The Dragon Religion holds that the Elements were formed out the body of the Grand Ancestral Dragon, itself the creation of the Cosmic Egg formed from the body of Orxili and the Cosmic Dragon. The Cosmic Egg hatched and from it came the Grand Ancestral Dragon. It sat and meditated in the Silent Void, treasuring the secrets of the universe. The halves of the eggshell were made into the servants of the Grand Ancestral Dragon and were called the Inside and the Outside.
The Grand Ancestral Dragon was committed to six actions which it voluntarily undertook. Each these resulted in the creation of one of the Ancestral Dragons. The Ancestral Dragons were born of the entanglements which their creator committed itself to, and the entanglements, in turn, were created from the birth of the Ancestral Dragons. This paradoxical creation is typical of dragonewt explanations. Whatever the understanding of it may be, this brought about the creation of a recognizable pantheon of Dragon Gods. The six Ancestral Dragons are:
- Guardian of Silence;
- Guardian of Secrets;
- Guardian of Being;
- Guardian of Experience;
- Guardian of Thought; and
- Guardian of Spirit.
Either during or shortly after this time the Grand Ancestral Dragon was assailed by powerful enemies. Some of the limbs torn from Orxili had returned. The mild waves of Disorder lapped back from the Void and the Oozing Chaos was born, returning now to thwart creation and reclaim its own to the void. The first sluggish waves of chaos burbled at the feet of the meditating dragon, interrupting perfect plans. To combat the distraction the Grand Ancestral Dragon took the Disorder power and used it upon the chaos which in turn made a new power which drove off the chaos and held it at bay. This was the race of Darkness, formed from the feet of the Dragon.
When the meditations were complete the Grand Ancestral Dragon cut open its loins and from the blood that ran forth was born the power of the Oceans, sea, and all liquid things.
From its belly the Dragon created the power of the Earth and all things which lay within it.
From the head of the Dragon came the fiery beings which are the Sky and the Aetheric powers, and each of the Dragon’s eyes became a noble god of that realm.
The brains of the Grand Ancestral Dragon, hidden deep inside and outside the worlds, hatched secretly among the fledgling races of immortals. These were the Ancestral Dragons, wise teachers of deities, who met once for a mating dance in the place now called Dragon Pass. They completed their mysterious dance, laid the first dragon eggs, and disappeared from the world.
This dismemberment, called utuma in dragonewt philosophy, is the result of the Grand Ancestral Dragon’s willingness to accept the duty of entanglements which his actions had brought about and resulted in his full integration into the world. By dying he re-entered the world to fulfil his duties. To have done otherwise would have resulted in a fatal weakness which would have destroyed the basis for draconic existence.
The Ancestral Dragons are believed to have form and essence, and also complete control over any part of the world. Each of them is alike and has access to the others’ secrets. They are not elementally oriented, and they are acceptable as objects of worship since they are both real and reachable. Dragonewt worship consists of meditation upon the pure principles of these entities in an attempt to reach, merge, and thereby experience and understand them.
These universal creatures are inaccessible to most beings. When they intrude into the mythology of other races they are always objects of respect and fear. The dragonslaying myths of those religions do not ever reach these immortals.
