Winter Saga
This winter holiday event was the first major narrative in DragonVale that tied a huge dragon cast together in a dramatic story. 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 ten dragon stories in chronological order. Each story melds into the next to lead the player along a journey of discovery that showcases the good intentions of all dragons, even if initial perceptions were skewed.
*Published in DragonVale (released in 2018 on iOS, Android, and Amazon)
Below, you'll find ten dragon stories in chronological order. Each story melds into the next to lead the player along a journey of discovery that showcases the good intentions of all dragons, even if initial perceptions were skewed.
*Published in DragonVale (released in 2018 on iOS, Android, and Amazon)
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Nibwhip Dragon
Winter Saga: Chapter 1 On a cold and blustery night, several Valers gathered to concoct a hot drink to warm the soul. It was chocolaty and creamy and required constant stirring to keep the perfect consistency. A nibwhip dragon waddled out from behind a rock, sniffing and gulping the air. The witches and wizards welcomed it and promised a taste if it helped stir the delicate brew. The nibwhip dragon obliged and stirred through the night while the magicfolk went home to rest up for the festivities in the morrow. Little did the dragon know, there was something lurking in a nearby forest. The sounds of branches breaking and leaves scattering circled the cauldron and the tasty drink… |
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Gulletail Dragon
Winter Saga: Chapter 2 Sometimes, even dragons can get lost in a forest. If their wings are too stiff to fly above the treetops, it can cause quite the panic... it’s even worse if they have no wings at all. This happened to one unfortunate gulletail dragon, as it wandered and shivered in the night, looking for any relief from the bitter cold. It smelled what could only be a hot treat and followed its nose to a clearing. It found an oblivious nibwhip dragon stirring a witch’s cauldron, billowing with steam. The gulletail dragon circled the clearing, trying to distract the helpful dragon with ominous noises. The nibwhip dragon finally broke its concentration and left the cauldron unattended to search for the cause of the ruckus. The gulletail dragon licked its lips and slithered toward the chocolaty goodness… |
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Lokilure Dragon
Winter Saga: Chapter 3 High in the treetops is where lokilure dragons love to perch. They tend to prefer a view of everyone and everything. No one knows the reason why, but one example has helped to clarify this question. On the eve of the first great celebration, a lokilure dragon spotted a gulletail dragon inches away from gulping down an entire batch of chocolate brew. It had seen magicfolk and even a nibwhip dragon working on it all night, so it decided to trick the thieving creature and preserve the dedication invested in the work. It shook its horns and tail to mimic a dinner bell Valers often used. The gulletail dragon perked up with stomach grumbling, and sped off toward the sound of the bell. The lokilure dragon snickered as it watched from above. As the nibwhip dragon returned from a fruitless search to continue its task, the lokilure dragon puffed out its chest and raised its beak with pure pride. |
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Libretto Dragon
Winter Saga: Chapter 4 Meanwhile in the Vale, a crooning chorus walked down a snowy path, giving houses and the families inside a sample of their jolly carols. Their angelic voices rang throughout the town and it intrigued a nearby libretto dragon. It peaked and saw the traveling singers, but didn’t want to be left out. The curious creature followed the tunes, but stayed a few steps behind to remain unseen. When the group hit a high note, the libretto dragon couldn’t restrain its enthusiasm and let out a squawk for the ages. The troop of troubadours turned in shock to see a bashful dragon wanting to be included. They welcomed it with kind gestures and invited it to join as they kept on spreading cheer… |
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Avarice Dragon
Winter Saga: Chapter 5 In a deep dark cave, an avarice dragon lay tossing and turning on a bed of DragonCash. It appeared that slumbering comfort was greatly out of reach for this poor bedraggled being. Finally, it had found the perfect spot and its eyelids slowly closed. As soon as a genuine snore bellowed out of its snout, the loudest squawk in the Vale echoed everywhere. The avarice dragon’s eyes popped open; it stood straight up and banged its head on a low-hanging stalactite. It groaned and snarled with hackles standing on end. It marched toward the mouth of the cave to find the cause of its unpleasant awakening, yet there was nothing there. It took flight and soared over the Vale until it spotted a boisterous choir and a contributing libretto dragon. It let out a giant roar that scattered the singers and even made the libretto dragon hide. Satisfied, the avarice dragon flew back home to its cave… |
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Sugarplum Dragon
Winter Saga: Chapter 6 That very same night, a sugarplum dragon wandered in search of flowers that reflected the moonlight. It came across a cluster of lunar-luminescent lilies that inspired the dragon to grin and skip. It plucked some and placed them between its scales and fur to enhance its luster. It let out a happy little chirp. A barrage of footsteps grew louder and louder until an avarice dragon appeared at the peak of anger. The sugarplum dragon recoiled, but soon saw the red, droopy eyes and sullen stance of the creature. The sugarplum dragon approached the weary one and saw its unforgiving living quarters. In no time at all, the sugarplum dragon had gathered straw and grass to form a much more comfortable bed for the avarice dragon. It inspected the bed as if it were a trap, then placed one paw gently on the bedding. It was soft. The avarice dragon plopped down and sighed heavily. The sugarplum dragon was so delighted it leaped and twirled with glee. Incidentally, this celebratory dance hypnotized the avarice dragon into a deep sleep. |
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Saccharine Dragon
Winter Saga: Chapter 7 If there’s one dragon that will help magicfolk make delectable edibles, it’s the saccharine dragon. Some say its breath has amazing powers to sweeten anything on a plate. Others say it only needs to be in the vicinity of food for flavors to be enhanced. But on this magical night, the famous Confection Coven needed all the help they could get. They sent up a gumdrop flare to signal any nearby saccharine dragons and luckily one came to the rescue. When it arrived, it took one look at a table filled with burned cookies, melted candies, and drooping cakes. It exhaled a single blast of magic that exploded in a shower of sprinkles and icing. When the sugar cleared, the table was bursting with perfect deserts that now almost looked too good to eat. The coven gazed at the miracle, but was suddenly startled by a loud thud under the table. It bumped again and they all scattered in fear the saccharine dragon’s power was about to backfire… |
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Burglehoo Dragon
Winter Saga: Chapter 8 When wizards speak about burglehoo dragons, it always has a sharp tone. No one knows what to expect with these creatures, but they have been seen slinking and stalking with the intention of remaining hidden. There is a family that will attest that these dragons have hearts that grow three times bigger than any magicfolk. This family was hungry and their fireplace had grown cold. They couldn’t get a flame lit with magic nor muscle. A burglehoo dragon just happened to pass and saw that these folks needed more than a little help. BOOM! Just then, a gumdrop flare fanned in the sky and this dragon knew just what to do. It snuck its way through the Vale until it saw an entire table filled with goodies. While a sugary plume clouded the confections, the burglehoo dragon slithered on its belly and sneaked under the table undetected. Only a few moments later, the hungry family heard a knock on their door. When they opened it, they saw a sweet feast waiting for them on a large table. They also saw the table had been dragged in the snow for some distance, accompanied by dragon tracks. |
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Trepak Dragon
Winter Saga: Chapter 9 Trepak dragons are a dignified bunch and it’s not just the uniformity of their coat. They enjoy organizing the efforts of their fellow dragons. So when one trepak dragon had seen Valers and dragons were working together, it was beyond delighted. It sought out the cauldron of chocolate brew to taste it, but it had grown cold. It then tried to find the carolers that had adopted a libretto dragon in their vocal vocation. All it could find were frightened singers who had disbanded and sought shelter to avoid a threat from above. The trepak dragon then ventured toward the triumphant treat display that would soon garner much attention, but what it found was a few smashed deserts on the ground where an entire table had apparently been stolen. The trepak dragon snorted and marched straight to the dragons that apparently left evidence of their participation in these shady shenanigans. |
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Jadice Dragon
Winter Saga: Chapter 10 It was almost midnight and the Vale was quite quiet. A jadice dragon perched high on a mountaintop, looked at the moon, then down to the blank venue that should have been fully decorated by this time. It could see by the faintest of sight, a trepak dragon had gathered a somewhat peculiar group of dragons in the center of town. The jadice dragon swooped in, right in the middle of an apparent stare-down. The jadice dragon approached the trepak dragon and and intercepted the glare. The avarice, gulletail, lokilure, and burglehoo dragons all stepped back with reverence when the jadice dragon separated the group. Just then, the jolliest of wizards interrupted. It was Sandakloz and he wanted to set things straight. Witches and wizards gathered to hear him speak. He explained how no dragon is wholly bad and no dragon is purely good, much like the witches and wizards they lived with. Sandakloz gave each dragon a medal with the letter “N” emblazoned upon it and said, “Remember, each day we have the option to be naughty or nice. But no one except ourselves can be the bearer of that change.” From that moment on, dragons of all kinds and magicfolk from around the Vale worked together to revive the celebration. As dawn grew brighter, a winter wonderland was revealed! That night forged a tradition that still thrives to this very day. The festival may have a different name from time to time, but the spirit remains the same. |
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