When I was young, just a boy in the city of Rotterholm, my father would tell me the stories of the Dragons. Awesome and powerful creatures who once ruled all of Aeria with a cruel hand. They tormented the nascent mortal races with their power, before mighty heroes could rise up to challenge them. Now they are all but gone, retreated to the edge of the frigid wastes at the end of the world, never to harm the mortal races again. I believe that these early stories were the impetus, the catching spark for what would eventually be my life's work. How funny that it would take me another twenty years to learn how very wrong the stories truly were. For not only were the Dragons not necessarily cruel, or sadistic beasts incapable of thought; they had never truly left us at all. This is an account of my time spent with the kin that remain, at the far edge of the eastern badlands. A third of my life has been devoted to this singular endeavor. Gaining the trust of, and eventually trusting myself, the noble Dragonkin.
[....]
The Dragonkin are mighty creatures, almost universally taller and more stocky than even some of the largest men I have ever seen. This much is known to the layman, where he considers them at all. But in my time among the Dragonkin, I discovered that they possess a startling amount of variation compared to mankind, who, save the distinction of color and size and gender, are largely uniform in features. The Dragonkin can vary in size, stock, color, manifest breath, and certain emergent features such as the presence of wings. When I professed my interest in the form of the Dragonkin, my host generously indulged my curiosity and marched out a variety of his brothers. Of those I marked (see Diagram 4, Page 56) I noted several distinct breeds, including; a wingless, titanic specimen ranging from 8 to 9 feet tall, with forearms as thick as my waist; a slender specimen about the size of a man, with short, seemingly vestigial wings; another, half again the size of the prior, thin and light, with great wings in excess of 8 feet which my hosts assure render the specimen capable of bursts of flight; and several others with varied expressions of these traits.
According to my host, these three I noted were examples of exceptional expression among the Dragonkin, and that such purity is usually transferred among clan lines.
[...]
The Dragonkin split themselves into hereditary clanships often consisting of tens of thousands of Kin each. Seemingly centered around a guiding philosophy, these clans take the name of the Ancestor-Deity which matches their philosophy. For example, each Kin in Clan Sarevok endeavors to seek adventure and heartful pursuance of life and the arts. Clan Dahsiirv pursues the noble honing of might in war and martial strength, in order to protect others. Clan Sahsiiv seeks religious enlightenment through contemplation of the earth and skies. These are, of course, generalizations; Clan Dahsiirv are not all brutes, and the Dragonkin are a startlingly religious people. Those without a clan are known as the Clanless, though this title by no means carries inherent dishonor. Indeed, by necessity of interbreeding the majority of all Dragonkin are Clanless. Clanless Dragonkin are permitted to retain their status indefinitely, or seek admittance to a specific Clan. The purest expressional bloodlines are safely guarded within the structure of the Clans, however. For example, the small, winged Dragonkin are well-valued in Clan Sahsiiv, cultivated and respected.
My host tells me that in ancient times, leadership was linked to Clan ties; but in modern day Dragonkin culture, multiple clans live together in close proximity, prompting leadership across Clan lines. Earthen domains are ruled by a clan of Elders and an elected Kin leader. Domains can range from a few hundred individuals to several thousand strong. The greatest Domains are built into the mountaintops, and can be thousands of years old. According to my host, the Dahsiirv once had authority over the entirety of the Dragonkin, acting as war-leads. War has not come for many years, but my host tells me that, if needed, the Dahsiirv will take command of all of the Dragonkin. I shudder to think of the full might of the Dragonkin at march.
[...]
I questioned my host extensively about his people's faiths, inquiring whether his people worshiped any of spirits known to men. Interesting, though he confirmed that he did know the names of Aten, Tyr, Shar, and others, his people did not worship them. Instead, he began to speak at length of spirits I have never heard of before and concepts that stretch my imagination. What follows is my heartfelt attempt to record their beliefs. I may only apologize for any errors extant in the text.
The Universal Spirits
The Dragonkin revere three spirits, whom they say encompass the entirety of the universe and make up the prime forces of this existence. Each, according to the Dragonkin, is transient, transcendent, and unassailable. Together, they say, the Universal Spirits form, each, one piece of the 'Everlasting-All', an entity they would only describe by that name.
Aruvi : The Lord of Winds and Ruler of the High Tops. Aspect of creation, rushing instrument of birth. Aruvi is the spark of creation, the divine wind that spawned the universe. Aspect of progression, fertility, birth, awakening. It is Aruvi who soars on the winds of the Void, who spawned the first spirits of creation. It is these spirits, by Aruvi's hand, who come together to form the 'Egg of Aredva'. Slowly meant to decline, the positive aspects of his existence merged with Aredva.
Aredva : The Supreme, the Father of Dragons, the World to Come. Aredva is the Divine Supreme, the perfect creation. Aredva is the ultimate being, all-knowing and perfect, who encompasses the proper law of existence. Aredva is the perfect, all-encompassing thought, a mind of infinite power which, for an age, encompasses the entire universe. Aredva is the product of the toil and progress of Aruvi. Aredva is the apex, the perfect state which will last until the final emergence of Sartok. Aredva is said to be 'yet unborn'. The Dragonkin say that Aredva is the father of all Dragons, and he himself will be born of the mighty thoughts of Dragons, who are themselves fragments of the perfect thought of Aredva. Dragonkin legend is filled with the tales of the '1008 Avatars of Aredva', who are brief manifestations of 'Aredva before-his-time'. The Avatars are mighty heroes who defeat worldly enemies and guide the Dragons and Dragonkin and other mortals in spiritual pursuits. According to the Dragonkin, when the final Avatar - the 1008th - emerges, the Age of Aredva shall usher forth, and the 1008th Avatar shall encompass the true form of Aredva - the VishVarupa. The Dragonkin say we are but on the 99th Avatar. The symbol of Aredva is an inward spiral (See Diagram 14, Page 109)
- Spoiler:
Sartok : The Death of Thought, the Encroaching End, Suffocating Hand. Sartok is the snuffing hand, spirit of entropy. It is Sartok who signals the end of the Aredva-Ka - the Age of Aredva - and the start of the end of the world. Sartok represents death, wasting rot, slavery, and many other negative facets of Dragonkin culture. Sartok is responsible for the dissolution of the universe, and the wasting of Aredva to give way to death/sleep. My hosts would say little of this figure save that Sartok is a necessary spirit to allow the current existence to give way to a new Age of Aruvi. My host emphasized a certain phrase, which I did not understand but insisted I write down - Sartok has come before his time.
The Dragon-Gods
The revered ancestors of the Dragonkin and fragments of the mind of Aredva to come. Each Dragon-God is meant to represent an integral piece of the laws that will one day govern the eternal mind of Aredva.
Dahsiirv : He who Speaks and Mountains give way. Ancestor God of the Clan Dahsiirv. Ancient manifestation of war and rightful combat. 3rd Avatar of Aredva.
Domskiir : He who Speaks and Stars Surrender their Meanings. Ancestor God of Clan Domskiir. The herald of events, wars, and ages. Domskiir will herald the end of the current age and the coming of the Aredva-Ka. The 2nd Avatar of Aredva.
Sarevok : He who Speaks the Manifold colors of Liberty. Ancestor God of the Clan Sarevok. The patron of adventure, discovery, vibrancy, poetry. 5th Avatar of Aredva.
Shiir : He who Speaks and the Skies rend asunder. The King of Dragons. Unassailable force, beating heart of Aredva. Said to be a VishVarupa - a perfect Avatar of Aredva. The 1st Avatar of Aredva.
Sahsiiv : He who Speaks and Casts bonds aside. Ancestor God of Clan Sahsiiv. The patron of life, majesty, heart of Aruvi, Mastery of the High Tops.
