Andrew Leider

The Binding Blood

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. At least, not while the Humanoid Republic thrived. As legend has it, dragons were the original dominant species on the planet Soul as well as the inventors of alchemy and astrology and founders of magic; the combination of which brought the bipedal Humanoid Class into existence through Shamava’s experimentation with Huma’natur’rah, meaning ‘Those Beneath Our Shadows.’ Thus, after thousands of years and plenty of failed iterations, thirteen species had evolved with equally comparable intelligence. There are the four omnivorous Primates: Furless, Ape, Dwarf, and Elf; the four carnivorous Beasts: Canine, Feline, Rodent, and Reptilian; the three herbivorous Grazers: Ungulate, Bovine, and Hippopotamus (or Orcs, for short); the deciduous Seedlings; and, finally, the now extinct Cetaceans. Shamava’s intention was to propagate stewards of Soul for when dragons ascended to another world. However, Kahba the Conqueror thought Soul should belong to dragons forever and sought to enslave Humanoids and all “lesser” beings. Some followed while the remainder supported Shamava's Dream and defended the Humanoids in a great battle that lasted a single day: The Eclipse of Onrico. Being a legend as such, not much is known beyond that day nor why any dragon influence had since ceased. One thing is known for certain: they have reappeared in the Valley of Shamava and not with peaceful intentions, it would seem.