The Razing
Behold! The Beasts of Terror arise!
Dragons, those wonderous, most fearsome creatures inundate the skies with their madness, and bathe the lands in their wrath!
All the world ablaze, for the Tyranny of the Serpent burns with their breath!
Those who flee may yet survive -
Those who hide may yet endure -
But all who remain shall be consumed!
The rule of Claw and Tooth is nigh! The purification by flame has begun!
Swords and Sorcery will do but naught, and the Kingdoms of the world are sundered.
Despair, you who think to fight!
Despair, for the Age of the Dragon has come!
The Calm Before the Storm
Most writings detailing dragons from before The Razing indicate that dragons were once relatively small and generally harmless. In the earliest records that have been found, there are numerous accounts of dragons being mentioned as prized "pets" or features of collections. While translation is often murky and unreliable, these stories indicate that the creatures were about 4 feet in length, and weighed no more than a child. These early generations seemed to lack the iconic intelligence and firey breath commonly attributed to their species. Over time, as records indicate, these creatures slowly began to get larger - not the towering engines of destruction they eventually came to be seen as, but closer to the size of a Kreshtian.
Some later records, dating around - 2300 AE, hint at an experiment of some sort that gifted the creatures with a glowing acumen. The dragons at the time learned to speak the various tongues in use, and even designed a language used amongst themselves. Around this period, dragons were less seen as pets and possessions, and more as fully autonomous sentient creatures. Growing in size, they developed the famed "breath weapon", though it is unsure as to how this came about. For almost 3,000 years, there was peace and prosperity between dragons and the rest of the world. They advanced the magic of the time, provided a plethora of services (like transportation, translation, smelting, and more), and even helped recover lost lore. And then, the world ended.
Death from Above
The wisest of dragons gathered at what was referred to as The Council of Paarth. The gathering was, by fragmented accounts of the time, a discussion about exploring the mythical Paarth die-Se'en, a mysterious island or city (reports are vague) that appeared - seemingly from nowhere. During this meeting, one of the dragons began to scry the island, presumably to plot their expedition, when the "window" (again, the translation is very rough) exploded, driving all the dragons in attendance utterly mad. Within seconds, the attendees turned on each other, attacking with tooth, claw, and spell. Despite the apparent ferocity, none of the dragons succumbed to their wounds, and instead escaped to wreak havoc throughout the surround areas.
As the dragons ventured forth, they rained destruction upon the land. As they raged, they grew larger. And as other dragons joined together to resist, these newcomers became "infected" with the same madness, turning upon allies and devastating cities. These insane creatures fought each other as often as not, and some of the beasts were slain. As the years drug on, the dragons grew yet larger, many the size of small cities and villages. Kingdoms and nations had forged alliances simply to survive. This turbulence and violence lasted for almost 200 years, when the final few, wearied from their onslaught, eventually retreated. Seven dragons were all that remained of a once populous species that had once led the progression of the world.
The Aftermath
The exact date, like so much other history, is difficult to pin down with absolute certainty, but around 900 AE, the last dragons disappeared. After nearly 200 years of chaos and destruction, with the world itself teetering on survival, these mighty beasts flew off, presumably to die - for not one has been seen since. The world, bathed in ash and tragedy, would need hundreds of years to recover. For a time, the alliances born of necessity lasted, and resettlement and construction began in earnest, but few were willing to leave the protection of the remaining cities. As always, desire and necessity, working hand-in-hand, led the people to begin to expand and grow once more.
The world had been forever changed, and the Age of Expansion was officially over. The nations returned to competition and scheming once more. Commoners struggled and toiled to provide the foundation for civilization, and those with wealth and power returned to intrigue and the pursuit of profits. In just 500 years, even the veracity of the events of The Razing would come to be disputed. To this day, it is unclear if this actually happened or was simply the vivid work of a creative individual with a knack for storytelling. No remains of these dragons, no evidence of the mysterious Paar die-Se'en island/city, and no ruins that definitively prove this event have been found. Despite this, numerous cultures have tales of this story, and while specifics may change with the locale, the core aspects remain uncannily similar - leading a not-insignificant number of scholars to believe there may some proof that has yet to be discovered.
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