Ecco

dracoaestas · November 11th, 2009, 4:42 am

Name: Eccoriaktana (Ecco)

Age: 42

Gender: female

Skills:
In Dragon Form:
Physical: Ecco is a powerful flyer in stormy and windy weather. She is used to unpredictable air currents that can drive a dragon against cliffs, and has learned well in her few decades how to avoid and ride them as if they were breezes. Her swimming skills are much the same; she can move fluidly through any kind of water, but mainly the vicious and tumultuous waves of her homeland. The waves there are powerful and high, but her skill in swimming and flying along the surface is surpassed by none. Below the surface, she is not as good, and can only hold her breath a little longer than an average dragon. That is only from practice. She is not as good at flying in still air or swimming long distances, unless she is in dolphin form. She is also a very skilled hunter in and around the water and rocky places. She is swift and stealthy among rocks, but not so much trees or sand. She always likes to have somewhere nearby to hide. She is fair at fighting, and can hold her own in a conflict at an adequate level. She is better at fighting sea creatures and small flying foes in the air.
Mental: Ecco is very clever and adaptable, mainly in the ways of nature. She has a natural gift with languages, and can speak many of them, including many beast languages. She is good at finding quick solutions to many problems, as it is a part of living in her home.
Language: Ecco can learn and operate fluently in any language within a week of learning it. If the language is closer to her most commonly-used tongues (those of cetaceans, humans, and dragons) she can learn it even faster. Learning other dialects of cetaceans’ is a favorite pastime. Her gift is partly natural, but the speed at which she learns is more than natural.
Sound: Ecco learned a great deal from the orcas, including how to use sound as a weapon. She can concentrate sound into an intense, concentrated beam, which will kill small creatures and stun larger ones. She can also produce an eerie, keening whale-like noise that can injure ears at high intensity. At a lower volume and mixed with other whale-like noises, she can produce very lovely songs, and was once known for her beautiful singing voice when she was around others. In elf form, she can’t make any whale-like noises except with her mind, but she still has a beautiful singing voice.

In Dusky Dolphin Form:
As a dusky dolphin, Ecco is versatile and swift in the water. She can get into places she couldn’t as an elf or dragon. She is a powerful swimmer and other cetaceans (other than orcas) will more readily talk with her. She is a good hunter, swimmer, and fighter in this form, and can still use her sound attacks as powerful weapons. She can swim almost endlessly, and is very versatile and mobile. The species she can turn into is known for its acrobatic abilities, and she can flip, somersault, and tailspin in the air.
She can also use her power of sounds in this form, and can kill with her heightened sonar beam. She knows a few spells in the dolphin form as well; she can summon ice to form protective armor and blades around her fins, she can give herself momentary speed and strength boosts, she can give herself a temporary increase in air (that lasts up to ten minutes, than her normal three), and she can make herself invisible for up to 30 seconds. She cannot use these spells again until a full hour has passed.

In Elf Form:
Ecco is swift and stealthy in elf form, but her speed and strength are not as high as normal elves. Her agility, though, is above average. She is skilled at using her twin daggers simultaneously, and can use them as naturally as her dragon claws. She cannot use a bow and arrow or heavy weapon, but her magical skills and daggers make up for it. She is very proficient at close-combat fights, and can easily dispatch an opponent in such a battle.
Her magical powers are more limited than a normal elf’s, but are more powerful in the areas she specializes. She was part of a group of elves that called themselves Shamans, because they specialized in the magic concerning nature. It takes no energy for her to shape shift. She can cast numerous spells concerning ice. She can also summon ice armor/blades for her elf form as well as dolphin form. She knows healing spells, and spells that use the earth itself, but only when it is colder out. She can summon animals to her aide in colder climates, but not warmer ones. Her magic is weak in hot weather, average in temperate weather, and powerful in cold weather. She can use a few other random spells with the Ancient Language, but her connection to this type of magic is weak and so she can’t do more than unlock doors or confuse dangerous animals. She cannot use magic in her dragon form, and can only use a couple spells in dolphin form.

Race: shaman elf/shape shifter (dragon, elf, and dusky dolphin)

Hair: black tipped with blue in elf form

Eyes: deep blue

Home Village: the northern isles (north of Vroengard, west of the Spine)

Parents: Kialana (dragon mother) and Sriktilan (dragon father), unknown names of elf parents

Siblings: four other eggs in her clutch, unknown whereabouts; no elf siblings

Character Personality: Ecco is known for her curious and explorative personality. In this regard, she is very similar to the dolphins she is friends with. She always likes learning about new things and new languages. She likes exploring new places, especially places where things might be hidden easily. She likes exploring water as much as land, but doesn’t like being in the open in either. She feels too exposed in open water, plains, or open, cloudless sky. She prefers hiding in clouds when flying, or amongst trees and rocks when walking or swimming. She doesn’t like large cities, but is willing to explore them for curiosity’s sake. She is very friendly and kind, and likes to help others selflessly; another personality trait she shares with cetaceans. She is a little subdued and quiet when meeting new people for the first time, however, especially if they are dragons or a variety of two-leg. She is more open and friendly towards cetaceans, as she knows they have nothing to hide and no reason to attack her. Despite her friendliness, she is a little quiet, but when she gets to know someone, she can be very cheerful and even outgoing with them. She is only this way with her closest friends, however.

Character History: Long ago, a group of elves left Alagaesia during the Dragon Wars. They sought peace and so took refuge in the wild places of the land. As these places were mostly uninhabited, they came into contact with dragons. However, they and the dragons made peace and coexisted without conflict. Both respected the other’s right to live and be free. The elves sought a deeper connection to nature than their others, which is quite a feat considering how close to nature elves are naturally. They found ways to use their magic that didn’t need the Ancient Language. However, these spells were restricted to their specialty: nature. The elves in the southern lands were eventually dissipated or killed accidentally by dragons who were involved in the wars, but one group remained; a group of elves that made their refuge in the northern islands off the coast of the Spine. They called themselves the Shamans because of their affinity to the northern creatures. Each was a shape shifter, and could turn into some sort of aquatic or cold-climate animal, such as an orca, wolf, owl, etc. They also knew how to use ice, stone, and water in many spells without using the Ancient Language.

These elves dwelled peacefully for many centuries. A little more than a century ago, one of the female elves became pregnant, and the others rejoiced, for elf children are rare, especially so amidst this community. When the girl was born, however, she became very ill, and the others knew she was dying. Desperate, the mother went to a family of dragons for help. These two dragons, mates, were friends to the elves. Kialana was very good friends with the elf mother. The girl’s mother asked her friend what to do, and Kialana had a solution.

Kialana and Sriktilan were ice dragons, and had been living peacefully on the islands with the elves, often visiting them and helping them when threats or problems arose. They had recently laid a clutch of five eggs, but one of the hatchlings inside had succumbed to the cold. The dragon parents weren’t sure why this had happened, but it wasn’t an unheard-of occasion. They had been about to dispose of the egg when the elf mother came to them for help.

Sriktilan and Kialana thought that there might be a way to transfer the elf girl’s consciousness into the body of their perished egg, and the elf mother asked if they would be willing. They agreed, on the condition that if the spell worked, they would get to raise the girl as one of their own long enough for her to learn to be a dragon, and then she could spend as long as she wanted with her elf mother. They traveled to the Elders of the Shamans, and asked if their spell was possible. The Elders knew that it was, but it would take great energy and concentration, and would leave them unable to do magic for three days. But because it was for a child, they agreed wholeheartedly to take part in the spell.

That very evening, they assembled in a circular clearing within a grove of pine trees. The perished egg and the dying child lay near each other, and the elf Elders were in a circle around them. The girl’s parents and the two dragon parents were standing at the four points on the edges of the circle, with the two dragons facing each other at north and south and the two elves at east and west. The spell began when the stars appeared, and lasted long into the night. It involved a long procession of chanting in the Ancient Language, as well as strong usage of the Shaman’s natural magic. When the sky was beginning to grow light, the spell completed. The body of the girl transformed into glittering, colorful snow, and melded into the egg, which became warm with the new life inside. The Elders and parents, all exhausted from the effort, had only enough energy to take the egg into a warm tent and then go to sleep.

The next morning, the girl’s elf parents said their goodbyes to the egg, with the dragons promising to allow them to visit as soon as the egg started hatching. For now, though, it was up to them to take care of the egg until it hatched. Kialana had been about to put the eggs where they would be kept until they hatched (for she had only laid them a week prior), so she gathered up her other four eggs. She took special care of the shining black and white egg, for she knew that the hatchling inside would have other parents worried about her safety.

The eggs were brought to an underwater cavern. The stone walls were thin, and so sounds from the ocean outside could be heard. One tunnel led out of the cave and into the water. It was shut with a boulder and hidden with seaweed to keep out unwanted guests. Another tunnel went under the ocean floor and up to an island. It eventually led to a cave inside the cliff where the dragon parents were staying. An underground stream trickled into this cave, which filled most of the underwater cave with shallow water. The eggs were placed carefully on a rocky outcropping near the side of the cave, which was hollowed out and filled with soft sand and pine needles. Kialana and Sriktilan then left their underwater nursery, but they returned every night to talk to the eggs and sing to them. This way, the hatchlings inside learned of their kind and learned how to survive on their own, should something happen to their parents. This was a safety measure all dragons took.

When their parents were away, they were not left in silence. The cave was constantly filled with the echoes of whale-song and the chatter of orcas, belugas, and other small cetaceans. The other hatchlings probably found it pleasing and soothing, but while they were relaxing, Ecco was learning. She learned the songs and languages of bowhead whales, belugas, orcas, narwhals, humpback whales, right whales, and white-sided dolphins. She even heard the songs of larger rorqual whales from time to time, and began learning their languages.

Eventually, the time came when Ecco could learn no more in her solitude. She began to long for exploration, and wanted to know what these beautiful creatures really looked like. She also wanted to truly meet her parents and find out about the world. It was her curiosity that drove her to hatching. Her foster siblings were all still soothed by the sounds of the sea.

She began to push her way to the surface, desperate for light. She had broken a chip loose of her egg, and was just peering into the outside world, when her dragon parents came in. They immediately told her to wait just a bit longer, and took her egg with them up the tunnel. Sriktilan ran ahead to get her elf parents, who had been waiting for this day. When he returned with them, Ecco had already broken several large pieces out of her black and white shell. She finally emerged after several more minutes of struggles, and rested on the ground, simply observing her world. Her parents were, meanwhile, discussing her name. Her elf parents wanted to name her Echo, so her dragon parents suggested giving her a draconic name that could be shortened to Ecco. They all agreed, and she was named Eccoriaktana.

It was when she had regained her strength that she started asking questions. Everyone thought she looked like an orca, what with her coloration, and her curiosity only amplified their opinions. She asked what the beautiful songs were that she heard, and asked if her parents could understand her when she spoke in the cetacean languages. All four of them were amazed that she had learned the languages of several other species in her egg, and told her that they couldn’t understand them.

She asked several other questions, before finally getting hungry, and then tired after she ate. Sriktilan brought her elf parents back to their home, promising to get them every time they wanted to visit, and visit them with reports of her progress. Ecco never learned the names of her elf parents.

For the next several months, her dragon parents taught her everything they knew about being a dragon, and other things besides. When she was two months old, Ecco was playing in the surf on the shore of the island. She was swimming in the water when she came across a pod of orcas. Rather than be afraid of them, as was the reasonable thing since they could have eaten them, she spoke to them. The orcas were surprised at her understanding, and since she could speak to them, they no longer considered her prey. She became fast friends with the pod, and would often play with the younger members.

On one occasion of playing, she was jumping out of the water, when she accidentally turned into a dolphin. Surprised, she had to convince her orca friends that she was still her, as they were confused by the sight of prey talking to them, and then she had to convince herself of the transformation. She kept playing with her friends for a while longer, but was too perplexed to stay for long. She went to her parents to show them the change.

Kialana and Sriktilan were both equally confused, for they did not know that she would retain her shapeshifting abilities when she was put into dragon form. They promised to explain everything to her, and left to consult with her elf parents.

While Ecco waited, she decided to go down to the egg cavern and see how her siblings were doing. That was when everything started to change. When she was walking down the tunnel, she heard a commotion below, and raced ahead to see what was happening. She was horrified to discover a group of Galbatorix’s soldiers stuffing her siblings into a large bag. Ecco was furious, and immediately began to attack them. However, they fought back with more powerful weapons, and Ecco received a large gash on her shoulder, of which she still possesses the scar. In a panic, she raced back along the tunnel, only to find more soldiers. She ran into the water-filled tunnel, but the soldiers ran in after her along the more shallow edges of the cave. Ecco transformed into a dolphin to escape faster, but was cornered at the end by the huge boulder. She was desperate to escape, and as the soldiers were aiming with their nets, she felt a huge build-up of magic inside her.

A massive blast of sound was created and the boulder was smashed into thousands of pieces, exploding out of the cavern and into the ocean outside. Water streamed in, and the soldiers in the cave with Ecco drowned. Ecco, however, knew her siblings were still in danger. She swam up to the surface and turned into a dragon once more, just in time to see the soldiers escaping on the back of a rust-colored, evil-looking dragon. Her father was just returning in a panic, and bleeding from cuts all over. Kialana was nowhere to be seen, but ferocious roars could be heard deeper inland. Ecco watched as Sriktilan chased after the soldiers, but he was met with large harpoons on a ship further out to sea, and when the rust dragon had dropped off its cargo, it turned around to face him. The battle was vicious, but short-lived. As Ecco was flying towards them, her father plummeted into the ocean, having been killed by the harpoons and wounds that the other dragon had caused. Ecco screeched, but the soldiers heard her and began searching for her. Desperate to hide and reach her father, she turned back into a dolphin. A pod of white-sided dolphins, summoned by her cries for help, showed up, and Ecco was hidden amongst them.

The ship and dragon departed, going around the island to the side the elves were on, but Ecco was swimming towards her father. She could see when she arrived that she was too late, and the young dragoness was grief-stricken.

The roars distracted her, though, and she realized that her mother might be in danger. She thanked the dolphins for their help, transformed back into a dragon, and flew as fast as she could towards the middle of the island. She reached the village in time to see the rust dragon and another dragon, a dark green, flying away. She was too late. The elf village lay in ruins. To the side of the village was the body of her mother. Ecco didn’t know, but Kialana was killed for not giving the Forsworn her Eldunari. Nearby her mother were the bodies of two elves. Unbeknownst to her, they were her real parents. However, Ecco ran only to her dragon-mother’s side and collapsed.

She stayed for over a day before she finally became hungry and thirsty enough to move. When she stood, she was surprised to find herself in the body of an elf. Ecco decided it was just one of her shapeshifting abilities, and took some of the clothes she could find to stay warm. She found some leftover food and drank from a stream, before going to sit by her mother again. She eventually decided she had to bury her parents.

Before she could move, however, a group of elves rushed into the clearing. They were frozen by the devastation, before they finally noticed her and ran to her side. They asked her if she had been in the village, and how she had survived. Ecco was able to speak to them, but only with her mind, which surprised them. She explained what happened, and that this dragon was really her mother.

The elves had known of the spell that had taken place here, and knew that this must be the girl that was two creatures. They offered to help her bury her parents, and with their help she found the body of her father and buried both of them. Before burying them, however, she took some of their scales to keep; her father’s iron gray, and her mother’s pale ice blue. The elves offered Ecco a place with them, and she agreed, curious to know about them despite what had happened.

When she arrived at their village on another island, they slowly explained everything to her, including the spell. Ecco was too shocked to speak, and stayed in her room for two days. Finally, she came to accept what she was, at least enough to carry on with her life. She was saddened to find out that she had lost both sets of parents, though.

Despite her sadness, she was able to take her mind off events. She spent her next years with the elves, and learned from them. She learned of her Shaman powers, and was soon able to use many earth spells and some Ancient Language spells. She learned how to use spells in her shapeshifted forms, and how to fight. She used her parents’ scales to make her daggers; the scales were used as the core of each dagger for strength, and a thin layer was applied to each dagger in a beautiful swirling pattern of iron gray and ice blue. The hilts were colored black.

Ecco also found time to visit the pine forests and learn the languages of other animals. She still harbored a great affinity for animals, and spent much of her time with them. Another third of her time was spent with the orcas, with whom she learned about the oceans and the creatures that lived there.

After several decades of this, she eventually decided she had learned all she needed to, and set out into the more wild parts of the ocean. She used dragon and dolphin form to travel, having left her possessions with the elves for safekeeping. She learned the languages of many other cetaceans, and after about a decade of traveling and learning, she returned to her elf friends. She gathered her possessions once more, and decided it was time to explore the mainland. She wanted to learn more, and see more, and she had a desire to help defeat Galbatorix and prevent bad things from happening to others because of him. The wounds of her past were mostly healed, and her sense of exploration and adventure were renewed enough for the world of two-legs and dragons. Ecco set out.

Weapons: Natural: She has her powerful claws and very powerful jaws as a dragon. She can use her tail and wings as weapons as well. In dolphin form, her natural abilities are enough to fight sharks.
Magical: She is able to fight using spells involving the earth, such as with rocks and ice. She can form icy armor around herself as a dolphin, complete with ice blades at the fins. This gives her a fighting edge in this form. Her ice in dragon form is the natural ice-breathing of the ice dragons.
Two-leg Weapons: Ecco possesses a pair of unbreakable daggers. Their cores are made of dragon scale, and they are coated in swirling ice-blue and iron-gray dragon scale. The hilts are black. She is skillful at using the daggers, but is not capable of using other weapons efficiently. She is able to retrieve the daggers magically if she throws them.

Likes: Cold water and wind, rocks, enclosed places, storms, cetaceans, songs and music, helping others, exploring

Dislikes: Those who attack others weaker than themselves, open places, areas that are too calm, heat

Animal Companions: she is friends with a pod of orcas and several other cetaceans

Character's Physical Description: Dragon Form: Ecco looks like she is a cetacean in a dragon’s body. Her scales are sleek and smooth; perfect for cutting through water and air. She has powerful wings and limbs, built up with muscle from all of her exploring. She has large, strong jaws and an elegant neck and body structure. Her eyes are average-sized and a deep, rich blue color. Her feet are large and partially webbed. She has an elegant row of webbed spines starting near her nose and running down her face, getting very large on her neck and then dramatically smaller on her back. She has two large spines on the end of her tail, with webbing between them, which makes it look like a diamond shape. She uses this to help in swimming. Her coloration is probably her most striking feature, however. The upper half of her body is a stark, shining jet black. The lower part is bright, pure snowy white. Her lower jaw, underside of neck, undersides of wings, the inside of each limb, chest, belly, and underside of tail are all white. The fact that the two halves of her head and wings are opposite colors is probably the most striking thing about her colors, and makes her look very much like her orca friends.
Dolphin Form: Ecco takes the form of a Dusky Dolphin when she transforms. She is small, about 7 ft long. She is colored with stark black and white, white black mainly on top. Her dorsal fin fades to white on the inside/back, as do her pectoral fins (front fins). All dusky dolphins have a small, black beak with the black stripe leading to their eyes. Their sides and bellies are white, and a white stripe is on each side of their tail. Ecco’s white on her sides is slightly grayish. Despite being in dolphin form, if one looks closely, they can see that her eyes are the same dark blue. The front edge of each fin is also deep blue that fades quickly into black.
Elf Form: Ecco is of average to slightly tall height (5’7”) and is slender. She is very agile and is able to move quickly, jump high, and move with complete stealth. She retains her deep, rich blue eyes in this form. Her hair is straight, shoulder-length, and layered to frame her face (shortened almost to bangs on the front). It is a shiny jet black and tinged with indigo and dark blue on the ends.

Dreams for the Future: to explore Alagaesia and meet new friends, and to help defeat Galbatorix and other evils

Reason for Dreams: she is very curious by nature, and wants to meet new friends in addition to the ones she already has. She does not want to see others hurt by evil like she was.

Alignment/side: elves, cetaceans, dragons, and anyone against evil

A Note: Cetaceans are all whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Rorquals are blue whales, fin whales, sei whales, Bryde’s whales, and minke whales.

btw, I Accept. And if I'm using your color, please tell me. (through pms) lol

Ecco

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