Platinum Wings of Bahamut
Five sets of wings were designed for the children of Bahamut, one for each metallic shade. Each set contained power from Bahamut's own wellspring, infused into it's very core, capable of bestowing powers onto any child of Bahamut that brandished them. But a sixth set existed, a set that would only appear when a true disciple of the deity affirmed their faith. This pair of radiant platinum wings denoted a herald of Bahamut's will, someone who would bring forth great change to the Metallic world.Of all the magical artifacts forged by the gods over the thousands of years that Draconia has existed, few items exist which carry the vast importance of the Platinum Wings. The appearance of this pair of metallic wings serves a signal to any devout worshipper that the foundations of the world would soon shift, with great change following soon after. Any venerated individual who obtained these wings were worshipped as a representation of Bahamut, someone to be flocked to by the masses at large. The power and responsibility vested in the wings would flow through the person, amplifying their personality, strength and mind to a level mirroring Bahamut himself. They would begin to view themselves as Bahamut's vessel, their decisions, actions and words inflecting this thought. While their normal personality would not be erased, it would be inhibited by the power infused inside of the wings, suppressed behind the veil of Bahamut's will. This property is rightfully seen as a detriment to the wielder; who would willingly sacrifice who they are for the power of a god? The temptation to such a question is stronger than you would realize. Those who desire that power for greed, for peace, for love, for any reason; they all feel the pull to such a decision. Erasure of one's sense of being is a lot easier to accept when granted the strength to create your ideal world and be worshipped for it.
History
The appearance of Bahamut and Tiamat into the world of Draconia was the turning point for many things. For humankind, it was the beginning of their downfall while dragonkind began to ascend into a position of unchallenged power. It was when the exploration of the world began anew. Draconia had been ravaged during the War of Creation and the metropolises that had littered the world were nonexistent in most cases or left as ruins in rare outliers. For the two new deities of the world, their attention was pulled in an innumerable number of directions. They had to oversee the development of their respective peoples, ensure that the status quo was maintained, maintain the safety of any emerging settlements and form organizations dedicated to not only worshiping themselves but also government systems to keep the populations in check. While Io was able to manage this collective responsibility on a much higher scale owing to their immeasurable power, their fledgling children had yet to attain a comparable amount and were unable to hold themselves to such a standard. And so Bahamut created the Platinum Wings to bestow upon one of his followers that he deemed not only worthy of his power and influence, but capable of aiding his efforts in creating a draconic utopia. To create such a powerful item requires an equally powerful act of sacrifice, for the privilege of wielding the powers of a god is no small feat to achieve. The god isolated himself to a far corner of the sky, somewhere within the confines of the heavens. His wings, shining with the radiance befitting the Platinum King, began to lose their luster. The metallic coat of color faded out, leaving nothing more than a grey husk of useless flesh, incapable of flight. As he began to plummet to the ground, the dragon channeled a vast majority of his power into a single wing, the color returning to it with a heavenly glow of white, no longer the platinum shade of before. The last sliver of power he could muster was embedded into the remaining wing, giving it the platinum luster it had previously possessed. It began to fold across its physical form until it created two wings incapable of carrying the massive dragon, even in tandem with his normal-sized wing. When Bahamut landed upon the surface, he returned adorned with only the lone angelic wing. The other wings freely soared through the sky, having been detached and sent skyward to wait for when they called upon by Bahamut.Significance
The Platinum Wings serve as symbol of status both to the wielder and Bahamut's worshippers due to the amount of power and trust that is placed in that person. They are a sign that Bahamut has placed his unwavering trust in someone to aid metallic dragonkind, turning that person into a messiah-figure. They become an extension of Bahamut's will. During the early millennia of the Era of Dragons, the wielder served as Bahamut's vessel. Their main purpose was relaying his words, teachings and commands to his followers when the god was incapable of doing so himself. While Bahamut led the people across a larger frontier, conquering any enemies that emerged during the War of Creation, the Wing-Bearer led the people across that which was conquered. They helped establish new settlements, create borders and defend territories from retaliatory attacks. To some people, the Wing-Bearer was more deserving of worship than Bahamut. Their belief was that a god should dedicate themselves to the people who worship them, refusing to acknowledge the immense pressure placed on level of responsibility such a task takes. While Bahamut had failed to do so, the Wing-Bearer was capable of it, and should be honored as the one true god of metallic dragonkind. The desire of those people would be granted during the third millennia when Bahamut had deemed his work across Metallan and greater Draconia finished. Instead of remaining in the physical world, he ascended into the world of the spirits, joining his sister Tiamat and creator Io in the world of Dracos Naan. The current Wing-Bearer immediately became recognized as the second coming of Bahamut, a title which all future Wing-Bearers would come to possess. The responsibilities held by Bahamut became the responsibility of the Wing-Bearer, as did the title and expectations of the people who worshipped them. While the leadership of the Platinum Congregation retained their sway, influence and power over the people, the Wing-Bearer was recognized as the official leader in replacement of Bahamut. Their orders were now Bahamut's by extension and followed as such.Receiving One's Wings
The process of gaining the Platinum Wings is an arduous task to undertake. The receiver will first experience a vibrant dream in the midst of sleep. The dreams are hypnagogic, metaphysical visions that show the past, present and future of the dreamer. These visions are actually the dreamer enduring an accelerated rite of ascension to godhood in preparation for the influx of divine power that will soon inhabit their being. At the end of their experience, they converse with Bahamut about their newfound responsibility, how it will affect them, their people and the world around them. A choice then follows; the choice to either accept or decline Bahamut's will. Denial bears no consequences. Not everyone is fit to carry such burdens, no matter how worthy they might be judged to be. The dreamer will wake up, having no memory of the encounter, even the fact that they were chosen. No record will be made of the attempt made by Bahamut, instead the effort will be purged from his mind, allowing the denier the chance to live a peaceful life. Acceptance brings one final vision to the dreamer: the creation of their wings. They gaze upon the falling of the skyward wings Bahamut created long ago, descending through the atmosphere to land upon the land. The next step to continue their rite is finding their wings. The journey to locating them is never easy, as they most often make landfall in far corners of Draconia, in one case landing in the deep sea. The arrival of a new set of wings brings threats from those who would wish to use them for malicious purposes, and it becomes a race between the rightful owner to beat any potential rivals to the prize. Once the wings and their owner are united, the last step to receiving them is to embed them into the body. It is a painful process, especially so for true and half-dragons. Their natural wings must be severed from the body, fused with the Platinum Wings, then reattached via cauterization. The agony and discomfort that must be lived through for such a process is harrowing, but the reward for perseverance is more than worth it. For dragonborn, the wings will simply attach to their body due to the lack of natural wings. This process is not any less painful, however, as the wings are made of metal screws, bolts and ridges, only taking a natural form once fully attached to a body. The aftermath of the painful ritual is a set of wings mixing the natural colors of the wielder and platinum shine, along with the fraction of Bahamut's instilled power.
Previous Wing-Bearers
The Platinum Wings have only appeared five times in history, each to metallic dragons that were currently serving as an Overlord at the time of manifestation. The first and third were Gold Dragons, the second was a Brass Dragon that fell from grace, while the fourth and fifth were Silver Dragons.Avateyka Lustitia
The first Wing-Bearer and the most renowned. Discovered the Breathroot plant and by extension the Dragonfruit. She was also responsible for the foundation of the Metallan's governmental system, and a key contributor to the creation of the Council of Dragons. Killed in 513 EoD as a result of the F-G Rebellion, wings destroyed in 516 EoD after the conclusion of the war.Ravik, the Wing of Death
The second Wing-Bearer. Received his wings in 1045 EoD after over 500 years of service to the Council. His tenure began with the aim of finding eternal life beyond the afterlife, both for himself and his people. It ended with the first creation of a Dracolich since before the Era of Dragons. Bahamut took it upon himself to right his mistake by purging the fallen dragon, damning his soul to Dracos Infernum. His wings were desecrated and destroyed by means of holy fire shortly after his death.Havoltos Lustitia
The third Wing-Bearer and a distant relative of Avateyka. Received his wings shortly after Ravik's damnation. Expectations for him were high considering his relationship to the renowned Avateyka, but his time as Wing-Bearer was relatively tame. Mostly in part due to his old age. His tenure only lasted for two hundred years, as he had been alive during Avateyka's and Ravik's tenure. Passed away in 1519 EoD, his wings being buried with him once they lost their power.Allathor Gentilon
The fourth Wing-Bearer and universally looked at as the best. Was the first Wing-Bearer to be designated after Bahamut's departure to Dracos Naan, subsequently the first head of the Platinum Congregation in Bahamut's stead. His rule was characterized by an influx of good-will, kindheartedness and generosity. Attempted to spread the religion of Bahamut to humandkind and the people of Chromaticos. Metallan flourished under his rule as the lesser races across the continent came to a compromise with dragonkind, supported by Allathor and his efforts. Assassinated in 2786 EoD, wings laid to rest with him after they lost their power.Uuembo Odeuxar
The most recent Wing-Bearer. Accepted his wings and Overlord position following Allathor's assassination. Had the shortest of all rules, as he destroyed his own wings in the year 3000 EoD. Continues to serve as the Silver Overlord.
Current Day
Another Wing-Bearer has yet to be crowned since Uuembo's destruction of his wings. Though it has only been a few decades since, the populace of Metallan exists in perpetual state of uneasiness and unrelenting anxiety as they wait for the next messiah to bless their presence. Word has come from Chromaticos that a pair of wings have been located, however, and that efforts are already underway to ship them across the sea to their rightful continent. Once it arrives it's merely a game of waiting until their owner comes to claim them.1Reports of a pair of Minotaurs that were able to touch and nearly attune to the wings have come from East Coast Loading Company. This calls into question all known restrictions that the wings may carry. We cannot let this information become public amongst humankind.
Item type
Unique Artifact
Creation Date
First manifested in 37 EoD
Current Location
Weight
25 lbs.
Dimensions
7-feet across
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