Artex :: Characteristics ================================================================================ > "Taking the form of an average western black-scale, this creature - known by its many names - could be mistaken for a natural phenomenon. It is, however, more of a concoction: born of an unstudied space-time event, matter/energy with properties beyond comprehension, and a soul crossing from one plane of existence to another - all wrapped haphazardly in layers of protective shell..." GENERAL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- His stable form is that of a midnight dragon: quadrupedal; black scales with blueish iridescence and a slight metallic feel to them, surprisingly warm to the touch; a pair of slitted azure blue eyes; mane of dark silver going down his entire spine to the tailtip; two large and powerful wings to his either side; and a long tail. His coloration can resemble a starry night sky under certain conditions, giving his subspecies its name by the local folk. Midnight dragons are usually nocturnal: they see well in the dark and their visual features help them maintain stealth while they hunt or conceal themselves from danger. Their body and scale positioning can make these dragons well insulated from outside temperatures, but also allow them to radiate their body heat outward, making them adept at survival in harsh environments and harder to detect by thermal imaging. Due to their stealthy and cautious nature, midnight dragons may at times struggle to find each other and form family units, or even become easily separated from such. Those who survive the loneliness this often brings - end up with either a solitary and introverted personality, or can be found in a company of other species when they decide to reveal themselves. In either case, the bond these dragons form with those they befriend is very valuable, and when reciprocated - can become very strong and long-lasting. Artex is of the introverted type. Artex exists somewhere in a state between pure energy of an unknown/undiscovered type ("Exotic Energy", or "XE"), and physical matter ("Exotic Matter", or "XM") - a state that gives him his magical, shape-shifting and size-shifting abilities. He tends to use these abilities to compensate for his underdeveloped breath weapon, as well as trying to create marvelous things, the latter of which not being very successful... The mysterious nature and predatory look of this dragon often terrifies people at a first glance - something that in turn made him very hesitant to communicate with others, but if you get to know this creature, you will find plenty of warmth and affection beneath all the physical and psychological layers this dragon has to protect himself from harm. ABILITIES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### MATTER MANIPULATION Most of the abilities this dragon possesses (as described below) - involve some form of control over the balance between his state as energy, and his state as physical (visible/tangible) matter. It also involves control over the structure and behavior of each of those parts. This control is acquired over time, and the end result - experienced by an onlooker through all of their senses - highly depends on it... ### SIZE-SHIFTING The peculiar relationship between matter and energy within this dragon allows him to "become more of one and less of the other", both of which are limited by "the whole": growing too large in size can easily exhaust him, while becoming too small can make his physical form too unstable to maintain. This ability helps him navigate areas not designed for his size. It also makes it hard for him to know his measurements up front... ### SHAPE-SHIFTING Throughout his development, this dragon had learned to maintain better control over the matter and energy that he is. He learned that as a whole - he is not necessarily bound to the physical form that his being projects outward, and neither are his senses bound to the outer shell of that which he perceives. By learning to sense subatomic vibrations of another being and closely mimic them, this dragon has the ability to project himself in a different physical form than his stable form, at least for a limited period of time... ### LIQUIDITY Using matter manipulation, Artex can restructure himself to have fluid properties, often of a thick and gooey variety. This property allows him to render certain threats ineffective; and is known to have been previously used to capture and immobilize other dragons... That said, he is not a chemist and would struggle with creating particular substances such as fuel, explosives, water, etc. ### MATERIALIZATION Using matter manipulation, Artex can also create objects, such as clothing, projectiles, restraint devices, etc. The molecular structure of said objects is unconventional: just as with liquids - he would struggle trying to create known materials such as steel, titanium, carbon fiber, etc. Said objects may also lose cohesion and fall apart if their bond with the dragon who created them is severed - either by said dragon's will, distance, or death... REPRODUCTION / SURFACE-LEVEL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### COURTING / PAIRING / FOREPLAY Artex does not require much foreplay as he does an emotional bond with his partner, or a partner to be. These bonds usually form over time via mutual affection and openness, and often transcend characteristics such as sex, or even species! The intimate nature of such bonding can leave the dragon vulnerable, making it extremely rare for an unparticipating stranger to bear witness to it. For the same reason: his instincts - focused on defense and self-preservation - may limit the depth of said bond in public or other unfamiliar places. This notion also comes into play when paired with a rider: the dragon may accept and accommodate a rider as his duty requires, but his true potential and performance can only be achieved when the two practically "belong to each other"... ### BREEDING In his dragon forms (both: quadrupedal and bipedal), Artex has a fully functioning reproductive system that is believed to be compatible with the rest of dragon kind. His seed shares some characteristics with his materialization ability: it is a part of him that maintains a (breakable) bond, much like a materialized object would be. That said, if fertilization of a compatible host is successful, the resulting cell will achieve autonomy from its parents and continue development on its own as an exotic multi-state life-form with what initial energy it came with during the feritilization event. As such, and unlike inanimate objects - this autonomy prevents decohesion (i.e., death) of an offspring upon will, distance or the death of its parent. Very little else is known about this dragon's reproduction and offspring. While his human form is believed to be infertile due to incompatibilities between Artex and a human, a coupling between said human form and an otherwise compatible dragon was never attempted...