Onyx' character sheet (Patreon)

Tired. Sheet late. Art took a while to make. Story below. Patreon intro-messages, along with credits update tomorrow.  Check out the character sheets page for the NSFW version and other sheets. Good night. See you tomorrow.

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Before the formation of kingdoms and counties, the western half of what would one day become the Dragon Empire was ruled by groups of nomadic, tribal dragons. Warlike by nature, these clans fought one another for sport and hunted whatever foreign intruders dared wander into their lands. Despite the fierce, savage inhabitants, civilization found its way to the wild plains over time. In the span of centuries, grazing fields gradually turned into sprawling cities, driven by the colonization efforts of the freshly formed eastern empire.

Their very way of life threatened, some tribes integrated into the newly formed societies, while others migrated to greener pastures. A few openly rebelled against their instated rulers, but there was little their crude weapons could do against modernized armies equipped with chainmail hauberks, nor could dried hide shields hold up against state-of-the-art steel weaponry.

The Khan clan was one of the most brutal and bloodthirty amongst the tribals. Direct descendants of the feral dragons of old, they possessed fearsome traits that the impure member of their kind could only dream of having. Imposing wings, a size and bulk dwarfing even the tallest of lesser dragons, and the ability to spew impressive gusts of scalding fire for extended durations. Suffice to say, they were wisely left to their own devices during the formation of the western dragon kingdom.

The Khans were left completely undisturbed. Despite their land being claimed by a king and a queen in a city far away, nobody dared question the tribe's absolute rule in person. Hunting and foraging the plains provided them with all they needed. Extorting a few nearby villages for luxuries allowed them to completely forego trading, a practice which had robbed the identity of many rival tribes, gradually transforming them into roaming traders. And so, throughout several generations, life went on as usual for the proud purists, completely oblivious to the changing world around them.

That is, until a particularly clever and cunning dragon by the name of Genghis became the patriarch of the Khans. Unlike his forefathers, Genghis was not so inward-focused. He was interested in things beyond the tribe's internal affairs and immediate needs. Instead of sticking to raiding the minor settlements surrounding their ever-moving warcamp, he sent out scouts to map the patterns of regional trade caravans. How frequently they passed, where and when they were last seen, and most important of all: what they were carrying.

Under Genghis' lead, the clan began to target the most valuable of trade caravans, containing exotic goods from all across the Dragon Empire. Fine silk from the east, malleable steel from the north, spices from the coast, imported barrels of booze, more food than they could eat, and plenty of livestock to butcher later. What they didn't -- or no longer -- had a use for, they discarded when migrating to new pastures. Although the tribe was swimming in luxury, their honor and pride-based society prevented them from falling into the pitfalls of overindulgence and debauchery.

The Khans thrived. They accumulated wealth beyond measure, adorning their leather tents and clothing with gold, marble, silver and ivory. But their recent exploits had came with a baggage of considerable notoriety. Merchants beseeched the ruler of the western dragon kingdom to act, to strike down the steppe-tribe so trade could once again flourish in the region! The king downplayed the issue. It was just a single band of roving thugs. How much havoc could they possibly wreak?

The monarch would soon come to regret those words. Upon plundering yet another caravan, Genghis stumbled upon a weirdly painted piece of rolled up cloth. He recognized some of the landmarks depicted. The dragon-shaped rock his ancestors worshipped, the giant, solemn cherry blossom tree which had hosted his marriage, the river that flowed throughout the lands, and the lake they were encamped next to at this very moment! Bringing the scroll to one of the few survivors of the surprise attack, the tribal leader offered the man a simple deal: "Read, and you live."

It was a map. Not a term the nomads were familiar with, but it was easy enough to explain. What was more interesting, were the contents of the map. It depicted the western dragon kingdom. And that revelation raised a lot more questions than it answered. Who were these pretenders staking claims to the land of Khans? After a lengthy clarification, the patriarch was left boiling with rage. While this emperor fellow sounded a bit too powerful to assert dominance over, the king was well within the clan's reach. It was time to show the world who really ruled these plains.

Rallying the tribe's warriors, Genghis immediately rode out towards the regional capital, using the stolen map for directions. Arriving at Salamar come nightfall, it did not take long for them to find the palace. It was a massacre. The unsuspecting guards, half of which were asleep, stood no chance against the invading group of natural born killing machines. They were effortlessly slaughtered. The proud warriors buthcered their way to the royal bedrooms. Dragging the king and queen out of their bed, the two impure dragons were abused, humiliated, degraded and ultimately beheaded by the nomads.

The rest of the royal watch was exterminated to the very last man. Even the ones that begged for mercy, received only death. In the end, the sole survivor of the bloody coup was princess Diamonde, the former king's only daughter. Genghis saw fit to hand her to his oldest son, Onyx, for the young warrior's courageous valor in battle. As night slowly turned to dawn, the nomads decided to take over the palace completely, some of them holding watch to make sure the stupid townsfolk wouldn't try anything hasty, while the others indulged in excessively sized beds, the royal harem, and the finely aged wine kept in the cellar.

In his drunken stupor, the brilliant Genghis had an epiphany. He had executed impure dragon nobility, reducing their bloodline to a single captive woman. Now he could ascend the throne himself, and officially take control over the steppes. But there was a problem. If this emperor of the lesser kin was as influential of a man as the tribal leader had been told, then his rule would be a short one indeed. Should tonight's events reach the emperor's court, an imperial army would no doubt be dispatched, to do unto Genghis as he had done unto the previous ruler of the western dragon kingdom.

The patriarch being crowned king was out of the question. That would arouse far too much suspicion. But there was still the girl. Diamonde. With her parents' death, she was now the rightful queen of the land. And she was, at this very moment, getting to know his son. As the bloodthirsty warlord passed out from inebriation, snoring loud enough for the entire palace to hear, a dastardly plan formed at the back of his mind.

The next day, late in the afternoon, Genghis' schemes were set into motion. A mock marriage was arranged, a local bishop pressured into wedding Onyx and Diamonde. Immediately afterwards, the tribe spread the news that the previous rulers of the land had unfortunately passed away overnight. The same cleric was made to coronate the new king. And so, the young Onyx went from being a nomadic tribe leader's eldest son, to becoming the new monarch of the western dragon kingdom.

To the imperial court, it seemed like an ordinary succession. The king and queen had died, the princess and her new lover took over. In reality, a nomadic tribe had wrestled control away from the royal family, ensuring their kind would have great influence over the kingdom's affairs for generations to come. Genghis, having masterminded the entire ordeal, was content with knowing that he had lead his people to greatness, even if he could not call himself king.

Leading was in Onyx' blood. After all, his ancestors had commanded absolute power of their tribe since time immemorial. The savage youngster saw his ascension to monarch, merely as an early coming of his rightful position as tribal leader. A few edicts were swiftly ratified. The Khans became royal bodyguards, gaining permanent residence on palace grounds. Pure dragons, from all walks of life, were granted an elevated position in society. Councilmen, mayors and other important members of the court were replaced with tribesmen, loyal only to Onyx. Ironically, the country had never been more unified.

Unlike the previous king and queen, the new monarch wasn't afraid to speak his mind at the bargaining table. When a big, strong pureblooded dragon states his demands, there are few who dare to deny him. This aggressive style of negotiation caught meeker envoys off guard. A few previously signed pacts were renegotiated, resulting in far more beneficial deals. Under the strict rule of Onyx, the western dragon kingdom flourished.

It wasn't too hard for the former nomadic warrior to grow accustomed to the civilized noble lifestyle. After all, being worshipped by impure dragons was his birthright. His new position was a powertripping fantasy come true. Sure, his new wife might not have loved him, but she understood the consequences there would be, should she ever disobey him. The sheer size difference between the two made things a little hard in the bedroom, and not in a good way.

Besides bedding Diamonde and imposing his will upon other rulers during meetings, the king was free to spend the remainder of his time with the royal court and his tribal family. He could often be found sparring with the other nomads, letting the various ladies of the court and the royal harem worship his glorious, pure body in every way they saw fit, or seeding a new generation of pureblood warriors within the wombs of the women of the tribe.

But the amazonian dragonesses weren't the only ones getting impregnated. Diamonde, too, fell prey to nomadic virility. Her once-slender belly grew, and she ultimately gave birth to a beautiful baby daughter. Not quite as pure of blood as Onyx, and as such not allowed to bear the name of Khan, the young Saphira would swiftly grow to become the king's favorite child. Diamonde's defiance waning further with every passing day, the three formed a somewhat functional noble family.

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