Penumbra

Name: 

Penumbra

Species: 

PeakWing

Age and Birthday:

Elder/Adult, birthday TBD. 68 years old. 

Gender/Pronouns:

Female, she/her

Sexuality:

Bisexual

Occupation/Job:

Representative of peace for Dawnfare and Dusken, diplomat and peacekeeper. Also somewhat of a messenger between them since she keeps the peace and listens to the other's issues, being a mediator/negotiator for the other side. 

Residence:

Dawnfare and Dusken both, has permanent residence and houses in both.

Personality:

Penumbra is an old woman set in her ways, not given much of an opportunity to branch out to other places but not complaining much. She regards her ancestry and the tasks set on her with respect and care, knowing how important her role is and the parts she plays in it. Despite that, however, she can't help the yearning deep within and the years she knew she lost when she was younger as she dedicated herself more to her job and making other dragons satisfied while not regarding her own feelings. Still, however, she knows it's too late for those times as she continues working, only dreaming briefly before coming back to reality. 

Despite her lost wishes, she's still a very motherly figure, even with no family/dragonets of her own. She cares deeply for all of the dragons in her town, and she holds an elder's intelligence and wisdom.

Lore/Backstory: 

BACKSTORY/CHILDHOOD: Penumbra grew up in the lands of Dawnfare and Dusken, two towns that had continuously been grappling for resources, for power, and desires to take over the land over one or the other. Penumbra was tasked with important duties even as a dragonet, as she was told that she was related to the dragon/dragons who created Dawnfare and Dusken eons ago and how respected she is as a figurehead. Her parents were more-so teachers and preachers to her instead of parents, telling her the history of the towns and everything she needed to know about them in order to keep the peace with everything. She was a bit confused at first, especially when her parents discouraged playing with other dragons around her to focus on her studies. Eventually, she learned that it was her destiny to focus on that and that only, finally agreeing to her parent's terms and falling under as a "student" of sorts to their teachings. She learned under them and quickly grew respected and known as the successor, already intelligent and emotionally aware of dragons despite keeping herself calm and guarded so others wouldn't be able to threaten her. When she was able to, her parents passed down their positions with pride as they let her take the lead position as the peacekeeper between the two towns. Penumbra took it in stride, but many weren't able to tell if she was excited or not with her reaction being so relaxed. In reality, she was honored- but she was also mulling around with the fact that she hadn't been anywhere else but the two towns, looking out instead on the life she knew she could never have.

ADULTHOOD/VALE: Penumbra continued with her chores as much as she could, filling in her role well, but she eventually grew stir-crazy and finally went to ask her parents as an early adult if she could at least go somewhere else, wanting to see some of the kingdom outside of the towns she knew like the back of her claws. They were hesitant, but they finally allowed her to go to Vale, the realm of knowledge and telling her to use the trip wisely to gain more information. She took that opportunity and ran with it, going with an escort as she went down to Vale. She was amazed by all of the different dragons there and by the largest library being set for her as she wandered around, soaking up as much as she could and purposefully taking some books with her so she had to go back to return them later. Her parents weren't aware of her clever tricks, mostly thinking it was an accident, but Penumbra made sure to at least sneak in a few more trips until she was old enough to no longer respect her parent's wishes by staying full-time in the towns. It gave her much needed breaks when she needed them, but she could feel herself slowing down with her older age due to the travel time and growing stiffer/more achy from moving constantly between the towns and the labor, physically and emotionally, for both of them. Her trips to Vale slowed, but she does her best to make her way to them when she can. She never found a lot of time for herself, however, resulting in no time for a mate or dragonets and worrying those who paid attention to her family lines. Penumbra never gave anyone clear answers when they asked about it, avoiding the questions diligently as much as she could as she didn't find anyone within the towns interesting in that way, plus not wanting any sort of bias from either Dawnfare or Dusken for a partner. She did find a suspicious figure that eventually turned into a friend in Truth/Ideal, a two-headed dragon now worshipped like a god for the dragons in the town. Though Penumbra was suspicious of them at first, they eventually grew to be close friends as they were able to spend their adult years and early elder years growing up and tending to the town, becoming close through there. 

GAUDIERE: Knowing his parents and having a good relationship with them, Penumbra took Gaudiere under her wing at a younger age when he showed interest in the politics and the system of how Dawnfare and Dusken ran, especially taking kind to him when his parents passed from one of the more deadly skirmishes between the two towns. Penumbra feels an odd guilt at this as well, but she helps raise Gaudiere and practically has him as her own son, even though they never really acknowledged the mother-and-son bond they share. Gaudiere remains one of her most loyal disciples, intelligent and helping with decision making. 

CURSED OMEN ARC: Penumbra finds herself returning back to Vale at one point, much older now but doing her best to get in as many trips as she can before her end, where she finds Token, Crowe, Azira, and Archie all in the libraries. Seeing young and stressed faces about some books, Penumbra helps them get the ancient texts they're looking for and gives them a safe tip on how to examine them as she flips through them with gloves after they suggest that they may be cursed. Penumbra is a strong and kind face to them, however, and she bonds with them as she grows to like Token especially (and sees through Crowe and Azira's situationship). She invites Token to visit sometime, hoping he'll come to visit in Dawnfare and Dusken. She goes back and explains what happened to Truth/Ideal, her friend oddly freezing and suddenly seeming panicked. When Penumbra asks, Truth decides to tell her, being honest about her past and where she came from+who they were. Penumbra is shocked but horrified at their story and what they had to endure, expressing her apologies and promising to keep it quiet for her safety. Truth/Ideal is grateful, but Ideal is now hesitant as she admits that she thinks they need to head back to help fix what they helped start. Truth tries to deny it for a bit, the two going back and forth until Truth finally agrees with her. Penumbra decides to come with her as well for protection and to help with traveling, Truth/Ideal luckily being a bit smaller than normal size and Penumbra still being strong enough to carry her as they set out, heading back up north where Token had said they were going. 

CURSED OMEN ARC- OZYRN/CANARY: Penumbra and Truth/Ideal eventually land in Ozyrn, reuniting with the group they had met before as Truth/Ideal finally explains to the others about their story. Penumbra listens, catching Nodus' eye and seeing how lost he looks. As they let the rest of the group recoup, Penumbra invites Nodus with herself and Truth/Ideal out on a walk as they decide to discover more of the town. She gets to talking with Nodus as they do so, inviting him to Dawnfare/Dusken if he needs a place to rest and recoup. Nodus is gone the next morning, Penumbra hoping he took her advice. As they remain in the town, stopped for now why they try to figure out their next course of action, Penumbra and Truth/Ideal spend more time looking around Ozyrn and soaking it all in. She also gets to talking with Canary, an odd dragon who loves the snow and offers a coat to her while they look around together. She grows to like him and his odd "spunk" compared to her, liking how he talked about the gods as not beings of worship (for the most part), but how they were a true integral part of his life and others he used to have. Penumbra listens to him while they walk around, Truth/Ideal listening in as well as all of the older dragons bond. 

CURSED OMEN ARC FINALE: When the time comes, Hymn is with Crowe and Token as they work to lure Novocaine away from Omen. They encounter him and Omen as well, able to separate the two and isolate Novocaine, finally catching him once and for all as they alert officials and get him classified, not only for his more recent crimes but crimes dating back to his time in Vale. He's sent to the prison with some help from Token and Crowe while Hymn slips away, able to lure Omen towards the old cave where he resided and where Crane has said to bring him for the plan. She confronts him, but during the confrontation is interrupted by Truth/Ideal, attempting one last time to plead for their friend's lives and Omen's own. But deranged and fueled by centuries of hatred, Omen tries to attack. Crane distracts him and leads him away, leading him down into the cave system and trapping him with the help of her grandfather, Canary, "killing" their two curses and trapping them underground. The others regroup with members waiting in Ozyrn for them and do their best to go dig out Crane under the avalanche, finally hearing her voice and managing carefully around the storm to free her. After a few days, they finally rescue her, spending a few last days in Northcape while she heals before everyone finally parts ways, unlikely friendships made and promises made to return to each other soon.

RETURN: Penumbra returns home with Truth/Ideal, meeting a very furious Gaudiere as he explodes and asks her where she's been. Penumbra does her best to calm him, eventually doing so with Truth/Ideal's help as they tell him everything that had occurred. Gaudiere seems perturbed, but lets them settle and instead helps fill them in on what they've missed in the week he was here without them covering and getting updates from the other weeks where they were all gone.