#Lore24 – Entry #62 – Fantasy Month #2 – Draconis Magna, Capital of the Empire
From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:
It seems Felaria has addressed my complaints about specificity and given me a simpler prompt for today: Draconis Magna, the Imperial capitol. Surely, I could voice complaint about specificity once again, as discussing the capital is no simple task for the fountain of knowledge overflows with the broadness of the subject, but since Mother has narrowed focus, then I shall obediently oblige.
The seat of the Great Dragon Emperor, blessed and chosen of the gods to reign over the great Imperium Draconis, the throne currently held by Luxus Drakon Raikos the Fourth; for the sake of brevity I shall not list his many, MANY titles, otherwise I would be here far longer than is required of this entry. I feel that I must pause here in my discussion of the capital and note the insistence upon draconic imagery and naming conventions throughout the empire when true dragons have been gone from this world since times predating the Great Cataclysm two thousand years ago; it is truly astounding to me that their legends have continued to persist for so long, especially in the minds of humans, and that their nature can evoke such thoughts of power and dominance amongst the populace. I would have thought that demonic iconography would have found greater prominence given their pervading influences since the Cataclysm and higher than average population of demon-blooded throughout the Empire than other parts of the world, but that is a mystery to discuss at another time, perhaps when Felaria feels the need to prompt me to do so.
Draconis Magna lies upon the shores of Gulf Draconum, upon the Dragon’s Breath delta at the mouth of the Great Goldenscale River, a country unto itself, really, a metropolis spanning some five-hundred square miles, the very heart of the Empire from which all power flows. The city is well defended, housing a significant army and naval forces, as well as the Tower of the Grand Arcanum, the most powerful of arcanist orders. All culture would seem to flow from here as well, as the city is known to be the center of the arts, filled with bards and artists of all kinds, chasing fame and fortune at the hands of the nobility, though by the time great works reach the ends of the Empire, they have long been out of fashion within the city itself.
The most powerful of the nobility reside here, vying for power and the ear of the Emperor, and perhaps, uncoincidentally, the variety of pleasures to be found is nigh unfathomable. Supposedly if one seeks a particular form of entertainment, it can be found in Draconis Magna, no matter how vile it may be. Having only visited the capital a handful of times myself, I have never experienced the darker side of the city’s pleasures, but the tales are too prevalent not to hold some truth. It is the kerryn slaves I feel for the most in this regard, for they are the ones suffering the worst the city has to offer, and of course it is by the Emperor’s decree, dating back many centuries, so who would possibly argue against what happens to them? There have been attempts to overturn the decree of course, but such protests have not lasted long, and quite often those involved have vanished under not-at-all mysterious circumstances.
There does seem to be growing unrest within the high walls of Draconis Magna by many accounts from visitors to the library. Rumors of rebellion in the outlying regions continue to grow, and some wonder if the Emperor’s power is on the decline after the family has held power for so many generations. Supposedly even the slaves, kerryn and otherwise, are growing discontent and starting trouble, but as yet, I have no actual proof of this. Perhaps this is why the Emperor has begun efforts to expand the empire further, and has been seeking lost relics in the many ruins found in the wildlands, and is even looking across the seas to other lands to plunder? It seems a time of unrest may not be far off, if history is to be repeated. Perhaps it is even time for a new age to be born, however violently, into existence?