The Dragon Knights

To most humans, the Dragon Knights are as enigmatic as their lords and masters, the Dragons themselves. Neither have even the most famed historians been able to truly explain the when or why of their existence, nor do the oldest sources available to mankind speak of the arrival or rise of the Dragon Knights. This would suggest they must have walked Rivellon before man’s appearance and must therefore have been chosen from among a now extinct race. We do know, however, that Dragon Knights were chosen from among humans very early in our history, which indicates the Dragons saw potential in our species. In fact all currently known Dragon Knights are now believed to be of human descent.

Ancient wisdom tells us Dragons are the oldest race on Rivellon and that they flourished aeons before the advent of man. Their number must have been great, far greater than we can imagine, now that Dragons are almost a myth. For reasons unknown to us the Dragons started to wane a few millennia ago and with it their longstanding dominion. We assume that in response to their decline they created the Dragon Knights.

As far as we can tell the Dragon Knights became the eyes and ears of the Dragons as they became more reclusive and less prone to intervene in matters themselves. The Dragons looked for certain features in newborns, regardless of sex or lineage. When a child was deemed suitable, it was snatched away in the night and raised by the Dragon in question. Over the years the Dragon would bestow gradually more of its powers on the young Knight.

Needless to say, this amazing power, combined with knowledge unfathomable to mere humans, resulted in the reign of mighty Dragon Knights, most of whom were highly civilised and just, but sometimes equally civilised and tyrannical. For centuries and more, mankind lived for the greater part in harmony with these Draconic agents, though, it should be added, always in awe of them and consequently in some distance of them, literally and figuratively.

This cautious, but generally peaceful relationship came to its abrupt ending with the Great Betrayal, the founding of the Order of the Dragon Slayers and the annihilation of the last Dragons and Dragon Knights. The historians among men however, hope the Slayers will not in their rage destroy all that belonged to the realm of Dragons, for the disappearing into oblivion of all draconic knowledge would be an unspeakable tragedy indeed.