Zip
| Race: | Black Dragon |
|---|---|
| Pronouns: | he/him |
| Age: | 500+ years |
| Height: | 3 ft long (faerie dragon), 30 ft long (adult black dragon) |
| Eyes: | black (faerie dragon), green-black (adult black dragon) |
| Affiliations: | Daphne (formerly) |
| Languages Spoken: | Common, Draconic, Sylvan |
Zip (full name unpronounceable by human tongues) is an adult black dragon. He spent a significant amount of time masquerading as a faerie dragon while accompanying the faun Daphne. The Lighthouse Inspectorz encountered him while traveling back to Florsea from Miranda Symol's tower, and accompanied him on a brief journey to the resting place of the Dreaming Celestial where they fought him in his full dragon form.
History[edit]
Very little is known about Zip before he encountered Daphne, and what little he told Quill is probably pretty questionable. He had been with Daphne for "a while" at least before she first received dreams from the Dreaming Celestial.
Daphne's Quest[edit]
The Lighthaus Inspektorz encountered him while he and Daphne were being chased by three eladrin through a strand of woods between Florsea and Miranda's tower to the west of town. He cast hallucinatory terrain to disguise their trail, although Quill dispelled the effect without knowing who cast it, and cast major image to project several copies of himself fleeing into the trees. The LI inserted themselves between Daphne and the eladrin, and eventually convinced the eladrin to back off. The Lighthouse Inspectorz offered to escort Daphne and Zip on her journey, as the eladrin refused to work with her and only wanted the opal she stole back.
Zip rode Daphne's shoulder as she led them through a fairy circle into the Feywild. During this time, Quill talked to him a bit in Draconic; he expressed mild amusement at Daphne's attitude and antics, and seemed to care for her well-being. When Nergil awoke the dryad in the old tree, the secret Zip offered as a price was whispered into the dryad's ear and accepted, despite the need to speak it aloud. Whatever he told her was accepted.
As the Lighthause Inspektors climbed the rock spire that formed the second gate, Zip went along, offering little either assistance or hindrance. He avoided damage from either rockfall. As they sat around deciding what to do, Quill asked his opinion, and he exasperatedly and defeatedly suggested just going back down, since the top wasn't getting any closer. This proved to be the correct strategy for moving through the gate.
At the pond, he waited patiently on Daphne's shoulder as the LI attempted to figure out the gate. When Corrin awoke a treant, he remained safe with Daphne behind Raen, not participating in the battle. As the LI spent time going for a swim once the treant was defeated, he watched as Daphne drank from the pool. He was the one of the last to take a sip and enter.
As everyone emerged from the water on the other side, Zip called out in Common to Daphne to run and break the opal she carried. Nergil was unable to stop her from shattering it on the Dreaming Celestial's grave. As the Dreaming Celestial woke, Zip returned to his true adult black dragon form behind the party, knocking some down with a powerful beat of his wings. He avoided Raen's spells and harassed some of the LI as Nergil and Mino focused on the Dreaming Celestial. When Quill disintegrated the Dreaming Celestial and turned to the dragon, Zip offered a grin, despite the setback.
The battle turned toward him at that point. He fought with claw and bite and tail and acid breath, using his mobility and speed to his advantage, but eventually Mino got a grappling hook around his neck to try and climb atop him. When Corrin's lightning arrows proved too powerful, he fled, declaring his intent to find them again and make them pay for disrupting his plans.
Personality and Abilities[edit]
Zip is an accomplished liar, convincing Daphne and the Inspektorz that he was nothing more than a faerie dragon. His motives for waking the Dreaming Celestial are unknown, although he did not seem too put out by its defeat. He seems to have a sense of self-preservation, fleeing the fight when at a disadvantage.
Zip has all the weapons and abilities of an adult black dragon, including great physical strength, claw and tooth, his tail, quick movement and fast flight, his acid breath, and his frightful presence.
He also appears to have some access to magic, casting several spells and magically shapeshifting himself into a faerie dragon.
Trivia[edit]
It's not entirely clear - i.e., Jamie didn't decide - if Zip sent the dreams pretending to be the Dreaming Celestial, or the Dreaming Celestial actually sent the dreams and Zip took advantage of the situation. This is probably the secret he told the dryad (if it wasn't that he was actually a black dragon in disguise).
Had the LI chosen to side with the eladrin, Zip would have been the boss at the end of the challenges, as an ancient black dragon instead of an adult.
