I Write About Dragons Now
Why I Avoided Fantasy's Most Beloved Creature
The Lhûg
Balerion, Smaug, Beowulf’s final foe, and even this guy from A Never Ending Story are some of my favorite dragons. From all-powerful to malevolent and all the way back to genuine and kind hearted, these depictions of “great serpents” each give us a different approach to the fantastical staple. Each author who chooses to infuse dragons into their mythos is either going with or against any number of the tropes that surround these sky wyrms. All the greats dance with the draca; I must do the same if I am to solidify my legacy as an epic fantasy writer. Right?
Dragons, and their reasons for being there, are extremely impactful on the stories surrounding them. Had I not stumbled across a call for submissions to a dragon anthology earlier this year I may have delayed this even further, or simply avoided it all together. The focus of the anthology1 was simple:
Storm Dragon Publishing is excited to announce the first installment in their annual Muses of Mythology Anthology series. The inaugural anthology, Dragon Dreams, shares stories and poems focused on the majesty and beauty of dragons, one of the most prominent mythological creatures in fantasy fiction today.
Otherwise, the directions were pretty wide open. So long as your story contained a dragon as a central fixture (character) in the plot, you could write whichever story came to mind. The openness of the prompt allowed me to play in a way that writing within Amashik doesn’t always let me:
Dreams of flapping wings amid cresting waves juxtaposed with hellish visions of cracking peaks. Rolling flames flashed against the nothingness. Chalices spilled, tables overturned, as talons scraped stone and a winged serpent took to the sky. Flames faded; a majestic beast slept coiled in its own warmth. A dew-kissed leaf fell like a fallen star from a tree and landed amidst two intertwined dragons; one of magma and scale, the other of flesh and bone.
-Ocreth’s Beacon
I chose not to submit and instead shared the story here on Substack because I was so proud of what I’d crafted. The more I developed the lore/mythos that surrounded Ocreth, the easier the connections to Amashik were to see- and the more I wanted to make them. I won’t spoil the story, but I suggest you go read it if you haven’t yet.
Amashik got its start in the world of independent comics. Pages and panels are limited, so when introducing Amashik and The Rule of Nine to the world I had to make some tough choices- which lens to view my expansive fantasy world through was chief among them. I chose visceral, geo-political, and the character driven lens over the fantastic and magical one for mostly practical reasons. Though if I’m honest, I also didn’t feel ready to inject such a formidable force into my nascent fantasy world.
Now that I actually have toy dragons to play with I look forward to exploring how they work. Once you read Ocreth’s Beacon let me know what you think about my first outing with a dragon.
Amashik’s First Official Calendar
Maps, taxes, and calendars are peak masochist for a worldbuilder- and I’m all for each. You’ve seen my maps (scroll up, I know most of you are reading this in your inbox), King Ulius makes a quip about levies (all cities, towns, and major estates pay levies for “subscription” to Athea), and I’m about to share the celestial calendar that all civilized inhabitants of Amashik follow.
While coming up with the mythos surrounding dragons in my world I had to make a decision about which kind I wanted them to be. I grew up watching Dragon Ball Z after school and the idea of cosmic dragons has always intrigued me. Once I spent enough time thinking it through, the choice was easy.
The only other question I had to answer was: if there are dragons in the mythos of this world, why doesn’t anyone mention them? Simple, for the same reason you don’t talk much about the origin story behind the Gregorian calendar. Let’s suffice it to say that dragons are so important that each passing year in Amashik celebrates their legendary reign.
I’ll wait to say more about their nature, permanence, or abilities, but here’s the calendar:
Seasrise- Cresting Wave
The beginning of the year when the seas swell and rise, symbolizing the awakening of mystical forces.
Mountaintide- Cracked Peak
As the mountains tremble and crack, this month signifies the earth's tumultuous response to the awakening.
Flamesong- Rolling Flame
The month of fiery chaos, where rolling flames pour from the cracked mountains, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.
Dragonwake- Winged Claw
The time when the winged beasts, once imprisoned by the earth's upheaval, tear free and take to the sky again.
Dryskies- Empty Chalice
Following the fiery tumult, a period of drought and stillness, represented by an empty chalice.
Wingsoar- Ascending Dragon
A month celebrating the freedom and flight of dragons as they soar through the open sky.
Darkforge- Molten Anvil
The forging of new alliances and strengths, reminiscent of molten metal in a dark forge.
Stoneshadow- Veiled Mountain
A time of mystery and hidden truths, symbolized by the veiled silhouette of a mountain.
Embersway- Fading Flame
As the flames begin to wane, this month signifies the fading embers of the chaotic period.
Windwhisper- Gentle Zephyr
A gentle breeze blows after the fiery storms, symbolizing a period of calm and reflection.
Wyrmsdance- Coiled Serpent
A month of intricate movements and subtle intrigues, represented by the coiled form of a serpent.
Starfall- Falling Star
Celestial events mark this month, as stars seem to fall from the sky, bringing a sense of wonder and mystery.
Moonshroud- Crescent Veil
A time when the moon's crescent glow casts a shroud of enchantment over the land.
Rainsong- Dew-Kissed Leaf
Rain begins to fall, bringing life back to the scorched earth, symbolized by a dew-kissed leaf.
Skybond- Intertwined Dragons
The culmination of the year, where the mythical dragons and the sky itself become intricately bonded, symbolized by the intertwined forms of dragons in flight.
I’m looking forward to sharing more as the year goes by. I'm enjoying writing again.
JL