Valstrayana, Knight of Silver

"Elgus is my home. Her people, my blood. Her walls, my scales. Her soldiers, my claws. She is my life, my soul. And you will not take her from me."

-Valstrayana to Illeia during the Praetoria's assault on Elgus

Valstrayana, an adult silver dragon, serves as beacon of hope against the Holy Praetoria under the guise of Commander Wynona Sheperd of the Empyrean Legion. Knowing of Praetorian spies that skulk within the captial city, she has chosen to hide her true form, though not her true intentions. As Commander Sheperd, the shapechanged "silver knight" can still lead the Legionnaires and keep Elgus safe, at any cost.

Effective Cruelty

Valstrayana's current goal is to help the people's of Azovar in defeating the Holy Praetoria. But she first needs to locate where the HP reside, a fact hidden among rumors and speculation. In posession of a Soul of the Elements, Valstrayana made an inhumane decision. She used the crystal on her daughter, trapping her soul, but leaving her physical form as a mere husk. When trapped in the crystal, a soul calls out to the physical body. If it exists, the body attempts to locate the soul. Tamara was lead right to Elgus, where Valstrayana resided under the guise of Commander Sheperd, the crystal in safe keeping below the Adamantine Temple. The Empyrean Legion soon found her soulless form searching the outskirts of Elgus. She was quickly dispatched, and brought before the Sovereigns of the capital. Utilizing the sacrifice of her daughter, Valstrayana/Commander Sheperd would parade her corpse throught the city for all to see, including the wolves in sheep clothing. The dragon was right.

A Minor Setback

The Departed reached Elgus on the same day as Tamara's body was paraded around the capital, the Empyrean Legion guarding it closely. After the final beheading of the young dragon, the Departed's presense was made known to the commander, thanks to Za'eed Riven who met with them earlier. Further investigations, and a few changes of her faux form, brought enough intel to the silver dragon for her to summize that the Departed were a formidable bunch. They would most definitely cause an unneeded turn of events for her, and the Sovereigns, ongoing plan. Utilizing Zee's neophyte standing in the Empyrean Legion, Commander Sheperd ordered him to bring the Departed to the Roost for a mission. They agreed. As the commander explained her conumdrum with a potential agigated foe on approach, she requested the Departed to dispatch it first. Again, they agreed, and swiftly moved towards their destination: Frostfall Peak, home to Valstrayana's ice palace.

The Hundred-Year Secret

Valstrayana underestimated the might of Knight Commander Illeia and the 400 that invaded the capital. Her plan was derailed. She was forced into a corner. She needed a miracle...or use her trump card. To her surprise, the Departed returned faster than expected, turning the tide on her and the Sovereigns predicament under the Adamantine Temple. It was not fast enough. Sovereign Argen Arianell was killed before Illeia, but his wife, Val, was saved thanks to the Departed. Rageful, Commander Shepered struck a mighty blow to Illeia, then revealed her closesly guarded secret in emotional turmoil. In her true form, the silver dragon tore through the HP alongside the Departed. They succeeded in a bloody bout.

Dawn of a New Age

The Praetorian incursion destroyed much of Elgus. Many innocent lives were lost, buildings demolished, dreams ended. Even so, Valstrayana regretted nothing. Illeiya was captured - and susequently "cured" of her control - her daughter was revived, and Sovereign Argen ressurrected through Tamara's connection with the mysterious Sight. Guilt, however, was not so easy to avoid. With her plan fulfilled, Commander Sheperd made her exit as the Empyrean Legion commander, relinquishing the title to Zee. She left the city soon after, but Valstrayana stayed. The dragon adopted a new guise for herself and Tamara and began to assist in the rebuilding of her home, contemplating the next stage of the Praetoria's downfall.

An Old Friend

Matriarch Ecrena revealed to the Departed that a disguised silver dragon representative of the Council of Wyrms was residing somewhere in Elgus, information imparted to her by the Dread Knight. She also detailed that Paz's mission in Elgus was to locate and identify, but not make contact, with the representee. The Departed believe that Valstrayana is the same member that vi Dare Armada speaks of and that they have already found and befriended her.

Physical Description

Body Features

Valstrayana is adorned with beautiful silver scales that glisten in the sunlight. Some of these scales are so large that they act as plates of natural armor, a distinct feature of the silver dragon. Her resplendent metallic wings attach from just behind the shoulders up to the hip and span a staggering 100 ft. across. Like all silver dragons, Valstrayana sports a distinctive dorsal frill that runs the entire length of her body, head to tail.

Facial Features

From the tops of her brow, two long, silver horns tipped with black protrude from large, plate-like scales. On each side of her jaw are tri-tipped frills with minor scale protrusions adorning the ruff. Her upper jaw is completely made up of the distinctive silver dragon plates. They form from the tip of her jaw and run the length of her head until they meld with the horns.

Identifying Characteristics

Valstrayana has an abnormally long front dorsal frill that sags to the left of her face. Some of her scales have been damaged and portions of her frills torn, a natural tell of her astounding age. Even her wings bear scars from a war long past. As such, her most identifying feature is a draconic rune carved into a few scales on the left side of her neck. Its purpose, and meaning, are unknown.

Apparel & Accessories

Valstrayana elects to wear limited to no jewlery in her true form, an abnormal trait for her kind. But when she does, Valstrayana adorns a small gold pendant embedded with a light-blue sapphire to the end of her front frill. Additionally, she wears a large, matching gold and sapphire-embedded necklace. Golden ivy adorned with leaves and bristles snake its way around the necklace while a section drops level with her chest, yet again tipped with a sapphire as blue as her eyes.

Art Credit: Echofey

Alignment

Neutral Good

Current Location

Elgus

Species

Silver Dragons

Age

~600 years

Sex

Female

Presentation

Feminine

Eyes

Solid blue, glowing

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Silver scales

Height

20 ft.

Weight

~150,000 lbs.