King Leon Ra'el I, Peacemaker, Storm Shield, Ra'el's Lion

Background & Family

A Land Under Siege

The First King of the Ra'el Dominion was Leon Ra'el, third child of Michael and Soria Ra'el. He had two older siblings in Michael Ra'el III and Ruth Ra'el, oldest and older respectively. Ezra, in this time, was still a continent with many small tribes of people spread out over most of the eastern side of the continent. This was more than 6 centuries into the Age of Dragon Aggression, and the people had finally began talks of banding together and striking at the heart of the beasts to the west, beyond the mountains. While many payed lip-service to this idea, they also had become accustomed to the iron clawed rule of the dragons; from the sacrifices, to the destruction of land, and even loss of loved ones was now an almost accepted way of living. Michael Ra'el II, however, did not accept this. He had seen much of his family die at the hand of dragons, and his warrior blood boiled in his chest.

Leon's First Loss and Victory

In this time, Michael II's two oldest children trained hard to follow in their father's footsteps, to do war against this foe that had wronged them. His youngest, Leon, however, was frailer in his body. The air left him easily, and his body would shake violently. So instead of training his body, he trained his mind and spirit instead. He would study the battlefield and how many of the opponents moved their forces. He strove to find as much information on the dragons and their weaknesses as possible. He was often seen trying to make his way to battlefield, in the hopes of seeing something he had missed before, something he could only see up close. His siblings were against this, his brother vehemently so. While Ruth was kind and attempted to focus his efforts in other areas, Michael III saw only a liability. He had great love for his brother but saw this as an issue that needed the sword not the mind.
20 years into the Ra'el Rebellion, Michael Ra'el II died at the hand of a white dragon called Typhon, Breaker of Spears. His eldest son swore that he would mount the head of the dragon as his families new crest and poured himself into the campaign. Leon's heart broke and so he also supported his brother is all these things. As the brothers worked together, they soon amassed a sizable number allies and victories, many due to the brilliance of Leon's strategy and understanding of his opponents.

Brothers Divided

As Michael and Leon pushed back the beasts, more people joined their cause. They soon had them pushed to the Spines of Saffron, and Typhon, Breaker of Spears, who had claimed the life of the Brothers' father, was trapped. Leon had laid bait by having the men use battle formations and movements that gave Typhon a false sense of security to come close. Even enclosed in the trap through, the white wyrm fought viciously. Michael III jumped into the fray, ordering Leon to remain in the tent so he could be safe. But Leon wanted to see the dragon pay; he did not care if this was the last thing his body would let him see, Leon would see the dragon punished.
As Leon made his way to through the field, hoping he could get there in time to help his brother hoist the beast's head in the air, he heard something he had never heard before. He heard Typhon, Breaker of Spears speak. And these were not the utterances of a dull brigand, or his killer instinct given voice, this was intelligence. The way Typhon hurled vicious insults at his brother, aiming his words like arrows, Leon could see that there was more going on. He rushed past the ring of soldiers just in time for Michael to make his final stroke. Leon pleaded with him to spare the dragon, so that Leon could speak to it and learn from it. But his brother, first-born son of Michael Ra'el II, would not hear it. He brought down his sword and cleaved Typhon's head from his body, to thunderous applause from the men. He then turned to Leon and after a heated confrontation, expelled him from the army. His desire to save the beast that killed his own father was seen as treason, so for his treachery, Leon was thrown westward, outside of camp. But even then, he wasn't discouraged. Leon knew why Michael was upset, but he also knew that their string of lucky victories wouldn't go on forever. They needed a better plan, and since he knew these creatures might have the spark of reason, he decided to travel west.

Through the Spine

With no armor, and just his sword on his belt, Leon was not well defendable in the wilderness. He had a satchel in which he carried rations for his travels but also had parchment, an ink well, and a handful of scales from Typhon. On two separate occasions, as he traversed the mountains, his illness took him and he would begin to shake and convulse violently. In those moments, all he could do was pray to Galena and Hayah; so that if he could not be made well, at least he could have peace. He'd also hope that on this journey, Hayah would impart to him some wisdom on how to best mend his relationship with his brother. It took Leon six months, scavenging and hunting, to finally see something other than mountains. He saw what could have been mistaken for a large mountain, and maybe it was, but it also had a vast entrance that made it appear to be more. He found some stones and arranged them as an alter and drew in the dirt 12 stars around the make-shift alter. He prayed to each of the gods, even Reihner, for their blessings and favor, knowing that his death surely awaited him in that mountain. After his prayer, he made his way down the foothill his was on and to the mountain with its gargantuan threshold. As he approached it, it seemed alone, but rising to the point where he would begin to feel dizzy if he tried to look up at its peak. He stopped at the mouth and turned to look in the direction of his brother and sister one more time. Leon drew a haggard breath, turned and walked into the cave.

 The Wits of A Wyrm

His footsteps echoed in the hall made of rock and stone and mountain, each sound growing to a dull roar. As he made his way deeper into the tunnel, he could her movement behind him and to his sides, but his torchlight could not reveal anything. He walked for what seemed to be days, until at last he came to light at the end of the tunnel. As he grew closer, he could make out a shape in the distance: a throne. It was positioned in the center of a large room, with nothing else within that he could see. The light came from above, where the moon shown from an opening in the stone ceiling. It would be here in this throne room, Leon would meet the sovereign of the dragons, Thraun. The sovereign was an ancient black dragon whose body was said to encompass the throne room and more. Leon was immediately surrounded but the other dragons would not move outside the sovereign's command. He and Thraun engaged in great discussion; Leon pleading for peace between their people's and Thraun finding disgust in humanity's and other races' actions. It is said he spoke of the worship of the gods as foolish and unfounded. They sought a creature that they might reason with; a creature that could see the world as it truly was, like they could. While Leon didn't understand, he saw an opportunity; he proposed patience. He reasoned with the dragon that humanity and the forms of life were still learning and growing. If he could be here and have this conversation with a dragon, what might his descendants be able to reason with him. Peace was a path to what the Sovereign wanted. Thraun considered this and proposed a arrangement: 
"You have shown much wisdom for one so short-lived. Perhaps the memories and lessons of your people pass from generation to generation. If that is the case, it may well be that the day will come where your descendants see the truth. You or your kin shall not again step into our domain so long as you worship those charlatan idols, and your brother will remove the head of Typhon as his and your family crest. You will learn. You will grow. And we will see if a second enlightenment can be achieved. So say I, Thraun, Fifth Sovereign of the Dragons and Drakes and Wyrms."

The Dominion Is Born

At Thraun's command, all hostilities with those under the banner Ra'el was to cease. A red dragon was summoned to take him back east and to see that the head of Typhon was replaced as the family crest. Leon found his brother, Michael III, in a heated battle with a blue dragon and a black dragon. Much of his forces were fallen and he stood nearing his end. The red dragon touched down and Leon leapt from its back. His brother didn't understand and was even afraid that the dragon was using some illusion to break him. After much pleading, Leon convinced Michael that he was indeed his brother. The task was then to make him understand that a treaty had been struck. Michael declared it be lies, but Leon begged him, for the men would not be able to win against such a force, even if they were united. The dragons had not unified, had not consolidated their power, but if they did, everything east of The Spine would be turned to ash and ice and withered husks. It took his sister's voice, Ruth, to finally move Michael's heart. While he was still stricken with grief and had no forgiveness for the dragons, he threw down Typhon's head in front of the red dragon and declared it to be his crest no more. Leon quickly wrote up the treaty, so as to have it recorded for future generations. When he offered it to the dragons to have it signed by Thraun, instead, the red dragon burned a tree nearby, took his claw, dragged it in the ashes, and struck five lines in ash on the parchment. With that, the Age of Dragon Aggression had ended, and a month later, the first drafts of a kingdom was being made. Normally the role of leadership went to the oldest in the family, but since Leon had orchestrated the treaty, the people cried for him to be on the throne. Michael Ra'el III bowed to his brother as the first King of the Ra'el Dominion and served him well for the rest of his days. Leon took a wife, had seven children and reigned until he was 80 years old. He passed in his sleep, having lead a life of honor, wisdom, and grace.