The Creation of Halintar

Throughout all known history, Halintar has always been ruled by six wise, ancient beings known as the Dragon-Gods. The myths state that when the land was new and fresh, and after the Great Asgorath breathed mortal life onto the soil, that his children Bahamut and Tiamat crafted the six immortal dragons to guide and rule over the rest of the continent.

Below is an exerpt from the Book of Ages, detailing the creation of the Primary and Secondary Dragon-Gods.

Eons ago, when the world was free from mortal toil…

When the land was lush and pure, untainted by time and untarnished by the whims of the wicked. The great one, Asgorath, came upon the unshaped continent with delight; an empty canvas, ready to bask in the blessings of life. With the beat of their mighty wings, they breathed the lifeblood of the cosmos into the land- all men, and beasts, all mighty trees and humble crops, all towering mountains and cradled valleys. With the grace of Their Creation the vast region of Halintar was born.

But the birth of such a massive landscape was no easy feat, even for a great god such as They. In their departure they left their two children in their wake- the noble Bahamut, shimmering prismatic god; and the tyrannous Tiamat, the vicious chromatic queen. Before the death of Vorel the sibling dragons were wiser towards their progenitor. The Great One advised that the two deities divide the land into six, with three greater rulers and three lesser ones, each embracing different mortal values to inspire peace among the living.

However, this agreement did not come as easily as it sounds. The two fought for the third main portion, ravaging the northeastern desert landscape and littering it with blood and scale. Within their wake blossomed glorious oases, glimmering with deity-like potential. After six days of gruesome dueling, Bahamut claimed his victory, basking in the merciless heat. But being the noble of the two, he allowed his sister to create one of the greater deities and two of the lesser ones, despite his hard-earned victory.

And so, the time came to bestow upon the land a league of draconic royalty to guide the mortals. With the powers vested in them by Asgorath, the two dragons crafted gods in their own glorious images.

The first of these leaderly deities to be borne was the silver-scaled Ornhurthi, with scales of blinding mirrors and eyes a piercing gold. With such a noble physique and a gaze that thirsted for justice, Bahamut granted her domain over the proud peaks of the Great Northwest. These mountains curl around the encompassed settlements, fortifying them as the lawfulness of the silver dragons shall guide the mountain peoples.

Second came the child of the desert, the brass-scaled Aurajrygat. This feisty dragon, affected by the oases of the sands and the whimsy of the dunes, resolved that the mortals should embrace the chaos of freedom, but hold fast to the goodness in their souls as well. His brass scales reflected the riches of the Northeastern Badlands into the eyes of the prosperous mortals who braved the desert storms.

And third, the primary ruler representing Tiamat. For many months she toiled, aiming to create a beast in her own image. But despite her efforts no beat of her own blood could ever emit the aura she seeked so ferverously. And with her rivalry against her brother her pride would never allow her to ask for aid. In her rage, she tore apart much of the southern lands, exposing richer soil and allowing water to mix it into swamplands.

This is when Vorel, the silent beauty and First Child of Asgorath, arrived. She was not sent by the Creator- no, she came of her own will, curious about the progress of her siblings. Oblivious to the scheming ways of her sister, she witnessed her troubles and lent her a rare, helpful claw. Vorel provided tears for Tiamat’s formula, altering the hue of the scales of the idols as well as their abilities.

The major chromatic dragon of the continent was borne deep within the earth, emerging with a great explosion that tore the land asunder. Magma pooled at her feet, and mountains burst into blazing volcanoes. Her scales burned a violent orange, oozing with red-hot tar and magma. The birth of the instinctual protector of the soil, Skaeren-attiuri. Graced with an attitude akin to her creator, she made her nest within the magmatic crater she was born in, hardly paying heed to the mortals of her territory in the Southern Mantle.

Then, Tiamat’s lesser representatives were created, using the last of Vorel’s tears. In the swampy mountains of the Southwestern Fringe, a dragon was built of soot and shadows, adorned with the grace of the First Child. A purple-scaled, sleek dragon. It’s unknown whether or not it was intentional, but Tiamat entrusted extra intelligence unto this beast to counteract the light-minded nature of Vorel, leading to psychic capabilities in the beast and an unmeasurable level of vanity. He became known as Siofmeaista, building a throne of luxuries and basking in the glow of his admirers.

Her other minor deity, poised in the tepid bay to the southeast, was not so lucky. Running low on power, and with few tears left, this dragon was feebler than it’s chromatic siblings. Thin yellow scales speckled with salt coated it’s eel-esque form. Oddly enough, it also emerged from the depths of the Sea of Salt with no wings, and- even worse- the pitiful beast had two heads, disgracing the multi-headed pride of the evil queen. If she had had any energy left she would have slain the filth herself, but alas, she had no strength left to create another. At least, with it’s breath, it could terrorize the people with it’s ability to render land and sea infertile and unlivable, keeping them away from it’s disgusting appearance. The abomination was named Dartakaqumado, the undragonlike disgrace that causes chaos in the seas.

Last, but certainly not least, was Bahamut’s final dragon, his single minor deity. Upon seeing the descent of Vorel from the Astral Plane he too wanted her aid, waiting patiently for his chance to speak with her. After finishign her business with Tiamat, she did come to greet her brother- and, upon arrival, the brass dragon Aurajrygat greeted her with bard-like jubilee. This made the silent child laugh with joy, happy tears falling from her eyes and into the High North’s sea. The potency of these mythical tears awoke Bahamut’s final dragon, a joyous bronze-scaled bundle of joy named Vorcoisig. Her beauty rivaled even Vorel herself, and her heart was true and pure and loving towards the mortals.

And so, the masters of Halintar were born, and the children of Asgorath departed. Young and ripe with power, the Dragon-Gods dominated their territories and fought for endless moons for the sake of their respective kingdoms. Mortals rose and fell under their rule, and millennia of ceaseless battles were waged. Until finally, one fateful eve, a daughter of the silver dragon’s brood was felled, and the grief of her godly mother was unbearable to witness. The deities called a Great Truce to end the bloodshed they had wreaked upon those of whom they were born to guide and protect. But how long will this truce last…?