Namoz Dragonking

*You are right here in your story. Don't skip ahead.*
Massie Burnson, *The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner*, p. 32
**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR *PRINCE LANDER & THE DRAGON WAR* ARE AHEAD; CAUTION IS ADVISED.**

## Namoz Dragonking

Namoz confronting Whitson on Barren Point.

## Book information

### Mentioned

• *The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner*
• *Ember Falls*

**N****amoz Dragonking** was the leader of the dragons in the time of Whitson Mariner and Lander.

## Biography

### *The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner*

The dragon king was absent, along with most of his followers, when *Vanguard* was wrecked off the coast of Grimble Island. The dragons remaining on the island, after killing Lord Grimble and most of his followers, sent the lone survivor to Whitson's party. He brought the warning that the dragons were going to reunite with their king, who would return with them to enslave Whitson's rabbits.

### *Prince Lander & the Dragon War*

**Whitson Mariner**: She does not exist for my convenience, Namoz.

**Namoz**: But she does exist for your inconvenience? You take on burden after burden--the unfathered younglings and the deathwives, who all take food and demand protection. Our deathwives are burned with their dead mates as reason demands. But you keep them on into old age! The act of a foolish child. The adult must crush the pet and call the hatchlings back--beating those who won't obey. I must teach you the way, Whitson Underking. You do not live for them; they live for you. You must give your son's blood to me. He will die, but you will live. And if you will drink this cup, you will live on and on, forever.

—*Prince Lander & the Dragon War*, p. 197-198 |  | ”

Despite Captain Grimble's failure, Namoz gifted him and his followers Grimble Island as a place to establish their settlement and fought alongside them against Whitson's loyalists among the Trekkers. As part of this arrangement, the Grimbles were periodically required to offer up half of their younglings as a sacrifice to the dragons. Namoz took part in at least one attack on Lener's Crossroads, during which he killed Prince Davis Whitson. It would be a number of years before Namoz and Whitson encountered each other again, but the Dragonking's allies and minions would continue to plague the rabbits who refused to submit to his rule.

After saving a number of younglings intended for sacrifice to the dragons, Lander Whitson predicted that Namoz would react with rage. When Grimble and Whitson met on Barren Point, Grimble cited his alliance with Namoz as a source of power, whereas Whitson condemned him as Namoz's slave and expendable to the reptilian monarch. Namoz himself emerged from the River Fay during the supposed "peace summit" and ordered Grimble to assist the sorcerer and priestess accompanying him. Detecting the presence of Lander, Namoz ordered him to emerge unless he wished his father to be killed.

Having already made the offer to Grimble, Namoz gave Whitson the chance to achieve supposedly eternal life by allowing the blood of his firstborn to be added to a mixture prepared by the sorcerer and priestess. Reproving Whitson for his many acts of kindness and compassion, which he saw as foolishness, Namoz invited Whitson to live forever and join Grimble in serving under him. Whitson refused, but Grimble accepted the mixture only to be overcome with pain, a sight that amused Namoz. The dragon king expressed disappointment, having apparently hoped that he could "elevate" rabbits to the ways of the dragons.

Namoz proclaimed his intent to support Grimble in wiping out Whitson's faction, despite the fact that Grimble had seemingly perished after partaking of the deathbrew. Joined by his sorcerer and priestess, Namoz uttered an incantation that seemingly revived the treacherous lord, now transformed into a monstrous fusion of rabbit and dragon. Perturbed, Namoz questioned his sorcerer, and learned that Grimble's metamorphosis was incomplete because his daughter Hollie Grimble had only had her blood taken for the ritual, not her life. He thus became determined that she should die in hopes of completing Grimble's "evolution" but was opposed by Whitson and Lander.

Drawing his sword, Namoz advanced on the rabbit royals, inadvertently creating an opening for Grimble to fire a crossbow bolt at Hollie. Whitson intervened, suffering a mortal wound in the process, while many of Namoz's dragons emerged from the surrounding waters. Namoz then broke Lander's sword but was unable to stop the fleeing rabbits from escaping using a mechanism built into their boat. Namoz looked on as his dragons followed them across the water and overwhelmed Lander's smaller force. Utterly contemptuous of his foes, Namoz ordered Grimble's fighters to join in the already one-sided battle before departing by boat with Grimble Halfdragon.

Contrary to Namoz's expectations, Lander's party was not wiped out, as help arrived aboard the vessel *Steadfast*. Namoz, meanwhile, continued with his plans of conquest, summoning the entirety of his armies from throughout western Natalia. He and a large force of his best fighters, including Grimble, entered into Dragon Mountain and took part in rituals in anticipation of their intended march to conquer the world. These included preparing the dragon seeds, which would give Namoz an army a thousand times greater than what he already commanded and the means, as he thought, to conquer every adversary.

In the midst of these efforts, the rabbits of Natalia-except for Grimble's remaining loyalists-launched a surprise attack on the dragons massed outside the mountain. Reinforced by allies from distant Kingston and Terralain, Lander-now king of Whitson's party-slaughtered Namoz's minions. However, he and his exhausted comrades were dismayed as Namoz led his elite forces out from Dragon Mountain, having aimed to slay the dragon king along with his evil followers. As Lander, badly wounded, trudged forward to meet him, Namoz discarded his robe and crown and belted on his favored sword, having already tied another to his back.

Namoz mocked Lander as they stood facing one another, informing him of what he had been doing within the mountain and what he intended. Brave and defiant, Lander refuted the dragon king's pronouncements, and Namoz drew both his weapons in preparation for their duel. To his surprise, Lander charged, and used the legendary Stone Sword of Flint to cut through both of Namoz's weapons. Then, seeing Lander apparently aiming a blow at his middle, Namoz drew it back only for the weapon to take off his head instead. His fall dismayed his remaining followers, and they soon perished or fled in the face of Lander's jubilant army.

### *Ember Falls*

The dragon king's reputation was intact over a hundred years after his demise, though most rabbits believed him to be mere myth or legend. When Bleston revealed himself as a traitor to the Cause, Heather reviled him by comparing him to the dragon king.

## Physical appearance

As a dragon, Namoz towered over rabbits. He typically wore a black robe or cape, an armband upon his right arm, and a necklace decorated with a number of ornaments. He would also wear a sword if he were going into battle, and during his final confrontation with Lander wore a second blade across his back.

## Personality and traits

**Namoz Dragonking**: We do not stoop to your pathetic customs. We have tried to raise you up to ours. But you are a troublesome kind and perhaps should be wiped out entirely.

**Whitson**: You have only begun to see how troublesome we can be.

—*Prince Lander & the Dragon War*, p. 205 |  | ”

Namoz typically spoke using the royal we-he referred to himself as "we" rather than "I", and so forth. He regarded his subjects and rabbit allies as his property, to die or be disposed of as he saw fit. Even the death of many of his dragons at the hands of Lander's forces served only, in his own words, to amuse him. In his mind, the dragons' barbaric culture was enlightened, and the rabbits of Whitson and Lander's company were, at best, as foolish children. He therefore sought to educate them and help them embrace the ways of his species, in spite of opposition from his own council.

Namoz also sought to cement the dragons' dominion over not only Natalia, but their entire world. Arrogant and prideful, he was confident that his kind was capable of achieving this, regardless of whatever enemies might oppose them. In battle, Namoz wielded a "long, notched blade" with considerable speed and strength. This weapon was able to break a sword wielded by Lander, though Whitson and Lander's sword together were previously able to successfully block it. During his final confrontation with Lander, Namoz made use of a second blade; however, it and his original sword were no match for the starsword.

## Relationships

### Grimble Halfdragon

Namoz was willing to accept Captain Grimble as an ally, and the two worked together in waging war against Whitson Mariner's following. Seeking to cement Grimble's loyalty to the dragons and fulfill his own ambitions of raising rabbitkind to the same "standard" as dragonkind, Namoz orchestrated a ritual to bring about Grimble's transformation into a dragon. Despite apparently seeing Grimble as a useful minion, Namoz showed amusement at the agony this process brought to the rabbit. As Whitson correctly deduced, Namoz saw Grimble as his property, little different from any other dragon or rabbit under his authority. He did welcome Grimble into the rituals performed by his elite guard, but after seeing Namoz fall Grimble quickly fled with the speed granted him by his fallen master.

### Whitson Mariner

Namoz and Whitson were known to have met on at least one occasion before Whitson's final battle, and Namoz was able to recognize his rabbit foe even years afterwards. As he had done with Grimble, he sought to convert Whitson to his service and "cure" him of his sentimental attitudes.

### Lander Whitson

**Namoz**: You will be broken this day.

**Lander**: Maybe so.

—*Prince Lander & the Dragon War*, p. 292 |  | ”

Namoz had as little regard for Lander as he did for most rabbits and was of the opinion that Whitson should regard his son's existence as being for Whitson's own benefit. When Lander took charge of Whitson's party after his father's death, Namoz dismissed him and his followers contemptuously and didn't even remain at hand to witness their expected destruction. After Lander led an attack that wiped out much of Namoz's army, Namoz spoke confidently and belittled Lander's efforts. Lander's cool attitude during this exchange apparently rankled Namoz, who prepared to face the young king in battle. He was caught off guard by Lander's charge and by his weapon, though his surprise-and his life-soon ended.

## References

1. ↑ *Prince Lander & the Dragon War*, p. 206

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