Birth Signs

**Birth Sign Magic** is a form of magic gifted to every dragon in the realms that, with the right training, can be unlocked to allow the being in question to willing command several specific powers. There are fourteen different forms of Birth Sign Magic, each unique to one of the fourteen years that make up a Cycle. Each one of the fourteen years are named after one of the first 14 Elemental Animuses, beginning with the Year of Deragoth, Animus of Darkness, and followed by 6 of Deragoth's children: Arc ( The Beast), Krill (The Fish), Origen (The Naturist), Jixie (The Charmer), Lynx (The Prowler) and Radin (The Barbarian) before reaching the year of Deragoth's wife and counterpart, Lytharin, Animus of Light, followed by the last 6 of Lytharin and Deragoth's children: Rhaine (The Weather Changer), Aura (The Healer), Lantern (The Fire Starter), Arnock (The Time Turner), Harkin (The Bird) and, finally, T'zech (The Reptile) before circling back to the year patroned by the constellation of Deragoth. A child born during any particular year will gain the year's patron spirit's power, although not all will even *attempt* to learn their inherited magic.

However, though magic from someone's actual birth sign comes most naturally (except in the case of Time Turning, the most difficult Birth Sign Magic to master), anyone can learn more than one branch of magic, though it is very difficult to branch out into forms of magic other than their born magic, and very few do so. Those who do though, train their entire lives and, if they succeed, become what the world has come to know as Elemental Sorcerers and Sorceresses.

## History

Centuries ago, when the world was still young, the the stars gifted two separate dragons with Animus Powers, creating the very first Animus Dragons, one for light, the other for darkness, making the two direct opposites in power. These dragons were Deragoth, Animus of Darkness, and Lytharin, Animus of Light. It was a turbulent time, for as the two great dragons clashed in the path of magic, so too did the dragons of the world, born either under the Dark Constellation Sign like Deragoth, Dark-borns, who, like Deragoth, could harness the powers of darkness, or the Light Constellation Sign like Lytharin, Light-borns, who wielded powers over light. The two sides ravaged the world with wars — each battling fiercely for dominance and each more darker and bloodier than the last. This era, of course, ended many years ago — precisely one thousand, four hundred and seventy-seven years ago — and would become known as the Era of Chaos, or **O**.**C**. and was eventually followed by several eras which eventually lead to the current era, the Era of Balance, or **O**.**B**.. The reason for this end and the ushering of the new era began when the inconceivable happened: Lytharin and Deragoth fell in love. But, being so different to each other — complete opposites, in fact — they continued to clash. But they loved each other so deeply and found that, in order to remain together, had to strike a balance. Thus began the Era of Balance. The new tolerant era soon saw the end of the wars that plagued the ancient world. Completely in love and at peace with each other, Deragoth and Lytharin had twelve dragonets; six sons and six daughters. These children, along with their parents, became the founders of the fourteen paths of Birth Sign magic that we know today. And twelve more birth signs came into existence. The animuses were eventually immortalized in the stars, each having a constellation for themselves. According to legend, Deragoth, Lytharin and their children each became elemental spirits and continue to watch over the world to this day.

Over the years, as dragonkind advanced, many dragon began drifting away from the spirits, leaving the magic bestowed upon them untapped, with most dragons nowadays going their entire lives without knowing their hidden magical abilities and it began to cause many to believe normal Animus powers to be the only. Now, in the dragon world, each year is dedicated to one of the fourteen spirits, who impart those born in that year with some of their magic. There is a precise order in which the spirits alternate their blessings. And since there are fourteen spirits, it takes precisely fourteen years to get through them, and this is what those who study magic call the Cycle.

## Birth Signs

Each one of the fourteen years of the cycle is named after one of the fourteen Elemental Spirits' constellations. The years and the powers gained from them are the following: