Departure

Leaving a place is never easy. Despite the prevailing mood, there is always that undercurrent of uncertainty, one that we all experience when leaving a comfortable, familiar home on the path to somewhere new. What will we find when we get there? Will it be shabby, dingy, scary, unfriendly? What will the neighbours be like? Suppose we don't like where we've come, or something terrible happens to us on the way there? And more importantly, did we remember to pack that bloody toothbrush? Leaving is a difficult thing, because it can imply a sorrowful abandonment of a long-loved place, as well as joyful anticipation of what lies in store ahead.

The two persons leaving now are just such an example of this principle. One of them is full of the joys of discovery, looking to make his mark in territories unexplored and dreaming of the possibilities. The other is striving not to look back upon the place she abandons, lest the awful sight stir any doubt or second thoughts in her mind.

Try and see which is which.

Steel Komodo's Character Interviews 2014 - Voting!

Are you all quite done beating the shit out of me?

 

 "Yes."

 

Thank fuck, because I think I'm going to be in this wheelchair for quite a while.

 

 "Frankly, I think it is still a miracle the desk emerged unscathed."

 

Yes, well... Look, here's the thing - I was originally going to sign up four characters per setting, but then I remembered Carol was coming back because...

 

 "Because Sine is returning?"

 

...Yes. So I had to make up a new opening on the fantasy side pretty quickly, and since Barbara managed to get her application in first I put her onto the main roster. There's still a space left for one of you guys to get in, but I'll have to get them reviewed first.

 

 "And how is that done, my lad?"

 

Oh, that goes to the comittee, who reads each one and makes an informed decision about who whould get in and who shouldn't. I'll feed you all the results as soon as I can.

 

Now go away, I have to mourn my shattered ribs. Ow.

 

"Metal lizard has bones like young gazelle."

 

-------

 

Yes, it's time! Time for you, the public forumgoers, to vote on who should make their official debut into ZFRP 2014! Simply vote the same as you would in a Fite or for Monster Mash and I'll tally then up as soon as I have a large-enough pool of votes to put in. Your choices are:

• Lord Geo "Le Bello" Dampierre, the famous con-man and criminal noble!
• Chief Thunder, the plains-wandering native with vengeance on his mind!
• The Tactician, a mysterious youth from parts unknown!
• Ymir the Tusk, the Terror from the Barrier with a deadly left hook!
• Count von Sabrewulf, the regal Lycanthrope in search of a cure!

If you haven't already, check out the cases they have made on my blog, then get to voting in the comments! First place ensures a definite spot in the roster, whilst the runner-up has the potential to become a FYM regular over the year.

 

VOTE NOW!

Steel Komodo's Character Interviews 2014 - Sabrewulf

Uuuuurgh... my head. What happened? Where am I? And more importantly, why is my desk not a shattered mess?

 

AAH A WOLF D:

 

"Good evening, sir. I apologize for my current state, but my formal clothes no longer fit me."

...Oh, yes. Count von Sabrewulf, was it? You're the last one I have to interview before I can start the voting.

"Indeed. Oh, I see you have a mahogany desk! And an expensive one, too!"

Trust me, you won't believe how much it cost. And it's had no end of bad things happen to it.

"Yes, I heard about what happened with the Barbarian. Most unfortunate - the previous one was an antique, I hear. What a waste..."

I'm still a bit sore about that, to be honest...

Steel Komodo's Character Interviews 2014 - Tusk

Last time on Steel Komodo's Character Interviews...

WHY IS THE WATER COOLER EMPTY D:

We now return to your regularly scheduled programme...

-------

Jesus H. Christ, who forgot to fill up the water cooler?! I swear, when I find the guy responsible for this, I am going to-

Oh. Here comes my next interviewee.

 

 

"Ah, I hope I am not too late, friend!"

 

No, you're just in time. Come on, have a-

 

...you brought beer.

 

"Well, I heard you were in a bit of difficulty! Hah, hah! Fancy a swig?"

 

You, sir, are a lifesaver. Give me that.

 

Aaaaah, that's better. Shall we get this underway, then?

 

"Why not?"

 

Steel Komodo's Character Interviews 2014 - The Tactician

Well, that took long enough. Bloody barbarians just can't use the front door, can't they? Thank God I've managed to fix this office up - didn't want this to look like a pigsty all the way through the character interviews!

 

Right, send the next one in!

 

 

"I hope I am not too early. I was a little worried about making it on time."

 

No, I like early. It means we can get the business over and done with, you see. I'm expecting someone else in this afternoon...

 

"Very well, shall we begin?"

 

Of course. Have a seat!

 

"Now, I would just like to warn you that due to my... condition... I may not be able to provide all the facts you desire. I hope you understand."

 

Can't be any wierder than a con-man talking in riddles, or a crazy native who thinks he's real.

 

"Pardon?"

 

...Never mind.

Steel Komodo's Character Interviews 2014 - Chief Thunder

Ah, finally. My new desk has arrived. Now, wasn't there someone meant to come in today?

 

Ah, yes. Lemme just get my Babelfish in... aaaaargh.

 

There we go. Now, let me just.

 

THUNK

 

SON OF A BITCH

 

 

 

"(Why have I been summoned to your hollow totem, metal lizard?)"

 

You know damn well why, Thunder! And look - this desk was brand new!

 

"(Leaves die and fall away in the autumn. Nothing lasts forever.)"

 

Cut it out with the prophetic wisdom already! Ugh, let's just get this dome. Take a seat.

 

...Ah.

 

"(I find it unnatural to be raised off the ground. I hope you will forgive me.)"

 

No, it's my fault. I should have brought cushions, perhaps. Anyway, let's start.

 

Steel Komodo's Character Interviews 2014 - Dampierre

"Sir, I have good news and bad news."

 

Start with the good news, please.

 

"Your replacement desk has been ordered and will arrive in short order. On top of that, we have now accepted Barbara's application and made her a permanent member of the roster."

 

...and the bad news?

 

"Lord Dampierre is here to see you."

 

Ugh... Send him in.

 

 

"Ho ho! Le Bello apologizes for the lateness, dear boy! It's just that I'd got into a rather unfortunate scrape involving some armed guards, a priceless painting and-"

 

Save the theatrics for later, Dampierre. Are you finally ready to hand in that bloody application or what?

 

"Of course, my lad! Here you go - signed in triplicate, as promised!"

 

...Half of these signatures are-

 

"Oh, but Le Bello has to take precautions, does he not? After all, some people simply can't be trusted nowadays! Oh, your desk is a frightful mess!"

 

A barbarian put an axe in it. Anyway, shall we begin?

 

"But of course! Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!"

 

Steel Komodo's Character Interviews 2014 - Barbara

Hmm... Quiet day in the office today. I was sure there was some newcomer I was meant to interview, but maybe they decided not to come in. I mean, God knows Dampierre is taking ages to-

 

CRASH

 

"HA'WAAAAAAY THA' LAAAAAADS!"

 

JESUS CHRIST D:

 

 

"Wha' d'yer think o' that, eh? Canny entrance fer a canny lass!"

 

Did you have to destroy half my office to pull it off!? And look what you did to my desk!

 

"Ah, git ower yersel', bonnie lad! Ain't nowt te be afeared on! Bit o' polish ought te fix it oop! Noo, let's git this started already!"

 

Ugh... alright. Take a sea-

 

CRUNCH

 

...that was mahogany.

 

"Aa divvent care, laddie~"

 

...Let's just get this over with.

 

Book of the One 3/3 - the Uruk-Hai and the Ascension

This final chapter concludes the overall arc of Dragonus' creation myth. It is a bittersweet story on how the Old World was destroyed by evil forces, and how the One seemingly sacrificed himself to help Dragonus save mankind. This has made it a popular subject for theatres, school plays, pulp comics and the young and growing science of moving pictures, although many would reccomend it is not for younger viewing! Priests of the One Faith often refer to this passage to help those in their congregation deal with the pain of losing loved ones, and for good reason.

-------

Now, you must be content to skip the next few thousand or more years, because the adventures the One had in the world would fill ever so many books. You may have heard about some of them told to you, such as when he pulled off the snake's legs and made him crawl in the dust as punishment for stealing, or how he made the seasons race each other to determine who would come first in the year, or how he had been the judge of the singing competition between all the animals. And there were many more like these, each one more wonderful than the last, and the One, the men and the animals all lived happily.

But meanwhile, in the Caverns of Solutide, those First Things that had fled when Dragonus had first come to the world were still there, and had multiplied greatly in number. None can say how many there truly were, for they were so numerous they nearly filled all the caverns, but they were never as many as they had been when the world began. But it soon came about that some among them found a tunnel that lead upwards from the caverns, and full of curiosity they followed this tunnel for many days and many nights, until they came to the world above.

The first thing these First Things saw was how different the world was since they had left it. The land was no longer flat, as it had once been, but was now covered with hills, valleys and mountains. The sky was no longer ashen grey, but bright and blue, and the warmth of the sun shone down upon them. There were no more of their kind to be seen, for now the world was fill with insects, birds, beasts, fish and men. And wherver they looked there was colour and laughter and happiness.

Then the First Things began to be afraid, for so much had changed since those years they had left the world behind. And they asked themselves, "What terrible power has twisted our world beyond recognition? This cannot be the same barren plain we abandoned to that monstrous dragon! And what are these misshapen things that walk around in it, as if they own it all?"

It was then that Old Bruin came walking past, in conversation with the Chief of a nearby village. They had been discussing the harvest, for it had been a fruitful year, and Old Bruin wanted to know what share of honey he would get for providing his help. You may have heard this tale before, and will know that it was really the Swift who had helpled, only he had offered Old Bruin his share for devising the plan in the first place. In any case, they saw the First Things outside the tunnel, looking out upon the world, and stopped to look at them.

The Chief was supicious, and said, "Why have those strange beasts crawled out of that cave over there? I have not seen anything like them before. Do they mean to attack us and steal our food?"

"Of course not, my friend!" cried Old Bruin in great happiness. "These are my brothers, who ran in fear so many thousands of years ago when Dragonus came to make the world! Now that they have come out of their caves, perhaps they can be persauded to live with us in happiness!" And he stepped forward to talk the First Things, for he could still remember the days when they lived in misery in the early world.

When the First Things saw him coming, however, they screamed in fear and snapped at him, for they did not recognise him in the way he recognised them. "Stay back, monster!" they cried as he approached. "Stay back or we shall kill you!"

Old Bruin was most puzzled by this reaction, for he was sure that the First Things would recognise him and listen to what he had to say. And so he asked of the First Things, "Why are you so afraid of me, my brothers? Surely you recognise me, from the days before Dragonus came?"

"You cannot be a brother of ours!" howled the First Things. "What terrible curse has come over you? Why do you walk on your legs, instead of slithering on your belly as we do?"

"This is no curse, brothers!" cried Old Bruin. "This is a blessing from Dragonus, the Maker, and it was He who made this world so beautiful to live in and gave me this new shape. Come on out, my brothers, and see the gift that He has given us, for we would be glad to share it with you!"

"We cannot," hissed the First Things. "For the sky is on fire, and if we were to come out we will shrivel up and die!" They were talking about the sun, as you may have guessed, but they did not understand what it was.

"And what," they asked, "is that monster with you, that walks on two legs and carries a stick?"

"That is a man," replied Bruin, "and he is our friend and a keeper of the Law. Come on out, my brothers, and he shall treat you as fairly as he treats us!" But the First Things did not understand him, and would not venture out of the caves. For they felt that Old Bruin had been enslaved by the man, and was trying to trick them out, so he could make them slaves as well.

Then a most unfortunate thing happened. For the Chief was watching from a fair distance away, and could not hear or understand what Old Bruin and the First Things were saying to each other. And besides, he was afraid of the First Things, for he thought them ugly and having too many teeth. So when one of them began to crawl out into the sun, the Chief thought at first that it was going to attack Old Bruin, and without stopping to think he threw the great spear he was carrying at it. And the spear struck the First Thing and killed it.

Then the First Things all went mad with anger, and began to flail and scream in their terrible voices. "Treachery!" they shrieked as one. "You have sought to bring us out into the light to kill us! Now we understand - this Dragonus of yours has enslaved you, and has changed your shape to suit his perverse needs! Now he has sent you and his man-thing to drag us out of our caves and exterminate us all!"

"No, brothers, no!" cried Old Bruin, for he was much distressed by what the Chief had done. "We only want you to come out and live with us, so that you should not be miserable in your caves!" But the First Things would not listen to him, and slithered back the way they had come into the caverns, full of rage. Old Bruin could only watch them leave, his heart very heavy with sadness, and then he turned and had harsh words for the Chief for his thoughtless actions.

So when the First Things returned to the caverns where their kind were, they told them all about what had happened on the surface. And though what they said was untrue, for Old Bruin had only been trying to help them, they all believed that the world above was full of wrongness and evil, ruled by a despotic tyrant and his demonic servants. And a great anger rose in all the First Things, and they clamoured together in a great mass, gnashing their teeth and flailing their stubby claws.

"Who is this Dragonus," they cried all together, "that he should force us to live in these squalid caves whilst he torments our brothers for sport? Let us go up into the world above, and put an end to his tyranny! He and his human servants shall all remember who owned this world first!"

And so all the First Things went to the deepest parts of the caverns, until they found what they had sought - the still-beating heart of Azgoth the Mad Moon Troll, which the Wrathful had thrown down into the caverns after killing him. And the First Things crawled up to it and bathed themselves in the blood that still spurted from within, and it began to change their shapes as it soaked into their bodies. They became things that stood upright, like men, yet they had horrible slimy skin like the frog's, and horrible sharp teeth like the drake's, and horrible red eyes like nothing ever seen before on this world.

And these new things raised their voices aloud and cried, "We are the Uruk-Hai, and we shall take back what is ours!"

These Uruk-Hai then began to mine the caverns around them for their iron and steel, for the knowledge to do so had come from the blood of Azgoth. And they built great forges underground, with which they made all manner of terrible weapons - swords and shields and spears and many more like them which cannot be named. And they forged armour, too, to protect themselves from whatever terrors they imagined whould be lurking outside their caverns. And once they were armed, each and every Uruk-Hai came up out of the caves in a great mass, shouting and waving their weapons, eager to slay the people of Dragonus.

Nobody was prepared for what was to come next. The Uruk-Hai moved like an awful tide across the land, blotting out the green of the grass, and whatever animal they came across they killed and roasted. They killed many men as they surged across the land, and destroyed their homes as well - they smashed down the gates, topped the towers, poisoned the water and fired arrows into their homes And wherever they went, Death walked with them, so he could harvest the souls of those killed by the Uruk-Hai and take them to the Nether. This was called the Beginning War, and it was the most terrible thing to have ever happened in the world.

When all the people and animals heard of what the Uruk-Hai were doing, they were terrified, for they never imagined that there would be anything that would wish to hurt them. And they all rushed to the foot of the mountain where Dragonus was having His Great Sleep, and they began to wail and pray for him to save them. They called out to the One also, for in the past he had stood against the many enemies of the world to protect them.

"Save us, O Great Dragonus," they cried aloud, "and save us, O One! For the Uruk-Hai are coming on a tide of blood and darkness, and they shall kill us all!"

And almost instantly Dragonus was awake, for He had heard the terrible noise the Uruk-Hai were making as they stormed across the land, destroying and killing everything. And He put His head out of the cave where He had been sleeping, and saw all the people outside His front door, crying to be saved. And the One was among them, for he had heard the people crying as well, and had run to see what the matter was.

Then Dragonus spoke to the people and animals, and His voice was very grave.

"O People and animals of the world I have made, I have heard your pleas, and I would gladly assist you in your trouble. These Uruk-Hai are indeed a most terrible foe, for they intend to destroy all life in this world until there is nothing left in it. It is in my mind, however, that I shall be able to take you away from them, so that they cannot follow and destroy us.

"But heed my words, O my people - this will come at a great price. For I fear that in order to escape from the Uruk-Hai, we shall have to leave behind this world that I have made. But do not despair, for from this Ascension shall come a new world, where you can start anew and not have to fear anything anymore."

"What do you mean, O Great Dragonus?" asked the people and animals. For they did not understand what He was saying.

"Go the the Great Temple, on the very top of this mountain," said Great Dragonus. "And bring two of every kind of animal with you, male and female - the insects, the fish, the birds and the beasts. And I shall show you what I mean."

And so the people did as they were told, and gathered two of every kind of animal there was in the world, from the smallest insect to the biggest oxen. And then they began to climb up the mountain towards the Great Temple, which, as you may remember, was built by men to give thanks to Dragonus after he had made the cure for the Dust Plague. And all the birds flew up after them, and the fish swam up the rivers to the temple as well. And it was a long, long climb.

Then the One turned to Dragonus and asked, "My friend, what is it you wish to do?"

And Dragonus said, "O Gein-Kiir, my plan is this. The Uruk-Hai are many, and their weapons are powerful - no army can stop them. When the people and animals have reaches the Great Temple, I shall lift the land behind and above me onto my back and carry it into the sky, far beyond the clouds. That way, the Uruk-Hai cannot reach them, and they will all be safe."

Just then, the One heard a noise on the horizon, like the roar of a thousand locusts on the wind. And as he listened, he found that it was made of many noises at once - the clash of steel, the creak of terrible war machines, the tramp of armoured feet and the roar of beastly things. And he trembled, deep down in his heart, for he knew it was the Uruk-Hai who were coming, and that they would soon be at the mountain looking for Dragonus.

Then the One realized what he had to do. And he said to Dragonus, "O Dragonus, my greatest friend, I am afraid I must leave you. For the Uruk-Hai are coming fast, and it will take three days and three nights for the people to reach the temple. And because of the love I bear for mankind, because I made them in my image, I cannot stand by and see them perish as this terrible army scales the peak. I shall stay behind and fight them, and perhaps I can delay them for a while so you can escape."

"O Gein-Kiir, do not do this!" cried Dragonus, for He was much afraid. "The Uruk-Hai are too many even for you to fight, and they will surely kill you!"

Then the One smiled, and he took Dragonus's nose in his hands and kissed it, and said, "Praan nu, lot dovah." And Dragonus knew what he meant, and without a word He went back into the mountain where He had been sleeping. Only this time he crawled even deeper into it, to a place that not even the One or anything else in the world had known about, wreathed in a darkness no light could pierce. He pushed His head into it, then His legs, then His wings, then His tail, and it was a terrible struggle, for it was a narrow gap to go through.

While He was doing this, the One turned and saw the Uruk-Hai coming over the hill towards him, armed with their swords and spears and other horrible weapons. And when they saw the one standing there, on his own, they roared at him and gashed their teeth and stamped the ground. For they had grown to loathe all humans and anything that looked like them, although they did not know what the One was at first, and thought he was just another man.

"Where is the dragon, man-thing?" they demanded to know. "Take us to him, so that we can kill him!"

And the One said, very quietly, "You will kill no more today, for I will not let you. Come and fight me, if you can."

Then the One put on his glove of Eastern fire and became the Wrathful, with his six arms and blazing eyes, and leapt amongst the surprised Uruk-Hai. Then there followed a terrible battle, of a kind that has never been in the world afterwards, and the noise of it rang all the way to the Nether, where Death heard it and thought it a great nuisance. And the Wrathful swung his fists again and again, and spat fire from his mouth and screamed like a thing possessed, and many hundreds of the Uruk-Hai were killed. But there was always many hundreds more to take their place, and they were all almost as strong as the Wrathful, and their armour was well-forged. And the battle raged for three days and three nights.

And on the third night, the people and animals had finally reached the top of the mountain, where the Great Temple was. Many of them were tired after the long journey, and went inside to rest and recover. But others stayed outside on the peaks, looking down upon the land where they had just been standing days ago, and could see the light of the Wrathful as he fought against the Uruk-Hai like a cornered bear defending her cubs. Even from where they stood, they could see that he was cut and pierced all over with sword and axe and spear, and his glittering blood was staining the grass beneath his feet. And they began to be afraid for him.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled, and at first the people thought it was some terrible machine the Uruk-Hai had made. But then a most wondrous thing happened - the land all around them began to rise into the air, and it took the forests and mountains, the plains and valleys, and even half an ocean with it. For Dragonus had pushed himself into the roots of the land, and was now lifting it up into the sky on his back, up into the clouds where he knew the Uruk-Hai could not follow. And the last of the old world anyone ever saw was the light of the Wrathful as he fought against the approaching army.

Then, quite suddenly, that light went dim. And as the first peaks broke through the clouds, it faded completely, and was seen no more.

Then all the people and animals wept aloud, and said, "Woe! Woe to us all! The One has surely been killed by the Uruk-Hai, for they are so many! Now we shall never see him again, and who will protect us and be our guide from now on?"

And then, quite suddenly, they heard the voice of Dragonus in their heads. And His voice said, "Not so, O my children! Gein-Kiir has not died, for his spirit is immortal and can never perish! The Uruk-Hai may have destroyed his body, but I sense that his spirit has returned to the Aether to rest and recover from his battle, as he has done before. And someday, O humans and animals alike, someday he shall return to you, though it may not be in your generation, and bring about the age of prosperity and richness that you enjoyed before!"

When the people heard these words they were comforted, for they knew that Dragonus would be there to help them, and that the One was not gone from them forever.

And Dragonus said to them, "Now, my children, we have lost the old world, and that is a terrible shame. But as long as I sleep, you will be safe in this new world upon my back, where no evil can touch you. Perhaps someday, when the world below is no longer full of evil things, I shall awaken and bring you back down to it. But until that day, my children, go forth and build your lives anew upon my back, where I will always watch over you."

And so, as Dragonus had commanded, the people and animals went out and explored the world he had taken onto his back. And they found that he had saved some of their old kingdoms that the Uruk-Hai had not destroyed, and began to start their lives anew from what they could recover or rebuild. And whilst the kingdoms that grew were prosperous and hapy, they would never compare to the days when the One walked the world among them, and there had been no war or fear. 

Old Bruin survived, as did Lord Stag and the Seasons, and many others besides. The Chief who had attacked the First Things was put on trial, and in the end was sent to prison, and a new and wiser Chief put in his place. What became of the terrible Uruk-Hai nobody knows, but nobody has ever seen them or their kind ever again in the world, from that day to this.

And in honour of what Dragonus had done for them, they named the new land they had made after Him - The Kingdom of Dragonus, above the clouds, forever circling the world below.

-------

Notes on the text:

• An interesting note is that, whenever the First Things/Uruk-Hai refer to Dragonus, they do not capitalise the He's etc. that refer to Him. This could be considered a form of disrespect, as it denies His divine power and role in making this world.
• This is one of the most controversial chapters in the Book of the One, due to the way it supposedly portrays the Orc race. "Uruk-Hai" is a defunct word from Ancient Dragonian to denote Orcs of any kind, and the portrayal of the Uruk-Hai as rutheless warriors and killers has been challenged by modern Orc societies as a negative sterotype of their culture. Confusion, however, reigns over wherever "Orc" is a literal translation of the word, as Orcish culture was not fully recorded in the olden times.
• The Orcish Codex preaches that all Orcs were born of Azgoth the Moon Troll, similar to how the Uruk-Hai are depicted in this tale, which is one of the factors that has caused the recent outcry. Since the Uruk-Hai are stated by the Book of the One to be forms of the First Things, however, and not Azgoth's progeny as stated in the Codex, scholars have suggested that the Uruk-Hai in this tale are not Orcs, but a separate race or offshoot of Orcish blood. As there are no Uruk-Hai alive today, we cannot say for certain.
• Another controversy comes from the Drow, and has become a large factor in their religion. Since Death was seen amongst the Uruk-Hai, it is claimed he had set them upon the early Drow to wipe them out, and because of this he has become a satanic figure in Drow religion. This has caused conflict with the One Faith, who state that Death is impartial and neither cruel nor kind, but merely does his appointed task.
• No records of Uruk-Hai exist past AD 12. It is only fair to assume that the species became extinct, most likely due to infighting.
• In some versions of the story, the Chief is replaced with a King or Queen, sometimes a prince or hunter.
• The Great Temple is a real building that exists on the Crested Peaks on the Headlands. The Order of the Dragon practice their worship of Dragonus there, living in isolation in order to achieve enlightenment through practical application of drugs, alcohol and hitting people with a stick.
• The Dovah in this passage reads "Rest Now, Great Dragon."
• Remember those scholars from earlier? Yeah, they were about to publish a theory on the One sacrificing himself for humankind out of love for them. We gently advised them to hold onto their receipts.

Book of the One 2/3 - The Coming of the One

A continuation of the creation myth, again adapted from “Old Father Bindlestein’s Fairy Tales and Fables”. This is the point where most religions on Dragonus begin to divulge - the Barbarian tribes of the Crested Peaks claim that humans were descended from giants, for example, whilst the Drow claim that Dragonus took them from the moon when he saw them growing on it. The Church of Claudandus is a different matter entirely, rejecting the existence of both Dragonus and the One as well as all other godly beings except its own, but that is a discussion for another time.

-------

And now, during that time when Dragonus was having His First Great Sleep, all the animals and birds, insects and fish lived together in the world. For they were all great friends, and did no harm to each other, but ate the grass of the fields. They also lived very long lives, longer than any beast has lived, for Death had not yet come into the world. Many looked very different from what they were now - the snake had many legs, for example, and was the fastest runner in the world. But that, and many others, are stories for another time.

Then it came to pass that, who knows after how long, the sky opened up and something fell out of it, much as Dragonus Himself had done. Only this was not another being like him, but a great shining stone, as large as an ox-cart and made of crystal moonlight. And it fell from the sky faster than even the snake could run and landed at the foot of the Great Mountain where Dragonus was sleeping. And the noise it made was so great that every animal for miles around heard it, and wondered if the sky itself was falling.

When the cool of evening fell, the stone was still there, glowing as brightly as the moon, so that everyone for miles around could see it. And all the animals and birds and insects came to have a look at it, from the smallest sparrow to the biggest bear, from the crawling basilisk to the noble stag. So they all gathered at the foot of the mountain and saw the stone lying there, shining brightly, and wondered what it was and where it could have come from. For from within they could sense something strange about it, something not of the world, much like Dragonus had been to the First Things.

Eventually, Lord Stag said, "I fear that this stone may be dangerous. For its light is so bright it could be harmful, and who knows what other things it could bring here. It does not belong on this world, my friends, and we must do something about it."

Then one of the Council of the Owls said, "If it has fallen out of the sky, surely we should put it back somehow?"

"That is impossible," said Old Bruin, the eldest of the bears."No creature among us has the strength to put it back in the sky."

And then the Drake, who was a very proud and vain creature, stepped forth and said, "In my dreams, I have seen such a stone fall from the sky, and it's light shone upon me so that I could see the whole world. And I saw all the animals and plants bending down, as if pledging their alliegance. I belive, therefore, that this stone is a sign from the Aether that I should become the King of All Animals, and rule in the absence of Dragonus. It is my divine right to do so."

"Divine right?!" snarled Lord Stag, also stepping forth. "You have no right to rule anything, you miserable Drake! You are no more than a selfish glutton who only takes and never gives! Who are you, that you should dare to put yourself above the Maker?"

"Fine words for a grey-muzzled eater of grass," growled the Drake. "But I would hardly expect you to understand. You are only a stag and a cowardly mammal, and thus you only know very little. If you were a dragon or snake, it would be simpler to explain to you!"

Then there was a great commotion amongst all the animals, for there had never been a harsh word between them before, and never had any animal become angry with his friend. Many of them were horrified at what the Drake had said, and stood with Lord Stag in saying the stone was dangerous. But many others ran to his defence, saying that he had foreseen the coming of the stone, and that it was about time they had someone to lead them. And it soon occurred that all the animals had begun arguing amongst themselves, and the noise could be heard from the tops of the mountains to the bottom of the sea.

While all this was happening, Dragonus had been sleeping in His mountain. The noise of the stone landing outside had not disturbed Him from His sleep, and He had not heard the voices of the animals outside His door. But while He was sleeping, He seemed to fall into a deep dream, for He heard in His head a strange noise, like someone weeping. And when He looked, in this dream of His, He saw something before Him, with two arms and two legs that stood upright, like a human child. It shone as thought it were made of stars, the hair on its head woven from the black of night, and was weeping softly into its hands.

When Dragonus saw this, He felt a great curiosity come over Him, for He had never before seen anything such as what stood in front of Him now. And He called to it and said, "O, little one, why is it that you weep? Are you hurt in some way?"

"Not hurt," said the child, "but lost. For I have fallen from my home, and my family have all been taken from me. I do not think I shall ever get back."

"Tell me, O little one," said Dragonus, "what is your name?"

"I have none," said the child. "I was never given one, because my family did not believe in names."

Then Dragonus said, "In that case, I shall call you Gein-Kiir, for in my tongue that means the One. For there was only one of you to come into this world I have made, and you are safe now, for none will hurt you here." And the One, as he was called from then on, looked up at Dragonus and smiled, and his eyes were every color of the rainbow.

Then the noise of the terrible argument came through the mountain, and Dragonus stirred in His sleep. And outside He could hear the noise all the animals were making, from the roar of the Drake to the bellow of Lord Stag to the squeal and shriek and snarl of all the other animals. And He became very afraid, for He knew exactly what it meant.

When the One heard all the noise, he became quite curious and said, "Great Dragon, what is that commotion I hear?"

And Dragonus said, "That, O Gein-Kiir, is all the creatures of the world, that I made from the First Things I found there. And I fear that, in my old age and negligence, I have forgotten to tell them how they should govern themselves, and they now run lawless and chaotic. The noise you hear is some argument over I know not what, and without anything to stop them they may make war with each other."

Then the One smiled and said, "Do not worry, my friend. I shall come out and see them, and perhaps solve their problem for them. This is a good world that you have made, rich and safe, and it would be a terrible shame to see it destroyed by ignorance and anger. If they are without guidance, as you say, then I shall give them guidance, so that they might not undo the good work you have done."

"Go forth, Gein-Kiir," said Dragonus to the One. "Go forth and do what you must."
 
And so it happened that, as the animals argued amongst each other, the stone they stood in front of began to crack down the middle, like a gigantic egg about to hatch. The crack grew larger and larger, with a great light shining through it, until with an awful noise the stone itself burst open, and pieces of it flew in all directions. And one piece flew at the Drake and buried itself in his head, and he fell with such a terrible scream that everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look.

And there, in front of them all, was the One in all his splendor, looking exactly as he did in the dream of Dragonus. And as the animals looked, they saw his strange appearance and his wondrous light, and did not know wherever to be afraid or joyous. And it is said that, there in the clearing, all the animals dropped to their knees and bowed down to the One, something that they never did even to Dragonus. Even the trees and plants seemed to bow down in supplication, for they felt humbled and awed by his presence.

Then the One spoke to them, saying, "My friends, what is the matter? Why do you quarrel so, and over what?" And for a time nobody knew what to say, because they were afraid to speak to him.

But then Lord Stag spoke up, saying, "My Lord, please forgive our transgression. For we saw you fall from the sky, and we did not know if you had come to do good or bad, and we came to see what you were. And then we fell to quarreling, because we could not decide on what was to be done with the stone you came in."

"Do not be so humble," said the One, smiling. "For I am only your friend, and not your master! But it would seem to me that a master is what you need, for you could not come to an agreement on anything in all the time you quarreled."

"That is correct," grunted Old Bruin. "We have no-one to lead us and no laws to follow. We are as directionless as the winds and tides, and what has come of that but the bitter words and bad feelings here? We tire of this lawlessness, and would want someone or something to guide us, so that our lives might be better off."

And then the One said to all the animals, "So be it. Since you desire a leader, I shall give you one. But first, I must set down the laws you must live by, so that you might not be lawless any longer."

And so saying, the One put his hand on the body of the Drake and eased the pain in his head, so that in the end he died quite peacefully. And from the blood of the Drake, it is told, there rose a pale, thin figure, with no eyes and no mouth, and carrying a great sword. He was cloaked in the darkness of the Nether, the place where spirits go when their mortal bodies die, and the ground beneath him turned grey and hard like iron. And all the animals were very frightened of him indeed, and many felt like running away at the sight.

"This," said the One, "is Death. I see that you fear him, and rightly so, for he is a terrible thing. Should you seek to harm this beautiful world in any way, out of spite or malicious intent, he shall seek you out and cut you down for your crime. But he is also to be your helper, for when your bodies grow old and tired, then he shall take your spirits to the Nether, and you shall be born anew into the world."

And Death, without a word, took up his sword and cut the spirit of the Drake from his body. And as Death took the Drake into the Nether, the One said to the animals, "Now, watch closely, and I shall set the laws which you are all to live by."

And so, the One began his work.

Firstly, the One took a cloak made of the Northern winds and put it on, and changed shape into an old man, with a stick to support himself. And dressed so, he went up to the birds, the foxes and the badgers, and many other animals like them, and he sat them down to teach them things. He told the bees how to make hives to live in, the fox and the badger how to dig their burrows in the winter, and the birds how to make their nests. He taught this and many more to the animals, with the promise that they would remember it always, and for this he was called the Wise.

Secondly, the One took a cap made of the Western dew and put it on, and changed shape into a young saytr, with a bounding step and a twinkling smile. And dressed so, he went up to the deer, the dogs and the rabbits, and many other animals like them, and he challenged them all to a race. So they raced many hundreds of times around the forest, and as they ran the legs of the animals grew long and powerful like his, so they ran almost as fast as him. But they never could catch up with him, for he played many a merry trick on them, and for this he was called the Swift.

Thirdly, the One took a glove made of the Eastern fires and put it on, and changed shape into a terrible thing, with six arms and burning eyes. And dressed so, he went up to the wolves and the bears and many other animals like them, and divided the body of the Drake amongst them, saying "Go on - eat as much as you can!" And the animals ate the meat he gave them, and suddenly were filled with power and strength, and the fierce desire to hunt and kill for more meat. And he roared so fiercely along with them that many were terrified, and for this he was called the Wrathful.

Fourthly, the One took a garter made of the South Sea foam and put it on, and changed shape into a fair maiden with flowing hair and beautiful eyes. And dressed so, she went up to the insects and the birds and many other animals like them, and sang a wonderful song for them. And in the song, she spoke of young lambs learning to walk, of fledgelings in the nest and of the joy of raising children. And many animals, like the whale and the cricket, remembered her song, and they still play it to themselves to this day, and for this she was called the Maiden.

Finally, the One closed his eyes and changed shape once more, only this time he became like a newborn babe asleep in its mothers arms. And in this shape, he fell into a deep dream, where he wrote all the new laws of the world in his head and passed them on to the heads of the other animals. He taught that the wolf and deer would be enemies always, that the eagle should build nests in the mountains, and that the fish would swim up the rivers to spawn. And because all these laws came from his head, he was called the Dreamer.

And when that was all done, the One spoke to all the animals, saying: "My friends, you now know all the laws that you must follow, and woe betide any of you if you break them for any reason! Now, as I have promised, I will give you a leader, that you may have someone who can rule over you and govern you fairly, according to the laws I have given you."

Having said this, he reached down into the earth and took from it some of the hard stone of many colors that grows there, and began to make a shape from it, molding and sculpting it with his hands. He gave it arms so that it could hold tools, and feet so that it could walk upright, and a mind very much like his own. In this way, it had the knowledge of the Wise, the joy of the Swift, the power of the Wrathful, the kindness of the Maiden and the imagination of the Dreamer. And as all the animals watched, they saw that the shape he was making was very much like himself, only it did not glow or shine as he did. 

And when he was done, the One put his mouth against the new being's mouth, and he blew life into it so that it would become a living thing. And as the new being woke up and stretched, blinking in the sunlight, the One said to it:

"Your name is Man. Go and rule, with a firm yet just hand."

And so the Man approached the animals, and they followed him out of the woods and away from the mountain. From within the mountain, Dragonus saw what had occurred, and He was very much pleased, for now there was order in the world and everyone could live peacefully. And He said to the One, "For the deeds you have done, and for the gifts you have brought, you are most welcome here, Gein-Kiir! Wander the world at your pleasure, for it is wide and full of things for you to see and do!"

And over time Man would multiply, and build cities from the wood of the forests and the stone of the mountains, and he ruled over all the animals according to the laws the One had written. Then it came to pass that some animals, like the dog and the cat and the horse, came to live with Man and work for him, and were rewarded well for their service. And whenever anyone, human or animal, had a problem or quarrel, they looked for the One, for even as he wandered the world to see all it had to offer, he was never too far away to lend his help to anyone.

And so it was for thousands of years.

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Notes on the text:

• Debate rages as to what exactly the so-called origins of the One were, if it was a real being. Those of the scientific bent claim he was an alien life-form who had crash-landed on Porphyrion, and the dialogue between him and Dragonus hints he may be a survivor of some great war between beings from other planets. Particularly pious men cast doubt on this theory, as it questions the sanctity of their primary deity - some sects of the One Faith outright shun the idea.
• The characters of Old Bruin, Lord Stag and the Council of the Owls reappear in the Tales of the One, as friends or enemies of the One in his adventures. It is unclear wherever these are the same characters or their descendants.
• In some versions of the tale, the Drake is replaced by a unicorn, as there are no unicorns left on Dragonus yet plenty of Domestic Drakes. Others use a lion, oxen or an equally fierce animal.
• "Gein-Kiir" is the first known instance of the Dovah language, spoken only by dragons. It is the name given to the One by Dragonus, and literally means "One Child" - apt, considering the One's childlike form. Although there is no prohibition or taboo in using the Gein-Kiir name, it is usually replaced by the One in most holy texts, in the same way Judaism substitutes the LORD in place of Yaweh or Jehovah. In this adaptation of the text, only Dragonus refers to the one with the Gein-Kiir name, using it as a term of affection.
• It is here that we are introduced to the Five Aspects of the One, the central belief of the One Faith. It is similar to the Holy Trinity of Catholicism in that each different being is an aspect of the One, a shape taken by him to represent different things. Each one bears a symbolic article of clothing that represents something about that aspect. The base form of the One itself is acknowledged as the creator of Mankind, but otherwise not referred to much.
• The Wise represents Ice, Knowledge and Patience. He is spoken of as a teacher, especially in fables and parables. His symbol is a cloak and staff.
• The Swift represents Wind, Youth and Mischief. He features in many of the Tales of the One as a trickster, similar to Br'er Rabbit or Anansi. His symbol is a cap.
• The Wrathful represents Fire, Anger and War. He features as a destroyer of evil who bravely battles his enemies, yet invokes fear in even his friends. His symbol is a glove.
• The Maiden represents Water, Love and Fertility. Images of her are placed in hospital maternity wards as a comfort to mothers. Her symbol is a garter.
• The Dreamer represents Imagination and Free Will, and is worshiped as the source of all ancient writing. His symbol is a quill pen, for he "wrote" the laws of the world, albeit in his head.
• The act of the One breathing life into the man has recently been the subject of a short-lived debate as to the origin of love. Some scholars claimed that the lip-to-lip contact between them, primarily associated with the One's unconditional love for his creation, was then passed down through the ages as kissing, symbolizing romantic love. Other scholars posited another theory: What a load of bunk. The first lot of scholars fell silent in short order. It just goes to show - people can and will read too much into things.

Book of the One 1/3 - How Dragonus Made The World

This tale, detailing the creation myth of Dragonus, was taken from the Gold Anniversary publishing of “Old Father Bindlestein’s Fairy Tales and Fables”, adapted from the Book of the One. Many different translations from the original Dragonian text exist, some omitting or adding details, but the one featured in the aforementioned biblical text is the version most frequently recited at gatherings of the One Faith. Those wishing to indulge curiosity about other religions and myths, such as those preached by the Church of Claudandus, may be directed to "Mythes and Legendes for the Curious Mind" by Gloria Varrus, found in all good bookshops.

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Long ago, in the very beginning, there was nothing. There was no sun or moon, no stars in the sky. There were no hills or valleys, no deserts or forests or oceans. There were no plants or trees, no insects or beasts or birds. In the very beginning, the sky was grey and lifeless, and the land was flat and barren. And instead of animals, horrid shapeless things lived on the land, sucking the moisture from the air and slithering blindly over each other. These were the First Things, born from the barren Earth itself, and they were so numerous they covered the whole world.

Then it came to pass that, who knows after how long, the sky itself opened up, and there came a great Being, unlike any that had come before. He was like a mighty Dragon in shape, yet so much bigger, for His wings scraped the sky as He flew, and His shadow blotted out the world. He was Dragonus, the Maker, for He had been born in the fire and wind of the Aether, that great void where all spirits are born from. And His eyes shone like great torches and illuminated the early world.

When the First Things saw Dragonus, coming down from the clouds, they cowered in fear. For they could see how majestic and powerful He was, and were ashamed to be in His presence, ugly and formless as they were. And when He first landed upon the world they screamed in terror, for they thought He had come to rip them to shreds and devour them. And they began to crawl away in fright, wishing to escape him, and many of them burrowed under the earth to the Caverns of Solitude, where they spent their days wallowing in shame and self-pity. These Things would eventually come back to the world as the Uruk-Hai, and wreak the worst destruction of all, but that is a story for another time.

When Dragonus saw the First Things, He was filled with pity for them, for they were so miserable and wretched. And He called to them with His great voice, like a gong of brass, saying, "O small and frightful things, why do you flee from me? I do not wish to harm you, for I feed only on light and heat, and have no desire to kill such small and helpless things!"

And those First Things that had stayed behind heard His voice, and stopped trying to escape, for they now knew He would not hurt them. But still they feared Him for He was so big and powerful, and spoke to him saying:

"O mighty beast, we do not flee from you because we fear you will harm us. We flee from you because you are so mighty, and we are ugly and misshapen things. We do not deserve to be in your presence, for we are ashamed of ourselves and the world we live in, even though it is all we have to call our own."

"Nonsense!" said Dragonus as He looked upon the flat and barren world in front of Him. "It is not right that you should be so miserable, and all this world should be so flat and lifeless, when the universe is so full of wonderful things! It is in my mind that I should take this world and make something out of it, so that it might be like a jewel in the cosmos."

"What can you do to change this world, O Great Dragon?" asked the First Things. And they were filled with wonder, for they had never heard of anything that could do such things.

"Watch and see, O First Things!" cried Dragonus. "Behold what power I have, and how I can change you and this world for the better! I shall give you new forms, so that you need not be ashamed of yourselves, and give you a new world carved from the old, so that you will be happy always."

And so Dragonus spread His wings, so that they touched the sky, and lifted into the air to begin His work.

First, He beat His great wings and blew a wind upon the grey mist above, so that it all parted to reveal the sky above. And in that wind were the clouds formed from the mist, all packed together so that they would not cover everything as they once did. And that is how His Wings made the sky.

Second, He took a deep breath and spat a great Fire into the sky, so that it lit up all the world. And when it reached the highest it could go, it became a great shining ball that began to crawl lazily across the sky, so that sometimes the world was in light and warmth, and at other times in darkness and cold. And that is how His Fire made the sun, the night and the day.

Third, He took from His body Scales of shining silver, the like of which is not found in the world today. And He threw them up into the Sky, so that they stuck to it and glimmered, and a scale from His great belly grew shining white and began to crawl across the sky. And that is how His Scales made the moon and the stars.

Fourth, He unfurled His mighty Tail and began to beat it upon the earth below him, with great strength. And wherever it struck it pushed the earth downwards or upwards, forming mountainous peaks or great valleys. And sometimes it swept the land, forming flat plains or deserts instead. And that is how His Tail made the earth.

Fifth, He blinked His great eyes, and let his Tears fall from them. And wherever these Tears landed, clear water gushed up from beneath the earth and formed mighty pools. Some flowed down from the mountains and formed rivers to feed these pools, and little by little the pools grew bigger and bigger, until they formed lakes and oceans. And that is how His Tears formed the water.

Finally, he blew a gentle Breath along the new world below him. And wherever His Breath touched the earth, the first grasses and trees sprouted and grew, and the first flowers bloomed. And when His Breath touched the First Things, they began to change shape and take on marvellous new forms. Some grew wings and became birds, flapping their way into the sky. Some grew small and became the first insects. Some grew legs and became the first beasts of the land. And others grew fins and became the first fish. And that is how His Breath formed the plants and animals.

Then Dragonus, the Maker, said to the animals and birds, "Look, I have made this world for you to live in, so that you will no longer be miserable. Rejoice, First Things, and play in this gift I have given you!"

And the animals and birds and fish and insects all gave thanks to Dragonus, and went away to play on the land and in the sky and in the sea. And in those days all the animals lived for a very long time, and were all good friends with each other and ate. The wolf was friends with the deer, the salmon was friends with the bear and the weasel was friends with the basilisk. It would be a long time before many of these friendships would be brought to an end, and the One would write the new laws of the world, but that is a story for another time.

And so Dragonus yawned and flew away, for He was very tired, and found a cave many leagues deep in the side of a mountain. And He crawled into it and went to sleep, the first of his many Great Sleeps to come.

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Some notes on the text:

• "First Things" is not the accurate translation from the Dragonian - the proper word would be "First Ones." It is assumed the change was made to differentiate the First Things from the One, the central deity of the One Faith alongside Dragonus.
• "Aether" is just one of the possible translations from the original text - the word can also mean void, or nothing, and is also the Dragonian term for outer space. Aether is often spelt as "Ether" in some translations.
• Whilst the Caverns of Solitude exist as a real place, many take it to be a euphamism for Hell. This is debatable, as the One Faith usually avoids depictions or mentions of Hell or satanic figures.
• Some scholars argue that it was the Claws, and not the Tail, that shaped the world. This is due to confusion over wherever the original word translates into one or the other.
• Some translations, especially in Drow culture, omit the scale of the belly being made into the moon. To the Drow, the belly of a dragon is an unclean place, and it is the one portion of it they will not eat. Associating it with the moon, their primary god-figure, would not be a wise move!
• Unlike the Behemoth and Leviathan of Christianity, the Basilisk is an actual creature on Porphyrion. It is noted for its virulent poison despite its diminutive size.