Ah my dear readers. I have been remiss in my duties. I have told wonderful stories about places, and wonderful stories about people. I have forgotten to tell you stories about things. Well I shall rectify that going forward and what better place to start than one of the most powerful artifacts in the world, the dragon gems.
There are two things one must be aware of before I begin. There exists but one true collection of Dragon Gems, an artifact of immeasurable power. This collection is what I will discuss. Secrets of creating dragon gems have found its way into hands other than its creator. This has led to the creation of what I term Lesser Dragon Gems. They are in effect a lesser artifact. It is only that status that has kept them from being destroyed. The goddess of magic has forbidden it’s use to mortal casters. With one exception.
One of the many titles Draen Do’Gra boasts is that of Dracomancer. Most believe that it is because he has somehow managed to master dragon magic. Not without cost mind you, but he does boast several spells only dragons can cast in his repertoire. It does add credence to the rumor that he is one of Kor’Tunni’s favored. The truth is that his title of Dracomancer, as well as Dragon Tamer come with the fact that he counts dragons has favored allies. Not servants, not mounts but allies. His closest and most powerful one is the dreaded three headed dragon Wyrethaur. It is Draen that created the first Dragon Gems.
It is believed there are 10 dragon gems in the original set. Each a fist sized gem in it’s natural form of the color of a celestial dragon: Moon, Sun, Sky, Twilight, Dawn or elemental dragon: Fire, Ice, Storm, Earth, Mist. 5 of each. I say natural form because Draen has been known to wear one in a diadem, or as a clasp of his cape, or even a ring. I couldn’t tell you what magic is used to shrink them – artifacts are notoriously difficult to alter in size or shape – but clearly Draen has mastered it.
What makes the gems unique is that each gem house the soul of a dragon of great wyrm status of the matching color. For example, a great wyrm moon dragon’s soul resides in the moon gem. The dragon’s spirit retains ALL of the abilities it had in life and can if it chooses to confer them on to the wielder.
It is believed Draen sought out each great wyrm on the eve of their death. It is unknown what was said, or bargained for. All that is known is when Draen left the lair, he left only a rotting corpse behind. Even the dragon’s hoard had vanished. Rumors persist that the hoard is inside the gem. Cracking it open however is likely to free the ghostly dragon who will definitely take offense to would be thieves. Draen believes those tales is how the moniker Dragon Tamer came about. Incidentally, he loathes that one. To believe one can tame a dragon is ridiculous. His words. I share that sentiment.
Now, Draen isn’t one to reveal all his tricks, but he did give me a demonstration of one of dragon gems abilities. I can only assume the others work similarly. At any rate, he did show me the ice dragon gem. This sapphire is pale beyond pale, a ghost of blue, as if color itself froze to death within it. It radiates an intense cold, freezing the air around it in a shimmering mist. Just touching it put frost on my fingers. If you look deep enough, one can see an icy landscape beyond the glass. If you stare too long something looks back. Sometimes it moves closer. Even within the gem, the great ice wyrm within game me chills. Wearing the gem grants total immunity to cold weather, and provides resistance to cold magic. It allows the user to channel the dragon’s chill as well. Spells, and even melee attacks add a deadly chill to those effects. It apparently grants its wielder access to magical spells as well. Whether that’s an inherent property of the dragon gem itself, or it channels the magic the dragon knew in life is a question that I posed. Draen just smiled.
It should be noted that there are rumors of lesser dragon gems floating about the world. I myself have seen a fire gem, as well as a gem that summoned a sand elemental. I have no idea if these are lesser versions of the magic Draen uses or if is something knew. Draen spoke little of these, calling them elemental gems, not dragon gems. He also said that they (the gems) were OF magic, but not created by magic.
Now that is just a single gem, and there are ten standard varieties of dragons on Duir’Aion. And I’ve seen the collection of ten dragon gems with my own eyes. At the very least, this makes Draen a skilled orator if he can convince the oldest of dragons to move into a smaller home. On the one hand, it does provide some sort of immortality. You can literally see the dragon inhabiting the gems move around, inside a world that is somehow far bigger on the inside. The fact that artifacts of any kind are all but impossible to create in this age, and Draen has managed to create ten, that I know of, speaks volumes of his arcane might, and possible favor of the Goddess of Magic. I will never need a reminder to not get on his bad side.
Draen is not merely an archmage. He is magic incarnate. The Dragon Gems stand as proof: artifacts birthed in an age when such wonders should be impossible. If this is what he creates when the world is watching, one must wonder—what marvels, or horrors, has he forged in secret?
A Darkness Rising 