2025 May 4: The Wings of Salvation

 The Wings of Salvation is the name of a young dragon active near the oceanic coastline of what was once a meeting place of mighty empires, now utterly devastated by drought, earthquakes and raiders. She poses as something of a religious figure, requiring tribute and adoration from the local populace in exchange for protection. While the latter is mostly meant as a guarantee that she won't do anything harmful, not many of the invaders dare approach villages protected by her, as she was proven both able and willing to burn an entire invasion fleet. This feat has gathered her many followers, and the nearby rulers are too preoccupied with the crises elsewhere to pay much heed to what happened to a bunch of fishermen and semi-nomadic goat and cattle herders. 

The Wings of Salvation herself is settling in for the long haul, intending to set herself up as a local goddess, becoming the de facto ruler of these lands. Of course older and more powerful dragons have tried to do similar things and failed, but she reasons that was a long time ago, when the empires of mortals were strong, and the Sorcerer-Kings could send bands of heroes until even the mightiest of dragons fell, but now, devastated by multiple disasters they sit helpless in their gilded halls as their realms burn around them. The perfect environment for an ambitious dragon to become a major power. 

The dragon conducts herself with an air of superiority, and pretends to only deign to help mortals out of her good heart, but this demeanor quickly falls away once real negotiations begin behind closed doors, revealing a cold, calculating, draconic mind. Her goal is to have an army of followers that is capable of protecting her until she grows large and powerful enough to be basically invincible. 

Image by tomoburd

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