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{{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==
===Divine Mechanics===
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.
All Religions provide 1 single Mechanic to their Believers that fits within the flair of their Religion. This Mechanic is lost if the individual stops believing in the Religion, or becomes a heretic, but can be regained. Afflicted can use this mechanic, but having the mechanic does not imply that they have blanket forgiveness from their Gods, just that there is more nuance to it than that.
==Core Beliefs==
* Draconism worshipers are able to use Persuasion Dice rolls on Gods both outside and inside of [[Divinium]] summonings which is normally not possible. Additionally they gain +2 to every Dice roll of Persuasion against a God, and their Persuasion Cap is raised by +2 when rolling against Gods.
===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. 
<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.


==Gods and Goddesses==
===Regulus, the Blue King Dragon===
{|
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[File:New Canvadddsrtetgr.png|300px|caption|left]]
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
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| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Virtues
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| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Vices
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| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Radical
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|}
===Caius, the Red Dying Dragon===
{|
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[File:New Canvadddsrtetgr.png|300px|caption|left]]
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Virtues
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| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Vices
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Radical
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|}
===Daiana, the Gray Dreaming Dragon===
{|
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[File:New Canvadddsrtetgr.png|300px|caption|left]]
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Virtues
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Vices
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Radical
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|}
===Triton, the Black Chain Dragon===
{|
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[File:New Canvadddsrtetgr.png|300px|caption|left]]
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Virtues
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Vices
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Radical
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|}
===Nox, the Teal Unseen Dragon===
{|
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[File:New Canvadddsrtetgr.png|300px|caption|left]]
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Virtues
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|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Vices
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Radical
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|}
===Marik, the Brown Etherforge Dragon===
{|
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[File:New Canvadddsrtetgr.png|300px|caption|left]]
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Virtues
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
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| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Vices
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Radical
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|}
===Umbra, the White Twilight Dragon===
{|
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[File:New Canvadddsrtetgr.png|300px|caption|left]]
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
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| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Virtues
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| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Vices
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| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Radical
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|}
===Felicula, the Yellow Harmony Dragon===
{|
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[File:New Canvadddsrtetgr.png|300px|caption|left]]
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
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| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Virtues
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| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Vices
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Radical
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|}
===Severena, the Green Stalwart Dragon===
{|
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[File:New Canvadddsrtetgr.png|300px|caption|left]]
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Virtues
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
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| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Vices
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Radical
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|}
===Aurora, the Purple Creation Dragon===
{|
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[File:New Canvadddsrtetgr.png|300px|caption|left]]
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Virtues
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Vices
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Radical
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|}
===Gaia, the Indigo Nature Dragon===
{|
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[File:New Canvadddsrtetgr.png|300px|caption|left]]
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Description
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
Gaia is not a Dragon exactly, but a mortal Aelrrigan Knight named Iorwerth (depicted right) who was an Archon serving the Dragons, carrying the soul of the dead Dragon Gaia. For centuries, Iorwerth was forced to serve the Malefica, one of the greatest unseen enemies of the Dragons, forced to conjure up vast magical structures, mazes, and fortresses for the Malefica and its Shades to use to deal death on mortals in the living world. He was forced to do this because his lover Cadell's (depicted left) soul had been captured by the Malefica, who used him as a bargain to string Iorwerth along. Through the intervention of mortals in Regalia, Iorwerth and Cadell were able to break free from the Malefica's control, and return to Aloria. There he rekindled with the Dragons he once served, but also still held the power of Ordial god-hood. For this, the Dragons tasked him to ascend to their pantheon by being the (somewhat reluctant) host of Gaia's Dragon Soulspark, a Dragon who had perished many centuries ago during the Denial of Immortality. While many of Iorwerth's structures still serve the Malefica, all have become overgrown with lush vines and the Lillies of the Valley, Iorwerth and Cadell's favorite flower. In this, Gaia's powers manifest as the Dragon of Nature, the other half of Aurora's Craters of Creation. While she created the living beings that inhabited nature, it was Gaia who created the plants and trees and flowers that decorate all the realms. Thus, carrying life and death in his body and his love by his side, Iorwerth is the Draconic God of Nature, tranquility, absolution, and redemption in rebirth.
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Virtues
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
Virtue to Gaia (This God is both called Gaia and Iorwerth) is preserving balance of nature, in the give and take between the forces within an ecosystem, and preventing cascade collapse due to dying flora. From the smallest of maggots, to the largest of mammals, nature exists as the bedrock of life on Aloria. Iorwerth specifically adds to this, by making the act of redemption both in receiving and offering others the chance, a true virtue and to never give up in the face of even the most malicious of death-bound forces to return to a righted world and make amends.
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Vices
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
Vices to Gaia, are the stupidity and naivety to outsmart forces greater in power than the self. In this, Iorwerth and Cadell's centuries-long imprisonment in the Beyond acts as a deterrent and a warning that evil forces are not interested in playing fair or honest, and that respecting duels or challenges of powerful entities is foolish. Iorwerth and Cadell express above all that it is a Vice to not seek help, to not ask for saving, and to foolhardy insist that the individual can overcome all trials and struggles alone. Gaia looks down on lone wolves who risk others with their own recklessness.
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; width:75px; vertical-align:top;" | Radical
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
Gaia's Radical is the Radical of Integration. This Radical proposes that the Occult can have the right to exist in the mortal world, but only insofar they are able to exist in a social ego system that is in harmony with their environment and the people around them. This vague concept proclaims that the Occult have a right to exist, but that to claim this right they must adapt and conform, concede, and compromise, and cannot hold onto selfish notions of complete autonomy. Failing this, Gaia's Radical proposes purging invasive Occult who disrupt social eco systems to preserve stability.
|}
==Priesthood==
==Priesthood==
==Morality of the Faith==
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.  
===Celestial Festivals===
 
Draconist festivals are drawn up according to the twelve months of the year, placed exactly in the middle. These festivals are open to the non-faithful as well, in the search to entice new converts. The twelve monthly festivals are:
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.  
* '''Wildcard Festival (January 15)''': Taking place at the heart of winter, this celebration is an invitation for the priests of the community to celebrate the important events of the previous year in broader retrospective of all that has come to pass. This Festival specifically also celebrates Regulus and the Blue Dragons.
 
* '''Before-Spring (February 15)''': Amidst the clearing of the frost, this Draconist festival sees the creation of garland, bouquets, and other arrangements to show respect for nature. Nature-walks, protests of industrialization, and celebrations of the natural world via communal learning are commonly held during this time. This Festival specifically also celebrates Aurora and the Purple Dragons.
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.  
* '''Storyteller’s Festival (March 15)''': This festival is a celebration of the power of stories, and their importance in preserving oral history, especially when so much knowledge of the Dragons has been lost. Worshippers usually gather in someone’s home, or around a large stage, and take turns telling their favorite story. The tales are usually non-fiction, but fictional stories are allowed and encouraged, as long as they have some moral lesson or point.  
 
* ''' All-Faith Tournament (April 15)''': This festival features ritualistic fighting between groups (or pairs) of warriors in the name of the Dragons. It is common for Draconists to invite fighters from other faiths, and include them in the battle, primarily to show the grace of the Dragons, but also to show off the martial prowess of the Archon and Draconists who participate. Ritualistic Dragon-Magic is used to prevent anyone from outright dying in the arena, and this Festival (unofficially) celebrates Triton and his might.
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.
* '''Cycles of Creation (May 15)''': This festival is the Draconist version of a “Love Festival” common in many other cultures and religions. During the day, Draconists gather and encourage others to spend time with their loved ones, specifically handing out flower-wreathes to single individuals, encouraging others to talk to them. While the day celebrates platonic and romantic love, by the evening Draconists are encouraged to spend time with their romantic partner(s), and the festival is seen as a particularly holy and important time to procreate and make love, as a celebration of life. This Festival historically used to celebrate Caius and the Red Dragons, but doesn’t anymore.
==Expanded Lore==
* '''Introspection Trials (June 15)''': This festival is less of a festival and more of a series of quests that Draconists task one another with, based on their perceived failures and weaknesses. Draconists are encouraged to devise a “mission” for another Draconist to try and complete, specifically with the intent of helping them get over something they struggle with, or learn something new, or improve and better themselves in some way. Succeeding in this task obligates the Draconist who did the quest to treat the quest-giver in some way (dinner, drink, a gift, etc), and the opposite if the Draconist fails (as consolation, the quest-giver treats them to something nice). Outright refusal to partake is looked down upon, and obligates all other Draconists to devise an even more convoluted quest. This Festival specifically also celebrates Severena and the Green Dragons.
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.
* '''Harmony Jubilee (July 15)''': This the largest and most bombastic of all of the Draconist Festivals, an all-day celebration including a large feast, dances, and loud music and song. Most importantly, the Jubilee has hospitality extended to enemies of the faithful during this time, meaning they will not be attacked or chased out, so long as they do not harm someone first, or callously insult the Draconists hosting the festival. It is for this reason that the Jubilee (in Regalia, at least) is usually held in the countryside, to prevent any arrests being made. This Festival specifically also celebrates Felicula and the Yellow Dragons.
===Festivals and Worship===
* '''Festival of Service (August 15)''': This festival has no defined structure, but is a celebration that encourages the faithful to remain humble, and offer their aid to others. For the entire day, Draconists travel in groups and offer their help, free of charge or expectation of repayment, to anyone who might need it. This can range from helping someone clean up their store, to building a home, to offering relationship advice, or trying to track down a lost pet, as long as the request does not obligate the Draconists to do something violent or offensive to their morals. This Festival specifically also celebrates Marik and the Brown Dragons.  
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.
* '''Mourning Festival (September 15)''': It is common for this festival to feature processions in the streets of towns and cities where Draconists carry candles to graveyards of other religions, to offer their condolences to remember the dead and honor their memory, no matter their religion or culture or citizenship. This Festival specifically also celebrates Umbra and the White Dragons.
===The Advancement===
* '''Harvest Ritual (October 15)''': This festival celebrates the harvest via a large potluck, where everyone contributes some ingredient or dish. The feast is a large public gathering, where non-Draconists are welcome to bring their own food and dishes. It also features lots of colors, as it is common to have dyed chalk that is smeared across people’s skin and clothes to mark them as worshippers of a particular Dragon. This Festival specifically also celebrates Daiana and the Gray Dragons.  
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.
* '''The Eternal Vigil (November 15)''': This festival is a solemn vigil in remembrance of the Archon who gave their lives historically, and even now, to protect and champion the cause of the Dragons. It is a festival that reflects on the suffering of the Archon, and even of the Dragons, at the hands of demonic forces. This Festival specifically also celebrates (or mourns) Caius and the Red Dragons.
 
* '''Gift-Giving and Sharing Ceremony (December 15)''': On this day, Draconists traditionally give each other personalized and thoughtful gifts of little monetary value. Usually, Draconists will choose a small number of people who they felt helped them the most throughout the year, and offer them gifts, with the expectation that everyone should get something. During this time, Draconists also partake in the ritual of sharing and absolution, wherein Draconists can reveal secrets or things they have kept hidden, that they regret or feel shame about, with the promise that by sharing at this ceremony, they will not be completely shunned or abandoned. To reveal a secret at this festival is a sacred act, and while it will not absolve them of all possible sins, it does ensure that the other Draconists will work to help them through it, and repent (if needed). This Festival specifically used to celebrate Nox, but, after his sin and banishment, it no longer does (publicly, anyways). Nox worshippers and Slizzar still hold this festival as a celebration of him and his wisdom.
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.  
===Rising===
 
The act of Rising is one of the more complicated rituals a Draconist priest can perform, and is a harmless event performed in the name of Daiana meant to give closure to a member of the living through the calling forth the target of their communion. It should be stated clearly that this ritual is not a Summoning or Evoking, and the entity that appears is only a visual construct from the memories of the participating party. This form can be the appearance of dead relatives, close friends, or those who were sadly taken too soon from a partner that they loved. The act of Rising is meant to provide closure, and priests as channelers of the ritual and also emotional guides, speak through their “puppet,” being granted temporary access to relevant memories shared between these two figures, or which might be useful in providing the living subject closure. Rising is seen as sacred among Draconists, while also being something that a priest does not perform lightly. An individual usually has to have a real emotional block in their mindset regarding a lost loved one for a priest to consider a Rising.
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==
==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".
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[[category:Religion]]
[[category:Religion]]

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".

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Last EditorBirdsfoot violet on 09/2/2024.

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