The Dragon's Star Chronicles [Companion Guide]

The Elemental Furies

Within all of the creation myths attached to The Dragon's Star, is another common thread, The Elemental Furies. It is written, that after the birth of the platinum dragon, from The Dragon's Star, the Divinities created her counterparts, four elemental dragons, Eayrth, Watyr, Fyer and Aeyr.

Each, represented it's element, in appearance and attitude. Each had complete mastery of their respective element. They, along with the platinum dragon, Spyrit, took on the task of making life as we know it, possible. While the Divinities were powerful beyond imagining, they didn't possess the most basic ingredient for life, the ability to be small and insignificant, within the greater scheme of the universe. Life is limited. It can end at any moment. And the universe will continue on, whether life does or does not.

But the four elemental dragons and Spyrit, represented a new understanding of that idea. While each element can be destroyed. That destruction is only temporary. While air is consumed by fire, it will rise once again from the ashes. The elementals were capable of being minute, limited by mortality and free to return again, immortal and grand. The elementals represented rebirth, living immortality.

With this knowledge, the elemental dragons, immersed themselves into the process of creating the living worlds. Each gave their lives into these realms, only to be reborn, to do so again. It is said that they created countless worlds through their sacrifices. But do not think, that the elemental dragons serve only the purpose of creation.

The cycle of life, death and rebirth became part of the very fabric of everything that they created, on behalf of the Divinities. For there to be death, there must be destruction. This aspect of the elemental dragons is where they gained their common title, The Elemental Furies.

Worlds decay and die, just as mortals do. Their lifespans are much greater than most of us can dare to perceive. The process of death for a world, can and will devastate the living beings, dwelling upon it. While it is understood, that all lives must end, for there to be rebirth, the Divinities can not stand the suffering of those forced to experience the death of their own world.

So, they call upon the elemental dragons, to destroy those worlds that are on their last breaths of life, quickly and as painlessly as possible. This way, those energies, can be recollected for the rebirth that is to come, without such pain upon the souls of those removed from their home.

When called upon for this, the elemental dragons will fall upon the world, tearing it to shreds with their raw elemental power. To an unknowing onlooker, it would seem that the very elements have turned against all life, unleashing their fury upon it. There was clearly such an onlooker, since the title Elemental Furies is known to mortal kind.

After the birth, death and rebirth of numerous worlds, the Divinities found that the elementals could not create living worlds fast enough, to counter the rate of decay. Untold souls wandered the universe, seeking anyplace to be reborn. Sadly, this led to the introduction of souls, where the conditions weren't ideal. Monstrous things came into being, as those souls settled into vessels that weren't created for them.

The Divinities called upon the elementals again, this time to find a solution. Which they did. They learned that they could renew, dying worlds, with an infusion of their own energy. This did not take nearly as much time or effort, as creating new worlds did. But it did require the assistance of the beings that dwelt upon those worlds.

The faith and magic of the mortal beings on those worlds, was so great, that the elementals could not enter them, without the invitation of the inhabitants. The elementals could forcibly penetrate this protection, only when they assaulted a world with all of their power, which would destroy that world. They instead, used the weave, to reach out to those who could hear their voices and call upon them to assist and invite them, in the cause of restoring the realm.

The first mortal, to hear the call of the elementals was studied in elemental magic. From then on, they would always reach out to those, called elementalists, as they were more attuned to the elementals, by their very nature.

The elementals took on a new role, the role of restoration, through the inhabitants of the realms. While they reach out to an individual that would heed their call, to initiate the healing of the worlds, they channeled their power through all people that were connected to them, through elemental magic.

This has been the standard means of restoring the realms, for millennia. But now, it seems that an opposing force has come into the picture. This force seems to have the goal of preventing the restoration of the realms.

The people of the realms have personified this force, giving it the title, 'The Darkened One'. Little is known of where or how, it has come to the realms, but it's influence has grown at an alarming rate. The Darkened One's main tactic to attain it's goals, has been to seek out and destroy any individuals that can channel elemental energies, thus reducing the capacity of the elementals to affect and restore the realms.

This approach has sorely thinned the ranks of elementalists across all five realms. But there has been an unexpected benefit to this. Those elementalists that survive, grow incrementally stronger. It seems that the elementals can and will, concentrate their powers across a few, when there isn't a larger population to diffuse their gifts across.

It also appears that the elementals have decided to fight back, against The Darkened One's machinations. Over the past few restoration cycles, they have begun to more directly interact, within the realms that they protect and confront the servants of The Darkened One. They have embraced their title of The Elemental Furies, in a new context, unleashing their destructive powers on those who threaten the realms.

While it is comforting to know, that the Divines and their servants are on the side of life. It is concerning to see a conflict growing, with the five realms as the battlefield. The Divines and The Elementals possess a much grander perception of the protection of life, that means they will not hesitate to destroy entire swaths of civilization, if it serves the greater purpose.

I do understand this viewpoint, on an intellectual level. But my heart aches for the potential suffering and loss of those, who by no fault of their own, happen to be on the battlefield between seemingly immortal and immovable forces.