This bronze is the paragon of manliness, from the craggy reach of his eyeridges to the stubble-licked column of his throa— What's that, you say? This is a /gold/?! Surely not. Built like a cliff-dwelling skybroom, this dragon isn't so much lofty as she is massive, composed entirely of twisted edges and gale-battered branches. Gnarled, root-like toes emerge from trunk-like columns a generous soul might call legs, each paw ending in rugged bark-brown claws. Her wings are proportionally enormous, but judging from her shape, form, and bulk, this gold will cut through the air like a plasticraft knife through a boulder, and that's on a good day. Instead, she seems to be the sort to weather all winds, pointing the jagged ridges along her spine towards turmoil and taking whatever comes her way (though it is safe to say that little will move her). Flickers and flecks of bronzed metal whorl across her jaw, but the rest of this dragon's hide is a steady shade of antique gold - ancient, undiluted and relentless as the desert sun.
Egg Name and Egg Description
It Hurts So Good Egg
What's black and blue and red all over? This egg right here, obviously enough. Crimson splatters intermittently, a haphazard color scheme that fits rather well over the strange interweaving of bruise-like coloration. Busted-blood-vessel fades into putrid yellow, purple contortions blending into the otherwise contusion-colored shell. Thoroughly battered, beaten and bruised— whipped can be added to the list, with crimson slashes like whip welts scatter at random intervals, welling with the color of midnight blood.
Hatching Message
It Hurts So Good Egg doesn't do none of that slow and steady wins the race crap. Oh no, from this first action and on, it's nothing but wild and crazy wiggling and wobbling. Jerky back and forth motions, big time jumps bouncing to and fro the egg's little area of the sands. Movement, constant movement, each action more fueled with energy than the next.
Little cracks and crevices start to appear with every punishing return to earth It Hurts So Good Egg does. They start on the bottom first (or is that the top? Who even knows anymore?), crackling along, some pieces flicking off, but for the most part the shell stays in tact. Spinning comes next, now that bouncing is over, a topsy-turvey motion that has the egg careening all about, faster and faster, more cracks appearing, more chaos being created as the being within tries to free itself.
It takes a few moments, but the crazy spinning top routine It Hurts So Good Egg had going on comes to an end and all movement takes a backseat for a few tense seconds. Seconds turn into minutes and those minutes grow larger in number. It's a waiting game now, at least until the vibrations start. Hard, shell-rocking vibrations that cause the egg to pulsate in place! The air becomes this with them, a buzzing sound begins and grows louder with each passing tick. Finally, a loud -BOOM- rockets the Sands, small particles of what once was dragon egg shell fall sprinkle through the air, dusting that dragonet that now stands where the egg once did. Presto Chango!
Impression Message
A dark chuckle heard echoing in your mind is the first indication that something is just not right. Something is just no longer normal. A flash of heat, the scent of whiskey rye permeating into all of your senses, engulfing you with a feel of sweet inebriation. It doesn't last though, the good things never do, as that feeling ebbs away, leaving only the searing warmth that's quickly encompassing all of you. The laugh heard earlier returns, perhaps a twinge of homicidal tendencies sprinkling about it, and once more that feeling of something not being right consumes you. « Shards, calm down, will ya'? » A voice suddenly booms, female but so very low, dusted with levels of testosterone. « You an' I gotta make a list o' rules t' live by, me thinks. Rule one, always listen t' me. S'better fo' ya in the long run. » More laughter, more homicidal tendencies, but a feeling off actual affection twists and turns in there as well. A bond being formed, a bond that will never, not even through death, be broken. « Whelp, Cenlia, seems you an' I are stuck t'gether. Hope'n you can live wit' tha'. If not, eh! Too late now! Best git used to it, gal! » The presence recedes, just enough to give you a bit more breathing room, but still there. Lingering forever more in the back of your mind. « By the by, y'all can call me Nziekilth. Now let's blow this joint, I gots me a hankerin' fo' some chicken! »
Personality
I'll break you a hundred different ways
And I'll make you remember my face
Thought that I would let you leave
It's hard to stop what you can't see
I'm rising up
I've had enough
I'm feeling invincible tonight
— Invincible - Adelitas Way
If there is one thing above all else you should always keep in mind when it comes to your Nziekilth, Cenlia, it's that she doesn't take shit from nobody. She's not ever a dragon to be stepped on or taken advantage of. And Faranth forbid, should ANY dragon of ANY color try to keep her down, they'll be screaming like wherries going to the slaughter before they know what hits them. Of course, this means you as well. Sure, you might be Nzielkilth's dragonrider, her second half and all that noise, but that doesn't mean that your gold won't take you aside and bitchslap some sense into you if you start pissing her off or even manhandle you into doing what she wants. She has no reservations in pushing you into something you may not want, but it's for your own good, Cenlia!
« Ya need t' sleep wit' tha' sexy brownrider over thar. Right now. Take yo' pants off an' go. »
"…um. What?"
« Well /I/ won' be gettin' any fo' a'nother turn an' a half, a'least, so ONE o' us needs t' else we'll both bloody damned EXPLODE! »
Your gold is not one to ever, EVER keep her thoughts to herself. Ever. She'll tell others how it is, why it is like that, and where they can shove it if they have a problem with it. Expect many issues in weyrlinghood with your fellow weyrlings and their dragons, as Nzielkilth will have no problem giving them the what for if she feels it's needed. Maybe it's that bit of her color finally coming out of her (something she rebels against, time to time), or maybe it's just her abrasive personality and her enjoyment of seeing others squirm. Either way, she'll give out her opinion quickly and without remorse, even in conversations she isn't even part of.
That's not to say that Nzielkilth is a mean dragon, cause really, she's not. She just doesn't like all the bull shit that goes down. She's not one to pussy-foot her way around people, trying to appease the masses. Your gold is definently of the opinion that in-your-face honesty is the best possible way to make things work out. Of course, more often than not, she'll make things more difficult. Insulting the Weyrleader's dragons from another Weyr, trying to eat the prized runnerbeast of a Lord Holder, accidentally stepping on an expensive musical instrument from that new Harper that's come around. Politics just really aren't her thing, not something she really has a knack for as far as diplomacy goes. Should Cenlia and Nziekilth ever become Senior Weyrwoman, it would be best that they rely heavily on any juniors and the Weyrleader for back up if needed.
Tallahasse: You know what, I may not shoot you, but you still royally pissed me off. And I'm not going to play with you at Pacific Playland.
Columbus: Don't worry, he grows on you.
Wichita: Really.
Columbus: No. Gets worse.
But don't ever let Nziekilth know that is where her weakness lies. Because if there is one thing that your gold cannot stand, it's weakness in any form. And in particular, any weakness she might have. So when your dragon is telling off Western's Weyrwoman's dragon, in an attempt to "help" Weyr relations, really, it might be best to step back, give her some words of encouragement, while you are apologizing profusely to the actual Weyrwoman herself. What Nziekilth doesn't know won't hurt her, and won't get you squished by one of her mammoth legs.
Tallahassee: There's a box of Twinkies in that grocery store. Not just any box of Twinkies, the last box of Twinkies that anyone will enjoy in the whole universe. Believe it or not, Twinkies have an expiration date. Some day very soon, Life's little Twinkie gauge is gonna go… empty.
Like Tallahassee's love for twinkies, a love that causes him to go into some extreme and dangerous situations to get what he craves, that is the love your gold has for chickens. Yeeees. Chickens. There's something about them, something so extremely interesting, but worth so much more than just eating (which she will still do, those suckers are damn tasty). In particular, Nziekilth likes to watch them peck at the ground. Scratch the ground. Peck some more. Make those obnoxious noises. Peck at the ground some more. Ruffle their feathers. Oh yes. Yes! It's so amazing and interesting to your gold, something you just may not understand at all. After a few candlemarks of watching this, Nziekilth might finally grow bored, lean forward, and INHALE the bird. But it is with great regret. At least until she turns her head and finds another.
Tallahassee: [Searching for Twinkies] Where are you, you spongy, yellow, delicious bastards?
It'll be easy for her to find another. Very easy. Since from the moment Nziekilth has the ability to fly, or heck, just move around without falling on her muzzle, she'll start collecting them, pilfering them into the weyrling barracks, onto your cot, her couch, your weyr, her ledge. She needs them, you see. And collects them. On top of it all, she knows how much they bother you, which only makes her want them more. Cause that means there has to be something even MORE interesting about the chickens, something she doesn't know yet. Something she'll spend the entirety of her life figuring out. Once you two get a weyr, Nziekilth will ask that you help her start raising her own. And of course with your dragon, asking is more demanding and sooner or later, Cenlia, you'll find yourself up to your eyeballs in chicks and chickens.
« We're startin' t' run low, Cen! Me thinks it's 'bout time we head t' the stables and do some smugglin'. Let's go! »
"We would need more if you stopped eating them. Plus, they smell, don't you think it's better if we,"
« Wha' I find funny here is tha' you think ya actually have a choice in this matta'! Now hop to, gal. We gotz some chicks t' gather! »
Before this time occurs though, and probably even after, Nziekilth will be constantly on the look out for chickens. Or finding places that have chickens. Suspect, should she ever wander off when you thought she was sleeping, you'll find her at the nearest chicken coop in the Weyr. Of course, there's no saying that the chickens will still be there or not. Since even though your gold finds them fascinating, her all time favorite thing to do will be to eat them. Chickens to Nziekilth is like booze to Cenlia.
"How about a wherry or a runnerbeast instead? They're just as good."
« How 'bout you suck down a glass o' water 'stead 'o drainin' all the rum, then, huh? /Huh/? Ya got yo' vice, I got mine. »
"…"
Nziekilth is, easily, the manliest gold dragon on Pern. While almost all other golds have a daintiness about them in some form, a sense of leadership that clings to them that's just been ingrained into basic instinct… your gold doesn't. She won't ever lead with a caring hand and respectful air, nope. She'll be the type to demand, to yell, to scream. Nziekilth doesn't ask, she directs or she says screw it and does it all herself! It's just her way, but it's all good, the rest of the Weyr will get used to it… with time.
She's not dainty. She's not agile or streamlined, she's freaking huge. Easily the biggest gold on Pern, and totally the beefiest. While your gold is by no way stupid, her mind is quite keen, she'd just much rather over-strength something than figure it out. Built like a mack truck, she's got really no feminine side to speak of at all. Which is truly something she prefers. Nziekilth, however, can be somewhat clumsy at times, though it's a trait she'll have adapted quite well to. No doors, no walls, nothing will ever be able to stand in her way.
It's a shame, really, that Thread no longer falls on Pern and that stone isn't used as often in building. Wooden structures break so easily, even more so when it's a big ass gold dragon barreling through them. It'll be easy for her and you to use her size as an excuse, stating that to be the reason as to why a shed no longer stands. This is not seen as a weakness to your dragon, since it's something she is fully aware of and finds great amusement in. Nothing like seeing the peons scatter when she comes running, full on out, through the bowl with her thick, meaty tail whipping back and forth, knocking over whatever happens to be in her way.
This is one gold dragon who embraces all that she is, dismisses whatever she may not be, and takes life by the horns and rides it hard till it collapses as an exhausted heap on the dirt. And you, Cenlia, you might wonder where exactly you fit in in all of this. It's true Nziekilth is something of an independent, not exactly a social butterfly dragon. But any leader (whether they want to be one or not) needs a good side-kick, a partner that is. Someone to joke with or lean on, or… well. It's not suggested that you ever let your dragon lean on you. Might get messy. All the same, while Nziekilth may not ever show weakness in any form, she'll still need someone to be her rock. Someone to help guide her in the right way, since you can bet all the booze in the Weyr that she'll stray. A lot. You are her focus in a world gone mad. You are the Columbus to her Tallahassee.
Tallahassee: Time to nut up or shut up!
Speaking of a world gone mad… that's what flights will do to Nziekilth. Make her mad! Mad and borderline psychotic. This will be what we'll call her adventurous period. While most golds and grees are directed to stay near to their own Weyr when going up, you'll have a fight upon your hands trying to get her to listen to this rule. Your gold will want to fly to the highest mountain she can find and throw herself and you off of it, zipping to the ground at dangerous speeds. This will also be the one and only time when she's very social, though don't assume this is a good thing. It's a good thing that golds only go up once every two turns or so, because when Nziekilth becomes proddy, most of the Weyr will go into hiding. Normally, your gold is able to be dealt with in some form or another. Or at least distracted long enough before the whole 'poor memory span in dragon's' thing kicks in. Even if she pisses off the masses, people are soon to forgive (cause hey, she's a freaking gold, she can get away with it!). While, as stated, Nziekilth isn't ever one to hold back when she's got something to say, this will be her chance to go beyond that and actually seek out individuals to give them an ear full. Or heck, maybe just knock them back with her wrecking-ball of a tail! All depends on how far into her proddy cycle she's gone!
Of course, all of this will transfer over into you, Cenlia. So. Y'know, have fun with that! :D
When it comes to actually flying, Nziekilth is all about blooding fast and getting in the sky. This will be the one time she doesn't prefer her delicious little chickens and instead will always go for the largest, strongest looking herdbeasts, taking them down with a viciousness that might scare some watching bystanders and some of the chasers as well. Once she gets into the air, there will be no pretty tricks or aerial displays of her skill, heeeell no. She'll simply shoot forward like a rocket, plowing into and through clouds and any other dragons that may be in her way. It'll take a male of extreme precision, dedication, and deft skills to stop the one-sided mind that Nziekilth will get into once she takes to the sky. She'll be an out-of control mack truck, speeding down a downhill lane at excess speeds, brakes no longer working, interested in nothing but that quick stop at the end of it all. It'll be all up to you, Cenlia, you and the bronzes and browns of the Weyr to ensure that she does stop. All your mental effort will be needed to keep Nziekilth safe within the skies of Ista Weyr and not turning towards the darkness of Between.
So. Once again. Have fun with that! :D
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg."
— Samuel Butler
Now, with flights comes clutches, which of course means eggs that'll be coming from the booty of your dragon. Nziekilth may very well be the most torn gold dragon ever when it comes to her clutch. On one side, she's got that instinct to protect what is hers, even from the clutch father if need be which you'll find to be a bit of a problem, should a male dragon and his rider be the types to join you on those Sands. Nziekilth will not want his company, will send a barrage of unpleasantness upon the dragon and rider but that's not to say that she'll demand they leave. Just try to make them so miserable that they'll leave on their own.
There's still the slight issue that even though those eggs are her own, Nziekilth doesn't want to actually be on the sands. The first clutch or two you'll notice a trend. Nziekilth will pace. A lot. At most times, she'll be pacing from one side of the sands to the other, back and forth. Side to side. It's her jitteriness that's getting to her, instinct warring over her own personality and newly found dislike of small spaces (and hey, on the sands for that long, even the great Hatching Caverns can seem small after a while!). You'll need to help her ride out through the storm of clutches, Cenlia. She will doubly need your strength then.
It'll be amusing those few first clutches, watching as Nziekilth attempts to care for her eggs but not look like she's caring for her eggs. Cause she doesn't care. Nope. Not ooone little bit.
"You moving that egg again?"
« No! …This is a different one. And I'm only movin' it cause it's in muh way an' I dun' wan' t' git gunk on muh talons should I step on it. »
"…riiiiight."
It might be best, once it's figured out what she's doing, to just roll with it. Cause as we all know, caring for things can be seen as a weakness and we all know how Nziekilth feels about that.
Nziekilth is truly a different kind of gold dragon, different than most, but happy because of it. Should she ever overhear discussions of her manliness, she'll take it with pride. There will be days that go by where all she'll talk about is how she was called a bronze by one person or 'The Next Weyrleader' by another. Should the day come when Cenlia and Nziekilth take over the reigns of Senior Weyrwomanship, you can toss that label out right now. It's Weyrleader or bust for Nziekilth. The bronzerider who catches her can be known as the Weyrwoman. Pffft.
So this is your Nziekilth, Cenlia! Or at least, this is how we see her! As she is your dragon, you are free to change her in any way you see fit and make her 100%% your own!
We have composed a few 'Rules For Surviving Being Impressed By Nziekilth' Feel free to expand on these rules as you and your gold grow up together and feel free to share them with others, so they properly know to to survive your dragon:
1) Always listen to her
2) Get out of her way
3) Don't piss her off
4) Always have a chicken on hand
4) She is always right
6) Beware the tail
7) Enjoy the small things (with her, cause well, she personally is far from small)
Good luck with her, Cenlia! You will need it, but it is believed that if anyone can handle the crazy beefyness that is Nzeikilth, it's you!
Mindvoice
There are no flowery scents or pretty pinks and purples that fly through the mind's eye when Nziekilth speaks. If there was, she'd probably beat someone to death with one manly paw. Instead, there are dusty yellows and rusty reds, like a sunset coming up over a sun-bleached desert. When she is overly emotional, those colors will brighten or turn darker, depending on her mood. Her smell is one that Cenlia can enjoy as well, it's whiskey rye, baby. Potent and intoxicating, with a side of bitter when it's taken in one quick gulp. Some prefer the harsh alcoholic whiffs your gold gives off with each word she states mentally. Her mental thoughts alone sometimes causing one to think much more drunkenly, if only for a moment.
« Shards, thar goes tha' Pokth a'gain, whinin' 'bout sumthin' or 'nother. Dun that dragon eva' stop his yappin'? I swear, I can' wait 'til we out o' these barracks. »
As far as her voice alone, she has a very low tone. A harper might consider her to be in the tenor range, which is quite low for a female of any type. But it truly suites your gold dragon, and she thinks so as well. She has a slight twang to her voice, it might be considered an almost Southwest United States accent. Where cowboys still thrive and man and wild meet on a day to day occurrence. She's got a hard edge to her voice as well, speaking in quick, cut off words. Not at all lady like, in the least!
« S'all good ovah thar, Cen? 'reckon I got 'bout one more candlemark of sittin' 'ere 'fore I grow tired an' come find ya'. We should go t' the Herder Hall! Steal some chickens straight from under thar noses! Hah! »
Inspiration
Cenlia, Cenlia, Cenlia! We are beyond thrilled to have you and Nziekilth with us at Ista Weyr! We can't wait to see what crazy shenanigans you and your gold will get into throughout your lifetime! Of course, Nziekilth didn't just appear out of thin air, but was concocted by a few well meaning SearchCo'ers! We hope you enjoy her and again, feel free to change anything you want, as she is your dragon!
Egg
It Hurts So Good Egg was based on Algophilla, which is the obsessive love of pain. So that would be why all those whip smacks and bleeding was totally a thing of love and devotion and why all you candidates totally wanted to touch it more. ;) Ixie (obviously) wrote this egg, with a lot of tweaking of the desc done by R'eos!
Dragon Desc
Nziekilth's lovely description was written by the fabulous S'gam, with the ideas of your dragon's beefy, manliness being thrown out by Ixie. As you may already have figured out, your dragon is more or less based off of a skybroom tree, which you can find here: http://www.agriphoto.nl/pma/Art/whelan006.jpg. Yeah, those large trees in the arm, all gnarled and strong looking, totally your dragon. Another part of the desc inspiration was that of a mack truck, at least as far as the girth and solid, compacted-ness. And interesting combination, really, but it suites her just fine! Her coloration is much more of a toned down gold, bordering on almost not_gold, except she so obviously is a queen dragon. A burnished antique gold, with lots of bronze underlines in there help make more of a masculine vibe than that whole female shiny and pretty deal. We hope you like her!
Dragon's Name
After looking over what it was that you said you wanted in a name, Cenlia, a bunch of us got to discussing. We really wanted something that just… didn't SEEM like the normal type of gold names. You know. All pretty and flowery, something that stuck out and really fit your dragon. It took an entire evening of discussing, with really everybody pitching in until Ixie came up with Ziekilth. It was formed from a mesh of the words 'Zombie Kill Of The Week' and while we all really liked it, it still had a sense of something missing. Upon doing some more research, it was found that Nzambi, which is a Kikongo word meaning "god" that zombie was derived of, according to some Voodoo lore.
So, we did some more meshing, some more reworking, much more tweaking and… more or less didn't like what we had. Then M'gaal came forward and said, "What about Nziekilth?" and we were all sold. It stuck, it came from an interesting source, and seemed like no kind of name any gold has had before! Ixie's been pronouncing it as "Zee - KILL - Th" emphasis on the 'kill' part, with the N being silent!. ;D You're free, of course, to say it however you want, as she's your dragon!
Inspirtation / Messages
Nziekilth, in all her amazing manly glory, was written by Ixie. She's heavily based on Tallahassee from Zombieland (if you haven't guessed) with a phobia and philia thrown in to help solidify her personality! If you haven't guessed the themes yet for the eggs and dragons, it's Phobias and Phillias. While this egg's philia was the obsessive love of pain, your dragon's phobia is Asthenophobia, which is the fear of weakness, which your Nziekilth has in spades! There is also a little bit of Alektorophilia, which is the obsessive love of chickens thrown in for flavor.
Credits
| Name | Nziekilth |
| Dam | Gold Miraneith |
| Sire | Bronze Zaqalekhth |
| Created By | Ixie Desc: S'gam |
| Impressee | Cenlia |
| Hatched | June 06, 2010 |
| Ista Weyr | |
| PernWorld MUSH |
Zaruath, Ittisieth, Nziekilth, Kinseth. Art by S'gam.
