Story Seed - On the Origin of Species

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In the years following the Shatter the many broken parts of our world were unable to contact
each other or trade goods. For nearly a hundred years the remains of the bled out and perished. In its place rose new nation-states, secluded from each other by the great gulfs of sky between them. This period lasted for decades or longer until at last the great mage Tol Drian created the drakes.

Although Magus Drian is credited with the creation of the Drakes this is a misunderstanding. The great lizards had in fact existed before the time of the Shattering; in those times they had been Earthbound creatures with less intelligence. Occasionally used as riding animals; they were only common on farms or other places where great strength was needed.

When Magus Drian entered the Temple of the Air he took up the Airstone with the permission of the guardian monks and combined its powers with his own mastery of the occult. Though none can say for sure, or are willing to do so if they can, it is believed that Drian was able to achieve the feat which rendered him into the histories through not just powers arcane and elemental, but also through mastery of alchemy and the healing arts.

Regardless of the techniques, the Magus' spell spread from the Airstone across the world where it met with every one of the great lizards; the magics transformed them, changing their elemental natures from from Earthbound to Airbound. Many grew great leathery wings while others simply learned to fly outside the bounds of nature's animals. Thus the drakes as we know them were born and the Age of the Drakes began.

Excerpted from "The Coming of the Drakes: A History" by Razoul Ironwill in the year 421 A.S.