High Dragons

The Protectors of Faterra?

Many will speak of the day that we lost Draconis as the day we lost our hope. The day we saw our great king die when we thought him invincible. The day we saw our second king kill thousands of his own brethren in retaliation for being slighted. No, it wasn't that... The day we lost our hope was the day we saw our children as nothing but tools in our war against the Leviathans. When we saw the Faterrans and Aslandailians as just pawns on the chess board. When we used safety and security as a method of blackmailing the Phoenixes to serve us. People say we lost our hope when the Leviathans took our home. No, we lost our hope when we sacrificed our culture and our very souls.

— Meserth, a renowned scholar and survivor of the Fall of Draconis. Their body was found gray and withered in the Void shortly after this entry was found.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Wyrm

Wyrms are similar to Western Dragoons on our world, supporting themselves on 4 strong legs, two bat-like wings on their back and a long tail that ends in an arrow tip. Their bones are light but the strength of wyrms are not be understated as they have a lot of muscle to support their weight, especially in flight. Out of the 3 dragon types, they have the strongest scales as only Leviathan fangs have a chance of piercing their skin.

Rongu

The Rongu, on the other hand, are the complete opposite of the Wyrms, slim and slender rather than bulky and wide. They have no wings but their natural tie to aeromancy allows them to fly. When Rongu fly, the wind will pick up, even causing the change of weather patterns if the dragon is large enough or powerful enough. Their scales are ombre-patterned and appear to be smooth but shatter the finest steel if one dares to attack them. The wyrms may appear to be the strongest but the Rongu can put up a good fight.

Amphithere

The cross between Wyrms and Rongu are a strange sight to behold. They have the body of the Rongu but their wings are similar to Wyrms. Their wings, while bat-like, have been known to have feathers, similar to the cockatrice variation of the Lesser Dragons. Their scales may vary, either between the hardened, jagged scales of a wyrm or the ombre scales of a Rongu.

Genetics and Reproduction

When in their true draconic form, a dragon will reproduce through eggs. The incubation period can last anywhere from 1 - 5 years, which would denote there being not a lot of children. However, Dragons are special in the fact that they have large clutches, anywhere from 5 - 50 dragonlings hatching at a time.

Growth Rate & Stages

After a dragon hatches from their egg, they are in their dragonling phase, the weakest and most vulnerable time for them. Their scales are weak enough to be punctured by strong enough weapons though many will have to deal with an angry parent before they can get access to their children. A dragon will gain their ability to flight within a few weeks after their hatching. They learn to speak telepathically by the time they are 2 years old and exit the dragonling stage at 5 years.

Age 5 is when they reach their young stage where their shapeshifting abilities, changing between their humanoid form and dragon form usually. Though some young dragons have been known to experiment by turning into animals. Many dragon parents consider this a rambunctious time as they slowly mature into their next stage. The young stage ends once a young dragon reaches their first century.

From the first century to the first millennium of a dragon's life, they are officially an adult. This is the time when they may go out into the world and take care of themselves. Their senses are finely attuned to the world around them and their full potential is unlocked. They no longer visibly age as well but the size of an adult dragon can usually tell a person how old they are if they study dragon anatomy of course.

When a dragon hits their 1000^th year, they are considered an Ancient High Dragon. This isn't to poke fun at their age of course but to denote their power and prestige as they have been able to live that long. Thanks to the Leviathan War and their time in Faterra and Aslandail, the numbers of these once great dragons have dwindled. There are few ancients from the time of the Faterran Crossing, even fewer from the Destruction of Draconis. However, the dragons who are able to reach this stage have done so because they had the drive, the knowledge, and the power to reach this critical point in their lives. At that point, their full potential has been reached and the only question is how may they help the next generation reach that point.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

All 5 of the dragon senses are acute, sensitive to the world around them. A High Dragon is known to twitch because of these senses, able to hear things miles away as if it was right next to them. Unfortunately, that also makes them vulnerable to sensory overloads which can prove quite a problem for the isolated dragons who don't talk to others. Thankfully a workaround for this is their natural tie to telepathy, speaking mentally to others so they don't have to use their voices. Unfortunately, this doesn't work for the people who don't know what brand of magic, making it appear to be a one-sided conversation as the other person speaks out to them. They also have access to a 6^th sense that allows them to see the flow of mana and Aecho from person to person at any time. All of these even extends to their humanoid form as well.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

A common naming scheme still followed in High Dragon culture is as followed:

• name ends a r - a male name (Azar, Mezar, Essyr)

• name ends with a u - a female name (Zinu, Arsenu, Dorvu)

• name ends with a th - non-binary name (Essyth, Meserth, Neth)

• Those of a familial bond will usually have similar names to denote that attribute (Azar and Azer, Essyth and Essyr, Azar and Azir)

Major Organizations

• The Kingdom of Draconis - the kingdom formerly led by Mezar and Azar. With the disappearance of Azar, the kingdom was dissolved in the 1 century of the Dragon Years

• The Hidden City - A city that serves as a bastion for High Dragons and Phoenixes alike against the Leviathans who hunt them down. The location of this city is unknown but the city only has one goal: To destroy the Leviathans at any cost.

History

Draconis

In the far past, the High Dragons lived in the realm of Draconis. There, they lived peaceful and full lives with their Lesser Dragonkin, under the protection of their king, Kom Mezar. He was the first Ancient Dragon, the eldest of their species, and protector of the realm. Under his reign, Draconis was pushed to the peak of civilization. However, like all species, the High Dragons had a curious nature and an innate drive to explore the unknown. So they looked up to the stars of their night sky and wondered, "What could be out there?" Azar, a pupil under Mezar and one of his possible successors, was one of those people. With his talent in magic and the ingenuity of the High Dragon scholars, they discovered the Void Between Realms or simply, the Void.

Taking several brave explorers, they went into the Void, their natural hardiness and scales protecting them from the crushing and oppressive nature of that place. Through many trips, they discovered other realms, filled with beautiful landscapes that rivaled their home. They even found some that held primitive species such as Faterra and Aslandail, two worlds that were quite interesting due to their abundance of species. They chronicled all this and more in their archives, finding hundreds, if not thousands, of worlds. However, all great discoveries come with a dark side.

Soon enough, the High Dragons became finding worlds left barren and desolate. Some worlds had no traces of any life on it while others had the bones of billions littered throughout. This sent a deep fear through Mezar and he ordered that Azar and his fellow explorers stop their expeditions into the farther realms. However, young Azar was too stubborn to listen. If there were species out there being wiped out and they could do something to save them... then why should they stop? So with a handful of fearless warriors, they braved the Void once more and went out in search of the beings committing these atrocities. It did not take them long to find the realm of Farenor.

The realm of Farenor was where the Phoenixes, another Elder species, resided. The High Dragons arrived just in time as they discovered the cause of the desolated realms: the Leviathans. This species of serpents proved to be quite a match for the High Dragons as they fought to save the Phoenixes. When they knew the realm would be lost, they helped millions of Phoenixes escape Farenor and take them back to Draconis. Azar came back, hailed as a hero and savior by the Phoenixes. However, his own King was not so pleased with him. In exchange for saving the Phoenixes, Azar had drawn the Leviathans to their very home.

It didn't take long for the Leviathan horde to arrive at their doorstep. When the War for Draconis came, many High Dragon lives were lost in the ensuing struggle to save their home. The Phoenixes, despite their weakened state, decided to help them as gratitude for saving their people. They fought valiantly but in the end, it was a pyrrhic victory. Their very king, Mezar, was killed in the fighting and to spite the High Dragons, the Leviathan King used a combination of foul magic and mana, the very lifeblood of Draconis, to destroy the realm. Millions of lives were snuffed out as the three elder species barely made it out alive. They were cast adrift in the Void for what seemed like an eternity. Thousands fell under its effects and began to gray and wither, dying in that forsaken abyss with no hope. Until they found the realms of Faterra and Aslandail in 8000 TD.

New Home, New Problems

Mezar's method of training multiple successors just in case something happened to the others was a good idea in theory. However, with the current chaos in the High Dragon ranks, that proved to be more of a negative than a positive. When Azar named himself King as he led his people out of danger, some felt slighted since they believed they would be better kings. When Azar began to take his people to Faterra, they ignored his advice and took the people who agreed with them before heading off to Aslandail. "The day I follow that usurper is the day I sacrifice my people to the void," was a line said to Azar before one of the false Kings left, taking their people with them.

Despite the loss in numbers, Azar didn't care much as the majority of his people were safe as they landed in Faterra. Their arrival was a shock to the Faterrans as they couldn't comprehend the sight of so many Dragons all appearing from nowhere. The drawings of what they saw that day served as a foundation for what would become the Dragon Pantheon. However, Azar wanted to stay as far from the Faterrans as possible, to preserve both cultures as this would be a culture shock for both cultures. However, there some High Dragons who felt slighted by this. They had probed the very depths of the Void Between Realms yet Azar was afraid of how some mortals would react to them? It was even more infuriating for the Phoenixes, who easily shapeshifted into forms such as the Humans who existed in Faterra and could blend in. Why should they have to hide when they fit right in?

However, the Phoenixes were willing to put up with it for now. After all, Azar did save their people so they should give him the benefit of the doubt. Azar believed he was doing the best he could as he helped his people find a place to hide from the Faterrans. The Hidden City, from which Draconis could be rebuilt. He ruled for a millennium, reaching far into his Ancient stage as the Crown weight heavy on this once adult King. However, his woes would never stop burdening him as both High Dragon and Phoenix supremacists grew dissatisfied with his withdrawn rule and saw a new ruler in his place.

Kom Azar sought out these dissenters, not wanting Draconis to divide itself when they had enough problems to deal with. He entrusted his own brother to this task and it seemed like things were becoming. That was until Winter's End in 6950 TD when Azer turned against Azar and killed him, claiming the throne for himself. Thanks to the natural Psionic power of the Phoenixes, they mentally enslaved the Faterran species. They were mindless servants to the High Dragons who spread across all of Faterra, no longer bound by the rules of Azar. They kept accurate records of their subjects as if they were cattle, using them as tools for whatever they needed. For 2000 years, Faterra was home to the Dragon Empire as Azer controlled the realm with an iron fist.

However, all hope wasn't lost for Faterra and for the people who still supported Azar. When a High Dragon dies, they never truly die. Their souls aren't pulled to the Faterran afterlife, allowing Azar's friends and family to find his soul and a suitable body for him to house. With the return of the true Dragon King, the Draconic Civil War began. Hardened by war and battle, Azar slaughtered the traitors, offering them no mercy as he and his followers shattered their souls, offering no chance of resurrection for the filth who would dare kill their king. He even did it to his own brother, making his death slow and painful before the end. In the end, Azar reclaimed his throne and forced the Phoenixes into exile, making sure they would never have land to call their own. The Hidden City was no longer open to High Dragons and Phoenixes, forcing them into a diaspora that goes on to the current age. The Dragon King had returned and his fury was unyielding.

The Rise of the Dragon Prince

The High Dragons had changed the course of history in Faterra thanks to their lust for power and a homeland. With the records the High Dragons had, they were able to give some semblance of order back to the species. To keep the realm in check, Azar sent 8 of his generals across the realm to look over the 8 species harmed by their own hubris. Nothing could help the species as they fought amongst themselves, driven to their basic nature by the loss of any semblance of familial bonds.

The chaos even threatened the life of Azar's fellow High Dragons. To make matters worse, Shokir, protector of the Kentori, and Arsenu, protector of the Avin, had both disappeared. However, Azar refused to let the High Dragons personally intervene. He knew it would only in the same bloodshed his brother and the other traitors had caused. But there was another solution: Azar's son, Azir. A strange being that some even considered an abomination because of his creation. However, Azar thought he was the perfect person to bring peace back to the realm.

In the 1st century TD, Azir went to live amongst the Faterrans. Through trial and tribulation, he carved out a large empire for himself much to Azar's dismay. However, the boy seemed to be bringing peace to the land as he convinced other species to join him, either through diplomacy or through the rare instance of combat. All of Froa had been united under him. The Phoenixes had even flocked to his banner, giving him the name of Novis, one of their past Kings. It seemed as if there would be true peace in the realm. All that Azir needed now was to have Kesia in the south underneath his rule.

When the Northern and Southern empires finally made contact in 20 TD, Azir took the opportunity to head south. With several high dragons by his side, he ended the war between the Kentori and Avin, freeing Shokir and Arsenu respectively from their captors. Thanks to his diligence by siding with the Kentori, he had gained the support of the Cortavin Empire and smoothing relations over. The High Dragons spread across Kesia, cementing the pack between them. It seemed like an Age of Peace was nearing. If only that were the case.

Desolation

They thought the Leviathans were gone. That they were destroyed when Draconis went up in flames. But as always, the High Dragons were wrong. The Leviathans had infiltrated the Cortavin Empire and gotten close to Azir. They manipulated him into taking one of their own by his side and used her as a weakness. In 5 TD, the Cortavin Empire invaded Froa and the Leviathans renewed their war against the High Dragons.

For 4 years, the High Dragons fought a losing battle, barely able to make a stalemate as they forced their enemies back to what would become the fallen Sea. In the final days before the 1^st Dragon Year, the final assault was made by the Cortavin Empire on Froa. All species, all people, were there that day as the two fought each other to a standstill. The High Dragons watched in horror as their Dragon Prince, Azir, fell to the daughter of the Leviathan King. Enraged, the elder species slaughtered both sides, no longer caring as their entire hope was snuffed out with one blade.

None felt this pain more heavily than Azar. In a fit of rage, he attempted to do the same thing the Leviathans had done to his world. Damn the Leviathans. Damn the Faterrans. Damn everyone. What did it matter now that his son was dead? He and the Leviathan King siphoned off the mana from the realm, using it in a final confrontation. Their battle desolated the realm and ripped open a portal that dragged them both into the void with Dragons and Leviathans alike. After that day, Azar was never seen again, ending the Royal Line of Draconis.

The Fall

With the dawn of the Dragon years, the High Dragons had lost their King and their Prince. The two people who could lead them out of any dark path they could be set down. So to defeat the monsters they were facing, they became monsters themselves. The High Dragons withdrew from the fallen city, taking the Phoenixes with them and sealing the city away. Only the High Dragons were allowed to open and close the portals to the city, locking anyone who was an enemy or unknown out of it.

There, they stayed, letting the world tear itself apart and trapping any High Dragons and Phoenixes who didn't join them outside. It wasn't until the Demon War in the 9^th century when the Leviathans along with all the species from Aslandail invaded Faterra. In the first third of the war, they allowed the Phoenixes to aid the people, sending them to fight and die as a proxy in their war. When Phoenixes began to turn against them in the second third, they decided to send a few High Dragons out in disguise to root out the traitors and aid the Faterrans. When the Leviathans brought their full might to bare in the final phase, the Dragons responded in kind. With the help of the Faterrans and the second Angel of the Eternal Flame, they were able to defeat the Aslandailians and kill the Leviathan King. They began hunting any Leviathans left in the realm, wanting to wipe them all out for the injustices they suffered.

Their anger proved to be their weakness as the Phoenixes, tired to be used as tools descended into civil war, breaking chaos to the Hidden City. Tens of Thousands of Phoenixes were killed in the infighting and hundreds of High Dragons as well. Seeing their tools were starting to become rebellious, the High Dragons instituted a new law: All Phoenixes must earn their way into the Hidden City. Some took to craftsman, merchant, and political roles but the High Dragons created the Shadows of the Leviathans as an order to hunt down the Leviathans in Faterra and beyond. They used the soul bonding the Phoenixes had against them, manipulating pairs to fight and die for a chance to live together in peace and security. Some were horrified by this turn of events, leaving the Hidden City to live a new life somewhere else. With this much division and bloodshed spilled for revenge, many begin to wonder: Are the High Dragons truly fighting to protect others from Leviathans or are they becoming just like them?

Historical Figures

• Mezar: The first King of Dragons. He was loved by all High Dragons and the only king of Draconis when the realm existed. With his death, the High Dragons lost their world and would never be the same again.

• Azar: The second King of Dragons and presumed to be Kom-Drukagr (King of the Dragon Gods) by the mortals of Faterra. Azar was not a popular king when he took control after the death of Mezar. Many saw him as a usurper and blamed him for their the death of their king. After a brief exile, He was the leader who led the war against the Leviathans. He disappeared during the transition between 1 TD and 1 DY when he opened a portal to Aslandail and dragged the King of Leviathans through it. He has not been seen for 12 centuries but many assume he's dead as well.

• Azer: The brother of Azar and a dragon who stole the throne of King from Azar and forced him into exile. He was the first emperor of the Faterran Dragon Empire and the only one as Azar returned and destroyed him along with his empire.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Elder Dragons

Scientific Name

Draco excelsis

Origin/Ancestry

Wyrm, Amphithere, Rongu

Lifespan

Ageless

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Elements based off scale color:

• Red - Fire

• White - Ice

• Dark Blue - Lightning

• Brown - Earth

• Gold - Light

• Black - Shadow

• Green - Air

• Orange - Magma

• Cyan - Water

• Black and White - Dawn

Related Myths

• The King Who Was Promised From Fire