Dragon Earl: Book One ~ The Beginning

Long, long ago, shrouded in the mists of time, the planet Draconis was born; but not in the usual sense. There was no cosmic bang, no fire and brimstone, just a glowing nimbus that appeared out of the vast darkness of space and landed on the planet unpopulated by Humanoid Life Forms that would become the world known as Draconis.

Before the nimbus arrived, there were no dragons, Dragon Lords, Elves, Faerie or even Olde Folke; there was only a virgin planet waiting to be inhabited with life. Oh there was life, but only animal life or so the new arrivals thought. But we are getting a little ahead of the story.

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On several planets scattered throughout the universe, the human population was expanding along with human religions and encroaching upon the habitats of the Non Humans. The encroaching tide of humanity was causing severe problems for many of the Non Human Races and their Human friends. The majority of the Non Human Races or Species were by nature reclusive and preferred to live out their lives in simple harmony with nature. On the worst of the planets, Humanity had started to industrialize and pollute the planets and atmospheres with their factories and plundering of the once bountiful natural resources. On most planets the Non Humans and Humans coexisted peacefully, usually governed by a Council of some sort with representatives of most or all races and species on the Council. On some planets the Humans were unaware of their Non Human neighbors, as the planet was large enough that the species never crossed each others paths.

The expansion of the Human Races and their non Nature or Planetary based religions caused problems for the planets themselves, not just the Non Human Races and Species. In most cases the planets were alive and sentient and when the Human Species and its Races started worshiping Idols and other Non-Planetary Beings, a major source of their power disappeared. On the planet called Earth by its Human inhabitants and know as Terra to most others, including the Spacefaring Non Humans; the planets sentience was known as Gaia or Mother Earth by the Humans. Gaia as well as the other Sentient Planets were concerned with the problems caused by the expanding Human population and the loss of worship tied to their planets.

At Council meetings throughout the Universe, the Non Human Races and their Human Allies picked their representatives to attend an Assembly of Species to decide how to deal with the encroaching human problem. The Grand Assembly, as it was called, was held on an uninhabited world that was usually reserved as a Rest and Recreation Planet for folks traveling between planets. The members who physically attended included Dragons, Faeries, Elves, Centaurs, Unicorns, Humans and more. Those who were unable to attend sent their proxies with their closest allies, or attended though telepathic links with those who were there. Their methods of travel were as varied as the species and races attending. Most of the Elves, Faeries, Unicorns and Centaurs choose to walk the "Rainbow Bridge, The Bridge of Light, the Moon Path or The Ladder to the Stars. For those Humans and other species whose magic was not strong enough, the Dragons flew them. Although the planet of the Grand Assembly was a long distance away from many of the attendee's Home Planets, the trip took only several minutes or several hours for most attendees. A few of the Elves and Faeries joined the Dragon Flights to discuss ideas and solutions along the way. The Magical Shields cast by those involved protected all of the journeyers. All those who attended were unanimous in the choice of solutions. It was decided to choose small search parties to scour the Known and Unknown Universe to find other Habitable Planets to establish new worlds where Non Humans and those Humans of like minds could coexist in peace again.

The search parties, although small in number, were large enough to establish temporary beachheads on planets that seemed to suit their needs. As it turned out, the search party that landed on the planet soon to be known as Draconis consisted of a large number of Dragons, Elves and other Species to whom a Volcanic Planet was Valhalla. Although the planet had a fair amount of volcanic ability, it seemed to be tectonically stable. The plant life, as they would find out later, was particularly well suited to what would be their new home.

As none of the walking path methods of Space Travel worked towards unknown destinations, the search parties usually consisted of a Dragon or two, several Elves and Faeries to supply the magical means of Space Flight and protection. Several of the parties also had a Planetary Sentience in Physical Form.

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The glowing nimbus seemed to expand dramatically to anyone or anything who was capable of observing it. The glow slowly subsided and moving figures were soon visible within the now sparkling bubble. After several minutes, three figures started walking out of the now quite large bubble; as they neared the bubble's edge, the bubble began to bulge. The bubble stretched until the three figures inside were approximately ten feet or so from the larger bubble; at that point, one of the figures turned back towards the large bubble, raised its hands and then made a circling motion with them. The instant the hands completed their motion, the center of the tube connecting the two bubbles began to constrict until the two bubbles looked like a lopsided hourglass. Several seconds later the two bubbles separated with an audible snap. As soon as the two bubbles had separated, one of the figures inside the smaller bubble clapped its hands and the bubble disappeared. Standing in the meadow were now an Elf, a Dragon and a Unicorn.

The three beings communicated silently for several minutes while the Elf's eyebrows were raised in curiosity.

'With all of the volcanic activity on this planet, why does the air smell so clean and fresh?' Was the thoughts going through the three testers minds. Each of the testers sent the question to each other and to their allies in the large bubble and the answer was the same.

'No idea'

After several minutes of using their enhanced senses and a few magic spells, the three testers pronounced the planet safe; dissipated their personal shields and instantaneously the large bubble disappeared and the rest of their party joined them. The group of Dragons was communicating among themselves and their Planetary Sentience who had taken the form of a Ghostly Golden Dragon named Draconis.

The Dragons and Draconis finished their conversation and then launched into flight to test out the planets gravity and wind currents. The Dragons were exultant as they found the gravity perfect for flying and numerous thermals to make flying a joy. With a triumphant ringing peal that sounded like a chorus of trumpets. 'We are here to stay!' Draconis launched her Majestic Golden Body into the crystalline blue sky, issued a trumpeting trill that sounded suspiciously like "Eureka" and she then turned and dove directly into the planet. Immediately, there was heard a resounding peal of trumpets all over the planet. The air around the planet became crisper and cleaner the Sun glowed a little brighter and The Planet Draconis was born.

The Dragons returned to the meeting area with their report on the wind conditions and their Aerial Observations. When they had finished giving their reports, there was a general request for them to take all of the members that would fit adragonback and do a farther search to find other areas suitable for habitation. The Dragons had already requested this area and the surrounding countrysides for themselves. The Unicorns and those Elves who could use spells to fly went off in their assigned directions, while the Dragons took flight again, this time with their passengers. It had been agreed to return in three days time.

The remaining members of the Search Party started construction of simple quarters to house themselves and the first members of the Colonizing Party when they arrived. Those members of the Search Party not involved in the construction started making maps from the Dragon's first flight and then started adding items and descriptions as the mental reports started coming in. The descriptions were more on the line of habitat and related items which helped the incoming Colonists decide which areas were best suited to them.

As soon as the remaining Dragon had finished his part of the construction which mainly consisted of burning out drainage ditches; he took flight to check out some of the areas that the first flight had thought would make good locations for Weyrs. One of the locations that he checked out was a Mountain Peak an hour or so flight away from the landing site. This location was going to be the sight of their main Weyr and possible headquarters. This site would be reachable only by winged beings or those who could "Walk the Paths" of their choice. This wasn't done to isolate themselves entirely, but was a precaution they had learned over the eons from being persecuted when "Humans" changed.

By the evening of the third day, all of the individual search parties had returned and given their oral or mental reports to add to the ones that they had already sent in. It was a unanimous decision that a party should be sent back to the Grand Assembly with the recommendation that Draconis was suitable for most races to inhabit. There were several unfavourable items attached, but these were minor; First was the fact that Draconis was far off their normal Space Traveling Lanes. Second was the slightly lower gravity than Terra, only Twelve Percent lower. The other ones were pertinent only to the affected Species and their races.

The party that would be returning to the Grand Assembly was a very small one; The Senior Dragon, The Senior Unicorn and The Senior Human Representative. The remaining members of the search party began preparations to move to their own selected areas when the first of their species arrived.

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Several days passed before the first of the Colonizing Parties began arriving and they were a very varied mix. One of the first groups to arrive consisted of a large contingent of several races of Elves, "Humans", Faeries and other assorted Humanoid Species. There was also a small contingent of Centaurs along with a large group of Feline Creatures that would expand and grow into what we know as Erehwonese Mountain Kats. One of the last groups to arrive was a large flock of Eagle like creatures that would eventually be known as War Eagles. Each arriving group only stayed at the initial landing spot long enough to get directions for the locations they wanted to look at for habitation. Luckily there were plenty of Dragons to provide transportation for those who needed it. Of course, not everyone would fit adragonback so nets and other devices like simple Trapezes were used when necessary.

Some of the reasons that the Dragons had chosen the peak were not only for the Thermal Vents and Hot Springs, but because it also had several Cold Water Lakes and several meadows for the feed herds. However, the most important reason was the fact that there was a Planetary Power Nexus located there. The Nexus would come in handy in the future; but for now, the Dragons just wanted to reserve the location for their use. For the time being, they quickly hollowed out some of the Natural Caves and Caverns on the ridge above the valley for their temporary use. The later inhabitants of that ridge would build their castle there for the same reason the Dragons made it their temporary home; plenty of heat and hot water, plus cool Mountain Breezes in the summer. Of course as the Dragons had moved on to other locales, the new inhabitants would wonder about the fully functional Weyr they found.

The Colonizing Parties continued to arrive for the next several months, until everyone who wanted to live on Draconis had arrived. Very few of the colonists decided to go back to their Homeworld or try another planet as Draconis was a perfect fit for most. The scientific types finally decided that the majority of the plant life on Draconis was designed to filter all of the noxious fumes out of the air, including the lichens and mosses. The fact that their planet was also sentient was a wonderful plus, as Draconis herself would help keep any disruptive tectonic disturbances to a minimum or provide advance warning of any dangerous disturbances. All in all, it was a wonderful place to live.

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Over the next several centuries the different species and races spread out over Draconis, finding the ideal locations for themselves. Eventually the "Humans" migrated into their own cities, separating slightly from the Non Humans; but rarely breaking off contact completely. In almost all of the cases where separate cities or nations were founded, their reverence of Draconis never wavered. In the nations where religions proliferated, Draconis was always at the top except in a very few cases where She was a Sub Deity. Of course there were a few exceptions where venerating Draconis was forgotten or even forbidden, but those places could be counted on one hand.

Contact between planets was rather normal and then for many reasons gradually tapered off, until only the planets where the Human Races were living in peaceful coexistence used Space Travel as a method of keeping in touch occurred. Travel between most worlds, including Draconis and Terra, was completely cut off once Colonization was completed. The political situation on Terra was such that it made contact with those remaining there nearly impossible. With Gaia, loosing power due to her dwindling numbers of believers, visitors to Terra needed to rely on their own powers and magics to render themselves invisible. So only the most powerful or those who had a Dragon as a friend would make the trip to Terra and those trips were very brief due to the amount of power needed.

As the centuries turned, the civilizations rose and fell as on any other planet. Wars were fought and lost but usually not to the extent of extinction. If common sense did not prevail, then Draconis would find some way or another to end the hostilities. It is amazing what a rock slide here or there, or the rerouting of a river will do to armies trying to reach a battlefield. There came a time when there were too many wars and battles for Draconis to control by herself, so she enlisted some help. It took several generations for her plan to bear fruit; first She had to get several of the Non Human Races to breed with several of the Human Races until She had the right blends of skills. Once the Humanoid part of her plan was complete, she had to convince the other main party to join her plan. Draconis was very lucky because the second group she needed was almost as old and wise as She; in fact several members of the species were older than Draconis by centuries. Draconis decided that this visit needed to be in her physical form, so on a glorious afternoon a large Ghostly Golden Dragon was seen winging its way to the main Dragon Weyr high above the initial landing spot. The conversation and planning went very swiftly and soon Dragon Couriers were winging their way to the Elven Strongholds, including Elvandia for the help of the Elves would be necessary for the Military part of the plan to succeed. The Dragon Couriers were also sent to several of Draconis' new Human Species to bring them to the Weyr. Needless to say the humanoids were quite shocked to see a Dragon swooping down at them and then hear the invitation in their heads.

Once everyone had arrived, Draconis laid out her plan and everyone started to work, they soon reached agreement. The Elves would provide the Military Training and with the Dragons' help the weaponry. The Humanoids would provide the planning and governance, while the Dragons would be their partners in governing and fighting. The Humanoids would fly on the Dragons' backs providing a swift and deadly fighting force. It was the hope of Draconis that the speed and overwhelming strength of the Humanoids and Dragons together would quickly render any conflicts mute. The last item of consideration was the location of the first headquarters of the new group, as the Dragons were providing the largest initial portion of the new group, they were allowed to choose the first location. They chose a location very near their Weyr that just happened to sit upon the Planetary Power Nexus. The Dragons, Humanoids and Elves quickly devised plans for the headquarters; construction would start once they had brought in a few skilled Olde Folke Masons to incorporate the Planetary Power Nexus into the buildings inner being.

With all of the skilled labor being supplied and the sheer ability of the Dragons, Elves and Olde Folke to shape stone to their will, construction was completed very quickly. After a quick inspection, the headquarters was declared ready for occupancy. DragonsHolme was open for business and occupancy by The Dragon Lords. A new era on Draconis had begun.

The era of the Dragon Lords lasted only a few generations of actual governance; The Dragon Lords were around for a long time after, but as the need for them disappeared, they faded into the background. Eventually only DragonsHolme was actually staffed and due to its methods of construction, it would be there whenever needed. Eventually, even that castle wasn't needed, as The Dragons continued on with their lives as they had before. The Dragon Lords were eventually absorbed into the other Humanoid Races and their skills were now part of the Planetary Gene Pool.

The continuation of the story of the planet Draconis is contained in the stories that make up "The Dragon Earl Universe" which consists of "Dragon Earl", "Christmas for Andreu" and "Potters Village" by The Story Lover and "Drakis Dracon" by Akeentia.

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Authors Note:

I wrote this Prequel/Introduction to answer a few questions I have been asked and to provide a little more information regarding founding of the planet Draconis. The stories in "The Dragon Earl Universe" are based on lots of Fantasy stories that I have read and lots of Myths and Legends. While the Dragons portrayed in this universe may resemble those of Pern by Anne McCaffrey the resemblance is only superficial. These Dragons more closely resemble the Dragons of the Myths and Legends. The Royal Dragons of Venzel are a species of their own and while they may serve the Humans and other Species, they are not servants but partners.

Although Magic may not be specifically mentioned in the stories yet, Draconis is a Magical World with many surprising events yet to unfold.

I hope this short piece answered some of your questions and will enhance your reading and understanding of the stories in "The Dragon Earl Universe".

The Story Lover aka TSL

Editor's Notes:

I love this fascinating introduction to the Dragon Earl Universe. For those of you who have not yet read any of the stories about those that inhabit that realm, you need to avail yourselves of them. I appreciate the opportunity to learn some of the early history of the incredible world or universe. For those of you who Have read Dragon Earl and any other stories that are part of the realm, many of your questions or curiosities are answered here, and the beauty of the planet is described in detail for your information and enjoyment. Although this introduction is somewhat short compared to the chapters of the main story, it is very concise and informative. I suppose, though, if you are reading this, you already know that.

Darryl

AKA The Radio Rancher

Another Editor's Notes:

Well this is a great introduction to the Dragon Universe. Neal and the other Haven Kids really enjoyed it too. It did answer a lot of the questions about things in the stories and just where everything came from. Thank you TSL for writing this and sharing the Story behind the Story.

Str8mayb AKA Evil Author & Master of Misdirection

 

Comments greatly appreciated at The Story Lover