Secrets of Spellform
This summer event was an epic homage to summer blockbuster movies and superhero adventures. My development of this event consisted of creating the entire narrative and event title, serializing the story segments, utilizing tutorials to be both expositional and instructional, building dragon personas and names, and directing Design, Art, and Engineering disciplines to execute the final experience.
Below, you'll find eleven dragon stories in chronological order; each dragon's story builds the larger narrative, including the perspective of the antagonist dragon, Fury.
*Published in DragonVale (released in 2019 on iOS, Android, and Amazon)
Below, you'll find eleven dragon stories in chronological order; each dragon's story builds the larger narrative, including the perspective of the antagonist dragon, Fury.
*Published in DragonVale (released in 2019 on iOS, Android, and Amazon)
|
Darcowl Dragon
The Secret of Stealth A piece of rock whizzed through the sky and slammed into another. BANG! Another group of boulders collided, then another: each one with a structure on top. One building’s sign swung violently from the commotion and it read, “Bizarre Bazaar”. A darcowl dragon peeked out from behind the building and looked around with wide eyes. Ellie walked by and the darcowl dragon darted back behind the building. It waited for her to pass then slinked out to observe more of this new environment. SQUISH. The darcowl dragon lifted its foreleg and saw smoky, purple fog clinging to it like goo. It tried to shake it off but instead it spread back to its tail and up to its head. Instantly, the dragon changed forms and blended in with a nearby shrubbery. Ellie walked by again and the dragon stood as still as possible. Ellie kept walking without pause. The darcowl dragon looked at itself and saw more purple fog seeping up and over the edge of the island. It ran to the edge, clung to the ground, and peered off into the distance. It couldn’t see anything except a sea of purple fog. It crept down onto the inverted spire, close to the clouds, and poked its head through. Four distinct and massive plumes of purple fog billowed up from the Surface. Lightning strikes blasted throughout the sky. The darcowl dragon’s eyes glazed over and its mouth fell agape. |
Vertical Divider
|
|
Outrider Dragon
The Secret of Flight Bursting through cloud after cloud, an outrider dragon saw the poorly constructed island in the distance. A soft glow pulsed from it and the dragon sped up. As it flew through more purple fog, the dragon noticed its wings started changing: they thinned out and sharpened at the tips. Its head grew sleek adornments and the dragon tried to look up to see what was happening. The outrider dragon accidentally barrel rolled while trying to view its new form and quickly realized its augmented flying proficiency. It created a sonic boom as it made an expedited trip to the pulsing island. As soon as the outrider dragon approached the island, it saw a darcowl dragon waving its tail while alternating forms. The darcowl dragon pointed down with its tail and the outrider dragon looked. It shook its head and shouted. The darcowl dragon motioned again. The outrider dragon dove straight down piercing fog with increasing density until it popped through and saw the Zephyrlands, a region once categorized by ancient wizards from the Surface. A giant cliff loomed over the land and was split down the center, violently spewing purple fog into the air. The outrider dragon sped to the leak and zoomed in circles near the source. The aimless energy was captured in a cyclone and was prevented from rising up. The outrider dragon stopped to stare at its accomplishment, but the cyclone quickly dissipated and the energy continued to flow up. The dragon started back up and maintained its perpetual and circular flight pattern… |
Vertical Divider
|
|
Quantum Dragon
The Secret of Physics While the skies darkened and sporadic energy formed clouds, a quantum dragon lay asleep on a chunk of land floating up toward the Vale. The purple fog around the dragon floated closer and closer, converging on the slumbering creature. The fog clung to the land, then rolled along the sod. The quantum dragon slowly awoke and saw something fuzzy crawling on its tail. As soon as the dragon leapt up and shook incessantly, it glimpsed the open chaotic skies while floating on a tiny island… and fainted. The perturbed dragon awoke yet again, but this time there was no chunk of land under it. It was levitating without any support. The dragon spun in all directions looking for solid ground. It looked up and saw a huge island. It scrambled in the air to stop levitating. After managing to avoid a collision, the quantum dragon saw a gray figure lean over the edge of the island. It smoothly moved closer to the edge, then suddenly fell. It toppled toward the quantum dragon and an invisible shot of energy reflexively emanated from the creature. The dragon furrowed its brow and saw the object coming back down. The quantum dragon let out another wave of unseen force and followed the figure in flight. With one last blast, it landed the statue safely on the ground. Staring back at the dragon, was the face of Nogard: he was petrified… encased in stone. The quantum dragon wiped a smattering of purple energy off Nogard’s face and took off with a loud screech toward the Surface… |
Vertical Divider
|
|
Riptide Dragon
The Secret of Fluidity A baby riptide dragon swam in a lake, splashing about and chuckling to itself. The ground shook and a loud crack echoed. The baby dragon stopped and watched the water. It rippled and then another load CRACK startled the creature. The ground broke apart at the edge of the lake, creating a waterfall into nothingness. The baby riptide dragon saw an outrider dragon dive down into the deep dark sky, followed shortly by a quantum dragon. The baby buoyed up and down giggling again and swam to the waterfall. Kai caught sight of the baby dragon about to swim off into the sky and quickly cast a grasping spell. The spell couldn’t hold it back and the dragon slipped off. As it fell, the falling water around it slowly turned purple. The grasping spell interacted with the now liquid energy and the baby riptide dragon was surrounded by a bright aura. Giant teeth emerged from the baby's mouth and the aura shattered. A fully-grown riptide dragon with a strong jaw and ominous scales took form and roared with a deep belly laugh. It could now see the Surface and a gorge filled with water. SPLISH! The dragon had a seamless entry and popped back up. It looked around Silverfalls Gorge, a wide expanse of fresh snow, dense forests, and crystal-clear waterways. Nearby, bubbles percolated and smoky energy released with each pop. The riptide dragon dove down, looking for the source. |
Vertical Divider
|
|
Armament Dragon
The Secret of Strength A giant metal slab rumbled on the kid-conjured island, created to combat rogue spellform energy. The metallic formation shook again. A crack split open, sending splinters in all directions. An armament dragon’s head emerged and roared with great power. A darcowl dragon’s tail slapped over the shouting dragon’s mouth. The armament dragon scowled as the darcowl dragon revealed itself and slowly removed its tail. The darcowl dragon broadened its stance and morphed into its organic spellform, creating a veil in front of its newfound friend. Seconds later, Kai walked by to collect the Parade Gardens’ Magic accrual. The armament dragon broke out of its immovable trap and roared in triumph. The darcowl dragon again muzzled the loud-mouth being with its tail. After Kai moved on to check Gardenia’s Gamery, the darcowl dragon attempted to usher its friend to hidden safety, but it wouldn’t follow. The armament dragon peered off into the dark purple sky and wandered closer and closer to the island’s edge. It was as if the dragon was following a call no dragon or wizard could hear. The darcowl dragon tried to grapple the wandering dragon’s legs. The armament dragon was too strong and kept lumbering toward imminent calamity… |
Vertical Divider
|
|
Dash Dragon
The Secret of Agility THWIP. THWAP. SWISH. SWASH. A dash dragon, on two strong legs, sped through a thick forest breaking branches and mangling bushes. It emerged close to the edge of an island and seamlessly jumped through the air to the next island. It careened toward the Bizarre Bazaar and stopped dead in its tracks. It sniffed wildly around the perimeter of the market like a bloodhound on a trail. It poked its head through the front doors. From inside, a voice screamed, “Ahhhh!” The dash dragon pulled itself out and shook its head as if trying to rid the noise from its ears. It continued sniffing at the foundation and located a particularly strong scent. It dug frantically into the ground and kept digging until only its tail was sticking out. Snorts and sniffs echoed up from the hole, then silence set in. A young wizard emerged from the Bizarre Bazaar and looked down through the hole… it went right through the island. Floating through the sky, the dash dragon was encased in spellform energy with only its head poking free. The cloud carried it into the dark unknown, so the dragon pushed its legs through the energy and began pedaling midair. It managed to change the trajectory of the energy cloud and touched down safely on a desert land known to some historians and lorebrarians as Briar Flats. The dash dragon took its first step on this strange land and noticed its legs had bright green and sleek black feathers. It instinctually took off at top speed and was at least twice as fast as its former self. It ran until it hit water, turned back, and ran in another direction. It ran three more laps until it realized there was no dragon, witch, or wizard in sight. It looked around and simply sat down with its head hung low… |
Vertical Divider
|
Vertical Divider
|
Sparkles Dragon
The Secret of Voltage Lost in the spellform energy clouds, a sparkles dragon flew aimlessly, seeking shelter wherever it could. It heard a loud whirring and the occasional yelp. The dragon flew toward the sound, still hindered by limited visibility. It broke through a cloud and saw a spellformed outrider dragon caught in a looping flight pattern. The sparkles dragon squinted, arched its shoulders, and sped toward the victim in the wind. It cut through cloud after cloud until it pierced the last one in between it and the outrider dragon. ZAP! A bright bolt of lightning struck the sparkles dragon while energy encased it. The sparkles dragon went limp and plummeted. The passing air ruffled its fur and tossed its limbs. It was feet away from the hard ground when it suddenly stopped falling. Its body levitated and righted itself. When its arms tensed, blue lightning emanated from its talons. Now, with smoky gray scales and untamed electricity seeping out, the dragon’s eyes popped open. It focused on the split mountain spewing purple energy so bright and constant, that it looked like a sun. The sparkles dragon flew straight to the mountain and charged its entire body. Jagged blue arcs grew and grew, creating an electric aura. When it became three times as big as the dragon, it unleashed the high voltage ball at the split mountain. It collided with the rocky mass and instantly shattered. The Surface formation crumbled on itself and the bright, purple energy leak definitively ceased. The outrider dragon was still circling as if nothing happened, until the sparkles dragon joined it and flew alongside. The outrider dragon broke its daze and looked at the powerful dragon next to it. They both looked at the collapsed mountain. The outrider dragon slowly came to a stop, slumped over, and heavily exhaled. The sparkles dragon gave it a gentle pat on the back with its tail. |
|
|
Vanguard Dragon
The Secret of Invention While the Vale became more engulfed in suffocating Surface energy, a vanguard dragon monitored the youth trying their best to stave off destruction. The dragon saw an airship detach from the dock and flail wildly in the turbulent wind. The vanguard dragon saw a young witch clinging to the mast and flew straight to her aid. The dragon rose underneath the airship and clamped it between its massive wings. It escorted the ship back to the dock and locked it in place. The witch profusely thanked the dragon and ran off the airship to find a portal to safety. The vanguard dragon raised a wing to acknowledge the thanks and saw gold gleaming bright on the tips. The dragon looked back at the path it took and saw a hole punched through a giant energy cloud. The vanguard dragon smirked and took off, diving through as many clouds as possible with its wings spread out. The dragon could see the gold glow emanating from its entire body. It looked around and realized it had flown so low the Surface was in sight. The vanguard dragon could see Silverfalls Gorge with such clarity that something was visibly splashing around a lake. The vanguard dragon sped toward the mysterious being in distress and saw a riptide dragon porpoising up a mountain, only to fail and slide back down into the lake. The vanguard dragon saw a small pond nestled high in the mountain that was spewing energy out from the water. The riptide dragon yelped at the hovering vanguard dragon and nodded its head toward the pond. The vanguard dragon flapped over to the mountain and stood firmly between the lake and the pond. The riptide dragon dipped under water and swam away. The vanguard dragon watched intently as its new partner turned around and torpedoed as fast as it could toward the edge of the lake. It leaped out of the water and sailed through the air straight toward the vanguard dragon. The gilded creature compressed its wings on its back and when the riptide dragon came flying down on it, the vanguard dragon’s wings sprung up, catapulting its swimming companion back into the air. The riptide dragon dove seamlessly into the pond, unleashed a high pitch frequency, and sealed the energy leak under water. The riptide dragon emerged and laughed. The vanguard dragon saw the energy geyser sputter to a stop and joined in the laughter. Silverfalls Gorge echoed with their uproarious satisfaction. |
Vertical Divider
|
|
Psyche Dragon
The Secret of Telepathy Ellie stood on the island she and Kai summoned and watched the creeping energy consume the perimeter. She gripped her wand tight and closed her eyes. Light pink tendrils appeared around her wand, then her entire body. Ellie was so focused she didn’t see the curious psyche dragon floating down above her to catch a closer look. Suddenly, the pink tendrils shot out in all directions and decimated the creeping energy. It also consumed the psyche dragon above her head. The dragon had instantly transformed into a mesmerizing array of green and white scales with geometric pink flair. It scanned the island intently and spotted a rambunctious armament dragon ignoring a darcowl dragon. The psyche dragon’s stare intensified and quickly thereafter, the armament dragon walked off the island’s edge. As it fell through the sky, panic took hold of the flightless being… until the psyche dragon flew alongside it. While they both descended at an incredible rate, they saw the Surface’s Glimmerverse come into focus. It was a vast, shimmering expanse filled with crystalline formations, rainbows, glittery meadows, and even more energy leaks. The psyche dragon locked eyes with the armament dragon and they leaned left simultaneously. The non-flying friend curled up into a ball and targeted a crystal ramp below it. The armament dragon hit the ramp and rolled speedily onto solid ground. The psyche dragon caught up with it. As soon as the armament dragon came out of its tucked position, it ran at full speed toward a giant crystal with energy spewing out from its base. CRASH! The behemoth creature demolished it and sealed the leak. It kept pace, trampled a field of toadstools, and ran toward another crystal. The psyche dragon floated to several more leaks and the armament dragon sealed each one in succession with deliberate destruction. The two of them continued until no leak was left in the Glimmerverse. There were few crystals that survived the demolition derby, but order was restored… or at least it appeared so. |
Vertical Divider
|
|
Fury Dragon
During the calamitous incidents known as the Secrets of Spellform, there was a being that may have been the cause of it all. Deep in the Surface, a bundle of condensed energy became somewhat autonomous. Its sole purpose was to escape, but the pent-up energy could not break through to the open air above. It was deflected every time it came close to piercing through. After every attempt, the sentient energy mass dissipated and reappeared in another underground region of the Surface. This unfortunate soul repeated the same cycle over and over, creating geysers of energy leaks across the Surface, until a massive amount of energy pooled around it. The entity pulsed and grew. It aimed upward once again and propelled through the earthy quagmire. On the flat, desolate ground of the Briar Flats, a lone dash dragon sat sulking. The ground cracked. The dragon tilted its head. The crack grew slowly then spread wildly. The dash dragon perked up and ran in circles, trying to escape the fierce fissure. A vanguard dragon flew in and landed with a riptide dragon on its back. An outrider and sparkles dragon sped in and hovered. A quantum and psyche dragon levitated alongside an armament dragon floating in a translucent force field bubble. They all surrounded the seismic event preparing to seal the largest energy leak on the Surface… Before they could act, the subterranean energy burst through the ground. It appeared to survey the spellform dragons around it and began to change. The energy took the shape of a dragon with four legs, sharp talons, and dismal fur. It was indeed a dragon spawned from a furious inception. The psyche dragon approached it in the air and signaled with pink flares. The fury dragon snorted, turned away, and flew toward the Vale. |
Vertical Divider
|
|
Bastion Dragon
The Secret of Inspiration While the other eight spellform dragons were witnessing the birth of a fury dragon on the Surface, the lone darcowl dragon in the Vale was combating increasingly hostile energy alongside Kai and Ellie. More and more kids started casting spells to push back the purple fog. Even the dragons without enhancements rose to the occasion and used their magic breath to bolster the unified defense. Just then, the fury dragon rose high above the Vale and proudly floated with a scowling observance of the chaos. It smirked. The Surface energy walloped the darcowl dragon and sent it into a stupor. Ellie ran to check on it as Kai fired suppressing spells to keep her safe from the onslaught. The fury dragon’s smirk faded when all it could see were children and dragons fighting an endless battle. Another wave of energy hit the darcowl dragon and it tumbled off the island’s edge. The fury dragon rocketed straight down toward the helpless being. The darcowl dragon vanished below an energy cloud and the fury dragon followed it blindly. High above the Surface, the group of spellform dragons flew up while the non-flyers hitched a ride. They were looking for the furious one, when two dragons burst through a cloud above them and collided with the group. A bright light exploded from the epicenter of the collision. As the light faded, a new dragon appeared. Its bright blue wings and staggering aura magically held the stunned dragons in mid-air. Much like the fury dragon was created from raw rebellion, the bastion dragon was created from pure hope. The bastion dragon flew up to the safety of the Vale and gently descended with the dazed dragons still in tow. As they landed, the immaculate force emanating from the bastion dragon quelled all of the Surface energy. The purple fog faded, and a clear blue sky framed the rising sun for dawn to grace the Vale once again. The petrified House Witches and Wizards broke free from the spell and witnessed other adult magicfolk appearing from thin air. Nogard looked around and saw a boy jumping for joy, “Young one. What happened here?” The young boy said, “My name’s Donlo, Mr. Nogard sir. The dragons did it! They saved the Vale!” Nogard looked over and saw the newly pink-maned fury dragon stand up in the middle of the spellform dragons. The group closed in on the fury dragon and huddled together, resting their heads and wings on each other. The bastion dragon enveloped them all with its brilliant wings. Kai and Ellie watched and smiled as the warmth of sunlight spread. |
Vertical Divider
|
