Difference between revisions of "Dragons"

Revision as of 02:46, 2 June 2009

In ancient history, Aedolis had close ties with the dragons of the land and the military actually used them in warfare, riders forging a unique bond with their chosen animal. This hasn’t changed over the millennia, though some details have. Aedolis began to conduct experiments on the creatures, began to genetically engineer them, and after countless successes and failures they produced the Dragons of today: biomechanical, part organic materials, part inorganic, but still part of the evolutionary cycle and perfectly capable of reproducing on their own, though their method of reproduction is a far cry from the mating process of “natural” dragons; in fact, how they reproduce is still a mystery. They are a long-lived sentient species so while reproduction isn’t something that occurs often, they will see that another of their kind is created when it is necessary.

For a while, the relationship between Dragon and rider remained unchanged; there was respect and trust between both parties, but it was the rider that was truly in control and it was the Dragons that chose to submit. Yet as Dragons continued to be genetically engineered, that all changed. The Dragons began to take on a life of their own, began to change, and the relationship between rider and Dragon began to reverse. But this role reversal wasn't complete until much later, when the Dragons saw their chance to truly take over.

It was the Dragons that saved Aedolis from destruction. As the conditions on Earth degraded and whole nations were wiped out by the elements, it was the Dragons that stepped in to preserve Aedolis, erecting electromagnetic domes, stabilizing power supplies, and providing access to clean water and food. The people that once used the Dragons became utterly dependent upon them and, as a result, it seems that Aedolis is more a slave to the Dragons than the other way around.

Imbued with powerful magic, superior technology, psychic prowess, and an impassive, almost mechanical attitude (quite unlike their ancestors) the Dragons provide Aedolis with safety. In return, they keep the nation under their control by threatening to cut them off from the Network if they don’t comply with their wishes. After all, it was humanoids who destroyed the planet; it is the Dragons who can set it right again while keeping those destructive humanoids on a leash. For the most part, Dragons wield a subtle sort of control over their humanoids. They are mostly content with allowing humanoids to deal with their humanoid issues and leave them to their own devices, but they also never let those humanoids forget who is truly running the show and sometimes a hard reminder is necessary.

So why do Dragons even keep humanoids around in the first place when it might just be easier to get rid of them? There are a number of possibilities, and the answer varies from Dragon to Dragon. Humanoids are simply good company. Dragons and humans have shared a special bond since Aedolis was Adela, and this bond, while changed, is still strong and important to them deep down in their collective memory. Humanoids likely amuse and fascinate Dragons in the same way an ant hill entertains a child. And as much as some Dragons might deny it, Dragons need humanoids, too, for humanoids can do things Dragons cannot. They have small, nimble hands quite unlike a Dragon's and can create and build things Dragons just can't.

One interesting fact about Aedolian Dragons is that they display a hive mentality that is directly connected to the Dragon Imperial. They need an Imperial to lead them, and they are essentially "programmed" to follow that Imperial, regardless of their individual personalities. Connected together as they are, all Dragons are constantly aware of each other. If one of them dies, the others will instantly know. That said, Dragons are eternal; they don't just die, but they can be killed. Killing a Dragon is extremely difficult, and one of the few ways to do so is with an Electromagnetic Pulse device. For a creature that is half machine, a high-intensity energy blast like that is instantly fatal. However, even killing them that way is difficult; there are safeguards in place, magical and mundane, to protect the Dragons and the only person with any knowledge as to get around those safeguards would be a Pilot.

The Dragons themselves are a varied bunch with a range of personalities as complex and different as any humanoid's. There is also no set naming pattern for Dragons; once again, they are just as varied as humanoid names. Dragons can communicate with their Pilots telepathically, but they are also quite capable of regular speech. As for what they look like, there is a lot of variation there, too, both in terms of colors, build, size, appearance, and features. Some are more dragon than machine, while others are the opposite. Each Dragon is unique, and some can even "absorb" their Pilot into them as opposed to being ridden. Ultimately, every Dragon is an individual, though they all share one trait in common: they all are some percentage of inorganic materials. That being said the Dragons of Aedolis, while biomechanical, are not yet capable of surviving outside the Earth's atmosphere. However, there is talk that scientists are trying to create a Dragon that can do so.

As a final note, it must be stressed that it is indeed the Dragons who are in control of Aedolis. The Dragons act as a collective, and even the lowest ranked Dragon is higher than the highest ranked Pilot. Dragons are not pets to their Pilots; the Dragon essentially owns the Pilot and commands him/her. They do not exist in pens; they are ancient and intelligent creatures and they are free to roam as they please. Aedolis exists only by their will.

It should also be noted that while normal, natural dragons that have not been tampered with or infused with machinery might still exist on Earth and in other places, they cannot connect to The Network, nor can they bond with another creature in the same way an Aedolis Dragon can. That is to say, a person cannot be a Pilot in Aedolis if they simply bond with a normal dragon, and it would likely be very dangerous for a normal dragon to be found in Aedolis. If a regular flesh dragon was discovered, the Dragons of Aedolis would see to it that the new, "fresh" dragon was assimilated. Flesh dragons provide fresh genetic materials that Aedolian Dragons sorely need. For this reason, normal flesh dragons are very, very rare anymore. There may not even be any left on Earth.