While there are many theories about the precise origin of dragonkind, we cannot fully confirm any of them without travelling back in time to the very dawn of human civilization. What we do know is that in archaeological records—from well-hidden cave paintings to ancient cuneiform stelae—dragons are present, and can be seen living in community with humans and as our implacable—and nearly invincible—foes.

At the dawn of human history dragons were , apparently, nearly everywhere: each town of any size had at least one dragon, mighty in defence of their chosen community, or crucial in clearing land for farming, or wise in civil administration and judgment. As we know, this time has long passed, and while wild dragons have always maintained their modestly-sized populations, few modern humans have ever laid eyes on them.

Thus we have famous songs like “The Dragons And The Kraken,” telling the story of an epic battle between a gargantuan kraken and a band of young Tidal dragons as witnessed by a sailor blown off course into uncharted waters. Wanderers and adventurers might have seen Inferno dragons darting out of the smoke and ash clouds of volcanic explosions, and chance discoveries of a viable dragon’s egg have sparked wars and shifted the balance of power on continents. Many kingdoms mark historical periods with names like “The Era of The Wise Dragon” or “The Inferno Age”, underscoring how rare and special a dragon living among humans has been in the past five thousand years.

But now, everything has changed. Deep in catacombs and caves, nestled among the roots of great trees, jumbled up with the driftwood after violent storms, scattered in steaming magma fields, poking out of the snow on mountain crags, and even tucked into the machine-works of great engines of science and industry, we are discovering them: the eggs. So far, over seven thousand of them have been discovered, by peasants and princes alike. As we incubate them in our hearths, our river-mills and our mausoleums, we wait to see how our WhelpS will evolve, and to learn the shape of our new Era of Dragons.