School Of Dragons Mac

[Michelle Benitone]

TheSchool of the Dragon, or 保護官 (Hogo-kan) / ほごさん (Hogo - san) (Standard Tuyotukian: Protector / guardian), is a witcher school situated on the Tuyotuki Islands in the Far East. Due to the isolated nature of these islands, sightings of them on the Far East side of The Continent are exceedingly rare. Their primary dedication lies in protecting the people of these remote islands from local monsters. Although instances of School of the Dragon Witchers have sporadically been observed on continental lands, particularly in Bia Thin and Asatta, with their main focus being on protecting members of the Imperial Clan or Tuyotukian diplomats when they are on continental soil.

The School of the Dragon traces its origins back to the golden age of the School of the Manticore, precisely around forty years before the school faced the tragic event known as the "Day of Fire." This schism began when Nasira and Iwan attempted to apply the witcher mutations to Zerrikanian warrior women, sparking disputes within the School of the Manticore. A faction emerged, deeming it a futile effort and citing Alzur's unsuccessful results with women.

Despite objections, Iwan and Nasira persisted, further intensifying the ongoing debate. Within the school, a growing sentiment emerged that Iwan was possibly being manipulated by the Zerrikanian Crown and its allies, amplifying the schism. Despite their allegiance to the Zerrikanian crown, some members fervently argued for maintaining some degree of independence as witchers, among them, the future founder of the School of the Dragon, Gilgasmesh.

Consequently, around thirty members of the school, led by Gilgasmesh, decided to leave in pursuit of greater autonomy, refusing to be, as they put it, "political puppets." They chose to march southeast, forging their path away from the supposed political entanglements they sought to escape.

During the process, they encountered a Tuyotukian diplomatic caravan returning to the Tuyotuki Islands, which offered to hire them as escorts back to their homeland. The thirty members accepted this proposition, finding themselves without the resources that being under the umbrella of the Zerrikanian Crown provided. Additionally, they were uncertain about where to go after their separation, and the distant destination seemed as good as any other.

Throughout the journey, it's worth noting that they crossed a significant portion of Bia Thin. Observing the abundance of monsters in the area and recognizing the need, twenty out of the initial thirty members decided to abandon their march towards the Tuyotuki Islands. They split into two groups of ten, eventually giving rise to other witcher schools, such as the School of the Lungonite. Only ten Manticores, led by the already mentioned Gilgasmesh, arrived at the Tuyotuki Islands, and they were the ones who gave rise to the School of the Dragon.

Due to their isolation, the Tuyotuki Islands remained untouched by witchers until a relatively late period in their history, around the year 1100. In contrast to the Bia Thin region, where occasional encounters with School of the Manticore witchers, mainly along the border areas with Zerrikania, were not uncommon. Consequently, for generations, the islands' most skilled warriors had to confront the region's monsters, the yokais (though the term holds various meanings), leading to the creation of numerous legends and tragic deaths. The Tuyotukians, compelled more by necessity than anything else, had to "learn" to coexist with these monsters. However, everything would change with the arrival of Gilgasmesh and his group to the islands.

Once in the islands, having established a strong rapport with key members of the diplomatic caravan and showcasing their prowess in fending off a variety of monstrous and non-monstrous threats, the ten individuals destined to form the School of the Dragon secured an audience with the emperor of that era, Yasuo San Obu za Mūn (ヤスオサンオブザムーン). Assisted by a translator, they were afforded the opportunity to articulate their profession, the purpose behind their visit, and their aspirations to establish a presence in the region. Following a comprehensive discussion, the ten witchers from the School of the Manticore were granted permission to remain and extend the support and financial backing of the Tuyotukian Imperial Crown.

However, this privilege came with a condition; akin to the School of the Fox in Vicovaro, they were required to substantiate their value by eradicating some of the most formidable monsters plaguing the islands in that era, basically, yokais who had taken the place of "gods" among the peasantry and were undermining the authority of the clans, including the most important, the one of the Imperial clan. If they successfully accomplished this task, they would be permitted to settle, establish their new school, and enjoy the desired independence while still benefiting from the protective umbrella of the imperial court. Conversely, should they refuse this mission, they would face expulsion back to The Continent.

Therefore, the pioneers of the School of the Dragon diligently embarked on their mission, overcoming numerous trials and errors, often at the brink of death, to vanquish the powerful yokais. These monsters were survivors of the Tuyotukian Invasion, having adapted and transformed into "cruel gods" with the passage of time, inflicting suffering upon the local peasants. It was through these efforts that the pioneers earned the nicknames for the future School of the Dragon members, of guardians and protectors by which they would be widely recognized.

This era also witnessed the birth of numerous legends, including the tale recounting Gilgasmesh's confrontation with the tatsu known as Watatsumi. The legend says that the eastern dragon was punishing the inhabitants of a coastal town for having overfished that year. However, it turns out that there had been a bad crop year on the island, so the villagers were unable to trade and needed to secure food for the rainy season when they could hardly go out to fish. This situation did not matter to the dragon, and it was about to destroy the village if not for the timely arrival of Gilgasmesh.

In this legendary battle, the eastern dragon, it was said, fought with honor. Acknowledging this noble act, Gilgasmesh, the future leader of the School of the Dragon, paid tribute by establishing the school's stronghold at the very site where the dragon met its demise. He named it the "Tomb of Watatsumi" and adopted the dragon symbol for the soon-to-be-born school.

The legend says that the dragon's skull can still be seen in the main hall of the fortress. However, according to the reports from Fabio Sachs' expedition, this must be false because none of them saw any dragon skull during their time there.

And so, once the problem of monsters undermining human authority was dealt with, along with a bestiary of the monsters inhabiting the islands and people to help the school thrive, the construction of the School of the Dragon fortress would finally take place. Shortly after, it would come into existence. The recruitment of its first adepts primarily targeted orphans from the peasantry and child slaves, whether local or from trade with overseas powers like Zangvebar. Two notable cases were Baem from the local population and Yasuke from the foreign part.

This stage proved to be the toughest for the school. As mentioned before, the mutation process had to be reconstructed, along with the potion-making process, to create equivalents. Due to these challenges, many adepts perished, and almost all the pioneering Manticore Witchers who had accompanied Gilgasmesh did as well. This was either due to experiments with mutagens and potions or to fulfill their monster-hunting duties. Eventually, Gilgasmesh found himself alone, and his informal leadership mantle within the group that had arrived on the islands evolved into the grandmaster of the school. At this point, Gilgasmesh decided to abandon his old Zerrikanian name and adopt the name Suetake, by which he would be known from then on until his disappearance.

Once this stage was overcome, the school would flourish, and the Dragon Witchers would become a recognized and appreciated force in the islands, successfully keeping monster threats at bay. Unlike their distant Nordling cousins, they wouldn't decline due to a lack of monsters. The Tuyotukian monsters proved to be tough and persistent, reaching a balance between hunters and prey. However, human ambition would be their downfall. With the monsters causing less trouble for the Tuyotukians, some members would start setting their sights on non-humans who hadn't submitted to Tuyotukian domination, reasoning that they posed a greater danger due to their ability to reason and unpredictability. Unbeknownst to them, this would lead to their decline and almost extinction until the end of the Tuyotukian Civil War and their gradual resurgence, which reached its peak after the Second Conjunction of the Spheres in the year 1358.

What the Tuyotukian Imperial Court believed was that, by funding the exiles, they would convince the remaining members of the School of the Dragon to join them, seeing all the advantages they were providing compared to the Dragon Witchers and their greater independence. The idea was that, after that, the non-humans would be dead, and the "problem" would be solved. It was an innocent enough thought on their part. Since the exiles harbored resentment toward Gilgasmesh for expelling them, they felt that the grandmaster had unjustly taken away their honor. They considered it foolish not to kill non-humans, as they believed these beings caused harm, and, in their view, the school's code would permit such actions.

And with the birth of the School of the Wyvern, the decline and near extinction of the School of the Dragon would come sooner rather than later, once the so-called "Draconid Uprising" took place. This uprising, unknowingly financed by the Tuyotukian Imperial Court and involving hired ronins as an army, consisted of a siege, assault, and the surprise capture of the School of the Dragon's fortress.

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