting to interact with other dragons, most especially her classmates, she’ll emit a throaty moan, beckoning them into play or contact. You’ll know right away if she’s nervous about something, beyond the physical aspects she will emit a hissing rumble that will easily transmit her unease. So in short, she will make a few verbalizations, but a very few, because it’s mostly all about the physical.

Growth:

As Tallailath comes from her shell, she is quite obvious a green with a bit of size to her. Like all younglings, it does take a bit for her to figure out just how all of those limbs work, but she is a fast learner. She watches the other dragons, she keeps an eye on the adults and how they walk, waddle, pounce, launch, flap. She watches how they swing their tails, get at that scratch under their hind leg, flex their talons and use their paws to do all of those wonderful things that paws can do. Learning by example may cause her to get a few bad habits should she be around the wrong mentors. Picking her nostril with her tail? I’d blame those guys in Baysweeper.

While growing into her figure, becoming comfortable with what she has, she’ll just be growing larger. As her wings will continue to keep pace with her growth, the rest of her will each have their moments in the spotlight. Tail will grow long and awkward to being, apt to be tripped on if not tended too (by herself or others), often getting tangled up as it seeks to touch this and that. Don’t be surprised if she will often suck on the end of her tail. It could be considered as something of a soothing gesture, something you’ll probably need to break her of before she chews that prehensile tip raw.

Next to grow will be those legs of her’s. Long columns, sturdy and hardy, they will give her some height to use to her advantage. Being able to match the blues and overpass her green sisters, it won’t quite leave her looking like the gangly side of awkward. With her grazing habits, she’ll be able to acquire a certain sturdiness, giving some balance to that height.

Her body will swell, leaving her with a wide ribcage that you will be hard-pressed to flesh out with the muscles necessary for flight. Time to be eating even more than before, adding a bit more time to her grazing, some more exercises to flesh things out. That big torso gives her plenty of room to breathe, to get the oxygen to all of the places that need it. Endurance is built during this time. She’ll have the abilities to match some of the males with endurance, not burning out so quickly during weyrling training.

Movement:

She moves with a casual grace and an assured step, in a sauntering gate, giving the illusion that she is light on her feet, rarely in a hurry, yet most always moving or /doing/ something. There usually a sway, yet not a swagger, because it is confidence not arrogance that fuels her actions.

Of course her tail sways when she does, but at times it has a life all its own, flipping up to scratch a vtol bite, feeling at things as she passes them by, whapping a rump, or simply waving and curling about in a thoughtfully playful manner. That is, when she’s not cleverly communicating with it.

When her wings are expanded, which is a large part of the time, the loose trailing edge will flow and flag like silk in a breeze as she moves, only to become even more animated when she flaps them, be it for cooling, in a defensive or warning gesture, or just because it feels so darn good. Some say the eyes are the windows to one’s soul, but for her it’s her wings, and it’s more a window into her mood, which could be extremely useful as a warning signal. If she gets angry or feels threatened they will flare. If she is sad or depressed they will droop. There’s a myriad of positions they will take on to mirror her many many moods. Just keep your eyes peeled and you’ll learn to read the signals.

When one walks with that sort of casual assurance and sway it typically translates into head movement of the same flavor. The shoulders work as instigator, rolling, bobbing with each fluid step, and the head sways in answer, so it becomes a bit of a dance of her whole body, with one element, such as a foot breezily placed, setting off the next, moving on through to the very last fiber. Sometimes it’s the paw, sometimes it’s the tail, sometimes it’s the wings or snout, but something always instigates and the rest follows easily along. Don’t forget the hips though. Never forget the hips, they’re always a party to the action.

Tallailath may be big for her size, but she is by no means awkward or ungainly. If a queen the size of Ramoth can be graceful, then so can a green the size of a large blue! It’s just innate for her, not something learned, but rather she’s born with it, right out of the shell.

So happy to be free, just like that moment when she chose you, for the first couple sevendays your green will charge and stampede everywhere. It’s all-go full speed (which isn’t very fast at first) for as long as she can and then - dead stop. Rest. Full speed! Stop! Rest. Like a child, she’ll want to /get/ there immediately! Leaving you in the dust, but also like a child, she will reach the destination and then spin around and charge back to you, her comfort zone. She’ll be prone to doing this again and again, the length of her run growing smaller as you get closer, until you /finally/ get there. That is until she matures out of the need of instant gratification, which will be fairly quick (likely in a couple months or so) because she’s an intelligent being that will learn the value of patience and composed actions.

What will trip her up? Her talons. They grew so long while in the shell incubator that until they’re rasped and trimmed, she’s going to catch them on things or dig them too deep when she walks/lopes, causing her to stumble and trip. Every time they are allowed to get out of hand it’ll be the same thing, but as she grows older she’ll learn to compensate, so the side-effects will be much less traumatic.

Eating:

elephant_grazing.jpg

Your girl isn’t like any other dragons, which you’ve likely noticed by now, but here she’ll depart from her kin in another aspect. Dragons typically kill as big as possible, gorge, then wait a couple/few days to do so again. Not Tallailath and this will cause you issues until she’s able to hunt for herself.

As with all littles she’ll need lots of small meals all day long, but with her, she’ll like that so much that it’ll be her pattern for the rest of her life. Lucky you. It’s not just because she’s a spoiled pain, no, but because she’s really quite clever, and while she’s enjoys it, the health benefits out weigh anything else. She likes to eat small bits all the time, which aids in digestion, keeps her light, loose, agile, not weighted down by meals like her siblings might be prone to doing, and because she is constantly burning calories, which keeps her lean.

It’s worked out early on that if she gorges her tummy will bulge and the bulk ends up distributing to odd places. That is /not/ okay with her! To her there is nothing worse than a pot belly, even though in truth it’s really quite cute. In other words she gains weight easily, but just as easily she can burn off what she eats if she carefully monitors her intake and does so in small increments. This is something she’ll learn from the dragonhealers when not only does her stomach bulge (think overfull human toddler), but her digestive organs become gassy and ache with the pressure. This will be the point that you learn just how absolutely disciplined she can be.

As a big green her food intact will need to be sizable to maintain her high level of activity, so with her grazing/browsing tendencies, it means a heck of a lot of time spent eating. It’s either constant grazing tiny amounts, or little meals throughout the day. Her mood will fluctuate on which on any particular given day. Don’t be surprised the first time she comes in dragging a small chicken to nibble.

The little fodder will be what she’ll be most into, such as: chickens, caprines, wherries, little porcine. It’s always the smaller version of them all too. The cute babyness of these creatures won’t even phase her. Not only that it’s more important that she eats right.

There will be supplements too, as with all good healthy-living creatures (especially humans), and some of this continual feeding time will be spent on eating these. Sometimes they’ll just be added to her small meals. For sure she’ll stock up on what she can, keeping them on /her/ side of the couch, with a stern warning to Kaijuth that they are /off limits/!

Her favorite of these would be tree bark! It contains calcium and roughage, which aids in digestion. Grass is good for digestion too and it shouldn’t be there anyways! So any little patch of grass found at Hold, Hall, or Weyr will be instantly uprooted and eaten. The same for various herbs, all of which have multiple benefits to the body. Most of which she’ll instinctively /know/, but you might consider obtaining a list from the healers. The rest are as follows, but definitely not limited to: bushes, fruit, twigs, leaves, and roots.

She also digs in the dirt. Why does she dig in the dirt? Using those strong talons to do so, it’s because she’s digging for salt and other minerals. It’ll look like she’s digging for the bottom of the world, creating deep holes in the worst destinations until you direct her activity to out-of-the-way places. (The writer definitely can’t wait for I’deni to step into one of these.) It’s not just being a nuisance, because that isn’t her style, it’s out of pure /instinctual/ need. A table salt solution will be met with an upturned nose « Substandard. » Only straight from Mother Pern will suffice.

When she becomes trained to a particular spot, she’ll end up digging pretty darn impressive holes over time, some of which become several feet deep. Depending on where she does this, it’ll benefit wildlife as well, giving them access to the needed minerals, and once she abandons a spot, creating shelter for them. So it has its wide reaching benefits.

One of her favorite places to dig, once she’s able to explore, will be the side of the volcano where the minerals are /rich/. Just be careful to direct her away from the outer face and away from directly under ledges. It could mean disaster!

Tallailath will also drink a heck of a lot of water, but that isn’t terribly uncommon for a dragon her size. She will especially do it after her digging sprees. Dirt and salt has a tendency to dry out your mouth after all. Your dragon will require up to about 26 gallons of water, but her intake will be more like 40 gallons. It’s a lot of water, a heck of a lot, but she can do it all at once as soon as she grows into it. As a matter-of-fact, she can suck in up to almost 50 gallons of water at once, but will only do this on rare occasions due to the weight issue, but sometimes she’s just /damn/ thirsty and making repeated trips will interrupt her eating schedule. This will happen mostly after a big deep dig when the ground tenaciously refuses to expose the needed mineral. « Blurg. I’m bloated. »

Flights:

holi-festival-of-colours_04.jpg

When it comes to flights for Tallailath, think /exuberance/. Everything to the MAX in a celebration of life. A festival of colors. It’s a time to stand-out, to wear those vibrant hues….. REALLY vibrant hues. Go ahead and toss flower petals, paint powder (though in a pinch actual paint will do!), /marks/ - especially if they’re Ai’den’s! There’s no hiding the fact she is proddy - for either of you and really why would you want to hide it? It’s a time to get out, kick up your heels and enjoy the spice of life that this cycle truly represents. There is no flaunting of sexual prowess, no skin show to behold for that is completely beneath her and you.

Instead, think wealth. Richness. Lots of jewels, jewelled hues, bangles and tiny bells so that wherever you traverse, people know you both are coming and will /make-way/ for the royal awesomeness that you both indeed are.

ElephantMakeup.jpg

Leading up to the event itself, her wants for you and her both will be a little more indulgent, a little more intense. It’s time to shed the practical leathers and don /bright/ blues, greens, reds, yellows and yes, Faranth forbid even /pink/. Though it might not just be you that she’s expecting to change… Afterall, the weyrmates really would look much better in pink silk and leather straps. Don’t you agree?

This is also a musical affair, with the tribal beats cranking themselves up a notch or five. Get out the drums and bang them a little louder, be it in the mind’s eye or the physical act. Tune up the vocal chords and sing whatever jaunty little song last trickled past yours (and therefor hers) memory.

When the moment finally arrives that has her heading towards the pens, that is really when the true festival beings, and oh what a party it is! Laughing, frivolity, chaos, blood and mud, though not necessarily in that order.

211887868_69bb23247c.jpg

In making their sacrifice to her greater good, there is no wasting of the value that the livestock offer. In that, Dragoneth is clean, quick and very concise because it is to the skies that she needs to take. High on the intoxication of life’s blood essence, she’ll throw any and all pursuers for a loop (literally) with her unpredictable maneuvers that begin with a stampede across the pens, a hearty tossing of mud to thwart those would-be suitors and then a brilliant flash of those glorious wings to set her on a high-reaching course throughout those Istan skies.

She will likewise not be above utilizing tools of whatever means to help her gain her ground, thwart or otherwise distract those would-be chaser. Even in the heat of the moment there is a rare cleverness that cannot be denied.

When it’s over though, it’s over. Time for everyone to pack it in and go home and for someone /else/ to clean up the mess. She was the gracious hostess that supplied the theme, the color, the music, the invites, so someone /else/ can be left to deal with the aftermath of her personal festival.

Threadfall:

Elegon.jpg

One thing you will learn right quick about Tallailath is of her intense desire to fight for Pern. To fight to free Pern of the tyrannical grip that the Red Star has on the planet, the people, the flora, and the fauna. She will fight fearlessly and with the fortitude of a seasoned general, and the passion of a loving and determined matriarch.

For most dragons, they learn formations from the Weyrlingmaster with their lifemates, who are the only ones of the pair to actually remember. It is from their lifemate’s brain that they snatch the information each time a formation is performed. Not so with yours. She will have this memory etched into her mind from the first time you two learn it.

This will empower her like nothing else. This ability just might become the bane of many a Wingleader dragon, or even Weyrleader dragon when she starts schooling them before Threadfalls, shoving those memories into their minds, making sure it’s etched there good and solid. Tallailath « Got it? » Zhoreth distractedly « Sure. » Tallailath « Got it?! » Zhoreth « Yes! Yes! I got it! » Satisfied, she’ll move onto the next, stuffing their brain full until it aches. « Got it? »

This is not arrogance, this is all about skill. She is a skilled fighter, and she’s a skilled fighter because she’s not one to muck about during lessons - she focuses and /hard/. What she learns is routered into the very fabric of her grey matter. Fighting Threadfall is the one time when she’ll strip herself of that playful name of hers and get right down to business.

Weyr Relationships:

Lloighrth is one brown full of discipline and courage. Never one to run away, he is at the front of any battle. He may blow his trumpet all the while, but really - he’s a /male/. Could anyone expect anything else?

Zimmerth may have a heart bigger than Rubkat, but he prefers to hide it with questions and daydreams and bluster, and a sharp wit. That said, his love for stories - both told and listened to - can often be an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon between battles.

Inspirations

Egg Inspiration:

Described by: Vyune
Egg Inspiration: I chose the grotto because I was looking for something that one didn't typically think of as being under the ocean, and underwater caverns are both unusual and gorgeous. That particular photo caught my eye due to the lush colors and clearly identifiable patterns: I thought it would both translate well into a desc and look awesome on the egg picture.

Dragon Name Inspiration:

Tallailath caused us a whole heck of a lot of problems. We really wanted to give you something FUN, fun to say, fun to look at, and creative on top of it. We went round and round and round, chasing our tails through likely a hundred names, only to end up pretty much right back where we started. Our fear with Tallailath was strictly that you might consider it hard to type, so we had everyone we knew try typing it out, try saying it outloud, etc, etc… after polling the masses it was decided that it was actually fun to type. Score! Win! Trust us, type it out three or four times and your fingers and mind will get used to the layout and soon you’ll be itching to type it! Tallailath!

Tallailath! Tallailath! Tallailath! You can say it however you want, whatever suits, but I decided that it was the most entertaining to pronounce it: Tal Lay Lahth. With the ending kind of sounding very slightly like ‘laugh’. Tallailath!

The name actually comes from several places. The llal comes from Ullal, where Rani Abbakka fought so hard. Tal came from Shantala, as in Shantala Devi. The i in ‘ai’ came from Bibi, because oh man, did we ever try and make you a dragon name from Bibi! What a fun name. We failed, so you just get her ‘i’. Then the last ‘a’, well that Ai’den smacked me over the head with until I relented, and there you go: Tallailath.

Dragon Inspiration:

The overall dragon theme was based on three famous queens from India: Rani Abbakka of Ullal, Shantala Devi, the Hoysala queen, and Chand Bibi.

Rani (Devnagari: रानी), alternatively spelled Ranee, is the female equivalent of Raja. In many Indo-Aryan languages it can mean "queen" or "lady".

Abbakka Rani, Abbakka Mahadevi - Abhaya Rani ('The fearless queen'). Sometimes regarded as the 'first woman freedom fighter of India'. She really is the majority of the dragon’s personality. There is definitely parts of the other two, and likely a few other lady-warrior (do not think Xena!! Think stately warrior queen, but not prissy!) types sprinkled through, but it’s mostly the amazing woman who fought so hard for her people. The Rani was very very brave. My favorite quote from wikipedia: “Abbakka lost the war, was arrested and jailed. However, even in prison she revolted and died fighting.” That is your Tallailath!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbaka_Rani

Chand Bibi (1550–1599), also known as Chand Khatun or Chand Sultana. Was a warrior. “Invincible Lady of Ahmadnagar”. She counseled her husband the king on issues related to the government and military. A very clever woman, and tenacious!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chand_Bibi

Shantala Devi, the Hoysala queen., also titled as Patta Mahadevi. She is one of the most celebrated women in the history of Karnataka. She was the chief inspiration behind the ‘lady’ in your green. Shantala Devi was extremely beautiful and incredibly skilled at dance, as well as music, which is why her husband built many a monument/effigy in her honor. It’s her skill with music and dance, her celebrated grace, that was infused into Tallailath.

The physical is our version of what you asked, for: “OMG!” (that is a direct quote!) big, but proportionately so. When I think big, tribal, matriarch, rhythmic, intelligent, elegant yet tough, badass but gentle, serious yet also very very playful, I think elephant. Hence several of the reasons why she became in a lot of ways - elephant.

Another reason is (stolen quote from wiki) “Elephants are ubiquitous in Western popular culture as emblems of the exotic” and the dragon theme was the ‘exotic’. Lastly, as was said in ‘A Passage to India’ “elephants are a symbol of India itself”. They are not only the embodiment of the ‘exotic’, but the embodiment of India as well. Extremely important to the Indian people, well respected and well revered, and throughout history used in war as royal mounts, well housed in the royal stables. That spirit, that elegance, that amazing nature, seemingly simple, yet so incredibly complex, that is what we wanted to give you in a dragon. You’re a clever woman, you need a clever dragon.

Don’t think /too/ literally though, she is elephant, she is Rani, but she is also so very much /dragon/. Her form is dragon, with elephant influences, especially with it comes to her wings. Her wings though (guilty admittance) comes from the African elephant, so we’ll say that is attributed to the tribal part of her nature. The rest is Indian elephant, but most important - dragon. Don’t think tree trunk legs or barrel body, think stocky - big yet elegant bones. Think dragon.

Oh, and the intricate markings are mehndi! Also known as henna tattoos. All her vibrant color and thoughts come from the Indian celebration of Holi!!! We love Holi! It's all about the happiness! Her flights are totally all Holi!

Enough! It’s already been said. We hope you love her! Now onto the fun stuff!! Media!!

Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVc3qumH0jw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CegyYx_6B0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuXAlVLB_9M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icWOPQTkVh0&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hElh6hU_TkQ&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtIz1u8g1F0

I highly suggest watching this one full screen (it's from the movement section) so you can really see how awesomely the wing/ears and body move. It was my inspiration! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dXlSm4FOlw

Pictures:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/holi_the_festival_of_colors.html

Music:

Aztec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irfzs57h5OY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCEBL2vy0gk

Brazil
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctHGBiByTDU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiwqRSCWw2g&ob=av2e*

India
http://www.tablapassion.com/resources/EKTALA%20MIAN%20QADIR%20BAKSH%20PAKHAWAJI%20Tabla%20Solo.mp3 (It has loading issues sometimes, so if it goes short, just reload. )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bOosmXXTB4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8AyesPD9qM
Tabla tintal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bOosmXXTB4

Belly dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SWQGyW9MRQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T-aTqQPMhU

Native American
Floyd Red Crow Westerman - he was such an awesome man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlFo2MnRKXM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIq5Kh2qi9c
I absolutely love the communal spirit in Native American pow-wow drum circles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqLg6K9tSVA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhVoJWl0q_0
And for fun, this kid on the hand drum is so hilarious and awesome:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqBzdNpnyYY

Irish bodhran
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aN1uY4DLqI

Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe - Dumbek aka Goblet Drum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoYnZyKjZIo

Tuva
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGkxG-ca-b8

Spotify playlist:
http://open.spotify.com/track/02WEzibf7f0l2GbtjE6nHe
http://open.spotify.com/track/7llRr7FM06s1tDf48FygXn
http://open.spotify.com/track/1iZuMzewtM2aD1PuOTrtqM
http://open.spotify.com/track/1jIYJ0dnr1cEtpTZd7WcmS
http://open.spotify.com/track/23tUmMAG8FEKaHumU5Zi5J
http://open.spotify.com/track/5OpiwXfRXGVTaLlhHh5hFC
http://open.spotify.com/track/3oVqlkxruyAq73jRNU7Y0N
http://open.spotify.com/track/6cyiRigX8WZgtCPEzdxARs
http://open.spotify.com/track/3ZF0PVkd09XrTFvm8h5uCI
http://open.spotify.com/track/6poF7sY8ucKX69JyzWHeaL
http://open.spotify.com/track/55g5uWPxuK2t4QtKxVUY8d
http://open.spotify.com/track/0y32E677bWHimgQAmHMTcI
http://open.spotify.com/track/70xli1SfLvtX93DIT1Rx2n
http://open.spotify.com/track/6LVEYsHd4qJ1WtJZ9xhr2X
http://open.spotify.com/track/2G3CRca8Si7vrCeDain6d0
http://open.spotify.com/track/62Iq8maOZfTuHQzQQf6VlG
http://open.spotify.com/track/7mIgTZhaqGJ5pm7RSbRDqj
http://open.spotify.com/track/1CUQMZpIvoRq79PgqE0hSL
http://open.spotify.com/track/0YghmA2ymwbFS2tSIi7AMx

Useful info links:
http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/elephants/communication.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehndi

Credits:
We blame India for being so awesome as to inspire what we hope will be an awesome dragon for you.
We also blame elephants the world over, but most especially in — you got it, India, because they're just the coolest exotic beasts on the planet.
We blame Woodkid for creating such an amazing song with an epic tribal beat to remind us where we came from.
We blame Wikipedia for stealing several days of our lives in research, because wikipedia is /The Awesome/.
We blame everyone on the internet that unknowingly contributed all those links and pictures.
We blame you because you sent in that awesome questionnaire that you clearly stressed on for /weeks/ (Yea, Ai'den snitched!).
We blame Rh'iad and Lisya for their amazing contributions and their willingness to spend so much slave labor time reading and editing, rereading and reediting, and then rereading and reediting again to make sure it wasn't all completely incomprehensible. They actually probably did it more like 10 times.
We blame Ai'den for making us nuts nagging so hard to make sure you got the best ever dragon! I keed! I keed! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJqJM4xM-oE)
We blame S'tao for digging through the mountains of bpal scents for the ones that would be /perfect/ for your dragon. He found them too! Tremendous job!
We blame Klohi for 3 AM inspiration consulting and support.
We blame Q'luin for all the incomprehensibility, which was pretty much everything he contributed.
Ultimately we blame whoever it was that came up with the inspiration for inspirations in the first place!!!!

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