General Sunmount

General Eric Sunmount

And then there he was, gleaming in the daylight like a lake at sunrise. Calling his troops to arms, and to courage, he led the charges in retaking the front line.
That was the day -

-fragmented journal of an old soldier

Upbringing

Sunmount was born to a poorer family some time around 300 years ago (the exact date is unknown, as many records have been lost). What is known is that he was the only of his nestmates to survive his early years as a dragonet - the others were all carried away by rocs. He grew quickly and amassed a large band of friends, which he was something of a ringleader of. He enjoyed playing sports with them, and led a relatively carefree childhood in his early years. He was joined by three little siblings - which would have been four, if one of the nest's eggs hadn't been carried away by an eagle. Sun tracked the bird down and fought it, but in the chaos, lost the egg.
When his mother died, however, he became the primary caregiver of his family, as his father was lightningstruck and, for the most part, had to be confined. Sun worked hard to provide for his little siblings, taking on a number of heavy labor jobs. When the Dark Plague became contagious and chaos rained, he became something of a leader, establishing a community of close friends and family and keeping them relatively calm and safe throughout the entirety of the epidemic.

War

It was on Sunmount's 25th birthday that an official war was declared between two factions of Skydwellers. The Ashes War - the most deadly conflict of the sky. With people already weakened by the Plague, hundreds of thousands of lives were lost in the fighting, and so many valuable stores of information burned up. For thirty-six years war raged across the sky, erasing all of the past as people desperately tried to survive the present. And in the thick of it all was Sunmount.
He fought bravely and well alongside his Bond, and the two of them quickly established rank as some of the most valuable soldiers in the army. Rising the ranks from soldier to sergeant to general, the two of them fought side by side, with Sunmount exercising his remarkable battle instincts and natural leadership and his Bond executing brilliant strategies. Still, it wasn't enough to bring a quick end to the war. That didn't stop the two of them from fighting in almost every major battle of the conflict. Some were won, some were loss. All brought sorrow. Sunmount quickly developed survivor's guilt, battle shock, and immense PTSD.
But he held on to his troops and his Bond, and got them through. In the Thunder Battle, he and his Bond took on the leader of the enemies: dragon only known as the Shadow. Supposedly, the shock wave that came with his defeat blasted the pair of generals out of the storm entirely, where they rested and recovered from their injuries - including a tear on Sunmount's wing that would leave a scar and forever impact his flight capabilities.

Fight, men! Take courage! There is no enemy that can withstand the forces of our armies, nor any storm that can blow us away! Not when we fight together!

-from one of the General's pre-battle speeches

Aftermath

They say military figures do not make good leaders. Apparently, the newly peaceful Skydwellers did not understand that. Crowning Sunmount as ruler of the dragons, they tried to pick up the scattered pieces of their old life.
Sunmount would have made a good ruler. Unfortunately, he never felt like it. He set in place a system of advisors, judges, and council members to establish a system of government over the people, as well as a system of balance within that government. So far, it's done a pretty great job of fulfilling its duties without taking too much power.
Sunmount was there for the important meetings, and his wife - one of the soldiers under his command that he developed a relationship with - gracefully stepped into her role as Queen, acting as the governing monarch for the majority of their reign. Sunmount preferred to roam the sky with his Bond, General Riftan. No one knows what was said or done on those adventures. Most likely, it was time spent in quiet solace and reflection. After all, the two were war heroes. There wasn't much more that could be asked of them.

Legacy

Sunmount is one of the most detailed historical figures that exists in Skydweller knowledge today. His courageous actions cemented him as one of the most important people in the sky, as he and his Bond saved countless lives throughout the Ashes War. He was also largely responsible for creating a just government - though, in irony, it was likely a way for him to avoid his duties and get some time alone to process his trauma.
Because of this, his family still rules as royalty, and he is taught about in every Skydweller school.

Species

Dragon Subspecies: Duskclaw

Gender

Male

Eyes

Dark brown

Height

20 ft at eye level

Secrets...

It's not known to the general public, but Sunmount was much more than an old king with PTSD. He was the first Tempest Rider, a dragon of great power and magic. I
Both he and General Riftan (who was the first Aviator) bore the brunt of the resulting blast when the Dragon Scepter was destroyed. Possessed by the Shadow during the Ashes War, the storms it summoned were the main reason the conflict dragged on for so long. During their fight with him, it was shattered into three pieces, but the blast of magic that surged out blasted them out of the battle and bestowed them with powers over the sky.
With these powers, they did a number of great things - including hiding the pieces of the scepter away so that no one could find them and fix the ancient artifact. They also crafted the Riders and perfected a troop of the cloud horsemen, as well as other cloud-crafted animals that have not survived the years. If they had any other exploits, those have been lost to time.

Losing Matt was hard on him. And he'd already been through so much. Trust me, his retirement was a relief. Though we will all miss him, he'll never truly be gone from our hearts - not when he was such a beloved king.

-Sunmount's wife after his retirement ceremony