The Dragon of Applewaid

CASSIUS AS A LEGEND


Cassius was a noble in Applewaid, a small town in the first of the six savage kingdoms in present-day Coalition of Shields. He became a popular icon in the kingdom after he slew a massive dragon near his village. Even those in neighboring kingdoms appreciated his heroism and gave him gifts. He rise to power was quick, but so was his fall. His new-found wealth and power corrupted him in just a couple years, starting his tyrannical reign and horrid extravagant lifestyle. Farmers suffered under his cruel taxes, essentially bankrupting his hometown of Applewaid. He was assassinated at the young of age of twenty-eight, by a rivalling political opponent who took power shortly after. This opponent was a supporter of the union of the six kingdoms into one solid host, eventually leading to the formation of the Coalition of Shields some centuries later. 

"If I were an honest man, my mind wouldn't be freed to its heroic heights."                       - Cassius Ronaldiguez IV

Summary

The Legend of Applewaid is the famous folk tale of a three headed Amphiptere who dwelt in the Applewaid mountains, west of the Six Kingdoms. This myth has been spread throughout the Coalition of Shields, and nearly everyone knows it. Some even fall deathly silent when asked about it, for fear of the mighty legless dragon.

T

he myth begins in a small town on the foothills of the Applewaid Mountains. The Amphiptere came on the first day of Spring every year, destroying the fields and making them unusable. The people of the little town began to starve. A young man of 15, just after his coming of age, vowed to slay dragon. His name was Cassius. He took his father's mighty rapier and traveled into the mountains above, searching frantically for the evil firebreather. After two months of searching, Cassius died of hunger and thirst, failing to slay the dragon. Spring came, and the hibernating Amphiptere spread its wings to fly down the snowy slopes and burn the fields and farmers once again. But then, the ancient deity Horlis, god of strength and battle, breathed life into the decaying body of Cassius, imparting on him a portion of his god-strength. Cassius was given winged armor by Horlis, which made him able to pursue the dragon. Before the Dragon could reach the town, Cassius challenged it near the bottom. The nasty battle lasted four months, raging up the slopes and toward the peaks. Finally, Cassius delivered a mighty strike to one of the dragon's heads, wounding it mortally. The fire breather flew off to its unknown cave in the iciest parts of the peaks, never to be seen since. Cassius was lauded a hero, and his winged armor became a rite of passage through his offspring.

DEPICTION OF THE THREE HEADED AMPHIPTERE OF APPLEWAID

Historical Basis

The accepted version of this story is obviously rooted in embellishment and fish tales. However, Cassius and his armor did exist. Many believe he met a blacksmith when he was young, who forged him the royal plate armor. The Dragon is merely an addition to the story, probably from when Amphiptere's did scourge the Applewaid area, some two thousand years prior to Cassius' birth. Very little of the story is actually true, but it nevertheless is an important part of Applewaid culture.

Variations & Mutation

Few know of the story outside of the Six Kingdoms, but some of the towns in eastern Agranillis know and tell the tale of Cassius the dragon slayer. Each region has a slightly altered version of the story- Belreadeu's adopted version even has Cassius slaying Horlis himself after defeating the dragon!

Cultural Reception

The Six Kingdoms consist of a troubled and fearing people. Cassius is the beacon of hope for many people, some even expecting his return to cast away their enemies. Cassius is a icon and legend of Coalition culture, perhaps the most famous and beloved. His rise to power was one of corruption and horror, but the people seem to remember him only as a hero and dragon-slayer. In reality, Cassius was a horrible person.

In Literature

Physical versions of story are rare to find, most are passed by word of mouth. But several different written accounts lie in the King's library at Maplestall. These contain the full account of Cassius' life, which was plagued with murder and politics.

In Art

A statue of Cassius stands at the entrance of every Coalition city, heralding in the next generation, inspiring them to be the next great dragon-slayer.

Date of First Recording

4102 F.M.

Date of Setting

3639 F.M.