Liliana Vess (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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fandomhigh2026-05-28 04:08 am
deathsmajesty) wrote in fandomhigh2026-05-28 04:08 am
Song of Dominia, Thursday, Period 3
"So, the Elder Dragon War," Liliana said, picking up from last week's lecture as if it had been seven minutes since she last discussed it, not seven days. "In the millennia or so after Nicol Bolas - then, only Nicol, he had not granted himself a second name - had taken over the kingdom of the man that had slain his sister, Merrevia Sal, the rest of the Elder dragons had spread out over Dominaria. There were hundreds of them, perhaps more, and by this time, many of them had taken mates and started breeding children of their own. Dragons eat a great deal, do not share easily or well, especially with one another, and are incredibly aware of their own status and standing in their internal hierarchy."
"Originally, the dragonic hierarchy had been based on hatching order; those who hatched first were the biggest and strongest, and those who hatched later were smaller and weaker--and none moreso than Nicol and his twin brother Ugin, who were not only Last-Born, but twins, born from the same shell and smaller due to it. But as time went by, the hierarchy began to shift. Size stopped being the main indication of status as power become a benchmark as well. Power could mean any number of things: brute strength, cunning, magic, and, eventually, wealth and territory. And, if that territory came with humans - or any other sapient race, really - to serve and obey you, then it was all the more valuable. Thus, what happened next was inevitable; in fact, it had been happening for centuries, dragons playing at being conqueror, taking land first from the inhabitants, and then from one another. If you recall from last week, Merrevia Sal was the first dragon that had been killed by the humans of that particular area, each of the king's four potential heirs had earned their place by slaying a dragon of their own. While we don't remember those dragon's names, we do know they were part of the same clutch as Vaevictis Asmadi, a 'cousin' to Nicol's own clutch."
How did Elder dragons decide who were cousins and who were siblings? Impossible to say, as they were all spawned from the Ur-Dragon. But that's how they characterized their relationship and who was Liliana to question?
"In time, seven of Vaevictis Asmadi's children or grandchildren decided that they wanted lands of their own, out from their father's mighty shadow and decided that Nicol's kingdom was both theirs by right, as their kin had been killed there, and also, probably easy pickings. Those seven dragons began raiding the lands, slaughtering and carrying off humans and livestock. Nicol, already a proud and malicious bastard, would not stand the insult, and set a trap for the seven. When they returned for another raid, Nicol's soldiers, who still practiced dragon-slaying techniques, but this time under Nicol's standard, ambushed them and slew them all, and mounted their heads on the towers of Nicol's castle. Perhaps Nicol only meant this as a warning to other young upstarts, but his cousin took that, well, personally. Vaevictis Asmadi and three of his brothers, Rubra, Ravus, and Lividus, flew to Nicol's kingdom and roared a challenge for Nicol to come out and answer for the murder of his children. Nicol did come out, after a fashion--that is, with his army at his heels. The human army clashed with the four Elder dragons and, shockingly, did not fare terribly well against creatures nearly as powerful as Pla--" Right. That would mean nothing to the class, as they only knew modern Planeswalkers, not Oldwalkers in their prime "--nearly as powerful as gods."
The good old days.
"Nicol faced a truly shattering defeat, and his army retreated into the mountains. That might have been the end of it, but as they retreated, his archers sent a volley of poisoned arrows towards their enemies and one pierced Rubra's eye, leaving him dead before he hit the ground. Enraged, Ravus and Lividus tracked them into the mountains, swearing to eat Nicol's heart, but while he was small for a dragon, he was also incredibly clever, especially when it came to scheming and machinations." You hear that, class? That's the sound of dramatic irony! "Ravus was faster than Lividus and left his brother behind in his rage to get to Nicol. While four Elder dragons are a lot for a mere army to fight at once, one is a much more achievable goal. Nicol's cadre of magic users ambushed Ravis with a super-powered disintegration spell. It hit like an invisible wave pouring through him and Lavidus arrived in time to see Ravus shatter like an overheated rock. With a cry of enraged grief, Lividus flamed a ballistae that was had just flung a second set of poisoned bolts. The force of his blast sent the bolts skittering against the canyon walls, leaving Nicol Bolas vulnerable with the charred ballistae, the last sorcerers, and the blood-soaked rearguard as his sole companions.
"However, Nicol is, I'm deeply annoyed to say, an incredibly powerful telepath. Pretending to surrender, he captured Lividus's gaze with his own and sunk a shadow claw of doubt into the other dragon's heart, seeking to excavate his grievances. As he was dealing with a dragon, that was akin to pouring sugar on the ground and hoping ants would show up. Lividus had always resented the fact that Asmadi used him to do his dirty work, while his brother stayed safely behind. He was tired of Asmadi's rule and his domineering ways. With Ravus and Rubra, he had earlier conspired to supplant Asmadi, but the latter had beat them into submission. Nicol sank his power deep into Lividus's simmering rancor and ignited his suppressed rage. When Vaevictis arrived on the scene, Lividus rose to meet him with a roar. The impact and clamor of their battle thundered through the rugged hills and echoed down the deep canyons, and Nicol escaped while Vaevictis Asmadi tore his remaining brother limb from limb.
"Another person might have decided to lay low after that, but then, they lack the petty spite that makes up the vast majority of Nicol Bolas' personality." It was possible that she and the Elder dragon had met before. Possible. "Instead, Nicol decided that the best way to keep his kingdom and his skin was to instigate a war amongst all the Elder dragon clans. His elder sister, Palladia-Mors, was easily convinced by him that they shouldn't just be conquering humans but other dragons, and she set off to raise an army. Nicol continued to use lie and manipulate his way through multiple clans, preying on pride, prejudice, and power-hunger alike. He was, to no one's surprise, very successful. Dragons from one clan raided the mountain fastnesses of a cousin clan. Amid the snow-capped peaks, the dragons fought in thunderous battles, claw to claw, fire to fire. Charred flesh rained down from the heavens. Bone shattered at the base of the cliffs. Those whose hunger could never be sated tore their way through the dying, feasting upon the bloody flesh of their kind.
"Dragons crossed the mighty seas to find new lands in which to feed their hunger for flesh and power. When even those distant shores became too crowded, then dragons fought each other with tooth and claw, with fire and ice. Under dragon standards, they raised proud war bands from among the humanoids who worshiped or feared them. Sorcerers who sought a dragon-like power through mastery of their magical gifts came crawling to offer their services, for in all the wide world, no creature was as powerful as an Elder dragon, not in the beginning of days and never across all the unending span of eternity. Even the wise Arcades Sabboth, First-Born, threw his might into the great war as he listened to the whispers of Bolas that brushed through his mind. So the war raged while Bolas watched from a safe distance, confident that he would be the final victor, waiting for the opportunity to strike at dragons, weakened from other battles, and claim their dominions as his own. It was sometime within this era that Nicol took the name Bolas, but whatever significance it had to him..." Liliana shrugged. "Lost, if it were indeed ever known."
She was pretty sure he'd just thought it sounded cool. Goddamned edgelord.
"We have no idea how long the Elder Dragon War lasted, simply that it spanned 'many human generations.' By the end, Nicol Bolas ruled half of Dominaria, which is, roughly, an area larger than entirety of Earth. No longer able to hide, Bolas fought viciously; his final foe was his own brother, Arcades Sabboth, who had conquered the other half of Dominaria. Palladia-Mors was still on Bolas' side, and Vaevictis Asmadi had sworn fealty to Arcades. Apart from these four, only three Elder dragons still lived: Second-Born, Chromium Rhuell, who had shapeshifted himself and his lifemate Piru - Vaevictis Asmadi's younger sister - into humans to avoid being pressed into the army, and Ugin, Nicol's twin, who had vanished centuries ago, before even Dragon-Killers War had begun. Out of the hundreds of Elder dragons hatched from the Ur-Dragon's eggs, only seven survived to see the end of the war."
Typical Nichol Bolas behavior, tbh.
"Arcades Sabboth knew he was going to lose, but the hold Bolas had on his mind refused to let him back down. He brought his much-depleted army to the field, but before he could roar his defiance, his mind cleared. It was not that Bolas had let his mind go, but the herald of the return of Ugin to Dominaria. His spark had ignited all those centuries ago and had been exploring the Multiverse ever since. As a Planeswalker and an Elder dragon, he was exponentially more powerful than his twin, and his mere presence shattered Bolas' telepathic influence. Shamed by his own behavior, Arcades tried justifying his attack as reactionary towards Bolas' brutality while Nicol Bolas proudly displayed his empire before Ugin, asking his twin to join him in being the emperor of all.
"Ugin retorted that all that Nicol had achieved was a minor speck in an infinity of worlds and nothing to be proud of, revealing that he had found a way to travel between worlds. Nicol angrily asked Ugin to show him how to Planeswalk, and when he could not, accused him of hiding somewhere on Dominaria like a coward, plotting against him. The brothers exchanged bitter words before Ugin Planeswalked away from Dominaria, intending to leave his twin to his meager empire--what he didn't know was that Bolas, in his rage and jealousy at being left behind, managed to ignite his spark and Planeswalked away as well. Arcades, who had slunk off while Bolas was distracted, quickly took advantage of his absence to take over everything the Bolas had left behind, welcoming his brother's abandoned armies with open arms. He became the de facto ruler of Dominaria for many centuries. And, proving that we can never have a happy ending, the remains of Bolas' broken mental influence still ate away at Arcades Sabboth's mind, becoming full-fledged paranoia, and slowly transforming him from a wise, peaceful ruler into dictatorial police state."
You know. As happened sometimes.
"Nicol Bolas is the only surviving Elder dragon of Dominaria now. He brags that he killed his brother Ugin in an extended battle on a different plane. In 2824 AR, Arcades Sabboth was summoned by a Planeswalker, Leshrac, to serve as his champion in a duel against another Planeswalker, Kristina of the Wood. Some of you may remember her name as one of the Nine Titans who accompanied Urza to Phyrexia. She was one of the two people killed by Tevash Szat." You know, the pretext Urza needed to kill Szat and power the soul bombs, right before he decided to become friends with Yawgmoth instead. "Tevash Szat also killed Chromium Rhuell, the shapeshifting dragon who stayed out of the Elder Dragon War completely, in 2934 AR, as part of a plot for Szat and Leshrac to escape the Shard of the Twelve Worlds." Which, if you remembered, was also Urza's fault. "Rhuell's death was the spark to the kindling that eventually ignited the Planeswalker War, which is definitely going to have to wait for another day - and possibly several drinks - as that was an absolute nightmare of ridiculousness."
It was possible that Planeswalkers didn't deserve nice things.
"Originally, the dragonic hierarchy had been based on hatching order; those who hatched first were the biggest and strongest, and those who hatched later were smaller and weaker--and none moreso than Nicol and his twin brother Ugin, who were not only Last-Born, but twins, born from the same shell and smaller due to it. But as time went by, the hierarchy began to shift. Size stopped being the main indication of status as power become a benchmark as well. Power could mean any number of things: brute strength, cunning, magic, and, eventually, wealth and territory. And, if that territory came with humans - or any other sapient race, really - to serve and obey you, then it was all the more valuable. Thus, what happened next was inevitable; in fact, it had been happening for centuries, dragons playing at being conqueror, taking land first from the inhabitants, and then from one another. If you recall from last week, Merrevia Sal was the first dragon that had been killed by the humans of that particular area, each of the king's four potential heirs had earned their place by slaying a dragon of their own. While we don't remember those dragon's names, we do know they were part of the same clutch as Vaevictis Asmadi, a 'cousin' to Nicol's own clutch."
How did Elder dragons decide who were cousins and who were siblings? Impossible to say, as they were all spawned from the Ur-Dragon. But that's how they characterized their relationship and who was Liliana to question?
"In time, seven of Vaevictis Asmadi's children or grandchildren decided that they wanted lands of their own, out from their father's mighty shadow and decided that Nicol's kingdom was both theirs by right, as their kin had been killed there, and also, probably easy pickings. Those seven dragons began raiding the lands, slaughtering and carrying off humans and livestock. Nicol, already a proud and malicious bastard, would not stand the insult, and set a trap for the seven. When they returned for another raid, Nicol's soldiers, who still practiced dragon-slaying techniques, but this time under Nicol's standard, ambushed them and slew them all, and mounted their heads on the towers of Nicol's castle. Perhaps Nicol only meant this as a warning to other young upstarts, but his cousin took that, well, personally. Vaevictis Asmadi and three of his brothers, Rubra, Ravus, and Lividus, flew to Nicol's kingdom and roared a challenge for Nicol to come out and answer for the murder of his children. Nicol did come out, after a fashion--that is, with his army at his heels. The human army clashed with the four Elder dragons and, shockingly, did not fare terribly well against creatures nearly as powerful as Pla--" Right. That would mean nothing to the class, as they only knew modern Planeswalkers, not Oldwalkers in their prime "--nearly as powerful as gods."
The good old days.
"Nicol faced a truly shattering defeat, and his army retreated into the mountains. That might have been the end of it, but as they retreated, his archers sent a volley of poisoned arrows towards their enemies and one pierced Rubra's eye, leaving him dead before he hit the ground. Enraged, Ravus and Lividus tracked them into the mountains, swearing to eat Nicol's heart, but while he was small for a dragon, he was also incredibly clever, especially when it came to scheming and machinations." You hear that, class? That's the sound of dramatic irony! "Ravus was faster than Lividus and left his brother behind in his rage to get to Nicol. While four Elder dragons are a lot for a mere army to fight at once, one is a much more achievable goal. Nicol's cadre of magic users ambushed Ravis with a super-powered disintegration spell. It hit like an invisible wave pouring through him and Lavidus arrived in time to see Ravus shatter like an overheated rock. With a cry of enraged grief, Lividus flamed a ballistae that was had just flung a second set of poisoned bolts. The force of his blast sent the bolts skittering against the canyon walls, leaving Nicol Bolas vulnerable with the charred ballistae, the last sorcerers, and the blood-soaked rearguard as his sole companions.
"However, Nicol is, I'm deeply annoyed to say, an incredibly powerful telepath. Pretending to surrender, he captured Lividus's gaze with his own and sunk a shadow claw of doubt into the other dragon's heart, seeking to excavate his grievances. As he was dealing with a dragon, that was akin to pouring sugar on the ground and hoping ants would show up. Lividus had always resented the fact that Asmadi used him to do his dirty work, while his brother stayed safely behind. He was tired of Asmadi's rule and his domineering ways. With Ravus and Rubra, he had earlier conspired to supplant Asmadi, but the latter had beat them into submission. Nicol sank his power deep into Lividus's simmering rancor and ignited his suppressed rage. When Vaevictis arrived on the scene, Lividus rose to meet him with a roar. The impact and clamor of their battle thundered through the rugged hills and echoed down the deep canyons, and Nicol escaped while Vaevictis Asmadi tore his remaining brother limb from limb.
"Another person might have decided to lay low after that, but then, they lack the petty spite that makes up the vast majority of Nicol Bolas' personality." It was possible that she and the Elder dragon had met before. Possible. "Instead, Nicol decided that the best way to keep his kingdom and his skin was to instigate a war amongst all the Elder dragon clans. His elder sister, Palladia-Mors, was easily convinced by him that they shouldn't just be conquering humans but other dragons, and she set off to raise an army. Nicol continued to use lie and manipulate his way through multiple clans, preying on pride, prejudice, and power-hunger alike. He was, to no one's surprise, very successful. Dragons from one clan raided the mountain fastnesses of a cousin clan. Amid the snow-capped peaks, the dragons fought in thunderous battles, claw to claw, fire to fire. Charred flesh rained down from the heavens. Bone shattered at the base of the cliffs. Those whose hunger could never be sated tore their way through the dying, feasting upon the bloody flesh of their kind.
"Dragons crossed the mighty seas to find new lands in which to feed their hunger for flesh and power. When even those distant shores became too crowded, then dragons fought each other with tooth and claw, with fire and ice. Under dragon standards, they raised proud war bands from among the humanoids who worshiped or feared them. Sorcerers who sought a dragon-like power through mastery of their magical gifts came crawling to offer their services, for in all the wide world, no creature was as powerful as an Elder dragon, not in the beginning of days and never across all the unending span of eternity. Even the wise Arcades Sabboth, First-Born, threw his might into the great war as he listened to the whispers of Bolas that brushed through his mind. So the war raged while Bolas watched from a safe distance, confident that he would be the final victor, waiting for the opportunity to strike at dragons, weakened from other battles, and claim their dominions as his own. It was sometime within this era that Nicol took the name Bolas, but whatever significance it had to him..." Liliana shrugged. "Lost, if it were indeed ever known."
She was pretty sure he'd just thought it sounded cool. Goddamned edgelord.
"We have no idea how long the Elder Dragon War lasted, simply that it spanned 'many human generations.' By the end, Nicol Bolas ruled half of Dominaria, which is, roughly, an area larger than entirety of Earth. No longer able to hide, Bolas fought viciously; his final foe was his own brother, Arcades Sabboth, who had conquered the other half of Dominaria. Palladia-Mors was still on Bolas' side, and Vaevictis Asmadi had sworn fealty to Arcades. Apart from these four, only three Elder dragons still lived: Second-Born, Chromium Rhuell, who had shapeshifted himself and his lifemate Piru - Vaevictis Asmadi's younger sister - into humans to avoid being pressed into the army, and Ugin, Nicol's twin, who had vanished centuries ago, before even Dragon-Killers War had begun. Out of the hundreds of Elder dragons hatched from the Ur-Dragon's eggs, only seven survived to see the end of the war."
Typical Nichol Bolas behavior, tbh.
"Arcades Sabboth knew he was going to lose, but the hold Bolas had on his mind refused to let him back down. He brought his much-depleted army to the field, but before he could roar his defiance, his mind cleared. It was not that Bolas had let his mind go, but the herald of the return of Ugin to Dominaria. His spark had ignited all those centuries ago and had been exploring the Multiverse ever since. As a Planeswalker and an Elder dragon, he was exponentially more powerful than his twin, and his mere presence shattered Bolas' telepathic influence. Shamed by his own behavior, Arcades tried justifying his attack as reactionary towards Bolas' brutality while Nicol Bolas proudly displayed his empire before Ugin, asking his twin to join him in being the emperor of all.
"Ugin retorted that all that Nicol had achieved was a minor speck in an infinity of worlds and nothing to be proud of, revealing that he had found a way to travel between worlds. Nicol angrily asked Ugin to show him how to Planeswalk, and when he could not, accused him of hiding somewhere on Dominaria like a coward, plotting against him. The brothers exchanged bitter words before Ugin Planeswalked away from Dominaria, intending to leave his twin to his meager empire--what he didn't know was that Bolas, in his rage and jealousy at being left behind, managed to ignite his spark and Planeswalked away as well. Arcades, who had slunk off while Bolas was distracted, quickly took advantage of his absence to take over everything the Bolas had left behind, welcoming his brother's abandoned armies with open arms. He became the de facto ruler of Dominaria for many centuries. And, proving that we can never have a happy ending, the remains of Bolas' broken mental influence still ate away at Arcades Sabboth's mind, becoming full-fledged paranoia, and slowly transforming him from a wise, peaceful ruler into dictatorial police state."
You know. As happened sometimes.
"Nicol Bolas is the only surviving Elder dragon of Dominaria now. He brags that he killed his brother Ugin in an extended battle on a different plane. In 2824 AR, Arcades Sabboth was summoned by a Planeswalker, Leshrac, to serve as his champion in a duel against another Planeswalker, Kristina of the Wood. Some of you may remember her name as one of the Nine Titans who accompanied Urza to Phyrexia. She was one of the two people killed by Tevash Szat." You know, the pretext Urza needed to kill Szat and power the soul bombs, right before he decided to become friends with Yawgmoth instead. "Tevash Szat also killed Chromium Rhuell, the shapeshifting dragon who stayed out of the Elder Dragon War completely, in 2934 AR, as part of a plot for Szat and Leshrac to escape the Shard of the Twelve Worlds." Which, if you remembered, was also Urza's fault. "Rhuell's death was the spark to the kindling that eventually ignited the Planeswalker War, which is definitely going to have to wait for another day - and possibly several drinks - as that was an absolute nightmare of ridiculousness."
It was possible that Planeswalkers didn't deserve nice things.
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"His spark ignited out of spite."
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