Lords of the World –

Before the Gods came to the planet, the primordial world was teeming with life. Among its myriad creatures, the Dragons reigned supreme as apex predators. They soared through the skies, riding thermals with effortless grace, and dominated land and sea, leaving no part of the world untouched by their presence. Over time, they evolved into various sub-species, each adapted to rule a different domain—air, land, or water. Yet, there was something that set the Dragons apart from other native life: intelligence.

The hatching of Bahamut marked a turning point in Dragon evolution. Within a few generations, they had mastered language and reason. Dragons live for thousands of years, with some even appearing immortal, unable to die of old age. This longevity accelerated their learning, allowing them to build knowledge over millennia. Once undisputed masters of the world, they shaped the primordial landscape with their power and intellect.

Tragedy of the Dragons –

The Gods began their "great game" by creating the Titans, who needed training before they could be pitted against each other. Initially, these encounters were rare, but over time, more Dragons found themselves under attack by these strange, powerful beings. Enraged by the assaults on their kin, Tiamat gathered more followers, raising a great war flight to strike back. Despite Bahamut's warnings, the Dragons went to war.

The result was catastrophic. The Gods swatted away the Dragon army as if they were mere insects, unleashing forces that the Dragons could neither see nor comprehend. Thousands of ancient Dragons fell in the first moments of the battle, their lives snuffed out without a single blow landing on the enemy. Only a few, including Tiamat, managed to escape the massacre and return with harrowing tales of defeat. For the first time, the Dragons faced a foe they could not overpower.

The Gods continued to use their Titans to test the Dragons, unleashing them like weapons to hone their might. Even when Titans battled each other, the Dragons were often caught in the crossfire, suffering as collateral damage. The Gods were aware of Bahamut’s power and sought to test their creations against him. Though he fought valiantly, emerging victorious each time, the battles took their toll. Weakened and exhausted, Bahamut knew it was only a matter of time before he would fall. With their empire in ruins, the surviving Dragons retreated to the far corners of the world, seeking refuge in remote mountain ranges and dense forests. Their struggle was no longer one of dominance but of survival.

Unlikely Allies –

When the Titans rebelled against the Gods and ignited the War of Heaven, the Dragons initially watched from afar. They harbored hatred for both sides, as both had brought suffering to their kind. Yet, as the conflict escalated and the Gods created new mortal races to bolster their forces, Bahamut saw an opportunity. He called the remaining Dragons together, urging them to ally with the Titans.

Tiamat vehemently opposed the idea, reminding the Dragons of how their previous attempts to fight the Gods had ended in disaster. But Bahamut had learned much. He had befriended the Titans and discovered that the Gods had imbued them with divine power, which they could use to protect the Dragons. It was a risk, but he was willing to take it. If the Dragons did not wish to join him, he would go alone, but he would not stand idly by while the Gods continued to threaten their existence.

Firestorm –

The second outside force to threaten the Dragons existence was the Fire Elemental.  When the elementals came crashing to the planet to continue their war it was the Fire Elemental that was drawn to the Dragonspine Mountains and their range of active volcanos.  When it dipped into the boiling magma the chain reaction racked carnage in the Dragons volcanic homes.  The deep caves were ripped apart by volcanic eruptions and many Dragons were killed before they could flee, buried forever in the mountains.  Sensing this was no natural disaster Bahamut immediately led his best warriors deep into the heart of the largest volcano, the Fire Mountain, where he had heard reports that an object from the sky had fallen directly into the cone of the volcano. 

They flew past a huge pyroclastic flow that claimed a few Dragons as they were caught unawares with its sheer size and ferocity as it reared up into the atmosphere.  Into the crumbling mountain they flew, past rivers of molten lava and through collapsing cave systems.  Finally, they made it to the centre of the mountain.  There they found the Fire Elemental raging out of control.  The Dragons attacked and the Elemental summoned creatures born of pure fire to defend itself and the huge volcano was the scene of a mighty struggle.  Dragons crashed into the walls and disappeared forever into the storm of lava, dragged down by a mass of fire sprite like creatures.  For the Elementals part the creatures it created were being obliterated by the power and ferocity of the Dragons attacks.

Finally, Bahamut and the Elemental itself, now a raging creature of pure fire that kept changing shape, clashed in the middle of the battle.  Time and time again they smashed into each other, and eventually crashed through the side of the volcano with force enough to cause the entire east wall of the mountain to collapse.  Away from the lava and the source of its power the Fire Elemental started to slow and grow weaker.  Bahamut took advantage, ripping into the weakened Elemental with renewed force.  No longer having to worry about being defensive the mighty Dragon unleashed attack after attack.  Try as he might though Bahamut could not finish off the Elemental.  Exhausted he backed off and the two rivals watched each other while trying to recover their strength.  Bahamut recognised that the two would end up destroying each other and asked the Fire Elemental why it was destroying his home.  Surprisingly the elemental responded in a language Bahamut understood, its voice forming directly inside the head of the Dragon.  It explained that it could not control the chain reaction it had caused when it entered the volcano and had only defended itself when the Dragons attacked.  The two talked for days as the seismic activity settled around them as the Fire Elemental told the Dragon about the ancient war that had now come to their planet.  The Dragons stayed away as Bahamut seemed to not be under any immediate threat.  The two reached a truce as the Fire Elemental explained the War of the Elementals that could rip the world apart and if they did nothing the fate the world would have if one of his brothers was victorious, they would not shape a world that would be kind to Dragons.  Bahamut decided he would ally the Dragons with the Fire Elemental in the coming war, recognising a kindred spirit and a creature that wanted a world the same as the Dragon.  A world that would see Dragons once again being masters of the world.  Destiny had put two very powerful forces together.