Bonds and Bonding

Taken Bond Abilities
Bond Ability Ideas
Trainingmasters
bonds to be

Air Realm:
Ryuuki
Pegasi
Gryphons

Fire Realm:
Phoenixi
Fire Dragons
Flamecats

Land Realm:
Kyushi
Kraenons
Equines

Water Realm:
Water Dragons
Dolphins
Maricorns

Bond pairs are the backbone of Shadow Star. They aid in protecting the Unity from Chaos, which is, in fact, the reason the gods created bonds to begin with. They also offer unconditional love, support, and companionship to their bondeds. Each realm has three types of bonds, and no one has to bond within their realm or even to the same gender. For instance, a female merperson of the water realm can bond a male dragon of the fire realm. Every type of bond has a name restriction. These make it easier for people reading your posts to determine what type of bond you have.

• Dragons (fire, water): Names end in -lle.
• Ryuuki: Names end in -th.
• Kyushi: Names end in -sh.
• Phoenix and Flamecat: Names end in -nal.
• Pegasi and Gryphon: Names end in -ae.
• Equine and Kraenon: Names end in a double consonant.
• Dolphin and Maricorn: Names end in -ra.

What is bonding, exactly? If you've read the Dragonriders of Pern series, it's roughly the same as Impressing. If you've read the His Dark Materials trilogy, the link between a bond and bonded is very similar to that of a daemon and its human. Otherwise, I'll have to explain it... Bonding is a strong, strong bond between a magical creature (in this case, pegasi, gryphon, maricorn, phoenix, dragon, or any of the creatures listed in the Bonds section) and a humanoid (human, elf, centaur, angel, gnome, any of those listed in the Species section of the Guide). It's a telepathic bond, but more than that. It's a link between two beings that allows them to feel each others' emotions and thoughts... It's as if they're one being with two separate personalities and bodies. One mind, as it were. The mentally unstable might even find themselves confused as to which of them is which. Bond links are fairly invasive. Talking gets harder the more distance there is between the bonds, but emotions stay strong. Keeping thoughs private requires active blocking, secrets take skill. Basic emotions get filtered and ignored over time, but strong emotions take an effort and training to block.

Once someone decides to bond, they come to the palace in Cascadia Falls and recieve a pendant that, at the time of bonding, will alert them to head to the bonding grounds, and afterward will hold the magic of the bond until they mature. No sense in having magic available to the untrained. Each pair will undergo four months of training with a master, and at the end of that period, will graduate as a class. They will learn about the magic of the bond, about each other, history, battle and warfare, and numerous other things of importance. Each realm follows the same basic pattern of training, but each bond-type must have it tailored to its needs. On the day of graduation, the pendant will release the pair's magic and give them a specific ability granted by their realm's deity.

There are some things that are common to bonds across the board. Bond creatures are given the potential to live as long as their bondeds. While a wolf would die of old age at 10 or 15, a kraenon bonded to a city elf could live up to 1,000 years. A dragon bonded to an elf has the potential to live forever. All bond creatures have color vision, regardless of their real-life counterparts, unless other reasons complicate this. Bond animals also have some degree of elemental magic based on their realm. It isn't powerful, but it can be used in any number of ways. A dolphin can make a water current work for himself, a ryuuki can create a gust of wind, a kyushi can help a plant grow a bit faster, a phoenix can extinguish a hearthfire. If there is more than one bond creature from a realm concentrating on the same task, or even if bonds from different realms work together when two or more realms are involved in a task, they are more powerful. Five or six gryphons could make a small tornado, and, lava being melted rock, two fire dragons, an equine, and a kraenon could help control a lava flow. The more the number, the greater power they can all excersize. Bonds can also make passage through their own realms easier. Water creatures can ease the effects of pressure and drag, for instance. Fire bonds might find themselves working well in a fire brigade, able to brave the flames and temperatures that others can't to save those trapped in a burning building.

The bond's humanoid bonded also gets a bit of help from the realm of his or her bond. There's little sense in having a water dragon if you can't go everywhere it can, or so the realm gods have decided. Fire bondeds have a higher resistance to fire and heat than most folk, water bonds have to breathe less often, or can even breathe underwater along with having less trouble with water pressure at depths. Air bondeds seem to be resistant to the cold and low air pressure of altitudes. Land bonds aren't showing as many abilities of this kind since it seems that most folk can deal with moving about on land as easily their bonds, though there are reports that they seem to resist the allergies some plants can cause, or have less trouble forging paths through thick brush.

What's the difference between a royal and a common bond? Well, the bondeds of the senior royals in each realm make up the Council that controls the top-level administration of the island along with the guild councils. All royals have the perogative to live in the palace in Cascadia Falls, though some might decide to live elsewhere in the city. They are always on call to help with anything that might require a bit of royal attention, day or night, and are generally mindful enough of their roots to not mind pitching in to control floods or helping out someone in need just as anyone else would. The current royals really are real people and several make the effort to remind their people that they aren't in the palace just to decorate a throne on festival days.

Traditionally, the "Owns", the rank just below King/Queen, are supposed to hold their offices in StarScape, but thus far this has never occurred, there never having been enough Owns to accomplish this move. Royal bonds are chosen by the gods, selected to support the Unity and keep the government running with equal power to each realm. It is a tremendous honor to be selected by a royal bond and it is open to anyone as the gods do not seem to choose based on family or wealth. The poorest man has as much chance as the richest to achieve a position of power. Royal bonds often tend to have litters, clutches, foals, etc. more often than common bonds, keeping the population of bond pairs up.

There have been cross species breedings between the equine-like bonds of the realms, and while this will produce a legitimate foal most of the time, the foal is always sterile, not unlike mules. Other bond types do not cross-breed.

Bonds

Air Realm

• Ryuuki: Ryuuki are like small dragons. They are larger than a phoenix, but not as large by any means as a fire dragon; about ten feet high at the shoulder, and 35 feet from nose to tail. Their build is a bit catlike and as a result, they tend to be more agile and faster both in flight and on land. They can travel on the ground as easily as in the air, with hind legs strong enough to let them stand comfortably upright as well. They are scaled in summer and have thick, soft fur in winter. The hatchlings break shell furred no matter what time of year and will not know what true color they will be till the next warm season when the scales form over the underfur because in some rare cases, the summer scales are a different color than the winter fur. Common ryuuki come in any combination of colors. They have the sharp teeth of a predator and can breathe concentrated blasts of frigid wind like the dragons do fire.
      The royals can be male or female, they all have either white or black winter fur that will sometimes change from from white to black, and back again between seasons and the scales are metallic in color whether silver, gold, pewter, copper... The strange color switches of the fur of royals is attributed to the genetic changes made to the species thought to perhaps alter the hormone release of the royals at random, bringing about a rather interesting side-effect.
      Ryuuki have the same mating habits as the fire dragons, mating flights, only the ryuuki flights tend to be at higher speeds. The royal vs. common clutches are the same as for pheonixi. The clutches for common ryuuki are usually only up to about four eggs; for a royal it can be up to fifteen and in rare cases, more. Names end in "TH".

• Pegasi: Simply winged horses. They come in all normal horse colors (black, white, bay...) and are anywhere from 10 to even in rare cases up to 20 hands (a size measurement from ground to withers, about four inches = 1 hand) with wings proportionate to their size. All females are capable of having foals. Royals can be male or female and will have a metallic horn and hooves. The hooves of pegasi, like equines, are of a hard enough substance to not need shoes even on paved streets like common horses do. Names end in "AE".

• Gryphons: The traditional heraldic gryphon for the most part, with the body, hind legs and tail of a large cat and an prey bird's head, wings, and front talons. They are large enough to be ridden, standing at about the height of a pony, coming to about 4 or 5 feet at the shoulder. Common females typically hatch one or two fledglings per year, though some don't nest at all. Royal females can lay up to six eggs at a time, rarely any more than that. Royals are marked by a prismatic sheen over a coat of either white or black, like having been dipped in oil and water. Gryphons come in the same shades as any bird or cat half. Names end in "AE".
  Picture by Scream.

Fire Realm

• Phoenixi: Phoenixi are amazingly beautiful birds that are about the size of horses and are capable of carrying a human with little difficulty (Without a riding harness, riding a bird 'bareback' tends to be... interesting, although there are some brave souls that do it.) When in flight they can dissolve into a flying fireball with the rider and anything else touching it, or remain in bird form. No, third degree burns are not a requisite of being a phoenix bond!
      Phoenixi reproduce the same way as fire dragons - a mating flight - with some exceptions. Only the mating of a royal male and a royal female will produce a large clutch of up to fifteen eggs containing a royal. If a royal male flies a common female, or a royal female is flown by a common male, the result will be a clutch of up to six eggs and never a royal. If a common male flies a common female, the clutch will be of one or two eggs and no royal. Of course, sometimes the gods interfere, if a royal is desperately needed...
      Females are capable of laying two to fifteen eggs in a clutch every seven months. Eggs are laid two months after the mating flight, and hatch roughly six months later. Phoenixi come in all colors; again, within reason. Royals are, again metallic and can be male or female. Names end in "NAL".

• Fire Dragons: These are dragons in the traditional sense. They are large, scaled reptiles that breathe fire and fly, yet aren't the vicious creatures of legend. They grow to somewhere around 50 feet long from nose to tail and about 15 to 20 at the shoulder. They tend toward the temper their realm god is said to have, but are otherwise mild creatures. Their heads are finely sculpted and regal, they may or may not have horns and are usually lithe and graceful. The wild ones live mostly in the mountains, yet can be found with their bonds anywhere they care to be.
      Dragon females are capable of laying one clutch every seven months after they are a year old, but most choose not to. There is a type of plant that many use to cause sterility. It is almost instinct for common females to use this plant and few ever have a clutch. Royal females, however, are compelled to mate and bear a clutch by some deep instinct that common dragons don't possess. When the time comes, very little can stop them from taking flight to challenge male dragons into the chase. The clutch is normally somewhere between five and fifteen eggs, but can be more or less. Common dragons come in all combinations of colors. Royals will have metallic scales of any color. Also, royals are ONLY female. Names end in "LLE".

• Flamecats: Flamecats are large cats, about four or five feet tall at the shoulder - sometimes larger - with fur that can burst into different temperatures and colors of fire with their emotions. They don't burn anyone they don't want to burn, though, which is a good thing, and can carry people though most generally don't. They're built like their counterparts, complete with the strengths and weaknesses that come with that build (cheetah, lion, cougar...) Most hate water with a passion. Flamecats tend to mate for life, and females- royal or not- have 2 to 8 kits a litter, with 1 litter possible a year usually, and almost always an even number of kittens. Royals have silver eyes and non-royals have normal cat-eye colors (green, blue...) Names end in "NAL".
  

Land Realm

• Kyushi: Kyushi are probably the most unique of the bond species. They are wingless draconic creatures about eight feet tall at the shoulder and thirty feet long--larger than a horse or kraenon, but smaller than their ryuuki cousins. They're built something like a cheetah, long and low with high speed and stamina. The top speed of a kyushi is somewhere around 120mph, but this is a sprinting speed and cannot be kept up at long distance. They can change from furred to scaled and back at will. Royals have prismatic fur and scales and seem almost like walking prisms, though this is just an illusion - yes they do have internal organs and if a royal is white, one could possibly see vague outlines of what lies inside if the light was good enough, but otherwise they just seem as if they're made of glass.
      Their eyes are polygonal in shape, with jewel-like facets. The pupils can be round or become slitted like cat eyes in different levels of light. These slits do not have to be vertical and can change to any angle to aid in seeing different types of energy or in filtering different parts of the spectrum. They are not limited to just visible light and can change the angle of the pupil's slit to filter out certain types of light or see more than most can. These abilities make them quite comfortable in utter darkness or unfavorable conditions by using everything from infrared to low-level x-ray. They are, however, limited to whatever energy is in the area. Their irises change color depending on mood, while the pupil maintains the color of a gemstone. They have opposable thumbs which aid in picking things up or maintaining a good grip and their claws can grab into stone or wood, so they're very good climbers. Kyushi are also great diggers. Females typically lay small clutches of one to four eggs and have a habit of smuggling their eggs in with the eggs of other dragons, not unlike a cuckoo. Their names end in "SH".
  Kyushi Eye, by Dani.

• Equines: Equines are physically horses, but they have the exceptional intelligence and the telepathic abilities of all bonds. They come in the traditional horse colors (black, bay, palomino...) and stand anywhere from 10 to 20 hands at the shoulder. As with pegasi, royals are marked by a metallic horn and hooves they acquire at the moment of bonding. Royals are male or female. As with the pegasi- all females are capable of having foals. All females usually do have at least one foal in their lifetime, though this isn't mandetory. Equines also have an advantage over common horses in that their hooves are of a hard enough substance to not need shoes even when frequently traveling paved roads. Some prefer to have shoes anyway whether for the look or to lend power to a kick if a battle is brewing, but it isn't a necessity. Names end in a double consonant.

• Kraenon: These are like large wolves, about the same size as the flamecats, 4 or 5 feet at the shoulder. They have a fearsome look, but are generally playful creatures by nature. Royals are only female and are marked by a black coat with a white belly and ruff about the neck. They can carry people, though most kraenon don't enjoy doing so and will only in exceptional circumstances. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule. Females typically raise one litter of between two and six pups in a year but don't have to, and many will mate for life, though this isn't the rule either. Names end in a double consonant.
  

Water Realm

• Water Dragons: Water dragons are basically sea serpents. They don't have back legs, just a tail and front legs with sharp claws used to catch fish or defend itself. It is wingless, has scales, and a dorsal ridge that varies in size from dragon to dragon. They are large enough to carry a human easily, and can stretch as long as forty feet or more, 10 at the shoulder being average. They have amazing agility in the water, though they're generally more awkward on land. The royals are metallic colored and only female, like their fire counterparts, common dragons can be any combination of colors. Water dragons reproduce in a chase in the water, similar to ryuuki or fire dragon flights. Clutches are laid on beaches and range on average from 5 - 15 eggs; the only time water dragons typically come out of the water is to lay their eggs and guard them from predators. They do have a land form in which they grow hind legs for easier manuvering on land when necessary, making them look a bit like the kyushi, being wingless as well. They have a dorsal fin that can be held rigid and sharp or become as soft as any other fin membrane at will. This gives them a weapon as well as protection for their spines in battle. These creatures can breathe under the water as well as above. Most water dragons hate being out of the water, but if their bonded isn't a water-realmer, they generally are anyway. Names end in "LLE".

• Dolphins: These are self explanatory. They are underwater mammals with rubbery skin and a playful disposition. They come in a wide range from black to white with blues and grays in between. They can be any type of dolphin, from the bottle-nosed dolphin to the blunt-nosed Amazon river dolphin. All females are capable of giving birth to live young and can typically have one calf every year or so. Royals are marked by being coal black with a silver star on their dorsal fin. Dolphins also have a land form, similar to a seal, though their head remains delphinian, and they keep the dorsal fin and their own coloring. They can usually only go 10 to 20 minutes without surfacing to breathe. Names end in "RA".

• Maricorns: Maricorns are creatures with the forepart and head of a unicorn and the tail of a dolphin or fish. They have a dorsal crest from withers to the beginning of the flukes, similar to the water dragon's ridge. It can be sharp as a razor or soft like fin membrane at will, giving the maricorn an effective weapon and a safety mechanism to protect its spine. Similar to merfolk, maricorns have two forms - a water fin form (which includes cup-like fins over the front hooves, a mane like an equine, a horn of common color, and a long dolphin-like tail) and a land form (four legs and a tail like an equine). They generally lose the dorsal fin in the change to four legs, though this is pretty individual.
      They lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young and royals can have clutches of anywhere from two to twelve eggs every seven months, in rare cases more or less. Common maricorns have typically one or two eggs at a setting. They are benevolent creatures by nature and enjoy having fun. The royals are marked by being either white or black with metallic horn. They can go without surfacing to breathe for a little over 20 minutes usually. Names end in "RA".
  Picture by Scream.

Bonds to Be

When a person decides to stand for a bond, they are given pendants that allow them access to the palace in Cascadia Falls without audience and entitles them to an optional room in BtB (Bonds to Be) dorms anywhere on the island. The main set of dorms are in Cascadia, but there are dorms in StarScape, Kiridia, and Oceanica. They do not need to stay in the dorms - only if they wish to or have no other place nearby to stay. Once they graduate, there is also housing available to them in Cascadia Falls if they have nowhere else to go. This also keeps them close to the nerve center of the island for quick deployment in the event of an invasion - which is, in fact, part of the purpose of bonding. This pendant will reflect the realm they are standing in and the type of bond they are standing for. The pendants are as follows:

• Fire: An silver oval about the size of a quarter with its edge ringed by tiny rubies and traditional golden topazes. The silhouette of the type of bond is etched in the center of the ring.
• Air: Silver ringed with diamonds and blue topazes, with the bond type etched in the center.
• Water: Silver ringed with sapphires and aquamarines, bond type etched in the center.
• Land: Silver ringed with obsidian and emerald, bond type etched in the center.

These pendants signal the imminant bonding by emitting a pinging sound when activated telepathically by a Council member. This is to signal both the BtB and anyone nearby that a bonding is about to take place. Keep the pendant with you at all times. Who knows when the bonding will be...