Irekei: The Dragon

Irekei: The Dragon

I asked Meridian various questions about the Dragon which we basically covered in the Dragon Philosophy topics below. Here is what he had to say:

Meridian: Hey there!

The Irekei are, so far, one of my favorite pieces of the Shadowbane world. Anything I can do to help a buch of flame-blooded Irekei RP'ers is a pleasure.

With regard to the Dragon, you have to remember that the Irekei have only a very periphreal connection to it - some of them, sometimes, can "feel" its thoughts or will. The Dragon's will comes out as speech very rarely: most communciations are through dreams, visions, or ordeals. They must be interpreted.

The Dragon is. It was there before the stars moved, before the Moons shone, before the meddling gods set foot on Aerynth. As for its origins, the Irekei not only have no answer, but see the question of "where did the Dragon come from?" as limited and puerile. The Dragon IS. Its existence is beyond the comprehension of lesser beings. You really need almost an old testament or pre-old testament conception of Jehovah to approach the Irekei's attitude toward the Dragon. To see it, in its full glory, would distintigrate all but the strongest of beings. To hear its true voice would drive any mortal mad (the Blood Prophets get its voice through a lot of filters, mind you, and they often still get a bit funny in the head). The Dragon has a will. That much can be seen. That will CANNOT be understood, or second-guessed. Through the prophets it can be predicted, and the roughest hints of it can be revealed to those who are able to listen. They work to further the Dragon's will. To resist it, or work counter to it, is to die. If not now, then at the end of days when the Terror of Terrors awakens. I would expect that the Irekei will have some word, probably a little, simple word, that doesn't easily translate into any other language, but basically means "the will of the Dragon." It also encompasses things like purity, goodness, and fate. Think of it like "kosher" (to use a very vulagr analogy). The greatest insult one could throw at an Irekei would be to say that they had betrayed "X." Blades and bloodletting would soon follow...

As to what the Dragon is, we run into another gray area here - if asked what the Dragon is, your average Irekei would simply say "IT is." and leave it at that. As to what the Dragon's place in the cosmic order is, or what it's ultimate purpose might be, here there's a little more room for speculation. Though lesser beings with a single consciousness and bodies made of matter cannot possibly understand the Dragon's true identity and purpose, the prophets have revealed a few things.

Think of the Dragon like Shiva, the Hindu creator and destroyer. He's also a lot like Azathoth out of the Cthulhu Mythos (and yes, my Lovecraftian background in game design has gone a long way to color my conception of the Dragon). Once, long ago, the Dragon was awake. NOTHING is known about what happened then. Then, the Dragon went to sleep. As it slept, the world was frozen, and without life. Then the Meddling Gods came, and woke it wup, and wounded it. In time, the Dragon will awake again, and consume the World. It will then create another world. Perhaps it will rule that world, or perhaps it will go back to sleep. Why does the dragon do these things? Imagine the duust mites that live in the crevices of my skin trying to figure out why I take a shower every day. In the cosmic scheme of things, the Irekei are dust mites, and they know it.

So the Dragon is a true cosmic force, beyond such limited concepts as good and evil. Chaos is a good attribute to give the Dragon, because its touch and presence seems to transform anything (look at the Sun, the face of the Burning Lands, and the Irekei themselves). But is it an embodiment of Chaos? Perhaps not. Fire is a transformer - its physical manifestation is highly chaotic, yet it always does the same things to what it touches. There is a higher order to the chaos of fire, and so it is with the Dragon. Some say fire is only desctructive, but this is not the case - fire burns and chars wood, but it turns sand into glass. It might be better to say that chaos is what happens when the will of the Dragon touches the physical universe. The Irekei look at the Sun and the Deserts and they see the Dragon's will given physical maifestation. When Khalikryst the Dragon's Daughter touched the Khalinviri, they were transformed. So the Irekei were made a physical manifestation of the Dragon's will - they form the bridge between the races and creations of the Meddling Gods (the All-Father and company) and the eternal will of the Dragon. They must continually strive to keep worthy of the Dragon's gift, and to stay receptive to its will. This is as it should be. The Irekei are, after all, limited beings. They strive for self-perfection and "fitness" in a strictlt Darwinian sense, but the Dragon does not strive. Again, the concept is beyond it. That's like the dust mites worshipping me and developing a moral code based on their experiences of my behavior.

The Dragon is not currently awake. It will be someday, but it is not now. Does this make itweak? No. The Dragon does not die and is then reborn, it sleeps and then awakens. Why? Who can say? The Dragon simply is, and that is enough. The Phoenix death-transformation-rebirth cycle is what happenes when the Dragon's will touches the mortal universe: think of it as the ripples that the wind makes on the sand. Is the wind rippled? No - it is the wind.

Wow. I hope I haven't gone too far afield here, but these are some deep questions you aksed. I love slipping into the Irekei mindset. I hope this helps! I don't tend to get much internet time lately, but I'll try to check out the discussions you linked to. If I can't (a LOT is going on right now), I hope these metaphors (some of which, I'll admit, are put in very OOC terms)can tide you over. Is anyone involved ikn this discussion going to come the the party on the 12th? I'll gladly talk their ears off - just ask anyone who was at E3.

Also, bear in mind that even with these clarification, this stuff is still kind of vague. Irekei Virakt'al go very long periods of time without interacting, and each Blood Prohet's experience of the divine is unique. The Irekei never had a Burning Bush, or 10 Commandments. There are some great writings by the wisest of the prophets that are universally accepted (Darivastor wrote quite a bit, I'd imagine), but there can be many shades and sects within Irekei religion - it is, in the end, interpreted, not dictated.

I hope this helps! May the Dragon guide your path!

M

Anyone going to the party on the 12th must speak to him. You must pick his brain! Jekhra, you must go!!

Meanwhile, time to give more philosophical thought on the Dragon.... =)

Posted By Vhayr