Dragons of Tirenia: An Overview

During the War of the Host, angels and demons both experimented with creating life to swing the balance of the war in their favour. Ultimately, however, the war was in a stalemate. Since both the angels and the demons were immortal spirits, any setback was only temporary, and neither side could achieve victory.

And then dragons were created.

The demons were the first to create the five broods of dragons. In response, the angels soon created their own broods. Dragons immediately changed the course of the war. They were able to fight the angels and demons on an even footing. More terrifying by far, though, the devastating breath of the dragons was able to destroy souls - permanently. An angel or a demon that was incinerated by a dragon was annihilated, and a human that was killed would never be reborn, never go to heaven or hell. Furthermore, the dragons grew more and more powerful with time, until they were as strong or stronger than even the most powerful lords of heaven or hell.

This was when Il Divino stepped in to end the war and divide the spiritual realms from the material world. But despite the threat that they posed, dragons were permitted to remain in the mortal realm. Since then, the history of the mortal realm has been the history of the dragons. The Gold Dragons of the Auromian Empire took control of Tirenia. After the Empire's fall, the evil dragon broods were able to subvert the city-states to take over once again.

There are ten broods of dragons:
  • The Gold Dragons of Auromia are no more, although a final heir may have escaped and fled far from Tirenia, biding his time.
  • The Silver Dragons of Medilano are benevolent tyrants, but also secretly support the Humanist movement.
  • The Bronze Dragons of Staglia are trying to conquer Tirenia and recreate the Auromian Empire.
  • The Brass Dragons claim no city, helping humanity in secret.
  • The Copper Dragons have withdrawn to Monte Mamiliano, where they live in hedonism.
  • The Red Dragons rule Vanzenia, and have established a mercantile empire across the world.
  • The Blue Dragons of Fiumenze control the banks of Tirenia.
  • The Green Dragons of Aterni have suborned the Church, and keep power through intrigue and assassination.
  • The Black Dragons of southern Tirenia reject overt power, but control the underworld through the Benevoli crime syndicate.
  • The White Dragons of Zigura are disorganised and fragmented, ruling over the scattered settlements of the northern mountains.
The fairies, who were neutral during the Hostwar, did not create dragon broods of their own, to the best of humanity's knowledge.

When a dragon approaches an extremely old age - and dragons can live to a prodigiously old age: indeed, no one is even sure if they can die of old age or not - they have been known to go insane. No one is quite sure why - whether it is a flaw inherent to their original creation, or the dragon's abilities outstretch its own mortal limitations. Some theorise that they become aware that they are simply sentient weapons that have outgrown their purpose, or that they realise that as soulless beings themselves, they face annihilation, or whether it is the burden of their virtual immortality. In any case, they become violent and paranoid. The final Gold Dragon Emperor fell prey to madness, and the result was the fall of the Auromian Empire.

Related image
Art: Detail from 'Cadmus kills the dragon.' Hendrik Goltzius, c. 1600

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