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Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with the next instalment of this wonderful story by Draxenath. It is entitled “Interview with the Dragon Goddess”.
Background music by Smartsound

Part 8: Starmire

– The next settlement in terms of size is called Starmire. It’s an odd one indeed. About four hundred years ago, a meteor crashed on a humid region, leaving a very large crater. The minerals of the meteor nourished the earth and water. This slowly transformed the region into a swamp full of life, attracting several nomadic tribes of different races. They fought for about two centuries, then one day their leaders sat down together and established a civil code that would allow them to co-exist peacefully.

The goddess was surprised at hearing that. She was in a much better mood than before. – They live in peace by themselves? What is their form of organization? – she asked. – They have a council of elders, composed of the wise men from each tribe. – I answered.

Her eyes gleamed with interest. – And no control from Amaxis? Do they live in complete freedom? – She asked. I noticed a hint of excitement in her voice. – Yes, they are completely free, and their way of living is very careful about not to upset the natural balance of their home. And I now understand them a little better. You mentioned a goddess of plants and god of fungi earlier. Starmire’s inhabitants don’t refer to them as deities, but they worship them and bury their dead in the swamplands as a form of offering. I heard the names Viridiana and Fungar so many times, and how the dead served as food for them. I thought they were two creatures inhabiting the swamp.

Draxenath nodded. – They didn’t participate in the conflict, always indifferent to it, so they were left alone even by Amaxis. Their influence might be what made the tribes stop fighting! Do they have other traditions in common among the different tribes?

– They have a festival during the flowering season. The swamp is covered in vivid colors from the different flowers. The tribes gather to thank Viridiana and Fungar for the abundance of vegetation. There is music, dancing, food, and the usual games and activities seen on festivals. At night one can observe varieties of luminescent insects tracing beautiful light patterns as they do their mating flight.

She seemed delighted, as if she were imagining it – What are their main activities?

– Their main activities vary among races, but most of them are hunter-gatherers. The swamp provides plenty of food and resources for them to survive. Besides the activities essential for living, the do clay pottery, carpentry, stone crafting, and bone crafting.

Draxenath nodded. – No agriculture or cattle raising… do they have commerce with other regions? – she asked. – They don’t, they are prosperous and self-sufficient by themselves, and would not risk causing scarcity in their homeland. They take all means necessary to control their own population and take only what they need, even when they hoard for the winter. – Draxenath seemed thoughtful. – There is still hope… They understand… what about technology?

– They have developed technology for building through natural means like tree root and branch growth and shaping. They also use shaped rocks for construction. Their homes, bridges. and constructions, in general, are made of shaped trees, rocks, vines and plants. -The goddess was very surprised. – I need to see that! What other wonderful things have they accomplished through technology? – she asked. – They have also developed techniques to shape and rebind bone matter. Their bone and stone craftsmanship is very impressive. Their weapons made of bone and stone are comparable to metal ones in terms of hardness and sharpness, not to mention their beauty.

– And how racially diverse is the population?

– Very! There are plenty of different canids like werewolves, inujin and dogheads, different felids like werecats, nekojin and catmen, different ungulans like centaurs, minotaurs, satyrs and fauns, there are giants, there are also humans, different kinds of avians like owlans and eaglans, different reptilians like lizardmen and naga, amd even dragons!

– Dragons? Are they well received? Do they get along with other races?

– Dragons have been resentful of other races for a very long time… probably since you left. They find it difficult to get along with other races, but things are quite different in Starmire, although the dragon population is small and they are very reserved in their social interactions.

Draxenath nodded. – I see… let’s talk about a different settlement.

Part 9: Oceankeep and Glimmerstorm

– There is one settlement, presumed to be very large, but I have not been able to verify it. Its name is Oceankeep. It is a city found in the ocean and inhabited by sea creatures, although I have read that some dragons might live there too. They are very hostile towards land dwellers approaching their city.

Draxenath nodded.- It is a very ancient city, and humans have tried to conquer it for quite some time. Many different devices, tools, vehicles, and weapons have been created for that purpose, all failing as far as I can see. They even tried to poison and pollute the ocean, but Viridiana created sea plants capable of filtering and cleaning it. No wonder the inhabitants of Oceankeep are very hostile!

– It would seem like you know a lot more about it than me. – I commented. – It would! If things have not changed since then, the most intelligent inhabitants are mermen, turtle men, porpoises, aquatic dragons, in no particular order. The last I knew was they crafted weapons from bones and seashells. They don’t trade with those from the surface. Is there anything more you know?

I really knew nothing else. I shook my head. – Alright, any other settlement that might be of interest?

– There is another settlement, I know it’s large but have not been able to assess it properly, is called Glimmerstorm. It is a flying city found above the clouds, said to be inhabited by avians and dragons. It was built about eight hundred years ago by avians and dragons to stay out of human reach. It’s not easy to see from the land as they move constantly and use the clouds as cover. During the night, it’s much easier to see, as it looks like a glimmering cloud formation, hence the name Glimmerstorm. Its inhabitants come to the ground to hunt, gather, and sometimes even trade, but that is quite rare, they are very cautious in their dealings, especially with humans. I would love to visit it someday, but for now, it seems impossible.

The goddess looked at me with curiosity. – And what would you be looking for in that city? – She asked. – It’s a city out of reach from human control, I would like to make contact with them and get their version of history, read their books, know more about their culture, I’d like to know everything about them!

She gave me a condescending look. – If you are so interested in ancient avian and draconic culture, I can answer most of your questions, I knew them well back then since they were my people. I have extensive knowledge of the other races too, if you care to ask as well.

That’s how I became the interviewer again.

— From this point forward, I will be open to questions from the readers to be featured in the interview. Please send questions you may have in regards to Draxenath, the other gods, the different races, their culture, anything related to this fantasy world —

Echoes From the Caverns