Watch out, there's a big blue griffin about.

Erin, a nineteen-year-old orphaned and paralyzed after a tragic accident three years ago, finds solace in vivid dreams that take her to a breathtaking ocean world called Emerrane, where griffins soar and merlings wage wars. When she finds herself trapped in this dream world, she struggles to accept that it's not just a figment of her imagination. Terrified of losing anything else in her increasingly small world, she narrowly avoids ruining this new life she's been given in her efforts to hold on to the past. Letting go of her uncle Desmond and embracing her future as a griffin rider is her first big step in growing up and accepting her new reality.

Upon waking in Emerrane, she meets Leslyn, a young man seeking a new life in the city of Nilvar. Right away, he is accused of stowing away on a prince's ship, mistaken for Erin's lookalike uncle, and nearly gets eaten by a giant blue griffin named Wrath who definitely holds a grudge after Leslyn accidentally helps to capture her. To achieve his goals, he must navigate his way through the citizenship politics of Nilvar and learn to cope with his (thankfully) temporary master, the reckless prince who's always putting his own neck on the line. He never expected to become a griffin rider, and certainly didn't expect (or want) to be swept up into the business of the Queen and her doomed quest.

Appointed by a god long absent from their world, the Queen is a generational figure who appears when calamity strikes. For the last four centuries while the merlings have ruled the seas and prevented sailing to distant lands unreachable by griffin-back, the Queens have been unable to fulfill their divine mission to search out their five knights and complete the ritual that would restore Emerrane. The planet remains divided and in turmoil, its broken moon a constant visual reminder of their failure. Will Erin, Leslyn and their friends be able to help Katharesa, the Queen of their generation, to succeed and finally break the cycle of failure and destruction that has persisted for four hundred years?

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What to expect:

Dragonriders of Pern (but with griffins) meets Final Fantasy X. There is griffin-riding and a world-spanning pilgrimage requiring "unlocking" of new and differing locations that hold more storyline and sidequesting. Low magic in the form of racial abilities such as shapeshifting, no casting spells or system. Not a litRPG by any stretch, but might have some breeding sim elements in later arcs.

[x] Slow burn with a tight-knit cast (following MCs for several years)[x] Baby griffins (estimated average: one clutch per arc)[x] Griffins everywhere in general[x] Multiple and varied cultures and locations[x] Tons of character growth/relationship/interaction[x] Consequences for actions

[_] Number go up[_] Power fantasy[_] Sexy times[_] Earth-based profanity[_] Immortality (someone important definitely dies, but it's foreshadowed so often that they may as well have a flashing neon sign over their head)

Arc 1: Chapters 1-39Intro to the city of Nilvar and the main cast. Minor touch on the main plot regarding the Queen, but she's not quite done cooking yet. MCs receive baby griffin keets under very unusual circumstances and later learn the hard way why these griffins are so integral to Nilvar's culture. *Time frame: Approximately two months

Arc 2: Chapters 40-??Intro to the merling people and their culture, bringing on Coyrifan as a guest POV character. Putting literally every citizen of Nilvar at risk, Prince Koben launches his most reckless plan yet in hopes to help Queen Katharesa and possibly ally with their sea-dwelling mortal enemies as a welcome side effect. The Queen is baking quite nicely and getting crispy around the edges. With the truth of their relationship and Erin's identity finally brought to light, Erin and Leslyn figure out what they really are to each other. *Time frame: ?

Tentatively outlined so far: 7+ arcs (~300+ chapters)

Initial release schedule: Monday/Friday/Saturday.

Cover Art by ttazo.