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Dreloreal holy writings of Teshdremor tell
of the creation of the drakadremaar. Ancient
texts, the stories within persist to this
day; the Triad Church disputes their
accuracy, but both the Star Mother’s
faithful Dremoa and even dissident
Draekaverists both agree they are the most
accurate account of their people’s origin.
What follows is an adaptation of this story
as prepared by A. R. Proyos.
When nothing was as it is, and time and space
were only a distant thought in the mind of
an overgod, the raw energies of the universe
clashed chaotically and wrought disorder
throughout all existence. New life would be
born only to quickly see its ruin; the spark
of creation enveloped in a repeating cycle
of light and darkness.
It was in this time that two such creatures
were created: winged beasts that would today
be called dragons, one made of consuming
darkness and another of penetrating light.
Like the perpetual cycle which spawned them,
each had a single goal in mind – either to
bring life and order to the void, or to
arrange its destruction and see the return
of nothingness. At odds, these two creatures
immediately became embattled with one
another in a struggle that shook the
godhavens and nearly blasted their gleaming
palaces into dust.
Wounded and unable to continue the fight,
both creatures succumbed to fatigue and
chose to rest and rejuvenate. There, not far
from one another, the two combatants traded
words in place of blows, Creator and
Destroyer stating their solemn purpose and
how one would triumph over the other. The
battle now was to break not only bodies, but
spirits.
The Destroyer had a straightforward purpose,
her goal being to annihilate abnormalities
in the fabric of existence and smooth the
plain of time. Growth would bring change,
and change would bring imbalance. This
might, in turn, upset the gods and almost
certainly bring their ruin. This simply
could not happen.
The Creator represented a small conclave of
gods who, unlike their superiors, favored a
new order and new life in the universe. Long
had they been the only creatures living in
the darkness, each a remnant of some other
time and place that had long since expired.
They were tired of their empty lives and
longed to see splendor and wonders new and
old. To create was to progress. To continue
as they had been would leave them old,
withered, and complacent.
The Destroyer had been a veteran in the wars
of her masters, always a faithful servant
and soldier and quick to dispatch upstarts
not unlike the current opponent. But never
in all that time had she seen the earnest
devotion found in the eyes and words of the
Creator. For a moment, she was touched, and
her gaze turned towards the dark plain that
stood before her to contemplate. She
envisioned light and color, shapes and
figures that she had never considered in all
her single-minded existence. Whether the
Creator had truly reached or simply
distracted her opponent, now was the time to
act.
Spellbound, the Destroyer did not see the
Creator’s incoming attack. Surprised,
instinct directed an immediate retaliation,
black claws rising to rend the armored
scales of the Creator’s exposed neck. Before
the Destroyer could fully comprehend what
had happened, her opponent was already dying
from the fatal wound inflicted in that
moment of blind instinct. Her immense body
toppled onto its side, wings trembling, legs
thrashing while she clung desperately to
life. In horror, the Destroyer crept back
from the fallen Creator and silently watched
the beast breathe her final breath.
It was done. The darkness would now persist.
The sameness would see no interruption. Her
superiors would heap praise upon her for
another successful maintenance of their
comfortable subsistence. But lying there,
reflecting, hearing the Creator’s words
again in her mind, the Destroyer somehow
knew that change was not only inevitable,
but it was necessary.
She felt sorrow and remorse. Emotions welled
up within her that she had never before
experienced, and despite her victory this
was a certain sign that the Creator was in
fact the triumphant one. Within the
Destroyer, change was already happening. Now
renewed, empowered and feeling more alive
and with purpose than ever before, the
Destroyer took the corpse of the Creator and
from it crafted worlds full of new and
exciting shapes. As gemstones set within a
king’s crown, these jewels sparkled amongst
the void they were now suspended in.
This initial attempt was not without its
shortcomings, however. These worlds were
still shrouded in darkness, their only light
provided by the natural radiance of the
Destroyer’s glistening scaled hide and an
inherent sparkle in her inky dark eyes. They
were without true light and therefore
without life. The Destroyer found herself at
a loss for how to provide more nurturing
energies to these worlds; the Creator’s
lesson was learned, but her methods were
lost.
It was then that the Destroyer was greeted
by a passing entity known as the Traveler.
He took the shape of a man, not unlike many
of the gods she once looked to for
fulfillment and duty. He was a transient
deity with no place in the universe to truly
call his own, and his long journey had made
him weak by the time he reached the
Destroyer’s lair. Curious at this point, the
Destroyer offered to allow the Traveler to
rest against her side so that he might warm
himself and rejuvenate his power. He was
most thankful for the gesture.
Teshdremor's Encounter
Art by Jason Chan
In time, they began to converse, each
probing one another’s secrets and past lives
while looking out upon the dark vista before
them. The Destroyer’s sordid past made the
Traveler wince, while his own tales of
adventure intrigued and entertained his
host. He had a wit as sharp as her talons,
and intelligence as vast as the space they
occupied. They traded names, the Destroyer
then becoming known as Teshdremor, and the
Traveler revealed himself as Tirvalleis,
also the name of the realm that was once his
home long ago.
Their relationship swiftly grew to that of
near romance, though all the while the
Traveler did not forget that he was, in
essence, only a visitor passing through. As
dear as Teshdremor became to him, he had
duties elsewhere and ultimately he requested
to take his leave. Teshdremor was saddened
by this, and she knew that she could not
rightly keep her newfound companion trapped
here despite her feelings for him. She
agreed to not only allow his passage, but
also to use her power to speed him on his
journey, but first he had to present the
dragoness with something to remember him by.
Ever the lighthearted one, the Traveler took
up his staff and with a single word set
Teshdremor’s haphazardly placed worlds in a
perfect sequential alignment. Rather than be
scattered across the void, they were now in
line with one another and spinning on a
carefully calculated axis. It was quite a
show to see this amusing activity, and the
dragoness was enthralled. So much so that
she demanded more – more light, and sound,
and color. The Traveler provided all of
these, using the stone at the tip of his
staff to bring light to the void where none
had existed. True, life-giving light. Only
now could the dragoness’ worlds rightly
shine and sparkle as they were meant to.
Starved for entertainment and loathe to let
him go, Teshdremor insisted that the show
continue. The Traveler was a unique glimpse
into a life she had never experienced, his
exuberance and kindness heartwarming, his
skill and compassion amazing. He was so very
fond of her and could not deny her growing
passions for himself or the things he had
once taken for granted. These were only
tricks, some used to delight small children
or ease the minds of the ill. To truly amaze
her would be to do something so incredible
that it would remain with her long after he
had gone.
Promising unmatched magnificence, Tirvalleis
took scales from the dragoness’ back and
others from the floor of her lair, many of
which were shed during her battle with the
Creator. Then, casting them into the air,
the Traveler changed the polished scales
into the twinkling stars of the night sky.
With a smile and a flourish of his cloak,
the Traveler then proclaimed Teshdremor to
be the Mother of the Stars, ever powerful
and vigilant. Satisfied with himself, he
then turned and prepared to leave.
Although astonished and flattered by this
gesture, the dragoness demanded even more of
her guest, now playfully threatening to keep
him there by force if he would not heed her.
It was an empty threat. The Traveler knew
this, and while laughing in jest he refused
her invitation for a final time. He simply
had too many roads ahead of him to devote
any more of his time to her. In one last
attempt to placate her, the Traveler took
the glowing stone from the tip of his staff
and granted it to Teshdremor, stating it
would be the both the sun and the moon,
forever illuminating Iaara, the void in
which she lives. And although it was a poor
substitute for his warm body and pleasant
company, she accepted his gift and permitted
him to leave. An assurance that he would
return again marked his departure from the
dragoness’ lair.
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"This is Ihuro, a light that has
guided me on my many journeys.
Let it now serve to remind you
of me and warm your heart until
my return. Let it bring light to
the darkness. Let it guard you
while I am gone." |
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- The Traveler |
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Now without her companion, the dragoness
quickly became irritable and despondent. Her
worlds were alive with new beauty, the walls
of her lair sparkled with what seemed to be
thousands of tiny flames, but something was
still missing. Partly to amuse herself, and
partly hoping to simply pass the time
between then and the Traveler’s return,
Teshdremor honed her growing powers by
crafting new life and new creatures on her
many worlds. In fond remembrance of her
companion, she made the first man – a
sentient species that resembled the Traveler
– on the world of Tera’vall, named partly
for her dear friend and consort. Next came
the woman, a female counterpart to the
Traveler and a form Teshdremor herself had
often assumed under his patient instruction.
Together, man and woman would give birth to
more of their kind.
Monumental as this creation of new life was,
the dragoness remained downhearted and soon
left the race of man to develop with
unchecked autonomy. Her attention strayed.
Generations would come and pass, kingdoms
would rise and fall and war would lead to
peace, all as the dragoness wept in her
brooding loneliness. Her single greatest
achievement was overlooked in favor of
parting memories of her dear Tirvalleis.
Would he ever return to her as he promised?
She longed for nothing more.
After many days, Teshdremor turned her gaze
upon her worlds to again take account of
their progress. What she found surprised and
saddened her, the dragoness not having
expected such drastic change. Her creation,
the race of man, had spread across land and
sea in the many ages that had passed during
the dragoness’ distraction, conquering and
expanding without regard for her or the
sanctity of the realms she had created.
Millennia of unanswered prayers had caused
them to lose faith in her and instead
believe in other gods of their choosing.
They were now the tyrvamen, or those without
faith. It was in many ways a catastrophe,
but one that the dragoness had brought upon
herself. She was the only one to blame.
That realization did not quell her rage,
however. Within Teshdremor, an old fire was
awoken and thoughts of destruction filled
her mind. Could she forgive them and their
insolence? Seething, Teshdremor instead
chose to wreak havoc upon them with agents
made in her image: the drachere. Seventeen
dragon lieutenants crafted of the earth,
fire, iron and pestilence, once whipped into
frenzy by their maker’s call, were loosed
upon the mortal tyrvamen to bring punishment
and death. As blood was spilt and towers of
brick and wood toppled to the ground,
Teshdremor vigor and ferocity drained from
her – in its place, new sadness welled up.
This was not the way. These were not the
ways of the Creator.
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"The drachere. Seventeen, they
numbered. Ten females, seven
males. They fed upon man and
lived for the visceral thrill of
killing, feasting, and mating.
Beasts, all of them. In the end,
four rose as the greatest of
their kind, but not so great as
to elude their maker. Teshdremor
kept after them, so that they
would not raze Tera'vall..." |
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-
Unknown |
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To begin again with a clean slate would have
her destroying all that she had created to
this point, all of her accomplishments, and
she simply could not bear it. Destruction
was no longer in her nature. No,
it was not the fault of man for abandoning
her – it was she who had abandoned them,
caring more for herself and her own plight
than for their advancement and instruction.
No man or woman would hear her voice or see
the visions of her, leaving the dragoness
with only one option to repair the damage
done – she would have to create a new, more
powerful creature that could lead and
inspire the race of man and bring her back
into their favor. This race would be the drakadremaar, chosen children of Teshdremor
the Star Mother.
Exercising the Godsdown, Teshdremor assumed
the form of a mortal woman in order to walk
amongst her creations without impediment.
And amongst them, she searched for a man and
woman worthy of becoming her first
disciples. In a small village not far from a
river’s delta, she found what she had sought
– a strong, intelligent man and his new
wife, the two bound by their intense love
for one another and fueled by youthful
zealousness. His name was Jarec, a hero’s
name and important in his culture. Crouched
outside his home, Teshdremor waited for the
man to step out into the evening air before
choosing to transform him. Calling upon the
light of the moon and the stars above, one
heavenly jewel then fell to the earth not
far from the man’s home, enticing him and
luring him into the woods nearby.
It was there he found the fallen star in a
clearing, its perfect light hovering above
the ground like a circling swallow.
Awestruck by this, the man could not flee as
the light swiftly approached and entered his
body, vanishing into him, filling his veins
with power and pain while the change
overtook him. Teshdremor watched on, her
trap sprung, working her influence to
reshape this man, a simple creature, into
something much greater. A pair of silken
wings erupted from his back and a lengthy
tail from his hind end while his flesh split
and fell away from the armored, scaled hide
growing beneath. He cried out. His face,
once thought the most handsome in his
village, now lengthened into a dragon’s maw
filled with vicious teeth. Horns spiraled up
from his temples, and a basso tone replaced
the lighter, fairer voice he often used for
singing.
Jarec collapsed to the ground, his body
bristling with pain and a flood of new
sensations. He saw visions of Iaara, the
starlit void, and Teshdremor soaring
throughout it in her natural form. The
goddess approached him then and spoke aloud,
her words finding his ears and imprinting
themselves upon his soul even as he writhed
in agony. With a clear, distinct voice,
Teshdremor announced the following:
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"You were once a man, made in
the design of my dear companion,
Made by my hand and with my
love, but you have forgotten me.
Now I have remade you into my
child, my first child,
And it is with love and trust
that I send you upon other men
To spread word of my return.
Go, chosen child of Teshdremor.
There will be others like you.
I am with you; I have not
abandoned you.
I am alive within your new
form.” |
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The transformation might have driven him mad
were it not for Teshdremor’s soothing voice
and soft touch, both sending Jarec into a
comfortable sleep. Teshdremor watched over
her creation as he slept, admiring her work,
thrilled at the prospect of once again
reaching her people and gaining their
respect and admiration. She could not remain
long however, as the town watch heard the
cries and was already rushing towards their
source. Before any would arrive, Teshdremor
withdrew into the forest’s shadows to
disappear.
In the clearing, the watch found what they
could only classify as a horrific beast.
There laid the first drakadremaar in a
seemingly peaceful slumber – a rest the
watch dared not disturb. Many fled quickly
while others slowly slinked away, hoping not
to upset the monster and incur its wrath.
Once they had all retreated, they
immediately petitioned their local lord for
some of his finest knights, knowing their
mediocre militia did not stand a chance
against such a terrible thing. And although
he was doubtful as to the truth of their
claims, their landowner agreed to appease
his people by dispatching twelve of his men
to inspect the woods near Eyulduran, the
town which was once Jarec’s home.
In the following days, Jarec wandered the
dark wood, seeking his soul, pondering his
new form, and not daring to return to his
wife. Surely she would turn away in fear,
much like passing rangers and merchants had
when they came across him on the forest
road. He could not bear her rejection. He
could not frighten his family and friends,
even if he were destined to be Teshdremor’s
great representative. He had not asked for
any of this. Defeated, he knelt near the
river to again look upon his reflection in
the water, hoping to see the man he once
was. Instead, the drakadremaar stared back
at him, his maw stately, his horns gleaming
in the dim light. Only his eyes were
familiar to him. Finding him distracted, the
pursuing knights easily subdued and bound
Jarec, then immediately rushed him back to
their lord’s towering fortress for a proper
examination.
The trials and experiments that followed
were unspeakable, though Jarec’s enhanced
mind and body were nevertheless resilient.
On the third day of his imprisonment, a
battered Jarec found many of his dearest
friends and family standing outside the door
to his dungeon cell. His wife had gathered
them in hopes of freeing Jarec, for they
knew that deep beneath his scaled flesh
lived the man they once laughed and loved
with. Were he to remain in the lord’s keep,
he would be subjected to further physical
and mental trials before being sacrificed to
the new gods as an abomination. Jarec’s kin
could not let him be destroyed. Endangering
themselves and sealing their fate, they
overpowered his guards and freed him from
the keep, all together fleeing under a
clouded, starless sky. They could not return
home after such a bold rescue and, with
their belongings already gathered, instead
moved on silently into the night and to
lands beyond.
During their many journeys to come,
Teshdremor appeared and changed each of the
fugitives into a drakadremaar. She spoke to
them in dreams and, unlike her experience
with Jarec, better prepared them for the
change that was soon to come. First was
Jarec’s wife, Annij, her new form providing
the basis for all female drakadremaar to
come. Next came her loyal brother, Juxin,
one of few who had remained faithful to
Teshdremor despite the new religions. He
welcomed the change, and in the years to
come would be one of her strongest voices
amongst her children.
The others – friends and relatives alike –
were more reluctant at first. They
questioned their destiny from this point
forward, and if their new bodies were truly
meant for them. Juxin worked with Teshdremor
to allay their fears and ease them through
this transitional time. Jarec’s longtime
friend and hunting partner, Ularin, showed
the most resistance, and although he was
ultimately changed, he soon turned away from
the group and fled into seclusion. This
brought sadness to Jarec, but he knew that
he and his friend would meet again one day.
His foremost concern should be the more
pressing matters at hand.
Once their entire party had been reborn,
Teshdremor knew that her return to
prominence was surely imminent. She could
taste it. More of her faithful had to
similarly be turned, and the heathens who
resisted shown the light of her stars and
the warmth of her love, but this was a
significant beginning. Choosing her earthly
avatars, she granted Jarec and Annij the
power to transform others into drakadremaar
and instructed the pair to locate those
still loyal to her and grant them this
wondrous gift. To all her children, she gave
the Amoryr and an understanding of its art,
the power of magic. In the coming days it
would serve well to protect their kind and
strike down their enemies.
Reaching a new land, the drakadremaar
wanderers separated and went out among the
people as missionaries. They faced
persecution, fear, and misunderstanding, but
they never lost hope that unity under
Teshdremor would bring peace and end
senseless wars over meager territories –
wars that had upset the race of man for many
years. This was a chance at a new life.
Their fledgling drakadremaar nation saw many
hardships and setbacks in its construction,
and its mere existence put them at odds with
the many kingdoms of man, but their
steadfast efforts ensured that the light of
the Star Mother would shine for generations
to come. |
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