Ring of Elders
Known originally as the Seven Children of Dragoosh, the Ring of Elders came to be from the seven remaining eggs of Dragonkind following the annihilation of the planet Dragoosh. Taken care of and blessed by the Dragonqueen, these seven eggs would hatch into mighty figures that helped rejuvenate Dragonkind and see to the creation and expansion of the Draconic Empire.
Acting as the governing force of Dragonhearth, and by extension the empire itself, the Ring of Elders are formed of Dragonqueen Zamendrya's seven handpicked Elder Dragons each tasked with overlooking one of the seven key aspects of the empire. With the Ring of Elders responsible for the growth and development of their ranks, the Draconic Empire was able to prosper and advance beyond what was thought possible in the primal blueprints of existence.
Each member of the Ring of Elders carries with them a title with which they are commonly referred to by others. This title serves to place them as head of their respective territory and faction within the empire. When an Elder dies or is seen no longer fit for the rank, the Dragonqueen is expected to choose a new one to take their place, often choosing from their lineage or from the Elder's most trusted and successful followers. As the name suggests, an Elder has to be an Elder Dragon, which are Dragons at least 750 years old, though throughout history there have been exceptions made to this rule to temporarily fill a void within the ring before a worthy Elder can be found.
These Elders are given boons of power by the Dragonqueen that allow them to live longer than normal so that they may serve the role for longer than the minimum 250 years an Elder Dragon is expected to live. Though this boon does not make them immortal, Elders within the Ring have sometimes lived upwards to a thousand years longer than the lifespan of a Dragon has allowed.
The Diviner, Aureum
Considered to be the head of the Ring and second to Zamendrya herself, The Diviner is in charge of watching over the Apexion, the great citadel within Upper Dragonhearth that serves as the lair of the Dragonqueen and meeting place for the Ring of Elders. The Diviner is in charge of the creation and establishment of laws and orders for the Empire, working closest with the representatives of the other Draconic flights found across Auria to safeguard the peace of their nation. He is also in charge of hosting the meetings between the other members of the Ring of Elders and is oft found as the conduit in such convergings. Lastly the Diviner is expected to serve as Zamendrya's prime consort during his reign which is also why the Diviner is almost always a male.
The Diviner's followers are known as the Cardifice, a force in Dragonhearth that deals in exerting the law and will of Zamendrya and the Diviner to its populous.
The current Diviner is Aureum of the Reum lineage. Like those before in his family, Aureum is dedicated to his role in the Cardifice and has served that role with passion and diligence. Though he was only recently appointed following Syraksus stepping down willingly, his active campaign against snuffing out the Zealous Verdict has proven to be effective in keeping the peace within Dragonhearth.
The Cultivator, Nemoris
From the fertile Gardens of Eternity does the Cultivator hail from, one tasked with safekeeping the harvest of Dragonhearth's food and medicine. The Cultivator is dedicated to keeping the Dragons in Wyrmeron well fed and satiated throughout the year long cold periods that cover most of the planet bar from his own Gardens where the Cultivator and his followers, the Everbinders, sow the seeds of gigantic plants and breed hearty beasts fit to be harvested for food. The Cultivator's duties are also to study the worlds biological activities and come up with new and improved ways of sustaining the empire. Within his or her Emerald Division in the Gardens of Eternity the Cultivator spends most of their time, studying the plant and beast life of not only their own garden but also the species found across Auria.
Nemoris is the active Cultivator as of right now and his many centuries of experience and knowledge has given way to new discoveries being made within the Emerald Division that help better the health of Dragonhearth's citizens and fight back against deathly illnesses that have plagued Dragonkind since the dawn of their empire.
The Observer, Archaraku
High at the top of the Astral Observatorium, the Observer is forever linked with the eternal battle of discovery. Given the duty to record everything that can be recorded and study whatever can be studied, the Observer is responsible for furthering their knowledge in magic and developing the wisdom of Dragonhearth's youth and eldest. As such, the Astral Observatorium, the Arcane Reliquary underneath it and the Observer are closely linked together as it is in those places that he or she has stored countless eons worth of knowledge with differing degrees of accessibility for the Draconic people. Generally the Observatorium is used by the common populous of the upper city while the Reliquary keeps knowledge too valuable to be released out into the open like the legendary Cosmic Lexicon, a book said to hold the secrets of magic which had been stored within the vault prior to being stolen by Deldarach Hawktalon and his expedition. The Observer can also make use of his Astrologians, experienced spellweavers and noble chroniclers of the Observatorium that serve as the backbone of the Empire's magical might.
The current Observer, Archaraku, hails from the Raku lineage which has watched over the Observatorium for close to a millennia now. Strict and fervent in his ways, Archaraku has served as the great library's curator and guardian without fault like those before him and he intends to keep his bloodline as heirs to the Observer title by personally seeing to the training of his son, Deltaraku, to be his future successor.
The Lover, Caritas
Even in the early years of the empire's existence, the Dragons sought not only to expand their minds and become the most powerful influence in the world but also to live fulfilling and pleasing lives. For such a role the Lover is placed into power, a being with the knowledge and understanding that keeps the people of the Empire satiated and happy. Commonly female, though not always, the Lover is the host of the legendary Court of Love within central Upper Dragonhearth where not only Dragons but also Draken and Wyaur are welcomed to spend their time in flavorous fashion attended to by the Lover's joyous servants and maids, the Vermilion Courters, who work day and night to keep the court active in entertainment, foods, drinks and pleasures to name a few.
Like most Lovers, Caritas has continued this tradition of watching over the Court of Love to make sure that the lifeblood of amenities never stops. She is often found taking hands on approaches to keeping the energy flowing in the court and is hailed as a celebrity figure in Dragonhearth.
The Defender, Dominus
Military strength and the ability to go to war when needed are considered by some as the most important aspect of any Empire and the Draconic Empire is no stranger to it either. Since the destruction of their homeworld, Dragons have had to fight for a position in the world against the Mortals who saw them as nothing more than monsters and trophy kills. For the task of defending their homeland and the occasional expansion or even a full on war, the Defender was chosen to lead the Dragons into combat. Based in the massive Ultimatus Keep reaching from Upper Dragonhearth to Lower Dragonhearth, the Defender is given the responsibility of overseeing the training of Dragonhearth's troops, the defence of the city and leading them into war as either a front line or back line general. They are also tasked with making sure their Draken and Wyaur troops in the lower portion of the city are well ordered and disciplined with the High Commanders there answering directly to him or her.
As the current Defender, Dominus has dedicated her life to serving as the Empire's defender through an iron will and strong military expertise. With her at the charge, the Empire has produced powerful Draconic fighters as well as establish a strong standing army with the Draken and Wyaur. Unlike some before her, Dominus makes use of her connections with the other Elders to bolster her forces with masterful magi from the Observer, territorial intelligence from the Hunter and advanced armor and weapons from the Crafter. She has shown time and time again the distrust she has towards Mortalkind but only chooses to act against them should they intrude upon the lands she is tasked with protecting.
The Hunter, Kynigos
Deception and subtlety are the hallmarks of the Hunter, whether it be infiltrating Mortalkind or tracking the forces of the Cosmos - nothing is allowed to remain unknown by them. Never underestimated by the other members of the Ring, the Hunter is tasked with feeding the Empire with important intelligence of the happenings of the Galaxy, acting in the shadows or in a disguise to remain anonymous. The Hunter makes use of the Eyes of Tenebri, an elite force of Draconic agents that help gather necessary information across the galaxy, often positioned in highly active locations and posing as Mortals, other times they work in unison with the Apexion Wardens to keep eyes on suspicious activity within their own lands and bring the truth out wherever possible.
Kynigos is the current Hunter and though he is the youngest Elder of the Ring currently, his skills were recognized by the previous Hunter, Skopos, under whom he was his prime agent operating primarily in the Luxfordian regions during the Grand War. Before becoming the Hunter, Kynigos was active during the Grand War feeding information of every battle taking place on every planet during this time, allowing the Dragons across the Galaxy to keep their lairs safe and isolated from the conflict.
The Creator, Michanikos
For his intellect and creative mind, the Creator serves as the architect of Dragonhearth's architecture and the mechanical servitors that defend and serve those within. It was the first Creator, Kataskev, who made use of the newly formed Draken created by Zamendrya to build the city of Dragonhearth and rise it above the mountains that surround it to create a home for all Dragonkind where the worries of the outside can remain at bay. Thanks to his feats and usage of them, the Draken were honoured with an ageless responsibility of acting as the craftsmen serving directly under all future Creators which resulted in the formation of the Kataskev Guild where Draken, Wyaur and even some few Dragons following the Creator's will gather and think in one mind and put their engineering prowess to the good of the empire. The Creator him or herself is recognized as the official leader of this guild and he or she is tasked with operating the guild so that production for their works. Though at first they specialized only in what could be made with the skills of engineering and architecture, overtime the Kataskev Guild was expanded to many different professions including tailoring for clothing, blacksmithing for armor and weapons for the Warbringer's military and alchemy for medicine provided by the Cultivator's Everbinders.
As is tradition when a new Creator must be chosen, a competition is held between all Elder Dragons within the Guild where their inventions are ranked and judged to see who has the greatest mind. Whoever wins will not only gain the rank of the Creator but their invention will also be put to use empire wide.
The current Creator, Michanikos, won the rite of becoming a Creator through inventing a new form of guardian servitor named the Defense Automatron XXIV, the best of the long line of robotic guardians that serve to keep peace in Upper Dragonhearth. Michanikos continues to work tirelessly to further upgrade what ever is possible to upgrade in the city, having his guild work like ants repairing and fortifying buildings like no tomorrow.
