The Dragon

The Dragons and their Remains

In general dragons are not looked upon well by history, and with good reason. They were the
enemies of the gods, our saviours and rulers, and before that all accounts suggest they preyed
upon humans - almost the way a farmer picks off rabbits, should they be foolish or unlucky
enough to be spotted out in the open. Here in Sufrant, today, this past seems very distant.
Almost nothing remains of the tyranny of the dragons, and what remains of the dragons
themselves is harnessed for our own use. The prey exploits the predator, proof that all things
can happen with time and the gods’ blessings.

Dragonbone, dragon scales and the compound of dracolum that can be made from them all
have their uses in the crafts of the Maker. For an apprentice who seeks to learn that craft,
they can be invaluable. The most notable quality of all these substances is their ability to
hold power within them which can then be drawn upon or redirected. Any single dragon
scale is said to hold a spark of the long-dead dragon’s life stored within the stone-like
structure, and whether this is the true reason for their potential or not it has been
demonstrated that some kind of energy can be extracted from them. There are rumours that
the sorcerers of Olcanta draw upon the dark powers of dragons to fuel their own works.
Dragonbone is exceptionally conductive for energy and has been included by apprentices
before our time as a conduit for many things, mystical and practical. It has a similar
stone-like appearance to the scales although is not the same. While not the easiest substance
to work, if one can manipulate dragonbone into fine pieces or sturdy ones that will not
fissure under a blow it is a strong material with a great many uses. Dracolum, of course, is
made from dragonbone and particularly refines the potential of the bone to carry a flow of
energy. Should the shaping of dragonbone fail (as it has for many of our own in their
experiments), the scraps can at least be usefully ground down as a base for dracolum.
All of this is well known. While some texts express doubt that these substances are the actual
bodies of dragons, Lord Vanhier has all but confirmed that they are. What is less commonly
asked is, if they are indeed the remains of ancient dragons, what can they tell us about the
dragons themselves? Human bodies and bones do not retain any such potency after a
person’s death - at least not according to any research I’ve ever heard of, though perhaps that
research would be somewhat frowned upon either way.

Dragons are known to have flown, but they are also recorded and depicted from early times
as having large wings, so perhaps no magic was required for this feat. Admittedly, they are
also recorded as being exceptionally large creatures. Some are said to have been capable of
breathing fire, dropping a brief but devastating firestorm upon a human village or army as
the dragon swept overhead. If this tale is true we might expect the living bodies of dragons
to be resistant to fire in some way, so it’s possible that the stone-like quality of the remains
we have does reflect their living state to some extent and not just their age. The way that the
scales retain energy even now, and that the very bones will thrum with power if ‘fed’, leads
me to believe that the living creatures must have been natural conduits for power in some
way that these physical traits supported. Otherwise, why have these qualities that other
creatures do not seem to have? Perhaps the fire-breathing was part of some system in which
energy was converted between forms within a dragon’s body according to the need for strength, endurance etc. Whatever the uses, it seems clear that dragon had a natural aptitude
for holding on to energy in some raw form beyond the usual methods of food and growth.

My best proposition is that the dragons may perhaps be to other animals what the gods are
to us - powerful, miraculous and unmatched rulers of the animal kingdoms. If this were the
case, evidently the clash of gods fell out in our favour very much as well as the clash of
humans and animals does. The gods took up weapons against the dragons, and the primitive
might of great beasts was no match.

Author, Unknown (Likely an apprentice of Sufrant)

What I learnt from the Dragon

  • Through an accident of fate, there is one dragon in a fit enough state to bring back. None of the others can be. This dragon’s most important remains live in Duskwood. They were transported here a long time ago, following the words of the prophesy. There was a while where the dragon did not have followers. And then one day he(?) did. From there his cause grew slowly. There have never been many on his side. The Dragon needs more followers to bring about their will

  • To find the dragons remains is complicated, as it requires a passphrase from a member of the Court of the Dragon (they don’t like being called cultists, and its best to be polite). The Dragons followers do not consider the reign of the dragon to be “ruling” as such. Gods rule. Dragons are more remote, and less interested in controlling humans.

  • The dragon remaining is not the same one that the gods used in their ritual to becomes gods. This one felt pity for the dragon in that ritual.

  • Dragons, in their own words “Basked” in the world flame. Vanhier called this “Feasting on the World flame”. Humans and their gods hold a certain amount of mana in them, replenished each day, and flowing back into the world flame each night. Dragons have no such restrictions. They may hold great quantities of it inside of them and only need to return for more once every so often (once a year, perhaps?). Vanhier, and the other human gods, believed this was horrific.

  • The dragon hoards his remains for the day he lives again.

  • The dragon speaks of compromise. Of agreeing on certain territories to be shared. However it is unclear whether they would stick with this, once they were in power again. There is only so much land a dragon can cover, but he would not be exiled to a land barren of life. And it sounded a lot like he would still want domain over lands where humans lived.

  • The dragon is not immortal, but has a long life span. It is possible, as the only dragon feasting on the world flame, that life would be even longer. When his time is passed, a new age of enlightenment and human glory would take place.

Restorations:

  • To restore the dragon, the energy of the gods must be put back into the world flame. It was unclear if one could happen without the other.

  • To form a new pantheon of gods, using the original ritual, would require this dragons remains.

  • Gods must give up their human form and ascend

  • The Dragon does not need all of the source to bring him back. (It might be possible to reinstate both human and animal gods if balance was desired? Though my initial talks with people seem to indicate that that would be a worse option than either gods or dragons, so perhaps not).