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If one of these dragons is incredibly upset while being introduced into a colder climate, it is possible that their sense of adaptation will avert attention from them via turning as white as the snow itself to burrow and hide within it. However, these dragons are a warm blooded species. They do not fair easily in the cold and often remain in warmer climates during the winter season due to the fact that snow absorbs sound and messes with their senses and instincts. Because of several variables, their appearances differ from one another either subtly or drastically. When under duress, they create a crystallized shell around them to promote even more strength to their flesh because they are not predominantly covered in scales unless the adaptation requires it of them. A majority of these drakes consist of a silken and seemingly soft flesh when in reality its actually a hard and flexible skin that only appears delicate. They have areas where fur protrudes off them most of the time to keep their joints and the paws of their feet warm even in lukewarm places. 

They have a type of beak maw that is utilized for a various sort of things, between breaking apart crystals and tearing flesh from bone, their ‘beaks’ are used even to impale threats and nuzzle their young. It is finely lined in sharp rows of curved teeth until the back of the maw, where they have flat teeth to better chew fruit. They have a long set of talons that are also utilized as a method of communication by allowing their claws to tap against cavern floors and crystals to resonate through their echos as a form of Morse code. These dragons are considered quite skilled in nurturing due to their gentle nature and deep consideration for each other. Each one is skilled in some way or another for tending to the young and/or caring for each other. Some of these drakes spend a majority of their young lives building upon this trust and care to better learn to adapt to different scenarios and situations. Because they are a warm blooded creature but sometimes have troubles maintaining their internal and external temperatures due to their lack of breathable scales, they tend to either radiate heat or appear cold. The dragons that appear cold, however, are rare and far between as its not considered a ‘trouble’ more so as it is a ‘health problem.’ 

Where these dragons are concerned, others tend to come in as ‘midwives’ and help them with keeping their eggs warm and keeping them warm as well. They place them in nests closer to the volcanic activity of the deeper caverns to keep them well incubated and healthy. They have no predominant disposition concerning the care of their young, both male and female drakes are responsible for them and they are a very tight knit species that can become INCREDIBLY vicious when any one of them is threatened. Syntharias are both a flying and ground species of dragon that commonly utilize their powerful roars and echo ‘flakes’ to fight via sound waves. The bigger the dragon, the louder they are due to their enhanced lung capacity and glands. They produce little flighty flecks of colours when ‘echoing’ due to the small sparks that come from their glands when doing so. These fleck determine the size and weight of their echo as the larger number of flakes often means the longer and stronger the echo will be. They do breathe fire. Unlike some of their other species counterparts, these dragons are heavy fire breathers. They don’t simply breathe fire at you, they roar it at you to give it all the more strength by multiplying the force with the range of their sound amplification. Their fire comes in a range of colours and temperatures ranging from gentle and warming flames to ones that burn so hot they appear like Dicyanoacetylene. The larger breeds of Syntharias generally have the highest level of heat. This is because they are charged with the protection of the flock and develop their abilities much earlier in their young lives, giving them the ability to better train and understand their fires. 

They are also heavy grapplers and will try to grasp you and spiral downwards to bury you into the ground. They only have three toes on each paw and in each one, their talons hook inwards to be able to grapple their prey and enemy all the tighter to spin them into the ground and break their necks if they can. As I said, they are extremely volatile and vicious when one of them is threatened. Onto concerning the adaptation for the emotional spectrum of these dragons though: Depending on what the dragon is going through, he/she may find themselves instinctively returning to their island home if they’re not already residing there when they suffer great breaks or a very high level of emotion. The reason for this is because they instinctively wish to return home where they feel the safest during their vulnerable changes. Some, however, do not change immediately or merely molt. Dragons like Hibiki are often prone to have an extended period of change because of the range of emotions and how deeply they feel them. They will solidify their skin even further and encase it in a tough sediment to protect themselves, change their hues to match their emotive dispositions, and will all around likely not be recognizable to those who are not familiar enough with them to know the difference. 

Some of these dragons do not have wings. However, that is a genetic anomaly that does not occur often and when it does, these dragons often have shorter life spans due to their avian like nature beckoning them to the skies. Largers of the breed often take to carrying these wingless drakes on their backs or in their paws to make sure their spirits are always lifted. If a wingless dragon falls into depression, their wails can be heard throughout the entire island and this often results in a cataclysmic event of every dragon becoming sorrowful. So everyone tries their best to ensure their wingless darlings do not ever feel like they aren’t apart of the sky as they should be. Their horns are susceptible to alteration and adaptation just as the rest of their bodies are, though the drakes often like to keep their horns a size and shape they can easily handle in their caverns. (One dragon once made the mistake of making his horns too large and too intricate, resulting in him being unable to enter his own den which was quite the embarrassing ordeal.) Some prefer to keep their horns short and very small all around but others prefer them to be long and sharp to better gore their enemies. 

Feathers :: Though their “Feathers” are generally soft and separated fibers like normal feathers, some dragons actually do not like to have such fragile wings and often take to plucking their own feathers bit by bit over a long period of time to replace each feather with the crystalline substance that their skin is made of. This results in a rather intricate and beautiful style of wing that is both sharp and durable beyond the norm of muscle and feathers. This is also a form of adaptation presented by the breed, as they will vary the strength and style of their wings to suit their needs. 

Long adaption times :: When a larger drake like Hibiki is undergoing the process of adapting or changing due to emotive disposition and other factors, they often take quite a bit longer than the others. Not just because of their size but also because of the way they adapt. They do not often take to merely altering one aspect of themselves or simply adding things to suit the needs they have because the emotions are so strongly felt and experienced that they linger for quite a long time. While some adaptations take a shorter period, like becoming caustic and angry results in a very quick adaptation of shielding their skin in a thicker coat, most of the time it is a long process involving many attributes that surface within the breed. Some end up piebald mid-adaptation and during the process, opalescent crystals form over their still changing areas to prevent the weaker skin from being attacked. This is a form of self preservation and it is highly advised against to touch these crystal barriers unless given express permission or you are that dragon’s mate. 

Bi-pedal forms :: These dragons do have “human” appearances when warranted. As they are a chameleon breed, they have spent centuries learning to adapt themselves using any means available to them. Generally the same adaptation and chameleon-esque nature applies to these forms as well. Concerning their natural home though: They often share the commonality that they have tanned skin from their tropical climate and a wide variety of colours in their hair and eyes. These drakes pride themselves on their unique appearances because, like crystals and sounds, they wish to hear and see the differences in each other. 

Injury && Healing :: These dragons do not have exceptional healing rates as some other breeds do. They do have a high rate of healing but a cut will still take a day to heal and a missing limb will take years to regrow unless outside help is obtained. Though they can use their skills in adaptation to speed up the process, it is a grueling task and none of them really find it important to do so. If they are hurt, the others will help take care of them so there’s no need to rush matters and its advised against by the others so they don’t potentially harm themselves in the process. Because they are a violent species when provoked or threatened, they tend to treat injuries as badges of valor. If they’ve lived through the fight they’re going to be proud of it even if they lost. 

Breeding && Mates :: Syntharias have difficulties breeding. Because they breed very rarely, a few times over the course of ten years, they are not a common nor vast breed. The difficulties lie in the fact that they require such an intense amount of heat for their young that they take into account the size and mass of their flock. Nothing is really dictated though, they merely already have enough younglings among them and regard each other with such a familial care that they don’t regard each other as separate families. This makes it difficult for them to breed among other species of dragons sometimes due to the differences in views, but its not completely uncommon. When a dragon of this breed has found their mate, they do not mate again. This is also a reason for their rarity, as once a mate dies, the dragon does not bond with another and does not breed afterwards unless it is an extremely important task of continuing on the species as a whole. Which isn’t the case since, while not in abundance, their flock is still large. These dragons are highly active and playful. They may not have spring heats like other species but they are no less active sexually for it. They are a drake that often enjoys praising their mates and will do so lovingly. 

When a dragon of this breed doesn’t have a mate, they commonly find others to be active with until they form that bond. 

Diet :: Overall these dragons have an omnivore diet (as stated above) and do not hunt their prey to extinction. They prefer larger prey like wildcats and tend to avoid hunting avians due to their similar dispositions to themselves. They are also a diving species, their smooth crystalline skin and how some have replaced their soft and pliable feathers with the same kind of flesh often gifts them an uncanny ability to fish. They have a 60/40 ratio of Meat to Fruit/Veggies and 60% of the Meat is Fish and larger prey. They regard burrowing species highly since they share the same attributes, again like they do with avian species, but are aware of their rapid rate of reproduction and do tend to do population control by hunting them when they’ve taken notice that their population has become too great to maintain a healthy ecosystem since they hunt the larger prey that hunts the smaller burrowing ones. Syntharias tend to enjoy sweeter fruits over bitter ones and will most commonly be found eating them directly from the trees and brushes rather than picking them off and collecting them since fruit goes bad too quickly to do so. 

The larger of these dragons tend to eat more fruit and fish than hunting the larger prey to prevent over hunting. 

-- Specifics: Hibiki / Matthew / Bird’s Nest --

First Form :: (Upper Left Corner) Hibiki was born with a natural lavender coat and held no need to adapt since he was born on the Island. Even to the standards of others he was an extremely large drake as they watched him grow and adapt to many different aspects of their lives. He would commonly be found tending to others or hunting for the lot of them because his maw had a greater capacity and his lungs a deeper reach to dive further. Since he was a youngling, he would be found training his fires and echos extensively but when speaking with the others, would remain quiet due to his kinder nature. The others viewed him as a strong and capable drake that would not hesitate to become incredibly violent to protect his smallers from harm. He was often seen playing with animals and letting them run rampant over his larger self with amused glee. The dragon was also quite fond of the flora and nature that occupied his home and would hoard plants and shells for it in his den. Animals that would often not dare to come into the tunnels would follow him anywhere in there and he would be found casually singing to them and listening to their little chirps and noises. They found he just really enjoyed the sounds they made! When he chose to leave the islands, he did not go anywhere that would require him to change his appearance or genetics as he wanted to fondly remember his home and remain bonded to it. The reason for his leaving was because he wanted to explore and find out more about the other species of dragons that occupied the skies and waters. 

Second Form :: (Upper Right Corner) Hibiki had been far away from his native island for quite a number of years before he was introduced to the species of humans that had discovered him in his cavern home. At first he was kind, answering questions and speaking gently as he discovered a human’s hearing is quite a bit more fragile than his own. He helped where he was asked to and was more than delighted to have their company.. Until they began to demand things of him. Instead of asking, instead of treating him with respect, they began to treat him as if he were something they could control. In that instant, they became a threat. Slowly and surely, he gradually began to change and adapt to this alteration in their personality and though he was exceedingly patient with the smaller creatures, it became apparent to himself that he was holding back his violent tendencies towards threats purely out of his concern for the small species’ offspring. Gradually, he covered his lavender flesh with a hard black shell that reflected his feeling threatened and his pale gradient crystallized wings and fur became a vivid gradient of orange and yellow to reflect his ire towards them. With every instance they attacked him, he would cover the wound inflicted and would gradually begin to cover his more sensitive points in a dark lava like substance that looked like cooled magma had begun to cling to him. His horns shortened slightly, taking on a shape and size that would be better to gore them with. 

Eventually, he did snap. His echos and fire burned brightly over the lands until Mitsushige [ @minugahanax ] was commanded to stop his anger and remove him from the position to continue his assault. His violence did not stop and he would not listen to any cries given by the other, resulting in him attempting to tear the other dragon apart as viciously as he could until he was eventually put down. His horns stolen and sealed away as well as his very draconian nature and soul, he spent the next few centuries being born into the frail body of a human and suffering even further without memory of who and what he actually was. Eventually he came across the very same dragon who had taken his life from him in such an underhanded way as Matthew / Bird’s Nest, but did not know it was him and became incredibly attached to him. His ire for humans forgotten, his hatred forgotten, he fell in love with the spring dragon and often worried about his humanity and mortality being a hindrance to the other. He came to terms with it in a way only to find himself faced with another entity he knew from a past life he could only recall in short bursts until Karmen found one of the swords that contained one of his horns. It was then he began to recall his former lives that contained the draconian serpent Orochi [ @serpentinexwar ] in them. 

Recalling certain things but not everything and not even about his own draconian lineage yet, he went on the search for the other sword he vaguely recalled carrying with him in his former lives. It was then, in the comfort of his circus home with his spring love that his mother came to visit him, baring the sword that they’d been told to hide away from him. He became enraged at first when the change and memories hit him so harshly that he did not know how to react and immediately, instinctively, sought comfort in the echos of a cavern he often played in during this current life as a child. He had no idea Mitsu wasn’t aware of what he’d done as well at the time until they came to find him, where he was coiled sorrowfully with his centaur friends Nemo and Malik. After finding out the reality of what had happened, how Mitsu could not tolerate what he’d been forced to do, the drake calmed down even further and pulled himself from the depressive thoughts that perhaps it had all been a lie. Now at peace with all that had transpired. 

Third Form :: (Lower Left Corner) Because of the vast emotional change he had undergone during his release and how big of an impact his circus family, friends and Mitsushige had on him-- the dragon instinctively became unnerved by the high escalation of emotion and change in himself, seeking refuge in his instincts and returning to his native island at the approval of his love. It was there he found the solace he needed in the constant reverberating sounds and echos around him as well as the swelling heat that couldn’t be found in his trailer. Upon his return, many of the old drakes that he’d grown up with were shocked but were not unwelcoming, gladly thanking the heavens for his return and graciously helping him through the intense feelings and traits he was undergoing. He spent most of his time in his former Den, huddled up with his flora and creatures as well as a few of the newer younglings that sought to know who the legendary drake was from the stories of their even further youth. They would rub his crystallized skin with herbs and melted sediments, taking care with the breaks in it as well as his wings. Talking of how proud he must be for the scars he obtained during his absence and reminding him of all his natural habits and explaining why certain things were so familiar to him even if he could not remember them beforehand. 

Because he is such a large variant of their breed, the change he’s currently undergoing resulted in a softer skin and piebald pattern. His crystal skin retaining some of the darker black hues while simultaneously returning him to his lavender and including a new shade of midnight royal hues as a sign of him accepting that he was no longer the bright and carefree dragon he’d once been but had no qualms with the dragon he would become. Because the adaptation would take so long though, he bid farewell to his Syntharia kin and returned home with opalescent crystals masking his still changing pieces to gradually continue his adaptation where he wanted to be the most. His horns are long and curved like a Great Sable Antelope’s but are not excessively long and are curved to promote a less threatening feeling since he has no intentions to gore anyone. 

Fourth Form :: (Lower Right Corner) A yet to be discovered form, or rather, the one his third will transform into later on. Containing the etchings of petals and the same crystallized flesh over his ‘feathers’ and body, he retains a darker skew of colours combined with his lighter gradients to signify that he is content with who he has become. The petal like markings he obtains are to further symbolize his attachment to his spring dragon and his nightshade yet translucent wings further show his attachment to his family in the circus, the Starlight Tent. His horns remain the same as the Third Form.