Toggle menu
Toggle personal menu
Not logged in
Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits.

Draconism: Difference between revisions

From MassiveCraft Wiki
 
(33 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Info religion
Draconism as a Religion represents an organized faith of worshiping Dragons. Dragons are a specific class of being, somewhere in between an ancient civilization of immortals, and technicians who keep the basic functions of the world running. While many other Religions are about the Gods teaching mortals virtues and sins and guiding them to live a good life in worship and being, Dragons are less sentimental about worship, and rather take mortals on a journey with them in the operation of the world and preservation of life against outside foes.  
|image = Gdwsgdse.png
|pronunciation = Dra-konism
|origins = Unknown, presumed over 70.000 years ago
|deities = Regulus, Caius, Daiana, Triton, Nox, Marik, Severena, Aurora.
|subsects = N/A
|}}
==Origins==
==Origins==
Draconism is the oldest [[Religion]] in the world, presumed to have existed in some form or another for nearly 100,000 years, though it is at the very least certain that the dogma has changed over successive generations. For example, the [[Maraya]] who have awoken from the Vaults, find Draconism radically different from what they remember in their Civilization, and even different from the archeological studies they did of the third Civilization that preceded them. Draconism styles itself after the values and principles of the Dragons in that Era, themed or styled in itself after the [[Races]] that roam the world at that time. It is as such an ever changing Religion that shapes itself based on the followers, though the Dragon Gods are eternal and remain largely similar with only their Race and some subtext changing between successive generations. Draconism has followers all over the world, but is generally speaking one of the weaker religions, being outclassed in number of followers by the likes of [[Unionism]], [[Estelley]], [[Fornoss]], and some would argue even [[Evolism]]. Draconism has technically been a dead religion for 300 years, as the Dragons disappeared from the world in various ways, leaving behind their faithful who now worshiped in essence dead Gods. In the last few years however, Draconism has made a quick revival with many Temples being inhabited again, and the Dragons coming back alive in what is referred to as the Revival of Immortality.
Draconism has invariably existed for all of time, but never quite in the same shape or form. Every cycle of civilization has had some form of Dragon worship, some more popular than others, with different Dragons, and different ideals. The modern version of Draconism first came into being among the early Ailor tribes and the Allorn Empire, which always contained some waning and waxing population of Dragon Cultists. Up until the Cataclysm, Draconism was a deeply disorganized religion with different cults and beliefs held in nearly every country. When Cataclysm happened, many of the Dragons disappeared, some mysteriously, others with a clear message that the time of Dragons was over. This Long Death as it was later referred to, lasted for 300 years, until the Dragons came back one by one, and proclaimed an end to the Long Death, based on a breakdown of the consensus among them about the intentions of passing the Mantle of Creation to mortals. Since coming back, the Dragons have made efforts to organize Draconism into an actual fully fledged Religion, to acknowledge and reward their followers for their belief, even if unlike other Gods they are not strictly incentivized to seek out worship, and sometimes even seem uncomfortable with the idea.
===History===
==Core Beliefs==
To understand why the Dragons "died", it is necessary to understand the grand theme running through Draconism, being The Immortal War. The Immortal War refers to the endless conflict between the Dragons and what they call The Infection, which means Ordial/Exist/Void Essences that creep into the world of [[Aloria]] and attach to living and non living things there. The Dragons see themselves as natural wardens of the order of the world, and seek to remove The Infection from the world as a result. The Immortal War is mostly fought between Dragons and the [[Arken]], at least historically speaking when they were still bound to Estel and Behesael. Each successive Void Invasion signals the failure of the Dragons to halt yet another end-times event, though after each cycle, the Dragons remain to restart civilization with new Races. Only the last (5th) Void Invasion was halted, when the Dragons performed the rite of the Denial of Immortality. In essence, Demons and Arken were immortal because the natural laws of Aloria allowed immortality. By denying immortality, the forces the Dragons fought could be killed, but they in turn were also killable. The Arken destroyed Estel and eventually Behesael in their betrayal, and the Dragons went out one way or another as the Immortal War essentially ended in a stalemate. The Dragons relented their efforts to kill the Arken, and contented themselves with the end of the Void Invasions, though recently, the Dragons seem to have come back from this decision, and have started reviving all over the world.
===Central Message===
==Draconic Nuance==
The central message of the Draconism faith is that there is no true purpose to anything but the continuation and expression of life itself. Draconism acts as a shield against unnatural death, but also as a guarantor of the perpetual cycle of life and death so that reality itself can perpetually experience all the colorful and vibrant expressions of being alive. There are no virtues or vices to be expected of Mortals, with the only real demand that Dragons have, being to obey their rulings towards The Presence, and to preserve life and free will around the world. Any believer passing into the afterlife has their soul raised up to the cosmos, and turned into one of many countless stars from where the living can gaze up at a memory of them. No separate section with information about the Afterlife will be provided because there is nothing else to be said about it.
There is one topic worth discussing with regards to Draconism, compared to other religions: the (in)validity of other Religions through Dragons. It is pretty widely known that Dragons create both Races and Gods, but this fact does not make them Gods to other peoples and religions who do not observe them as such. Consider this metaphor: if you liked your team-leader, because he did good things for you and your goals align, your belief in your team-leader is not suddenly invalidated, because your team-leader was raised/taught by a different person. All Religions understand the mechanical purpose of Dragons in the world (conception, creation, ecosystems etc.), but reject their religious message or Dragons as Gods (except in some circumstances, like the Guided Cult of Unionism). Draconism is the only Religion without an afterlife, the faithful neither go to an afterlife nor to the Beyond, their souls are lifted up by Umbra and rejoin the Soul Rivers from which they are born, disappearing into nothingness and lending their life and memories back to the Dragons.
===Mantle of Creation===
===Divine Mechanics===
The Mantle of Creation is a concept held by Dragons that informs a more technical approach to Draconism. Dragons control the various functions of the world of Aloria, from the cycle of birth and death, to the patterns of weather, material existence, the passage of time, and so forth. The world functions because they continue to make it function, and in some way, that can be cause for mortals to hold them as Gods to give thanks and praise for the reality they have created and enabled. To many, the Dragons are distant and mysterious, because they do not always explain their actions or intentions. The Mantle of Creation has a lot of implications, discussed further down in the Expanded Lore section, but for now only a short introduction will suffice.
All Religions provide 1 single Mechanic to their Believers that fits within the flair of their Religion. This Mechanic is lost if the individual becomes Afflicted, or stops believing in the Religion, but can be regained.  
===The Presence===
* Draconism worshipers are able to use Persuasion Dice rolls on Gods both outside and inside of Divinium summonings. Additionally they gain +3 to every Dice roll of Persuasion against a God, and their maximum is raised to 17 instead of 14.
The Dragons are technical managers of the world, and as such to them, things from the Void, Exist, and Beyond are alien. While for thousands of years they fought against the invasions of Demons and Dark Gods, they could never fully rid the world of this alien intrusion and have eventually come to terms that The Presence is here, and here to stay. The Presence refers to all things not of Aloria, anything that is Magical from another Plane of Reality or Existence, anything that was created by Dark Gods like Vampires or Mortisphages. The Presence is something that Dragons still struggle with on a daily basis, and their attitudes towards it informs much of the daily activities of their worshipers and followers.
==Gods and Goddesses==
Draconism has one unified pantheon, but the pantheon is split in 3 factions. These factions represent intentions towards The Presence (anything Occult/Magical). All Draconists should worship all Dragons, but can choose one Dragon to be their Patron. They must also choose a Faction which they align with on principle. However, their faction alignment does not need to be the same as their Patron Dragon. Note that while all Dragons are massive Dragons in their natural form, they are artistically rendered in their humanoid form here, which they more commonly use to appear before mortals.  
===The Dragon Gods of Consolidation===
The Dragon Gods of Consolidation represent the desire to create space for The Presence, but with compromises. They wish Spirits Nature Bound, and their Magic cleansed to God Magic. They wish Mages to be included, but to never use Sinistral Magic. And finally, they wish to continue the fight against the Afflicted, believing them to have no place in the world. This makes the Consolidation Dragons comfortable as the centrist faction that tries to make some concessions, but play the middle ground.
<gallery mode="packed-overlay" widths="250px" heights="370px">
File:Cedragoin.png|''Regulus, Time Dragon''
File:Voiddragon.png|''Triton, War Dragon''
File:Yayh.png|''Marik, Leytech Dragon''
File:New Canvadddsrtetgr.png|''Gaia, Nature Dragon''
File:Silasvilkensit.png|''Silas, Shaper Dragon''
</gallery>
* '''Regulus''' Regulus is the King of Dragons, the leader of the entire pantheon, and the mediator between the various Dragon Gods and their realms. While this is his primary function, Regulus is also a Time Dragon who controls the flow of time, and rain and thunder across Aloria. He is traditionally associated with lightning and blue scales. Regulus once lived as a mortal Prince of the Regalian Empire, but was discovered to carry the Dragonsoul that sparked the revival of the Dragons.
* '''Triton''' Triton is the Dragon of War, but imprisoned in the Void as an Evolist God also. When Caius entered the Void upon its first opening, his soul was split in two, the other half being Triton that embodied his rage for revenge and conflict. Triton was re-admitted into the Dragon Pantheon despite his Void-corruption, and eventually took on the role of the martial Dragon who represents all soldiers and warriors and military conflict. He is associated with chains and black scales.
* '''Marik''' Marik is the Dragon of Leytech or more broadly speaking technology. He is the original creator of the Leylines and the Leysites, ancient Dragon ruins and temples which hold great Draconic Magic and machinery to serve their cause. Marik was tricked by the Machinist Death God to cause the destruction of the Skyborn Empire in the Great Storm, and since being reborn, has been working to mend the conflict between Skyborn and Dragonkin. He is associated with machines and bronze scales.
* '''Gaia''' Gaia is the Dragon of Nature who creates all plantlife. Gaia was killed by the Allorn Empire, but his Dragonsoul was preserved and merged with the ex-Death God Iorwerth who would then carry his power as penance for his role as Death God. Iorwerth also brings architecture and construction to Gaia's powers, and has become a symbol of redemption. While he is traditionally associated with indigo scales and flora, due to his Ordial corruption he also shows Death Metal and Ordial hues. 
* '''Silas''' Silas is the Dragon of shaping, making, and crafting. He inspires the combination and processing of raw materials into objects of beauty and function, and it is said the first swords of any civilization are forged inspired by his scales. Silas seeds the world with precious minerals and holds the Dragonforges from which the machine parts are produced which Marik builds his machines out of. Silas is associated with the fires of industry, metallurgy, and his silver scales.
===The Dragon Gods of Annexation===
The Dragon Gods of Annexation represent the fire to create space for The Presence, but only on their terms. They wish Spirits Shard Bound, and their Magic removed altogether. They wish Mages to be included, but to never use Sinistral Magic and to minimize Magic usage at all. And finally, they wish to continue the fight against the Afflicted. This makes the Annexation Dragons comfortable as the conservative faction that tries to maintain some sense of the old Immortal War policies.
<gallery mode="packed-overlay" widths="250px" heights="370px">
File:New Canvashgfhgnfgg&hhhh.png|''Severena, Protector Dragon''
File:Auroragoddess.png|''Aurora, Life Dragon''
File:Dueuaj.png|''Nox, Knowledge Dragon''
File:Orionbsle.png|''Orion, Afterlife Dragon''
File:EerkUntitled Artwork.png|''Julianus, Wisdom Dragon''
</gallery>
* '''Severena''' Severena is the Dragon of Protection and of guidance and mentorship. She inspires all to shepherd and shield others from mistakes and harm, and empowers her followers to protect the weak from harm. Severena is also called the Dreamer Dragon, as though she did not die, she entered a long slumber which froze the Jade Sea, and henceforth only communicates to her people through dreams. Severena is traditionally associated with clouds, jade, and her pearlescent green scales.
* '''Aurora''' Aurora is the Dragon of Life and Creation, who designs and breathes life into all species and creatures, particularly fauna. Through her magic, childbirth is woven into the world, and by her will, life marches on despite all obstacles. Aurora was tricked by the Glacial Death God, causing a coldsnap in Ellador that killed many Dwarves and made the Isldar. Even though the truth is revealed, she remains distant. She is associated with comets and her purple scales.
* '''Nox''' Nox is the Knowledge Dragon, a famed trickster and plotter who charts his own course sometimes in contravention of other Dragons. Nox gathers knowledge and information from the ages, but in one of his plots, he was condemned to a mirror world for violating the laws of creation of Aurora. Even here, he continued to plot with his chosen favorites the Slizzar, to influence world events, all the way up to his release. He is associated with mirrors, teal, and his chrome scales.
* '''Orion''' Orion is the Dragon steward of the Afterlife, the only Dragon not physically residing on Aloria but with the stars. Orion is a detached entity with total spiritual and mental tranquility and detachment from want and need. He guides the dead into the afterlife, and teaches the living respect for the dead and the rites of passage. He is traditionally associated with all manners of cosmic symbolism and monk-like aesthetics, as well as his ivory scales.
* '''Julianus''' Julianus is the Dragon of Wisdom and Insight. He is a purely logic-driven God that shows little compassion for the individual, but is instead condemned to see the perpetual outcome of each action and each choice for all eternity. Julianus informs the Dragons on the correct course of their actions across the world, even if the immediate outcome is unclear, as he sees in centuries and millennia. Julianus is associated with spiders and silken threads, and his lavender scales.
===The Dragon Gods of Succession===
The Dragon Gods of Succession represent the desire to create space for The Presence, with as few rules as possible. They wish Spirits Nature Bound, but hold no further demands. They wish Mages included, but wish only for Sinistral Magic to be used in times of desperate need, as Dragons can mend the world. And finally, they wish to continue the fight against Afflicted, but to show them compassion and forgiveness. This makes the Succession Dragons comfortable as the Progressive faction with new ideas.
<gallery mode="packed-overlay" widths="250px" heights="370px">
File:Dreamdragon.png|''Daiana, Ancestor Dragon''
File:Untitled Artwork-3 3jtds.png|''Cinerius, Passion Dragon''
File:Monkeydragongod.png|''Umbra, Death Dragon''
File:FeliculaNew Canvasytgfjf.png|''Felicula, Arcana Dragon''
File:LunaaNew Canvashryerthtrfd2j.png|''Luna, Companion Dragon''
</gallery>
* '''Daiana''' Daiana is Dragon and Aloria itself. Her body is the planet and her thoughts are the deepest planet's core. She is the lady of all the elements that fuel the world, but also a maternal representation of ancestry and descendants, that allows the soul rivers to flow across her surface to find new inception of life. Daiana never appears in person, and is always slumbering, sometimes even dreaming up dragons and people. She is associated with spirits and gray stone.
* '''Cinerius''' Cinerius is the Dragon of Passion and Love. He was born in the death of Caius the previous war and passion God, rotten after millennia of suffering a Void blight. Cinerius in his rebirth became so much more concentrated passion and desire, that his very form is impossible to gaze upon without going mad with want and shame. He is the Dragon of family and any emotion or feeling that gives color to life. He is associated with fire and his red scales.
* '''Umbra''' Umbra is the Death God, a just arbitrator of necessary but elegant and beautiful death. To Umbra, the concept of death itself is fascinating, and a seed for rebirth and renewal that represents the very core of existence itself. He is the necessity of death, and the justiciar of necessary death to preserve the lives of others. He is generally considered with some suspicion, due to plotting his own plans. He is associated with shadows and his pristine white scales.
* '''Felicula''' Felicula is the Magic Dragon, responsible for the fueling of all Dragon Magic and orchestrating reality's rules regarding the usage of Magic. It is through her gifts that the Archon and other Draconic warriors, priests, and servants are empowered to do their work and the bidding of their Gods. Felicula is considered skittish and small, but one of the most powerful Dragons due to her control of the Magic used by others. She is associated with song, and her yellow scales.
* '''Luna''' Luna is the Companion Dragon, which is a broad understanding of compassion, kindness, and social cohesion. She encourages a togetherness and celebrates the companionship of friends and allies, to kindle a warmth in social bonds that can withstand even the coldest of winter trials. In a way, her association with the moon casts her as a companion of Daiana, leading some to speculate she may be a physical manifestation of the Moon. She is associated with ice, and cyan scales.
 
==Priesthood==
Priesthood for Draconism is more complicated than one might assume at first glance from a Religion that was effectively dead for 300-odd years while most Dragons were either in slumber, or in a near-death state. At the end of the Immortal War, the Dragons decreed that the Mantle of Creation (the theoretical stewardship over the world's functions) was to pass to mortals, and that they too would become mortal (explanation on why they did this is further below). As this occurred around Cataclysm, Draconism as a Religion was effectively dead for 300 years except for among the Sihai where the Dragons could still be visited, or the Isldar who were deceived. Still, when the Dragons returned centuries later, they found that much of the priesthood had survived their absence and that in some places, the faith had even grown. The Religion had always been considered more of a curiosity by the Dragons, who never asked to be worshiped, or set out to have a Religion specifically ordained by them. They fully expected everyone to give up on the Religion when they left, but the fact they had not, caused a change to occur.
 
The structures that were still very much in place, were the hierarchy set out before the Immortal War that had more or less survived. At the head of all the priesthood were the Matrons (a non-gendered term) that applied to the single most favored of each Dragon God. Each God had their own Matron, a mortal who would have their favor, and know most personally their wishes and ambitions for the world, and could translate them to the other faithful. This position was often elective, but some Matrons passed their lineage from generation to generation, which became especially common after the Denial of Immortality. The only Matron succession that had not survived, was Regulus's Matron, who was eventually chosen from the Isldar to be Gwenyth Zylmoira, leading the faithful into a new era.
 
Below the Matrons, are the Dragon Priests. Dragon Priests represent the whole religion, but usually specialize in the teachings of a specific Dragon God as their patron, and emphasize their qualities and teachings above the others. Generally speaking though, Dragon Priests should be aware of all other Dragons just as much, and be able to hold their own in theological discussion on the merits and values of the other Dragons too, but also understand the overarching narrative of Draconism as a whole. It is possible to be a Dragon Priest and hold other occupations, as Dragon Priesthood is more of a personal choice than an ordained position. There is no official academy or place of teaching for Priests, the only real requirement is that each self-ordained priest takes a pilgrimage to the Matron of their Patron God, and seeks approval from them.
 
Below the Dragon Priests are the Dragon Champions. Unlike Dragon Priests, Dragon Champions do not widely act as priests, they are more akin to lay-priests but hold an extreme emphasis on specific Dragon Gods. Anyone can be a Dragon Champion, it is in most cases self-declared, but 9 out of 10 Dragon Champions are warriors because they enforce the might and will of their Dragon usually by the sword. This may lead to some comical arrangements, with Felicula Dragon Champions forcing participants to have a party and be happy, with the threat of physical harm if they do not. Dragon Champions can administer religious services, but only specifically to their own patron God, while Dragon Priests can perform more general and wide-spread religious services.
==Expanded Lore==
The Expanded Lore section contains additional contextual information about the Draconist faith. This section is not necessary to read to get a good understanding of the lore, just the background information.
===Festivals and Worship===
The [[Draconism Expanded]] Page contains information on Draconism Holy days (one each month), as well as basic rituals performed by Draconism Priests for the faithful. This Page is useful to read for upcoming festivals, but is not necessary to fully explore unless an event is actually upcoming and pinned to the calendar. The bottom of the page contains information relevant to Draconism Priests.
===The Advancement===
The Advancement as an event began with the death of Caius. Caius had been suffering from the Void Infection for millennia, and his eventual demise was guaranteed and even foreseen. For all this time, it was Umbra who ordained that the only way to solve Caius's condition, was to remove all Magical things form the world, so that the connection between the Void and Aloria could be severed. Indeed, historical events implied that this was correct, because after each Void Invasion, Caius's condition would improve for some time as most Magic was seeped from the world, only for it to return as Mages became more prevalent. There is some healthy room for discussion to determine whether Umbra was right, whether he was wrong, or whether he obfuscated the truth on purpose. This theory would not imply that Umbra is specifically malicious or treasonous to the Draconic cause, but that he might have stretched the truth to keep the Draconic cause busy with the wrong type of cure, to guarantee Caius's death just to see what would happen if he did die, which would be consistent with his death-god obsession with the beauty of death.
 
Whatever the motivations or circumstances, the event of Caius's death and Cinerius's rebirth from his corpse was cause enough to call for a full conclave. With the beginning of the conclave, it became evident that Regulus was not satisfied with a partial conclave, and so he called down Orion, something that had not been done for thousands of years. Following this, the conclave was convinced to rescind the punishment of Nox. It had become pretty clear in the past few millennia that being punished was part of Nox's plan all along, and that being trapped in the mirror dimension as he was, that he was difficult to keep tabs on by the other Dragons. His habit to be secretive and have plots detached from the common Draconic cause was considered a liability, and perhaps in part, Nox was proved right by the endless cycles of free-will causing the same outcome one way or another. Indeed, the very reversal of the Denial of Immortality was reason enough to claim that the rhetoric used by Nox to create the Slizzar was at least in part right.
 
With all the Dragons re-convened, the conclusion was made that the impassioned guidance of the Dragons was in part to blame for the chaotic existence of their followers, and that their unclear and mysterious attitude to the sequence of history in the world, also had a part to play in the repeating cycles of destruction. As such, Regulus decreed that all Dragons should contribute to formulating a dogma, and that the Radicals that had come about because of his chaotic return to power, should all be dismissed. Despite these lofty and ambitious intentions, the conclave wasn't a complete success. The Dragons still could not decide on a common policy towards the Infection, even if they chose a more benign term calling it the Presence instead. While the intention had been to unify all Dragons under one policy, Regulus's mediated middle ground wasn't radical enough for either the pro, or anti-Magic side, and so the conclave was split three ways, which all things considered was an improvement over a 15-way split.
 
===Old Believers===
Draconism has a variety of smaller regional Cults called Old Believers. The Old Believers hold onto the [[Draconism Radicals]] as they were before The Advancement. Choosing to play an Old Believer is not recommended, because it cuts a Character off from the other Draconism worshipers. Even though Old Believers are not strictly heretics, they might be excluded from social activities or Pantheon-related quests. Old Believer information is preserved specifically for Character who felt betrayed by The Advancement, or sensed a sinister intention in the actions of Umbra, and want to continue Caius's Burning Extermination.
 
===Dragon Types===
Dragons are not singular, there exist not just 15 Dragons in the world, but technically hundreds, and even different categories. To make sense of the various categories, this section will explain the differences.
* '''Dragon-Gods''' are the leaders of so-called Clades. Clades are groupings of Dragons that are all of the same type. For example, the Blue Clade belongs to Regulus the Blue Dragon. All of these Blue Dragons control time and rain and storm, but only the Dragon God Regulus is considered a God. The other Clade Dragons are still considered divine, but their power is inherited from the Dragon-God, who holds absolute authority. The other Clade Dragons should be considered like right-hands because Dragons are not omnipotent or omniscient, and can't be everywhere at once.
* '''Clade Dragons''' are the afore-described right-hands of the Dragons. Clade Dragons do not have a consistent number, for example, Regulus has only 6, while Marik has 30 (though many of them remain dead). Clade Dragons appear identical to their Dragon-Gods, but there is no common trend between what certain Dragons look like. The only true commonality is that all true Dragons are massive, sometimes as large as mountains, and thus compare with the Primeval Beings in size. True Dragons can have four legs, only two, six, or none at all. Sometimes they have wings, other times they do not. Sometimes they are long, or stubby, or slither around.
* '''Drakon''' are mortal versions of Dragons that nonetheless live for centuries. It is somewhat unclear if they are directly related to Dragon-Gods or Clade Dragons, or were created to come too close to them in appearance. Drakon always appear like the traditional understanding of a wyvern with two large wings which it can support itself on, two hind legs, a long neck and a long tail. Drakon are large but never quite as massive as true Dragons, being about the size of a Regalia Frigate. Drakon have no inherent Magic, but do have an elemental breath that depends on the Dragon they belong to. For example, Regulus Drakon can breathe lightning, while Cinerius Drakon breathe fire, and Silas Drakon breathe sharp silver shrapnel, and Felicular Drakon breathe ethereal Magic. Drakon are primarily war beasts used by the Dragons to fight Arken and Demons. Only in very rare cases will a Dragon send a Drakon to act as mount for a chosen person for their task.
* '''Drakes''' (often also called Wyverns) are mortal versions of Dragons that live for several centuries but are much smaller than Drakon. Wyvern are just larger than a war-horse, allowing them to comfortable carry multiple persons on their back, but not able to tear down whole buildings like Drakon could. Drakes were created specifically as flying mounts for the Archon and Dragon Champions, and usually bond with mortals as their personal mount. Drakes do not possess any Magic, appear with the same appearance traits as Drakon, and also do not have an elemental breath.
* '''Draconet''' are small mortal versions of Drakes that are no larger than dog-sized. What their exact purpose was is unclear, unlike Drakes and Drakon they have four legs and thus can move around like most mammals, but rarely fly despite being able to do so. Draconets are occasionally kept as pets by worshipers though they are exceedingly rare to find, and usually have to be raised from an egg to acquire the right calm temperament. Draconets were considered a prized possession during the Allorn Empire, but overhunting of their native populations has effectively driven them to extinction in the wild, with only select eggs being held onto for centuries until they hatch for the right person in unclear conditions.
 
===Dragon or Primeval===
To cast aside presumptions, Dragons are distinctly not Primeval. While Dragons rarely speak about the pre-Seraph history and existence of the world, they have made clear statements about the idea that when they first awoke, that the Primeval Beings were already there. The only Primeval Beings that the Dragons have ever spoken about, were the Everwatcher, the Blind One, and the Covenant, though for the Covenant she went by a different name and appearance. Dragons believe Primevals to be more powerful than them, and some speculate that in the eternal cycle of creation, that the Primevals actually created Dragons, who in turn created mortals and other Gods, though this is exceedingly hard to prove. There is effectively no communication between the Dragons and the Primeval Beings. The Everwatcher only speaks to the Vessel of Unionism and does so cryptically, the Blind One is in a state of eternal unconscious binding by its followers to prevent it from awakening, while the Covenant seems lost in some higher state of being that makes her interactions with the world seem more instinctual than calculated. The Dragons urge utter caution when attempting to interact or learn more about the Primeval Beings, because what is unknowable to Dragons, will surely spell doom for the mind of mortals.
 
===God Dreams===
Dragons create Gods, flat-out. It is necessary to discuss this topic to dissuade furthering logic that because Dragons create Gods, that other Religions are fake and that Dragons should be worshiped instead as the only correct Gods. This is far from the truth, and actively against the intentions of the Dragons even. To first examine how other Gods are made, they are barely tangentially made by Dragons. When enough people on Aloria wish or crave for something, it is often through the optic of divine protection or saving. People generally gravitate in situations of despair and suffering, to wishing for a higher power to wisk them away and protect them, and this naturally becomes a desire for a savior-god. When enough people wish for this, all that emotional energy is felt by the planet itself, which is Daiana. Daiana dreams, but her dreams are never decided upon by herself, they are affected by the emotional energy that permeates the crust from the people living on it. And so, when enough people wish for a God, Daiana dreams of their desire, and Daiana's dreams become manifested reality. Nearly all Gods are thus born from Daiana's dreams by the template and wish provided by the people. There are some corner cases. For example, some Fornoss Gods were Arken who refracted into Godhood, and some Unionist Gods were made Gods directly by the Primeval Being the Everwatcher, but generally speaking this logic holds true.
 
It is necessary to express that even though Daiana takes a direct role in the creation of Gods, coupled with the fact that Aurora has indirectly created all species and peoples of Aloria through biological experimentation, that this does not mean anyone owes them their life or obedience or indeed worship. The Dragons primary directive is to create and preserve life, but they take a very apathetic role towards this life after it is created and is able to survive. While the Dragons indirectly aid certain societies by sending Archon or other Dragon forces to fight The Presence, this isn't really to protect specific groups of people, but rather just to counteract The Presence. In many ways, Gods that are dreamed up by Daiana are found family, while Dragons are the actively rejecting family that wants nothing to do with mortals, unless they specifically choose to worship them. Dragons are welcoming to worshipers, but do not demand or expect worship from those who feel stronger kinship with the Gods that were born from their ancestor's wants and needs, and that have always been present to guide them and their ancestors, and will continue to be around for their descendants. This doesn't necessarily stop some Dragon worshipers from acting smug about the technical superiority of Dragons over other Gods, and it is certainly true that some Gods are very weak compared to Dragons and actively hide away from them, but that these persons are never ontologically correct with their attitude.
 
===Heritage Alignments===
Dragons generally fulfill their own functions and have their own authority, and while technically Aurora has created most people of Aloria's ancestors, that does not fully hold up. Some heritages were created without Aurora's direct hand, and others yet were adopted by specific Dragons as their favored people. Dragons have preferences to specific heritages, like how Regulus for example always appears as an Ailor, and holds specific favor towards Ailor in particular. This section does not have any bearing to how your Character should worship the Dragons (or not worship them), it is merely added flair that allows you to build or develop a Character around the preferences of for example a patron Dragon God. It is natural that through preferences, some heritages like Kathar have no favored Dragons. This can't be helped, as not all Heritages are created equal, and just because a Dragon shows favor to a specific heritage, does not mean they hate all others. It just means their themes and symbolism can be found in these cultures, and that their cultures also inform the behavior of the Dragon in question.
* '''Regulus''' appears as an Ailor, and holds particular favor towards Ailor, particularly those from Anglia, Kintyr, and Solleria.
* '''Triton''' appears as an Elf, but holds no particular favor to anyone, rather favoring anything with Void Alignment instead.
* '''Marik''' appears as a Skyborn, and holds particular favor for Dragonkin and Skyborn alike, though with some preference for Skyborn.
* '''Gaia''' appears as an Ailor ex-Aelrrigan Knight, and holds particular favor towards Ailor, particularly those from Anglia, Kintyr and the Velheim lands.
* '''Silas''' appears as an Urlan and holds particular favor towards Urlan, Dwarves, and Eronidas. Despite appearing Urlan, he did not make the Urlan.
* '''Severena''' appears as a Sihai, and holds particular favor towards the Sihai. She is also directly responsible for creating the Sihai.
* '''Aurora''' appears as an Isldar, and holds particular favor towards the Isldar. She created all heritages not specified otherwise in this list.
* '''Nox''' appears as a Mai-Allar and holds particular favor towards the Slizzar and Allar. He created the Slizzar, which is why he was imprisoned.
* '''Orion''' appears as a Sihai, and holds particular favor towards the Sihai and Lanlath, though he was not related to the creation of either.
* '''Julianus''' appears as a Narim, and holds particular favor towards the Narim and Urlan. Though, he did not make the Narim, the Meraic Civilization did.
* '''Daiana''' appears as an Eronidas, and holds particular favor towards the Eronidas and Velheim Ailor. She is also very fond of Spirits of any kind.
* '''Cinerius''' appears as an Eronidas, and holds particular favor towards the Eronidas and Maquixtl. He is somehow related to the Maquixtl creation, but it is unclear how.
* '''Umbra''' appears as an Ailor or Elf, but holds no particular favor to anything. Umbra is fairly mysterious, and seems to shapeshift around a lot.
* '''Felicula''' appears as a Minoor Elf, and holds particular favor towards all Elves and Allar, though she holds no part in the creation of any.
* '''Luna''' appears as a Half-Asha, and holds particular favor towards Asha, but has no role in their creation, as the Meraic Civilization made them.  


==Gods and Goddesses==
Draconism has several Gods (gender indeterminate, though when humanoid, they do appear gendered), making it a polytheistic Religion. Unlike many other polytheistic religions, however, Draconism has a clear hierarchy and even a form of competitive rivalry between the so-called Dragon Thrones. Every Dragon Throne (a group of Dragons) contains a leader who is the representative God, and the lesser named Dragons. These lesser named Dragons are not strictly Gods, but they are treated with great reverence. Not all Draconism Gods are currently alive, during the process of the Denial of Immortality, most Dragons died in a non-traditional sense (which also made the Religion "dead" for nearly 300 years save for areas like the [[Sihai]] Lands), with not all of them having been revived recently. It is possible to worship multiple Dragons, but because the Dragon Gods often conflict with one another even when they have a Dragon King, most Draconism followers worship a single God that best fits their principles and beliefs.
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Regulus, the Blue King Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Cedragoin.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
* '''Name:''' Regulus, the Dragon of Command, Hierarchy and Rulership.
* '''Domain:''' Regulus controls the Draconic Conclave and rules the Dragons.
* '''Symbols:''' Thunder Storms, Rulership, Banners, Rain, Bodies of Water.
* '''Role:''' Regulus acts as the King of Dragons, to mediate and command them.
* '''Traits:''' Capricious, Cryptic, Regal, Sagely, Mediating, Attentive, Loyalty.
* '''Temple:''' House of Dragons on Draackenrust Mountain in Anglia.
* '''Allies:''' Arkenborn, Urlan, Adal & Hagen faithful, Leyon faithful.
* '''Enemies:''' Those who stand against the Regalian Empire and seek its downfall.
* '''Rituals:''' Regulus is celebrated through the act of mediation between aggrieved parties, or the Dragon-King trial in which blue Dragon-King flames are summoned, a trial is held between two parties holding their hand in the flame, with the flame burning them if they utter a lie. Another method of worship is by expanding the political reach of the Dragons or the Draconism faithful, who have to rebuild their religion.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Caius, the Red Dying Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Caiuodragon.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
* '''Name:''' Caius (Shalmanisar in Eronidas), Dragon of Love, Passion, and War.
* '''Domain:''' Caius commands the impulses of the living, violence, and fire.
* '''Symbols:''' Volcanoes, Battle, War, Destruction, Flames and Fire, and Magma.
* '''Role:''' Caius acts as the Dragon General, leading Dragon forces in War.
* '''Traits:''' Ill-tempered, Violent, Uncompromising, Brave, Passionate, Loving.
* '''Temple:''' Rock of Eternity Volcano (largest Volcano in the world) in Guldar.
* '''Allies:''' Ifrit faithful, Leif & Bard faithful, Gladiators, Lothar Knights, Purists.
* '''Enemies:''' Any Occult, Occult Sympathizers, Aelrrigan Knights, Centrists.
* '''Rituals:''' Caius is celebrated through the rituals of Mage-Burnings and Pyro-Branding. The former involves gathering magical scrolls, books, and artifacts, and burning them in a ritual fire, while the latter involves branding the Occult with painful scars that hurt when they use Magic. Less violent forms of worship involve the Flame-Dance, a ritual dance by torches in the moonlight, and the Burning Love Chalice, writing love letters and burning them.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Daiana, the Gray Dreaming Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Dreamdragon.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
* '''Name:''' Daiana (Da'amu in), Dragon of the Elements and Planet.
* '''Domain:''' Daiana's domain is the planet itself, she is the world.
* '''Symbols:''' Earth, Ancestor Spirits, Nature, Dreaming, Child-bearing.
* '''Role:''' Daiana is the rock upon which all living move through space.
* '''Traits:''' Shamanism, Maternal, Nurturing, Meditation, Grounding, Wisdom.
* '''Temple:''' Great Hall of Mother in Kezzeret Kashubasha (Eronidas State).
* '''Allies:''' Mana faithful, Mothers, Yanar, Narim, Dwarves, Elkonur faithful, Spirits.
* '''Enemies:''' Those who disrespect Spirits as not having a story to tell or live out.
* '''Rituals:''' Daiana is celebrated through the Harvest Ritual and Caring Ceremony, the former which involves celebrating harvest and sharing meals with others, the latter which involves bestowing both the blessing and responsibility of caring onto someone else by granting them a plant, a pet, or a child to take care of. Daiana is also invoked by priests to summon the Spirits or appearances of dead relatives to give consolation to the mourning living.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Triton, the Black Chain Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Voiddragon.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
* '''Name:''' Triton, Dragon of the Void, known as Triton in [[Evolism]].
* '''Domain:''' Triton's Domain is power and control, specifically of the mind.
* '''Symbols:''' Revenge, Domination, Darkness in one's Soul, Dark Metal.
* '''Role:''' Triton is the Dark second half of Caius's split soul, Void infected.
* '''Traits:''' Vengeful, Cruel, Pragmatic, Powerful, Unforgiving, Unrelenting.
* '''Temple:''' Darkscale House of the High Father in the Osciird Princedoms (Daen).
* '''Allies:''' Evolism Faithful, Evintarian Unionists, Military & Martial people.
* '''Enemies:''' The Apathetic & Inactive, Behesael faithful, Pacifists, Ithanians.
* '''Rituals:''' Triton is celebrated through the Metamorphic Baptism, involved in ritually immersing in a pool of Void-blessed Dragon Water, and assuming Void Mutations of Triton. Another ritual is the Retribution Rally, where they summon a banner of Revenge and call forth allies to sally forth and attack their enemy for vengeance. Finally, Triton accepts blood offerings either from the faithful or those vanquished in battle.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Nox, the Teal Unseen Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Dueuaj.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
* '''Name:''' Nox (Madhyaratri in Slizzar & Allar), Dragon of mirrors and truth.
* '''Domain:''' Nox's domain is that of truth or lies, and wisdom in foresight.
* '''Symbols:''' Mirrors, Snakes, Libraries, Sassrakkand, the Mind, Chrome.
* '''Role:''' Nox acts as Spymaster for the Dragons, but also has his own agenda.
* '''Traits:''' Deceitful, Calculated, Foresight, Thoughtful, Wise, All-Knowing.
* '''Temple:''' The Sassrakkand Pyramideon (only accessible to Slizzar and Archon).
* '''Allies:''' Inth faithful, Rand faithful, Juvin Faithful, Wadj & Yah Faithful.
* '''Enemies:''' Justicars, Knights, Guards, The Afflicted, The Thralled & Mind-Controlled.
* '''Rituals:''' Nox's worship involves the mirrors in which his Dragonsoul was banished by the Dragons for transgressing by creating the Slizzar, which he was specifically forbidden from doing. His followers etch secrets and things they have learned from the Occult into mirrors, after which the messages melt into the reflection and disappear, sometimes causing an approving reflection of Nox to appear for only a split second.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Marik, the Brown Etherforge Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Yayh.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
* '''Name:''' Marik (Al-Asir in Qadir), Dragon of Tech, a [[Unionist]] God also.
* '''Domain:''' Marik's Domain are the Leylines and Leytech, all Draconic machines.
* '''Symbols:''' Technology, Forgery, Craftsmen, Bronze, Brass, and Desert Sands.
* '''Role:''' Marik is the Architect of Dragon Weapons and Sites against the Occult.
* '''Traits:''' Helpful, Reassuring, Resourceful, Quirky, Compassionate, Self-Sacrificing.
* '''Temple:''' Marik's Temple was destroyed by the Great Storm that ravished Ard-al Nur.
* '''Allies:''' Qadir, Unionists, Automata & Artificial living Beings, Technicians.
* '''Enemies:''' Machinist faithful, Body-Modders, War-fanatics & the Military.
* '''Rituals:''' Marik's history of making all the Draconic weapons to exterminate the Occult in history, versus his current reincarnation differ considerably. While in the past worship was the creation of more weapons, now it is the creation of tools to help people live easier and more comfortable lives, specifically to replace the shortcut need of Magic to solve societal and environmental problems, by making the solution tech instead.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Umbra, the White Twilight Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:Monkeydragongod.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
* '''Name:''' Umbra, the Dragon of the Dead and the Soul Rivers of Draconism.
* '''Domain:''' The Soul Rivers, the passage between life and death in Aloria.
* '''Symbols:''' A white swirl, blackout tattoos, a furred instead of scaled Dragon.
* '''Role:''' Umbra maintains the Soul Rivers and the Dead-Living boundaries.
* '''Traits:''' Deadly, Pestilent, Renewal, Memories, Capricious, Sardonic.
* '''Temple:''' Destroyed, re-inhabited by the Evolist Temple in Regalia' Wilderness.
* '''Allies:''' Eronidas, Those who hunt Undead and return Spirits to the Afterlife.
* '''Enemies:''' Undead, Geists, those who consort with the Ordial Scourge.
* '''Rituals:''' Umbra is an ambiguous Dragon who is neither motivated by rage and pain or banishment into the Void for his favor to what some would call cruelty. He is the agent of all diseases and sickness on Aloria, because his greatest beauty is death itself, a final act and a final chapter in someone's life. Rituals of Umbra involve speeding an inevitable death to conclusion, and putting the dying at ease with the inevitable.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Felicula, the Yellow Harmony Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
* '''Name:''' Felicula is the Dragon of Festivity, Kindness, and Warmheartedness.
* '''Domain:''' Felicula's domain is entertainment and culture, as well as peace.
* '''Symbols:''' The yellow Hadar Chrysanthemum, vines wrapped around amphoras.
* '''Role:''' Felicula makes the world pleasant to live in by creating joy in shadow.
* '''Traits:''' Shy, Endearing, Hospitable, Altruistic, Well-meaning, Naive.
* '''Temple:''' Felicula never had a Temple, as worship of her was in festivities.
* '''Allies:''' Entertainers, Artists, Musicians, Bartenders, Party Hosts, Dancers.
* '''Enemies:''' Those who speak with sarcasm, cruelty, or inflict mental anguish.
* '''Rituals:''' Felicula's worship is engaged in through the many varied Draconism festivals, one for each month, and to show random gestures of kindness and gifts to others. Very common is the Draconist gift-giving ceremony, where on the 20th of December, Draconism Faithful gift each other personalized and thoughtful gifts of specifically small monetary value, but also joining events hosted by others and improving the entertainment value.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Severena, the Green Stalwart Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
* '''Name:''' Severena (Saaima in Sihai), Dragon of Protection and Transcendence.
* '''Domain:''' Protection of the world from danger, and the inner Eye and Soul.
* '''Symbols:''' Air, Monasteries, High Mountain Towers, Clouds, Transcendence.
* '''Role:''' Severena guides the protectors of the living across the world.
* '''Traits:''' Contemplative, Insightful, Ascended, Detached, Piercing, Ethereal.
* '''Temple:''' The Beian Temples in Zhong where the Air Dragons Slumber and dream of Jade.
* '''Allies:''' Those who task themselves to save the world from chaos and calamity.
* '''Enemies:''' Those who would cause chaos and damage the world and people in it.
* '''Rituals:''' Severena worship is done the Breath of Serenity, a solo or group excersize of speaking out evils and attachments, and letting go with breathing exercises. Another worship method is the Temple of Elevation where the faithful climb high mountains or tall towers with lanterns to seek enlightenment, and the vows of protection where those who have attained enlightenment and detachment from the mortal world, can become true world protectors.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Aurora, the Purple Creation Dragon'''</center></span>
{|
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
* '''Name:''' Aurora, the Dragon of Creation's penultimate design and intellect.
* '''Domain:''' The Creation Dictat, that which creates all live on Aloria.
* '''Symbols:''' The sprouting plant, the meteor and the meteor's impact crater.
* '''Role:''' Aurora designs, creates and iterates on all living species on Aloria.
* '''Traits:''' Frigid, Emotionless, Intuitive, Work-Obsessed, Isolationist, Free.
* '''Temple:''' The Moon-Vault Halls in Ellador, capital of the Life Isldar Elven State.
* '''Allies:''' Alchemists, Hunters, Urlan, Scholars, those in the sciences.
* '''Enemies:''' Death Isldar, Environmental destruction and eco-system destabilization.
* '''Rituals:''' Aurora worship is often done alone but can also be done together, in the Harvest of the Stars by wishing on the falling stars which are common in the skies, or the Hunting Rite of Passage where mentors take students on hunts to prove their natural selection ability and population control. Finally, the Transition Cave is where animal or people carcasses are laid to rest to turn into new lifeforms in insects and fungi.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
==Magic Policy==
Magic, or more specifically how to treat Magic (that is not Dragon Magic), varies for each of the Dragons, and subsequently as their faithful as they are bound to choose one of the Dragons as their Patron. The Dragon policies are called "The Radicals" for example the Radical of Destruction or the Radical of Apathy. Each Dragon has a context and nuance for why they feel that particular way, which is explained below. It is possible to apply multiple Radicals at once.
* '''Regulus, the Radical of Symbiosis:''' Regulus was born and lived most of his life as a mortal Ailor, and spent many years warming up to the presence of Occult. Notable in his history, is his intense friendship with a Pride Arkenborn, who softened him to the value of the Occult to fight an indeterminate "evil". As such, Regulus's Radical is that of Symbiosis, the idea that the Occult can also be recruited in the fight against the bad types of Magic, or the bad types of Magic users. Regulus fervently believes in the right of the Occult to live their life un-harassed by demands to convert to Dragon Magic or be rid of their Magic, as well as free from the fear of being killed for being Occult, but only for a narrow band of Occult who agree that casual, indifferent, or whimsical use of Magic is extremely dangerous. Regulus seeks to recruit Occult of Void, Exist, or Ordial alignment, who will aid in the fight against the Death Cults, Evolist Gods, Undead, Arken, and their ilk. Finally, Regulus and his followers determine those who are irredeemably "evil" for their vile Magic usage, declaring them Anathema and handing the matter off to Caius and his faithful for the hunt.
* '''Caius, the Radical of Fire:''' Caius has suffered for 80,000 years, as the Void itself is tearing him apart. When the Void opened, Dragons being curious, sent Caius in to try and understand what it was. This event caused Caius's soul and body to split in two (the other half being Ifrit). He has been infected with a slow rotting corruption from within that will eventually overtake him, and so the urgency of his fight against the Occult is a desperation to end the infection before it ends him. His Radical of Fire, insists that the bad type of infection (Magic, Afflicted) must be burned out with fire and sword without mercy. Umbra believes that Caius's condition is made worse by casual Magic usage (such as just doing magic for the sake of it, or to impress others without urgent need), and so while Caius does not demand all Magical people be exterminated for being Magical, he demands they be made to suffer for casual Magic and abuse of Magic for selfish reasons with fire so they learn not to add to the suffering of Caius. Caius and his followers also wait for Regulus to determine who is Anathema in the law of Draconism, and seek out to utterly destroy those that have been labeled irredeemable to help Caius in his suffering.
* '''Daiana, the Radical of Peace:''' Daiana is the world itself, and as such, her policies are only really understood indirectly from the Dreamborn that wander the world that are manifested from her Dreamspark, the thing with which she creates Gods and other matters of reality on Aloria. Daiana is a Dragon uniquely positively disposed to Spirits, and their will to live on Aloria even if they come from another dimension. Daiana dreams of a world without death, which sometimes puts her at odds with Umbra who insists on the need for the life and death cycle. While Spirits cannot truly feel the same way mortals do on Aloria, Daiana is the Spirit mother who seeks to embrace all of them and create a world in which Spirits and the living can exist in harmony, as Spirits in her eyes are always fated to exist for a specific reason, just like her Dreamborn. The exception, however, is what her faithful call the "Hollows", which are Spirits that have vile or ruinous intentions on the world. Daiana and her followers seek out the destruction or banishment of these Hollows, as they believe them to be corruptive to other Spirits who would otherwise have curious or benign intentions to living on Aloria.
* '''Triton, the Radical of Power:''' Triton is both a split personality of Caius that exists in his own body, but also an entirely different person. It is believed that Triton is perhaps the only entity to have been omniscient since the dawn of Dragon times, as all other Dragons have either died, faded from reality, become unaware of the world, or projected into a different reality. Triton to some is called the "Dark Dragon", because he has no anti-Occult stance whatsoever, in fact he wants them all used, even Vampires. Triton's stance of Radical of Power implicates his followers with seeking to bend the Occult to their will, ostensibly to eradicate other Occult who are resilient to their power or are too wretched to be bent into service. Triton essentially weaponizes the Occult against other Occult, both to gather power, but also to bring about an easier destruction of the Occult, specifically by making the casualties other Occult, and not the Mundane or Draconist worshipers.
* '''Nox, the Radical of Illusion:''' Nox much like Daiana has a policy that isn't strictly anti-Occult but aimed at the Occult integration in some way. Nox acknowledges that while other Dragons are mostly focused on the Occult infection of the world, Draconism or Dragons as a whole have many other enemies, including Gods, mortals and even the natural forces of the world. Nox seeks to harvest the Occult for information, knowledge, and sometimes even dark powers short of becoming Afflicted so that they can be weaponized against the threats the other Dragons ignore or aren't aware of. This can also include defending the Draconist cause against incursions from the outside, those who would usurp the powers of the Draconic. Some might even say, that it could involve shutting down Dragon Sites and regulating who get access to them, because sometimes, the enemy is within the Draconist's own cause whether through naivity or having fallen under the wrong influences.
* '''Marik, the Radical of Illumination:''' Marik is a product of a reborn tragedy, a Dragon whose soul was once used to commit the revenge of a Death God unto the ancestors of the Qadir. Much of his current life is in a mission to heal the damage this has done, and to mend the rifts that have come about between people of different origins, cultures, or beliefs. Marik as the patron of the Songaskians, straddles a difficult position in which he is a Dragon God to the Songaskians, but a Unionist God to the Qadir. The Songaskians do not directly contradict this reality, but the Qadir have not yet surpassed their historical trauma, and refuse to acknowledge that Marik is also a Dragon. Marik himself has always dodged the question or the matter, and resides in his home in Al-Alus, surrounded by the Qadir. His avoidant attitude extends to his Radical of Illumination, believing that whatever issue exists with the Occult, is only secondary to healing the historical trauma and damage that was inflicted on the world by the war between the Dragons and the Occult over the past 70,000 years, by helping Mundane and Occult alike heal from their history and the crimes committed against their ancestors.
* '''Umbra, the Radical of Demise:''' Umbra's Radical of Demise underpins the absolute necessity for death to continue the cycle of life, and to prevent death from taking place elsewhere. What this means is that Umbrists believe in the inevitability of the fated end, that all thousands of premonitions of the future always lead to one outcome, being a death, and that a death must be made but that they have the choice whose life to take. This evaluation is usually based on the circumstances of the death. For example, if a Purist were to try and kill an Occult and that would result in a riot which would cause even more death, then the Umbrist would instead prevent the Occult's death, and kill the Lothar instead, because they believe that if they do not, that fate will exact another unforeseen death elsewhere. Umbra and his followers are utilitarians at heart, and as such will always seek to exact a clean and painless death to prevent more violence and more undue death that was not foretold in the threads of future visions. This can as mentioned sometimes involve taking the side of the Occult, but often also results in them killing Occult who will inevitably become Demonically possessed, or limit-break and take half a city with them.
* '''Felicula, the Radical of Love:''' Felucila's Radical of Love, is often ridiculed by the faithful of the other Dragons as inanely naive. Her Radical insists that if the Occult were just embraced, cherished, loved, and be made friends with, that the Immortal War will end by itself, and that most if not all the vileness and grief that comes from the Occult, is based by the sociopolitical conditions in which they live, in constant persecution, ridicule, and fearing for their life. While some element of this is certainly very true, Felicula worshipers sometimes neglect the reality that some people just suck, and that some entities are just irredeemably evil. Felicula and her followers will always keep trying to convince those who were led astray by the ruinous powers, that they are welcome and cherished, and through that convince them to turn away from sinful Occult behavior.
* '''Severena, the Radical of Inward:''' Severena believes that the world, reality as it existed even before the Dragons, created flaws inherent in existence. As a result, Dragons are flawed, and subsequently, mortals they create are flawed. Furthering from that thought, she believes that one cannot truly look at the Occult and claim it to be filth that defiles the world, because the world is already filled with filth in violence, untimely death, suffering, hunger, and anguish, even without Magic. She claims that it is not possible for a Draconist to truly stand against the vilest of Occult that have tasked it upon themselves to inflict suffering, if the non-Occult do not first reach a higher understanding in themselves, and rid themselves of earthly attachments and have a clean mind. The Radical of Inward insists that the faithful must reach a higher level of transcendent detachment from personal anchors such as greed, pride, vanity, lust, and so forth, and then reach out into the world during this journey, to become protectors of the world.
* '''Aurora, the Radical of Focus:''' Aurora does not care. This is a simple view, the Radical of Focus insists that there are far more important natural functions of the world, such as the continuation of life itself and the perpetuation of new animal species. Aurora quite literally does not have time to spend a second thought about the Occult, and as such she and her followers completely ignore the hypothetical Immortal War or the war between the Dragons and the Occult, to instead focus on maintaining the base functions of the world in the absence of other divine figures to steer them. Note, this does not mean that the Life Isldar are pacifists and simply lay down to the Death Isldar attacking them, they can take a very harsh and hostile stance against the Occult, but only ever do so when the threat manifests in geo politics. Aurora and her worshipers otherwise reject the urgency of destroying unworthy or sinful Occult, even at the cost of Caius's suffering.
==Priestly Activities==
To be Expanded.
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
To be Expanded.
* Draconism is technically the oldest religion, but due to constant changes in its dogma, it is now actually the youngest Religion, being exactly 1 month old at time of this article writing.
* Sometimes non-named Dragons are very important. It was not by ordaining from Regulus that Dragons returned, but due to the rebellion of Renita, one of his subordinate Dragons.
* Dragons should be considered a form of an advanced civilization that has acquired godhood, but inevitably, there are very limited numbers of them. The Gods just happen to be the leaders of the "Clade".
{{Religion}}
{{Religion}}
{{Accreditation
{{Accreditation
|Artists =  
|Artists =  
|Writers = MonMarty
|Writers = MonMarty
|Processors = FireFan96
|Processors =  
}}
}}
[[category:Religion]] [[category:Other Religions]]
[[category:Religion]]

Latest revision as of 05:35, 2 September 2024

Draconism as a Religion represents an organized faith of worshiping Dragons. Dragons are a specific class of being, somewhere in between an ancient civilization of immortals, and technicians who keep the basic functions of the world running. While many other Religions are about the Gods teaching mortals virtues and sins and guiding them to live a good life in worship and being, Dragons are less sentimental about worship, and rather take mortals on a journey with them in the operation of the world and preservation of life against outside foes.

Origins

Draconism has invariably existed for all of time, but never quite in the same shape or form. Every cycle of civilization has had some form of Dragon worship, some more popular than others, with different Dragons, and different ideals. The modern version of Draconism first came into being among the early Ailor tribes and the Allorn Empire, which always contained some waning and waxing population of Dragon Cultists. Up until the Cataclysm, Draconism was a deeply disorganized religion with different cults and beliefs held in nearly every country. When Cataclysm happened, many of the Dragons disappeared, some mysteriously, others with a clear message that the time of Dragons was over. This Long Death as it was later referred to, lasted for 300 years, until the Dragons came back one by one, and proclaimed an end to the Long Death, based on a breakdown of the consensus among them about the intentions of passing the Mantle of Creation to mortals. Since coming back, the Dragons have made efforts to organize Draconism into an actual fully fledged Religion, to acknowledge and reward their followers for their belief, even if unlike other Gods they are not strictly incentivized to seek out worship, and sometimes even seem uncomfortable with the idea.

Core Beliefs

Central Message

The central message of the Draconism faith is that there is no true purpose to anything but the continuation and expression of life itself. Draconism acts as a shield against unnatural death, but also as a guarantor of the perpetual cycle of life and death so that reality itself can perpetually experience all the colorful and vibrant expressions of being alive. There are no virtues or vices to be expected of Mortals, with the only real demand that Dragons have, being to obey their rulings towards The Presence, and to preserve life and free will around the world. Any believer passing into the afterlife has their soul raised up to the cosmos, and turned into one of many countless stars from where the living can gaze up at a memory of them. No separate section with information about the Afterlife will be provided because there is nothing else to be said about it.

Mantle of Creation

The Mantle of Creation is a concept held by Dragons that informs a more technical approach to Draconism. Dragons control the various functions of the world of Aloria, from the cycle of birth and death, to the patterns of weather, material existence, the passage of time, and so forth. The world functions because they continue to make it function, and in some way, that can be cause for mortals to hold them as Gods to give thanks and praise for the reality they have created and enabled. To many, the Dragons are distant and mysterious, because they do not always explain their actions or intentions. The Mantle of Creation has a lot of implications, discussed further down in the Expanded Lore section, but for now only a short introduction will suffice.

The Presence

The Dragons are technical managers of the world, and as such to them, things from the Void, Exist, and Beyond are alien. While for thousands of years they fought against the invasions of Demons and Dark Gods, they could never fully rid the world of this alien intrusion and have eventually come to terms that The Presence is here, and here to stay. The Presence refers to all things not of Aloria, anything that is Magical from another Plane of Reality or Existence, anything that was created by Dark Gods like Vampires or Mortisphages. The Presence is something that Dragons still struggle with on a daily basis, and their attitudes towards it informs much of the daily activities of their worshipers and followers.

Gods and Goddesses

Draconism has one unified pantheon, but the pantheon is split in 3 factions. These factions represent intentions towards The Presence (anything Occult/Magical). All Draconists should worship all Dragons, but can choose one Dragon to be their Patron. They must also choose a Faction which they align with on principle. However, their faction alignment does not need to be the same as their Patron Dragon. Note that while all Dragons are massive Dragons in their natural form, they are artistically rendered in their humanoid form here, which they more commonly use to appear before mortals.

The Dragon Gods of Consolidation

The Dragon Gods of Consolidation represent the desire to create space for The Presence, but with compromises. They wish Spirits Nature Bound, and their Magic cleansed to God Magic. They wish Mages to be included, but to never use Sinistral Magic. And finally, they wish to continue the fight against the Afflicted, believing them to have no place in the world. This makes the Consolidation Dragons comfortable as the centrist faction that tries to make some concessions, but play the middle ground.

  • Regulus Regulus is the King of Dragons, the leader of the entire pantheon, and the mediator between the various Dragon Gods and their realms. While this is his primary function, Regulus is also a Time Dragon who controls the flow of time, and rain and thunder across Aloria. He is traditionally associated with lightning and blue scales. Regulus once lived as a mortal Prince of the Regalian Empire, but was discovered to carry the Dragonsoul that sparked the revival of the Dragons.
  • Triton Triton is the Dragon of War, but imprisoned in the Void as an Evolist God also. When Caius entered the Void upon its first opening, his soul was split in two, the other half being Triton that embodied his rage for revenge and conflict. Triton was re-admitted into the Dragon Pantheon despite his Void-corruption, and eventually took on the role of the martial Dragon who represents all soldiers and warriors and military conflict. He is associated with chains and black scales.
  • Marik Marik is the Dragon of Leytech or more broadly speaking technology. He is the original creator of the Leylines and the Leysites, ancient Dragon ruins and temples which hold great Draconic Magic and machinery to serve their cause. Marik was tricked by the Machinist Death God to cause the destruction of the Skyborn Empire in the Great Storm, and since being reborn, has been working to mend the conflict between Skyborn and Dragonkin. He is associated with machines and bronze scales.
  • Gaia Gaia is the Dragon of Nature who creates all plantlife. Gaia was killed by the Allorn Empire, but his Dragonsoul was preserved and merged with the ex-Death God Iorwerth who would then carry his power as penance for his role as Death God. Iorwerth also brings architecture and construction to Gaia's powers, and has become a symbol of redemption. While he is traditionally associated with indigo scales and flora, due to his Ordial corruption he also shows Death Metal and Ordial hues.
  • Silas Silas is the Dragon of shaping, making, and crafting. He inspires the combination and processing of raw materials into objects of beauty and function, and it is said the first swords of any civilization are forged inspired by his scales. Silas seeds the world with precious minerals and holds the Dragonforges from which the machine parts are produced which Marik builds his machines out of. Silas is associated with the fires of industry, metallurgy, and his silver scales.

The Dragon Gods of Annexation

The Dragon Gods of Annexation represent the fire to create space for The Presence, but only on their terms. They wish Spirits Shard Bound, and their Magic removed altogether. They wish Mages to be included, but to never use Sinistral Magic and to minimize Magic usage at all. And finally, they wish to continue the fight against the Afflicted. This makes the Annexation Dragons comfortable as the conservative faction that tries to maintain some sense of the old Immortal War policies.

  • Severena Severena is the Dragon of Protection and of guidance and mentorship. She inspires all to shepherd and shield others from mistakes and harm, and empowers her followers to protect the weak from harm. Severena is also called the Dreamer Dragon, as though she did not die, she entered a long slumber which froze the Jade Sea, and henceforth only communicates to her people through dreams. Severena is traditionally associated with clouds, jade, and her pearlescent green scales.
  • Aurora Aurora is the Dragon of Life and Creation, who designs and breathes life into all species and creatures, particularly fauna. Through her magic, childbirth is woven into the world, and by her will, life marches on despite all obstacles. Aurora was tricked by the Glacial Death God, causing a coldsnap in Ellador that killed many Dwarves and made the Isldar. Even though the truth is revealed, she remains distant. She is associated with comets and her purple scales.
  • Nox Nox is the Knowledge Dragon, a famed trickster and plotter who charts his own course sometimes in contravention of other Dragons. Nox gathers knowledge and information from the ages, but in one of his plots, he was condemned to a mirror world for violating the laws of creation of Aurora. Even here, he continued to plot with his chosen favorites the Slizzar, to influence world events, all the way up to his release. He is associated with mirrors, teal, and his chrome scales.
  • Orion Orion is the Dragon steward of the Afterlife, the only Dragon not physically residing on Aloria but with the stars. Orion is a detached entity with total spiritual and mental tranquility and detachment from want and need. He guides the dead into the afterlife, and teaches the living respect for the dead and the rites of passage. He is traditionally associated with all manners of cosmic symbolism and monk-like aesthetics, as well as his ivory scales.
  • Julianus Julianus is the Dragon of Wisdom and Insight. He is a purely logic-driven God that shows little compassion for the individual, but is instead condemned to see the perpetual outcome of each action and each choice for all eternity. Julianus informs the Dragons on the correct course of their actions across the world, even if the immediate outcome is unclear, as he sees in centuries and millennia. Julianus is associated with spiders and silken threads, and his lavender scales.

The Dragon Gods of Succession

The Dragon Gods of Succession represent the desire to create space for The Presence, with as few rules as possible. They wish Spirits Nature Bound, but hold no further demands. They wish Mages included, but wish only for Sinistral Magic to be used in times of desperate need, as Dragons can mend the world. And finally, they wish to continue the fight against Afflicted, but to show them compassion and forgiveness. This makes the Succession Dragons comfortable as the Progressive faction with new ideas.

  • Daiana Daiana is Dragon and Aloria itself. Her body is the planet and her thoughts are the deepest planet's core. She is the lady of all the elements that fuel the world, but also a maternal representation of ancestry and descendants, that allows the soul rivers to flow across her surface to find new inception of life. Daiana never appears in person, and is always slumbering, sometimes even dreaming up dragons and people. She is associated with spirits and gray stone.
  • Cinerius Cinerius is the Dragon of Passion and Love. He was born in the death of Caius the previous war and passion God, rotten after millennia of suffering a Void blight. Cinerius in his rebirth became so much more concentrated passion and desire, that his very form is impossible to gaze upon without going mad with want and shame. He is the Dragon of family and any emotion or feeling that gives color to life. He is associated with fire and his red scales.
  • Umbra Umbra is the Death God, a just arbitrator of necessary but elegant and beautiful death. To Umbra, the concept of death itself is fascinating, and a seed for rebirth and renewal that represents the very core of existence itself. He is the necessity of death, and the justiciar of necessary death to preserve the lives of others. He is generally considered with some suspicion, due to plotting his own plans. He is associated with shadows and his pristine white scales.
  • Felicula Felicula is the Magic Dragon, responsible for the fueling of all Dragon Magic and orchestrating reality's rules regarding the usage of Magic. It is through her gifts that the Archon and other Draconic warriors, priests, and servants are empowered to do their work and the bidding of their Gods. Felicula is considered skittish and small, but one of the most powerful Dragons due to her control of the Magic used by others. She is associated with song, and her yellow scales.
  • Luna Luna is the Companion Dragon, which is a broad understanding of compassion, kindness, and social cohesion. She encourages a togetherness and celebrates the companionship of friends and allies, to kindle a warmth in social bonds that can withstand even the coldest of winter trials. In a way, her association with the moon casts her as a companion of Daiana, leading some to speculate she may be a physical manifestation of the Moon. She is associated with ice, and cyan scales.

Priesthood

Priesthood for Draconism is more complicated than one might assume at first glance from a Religion that was effectively dead for 300-odd years while most Dragons were either in slumber, or in a near-death state. At the end of the Immortal War, the Dragons decreed that the Mantle of Creation (the theoretical stewardship over the world's functions) was to pass to mortals, and that they too would become mortal (explanation on why they did this is further below). As this occurred around Cataclysm, Draconism as a Religion was effectively dead for 300 years except for among the Sihai where the Dragons could still be visited, or the Isldar who were deceived. Still, when the Dragons returned centuries later, they found that much of the priesthood had survived their absence and that in some places, the faith had even grown. The Religion had always been considered more of a curiosity by the Dragons, who never asked to be worshiped, or set out to have a Religion specifically ordained by them. They fully expected everyone to give up on the Religion when they left, but the fact they had not, caused a change to occur.

The structures that were still very much in place, were the hierarchy set out before the Immortal War that had more or less survived. At the head of all the priesthood were the Matrons (a non-gendered term) that applied to the single most favored of each Dragon God. Each God had their own Matron, a mortal who would have their favor, and know most personally their wishes and ambitions for the world, and could translate them to the other faithful. This position was often elective, but some Matrons passed their lineage from generation to generation, which became especially common after the Denial of Immortality. The only Matron succession that had not survived, was Regulus's Matron, who was eventually chosen from the Isldar to be Gwenyth Zylmoira, leading the faithful into a new era.

Below the Matrons, are the Dragon Priests. Dragon Priests represent the whole religion, but usually specialize in the teachings of a specific Dragon God as their patron, and emphasize their qualities and teachings above the others. Generally speaking though, Dragon Priests should be aware of all other Dragons just as much, and be able to hold their own in theological discussion on the merits and values of the other Dragons too, but also understand the overarching narrative of Draconism as a whole. It is possible to be a Dragon Priest and hold other occupations, as Dragon Priesthood is more of a personal choice than an ordained position. There is no official academy or place of teaching for Priests, the only real requirement is that each self-ordained priest takes a pilgrimage to the Matron of their Patron God, and seeks approval from them.

Below the Dragon Priests are the Dragon Champions. Unlike Dragon Priests, Dragon Champions do not widely act as priests, they are more akin to lay-priests but hold an extreme emphasis on specific Dragon Gods. Anyone can be a Dragon Champion, it is in most cases self-declared, but 9 out of 10 Dragon Champions are warriors because they enforce the might and will of their Dragon usually by the sword. This may lead to some comical arrangements, with Felicula Dragon Champions forcing participants to have a party and be happy, with the threat of physical harm if they do not. Dragon Champions can administer religious services, but only specifically to their own patron God, while Dragon Priests can perform more general and wide-spread religious services.

Expanded Lore

The Expanded Lore section contains additional contextual information about the Draconist faith. This section is not necessary to read to get a good understanding of the lore, just the background information.

Festivals and Worship

The Draconism Expanded Page contains information on Draconism Holy days (one each month), as well as basic rituals performed by Draconism Priests for the faithful. This Page is useful to read for upcoming festivals, but is not necessary to fully explore unless an event is actually upcoming and pinned to the calendar. The bottom of the page contains information relevant to Draconism Priests.

The Advancement

The Advancement as an event began with the death of Caius. Caius had been suffering from the Void Infection for millennia, and his eventual demise was guaranteed and even foreseen. For all this time, it was Umbra who ordained that the only way to solve Caius's condition, was to remove all Magical things form the world, so that the connection between the Void and Aloria could be severed. Indeed, historical events implied that this was correct, because after each Void Invasion, Caius's condition would improve for some time as most Magic was seeped from the world, only for it to return as Mages became more prevalent. There is some healthy room for discussion to determine whether Umbra was right, whether he was wrong, or whether he obfuscated the truth on purpose. This theory would not imply that Umbra is specifically malicious or treasonous to the Draconic cause, but that he might have stretched the truth to keep the Draconic cause busy with the wrong type of cure, to guarantee Caius's death just to see what would happen if he did die, which would be consistent with his death-god obsession with the beauty of death.

Whatever the motivations or circumstances, the event of Caius's death and Cinerius's rebirth from his corpse was cause enough to call for a full conclave. With the beginning of the conclave, it became evident that Regulus was not satisfied with a partial conclave, and so he called down Orion, something that had not been done for thousands of years. Following this, the conclave was convinced to rescind the punishment of Nox. It had become pretty clear in the past few millennia that being punished was part of Nox's plan all along, and that being trapped in the mirror dimension as he was, that he was difficult to keep tabs on by the other Dragons. His habit to be secretive and have plots detached from the common Draconic cause was considered a liability, and perhaps in part, Nox was proved right by the endless cycles of free-will causing the same outcome one way or another. Indeed, the very reversal of the Denial of Immortality was reason enough to claim that the rhetoric used by Nox to create the Slizzar was at least in part right.

With all the Dragons re-convened, the conclusion was made that the impassioned guidance of the Dragons was in part to blame for the chaotic existence of their followers, and that their unclear and mysterious attitude to the sequence of history in the world, also had a part to play in the repeating cycles of destruction. As such, Regulus decreed that all Dragons should contribute to formulating a dogma, and that the Radicals that had come about because of his chaotic return to power, should all be dismissed. Despite these lofty and ambitious intentions, the conclave wasn't a complete success. The Dragons still could not decide on a common policy towards the Infection, even if they chose a more benign term calling it the Presence instead. While the intention had been to unify all Dragons under one policy, Regulus's mediated middle ground wasn't radical enough for either the pro, or anti-Magic side, and so the conclave was split three ways, which all things considered was an improvement over a 15-way split.

Old Believers

Draconism has a variety of smaller regional Cults called Old Believers. The Old Believers hold onto the Draconism Radicals as they were before The Advancement. Choosing to play an Old Believer is not recommended, because it cuts a Character off from the other Draconism worshipers. Even though Old Believers are not strictly heretics, they might be excluded from social activities or Pantheon-related quests. Old Believer information is preserved specifically for Character who felt betrayed by The Advancement, or sensed a sinister intention in the actions of Umbra, and want to continue Caius's Burning Extermination.

Dragon Types

Dragons are not singular, there exist not just 15 Dragons in the world, but technically hundreds, and even different categories. To make sense of the various categories, this section will explain the differences.

  • Dragon-Gods are the leaders of so-called Clades. Clades are groupings of Dragons that are all of the same type. For example, the Blue Clade belongs to Regulus the Blue Dragon. All of these Blue Dragons control time and rain and storm, but only the Dragon God Regulus is considered a God. The other Clade Dragons are still considered divine, but their power is inherited from the Dragon-God, who holds absolute authority. The other Clade Dragons should be considered like right-hands because Dragons are not omnipotent or omniscient, and can't be everywhere at once.
  • Clade Dragons are the afore-described right-hands of the Dragons. Clade Dragons do not have a consistent number, for example, Regulus has only 6, while Marik has 30 (though many of them remain dead). Clade Dragons appear identical to their Dragon-Gods, but there is no common trend between what certain Dragons look like. The only true commonality is that all true Dragons are massive, sometimes as large as mountains, and thus compare with the Primeval Beings in size. True Dragons can have four legs, only two, six, or none at all. Sometimes they have wings, other times they do not. Sometimes they are long, or stubby, or slither around.
  • Drakon are mortal versions of Dragons that nonetheless live for centuries. It is somewhat unclear if they are directly related to Dragon-Gods or Clade Dragons, or were created to come too close to them in appearance. Drakon always appear like the traditional understanding of a wyvern with two large wings which it can support itself on, two hind legs, a long neck and a long tail. Drakon are large but never quite as massive as true Dragons, being about the size of a Regalia Frigate. Drakon have no inherent Magic, but do have an elemental breath that depends on the Dragon they belong to. For example, Regulus Drakon can breathe lightning, while Cinerius Drakon breathe fire, and Silas Drakon breathe sharp silver shrapnel, and Felicular Drakon breathe ethereal Magic. Drakon are primarily war beasts used by the Dragons to fight Arken and Demons. Only in very rare cases will a Dragon send a Drakon to act as mount for a chosen person for their task.
  • Drakes (often also called Wyverns) are mortal versions of Dragons that live for several centuries but are much smaller than Drakon. Wyvern are just larger than a war-horse, allowing them to comfortable carry multiple persons on their back, but not able to tear down whole buildings like Drakon could. Drakes were created specifically as flying mounts for the Archon and Dragon Champions, and usually bond with mortals as their personal mount. Drakes do not possess any Magic, appear with the same appearance traits as Drakon, and also do not have an elemental breath.
  • Draconet are small mortal versions of Drakes that are no larger than dog-sized. What their exact purpose was is unclear, unlike Drakes and Drakon they have four legs and thus can move around like most mammals, but rarely fly despite being able to do so. Draconets are occasionally kept as pets by worshipers though they are exceedingly rare to find, and usually have to be raised from an egg to acquire the right calm temperament. Draconets were considered a prized possession during the Allorn Empire, but overhunting of their native populations has effectively driven them to extinction in the wild, with only select eggs being held onto for centuries until they hatch for the right person in unclear conditions.

Dragon or Primeval

To cast aside presumptions, Dragons are distinctly not Primeval. While Dragons rarely speak about the pre-Seraph history and existence of the world, they have made clear statements about the idea that when they first awoke, that the Primeval Beings were already there. The only Primeval Beings that the Dragons have ever spoken about, were the Everwatcher, the Blind One, and the Covenant, though for the Covenant she went by a different name and appearance. Dragons believe Primevals to be more powerful than them, and some speculate that in the eternal cycle of creation, that the Primevals actually created Dragons, who in turn created mortals and other Gods, though this is exceedingly hard to prove. There is effectively no communication between the Dragons and the Primeval Beings. The Everwatcher only speaks to the Vessel of Unionism and does so cryptically, the Blind One is in a state of eternal unconscious binding by its followers to prevent it from awakening, while the Covenant seems lost in some higher state of being that makes her interactions with the world seem more instinctual than calculated. The Dragons urge utter caution when attempting to interact or learn more about the Primeval Beings, because what is unknowable to Dragons, will surely spell doom for the mind of mortals.

God Dreams

Dragons create Gods, flat-out. It is necessary to discuss this topic to dissuade furthering logic that because Dragons create Gods, that other Religions are fake and that Dragons should be worshiped instead as the only correct Gods. This is far from the truth, and actively against the intentions of the Dragons even. To first examine how other Gods are made, they are barely tangentially made by Dragons. When enough people on Aloria wish or crave for something, it is often through the optic of divine protection or saving. People generally gravitate in situations of despair and suffering, to wishing for a higher power to wisk them away and protect them, and this naturally becomes a desire for a savior-god. When enough people wish for this, all that emotional energy is felt by the planet itself, which is Daiana. Daiana dreams, but her dreams are never decided upon by herself, they are affected by the emotional energy that permeates the crust from the people living on it. And so, when enough people wish for a God, Daiana dreams of their desire, and Daiana's dreams become manifested reality. Nearly all Gods are thus born from Daiana's dreams by the template and wish provided by the people. There are some corner cases. For example, some Fornoss Gods were Arken who refracted into Godhood, and some Unionist Gods were made Gods directly by the Primeval Being the Everwatcher, but generally speaking this logic holds true.

It is necessary to express that even though Daiana takes a direct role in the creation of Gods, coupled with the fact that Aurora has indirectly created all species and peoples of Aloria through biological experimentation, that this does not mean anyone owes them their life or obedience or indeed worship. The Dragons primary directive is to create and preserve life, but they take a very apathetic role towards this life after it is created and is able to survive. While the Dragons indirectly aid certain societies by sending Archon or other Dragon forces to fight The Presence, this isn't really to protect specific groups of people, but rather just to counteract The Presence. In many ways, Gods that are dreamed up by Daiana are found family, while Dragons are the actively rejecting family that wants nothing to do with mortals, unless they specifically choose to worship them. Dragons are welcoming to worshipers, but do not demand or expect worship from those who feel stronger kinship with the Gods that were born from their ancestor's wants and needs, and that have always been present to guide them and their ancestors, and will continue to be around for their descendants. This doesn't necessarily stop some Dragon worshipers from acting smug about the technical superiority of Dragons over other Gods, and it is certainly true that some Gods are very weak compared to Dragons and actively hide away from them, but that these persons are never ontologically correct with their attitude.

Heritage Alignments

Dragons generally fulfill their own functions and have their own authority, and while technically Aurora has created most people of Aloria's ancestors, that does not fully hold up. Some heritages were created without Aurora's direct hand, and others yet were adopted by specific Dragons as their favored people. Dragons have preferences to specific heritages, like how Regulus for example always appears as an Ailor, and holds specific favor towards Ailor in particular. This section does not have any bearing to how your Character should worship the Dragons (or not worship them), it is merely added flair that allows you to build or develop a Character around the preferences of for example a patron Dragon God. It is natural that through preferences, some heritages like Kathar have no favored Dragons. This can't be helped, as not all Heritages are created equal, and just because a Dragon shows favor to a specific heritage, does not mean they hate all others. It just means their themes and symbolism can be found in these cultures, and that their cultures also inform the behavior of the Dragon in question.

  • Regulus appears as an Ailor, and holds particular favor towards Ailor, particularly those from Anglia, Kintyr, and Solleria.
  • Triton appears as an Elf, but holds no particular favor to anyone, rather favoring anything with Void Alignment instead.
  • Marik appears as a Skyborn, and holds particular favor for Dragonkin and Skyborn alike, though with some preference for Skyborn.
  • Gaia appears as an Ailor ex-Aelrrigan Knight, and holds particular favor towards Ailor, particularly those from Anglia, Kintyr and the Velheim lands.
  • Silas appears as an Urlan and holds particular favor towards Urlan, Dwarves, and Eronidas. Despite appearing Urlan, he did not make the Urlan.
  • Severena appears as a Sihai, and holds particular favor towards the Sihai. She is also directly responsible for creating the Sihai.
  • Aurora appears as an Isldar, and holds particular favor towards the Isldar. She created all heritages not specified otherwise in this list.
  • Nox appears as a Mai-Allar and holds particular favor towards the Slizzar and Allar. He created the Slizzar, which is why he was imprisoned.
  • Orion appears as a Sihai, and holds particular favor towards the Sihai and Lanlath, though he was not related to the creation of either.
  • Julianus appears as a Narim, and holds particular favor towards the Narim and Urlan. Though, he did not make the Narim, the Meraic Civilization did.
  • Daiana appears as an Eronidas, and holds particular favor towards the Eronidas and Velheim Ailor. She is also very fond of Spirits of any kind.
  • Cinerius appears as an Eronidas, and holds particular favor towards the Eronidas and Maquixtl. He is somehow related to the Maquixtl creation, but it is unclear how.
  • Umbra appears as an Ailor or Elf, but holds no particular favor to anything. Umbra is fairly mysterious, and seems to shapeshift around a lot.
  • Felicula appears as a Minoor Elf, and holds particular favor towards all Elves and Allar, though she holds no part in the creation of any.
  • Luna appears as a Half-Asha, and holds particular favor towards Asha, but has no role in their creation, as the Meraic Civilization made them.

Trivia

  • Draconism is technically the oldest religion, but due to constant changes in its dogma, it is now actually the youngest Religion, being exactly 1 month old at time of this article writing.
  • Sometimes non-named Dragons are very important. It was not by ordaining from Regulus that Dragons returned, but due to the rebellion of Renita, one of his subordinate Dragons.
  • Dragons should be considered a form of an advanced civilization that has acquired godhood, but inevitably, there are very limited numbers of them. The Gods just happen to be the leaders of the "Clade".

Accreditation
WritersMonMarty
Last EditorBirdsfoot violet on 09/2/2024.

» Read more