Inheritors

At the dawn of the Third Cycle, when Zæthéria’s lands were still raw with the scars of creation, a singular being strode among mortals: the Rainbow Dragon. Unlike its kin, this dragon bore scales that shimmered with every hue. It was not merely a beast of power, but a guardian and friend to the fledgling human tribes, teaching them wisdom, defending them from marauding monsters, and sharing in their joys and sorrows.

Disaster struck when a wasting sickness swept through the human settlements. No magic nor herb could stem the tide. In the darkest hour, the Rainbow Dragon made a fateful choice: it offered its own heart, bidding the humans to consume it so that they might inherit its strength and survive. As the dragon’s life ebbed, its essence suffused the mortals, transforming them into the first Inheritors, humanoids with scales, draconic features, and the power to wield elemental breath. Each Inheritor bore a unique pattern of scales, reflecting the full spectrum of the Rainbow Dragon’s legacy.

Yet, this act of compassion was met with horror and outrage by the other dragons. To them, the Rainbow Dragon’s sacrifice was a betrayal of draconic majesty, a squandering of divine power upon lesser beings. Through cunning and manipulation, the dragons subjugated the Inheritors, binding them in chains both magical and psychological. For centuries, the Inheritors toiled as slaves, their gifts twisted into tools of war and oppression.

But the memory of the Rainbow Dragon’s sacrifice endured. In the year 1500, the Inheritors rose in a cataclysmic revolt known as the Slaughter of the Dragons. Through unity, cunning, and the very powers gifted by their progenitor, they shattered their chains and earned their freedom, forever altering the balance of Zæthéria.