Desipis Dragons are an extremely dangerous breed, synonymous with the paths of desolation they leave in their wakes. These gargantuan beasts are infamous for their innate ability to control and manipulate the minds of others, which they use to pulverize the sanities of their foes and forge false memories. This power is especially effective on the foolish, and only the strongest-willed individuals have been known to resist a Desipis’s cunning. Most who anger Desipises do not live to tell the tale. Desipis Dragons are especially feared for their uncanny power of absorbing the magic of others with the fire they breathe and converting it into the bright reserves of crystallized mana that decorate their bodies.

Dragons are highly-intelligent reptilian creatures that—from a human perspective, at least—appear to live forever. Many different varieties of dragon exist, each with their own unique qualities, habitats, and behavior. Adolescence in dragons is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling’s wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. In Galsreim, dragons and humans coexist peacefully.

Ancient was not quite the proper word to describe him. It implied age, which, of course, suggests there was once a beginning--but as far as any could tell, he had been there forever, a blight upon the land that in its own way was darker than that of Asis the Golden.

Reputation alone, however, is not enough to ruin the world. Cruelty requires strength. Strength demands sacrifice. But not his own. Hunter of all things magical, he devours lesser dragons and hapless mages alike, swelling both power and pride. His view of such atrocities is amiable. The beast claims he is the first sorcerer to have lived, and that he is thus simply reclaiming strength that is his.

Yet there are those who would challenge that claim--even without knowing they do so. Like the human named Thomas Firstmage. A mage scarcely into adulthood, unaware of both the connection and the challenge he presented to a nightmare he had never even heard of... and the fact that the dragon was most keenly aware of him.