dragons of dwtd
Nov. 2nd, 2007 07:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maderrthough not really addressed, except in passing here and there, the dragons of dwtd are descended from King Arthur, in some way shape or fashion. I intend to address it a bit more whenever I get a certain story to cooperate *glares at it* but Alice asked and so here is what little the author so far has been told ^^;;
In present day, there exists:
Four Primary Clans:
These are the ultimate ruling Clans of the Knight Dragons. Of those four, Pendragon (obviously) is the most dominant. Within the Pendragon clan exists a direct descendant of King Arthur with all his legendary power and strength. His dragon, too, is directly descended from the first 'Excalibur'* -- the original Knight Dragon. Other dragons were created, and from those come other descendants, but none are as powerful as this one, because no one but Arthur and those of his exact caliber can tame him (and don't think you'll ever see them, because I could never manage a British enough touch to do him justice).
Roughly the four Primary Clans are in England, France, Germany, and the United States, but this is rough, as a I said, because it's the sort of detail I don't know until it's presented to me mid-story.
Next are the Secondary Clans, four to each Primary, so sixteen in total:
Pendragon:
Loth
von Blumenthal
Corbenic:
The matter of the various clans is not something I've ever had to contend with, so it's still rather rough ^^ 'Cross' is the only thing not directly related in some fashion to King Arthur; it's more a reference to all the religious aspects to the old stories.
Beyond the Secondary Clans are the Tertiary Clans. They vary in number, though the average is three to every Secondary -- they're more branches of Secondary than proper clans themselves, except in places like Australia where they'd be rather distant from the larger clans.
None of this answers Alice's question, but it sets up the world of my steel dragons ^^ From here, I can tell you the clans are extremely strict and keep themselves most apart from general society. A lot of this has to do with the dragons themselves -- they're extremely possessive of their Owners, extremely protective period. Once they were used for battle, and to some degree still are, and it's a rock solid belief of pretty much everyone that one day the knight dragons will be needed again. This, more than anything, is why they are kept and bred and so religiously cared for.
First and foremost rule of the clans is not to spread knowledge about the steels. Many get in serious trouble for even revealing their steel dragons -- especially to the pale imitations that are the pit dragons. This is a bit more lax in the US, as you've seen, but if Rick had done more than he did by briefly pitting Cal -- it's likely he would have been all but killed. Cross holds a lot of respect as a Secondary Clan, but they've lately taken a beating that three of their best bailed.
Beliefs in the clans are relatively old-fashioned, in terms of marriage and children born in/out of wedlock, etc. Marriage is not a romantic thing, but a business matter -- affection is primarily b/t Owner and dragon. Lineage is extremely important -- everyone can trace their roots back to X figure, with paperwork to back it up.
As mentioned earlier, the deepest belief of all the clans is that the dragons will once more become important to the world -- because 'King Arthur' will rise again and take the throne of the world. Yes, that sounded cult-ish. It's mostly a waiting game, and preserving the dragons and the bloodlines, constantly honing and improving, training and waiting. That is what you don't see, though in Ken's story I hope to show one of the 'jousting' tournaments through which the steel dragons hone and improve themselves.
A certain trio of brothers, as well as others you haven't (and may never) meet don't really like this POV - especially in combination with rigid, old fashioned beliefs. They prefer not to cling to such things, but simply live like anyone else.
Mordred was responsible for the first elemental dragons, though I'm not really up to elaborating on the how and why. His descendants, however, are marked by their eyes -- this was seen briefly in Made to be Broken, if anyone noted it. A sacred duty of the Clans is to kill any descendants of Mordred (and not just b/c they created what became the pit dragons, but saying more would be spoilery). Suffice to say that I keep intact one vital part of the old legends -- that Mordred and Arthur killed one another.
....I think that's about it? All I've got, anyway. Hopefully I didn't make any mistakes (and answered the question....), but it's really fracking hard putting my notes down x_x I'm used to them just floating about in my head until I need them.
*no relation to Ricks' Cal. In his case, it's just what a silly young kid named his shiny dragon. The present day descendant of the first Excalibur does not bear that name.
In present day, there exists:
Four Primary Clans:
- Pendragon
- Corbenic
- von Blumenthal
- Loth
These are the ultimate ruling Clans of the Knight Dragons. Of those four, Pendragon (obviously) is the most dominant. Within the Pendragon clan exists a direct descendant of King Arthur with all his legendary power and strength. His dragon, too, is directly descended from the first 'Excalibur'* -- the original Knight Dragon. Other dragons were created, and from those come other descendants, but none are as powerful as this one, because no one but Arthur and those of his exact caliber can tame him (and don't think you'll ever see them, because I could never manage a British enough touch to do him justice).
Roughly the four Primary Clans are in England, France, Germany, and the United States, but this is rough, as a I said, because it's the sort of detail I don't know until it's presented to me mid-story.
Next are the Secondary Clans, four to each Primary, so sixteen in total:
Pendragon:
- Drystan
- Pelles
- du Lac
- le Fay
Loth
- Palimedes
- le Noir
- Beaumains
- Bronceliande
von Blumenthal
- Ector
- Dagonet
- Feirefiz
- de Hautdesert
Corbenic:
- Pellinore
- a'Lincoln
- le Savage
- Cross
The matter of the various clans is not something I've ever had to contend with, so it's still rather rough ^^ 'Cross' is the only thing not directly related in some fashion to King Arthur; it's more a reference to all the religious aspects to the old stories.
Beyond the Secondary Clans are the Tertiary Clans. They vary in number, though the average is three to every Secondary -- they're more branches of Secondary than proper clans themselves, except in places like Australia where they'd be rather distant from the larger clans.
None of this answers Alice's question, but it sets up the world of my steel dragons ^^ From here, I can tell you the clans are extremely strict and keep themselves most apart from general society. A lot of this has to do with the dragons themselves -- they're extremely possessive of their Owners, extremely protective period. Once they were used for battle, and to some degree still are, and it's a rock solid belief of pretty much everyone that one day the knight dragons will be needed again. This, more than anything, is why they are kept and bred and so religiously cared for.
First and foremost rule of the clans is not to spread knowledge about the steels. Many get in serious trouble for even revealing their steel dragons -- especially to the pale imitations that are the pit dragons. This is a bit more lax in the US, as you've seen, but if Rick had done more than he did by briefly pitting Cal -- it's likely he would have been all but killed. Cross holds a lot of respect as a Secondary Clan, but they've lately taken a beating that three of their best bailed.
Beliefs in the clans are relatively old-fashioned, in terms of marriage and children born in/out of wedlock, etc. Marriage is not a romantic thing, but a business matter -- affection is primarily b/t Owner and dragon. Lineage is extremely important -- everyone can trace their roots back to X figure, with paperwork to back it up.
As mentioned earlier, the deepest belief of all the clans is that the dragons will once more become important to the world -- because 'King Arthur' will rise again and take the throne of the world. Yes, that sounded cult-ish. It's mostly a waiting game, and preserving the dragons and the bloodlines, constantly honing and improving, training and waiting. That is what you don't see, though in Ken's story I hope to show one of the 'jousting' tournaments through which the steel dragons hone and improve themselves.
A certain trio of brothers, as well as others you haven't (and may never) meet don't really like this POV - especially in combination with rigid, old fashioned beliefs. They prefer not to cling to such things, but simply live like anyone else.
Mordred was responsible for the first elemental dragons, though I'm not really up to elaborating on the how and why. His descendants, however, are marked by their eyes -- this was seen briefly in Made to be Broken, if anyone noted it. A sacred duty of the Clans is to kill any descendants of Mordred (and not just b/c they created what became the pit dragons, but saying more would be spoilery). Suffice to say that I keep intact one vital part of the old legends -- that Mordred and Arthur killed one another.
....I think that's about it? All I've got, anyway. Hopefully I didn't make any mistakes (and answered the question....), but it's really fracking hard putting my notes down x_x I'm used to them just floating about in my head until I need them.
*no relation to Ricks' Cal. In his case, it's just what a silly young kid named his shiny dragon. The present day descendant of the first Excalibur does not bear that name.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-02 11:51 pm (UTC)So much detail in this o_o I hope we get to see more of this side of the dwtd 'verse. Dragons are...kinda...really one of my obsessions. ^_^
no subject
Date: 2007-11-02 11:53 pm (UTC)Detail *snort* You should see what Kitty's dragged out of me in regards to kidnapped verse.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-02 11:57 pm (UTC)I do love your dragons. Luuuuuv 'dem.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-02 11:59 pm (UTC)Someone let you have sugar, didn't they?
no subject
Date: 2007-11-02 11:59 pm (UTC)No, seriously.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:03 am (UTC)Lol. You'd have to go poke her, cause I pretty much never make notes. She asked questions, I answered, she made all her own notes. But if she wants, I certainly don't care if she posts them.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:16 am (UTC)*snort* I'm American through and through. The closest I get to managing British is saying 'bloody' way too often >_>;; I could never write a Brit, no way no how. I barely managed to write a Chinese American.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:20 am (UTC)Oh...er....Maybe some interesting facts about the kidnapped 'verse? In particular the Gremlins and the organisation of the government? Would that be possible?
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:22 am (UTC)May I worship your notebook now? *loves*
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:31 am (UTC)*runs away*
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:36 am (UTC)YOU ARE A DORK.
A cute one, but a dork.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:36 am (UTC)^^;; S'why I get so many odd looks? Waaaaay too mjuch time spent in lala land.
<3
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:38 am (UTC)But yeah, sparkly. ^___^ I knew there was a bunch of this hanging about when I did my fanfic, and it makes me glad I did a non-clan dragon 'cause I probably would've botched like mad. I'd love to see more of the schism between old world views and new world views. ^___^ Just because the concept seems to go so well with dragons. The old, strict rituals versus the new, more laid-back lifestyles that Rick and Tori and uh, that other one that my brain is failing at remembering... that they have. Erg, and not necessarily villianizing the old views, but just laying it out there and maybe seeing an Owner/Dragon pairing that are the "heroes" and are likable despite their adhering/proscribing to the old way of thinking?
And I'm probably botching this rambling so I'm going to stop now. ^___^;; Probably best if I'm ignored at this point. ^___^
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:45 am (UTC)Though, you may find it amusing that you sparked a fascinating discussion between M and myself which is generating a whoooole lot more notes... ^^;
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:45 am (UTC)*keeps quiet*
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:47 am (UTC)^___^ I love creating systems and cultures and all. S'why I like fantasy so much, even if I never get to show all the shiny in the actual story.
I've always wanted to do a story about someone still in the clan, so I'd imagine at some pont you will get your wish <3
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:48 am (UTC)Yay. \^_^/ More notes.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 12:50 am (UTC)Yay! ^___^
Oh, and on a completely random, curious note, what did you end up choosing to write for SMP?