The History of Bishel Dragons
Bishel dragons all originally belonged to one clan in their native homeland. The Bishel homeland was a beautiful place according to descriptions handed down through the generations. It was watched over by the elves of the woods to the west. There were fields of flowers and a series of clear rivers and waterfalls. The strong trees of the forest were home to many Arboreal dragons. There were tunnels and burrows all throughout the hills, some laced with gold dust, gems, and stone carvings. It is said that only the masterworks of dwarves could rival the deep dragon caves.
Almost 300 years ago, the peace of the realm was shattered when a war began between the woodland elves and humans from the east. Dark forces drove the war to escalate, and the fighting soon was driven back from the east into the Bishel homeland. The Bishel dragons were forced to defend their lands from the ravages of war by going to war themselves. During this time, more Red dragons were born than ever recorded in the clan history. The dragon forces fought both men and elves, but the combined strain of fighting two separate armies was too much for the dragons. Many Bishen died in battle, and the clan's Kailan knew that the Bishel dragons would have to flee in order to save future generations. Many argued with the Kailan's wisdom and wanted to defend the homeland until the bitter end. A schism developed within the clan, and anarchy threatened to descend among the dragons. This division would lead to the formation of the two major Bishel dragon clans in present times.
The Machesri
One of the leaders of the Bishel forces during the end time of the great war was a Red Arboreal who had grown up in the glades of Aminshire. His mother had named him Leukosri ("LOO-co-shree"), or "bright light". Leukosri was loyal to his clan's Kailan and his people. When the Kailan ordered him to take what dragons would leave and head into the north, Leukosri trusted his wisdom and reluctantly withdrew from battle. Most of the dragons that gathered for the exodus were Greens and Blues, as few Reds could stand to leave the war. Some of Leukosri's loyal Red soldiers came to protect the group from harm. A group of over 100 Bishel dragons eventually fled the homeland. It is said that the old Kailan stayed in the Bishel homeland to die, the sorrow resulting from his homeland's destruction too much to bear.
The dragons traveled for centuries from place to place. Some lands they found were cruel and dark, taken by the very forces that had conjured the war between elves and humans. Other lands had been stripped bare of magic by people and offered no hope for magical creatures such as dragons. The group of dragons began to dwindle as members lost the will to live until fewer than 30 dragons remained. When they had almost lost hope, the Bishel dragons heard of the Creature Refuge, a place protected by other dragons and powerful, ancient magic. Leukosri approached the main cabin at the refuge about 30 years ago to speak with its maintainer, Indyana.
After a short series of negotiations, the Bishel dragons were given their own Realm in the forests near the mountains at the northeastern edge of the refuge, an area with both water and soft earth. Once settled, the dragons proclaimed themselves a new clan. They chose Leukosri for their Kailan, a dragon now wise and hardened who had led them to safety after countless years, and selected the name Machesri ("mock-SHREE"), or "battle light".
Very few dragons remember their homeland or the great war in present times. The Machesri clan is now a peaceful one where many Greens and Blues are hatched. To the Kailan's great pride, the clan has grown exponentially in clutches of healthy and powerful young dragons. So many dragons, in fact, that the dragons have begun adopting their eggs out to caring individuals and organizations outside the refuge to alleviate crowding and provide more opportunities to their children. As Bishen Realm has become more well known, the Machesri have discovered they are not the only Bishel dragons left after the war. Other war survivors such as the Hirgyae have contacted them, and there have been indications that even more ancient clans, long separated from the Bishel homeland, may exist in other places and dimensions. More discoveries lie in store for the Machesri of Bishen Realm.
The Hirgyae
During the great war in the Bishel homeland, some dragons refused to evacuate the homeland on the orders of the Kailan. As the lands became darker and darker, so did the remaining Bishel dragons. New dragons began hatching with darker coloration, armor, and other mutations. While the old Kailan survived for a time after the departure of Leukosri and the original group of evacuees, he was Kailan only in name. Factions formed around various leaders within the remaining dragons. When the old Kailan finally passed from the world, more factions of dragons chose to leave the homeland. The war had moved on from the area, which was so ravaged and filled with dark magic that it had become dangerous to all who traveled there, and without much of a homeland to defend, only a small group of dragons saw fit to remain in their ancient home. The group that would not leave renamed themselves the Hirgyae ("HEER-gyay"), or "long war" clan. They chose as their leader a Black Terran female called Ini Sha'ferala ("IN-ee sha-fair-RAL-la").
The Hirgyae were battle hardened and heartless. They had long learned a hatred of men and elves, called traitors of nature and life. The dragons locked themselves away inside their homeland and viciously defended it against all so that only the lowest and darkest creatures remained. Extensive interbreeding and mutations eventually caused a breakdown of the three main types into many types of hybrids. Bereft of supplies and time, the dragons had long since abandoned magical objects, instead directly molding magic using will alone. The natural abilities of the dragons became augmented, each generation more powerful than the last.
There was a sickness across the homeland, however, that the dark dragons could not hope to repair. The homeland was a hellmouth, where foul vapors and spirits gathered. Despite their power, young dragons began dying, sapped of vital life force by an environment where nothing grew or flourished but death and darkness. Bishel dragons were not naturally a dark species, and as the homeland sickened and died, eggs began decaying in their nests. Gathering a council, the dragons realized there was nothing to do but leave. Some still refused and stayed to die. The rest of the Hirgyae followed Ini Sha'ferala in doing exactly what they had initially refused to do and left the homeland.
Progress was slow. The Hirgyae had to battle their way through the darkened lands beyond their home. They were eventually able to escape to the mountains in the east. They set up a new home in those mountains, claiming what is now known as the Hirgyae lands. Their young, however, remained weakened and dispirited. No matter what was done, many of them wasted away before shrapehood. Realizing that without help, her people would slowly perish, Ini Sha'ferala sent scouts in search of other Bishel dragons.
To their surprise, these scouts found knowledge of Bishel dragons in many places they traveled, although few people recognized a Hirgyae as such. A place called Bishen Realm was known to be the birthplace of Bishel dragons that were adopted to worthy outsiders. The dragons of Bishen Realm were known to be powerful and numerous, filled with life and magic. As scouts returned to the Hirgyae lands and informed Ini Sha'ferala, she made a difficult decision.
Ini Sha'ferala gathered the five strongest eggs of the clan and ordered her trusted second, Tr'ynka Valae ("teer-RIN-ka VAL-lay"), to take the eggs to Bishen Realm. She hoped they might survive the journey and, once there, that something might be done to help the wyrms survive. Tr'ynka Valae did as she asked and flew many days and nights in search of Bishen Realm and the Creature Refuge. He finally found another Bishel dragon, and she was able to bring him to the Kailan of the Machesri clan.
Once his story had been told to Leukosri of the Machesri, the Kailan showed him the ways of Bishen Realm. There were many things Tr'ynka Valae despised. The prevalence of humans in their realm disgusted him, and the use of magical objects, as seen at a Shantel, seemed an admission of weak magical ability. Still, he could see that the dragons of the Machesri were indeed healthy and powerful. He even repressed his hatred enough to speak with a few of the human leaders at the Creature Refuge, people who knew little of war and had hearts filled with compassion and quiet strength. Tr'ynka Valae became convinced that partnerships between dragons and other beings could enhance the species and provide them with safety and opportunity. He asked the Kailan to help find caretakers for the eggs of his clan. The wyrms inside, he warned, were darker than any dragon ever hatched at Bishen Realm, with more feral and aggressive instincts. They would bond only with great difficulty, if at all. He also forbade Hirgyae dragons the use of magical objects until they had proved they could master their own magic.
Leukosri set out to find adopters who could handle such dark and wild Bishel dragons as might hatch from the Hirgyae eggs. Tr'ynka Valae left the Realm to report to Ini Sha'ferala, but he promised to return to assess the hatchlings once they became shrapes. In this way, the first Hirgyae were adopted out of Bishen Realm, and the two clans became linked by a fragile arrangement that may, in time, grow in strength.
The Portals
Portals are the name given to strange eggs that have begun appearing at Bishen Realm, usually delivered via magical portals or strange couriers. These Bishel dragon eggs seem to be sent from distant clans of Bishel dragons. Most of the hatchlings resulting from these eggs are mutated and very different from the Machesri and Hirgyae. The Realm tries to foster them as best they can, and it is hoped that this will lead to the reopening of communications between clans.
Each Portal is a mystery waiting to be unlocked. It is difficult to say where the dragons come from and what sort of conditions best suit them.
