The Dragon Order is an ancient coalition formed between Dracos and the mythical beasts known as Dragons, which heralded the start of the Dragon Riders.
Background[]
Before the dawn of the Wars between the great factions, the Dracos explored the nature of their kind. At first, they roamed the world, eager to see who shared their home. It wasn't until they found the first Dragons that they started to learn about their past and their characteristics. The ancient creatures reflected their inner spirit and showed them the true might and potential of Fire.
Sharing their habitat with the dragons, some members of the Dracos grew particularly close with the Dragons, closer than others. It is uncertain who the first Rider was and when the Blood Pact was made, but it included a hefty amount of Aera. The first Rider, and his dragon emerged from the mountains. Thus, the Order was created.
The Order first served as Royal Guards to the ruler of the Dragon Faction, which they endured for years, until the head of the Order, Angrenoth, and his dragon, Fundor, forcefully split from their sworn duty. Alongside a group of his most powerful and trusted Riders, later called the Forsworn, they turned from their Faction, severing their ties to their people. The Order was reconstructed into a more sophisticated and elitarian society, not just war-forged guards. From this point on, the Order went through a peaceful and secluded age of prosperity and wisdom, blossoming into the Order it is nowadays.
Later, the Order was welcomed back into the fold of their faction and remained neutral ever since. But with the rise of the Wars, the Order finds itself back in perilous times, torn between loyalty and integrity.
Dragon Riders[]
The Order consists purely of Dragon Riders, who are a sub-type of Beast Tamers within EUO. These individuals are chosen by the Dragons when they are still unhatched. Potential Riders, often talented men and women, are brought to the hatcheries and are given the choice to place their hands on the eggs. If the dragon senses their potential Rider, they will hatch, but the conditions and details of the ritual are still unclear.
As a result of hatching, the dragon immediately leaves a mark on his or her Rider. The mark manifests itself in the form of a visual scar on the body, predominantly on the wrist or handpalm. As a result of the Blood Pact, the Rider and his or her dragon bond. Some Riders bond poorly, and will never be able to communicate with their dragon, yet some Riders are so naturally gifted that they eventually share each other's thoughts, emotions and more. A common trait that every Rider develops is telepathic communication, in which the Rider and dragon can communicate with their minds solely.
The Order[]
Though the old fundamental structure of the Order was heavily focused on faction security and militaristic grooming, the Order prospered through the guidance of Agrenoth and his Forsworn, shifting the focus onto a more philosophical warrior-society as a result of their newfound neutrality. It is not uncommon for a Dragon Rider to groom their mind while strengthening the bond with their Dragon. Aera provides a perfect ground on which a Rider can practice insightful meditation and philosophical contemplation. As such, the Order has their own library, filled with historical documents, spiritual manuscripts and other works detailing Agea. As such, a Rider is molded into a student of philosophy as much as a student of war.
Their ties to the art of war has not been severed completely. It has been altered, changed to fit the dawn of a new age. Riders have been trained for seemingly hundreds of years, and as such they have been deemed one of the deadliest fighting forces Agea has seen. Through harsh, rigorous training regimes and highly skilled weapon mastery, the Riders perfect themselves endlessly. The Rider and their Dragon are taught by an Elder and their Dragon, who pass on their knowledge. The bond between students and elders cannot be broken once made, for their relationship lasts a lifetime, till one or the other passes on.
Adding to the art of war, a Rider must first and foremost delve deeply into the arts of Aera, learning how to harness the power of Fire. The Order has been known for its own forms of fire-control, greatly influenced by martial arts to improve the flow of Aera throughout the body of the wielder. Some Riders have abandoned the sword or spear completely and solely rely on the usage of Fire for both.
Blood Pact[]
The Blood Pact, or the Bond, is what the Riders called the bondage between the Rider and the dragon. Nobody knows how and through what means this bond was created, not even the oldest dragons in the world can explain it nor memorize the occasion.
The Blood Pact continues throughout the life of the Rider, and never falters from his or her side. Yet, the bond between Rider and dragon can be harmed. Not only through the Rider's actions or that of his or her dragon, but there have been cases in which other Riders were powerful enough to weaken the bond between the two. Some Riders have been known to have gone mad in the process of the bond weakening, which has almost always been followed by the loss of the bond.
The loss of the bond can result in two ways. In most cases, one or the other 'dies'. As a dragon, the loss of their Rider is often insufferable and the dragon die after their Rider passes away. As for the Rider, the game lets them respawn, but they will have to try and bond with a new Dragon if possible.
Dragons[]
The Dragons have a long ancestry, dating back thousands of years. The oldest Dragons in the Agea aren't among the Riders but are wild and ferocious beings at heart that roam the snow-capped peaks of the world. They are the last of their kind that have attained memories predating the Blood Pact. These eldest dragons are few in numbers and remain secluded from the ongoing Wars in the world.
The bloodlines of the dragons have been tampered with since the first Riders took flight. Though every Dragon is a force to be reckoned with, some Riders (and Dragons) have seen fit to 'create' the strongest breed of Dragons possible. These (dis)honourable breeds of Dragons have spawned some of the largest, strongest and fastest dragons in the world, with vibrantly coloured scales, curled horns and sharp claws.
The Eggs of Dragons are resilient, tough enough to remain unhatched for centuries, though this is not for all eternity. A Dragon will remain in its egg if it does not find the Rider it senses for, unless it has waited too long after which the dragon will hatch Riderless.
The Dragons come in all sizes and shapes. The colouring of their scales is determined by the egg, but once a Dragon matures his scales turn from a dull overcoat into either iridescent or glittering shades. For example, if a red egg hatches a Dragon, that dragon's scales will turn into either iridescent or glittering ruby-coloured scales.
Social Structure[]
The warrior-society of the Riders has been carefully structurized over the centuries of their existance. Aside from their own laws they uphold within their Order, they also follow a minor set of curteosy's and forms of social conduct. The two most centre values the Order uphold are Respect and Honour, which are complemented by other subvalues (Harmony, Equality and Peace), and are absolutely fundamental for the structure of their law system.
Popularised since the dawn of the Riders, the Order's social conduct revolves around the heritage of their culture. Paying homage to the first Dragon of the Order, Azul, for gracing the first Rider, Bowein, with the ancient secrets of Fire, they honour him by using his name when greeting or saying farewells, among other forms. Such would sound like this:
Greeting: "May Azul watch over us..."Which is followed by the correct reply "...And guide our flames in the dark".
Farewell: "May Azul guard your flame..." Which is followed by the correct reply "...And may it never die out."
Furthermore, the Order has created its own form of settling disputes, arguments and other conflicts through a highly respected duel, the last resort to settle matters respectfully. The duel can be done with just weapons, but the most traditional form allows the fighters to only use fire-control. The duel ends when either of the duelists is no longer fit to continue or one of them gives up.
The social structure favors neither the Dracos or the Dragons, but more so Fire as common ground for all members. Plus, no matter your level of strength as player, all are equal in standing. The ranking system is only a placeholder to indicate the personal level of importance and influence within the Order.
Ranks[]
- Rank 1: Novice
- Rank 2: Rider
- Rank 3: Master Rider
- Rank 4: Elder
- Rank 5: Head Rider
Notable Riders[]
Lore Riders[]
- Bowein I Aldrake and Red: though not theoretically members, Bowein is the founder of the Dragon Order.
- Angrenoth and Fundor: Heads of the Order during the creation of the Forsworn and the split from their faction.
- [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]: one of the six fighters during the Great Dragon War, known as the Shooting Star.
- [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]: one of the six fighters during the Great Dragon War, known as the Red Scar.
- [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]: one of the six fighters during the Great Dragon War, known as the Black Feathers.
- [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]: one of the six fighters during the Great Dragon War, known as the Black Rose.
- [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]: one of the six fighters during the Great Dragon War.
- [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]: one of the six fighters during the Great Dragon War.
Current Riders[]
- Junsaku Sugimura and Rhaezolas: One of the new, aspiring riders to ascend in the Order.
Trivia[]
- The dragon order was heavily inspired in the Dragon Riders from the fantasy book series Iheritance Cycle.