Published by: The Santae Team
The Quest For The Orbs Begins
Now that they were confident they had examined every nook and cranny of the Shrine, there was just one obvious test left to try. Vespera lifted the Dragon Orb sent by Silvershade and placed it delicately into the depression atop one of the Shrine's pillars.
The Orb fit perfectly. As soon as it settled into its proper place, the Shrine suddenly seemed to hum with magic. A soft glow began to emanate from the Dragon Orb as a swirl of energy began to circle overhead. The Shrine had been activated!
Vespera and Orion stood next to the Shrine's first pillar, watching the magic swirl. Dozens of dragon Minimals soaring overhead cast circling shadows over the shrine and the cluster of pillars.
"This is incredible!" Scholar Orion said. "The Orbs are certainly what we need to delve deeper into the secrets of this place. But I believe we are agreed," Orion continued, "that no more Dragon Orbs are hidden here at the Shrine."
"Right," Vespera agreed. "We've been so thorough -- I can't imagine where they would be hiding. I'm confident that we should extend the search."
"This first Orb was discovered by your friend Silvershade, correct?" Orion asked.
"Yes," Vespera confirmed. "They said a dragon Minimal they tamed was holding it."
Both Orion and Vespera turned their gazes upward, at the flocks of dragons swooping back and forth overhead.
"Hmm," Scholar Orion hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps the rest of the Orbs are also in the possession of these dragon Minimals. But there are so many..." he sighed. "We'd have to get extremely lucky to tame exactly the right one."
A slow grin crept across Vespera's face as an idea dawned on her. "You're right -- but we don't have to get lucky. My Adventurer friends can help! If they all work together to tame dragons, we could check a great number of them. Far more than you and I could examine alone."
"Excellent!" Orion cried. "You're right -- more investigators will dramatically increase the likelihood that something useful is learned from this endeavor."
"And that's not all," Vespera went on, excited. "That dragon Minimal must have gotten this first Orb from somewhere. The more we learn about these dragons by taming them, the more likely it is we can discover where they're coming from in the first place. Even if the dragons don't have any more Orbs themselves -- their home might."
Orion And Vespera Need Your Help Taming Dragons
"Adventurers!
Will you help us learn the secrets of these dragon Minimals?
Understanding these dragons could bring us one step closer to unlocking
the mystery of the ancient dragon -- the Quenaris!
"If we tame enough dragons, that should give us a good idea of what they are doing and where they are going. They might have even more of the Dragon Orbs we need -- or show us the way to a new clue.
"Please tame 5000 dragon Minimals to help us solve this mystery!"
Another Draconic Discovery At The Ranch
Silvershade had their hands full!
The skies of Santae were still crowded with dragons, and helping supply Adventurers with the tools to track and tame them was keeping the rancher very busy. It felt like there was something to do every minute between sunrise and sunset -- and sometimes, the nocturnal habits of certain Minimals meant they had to keep working in the dark, too.
It was busy, but it was worth it. Discovering new Minimals and helping them thrive was Silvershade's favorite thing to do.
That's why -- even though they were in a rush -- Silvershade decided to investigate when they noticed a small flash of movement in the underbrush on the outskirts of the Ranch. They approached quietly, kneeling down to peer into the bushes and see the culprit behind the rustling. Maybe it was a shy or secretive Minimal, hiding away from the hustle and bustle in the center of the Ranch!
"Woah!" Silvershade stumbled back a step as something purple, scaly, and fast leapt out from its hiding place. The rancher poised to run if needed, but when they saw the Minimal they relaxed and chuckled to themself.
A purple, wingless dragon was crouched on the ground in front of them. It flared out two wide frills around its face in an obvious attempt to make itself seem bigger and more ferocious -- but it looked small and young. A Hydrake!
"No need to worry, little guy! I just want to help you out," Silvershade cooed at the small dragon, gently extending a hand to offer a treat. The Hydrake darted out its neck to snap up the berry, then surveyed Silvershade with an appraising eye. Apparently deciding right then and there that Silvershade was a friend, the Hydrake scurried closer and used its little claws to scramble into Silvershade's arms.
Silvershade stroked the Hydrake's smooth scales as they carried it back toward the center of the Ranch. Something told them that, however small it was now, this feisty dragon was full of potential!
Hydrake is now available for taming via Herding!
Track Down Specific Minimals With New Treats
Merick has cooked up something exciting at the Minimal Menagerie. These tasty Tracker Treats are sure to be a big help in all your Minimal taming adventures!
Using a Tracker Treat will help you and Silvershade tempt specific Minimals out of hiding for Herding. With this item, you'll see a selection of Minimals to choose from whenever you embark on a new Herding task! If there's one specific creature you're most interested in tracking and taming, Tracker Treats help make it more likely that you will encounter that perfect companion.
With the Tracker Treat, you can also choose the level of challenge you'd like to face while Herding. Embark to track down common creatures who are easy to befriend, or face the challenge of taming a rarer and much more independent beast.
Happy Herding!
TL;DR
★ Orion and Vespera continued to investigate Ascendants Shrine. They decided to ask for help taming the influx of dragon Minimals in hopes of finding more Dragon Orbs or other clues.
★ Community Event Goal: Tame 5000 dragon Minimals!
★ New Minimal available in Herding: Hydrake.
★ New items available: Tracker Treats, which help you track and tame a Minimal of your choice.
