Ballad of Fire

The day the sky burned

Overview

The Ballad of Fire is one of the older myths told, recited, played by the Humans and, to some extend, by the Elves. It is displayed in schools, in the universities throughout the human enclaves, played by troupes and sometimes like an opera for the wealthy nobility. And if someone is wealthy - and mad - enough to bring actual Dragons to the party, it might works out or someone is going out in a blaze and with a free and, sometimes angry, roaming Dragon.

History

Nearly three decades after the day of the fire scholars, bards, and other people thought about how to construct and to re-tell the tale of the day the sky burned. It was already told in the history books, but it was only a huge list of numbers: provisions, names of the dead, the toll on the land itself, the remains of villages and cities. All told in a blunt and reality-confirming way.

But that wasn't enough. There were heroes during that war; there were people with different stories like the person who opened her villa to refugees until they got burned down as well. There were the armies which got bathed in blazing fire and baked into their armours.

People needed to see - especially now during the times of the Spiral - that there is still hope, even when we can't see it. For when the enemy is stronger; for when the day is over and the night at her darkest; when the Moon is gone and the Sun obstructed; for when you only see darkness and despair.

Until Dawn comes.

Content

It was years after the Clash of Nations that the Dragons appeared, spun into existence by the Eternals without a warning, a hint or a word. Huge lizards with wings, scales, claws, and liquid fire. They brought havoc, despair, and death to every species on Koria, gorged themselves on people and animals until retreating for a nap.

The humans fought back. The Elves were an annoyance, but no giant lizard would terrorise their fellow humans, not even a fire-breathing lizard as huge as a mountain, no, Sir!

So the humans mustered armies, mages, and artillery as much as they could and marched against the Dragons on the Daveldare Mountains mountain range. They lost two armies, a lot of their firepower and a huge chunk of their artillery. Then the Elves stepped in. With their arrows, their magic, their strength they reinforced the armies and fought back.

Negotiations were out of question. The Elves tried to speak with the Dragons, but they were wild and thought of being better than the weak fleshlings. Some Elves were burned, others eaten, others both. Some survived and told the tale. The response brought havoc, lightning, thunder, hailstorms, and energy storms over the Dragons and nearly killed the entire species.

The clash ruptured earth and stone, crumbled a mountains - quite literally - and scorched the earth at the south-western borders of the mountain range. Ghosts, bones, and parts of weaponry/armours still can be found there, even after all those centuries.

That is the tale the bards, troupes, and whoever wants or can pay for it are telling. Be it in the great theaters of Koria, at the campfire, in their own home, or in the noble halls of the cities.

Belief vs. reality

Because of this tale and the sudden bang with which the Dragons came into the lands of Koria, the people think that the Dragons are not only giant fire-breathing lizards, but basically gods or at least divine beings.

This theory, this myth, is backed by the witness reports from all over the continent, documented and preserved in various libraries, schools, universities or other places of scholarship and/or learning. Those reports even state that the Dragons literally came out of thin air -

which they did

- and only gods or divine beings can do that, at least to their belief.

In reality the Dragons were brought to Koria by the Eternals Life and Death as a challenge for the other species. And maybe a bit for shits and giggles.

"So many lives, so much resources. So much death all around." coughs, wipes off tears "To think about that the Dragons killed so many people. So many lives lost. So much suffering..." sniffles

— Woman at a campfire after hearing the Ballad