Eastern dragons

**SPOILERS: A DAY OF FALLEN NIGHT (in the last part of "History")**

**Eastern dragons**, or simply dragons, are long, serpent-like creatures native to the East, where they are sacred and seen as gods. According to legend, they descended from the stars thousands of years ago and derived from sterren, as opposed from western dragons, who derives from siden. When their power is at it's highest, after the coming of the Long-haired Star, they are able to use many kinds of abilities, such as changing their form, making dreams and illusions as well as calling great storms, rain and lightning. As the Eastern dragons have a strong affinity for water, they often choose to sleep in bodies of water, which also heals them.

## Physical decriptions

In *The Priory of the Orange Tree,* Tané describes dragons like this: "Their size were breathtaking.---Impossibly long bodies held up their splendid heads, and they each had four muscular legs." Those of the dragons that dwell in the sea often possesses ringed sucker marks, from quarrels with greatsquid. Most dragons do not possess wings, those who do being at least two thousand years old. Dragons to not hear well on land, alike to how humans hear badly in water.

A dragon may make a pearl once in their lifetime, in a special pouch located beneath their chin. They are able to fly thanks to an bruise-colored organ on the top of their heads, the *crest* or the *crown,* and are said to move in the air as if they were light as paper. According to Nayimathun, the crown represents where they struck the seabed thousands of years ago.

## Types of dragons

### Seiikinese dragons

Seiikinese dragons are described as having silvery hides and lithe, whip-like forms with long barbels swirling from their faces. They possess three toes and mostly resides in the sea, though many slept through the Long Slumber in lakes throughout Seiiki.

### Lacustrine dragons

Lacustrine dragons are described as having thicker bodies than their Seiikinese counterparts, and four toes. Their dwellings of choice are the many lakes of the Lacustrine Empire.

### Sepuli dragons

Sepuli dragons are bearded, with four toes. As they prefer fresh, running water, most of them chose to reside on riverbeds and near waterfalls during the Long Slumber. Their scales may appear like polished iron.

## History

When the dragons first arrived in Seiiki, it's people drew them away out of fear. According to the legend, the Snow Maiden, or Snow-walking Maiden was the only one to have seen their beauty. She mourned them dearly and wandered the the cliffs of west Seiiki, Uramyesi, and sing of her sorrow to the sea. One day, she saved a bird and mended it's wing. The bird turned out to be Kwiriki, foremost and greatest of all Seiikinese dragons, in bird form. When he had strength to turn back to himself, he gave the Maiden one of his horns, out of which the Rainbow Throne of Seiiki was carved. She became the first Queen of Seiiki, founded the House of Noziken, and had proven to him that humans could be kind and gentle, earning his friendship, which began the mutual respect between dragonkind and the Seiikinese.

The first Lacustrine dragonrider was known as Lightbearer, or later Carrier of Light. There been significant disagreements over the identity of the Lightbearer, resulting in them being portrayed in many different ways throughout the centuries. Rumours even say that they may have been a shapeshifter. The Lightbearer founded the city of Pagamin and the Lacustrine royal family, the House of Lakseng, claims descent from them.

The origin story of the Sepuli royal house begin with Harkanar, who was said to have grown from the mislaid bone of a dragon. She chased the dragon for twenty years, and when she finally caught the dragon's attention the two founded the Queendom of Sepul. Since then, women had always ruled the peninsula in honour of its first Queen.

During CE 248, the dragons started to retreat to their lakes and went into the Long Slumber, from which they didn't wake until CE 510, when Dumai of Ipyeda woke the Seiikinese dragons. Soon, the dragons of Sepul and the Empire of the Twelve Lakes woke as well. After the coming of the great comet and the death of Dumai, Kuposa pa Nikeya, as the First Warlord of Seiiki, made a new treaty with the Seiikinese dragons. She instituted a training program that allowed orphaned children the chances to become dragonriders, if they trained hard enough. During the two centuries leading up to the events of *The Priory of the Orange Tree* the dragons powers lessened and no new dragons hatched. There were also the overhanging danger of the Golden Empress, the pirate queen who deals in the illegal trade of dragonflesh.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Priory of the Orange Tree, page 27.
2. ↑ The Priory of the Orange Tree, page 55.
3. ↑ A Day of Fallen Night, pages 301, 313, 331