Prologue: Origins Of The Great Family
I am known as The Great Dragon. There much that is not taught to our commonfolk within the inner and outer continents. A past intentionally hidden to prevent conflict within our plane. Let me tell you about the true bloody history of The Ancient Dragon and our Great Family.
I was born into a family between five branches of the same lineage. Our entire lineage ruled the inner continent and dominated the outerlands. We were known across the inner and outer continents as “The Great Family”. As a youngling I quickly learned the teachings of the Ancient Family Head: “Only my most loyal and devoted family will have my blessing and have earned the right to lead the rest of the other four draconic lineages of my bloodline”. We followed this rule even after his natural-death. However, after a few hundred years, the family head’s teachings became bastardised. Leading the family to a better future turned into simply controlling the family. Once a single branch was in control, it wouldn’t take long for another to despise those in power and seek to overthrow them by any means. War had become our way of life within The Great Family.
As I grew from my youthful years, I had never known a peace like my father did. He grew up, matured, and became our Branch Leader, all while the Ancient Family Head was still alive. He had also taught me our place as Dragons in the world. To maintain order and prevent chaos, even beyond our very own species. He always told me and the other younglings within our branch the stories of peace before the passing of the Ancient Family Head. After his death, our branch became the only one that tried to continue our role as protectors of the plane. I had seen countless wars between the branches for power and control, but our family never joined the fight. Curious, I questioned our Branch Leader as to why. That is when I learned my family’s greatest secret, passed down from the Ancient Dragon himself. The Ancient Dragon had originally come from the outerlands and was born with unnatural abilities. He was revered as a god during his prime. Our Branch was the Ancient Heads Original Branch. This secret being revealed would cause a disaster greater than the warring over the five branches, as the other four always claimed they were the true descendants to the Ancient himself.
A Millenia had passed since learning of our secret. During this time I began to train under our Branch’s Counsel alongisde my Father to become our Branches new leader. During my training, the current branch in control of the family became the longest to ever hold the position. There were hundreds of wars but they always were able to hold their own. During a period of recuperation between the branches to recover from the latest war, our cousins in power did the unthinkable. They declared war on another Family not in power. Our branch, my Family, for never joining the fight. They claimed cowardice and that we were not following the teachings of our Ancient Family Head. They risked control for pride.
We had no choice but to respond. We were cornered politically but gave every opportunity we could to show that we did not want to fight. Our Branch Leader went alone to try and talk our way out. Although my Uncle, one of the members on our Family Council, did try to stop him. Father died trying to push for a diplomatic solution. We learned he chose to not fight back his executioners. Initially he tried to run but eventually stood ground and chose to die for what he believed in. To them, it showed weakness, for us it was honour. Our entire Branch immediately felt the absence of his leadership. Following the line of succession, I became the new heir. However, I was unready as my training was incomplete and we did not have time to mourn my Fathers death. With the backing of my Uncle who understood the same pain as I, we pushed to join the war. The rest of the council within our branch did not agree with the motivations to join the war, but they did agree that we should not be wiped out due to the arrogance of our cousins. With our Family united, we began to fight back. This even became known as as the War of Annihilation
What no other branch expected, was the sheer ferocity at which we would defend our Family’s name. In only a year, we had nearly wiped out the entirety of our cousin’s branch that stood for hundreds of millennia. Claiming control of all the Branches in the family. It was only after our showing, I realized my mistake. There was always debate as to who were the direct descendants of the Ancient Dragon, until our display of power. That was enough for the remaining survivors and the other three branches to unite against us. For the first time since the Ancient Family Head was alive, the majority of the branches stood together. I simply wanted to maintain my Family’s existence, that’s at least what I told myself back then. However, after my Fathers death, I was filled with nothing but arrogance and rage.
It was a drawn out but one sided war, we were able to slaughter everyone who tried to destroy our lineage. Those who fled were hunted down and shown no mercy, like my Father. When they were caught and executed, they were burned by my flame. A flame that burned bright and hotter than anyone in our Branch, a flame fueled by rage. The flame used for their execution was that of my own. I only learned then the true weight of why my Father never declared war. The world was now struggling to stay alive. The inner continent was once full of life but was now ravaged by war. Some parts were frozen and shattered, others plagued by toxins and unnatural storms, while some of the lands were burnt to a crisp by various fires. Wherever the Great Family fought, the presence of our destruction was apparent.
After the War Of Annihilation, we were the last Branch within The Great Family. I planned for our Branch to live out the rest of our days serving our greater purpose as Dragons and to bring peace like my Fathers stories of old. However our Branches council did not believe in my rule and thought they were more deserving to lead the last remaining branch over the previous leader’s son. At the same time, being the last remaining family was not enough for my Uncle. He had gotten a taste for blood like many had within our Branch and wanted to purge the outerlands Dragons. Not wanting anymore fighting, I tried to plead with my Uncle for us to focus on restoring the Inner Contents. The council learned of my uncles desire for blood and put aside their disdain for me to try and stop this brewing conflict. Although no matter what we said or did, it was not enough.
A civil war broke out within the last remaining Branch, the ones who joined my Uncle merely wanted to keep spilling blood after getting a taste of war. Those who wanted to protect the world and therefore our mere existence, sided with me. During the civil war, we almost went extinct and the realm was pushed further into chaos. I did not want to murder any more family but my Uncle left me no choice. It was only after he wiped out most of our remaining family, even those who followed him, that I had to burn him down. After killing my Uncle, no one stood to oppose me. Those who had survived the conflict named me “The Great Dragon”.
The very few of us who were still alive, agreed to intentionally keep the past branches names and lineages hidden as we rebuilt. It was during this time, the Dragons from the Outerlands learned of our conflict and had arrived seeking their own fight to claim the innerlands. However, the leaders from the Outerlands were not as threatening as they posed. It only took a single one of us from The Great Family, in a single battle, to wipe out all of their Leaders. The remaining ambassadors and successors made a plea with me, The Great Dragon, to secure their existence. Needing new blood to help restore our lands, I agreed.
Since the Civil War, thousands of millennia have passed. There are now nine branches that safeguard the peace and maintain balance within our plane. Following my fathers principles he died believing in. And I, The Great Dragon, the last Dragon of the five branches, keeps watch above them all.
To this very day, I regret not following in my Fathers footsteps. Finally when I did, it was already too late.
-Special Thanks To Rival
