The Golden Dragon, Methuselah

"The Great Golden Dragon Methuselah fell from the Heavens like a meteor, burning in flame. The Golden Devil had come to devour our world."

-Excerpt from Golden Methuselah's Fall

Summary

Methuselah, a great dragon with gleaming golden scales, saw the magic core of the planet Isso and was filled with an insatiable hunger. The golden dragon plummeted from the sky, straight down to the heart of the planet, and feasted on the magic core. That very core is what keeps the floating continents of Isso in the air, and as Methuselah fed, the core weakened. It wasn't long before continents sunk low near the core. The Kanotak united to face the dragon, and a great battle followed, land and sky trading blows. In the battle, Methuselah was dealt a serious blow, and returned to feed on the core and replenish strength. As the golden dragon fed, one continent fell too close to the core and it collapsed on itself, fragmenting into many islands. Methuselah, seeing the continent shattered and facing innumerable Kanotak, was filled with fear and fled back to the stars. With time, the planet's core was restored, but the shattered continent remains in pieces.
Misbehaving Kanotak children are warned of Methuselah's hunger, claiming the golden dragon will return to eat their hearts if they do not listen.

Historical Basis

According to contemporary accounts, a golden-scaled dragon once attacked the planet Isso's magic core. Historical accounts do not specify why. The Kanotak managed to fend off the attack, but not before one of the floating continents collapsed and fragmented into a thousand islands.

Spread

Every Kanotak knows the story of Methuselah the golden dragon. In fact, the story may be the origin of the Kanotak belief that dragons live off of magic cores.

Cultural Reception

The tale of Methuselah is the origin and explanation for the ancient Kanotak law that forbids dragons from entering Kanotak space. Any dragons flying near the planet can and have been fired upon.