The Epic of Dragons
The Epic of Dragons is the oldest, longest, and most significant work of literature in Dàni culture. The story is recounted as an epic poem, and for thousands of years it was passed from one generation to the next purely orally. Due to this, details of the story have shifted and changed over the millennia. However, the various forms of the poem told today are remarkably similar and differ only in slight details, like in a description of colour or a specific length of time.
Dàni people point to this as evidence that the story has remained functionally unchanged and that it describes true, historic events. Outsiders have less faith in its historical accuracy, especially its supernatural elements. Non-Dàni people usually consider it a work of fiction, or else based on historical events so mutated through time that the truth was lost long ago.
Dàni people point to this as evidence that the story has remained functionally unchanged and that it describes true, historic events. Outsiders have less faith in its historical accuracy, especially its supernatural elements. Non-Dàni people usually consider it a work of fiction, or else based on historical events so mutated through time that the truth was lost long ago.
Performance
The Right to Perform
Performing the poem is a right that prospective performers must earn after a lengthy apprenticeship, an ancient tradition that has helped preserve the story in its original form. Apprentices are accepted by a master orator when they are in their early teen years. When the master feels their apprentice has proven themselves, generally once someone is in their mid to late 20s, they will present their apprentice with a dragon buckle.
This buckle is worn on a cloth belt, and is made from sturgeon bone and abalone. Wearing it proves that the bearer has the right to recite The Epic of Dragons. If someone shows up to town and attempts to perform the epic without possessing the buckle, the audience will reject them and likely chase them out of town.
This buckle is worn on a cloth belt, and is made from sturgeon bone and abalone. Wearing it proves that the bearer has the right to recite The Epic of Dragons. If someone shows up to town and attempts to perform the epic without possessing the buckle, the audience will reject them and likely chase them out of town.
Structure of the Performance
The Epic of Dragons is long. A complete performance typically lasts four days, performed from midday until dusk with an hour intermission in the middle. The complete story is performed only on special occasions. The epic is broken into many small acts, which are often performed individually in a single evening.
During the intermission, the orator retreats to a quiet place and drinks honey and ginger tea. The listeners spend the intermission quietly talking, go for a walk, or eat a small meal. Importantly, they don't do anything particularly active or engaging, as it implies that you would rather being doing something else and couldn't wait for the story to reach intermission. It's considered disrespectful to the orator and to the story itself.
Noani
The primary character. She is a clever strategist and the matron of the Scimitar Cat clans.
Endur
Noani's main love interest. He is her emotional heart and the patron of the Bear clans.
Uluraz
The main villain, a dragon general who lusted after Noani.
The Great Dragon
The villain behind Uluraz, an evil force never properly described
Tomiul
The trickster leopard. He appears in many myths, and naturally has a role to play in this one as well.
Kazhe
A scimitar cat who leads the army of animals and becomes a dear friend to Noani
During the intermission, the orator retreats to a quiet place and drinks honey and ginger tea. The listeners spend the intermission quietly talking, go for a walk, or eat a small meal. Importantly, they don't do anything particularly active or engaging, as it implies that you would rather being doing something else and couldn't wait for the story to reach intermission. It's considered disrespectful to the orator and to the story itself.
The Book of Dragons
The Book of Dragons is the only known written version of the story. For most of history, the Dàni had no written language and oral tradition was the only form of passing down stories. 200 years ago, a system of using the Baanang alphabet to transcribe the Dàni language was invented. Then, five years after the start of the Kingdom of Aralia, the first king comissioned a written version of the epic as a statement that they were both modernizing and commemorating the past.
The written version raised a lot of controversy. The story is supposed to be performed, traditionalists argued. The dedication of memorizing the entire poem, ensuring you get it word-perfect every time, is what makes orators a treasured part of the community. Writing it down was blasphemy and would lead to the ruin of the story, because no one would bother memorizing it anymore if they knew there was a version they could just read.
On the opposing side, those who supported the creation of the book believed it was a way to ensure that no matter what trials came to their people, the story would remain. How do they know the story didn't undergo significant changes during the chaos of one of the Reckonings? What if there is another Reckoning, and all master orators are killed? To preserve their culture and history, a written version is integral.
The written version is a large book, about a foot and a half tall and wide. Its cover is bound in fish skin, and its thin pages are trimmed in gold. The book sits under glass in the royal palace in the capital, Nidaf.
The written version raised a lot of controversy. The story is supposed to be performed, traditionalists argued. The dedication of memorizing the entire poem, ensuring you get it word-perfect every time, is what makes orators a treasured part of the community. Writing it down was blasphemy and would lead to the ruin of the story, because no one would bother memorizing it anymore if they knew there was a version they could just read.
On the opposing side, those who supported the creation of the book believed it was a way to ensure that no matter what trials came to their people, the story would remain. How do they know the story didn't undergo significant changes during the chaos of one of the Reckonings? What if there is another Reckoning, and all master orators are killed? To preserve their culture and history, a written version is integral.
The written version is a large book, about a foot and a half tall and wide. Its cover is bound in fish skin, and its thin pages are trimmed in gold. The book sits under glass in the royal palace in the capital, Nidaf.
Characters
In an epic as long as this, many characters can be expected. These are some of the main ones - the ones that any Dàni child can name unprompted.Plot Summary
The epic is far too long to transcribe in full. This is a summary of the major beats of the plot.Part I: Setting the Stage
When the story begins, the Dàni people are in a dire position. For many generations, they have been enslaved by the dragon people. The dragon people themselves are never physically described in the story, but it is said they are the servants of the Great Dragon, a wicked ruler, a descriptions of their actions imply that the dragon people are somehow capable of flight.
Whoever they are, the dragon people oppress the Dàni horribly. They are forced to toil in mines, harvest from dawn to dusk in the fields, or wait on their masters in lavish palaces. They have no rights, no protections, and no hope. A generation ago, an attempted uprising led to a massacre, and now despair grips their hearts.
Whoever they are, the dragon people oppress the Dàni horribly. They are forced to toil in mines, harvest from dawn to dusk in the fields, or wait on their masters in lavish palaces. They have no rights, no protections, and no hope. A generation ago, an attempted uprising led to a massacre, and now despair grips their hearts.
Part II: The Romance of Noani and Boadur
The story opens with Noani, who works as a serving girl in the palace of the Great Dragon. Noani has recently caught the eye of Uluraz. Uluraz offers her relief from slavery in exchange for concubinage, but Noani rejects him. Enraged, he strikes her and with either a knife or a claw (the text is unclear), leaves a wicked slash across her face that will later scar and become her distinctive feature.
Uluraz casts Noani out of the palace to toil away in the rice paddies. There, she meets Boadur. Over time, the two of them fall in love. When Uluraz discovers that she has fallen in love with another, he grows envious. He send Boadur far away, to be imprisoned in a fortress on the other side of the county. Noani is imprisoned within the palace, where she is locked in a windowless room behind a door with seven locks. She will only be released, Uluraz promises, when she agrees to be with him.
Uluraz casts Noani out of the palace to toil away in the rice paddies. There, she meets Boadur. Over time, the two of them fall in love. When Uluraz discovers that she has fallen in love with another, he grows envious. He send Boadur far away, to be imprisoned in a fortress on the other side of the county. Noani is imprisoned within the palace, where she is locked in a windowless room behind a door with seven locks. She will only be released, Uluraz promises, when she agrees to be with him.
Part III: Imprisonment and Escape
Many stanzas are devoted to her escape attempts and to Boadur's quiet mediation hundreds of miles away. Eventually, both of them find an escape. Noani is ultimately rescued by the trickster Tomiul, who discovered her door with its many locks. Tomiul was curious about the locks and couldn't stand the idea of humans doing something interesting without him, so he opened it to find out. As soon as it was open, Noani rushed out and escaped the palace.
Meanwhile, Boadur found a spiritual escape. During his long imprisonment, he meditated so deeply that his spirit left his body and became intwined with that of a bear walking past outside. This marks the discovery of Riding, with Boadur as the progenitor of the practice. Boadur joined with the bear so thoroughly that he left his body behind and took off to find Noani in the body of the bear.
Both of them undergo a road of trials in their attempt to reunite. Noani is always pursued by Uluraz, while Boadur explores the abilities of Riding, builds a relationship with the bear, and becomes deeply connected to the natural world. Eventually they find each other, but Boadur must first prove his identity. Once convinced, Noani embraces him.
Meanwhile, Boadur found a spiritual escape. During his long imprisonment, he meditated so deeply that his spirit left his body and became intwined with that of a bear walking past outside. This marks the discovery of Riding, with Boadur as the progenitor of the practice. Boadur joined with the bear so thoroughly that he left his body behind and took off to find Noani in the body of the bear.
Both of them undergo a road of trials in their attempt to reunite. Noani is always pursued by Uluraz, while Boadur explores the abilities of Riding, builds a relationship with the bear, and becomes deeply connected to the natural world. Eventually they find each other, but Boadur must first prove his identity. Once convinced, Noani embraces him.
Part IV: Noani and the Kilin
Together, they return to Boadur's prison to free his physical body. The prison, however, is heavily guarded and has a thick wooden gate they cannot hope to break through. Noani wanders into the wilderness to try to think of a plan. In the woods, she meets a kilin. Its huge front horn could be used as a battering ram, so she requests that he assist her in saving her loved one. The kilin, however, scoffs at her and says he has no interest helping a weak human who lies complacently in slavery.
Noani and the kilin argue about this, but the kilin is insistent that he won't help until she proves that human's are worth his effort. She is trying to save her true love, but what about the thousands of others who languish in slavery? His words convince her, and she agrees. She will rally the people to overthrow the Great Dragon and free them from slavery.
Boadur cannot go with her. He has stolen this bear's body long enough, and he can longer handle the guilt of controlling her. He and Noani say their farewells, and she promises to free him. Noani then makes the journey back toward the capital city by herself, stopping all along the way to inspire slave communities to rise up with her. Only a handful of people are willing to run away with her and when she arrives to face Uluraz and the Great Dragon, she doesn't have anything close to a large enough army.
Noani and the kilin argue about this, but the kilin is insistent that he won't help until she proves that human's are worth his effort. She is trying to save her true love, but what about the thousands of others who languish in slavery? His words convince her, and she agrees. She will rally the people to overthrow the Great Dragon and free them from slavery.
Boadur cannot go with her. He has stolen this bear's body long enough, and he can longer handle the guilt of controlling her. He and Noani say their farewells, and she promises to free him. Noani then makes the journey back toward the capital city by herself, stopping all along the way to inspire slave communities to rise up with her. Only a handful of people are willing to run away with her and when she arrives to face Uluraz and the Great Dragon, she doesn't have anything close to a large enough army.
Part V: Tomiul's Trial
Knowing she will have to use wits and cunning rather than brute force, she decides to seek assistance from Tomiul, who is known for using those traits. She ventures into the wilderness again to find him and asks for his advice. Tomiul agrees to help, but only after she accomplishes a favour for him. He wants to go into a cave full of crystals, but the entrance is shut and guarded by a monster.
Noani battles the monster and defeats it, and then opens the door for Tomiul. A minute after he goes inside, he changes his mind and yells for her to open the door again and let him out. She is rather frustrated, though this is typical of Tomiul. He asks for another favour before he'll help, and she braces herself for another challenge. This time, though, he just wants her to scratch a spot between his shoulders that he can't reach. She obliges, and he agrees to help.
Tomiul's plan is to create a prophecy that says the Great Dragon can only be defeated by a destined hero marked by a scar on her face, and that if the people rise up on the night of the harvest moon, the dragon people will be easily vanquished. Though he invented this "prophecy" on the spot, he asked an owl (a type of mythical bird that could fly) to spread the prophecy among the enslaved humans. Then, he travels among the forest animals and spreads a rumour that the Great Dragon intends to burn the forest down and they must stop him.
Noani battles the monster and defeats it, and then opens the door for Tomiul. A minute after he goes inside, he changes his mind and yells for her to open the door again and let him out. She is rather frustrated, though this is typical of Tomiul. He asks for another favour before he'll help, and she braces herself for another challenge. This time, though, he just wants her to scratch a spot between his shoulders that he can't reach. She obliges, and he agrees to help.
Tomiul's plan is to create a prophecy that says the Great Dragon can only be defeated by a destined hero marked by a scar on her face, and that if the people rise up on the night of the harvest moon, the dragon people will be easily vanquished. Though he invented this "prophecy" on the spot, he asked an owl (a type of mythical bird that could fly) to spread the prophecy among the enslaved humans. Then, he travels among the forest animals and spreads a rumour that the Great Dragon intends to burn the forest down and they must stop him.
Parts VI - VIII: The Eve of Battle, The War of Humanity and Beasts, and The Fall of Uluraz
Come the night of the harvest moon, the battle begins. The battle rages for three days and three nights, with humans rising up all over the country out of faith in the prophecy. Animals from the forest fight alongside them, and gradually they beat the dragon people back. There are many ups and down of this battle, and Noani creates a deep friendship with the leader of the animal forces, a Scimitar Cat named Kazhe. It ends with Noani fighting side by side with Kazhe, facing down Uluraz.
Together, they defeat Uluraz, but Noani is gravely wounded. As she lies dying, Kazhe speaks to her of the bear who housed the spirit of Boadur, and offers to assist her just as the bear assisted him. She leaves her body to die and enters Kazhe, where they will share control and live as partners.
Together, they defeat Uluraz, but Noani is gravely wounded. As she lies dying, Kazhe speaks to her of the bear who housed the spirit of Boadur, and offers to assist her just as the bear assisted him. She leaves her body to die and enters Kazhe, where they will share control and live as partners.
Part IX: Return to Boadur
The battle ends and the dragon people are driven out. Noani, in the body of Kazhe, departs for the prison to free Boadur. She finds the guards around the prison have deserted it, and she no longer needs the help of the kilin to get in.
But when she reaches Boadur's cell, she discovers a tragedy. Uluraz's last order to the guards at this prison, when he saw how the tide of battle was going, was to execute Boadur so that even if Noani won, she could never be happy. Still in the body of the scimitar cat, Noani weeps over Boadur's body, found in his cell with a sliced throat. Other humans, raiding the prison after escaping slavery, discover the large animal over the bloodied corpse, and assume the worse. They attack her, and she is forced to flee into the woods.
And there, in the woods, she meets a bear. Not just any bear, though; she recognizes this animal. More importantly, she recognizes the spirit in its eyes. Before dying, Boadur left his body once more and rejoined his old friend. The two embrace after their long years apart, though it is the oddest embrace any observer would have ever seen given their new bodies.
But when she reaches Boadur's cell, she discovers a tragedy. Uluraz's last order to the guards at this prison, when he saw how the tide of battle was going, was to execute Boadur so that even if Noani won, she could never be happy. Still in the body of the scimitar cat, Noani weeps over Boadur's body, found in his cell with a sliced throat. Other humans, raiding the prison after escaping slavery, discover the large animal over the bloodied corpse, and assume the worse. They attack her, and she is forced to flee into the woods.
And there, in the woods, she meets a bear. Not just any bear, though; she recognizes this animal. More importantly, she recognizes the spirit in its eyes. Before dying, Boadur left his body once more and rejoined his old friend. The two embrace after their long years apart, though it is the oddest embrace any observer would have ever seen given their new bodies.
Part XI: Children of the Cat and Bear
Together, they depart into the woods. Their people are free, but their own lives are lost. They will spend the rest of their days as animals, in forms never truly compatible. After some time, Kazhe takes a scimitar cat mate, and Boadur's bear does the same. But, something odd happens. Half of the cubs Kazhe gives birth to come out human, and half of Boadur's do the same.
Their children, part human and part animal, are raised in the forest. Eventually, they grow to adulthood and decide to travel together to the human society. What they discover is chaos. After the uprising, the formerly enslaved humans had no leader to turn to and the various clans have been living in a state of in-fighting and chaos for the past 20 years. The children of Noani and Boadur began to gather the clans under their leadership, until finally peace is restored.
From that point on, clans could divide themselves into either people of the Scimitar Cat, who were united by a descendant of Noano, or people of the Bear, who were united by a descendant of Boadur. The clans must always remember their order and unity, and not allow themselves to fall into civil war again, for they know that the Great Dragon, though defeated, was not destroyed. He slunk away into the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to return. When that happens, they will be ready.
Their children, part human and part animal, are raised in the forest. Eventually, they grow to adulthood and decide to travel together to the human society. What they discover is chaos. After the uprising, the formerly enslaved humans had no leader to turn to and the various clans have been living in a state of in-fighting and chaos for the past 20 years. The children of Noani and Boadur began to gather the clans under their leadership, until finally peace is restored.
From that point on, clans could divide themselves into either people of the Scimitar Cat, who were united by a descendant of Noano, or people of the Bear, who were united by a descendant of Boadur. The clans must always remember their order and unity, and not allow themselves to fall into civil war again, for they know that the Great Dragon, though defeated, was not destroyed. He slunk away into the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to return. When that happens, they will be ready.
Historical Accuracy
There is very little evidence that the story took place. Its setting is so long ago (before even The First Reckoning), that any buildings mentioned have long since eroded or been buried. Who, precisely, the dragon people are is poorly understood. Scholars think that identifying them will make it easier to figure out what parts of the story are plausible, but even that is unknown. The Great Dragon could be a person of particular power, or he could be an actual magical creature.
However, some evidence did emerge about 800 years ago, when archeaologists from the Valaran Empire were exploring the foothills in what is today the Kingdom of Aralia. There, they discovered a cave with paintings depicting winged people, and others showing humans with chains, or human hands reaching up toward the winged person. It's believed that these paintings date back to the setting of the epic, and depict a dragon person and human slaves. The best theory is that the "dragon people" are actually the Winged Ones who appear in many other mythologies, and who disappeared from the world after the First Reckoning.
However, some evidence did emerge about 800 years ago, when archeaologists from the Valaran Empire were exploring the foothills in what is today the Kingdom of Aralia. There, they discovered a cave with paintings depicting winged people, and others showing humans with chains, or human hands reaching up toward the winged person. It's believed that these paintings date back to the setting of the epic, and depict a dragon person and human slaves. The best theory is that the "dragon people" are actually the Winged Ones who appear in many other mythologies, and who disappeared from the world after the First Reckoning.
