Dragons of Thalmyr – The First Witnesses
The Age Before Descent
Before the Labyrinths tore open the world, dragons ruled the skies—not as kings, but as wardens. They did not govern mortals; they observed them. Dragons remember a time when magic flowed freely without dungeon cores or contracts.
When the Labyrinths emerged, many dragons vanished. Those that survived changed.
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The Dragon Truth
Dragons are not creatures of the Labyrinths—they are immune to them.
Dragons do not gain power from monster cores.
Labyrinth monsters instinctively avoid adult dragons.
Dragons cannot be bound by Arcane Crests or Imperial Contracts.
Scholars believe dragons exist outside the system reshaping Thalmyr.
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Draconic Types in Thalmyr
Elder Dragons
Ancient, reclusive beings who remember the First Descent.
Rarely interfere directly.
Hoard knowledge, not gold.
Some are rumored to sleep beneath Labyrinths, suppressing their growth.
Killing one is nearly impossible—and catastrophically destabilizing.
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Territorial Dragons
Younger, aggressive dragons who claim land rather than nations.
Dragon’s Rest Isle houses one such dragon in the Great Ocean.
Their presence warps ecosystems.
Guilds label them “Natural Catastrophes,” not monsters.
They may negotiate—but always from a position of superiority.
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Fallen Dragons
Dragons corrupted by prolonged proximity to Labyrinth depths.
Their scales fracture into mana-crystals.
Their minds become predatory and erratic.
Killing them yields unprecedented materials—at terrible cost.
Some believe Fallen Dragons are what the Labyrinths are trying to create.
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Dragon Hoards (The Real Kind)
A dragon’s hoard is not treasure—it is a stability anchor.
Hoard items often include:
Pre-Labyrinth artifacts
Ancient contracts that no longer function
Crystallized memories (psychic echoes)
Forbidden spell-forms that don’t rely on cores
Removing too much from a hoard destabilizes the region.
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Dragons & Nations
The Empire
Officially denies dragons’ political relevance. Unofficially monitors them obsessively. The Golden Spire cannot suppress dragon magic.
Quratar
Seeks to study dragons as proof magic predates systems. This has ended catastrophically more than once.
Elaris Glade
Elves believe dragons were chosen witnesses of the world. Some think Princess Elysid’s curse involved draconic magic.
The Great Ocean
Mer-King Zephyros maintains an uneasy truce with the Dragon of Dragon’s Rest Isle. The sea would boil if that pact failed.
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Dragonkin & Bloodlines
Dragon blood alters mortals permanently.
Dragonmarked: Mortals bearing ancient draconic sigils—immune to certain contracts.
Half-Drakes: Rare, feared, often hunted by the Empire.
Scale-Bound: Warriors who wear dragon scale armor risk slow corruption.
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The Quietest Fear
The Labyrinths adapt.
They cannot bind dragons…
…so they are learning to replace them.
Deep in unexplored depths, scholars whispe
r of Draconic Constructs—things that look like dragons but obey the dungeon’s will.
If true, then Thalmyr is approaching its next descent.