Phthongoth
(Image courtesy of R'yn)
Congratulations on impressing a dragon
here at Ista Weyr! We hope that he is everything that you could want in a
lifemate, though this inspiration is just a guideline for how to play your
dragon. You are not required to follow all or any of it. The dragon is /yours/.
Members of SearchCo have put many hours into the creation of your dragon, and we
are excited to see how you develop the personality in your own, unique way. -- <Lzi,
D’baji, and S’eron>
Dragon: Phthongoth
Color: Blue
Name: D’baji
Egg: Faranth’s Inferno Egg
Egg Desc: Lanti
Dragonet: Cosmic Rebirth Blue Dragonet
Dragonet Desc: D’baji
Messages: D’baji
Inspiration: Lzi, D’baji, S’eron
Faranth’s Inferno Egg
Deep, bubbling black darker than Ista's ash seems to blend the egg with the
black sands of the hatching cavern. Pinpoints of sparkling silver are the only
points of light within the gloomy shadows. Rising from the murky depths, a
choking haze of blood-touched smoke curls about, unable to escape the clutches
of the dark. But then, released from that bitter custody, the smoke erupts into
flames. Crisp, jagged whorls of crimson and gold twist about each other with the
intensity of a knife's blade, until they meet at the pointed apex of the egg
like the licking blaze of an inferno.
Hatching Message:
Faranth's Inferno Egg rolls forward, coming into scorching contact with its
brother. The dark egg trembles between rhythmic knocks against its inside, the
silver pinpricks seeming to grow as bits of the shell are shed by the insistent
battery. Stillness after these first shards are shed, the creature within
prompting a moment of suspense with its rest. Then, an explosion as limbs and
tail push in all directions against the weakened walls, and the inferno shatters
to reveal a blue dragonet, overly-long limbs splayed out on Ista's dark sands.
Cosmic Rebirth Blue Dragonet
Cosmic swirls of mauve and azure wind nebulous over harsh 'ridges, sprinkling
ethereal cerulean dust over the inky background of his sides in their wake. Inky
black is the dragon's pointed muzzle, absorbing all surrounding light save for
two bolts of electric blue along his eyeridges. The same darkness swells over
precariously long limbs, interrupted at the joints by ominous flashes of
powder-blue flame, haloed in auras of aquamarine. A flash of brightest white on
his chest illuminates the chaos of his underbelly, cobalt and sapphire
contracting into swirls and chunks to be thrown against the indigo marking the
underside his neck, to assult the flares of palatinate purple curving beneath
his tail. A heating golden light nestled between his shoulders shines onto the
lowest parts of his long, thin wings, which, pushing upward before settling
back, add to the dragon's abnormal height. Across his 'sails, order has been
regained, and glowing orbs of carmine, orbited by pinprick satellites of slate,
bask in the auric warmth.
Impression Message:
%D's reign of ungainly terror is coming to an end. The dragonet emits a final
ear-shattering screech, dropping once more to all fours, the chaos of his
underbelly hidden as his eyes find the one who will bring beauty and order to
his chaos. The reds and yellows fade from whirling optics, his loping steps
joyous as he passes by the candidates beside her to bring his lanky frame up
alongside a small, raven-haired girl. Pushing his inky snout forward to be level
with the candidate's, %D stretches out his long wings to bring %N, his one and
only %N, into his universe.
Personal Impression Message:
<< Thyia. >> The scratchy tenor of an adolescent calls you out, and your mind is
pulled into a whole universe of crimson planets and silver-grey satellites
orbiting them. The crystal clear sound of music, strong and sweet, a harmony of
perfect intervals, ebbs and flows with each revolution. The forward swing of a
moon cannot eclipse the wonder of this new mind as it explores yours. << Thyia,
the moons are waiting, don't you see? We'll fly up to them together, you and me.
>> A higher note adds itself to the others. << Thyia and Phthongoth. >>
~*~ INSPIRATIONS ~*~
Name Inspiration:
Phthongoth is pretty much exactly the Greek word for 'sound' or 'noise', which
is 'phthongos'. When you said you'd like a name that the Weyrlingmaster would
despite calling out, this one seemed like a good bet. We know it's somewhat
lacking in syllables, but really, that many consonants all at once are never
easy to say. You might also have to work a bit harder to think up a nickname for
him, as it isn't the easiest name to split, either. We envision the
pronunciation as being 'ph-THON-goth', but of course, he's your dragon, so you
can say his name however you like. Just be careful; if you sneeze, he might
think you're calling him.
Egg Inspiration:
Fire, pure and simple. We would not survive without it, but it can create
long-lasting agony if you are not careful. Take Dante's Inferno, for example.
The deeper you go, the harsher your eternity, and the darker your hell where the
only light you will see is the flash of callous metal. Above, you might be lucky
enough to see only the blaze as it consumes all in its path. Outside the story,
we are not free from the dangers of fire. Give a single flame enough fuel, and
you could find yourself staring at death. --Lanti
Description Inspiration:
Phthongoth, as his name suggested when he tumbled out of his egg, is based on
the big bang. The theme for this clutch, after all, was "Rebirth,
Reconstruction, and Rebuilding", and what's a better example of that than the
big bang?
"So anyway there was the big bang of course, the Big Bang theory: everything
exploded, we're expanding at this very moment. Then it's going to contract, come
back, and do it again. How many big bangs have there been? Seven!? Well, you
know, we don't know!" ~Eddie Izzard, from his show 'Circle'
Phthongoth's colouration attempts to capture the before the bang, the bang, and
the after the bang all at once. That's probably why it's so long. (Sorry about
that. We couldn't hold back.) The top of his body, if you were to see him from
overhead, will look rather empty. There's a lot of dark inky blues, even blacks
at some point, like on his snout. You get a suggestion of a stellar electrical
storm on his eyeridges, and hints of nebulae over his spine and neckridges. This
is the 'before' part.
His underside is the 'bang' part. The bright spot on his chest (which will sort
of look like a balloon full of bleach exploded all over him) is the real bang.
The blues are the contracted bits of the former universe being blown out all
over again. The purples, I guess then, stand for space and unformed matter being
pushed into something coherent. While you might be able to see some of the
purples on his tail from a bird's-eye-view, you probably won't catch the indigo
on his neck from overhead.
His wings, finally, are the freshly formed universe. Imagine, if you will, a sun
hidden in between his shoulders, its glow reflecting out onto the lower part of
his wings. Then, farther up on the wingsails, are planets (the red bits) being
orbited by moons; new solar systems, cooling and growing life anew.
In short, yes, your dragon will look like a refugee from a paintball match. But
it was a poetic paintball match.
Mind Voice:
Phthongoth's mindvoice proves that your dragon has some kind of imagination on
him, if only for all the different senses he's able to call into play when he
tells you things.
The imagery Phthongoth uses when he speaks to you will almost match his hide,
with planets and their moons (like his wings) for those moments when the pair of
you are perfectly in tune, nebulae when he's pushing you to work and solar
flares when he's trying to get you to play, and when you've said 'no' and got
him all moody, that same chaotic explosion of his underbelly, with blues and
purples all mashed and swirling and angry.
He'll have sounds to match up with each image. A beautiful, harmonious sound
(think when people are playing crystal glasses of water and the intervals are
just perfect) will be heard along with the planets and moons, which is the
"music of the spheres" that you find described in stoic writings. (See http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_text_cic_scipiodream.htm#5.
for the excerpt of Cicero's 'Somnium Scipionis' (Scipio's Dream) that describes
this music). When he's playful, his solar flares will have one note that will
grow in intensity, disappear, and then start over (think the THX theme that you
see at the beginning of the movies, only repeated). When he wants to concentrate
on work, the nebulae will be accented by a dull throbbing thud, almost like the
beating of a heart; insisten, rhythmic, steady. And then when he's exploding...
oh, Thyia, you're going to have to figure out how to cover your mental ears.
Like any dragon based off the biggest explosion in the history of ever should
be, Phthongoth is a master of temper tantrums. When he's expressing his
displeasure over not getting his way, you'll not only be assaulted by a mash of
colours, and the forces throwing them together, but you'll get to hear explosive
bangs and the sounds of breaking glass and something not unlike a cat being
dragged across a chalk board with claws extended. He'll probably grow out of
using this so frequently, but even when he's an old and doddering dragon, if he
gets really ticked off, this bedlam will be there, just as loud as the first
time you told him that, no, now is the time for sleep, and we can't go play with
the trundlebugs in the bowl.
Another facet of the voice will be sensations. When he's throwing a temper
tantrum, you'll be hard-pressed not to lose your balance and fall over, 'cause
you'll swear you can feel all those cosmic forces tugging you every which way.
On the other hand, when everything is orderly and orbiting, you'll feel floaty.
And if he's really focus on something, no matter what imagery he's using at the
time, there will be a distinct sense of gravitation pull, as if a black hole.
Your thoughts to him, the weyrlingmaster's orders, even sometimes the
unconscious knowledge of that stump he's about to trip over will all swirl into
nothingness, because Phthongoth is just too focused on the task at hand. Have
fun overcoming that.
And finally, his actual voice. Though this is a dragon who doesn't rely so
heavily on verbal communication, when he does speak you will forever hear the
voice of an adolescent boy. It's sort of a scratchy tenor, that will crack when
he's discussing things he gets excited or angry about. It's almost guaranteed to
crack every time he's talking to that pretty green over there.
<< Oh, hi there, Im-a-drith. >> The flare of a verdant sun lights a ripped chord
of music. << You're l-ook-ing really- >> he makes his voice purposefully lower,
<< -good today. >>
While others will get to experience some of the multi-sensory joy that is
Phthongoth's voice, remember, Thyia, that you will be the only one with whom
he'll ever share his music of the spheres.
<< Thyia... >> A roving satellite swings forward in its orbit, bringing with it
a new aspect from which to see a new beauty. Clear harmonies swirl all around
the celestial bodies << See those shooting stars? Let's play with them. >> A
planet spins past a mischeivous laugh. << And you're It. >>
Physicalities:
Phthongoth, apart from his colouration, has one truly striking characteristic:
he's tall. He'll be long and lanky for life, looking like a perpetual boy at the
beginning of puberty for it. It doesn't help that his wings are shaped in such a
way that they sit more 'up' than 'back', even when he's got them neatly folded.
And with as stubborn as the dragon is to do what he wants, you can be guaranteed
that he won't try to slouch to blend in with the crowd. Phthongoth will flaunt
his legs proudly, and will take great joy in being taller than the bronzes and,
for a slightly longer time, the browns in his clutch. Once he's grown up, he
still might match or surpass the smaller browns in height, despite not being as
long as they are.
He'll move with a loping motion on the ground. In the air, he won't be quite as
agile as the smaller blues, but because his build is light and aerodynamic,
he'll be able to fly for a bit longer than most of them. He'll be able to go
very fast when flying in a straight line, but simply because of the dragon
caused by having longer limbs, turns will slow him down a bit.
Because of his colouration, Phthongoth will love to fly at night; he'll feel
he's become part of the night, and this communion with the sheer beauty of
nature will be one of the times where your dragon is at his calmest and most
poetic. The feel of it might even be overpowering, and night flights will be a
time when the pair of you /will/ actually manage to be on the same page. Enjoy
them.
Personality:
You’re got the equivalent of an adolescent boy on your hands, Thyia. At times,
it’ll be great. Phthongoth’ll cheer you up when you’re feeling blue. He’ll be
able to say the right things to make you feel better. And when you’re angry at
that brownrider who took the last of the klah, he’ll curse right along with you.
These are the times that you’ll cherish, for these are the times that you’ll get
along. However, these times will be few and far between.
More often than not, your personalities and moods will be in complete opposition
of each other. When you're trying to pay attention to the assistant
weyrlingmaster teaching the lesson, your blue will be pestering you to take him
to play in the mud. When you're dead tired, he'll be nudging you to play tag (a
favourite of his). And yet when you want to go play with him, Phthongoth will
either be too cranky to take anywhere, or will be on you like a parent, telling
you that you need to be getting your work done. The faster you get your work
done, the quicker you can go play.
But take heed, Thyia. Don't let Phthongoth push you around. If you need to be
serious, be serious. If you want to be playful, be playful. When you stand up to
him, and refuse to bathe him when you are in the middle of a lesson, he won't
take it easily. Expect a very angry dragon inside your head for the night. But
you can be thankful that the slate is wiped clean every morning, and Phthongoth
will be back to bugging you to play when you should be working.
Going along with Phthongoth’s dual personality, you should really be careful
what information you let slip around him, because before you know it, it’ll be
spread around the whole Weyr. It could be anything from what color panties you
wear to who spent the night in your weyr. The reverse of this is that you’ll be
the first to know about the latest gossip, and he’ll be sure to tattle on anyone
who’s been talking bad about you. His nature to gossip will both be a blessing
and a curse.
One of Phthongoth’s many quirks is his aesthic eye. He finds beauty in
everything, from the way that the waves crash on the beach to that crippled
auntie sitting in front of the hearth. This will take you many places, Thyia.
His desire to find beauty in the world will literally take you on a tour of Pern,
and once just isn’t enough. You’ll see Pern twenty times over, and that’s just
within the first five turns of having him as a lifemate. Just look on the bright
side. You’ll be able to be very cultured and buy lots of souvenirs.
Some people would call him stubborn. Others would say he’s a hero. Regardless of
what you call him, Phthongoth is always looking out for other people, constantly
on alert for any dragon, rider, or person who may require his assistance. No
task is too daunting for your blue to try. Once the both of you graduate, you
best believe he’s going to be pushing you to join the search and rescue unit.
He’s got such a great desire to help other people, and hopefully you’ll catch
his enthusiasm.
Phthongoth, if you couldn’t already tell, if a big fan of playing games, one of
his many quirks. Tag, among all of the rest, is his favorite. He’ll want to play
with you, as well as other dragons, mainly on the beach. More room to run that
way.
He also is a fan of water games, more than happy to chase a piece of driftwood
around the water for hours on end. Another one of his little water-oddities is
that until he can fly, Phthongoth will insist on jumping into the water as far
as he can, like a jumper in the Olympics. << Didja see that! Didja see how far I
got this time! That’s a record! >> When he /is/ able to fly though, he’ll have
to drop you off on the beach in order to dive into the water from the air. The
smaller the splash, the better. More points that way, you know.
Phthongoth has a plethora of quirks. You just need to discover them on your own.
Flights:
Remember that scratchy, adolescent voice? That same awkwardness of youth takes
over completely when it's time for a flight. Some dragons may be able to chat up
a proddy green, to get her out of sorts with a barrage of seductive thoughts and
challenges of prowess, but Phthongoth will have no such luck. If he even tries
to approach a green, his mental voice will crack and break off in the middle of
any given word or thought. The harder he tries to converse, the worse it will
become. He'll end up hovering on the outskirts, like any scrawny teenager might,
hoping for the right moment to pounce. If he happens to blood a few herdbeasts
while he waits, all the better. The nervousness and frustration will mount up so
much, you'll have to restrain him from exploding into flight early.
Eventually, hopefully at the right time, he will be off like a bang, soaring
through the air like a bottle rocket. His chaotic path will zig, zip, and zag,
completely out of his - and your - control. If not at all predictable, he will
at least give chase in a powerful and determined manner. If he catches
immediately, more power to him. If not, in time he will start to slow down, the
initial burn spent; but this is the prime opportunity for him to plan out his
next movements. His preternatural relationship with the heavens will begin to
guide him; he'll be able to predict the path the green will take, and it will be
up to him to be in the right place at the right time. If he manages to find that
place while he still has a little kick from his initial burst, then everything
will come into alignment. If he still cannot catch up, then you know he will be
the dragon waiting when the green finally starts to slow.
Phthongoth will be disappointed if he doesn't catch. His 'method', if so it can
be called, of chasing leaves plenty of room for error in the hap-hazard event
that is a green's flight, and your poor dragon will often be left without
satisfaction. In the same spirit of a brooding teenager, he'll be disheartened
for a time, disappointed in himself, frustrated. It's up to you to console him,
Thyia, or shove his mind over to a different topic (maybe a game of tag or
something).
However, when he does catch, you can expect it to feel like first love on his
end - and this will be true for every single successful flight, not just his
first victory. For one or two days following the flight, Phthongoth, if the
green will put up with it, will want to be close to her. He'll be thrilled with
just sitting with his tail tangled with hers on the rim of the bowl, or
playfully splashing at her in the basin. Imagine how a teenage boy feels about
his first girlfriend, and you have Phthongoth's reaction perfectly. On day
three, or no later than day four after the flight, Phthongoth will forget this
entirely. In the spirit of the big bang, everything will start anew, and he
likely will not even remember the feelings. That's why it's first love over and
over.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Thyia's blue Phthongoth
Harper's Tale: 47th PC Clutch
Ista Weyr
Minka's gold Ryazusith & D'baji's bronze Nverath
Friday, April 13th, 2007
Clutchmates:
Eryn and green
Imadrith
M'cai and brown
Giavistoth
M'erc and blue
Hydasnth
R'ell and bronze
Sunevoth
T'lor and blue
Kayganoth
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The "Dragonriders of Pern" books are Copyright © Anne McCaffrey
