Worldbuilding Wednesday – The Dragon Guardians of the Western Isles

I've gotten a bit side-tracked (perhaps a slight “Worldbuilding Cold” and not full-blown “Worldbuilder’s Disease”) while writing about the Western Isles and then, specifically the Dragon Guardians of these Isles. They are Guardians who had not been present on Continent after the Sundering. Their dragons are also green in colour, unlike the blue and red dragons found in the Southern Lands. Here is a first look at them:

The Dragon Guardians of the Western Isles
On the shore there was gathered a group of nine people. All were dressed in brown, white and green and each held a carved wooden staff. The staffs were all decorated with finely-wrought patterns in silver and green dragon tears were set into the wood. Upon their brows they wore the red dragon tears the Guardians called Dragon Gifts. The women among them wore long veils of such fine golden beadwork over their hair that it seemed as if their hair was of spun gold. All bore markings on their faces and arms, traced in green, unlike the black patterns seen on the continent.

Caythan told how these markings were not permanent, but worn during times of trouble or when they fasted or mourned. Permanent marking – like those the Werlea (or Gile) had were shunned by them as they said that nothing in the world is permanent and therefore no permanent mark shall be placed on their bodies as all things will pass away before the final ending of the world.

These folk met the Guardians with saddened faces, saying that they had been shown this event in a dream. One, wearing many traces of green upon his face, chest and arms, spoke: “I saw great fields of grass burning, I saw people who suffer and I saw red dragons. Then I saw a ship bearing four lanterns being drawn to shore by a blue dragon. It has been very long since a blue dragon has visited our shores, let alone the Dragon Guardians of the Continent.”

The Guardians marvelled at the dream that had been given to these people and told them why they had come.

So, while I type away at a story including them, I hope to have a proper “Western Isles” post ready in two weeks’ time. Next week you can read how the dragons of the Southern Lands came to the Western Isles and also how the Dragon Seekers came to be.
Until then, Á Agrai tellarias or s'agrélar silássa!

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