Dragon/History

Note: This is mentioned as one of the past life of Shadow in the Nightmare.

Dragon was the god who ruled the glorious Empire, an eternal empire that stretched across countless realms and encompassed myriad people. He was known as the God of War, sitting on his towering throne at the heart of the Empire, where a sea of red flowed across the mortal realms, bringing progress and prosperity to all who survived the death and destruction it carried. He was also the god of Life, and the Empire's eternity was attributed not only to his dominion over war but also to the desire to live that existed within its people.^[1]

Dragon was served by the Four Spirits: the Spirit of Victory, the Spirit of Beauty, the Spirit of Art, and the Spirit of Joy. There had once been six Spirits watching over the Empire, but two perished in the war against the Jade Court, the only war the Empire had ever lost. A seventh Spirit was said to have not yet been born. Beneath the pantheon were the seven Supremes, who managed the Empire's vast expanse and ruled over its provinces.^[1]

The Empire was an empire of war, conquest, life, and glory, with its people organized into a strict hierarchy. Awakened individuals were the true elites, while the aristocracy and priesthood included those who served the Supremes and the Transcendent champions of the Empire's legions. Citizens, particularly warriors, enjoyed privileges, while those born in the outer provinces remained imperial subjects unless they earned citizenship through meritorious deeds. At the bottom of the hierarchy were slaves, who had no rights or status and were not considered persons, unlike even the lowest free men.^[1]

Dragon's Empire waged wars of conquest against other realms, bringing destruction to those it sought to subjugate. During one such campaign, a peaceful realm was conquered by the Empire's legions. Its cities and temples were burned, its rulers—the royals and oracles—were slaughtered, and the survivors were sold as slaves. The riches of the realm were gathered and sent as tribute to the Empire's heartland, while the soldiers received their share of the spoils. The Empire celebrated its victories with roaring crowds welcoming the returning legions, proclaiming glory.^[1]

Dragon was also worshipped through the Empire's religious hierarchy, with soldiers traditionally devoted to the Spirit of Victory. However, the Empire's pursuit of conquest and glory concealed the avarice, lust, stagnation, and plunder that accompanied its wars. The former soldier who had once longed for glory eventually abandoned his devotion to the Spirit of Victory and pursued the worship of the Spirit of Joy, also known as the Spirit of Revelry, after discovering the brutal reality of war.^[1]

Main article: War Empire

The Empire of War was a vast, glorious, and splendid empire that had existed for a thousand years. Its legions had conquered distant lands and expanded its territory to the point that there were few places where they had not reached. The people living in these conquered lands became subjects of the Empire, but they were not its citizens. Those in the distant outer provinces lived harsh lives, toiling to avoid starvation, while the glamour and splendor of the imperial heartland seemed like a myth to them. Many were serfs who did not own the land they farmed, and most of their harvests were taken by the governors of nearby fortresses. Although they were free men and women rather than slaves, their lives remained difficult and full of hard labor.^[2]

The Dragon was the living vessel of War God who had founded the Empire and overseen it during its early years. The Dragon dwelled atop a great tower in the heart of the Empire, so tall that it scratched the sky and imposed on the realm of Sun God. From his empyrean throne, the Dragon continued to watch over his subjects, his fearsome gaze scaring other deities and the Creatures of Corruption away. However, War God no longer ruled the Empire personally, as the days of gods walking the earth had long passed into the mythical Ages of Gods and Heroes. The Empire had entered the golden Age of Humans, in which the gods no longer walked among mortals.^[2]

The Empire's religious traditions centered on the Spirits of the Empire and the Cult of War. The Spirit of Victory, a descendant of the Dragon and a warrior of unmatched skill, was the guardian deity of soldiers. The Spirit of Beauty, also known as the Sacred Maiden, was the deity of perseverance, harvests, and motherhood. The Spirit of Art was the patron of craftsmen and artisans, whose brilliance and ingenuity ensured the prosperity of the Empire, while the Spirit of Joy was the carefree deity of festivity and merrymaking. The Empire was ruled by the Supremes, the High Priests and Priestesses of the Cult of War, each a famed hero whose deeds had long become legends. The imperial legions revered the Dragon and the Spirit of Victory, and military service was regarded as a path to riches, glory, and citizenship.^[2]