Dragons, Behemoth Beings

Dragons in Riiga are quite different to the generic conception of dragons. In Riiga, dragons are not a race, a monster, or species of reptile. There are only two dragons in existence. One is a Hireos, and one is an Odanon. These two figures do often prefer to appear as human beings, but they both have the capability to change their physical form into a dragon.

The Black Dragon

Pandora, also referred to as the Black Dragon, is a relatively young Odanon and a member of the Templars. She is one of the children of Tokjalyo. She has the ability to transform her body into a massive bluish-black dragon, and this imagery has found its way into many fairytale stories, though none seem to be based on any real occurences. There has only been one mass-sighting of the Black Dragon, and it was in 530AL, just before Daedalus Talos returned Lyte to monarchy. It was actually Daedalus's show of strength in defeating the Black Dragon that convinced the people that he was a Hireos and thus deserving of the throne.

The battle between Daedalus and Pandora was short, and most of the citizens of Lyte saw what had happened. She transformed into a giant dragon, but he cut off her foot, and she flew away in a frenzy of roars. Pandora is known for her cunning personality, and some people said that she lost on purpose, so that Daedalus would underestimate her next time. Almost five hundred years later, she has not shown herself in a draconic form. However, there are many reports of farmers and other people who live far away from towns of sightings of a black dragon in the night sky. Even at night, a white dragon cannot seem to be black, so it was assumed to be Pandora. The authorities shrugged it off. If she was not bothering them, they need not bother her.

The Black Dragon appears as a great lizard which walks on all fours, with a long neck, longer tail, and two bat-like wings. The wings are large and strong enough to allow her to fly with impressive speed and power. She has three pairs of horns, all of which seem to be taken from different animals, and curved, black claws. It has been said that, like the Black Whale, she can shoot fire from her mouth. Daedalus said that this was a rediculous statement because she doesn't 'shoot' the flames. According to him, she can set things alight just by looking at them.

The White Dragon

The White Dragon is, for want of a better word, much more humble. In human form, his name is Radian, and he is the second son of Lord Renin. He is the founder of the order of the Paladins, and known as a man of books. Since his childhood days, Radian refused everyone the right to call him "White Dragon". Though he was born with the ability, and instructed in how to use it, he never did transform into the White Dragon. Or, if he did, he did not let anyone see. Nevertheless, a snake-like dragon became the emblem of the Paladin order; Paladins displayed it proudly on their sword blades, breastplates, shields, and even had it tattooed on their left arm. Even when they went into hiding, they held onto this dragon emblem.

Unlike the Black Dragon, the White Dragon is snake-like in appearance. Observing the general tattoo example on the left (which was obtained from a discarded Paladin sword), it appears that the White Dragon has a mane, antlers of a deer, and a very slender body with four short legs. He also appears to have a tuft on the end of his tail, and spines along his back. Sometimes, he is tattooed to be breathing flames. There also appear to be flames dancing about his body. The large claw-like item extending from the back of his front-most arm baffles most people. Some say it is wind; some say it is fire; some say it is an exaggerated depiction of him slashing his claws; some say it is a growth he has on his hand; and the list goes on.

Whatever the case, it seems doubtful that anyone will ever catch sight of the White Dragon.