The Dying Light of Dralis
an account of the fall of the dragons
The dragons were some of the mightiest weapons in the second godswar. Incredibly powerful,magically gifted, brilliant tacticians. Their only true weakness came with their slow birth rate and ponderous lifespan. They were prone to introspective reveries that could last decades and maybe a single true dragon was born every fifty years.
Dralis was their mighty civilization; a kingdom that spanned the majority of present-day southern and western Raiven. They were, of course, unmatched by any army of the lesser races. Their borders extended as they wished, though their population kept them from reaching too far.
The products of their magic were only surpassed by their art, music, and writing. The language of Dralis was the only one used in the cities and kingdoms of the world, reaching across what is now Forven, Raiven, and Deratain.
Still, they wished to improve upon themselves, for what civilization does not? It was their northern neighbors, the Adamant dwarves that brought their answer. A mineral existed deep beneath the Adamant mountains which the dwarves had learned to carefully extract. When magically prepared, this mineral adamantine could be consumed to great effect. It sped the body and mind, improving congnition, physical performance, and, most importantly, reproduction and maturation.
Ravenous for this new marvel that would finally allow Dralis to grow beyond its meager, in their reckoning, size, the dragons consumed adamantine greedily, gifting the Adamant dwarves with most of their knowledge, technology, and magic as payment for their addiction.
Unbeknowst to the dragons, adamantine was slowly changing the offspring of the dragons. They became less intelligent with each generation and found that they had an inborn addiction to the rare metal through which they’d been conceived. Even their lifespans began to shrink thanks to the accelerated maturation imparted by the adamantine. The effect amplified over time, leaving the dragons swift and even more powerful, but a bestial shadow of their fading glory.
The true dragons, slowly realizing the curse they’d brought on themselves, struggled to resist the allure of their addiction, but ultimately even knowing the consequences only a willful few were able to resist. These fled into the wilds of the heartlands, building for themselves sanctuaries that no man could reach without magical aid.
For a new threat was rising to the lords of Dralis. As the dragons fell to the effects of the adamantine, the tribes of the goblinkin and the men of Raiven began to rush into the suddenly chaotic cities of dragons. They took what they could and destroyed much of the rest. A small number of cities were occupied by these new conquerers and from these cities rose dragon slayers.
Dragon slayers were mighty warriors trained in both martial and magical skill who were able to match, if not the true dragons, the weakened beast-dragons that swarmed throughout the mountains. Even with the exceptional advantages the remaining true dragons possessed they could not hope to resist the tide of death that had come for them. With their last cities abandoned, the dragons had fallen.
Dralis was their mighty civilization; a kingdom that spanned the majority of present-day southern and western Raiven. They were, of course, unmatched by any army of the lesser races. Their borders extended as they wished, though their population kept them from reaching too far.
The products of their magic were only surpassed by their art, music, and writing. The language of Dralis was the only one used in the cities and kingdoms of the world, reaching across what is now Forven, Raiven, and Deratain.
Still, they wished to improve upon themselves, for what civilization does not? It was their northern neighbors, the Adamant dwarves that brought their answer. A mineral existed deep beneath the Adamant mountains which the dwarves had learned to carefully extract. When magically prepared, this mineral adamantine could be consumed to great effect. It sped the body and mind, improving congnition, physical performance, and, most importantly, reproduction and maturation.
Ravenous for this new marvel that would finally allow Dralis to grow beyond its meager, in their reckoning, size, the dragons consumed adamantine greedily, gifting the Adamant dwarves with most of their knowledge, technology, and magic as payment for their addiction.
Unbeknowst to the dragons, adamantine was slowly changing the offspring of the dragons. They became less intelligent with each generation and found that they had an inborn addiction to the rare metal through which they’d been conceived. Even their lifespans began to shrink thanks to the accelerated maturation imparted by the adamantine. The effect amplified over time, leaving the dragons swift and even more powerful, but a bestial shadow of their fading glory.
The true dragons, slowly realizing the curse they’d brought on themselves, struggled to resist the allure of their addiction, but ultimately even knowing the consequences only a willful few were able to resist. These fled into the wilds of the heartlands, building for themselves sanctuaries that no man could reach without magical aid.
For a new threat was rising to the lords of Dralis. As the dragons fell to the effects of the adamantine, the tribes of the goblinkin and the men of Raiven began to rush into the suddenly chaotic cities of dragons. They took what they could and destroyed much of the rest. A small number of cities were occupied by these new conquerers and from these cities rose dragon slayers.
Dragon slayers were mighty warriors trained in both martial and magical skill who were able to match, if not the true dragons, the weakened beast-dragons that swarmed throughout the mountains. Even with the exceptional advantages the remaining true dragons possessed they could not hope to resist the tide of death that had come for them. With their last cities abandoned, the dragons had fallen.
Summary
The ancient empire of the dragons, Dralis, and the very nature of Draconic life was destroyed by the machinations of the Adamnt dwarves in a bygone age. This legend is the most likely account of how this happened and why true dragons are nearly extinct today.
Historical Basis
The existence and ultimate fall of Dralis is fact, but the manner in which it fell and the extent to which the Adamanta engineered it is debated as there is no clear evidence. What is known is that any true dragons left in existence despise all dwarves with a passion yet live in fear of their magical power. Axial and Atrean historians have cooperated to produce this recounting of events and it is unlikely a more accurate history will be recovered without direct input from an ancient true dragon or Adamanta.
Spread
This story is relatively well known in central Raiven and is known by the educated across southern Forven, Raiven, and Derathain. It is only known in Aranel among the colonies. It's generally unknown across most of the Reman empire and the federation of Advent.
Variations & Mutation
In Derathain there is a variation of this story where the Adamanta faced the wrath of a wronged Dralis before the end and were forced to call on Derathaini dragon slayers to save them from their draconic foes.
Most cultures across Raiven, Forven, and Derathain have tales of great dragonslayers which would tie in with the lgened of the fall, but rarely do they convey the dragons as anything other than bestial sorcerers or daemonic beings.
Raivanni Dwarves will sometimes make reference to the legend of the fall when speaking of their race's achievements, but even they would be pressed to tie their clans into the mighty Adamanta. The Adamanta themselves are considered, if not extinct, then so interbred with common Dwarves that nothing remains of their people.
Most cultures across Raiven, Forven, and Derathain have tales of great dragonslayers which would tie in with the lgened of the fall, but rarely do they convey the dragons as anything other than bestial sorcerers or daemonic beings.
Raivanni Dwarves will sometimes make reference to the legend of the fall when speaking of their race's achievements, but even they would be pressed to tie their clans into the mighty Adamanta. The Adamanta themselves are considered, if not extinct, then so interbred with common Dwarves that nothing remains of their people.
Cultural Reception
Most non-Dwarven cultures view the fall of Dralis as a tale of the glorious rise of their own ancestors. As such, ancient dragon slayers are held up as heroes in the collective memory.
Dwarves, however, often view this tale in a darker light. It was their ancestors who brought the dragons to the end of their civilization and, while most Dwarves do not mourn the loss, the lack of their own people's ascendancy leaves a bitter taste in most mouths.
Dwarves, however, often view this tale in a darker light. It was their ancestors who brought the dragons to the end of their civilization and, while most Dwarves do not mourn the loss, the lack of their own people's ascendancy leaves a bitter taste in most mouths.
In Art
Countless paintings, tapestries, and sculptures have been created throughout the ages depicting everything from dragon slayers to the lost majesty of Dralis.
Related Species
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