Dragon Worship

Dragon Worship
Religion
Pronunciation	Dragon Worship
Origins	Unknown, presumed over 7000 years ago
Deities
Regulus, Aurora, Marik, Severena, Caius, Nox, Valerius

Origins

Dragon Worship or Dregodar is commonly believed to be the world’s oldest Religion, one that is uniquely shared by many Races and potentially the most widely worshiped religion across the world, while other religions are fairly monolithic within their own Race or Ideology. The nickname Dregodar dates back to the earliest Dragon Worship cults among the Altalar during the days of the Allorn Empire, a name specifically used to refer to their cult. While Dragon Worship is thousands of years older than the Altalar, the last major group of people who worshiped the Dragons were a sect of Altalar, hence it carries their name. After the collapse of the Allorn Empire, Dragon Worship was mostly kept alive in the largest population groups by Ailor, hence why the Dragon Worship pantheon mostly carries Proto-Daen names, the language used by the Ailor slaves who suffered their existence under the Allorn Empire. Dragon Worship was in fact one of the largest if not only religion followed by the Ailor slaves in the west, as the Dragons remained somewhat visible and tangible, while the Old Gods had all but disappeared. Following the collapse of the Allorn Empire, Dragon Worship entered a lull, with pockets of various races like the Isldar, Songaskians, Slizzar, Sihai and Urlan keeping their traditions alive, though living with the knowledge that all the Dragons save the eastern had died. Dragon Worship has more recently exploded back onto the scene with modern events, the return of Dragons, and their enduring campaign to revive all the Dragons who could not truly be killed. Many regions previously thought Unionist converted suddenly revealed their hidden Dragon Worship habits, thus exposing that Dragon Worship was far from dead, but actually one of the major religions of the world, being just behind Estellon and Unionism as the third largest religion in the world by number of worshipers, and only barely ahead of Void Worship coming fourth.

Core Identity

Dragon Worship is a Religion centered around the struggle against (or with) the Occult, with each Dragon having their own ideology and needs, and prescribed way of living. Dragon Worship is somewhat of a unique religion in that most of the dogma was inspired by the Dragons, but never dictated by them. While there were certainly Dragons who worked with the idea of themselves being seen as Gods, and used whatever benefit they could from that situation, the majority of Dragons do not actively demand worship and don't wish punishment on those who stray from the faith. The Dragons have always strictly insisted that spirituality towards them is a personal choice, and that faith is a personal choice, and that no matter what religion anyone follows, simply being alive is good enough to serve their needs.

Tenets

• Bravery: Caius demands bravery from the faithful, or face his eternal wrath for cowardice and weakness in purging fire.
• Calm: Nox demands calm in the face of chaos and anarchy, for the steadiest hands and cleanest mind plot the most skillfully.
• Pleasure: Aurora demands pleasure, because the purpose of life is to proliferate. Marriage is just a legal obstacle.
• Ambition: Valerius demands ambition, because static contentedness is the death of progress and change in a world in need of it.
• Diligence: Marik demands diligence, because the task set out to the faithful is never done, never given reprieve, never an end in sight.
• Revenge: The Void stole Ruin from the Pantheon, and the Dragons bid the faithful never to forget the damage infection has brought.
• Charity: Severena demands charity, for the agents of life are created in the sentient, who must share their intellect for the benefit of others.
• Honest: Regulus demands honesty, because history is the true arbitrator of truth, and truth always prevails.
• Purity: Dragon Worship does not outright ban Occult from worshiping, but proclaims to be pure and mundane, is the ideal for everyone to strive for.
• Preservation: Dragon Worship is the only faith nominally focused on the preservation of the world as it is, all living creatures and plants, and living harmoniously with nature.
• True Magic: Dragon Worship pats itself on the shoulder for being the users of "true" (Primal) Magic, a sense of moral superiority over Void and Exist and Ordial follows after.

Beliefs

• Narrative: Dragon Worshipers have the hauthy opinion that all other creation myths are false, and that the Dragons are actually the true creators of the world. Naturally most religions have ideas about creation myths of their own, but Dragon Worship has one based on more tangible fact that myth. Inversely however, while all other religions have one "grand message" or intention to imprint on the faithful, something for them to prove or do in their life, Dragon Worship has no such conceit, and just requests that the faithful live their life to the fullest without causing undue harm on other living beings without respect for nature, while also respecting some of the behavioral tenets for good conduct set out by the Dragons. Dragon Worshipers do not believe in an afterlife, at least not strictly understood by other religions. There is an afterlife for the Dragon Faithful, however they call them the "Soul Rivers", in which Souls exist in a state of ignorance and unconsciousness, meaning that while a soul can be preserved, there is no such thing as a living and wake afterlife. Dragon Worshipers, because of this belief, live their life to the fullest as they have it, because they only have one life to live.
• Canon Evil: Canon evil in Dragon Worship is all that which comes from other planes of reality or existence, meaning anything that is Void, Exist and Ordial. Rather than painting all of it evil by default however, truth (and the individual interpretations and ideologies of the Dragons) vary wildly from Dragon to Dragon. While all roughly agree that Void/Exist/Ordial (called "Infection") is bad, they all practically disagree on how to deal with it, or how severely bad it actually is.
• Identity: Dragon Worship has no real concept of sex or gender, nor does it have a view on sexual orientation. The only thing Dragon Worship does profess, is the need for the faithful to keep reproducing because the purpose of life is to exist and multiply to further life. While some would argue this means they do not look favorable upon those of same-sex orientations, the reality is that Dragons believe that there are plenty of heterosexuals who reproduce excessive amounts, to compensate for the few chaste, unable, and unwilling reproducing individuals.
• Conversion: Converting away from Dragon Worship is not a crime per se, but there are subtextual responses that one might get from different faithful. Caius worshipers might for example consider it weak and spineless, while Nox worshipers consider it willful ignorance that makes one more stupid. There is no outright punishment, but Dragon Worshipers have been known to give the cold shoulder to "traitors" of the faith. They do not go out to convert others however, Dragon Worship is a religion entirely benched on the providence provided by the very tangible actions of Dragons, and the faithful in general do not proselytize, but answer and reflect with those who show interest.
• Sins & Taboo: Dragon Worship lacks traditional Sins and Taboos, because even the concept of Sin is considered divine. While a morality and code to live by is created and the implication is made that going against this code is sinful, there is no real punishment system for sinners, and an argument can even be made that a sin is only a natural result of Nerida, the Dragon of Sin, who creates sin as a byproduct of free will, which in turn creates the structure for religion. To be free of Sin is to be free of free will and faith, neither of which are considered a good thing, as Dragons contemplate that spirituality is one of the foundational needs of sentient living beings.

Gods and Goddesses

Dragon Worship is divided over the 7 Great Dragons, each which is supported by 7 Supporting Dragons. Technically there are many more Dragons, for example, while in the realm of the Silver Dragons under Nox they reign supreme, the Yellow and Teal Dragons also exist. These however do not express spiritual guidance or an ideology, and merely exist to fulfill earthly functions of the Great Dragons, and as such are also not considered Gods, merely agents of them. The supporting Dragons act like officers, each governing an aspect of reality and enforcing it within their realm and across the world. Dragon Worshipers consider the usage of Magic an encroachment on the realm of their Gods, for example, if a Mage were to turn back time on an object, this would be a violation of the Dragon Ramirus, who is the enforcer of time, ensuring it always moves forwards and never backwards. This is entire foundation of why Void/Exist/Ordial are considered corruption or "infection", because they deny the laws of reality and how things are in Aloria by changing the rules. Choosing one particular Patron Dragon is important to Dragon Worshipers, though only in the purview of how to behave towards Occult. Dragon Worshipers worship in some part all Dragons equally, but choose one in particular to theme themselves and their ideology after. A Dragon Worshiper is likely to have some sort of shrine to each Dragon in their home, but one particularly large shrine for their favored Dragon, whose general ideology they have adopted as their own. There is no conflict in worshiping Caius as favored, and still bringing homage to Regulus even if their ideologies on the Occult differ, each ideology is considered valid in their own Draconic authority. This does not, however, stop conflict from arising among Dragon Worshipers on the "right" way to deal with a problem (the Occult). Among Dragon Worshipers, a strained truce usually reigns to prevent conflict among themselves while the Occult remain a problem. but clashes frequently break out when for example a Regulus worshiper is trying to protect an Occult from a Caius worshiper.

Aurora, Arbitrator of Nature

Identity: Aurora is the Dragon of the Craters of Evolution, places where creatures are made, and where nature is eternal. Dragon worshipers believe Aurora designed every little creature, and every creature that has come from them, and continues to experiment with the possibilities in her hidden sanctum. She is also the Dragon of wilful disinterest in the Occult and Infected. Racial: Aurora is strongly represented among the Isldar, a Race that she favors as her own, and to which she is intricately linked. Prior to cleansing, Aurora was known as Frisit, though in modern times, this is believed to have been an imposter who imprisoned Aurora’s soul and made the Isldar commit terrible acts in the name of Death, eventually causing the split with the Death Isldar. She considers the Death Isldar her mortal enemies, and the reason for the civil war. Clade: Aurora's name in the Isldar language is Asaph, both names are commonly used. She also has the following supporting Dragons: Acilia of the Birds, Aelia of the Mammals, Aegidius of the Reptiles, Aerthirn of the Amphibians, Aurav of the Invertebrates, Aureliu of the Fish, and Aemilia of the Skyborn. These Dragons also have Isldarrin names: Altuya, Althadeïa, Alsalaahy, Albarmaay, Aleawac, Alsamac, Alsama, though even in cosmopolitan places like Regalia, the non-Isldar names are favored. Home: Aurora’s penultimate home is the Crater of Creation, though supposedly there are several. Supposedly, because no mortal has ever laid eyes on a functional Crater of Creation, and the Dragons take great pains to hide the locations from mortals. As such, Aurora lacks a traditional Temple, though the Isldar cities in Ellador are rife with Temples to Asaph (and thus Aurora) which double for other Races, for those bold enough to brave the Isldar wastes and find them. Occult: Aurora’s (and by extension her other Dragons) stance towards the Occult or the Infection, is blissful ignorance. Aurora concerns herself far too much with the perpetuation of life, and believes that her work must continue, while other Dragons deal with the implicit problem. As such, Aurora worshipers take a very apathetic stance towards the Occult, though tend to favor more isolationism and staying away from them, rather than actively fostering relations with them. Themes: Aurora’s main themes are the midnight sky, stars, the heavens at night, creation, design, random events and occurrences, and winter. Particularly the aspect of winter is a more modern association due to her inherent favor towards the Isldar. By origins however, she is the Violet Dragon of the Midnight Sky, and before many associated her with the pale white Dragon Frisit, it was said her scales were adorned with the sparkles of a thousand stars, indistinguishable from the night sky. Worship: Aurora has never favored active worship of herself, but Dragon Worshipers still engage in active worship, mainly by the act of the hunt. While Aurora is a Dragon of creation, she is not explicitly a Dragon of the preservation of creation, and as such, is seen as more apathetic towards what happens with her creations when they are unleashed on the world. What she does care for however, is how effective they are at dominating the food chain. To be able to offer up evidence of this fact to a statue dedicated to her is seen as worship. History: Aurora lived in her Crater of Creation for most of history, being merely a footnote until the Altalar started hunting down the Dragons in the Allorn Empire. Aurora fled north with her Dragons and the Dregodar (a cult of Dragon worshiping Altalar) until she eventually perished in a battle against the Dwarves in Ellador. Aurora’s soul was returned by the Dragons Regulus and Renite during their quest to revive the Dragons, and resumed her position among the Isldar, initiating a civil war among them over old beliefs.

Regulus, Crownbearer of Command

Identity: Regulus is the Dragon of Centralization, organization of the Draconic cause, and the functioning of all Dragon installations and forces. Dragons do not function under an autocracy, so it is not quite true that Regulus is King among Dragons, though he effectively functions as one, while maintaining the Ley Systems, as well as the basic functioning of reality around the world, or so Dragon Worshipers believe. Regulus is the Dragon of benign survival of the Occult and the Infected. Racial: Regulus is strongly represented among the Ailor, a Race guided by Regulus through history, and returned to in the modern era. Regulus has a long and complicated past with the Anglian people of the Regalian Archipelago, and is also linked both to the founding of the Regalian Empire, and the Regalian Imperial Throne, due to the current incarnation of Regulus being a member of the Imperial Family. Clade: Regulus has no racial name, though he is sometimes called Cedromar so as not to dehumanize the current incarnation. Regulus has the following supporting Dragons: Renita of Gravity, Rosa of the Weather, Romalia of Matter, Ramirus of Time, Rabanus of Antimatter, Rufinus of Action and Reaction, and Rina of Movement. Many of the functions of Regulus’s Clade are esoteric, so the only tangible presence the living have ever felt was their control over the weather. Home: Regulus has no true Temple, though smaller edifices are being built in Anglia, with the Temple of Soaring Wings in Draackenrust slated to be the largest one when it is done in a few months. In centuries past, Regulus frequented the Anglian countryside and treated the whole province as his Temple, interacting with the locals and those who sought him out with frequency. Occult: Regulus’s stance (which some of his Clade reluctantly agree with), is the concept of benign survival. The idea is that the Occult or Aberrants weren’t at fault for being born this way, or becoming this way, because each person is fated due to forces out of their control. The world of Dragons is centered around the value of life, and if life is to be valued, it should not be disregarded over a matter of Infection. As a result, Regulus believes that the Occult have a right to live free of extermination, though applies this selectively. Themes: Regulus’s main themes are royalty, the weather, crowns, leadership, command, rule, connecting and communicating, and managing the Leystone system. The Central Dragons (a common term for Regulus and his Dragons) are in charge of managing all the Soulcores of the Leystone system, as well as all Dragon Sites, designing and using their functions, and communicating and regulating all the other Dragons to ensure they are on the same page. Worship: Regulus has actively discouraged worship of him, though this has not dissuaded many, and worship of Regulus in a previous reincarnation was rampant in Anglia. It is theorized that as much as a third of the Anglian population still worships Regulus to this day. Regulus worship is mostly done through passive obedience to his design. As Regulus was all about designing the policies of the Dragons, worship of him is simply the act of following this design, and not questioning it. History: Regulus long lived in Anglia, but disappeared around the time of the Five Family Rebellion. Since then, Regulus has been absent, though the Dragonsoul was protected within a Regalian Noble House by the Dragon Wardens who tried to hide its presence from the world. After 300 years, the Dragonsoul was unleashed, and Regulus was found, re-uniting with Renita during the Dragon Crisis, which would eventually result in them going on a quest to revive all other Dragonsouls.

Marik, Peacewarden of the Dead

Identity: Marik is the Dragon of mortality and that final end that comes for all, the balance of life and death and the afterlife, order and stability of the world, and enforcer of the cycle that must go on eternally. Marik is claimed by Dragon Worshipers to have designed the demise of Dragons, a concept in which the Dragons voluntarily surrendered their Mantle of Creation, and chose to perish in the spotlight of history (though each Dragon chose their own way out). Marik is the Dragon of the Great Divide for the Occult. Racial: Marik is strongly connected to the Songaskians, in particular because all Songaskians bear a piece of Marik and his fellow Black Dragon souls in them, as they were created when the Black Dragons perished. It is believed that when Marik executed the final end for himself, he had a moment of doubt, and this allowed the forces of Death to corrupt his end, and bring about death for the Qadir. Clade: Marik (also called Masa in the Songaskian language) is supported by the Dragons Mele of the Desert, Maya of Murder, Magnus of Death, Marian of Aging, Milo of Youth, Mencius of Seniority, and Madronna of Birth. These Dragons each also have a name in the Songaskian Language: Diya, Hakili, Tunun, Fonenba, Kakabo, Duniya, and Seben. The Songaskians still strongly prefer to use the Songaskian names of their Dragon patrons, even in Regalia. Home: Marik worship is still very prevalent among the Songaskians who keep alive the lore that they were born from the demise of Dragons. Among the Songaskians, this faith is called Mussaktu or “gratefulness for living”. While they sometimes pretend it is not, it is still part of Dragon Worship. Marik’s largest Temple is the forbidden sanctuary of Jiginni, a massive mountain in the heart of Farahdeen where none may climb to the top, but the base is surrounded by Temples. Occult: Marik’s stance to the Occult is one of the Great Divide, meaning that evil and good among the Occult separates somewhere when an Occult crosses a threshold. This judgment has never been very consistent, but it implies that every Marik worshiper has a boundary which an Occult should not cross, and the moment they cross this boundary they should be hunted down and put out of their misery, but otherwise tolerated as friends. Themes: Marik’s strongest theme is the sun, as Marik worshipers believe that while the Songaskians received part of his and the other Dragons’s souls, that their collective conscience transferred to the sun, watching over the people down below. Sunlight, the desert sands, fire, the color black, martial combat and putting the (un)dead out of their misery are all also important themes of Marik and by extension the other Black Dragons. Worship: Marik Worship is done very frequently and is also very widespread. Many smaller Temples and shrines exist to Marik wherever there are Songaskians, these holy places usually featuring large golden sun disks with which to focus the light of the sun on a central altar, and pray to the sunlight and the sun during the day. The sun is also a strong motif in clothing and tattoos and body paint for Marik worshipers, and his name is invoked when in need of protection or good luck by the faithful. History: Marik’s history is somewhat unclear, as only third-hand Qadir records can be sources, which have an obvious reason to make others distrustful or hostile towards the Black Dragons due to their ongoing conflict. Supposedly, the Qadir were attacked by the Black Dragons of Marik out of nowhere, and waged war on them for centuries, before they defeated Marik, unleashing the Great Storm and birthing the Songaskians. Marik is not yet revived, and likely will not be, as Dragon Worshipers believe Regulus and Renita would need to rip the souls from the Songaskians to do so.

Severena, Penultimate Defender

Identity: Severena is the Dragon of divine protection, of caring, of guidance, of compassion, and of empathy. She is the mother of the Sihai, and claimed by Dragon Worshipers to be the strategist of the Dragons, always helping Regulus see the bigger picture and plan for the correct future out of the hundreds of thousands possible at any given moment. Severena’s plan for the Occult is called the Great Reversal, the first of the two traditionally anti-Occult Dragon ideologies. Racial: Severena is strongly linked with the Sihai Race, supposedly both as creator and as divine protector and director of their fate and future. Despite the demise of the other Dragons, Severena continued to live, albeit in a dream-state where she could no longer directly interact with her people, but had to resort to dreams to communicate. She remains immensely important among the Sihai both culturally and spiritually. Clade: Severena’s Clade is supported by Silvius of Hope, Saccius of Dreams, Sisera of Defying Fate, Sophus of Ambitions, Stasius of Inspiration, Sylianus of Submission, and Summanus of Dominance. While this list uses the Ailor names, even most non-Sihai Dragon Worshipers use the Sihai names for Severena (Saaima) and her Clade: Nishiliu, Beishèn, Ao-Jin, Liu-Xing, Xin-Shidai, Lüra, and Ao-Shun, because Severena has really only ever interacted with the Sihai. Home: If is difficult to pinpoint a single Temple that is great, for each Temple that houses one of the Loong Dragons is grand, as each Loong Dragon save for Sylianus and Summanus remains accessible in the wider Sihai lands (for non Occult at least). Severena’s Temple is generally considered the greatest, as she has seniority over the other White Sky Dragons as matriarch. The Sihai lands are saturated with lesser Temples dedicated to Severena and her Clade. Occult: Severena’s stance on the Occult is the Great Reversal, the idea that the hold of Magic on the world must be pushed back step by step. Sealing corrupted areas, destroying Occult artifacts, cleansing or killing Demonologists and their Demons, and keeping Mages in line and creating as few new Mages as possible are all goals Severena believes in. This can be done either violently or nonviolently. In this way, she is more patient than Caius, but less accepting than Regulus. Themes: Severena’s themes are the color white, the sky, dreams, meditation and places of great tranquility and peace, the defense of her realm from the corrupting influences of the Occult, and through relatively recent developments, jade crystals. Severena remains in active communication with many of her followers and priestly figures, and while her visions are sometimes troubling and unclear, her presence remains felt heavily by the Sihai, more-so than any other Dragon. Worship: Severena worship is to act according to her beliefs. While she is immobile in her slumber, fragments of her psyche organize and guide her followers through whispers in their dreams, to save a world that does not want to be saved and has long since accepted the Occult as safe and natural. Severena is not prayed to for blessings or guidance, as the Sihai consider it ungrateful to beg from their creator, but prayed to in dedication when a step is taken towards one of her goals. History: Severena’s history does not begin or end, as she was around when the Sihai first appeared in the world, and has guided them through every step and every century since. As such, Severena’s history is simply Sihai history. There have been growing concerns as of late that the other Dragons want to wake Severena and her Clade, which the Sihai believe would leave them vulnerable to Demonic invasion and in a very bad position.

Caius, The Final Judgment

Identity: Caius is the Dragon of Fiery Destruction, of power, of combat prowess, of unrelenting force and magnitude. He is seen as the master of the neverending gauntlet of life, that which demands that the weak fear the strong, and that the strong continually battle each other for his favor, and the favor that legacy and fame brings. Caius is considered the most extreme of the Dragons regarding the Occult, otherwise known as the Great Purger, as he leads the traditionally anti-Occult wing of Dragon Worship. Racial: Caius is strongly linked both with the Maquixtl and the Eronidas and some minor Suvial, though the latters less so, and lords over the Lands of Terror, which is the name given to the continent of Guldar by the Eronidas. It is said that Caius once favored the Avarr, but grew unsatisfied with their endless bloodthirsty rampage over the lesser races of the continent, and subsequently purged them all so the Eronidas could thrive. Clade: Caius’s Clade is supported by Carmine of Fire, Cassian of Magma, Cephas of Volcanoes, Calypso of Iron, Ceto of Annihilation, Chryseis of Earth, and Creon of Darkness. These names are used by the Races other than Maquixtl, who use the Nelfin naming for these Dragons instead, with Caius being Qaarn, supported by Salmaan, Fimaiël, Celleso, Creton, Ramvaal, and Ruin, who is to some in Void Worship also known as Ifrit the Darkscale. Home: Caius does not have a formal temple, rather one massive Volcano called Mount Vestor (in all languages) is considered his holy ground to Dragon Worshipers, who keep a respectable distance on account of it always spewing forth lava and plumes of smoke, thus being hazardous to be around. Caius’s Dragon Sites are inside the volcano itself, Ley Junction West, though it is inaccessible to those who do not have access to Leystone Warping Abilities. As such, various shrines to his deference are built around the Volcano. Occult: Caius’s stance on the Occult is one of Immediate Extermination. There is no arguing with Caius’s stance, he considers Occult a cancer upon the world, and wishes for it to be burned out like a cauterized wound, regardless of how much collateral damage it causes. Caius is willing to commit full blown genocide just to get rid of the slightest hints of Magic, and is generally considered the polar opposite of the more tolerant Dragons. Caius worshipers are always bidden to never fraternize with the Occult, and combat them wherever possible and feasible. Themes: Caius’s themes are the color red and orange, volcanoes, fire, mountains, combat and battles, knights, soldiers, commanders and the dangerous jungles of Guldar where only the strong survive the many myriad of deadly creatures designed to kill. Caius has become very active again since his revival, acting through the matron of the West to commence a purge of any Magic on the continent of Guldar, only held back by doing so by other Dragons having technical authority over other parts of the world (which Caius occasionally violates). Worship: Caius’s worship is to act in combat, to worship his name before battle, and bring honor to his name by the blood that was spilled on the ground. Worship to him can also be performed through the cleansing of the Occult with iron and steel, and burning offerings to an altar of Caius involving a golden bowl and flammable liquor that is half drank, half spat out over the fire to fan the flames. Caius worshipers in general are very thematically obsessed with fire and the color red, and it shows. History: The appearance and disappearance of Caius was somewhat of a mystery that even Dragon Worshipers do not know. It is vaguely understood that the Avarr knew Caius existed, but did not see him as a god, more like a primal entity of the land, and that worship only happened after among the Maquixtl and minorities among Suvial and Eronidas. There is no technical connection between the Suvial and Caius, it just so happens that a minority of Suvial have rejected all forms of Karamatology, and have since become anti-Occult fanatics who reject Estellon and the proliferation of Demonology among the Suvial. Note: While Caius's hate for the infection is absolute, the requirement for his worshipers to suicide-run in their hatred for the occult is not. Because Maquixtl society is split between Mages and Non-Mages, there is such a concept called "The Red Truce", which implies that a person can choose a small collection of Occult (between 5 or 10) people, or an organization they are a member of, and declare a truce with them, if only to give a stable footing to continue the crusade against all other Occult. On the server, this should take the form of not hunting one's friends, while actively engaging in conflict with all other non-friends.

Nox, Weaver of Silk Accords

Identity: Nox is the Dragon of the Mirrored Reality, of trickery, or disguise, of misdirection, and of the silver tongue. They are seen as the master of conspiracies and plots, a Lirh that commands their subjects to be excellent or be irrelevant, that the stupid should be ensnared by the clever, and that the greatest power lies in a whisper, not a shout or a stab. Nox is the most secretive of the Dragons, and one who has frequently worked against the grain of the other Dragons to pursue their own enigmatic goals. Racial: Nox is strongly linked with the Slizzar and in lesser part the Allar, though almost uniquely seen as only for the Slizzar by other Dragon Worshipers. Nox is said to be the creator of Sassrakkand, and the creator of all the fantastical devices that keep said city state running sound and safe. They are the divine architect of the machinations of the Slizzar around the world, and even their creator, as Dragon Worshiping Slizzar believe that Nox created them in defiance of the creation standard set by the other Dragons, forged in secret, to live in secrets. Clade: Nox is supported by Nerida of Godhood, Nerthus of Whispers, Naevius of Silence, Nerva of Joy, Nicator of Desires, Nicon of Knowledge, and Nicephorus of Mirrors. The Slizzar only acknowledge two of these Dragons with names in Zoram, that being Nox (who is Zaalaanzaal) and Nerida (who is Masraphaal). Nerida is considered a unique supporting Dragon, who acts more like a second in command, one more equal among equal Dragons serving Nox due to its pivotal speculated role in the creation of Sin. Home: Nox’s home is the Silver Darpan, the massive pyramid shaped construct in the middle of Sassrakkand with a large gap running down the middle from which silver lights erupt into the starry night sky. The Silver Darpan is accessible only to Slizzar and their close relatives, as Sassrakkand as a city is closed off to outsiders who the guards will not suffer to pass. As a result, shrines to Nox are often found inside Nox worshiping homes as large and complex mirror arrangements. Occult: Nox’s stance on the Occult is one of Contemptuous Domination. Nox is generally on the anti-Occult side of things when it concerns Dragons, but they can never fully agree with Caius’s destructive nature. Nox rather proposes that through deception and scheming, the Occult become ensnared by the faithful to serve as their unknowing servants in fighting the corruption and infection of the land. There is even some implication that the Cult of Drovv was heavily influenced by Nox at some point, and that all Sihndar are the end-result of that scheme, unknowing of their fate or Nox’s hand. Themes: Nox’s themes are the color silver, mirrors, smoke, deflection and illusions, manipulation, whispers, closed mouths and open ears, thieves and spies, sabotage and subterfuge and the ability to weave webs of lies and manipulation to change the world in one’s own making. They propose disregarding the commands from those in undeserving positions of power, instead weaving one’s own designs through the hands of others so that the weaver may achieve penultimate power at the expense of others. Worship: In a sense, Nox worshipers are extremely competitive. It is said among Nox worshipers that the greatest favor to them is to be the penultimate schemer, and in order to do so, one must often step over the corpses of others. Nox worship as a result, is considered somewhat causing collateral damage among Dragon Worshipers themselves, as Nox schemes can often act detrimental to other Dragon faithful. Nox faithful have been known to sell out the faithful of other Dragons if only to move ahead their own station in life. History: Nox was incredibly active and present among the Slizzar for the entirety of history up until the point that they just vanished several centuries before Cataclysm, with none being the wiser. There is an implication among the Slizzar that the Anindriya have something to do with it, or are the product of it, however the Anindriya obviously do not talk, and none have the courage to find out otherwise. In fact, Nox’s disappearance was so complete, that even the famous Dragon Sites that record all of known history objectively, have no data on where they might have gone.

Valerius, Force for Change

Identity: Valerius is the Dragon of chane, of evolution, of betterment and self control, and of perpetual furtherance of creation and improvement upon creation to create a better self. Valerius is very much a self focused Dragon with an ideology that completely disregards the Occult problem while focusing more on purity and cleanliness of self, and improvement of both mind and body in the face of a world that is designed to break these things down. Racial: Valerius is seen as the Urlan Dragon, Valerius herself appearing more beast-like than scaled Dragon, with crowns of antlers and horns from all manner of body parts. Valerius is said to be the mother of the Oorl Worms, and as such is seen as an indirect or even direct creator of every single Urlan in the world, at least for those who acknowledge Dragon Worship as their faith. Valerius is however also followed by those who have become disillusioned with Unionist evolution ideals, or worse yet, form the basis of those fading from Dragon Worship and into the hands of Void Worship, upset at how little the Dragons actually help the faithful. Clade: Valerius is supported by Verus of Spring, Vesper of Summer, Vitalis of Autumn, Vena of Winter, Viatrix of Mind, Viola of Soul, and Vortigerus of Body. This Clade’s Dragons also have names in the native Urlan tongue, though the Urlan use the common and Oorl tongue translations interchangeably. Valerius is called Haarn in Oorl, while the other Dragons are called Hoshaara, Herkhat, Hattalis, Henhush, Hax, Henfos, and Hunefos. Home: Valerius has several Dragon sites across Jorrhildr and the Skags, but most of these have fallen into ruin centuries ago, as they did not stand the test of time, weathered and battered by blizzards and rapid cooling as well as frost damage. Shrines to Valerius are without exception always built in the wilderness, a patch of grass in the forest, a cave, or a particularly large tree, always adorned in tribal designs, even for those Dragon Worshipers who style themselves as urban dwellers, due to the natural inclination to wildness in Valerius. Occult: Valerius’s stance on the Occult is one of Evolved Osmosis. It is perhaps the most indifferent of ideologies, even more indifferent than Aurora, because rather than actively choosing not to get involved unless a problem arises, Valerius even avoids the problem altogether should it arise. Valerius’s ideology rests on the idea that infection and the Occult will eventually disappear when evolution and creation catches up to whatever cool things Occult can do with their own natural bodies, thus making the Occult redundant, and making people not want to be Occult anymore. Themes: Valerius’s themes are the color brown, Urlan symbiosis, evolution, alchemy and technology, body modifications, transformations, and primal mutations. Valerius is a Dragon always in search of the best next thing to graft onto the living to create the perfect creature, and Urlan are perhaps her best succeeding subjects as of yet. Beyond bodily considerations, meditation, yoga and self-care are also very important for Valerius, as is frequently visiting a therapist and resolving neuroses in a healthy way. Worship: Valerius worship is the very act of self improvement, whether that is as simple as reading a book, doing some gardening, or chasing after the magical solution to evolution. Valerius worship can however also be done simply by displaying the more evolved and better version of the self versus the other. This is often read as, stronger and more transformed individuals beating down on those who are weaker, or the sentient hunting wild animals to display the perfection of creation. As such, Valerius is sometimes also called the Dragon of the Hunt. History: Valerius is perhaps one of the least seen Dragons. Even Nox appeared frequently to the Slizzar despite secrecy, and Caius appeared in the skies of Guldar despite living inside a Volcano. Valerius on the other hand, has never been witnessed by any living being directly. It is said that Valerius is incredibly shy, or simply does not want to be perceived. The only information anyone has ever gathered from Valerius, is from the flashes of memories of Oorl worms after Symbiosis, in which Valerius can be seen interacting with the Oorl worms and discussing ideologies with them.

Trivia

• Dragon Worshipers can change their preferred Dragon Throne, but tend to generally stick with one for their entire lives. Changing a Throne is not seen as something shameful, but continually doing it over and over is. It is also considered shameful if it is done on a whim, as opposed to a major life event.
• It is sometimes believed that Dragon Worship is compatible with Emended Unionism because Regulus being Cedromar is also a God in that pantheon, however this is not the case. Emended Unionism has some views about the Occult that are incompatible with Dragon Worship, and also generally prescribes to a more dogmatic life than Dragon Worshipers would tolerate. There may however be friendly relations between the two religions, which can be seen in Anglia where Regulus worshiping Isldar and Ailor live side by side with Emended Ailor.
• Infantilization or imitation of Dragons where not part of racial Abilities is considered taboo among the Dragon Worshipers. Imitation through mutations of Draconic features however is considered flattery. Dragons are however immensely offended, if their worshipers keep mini-dragon-like creatures as pets. Any religion would find this grossly offensive.