Dawn of Legends

And for near a millennium did the kingdoms of the gods stand firm against the might of the dragons, for though their flames raged and their claws tore through the lands, the divine cities did not fall.

But even as the war endured, from the sacred halls of Yggdrasil there came forth new dragons, not born of wrath, but of peace.

For Yggdrasil, the World Tree, who was the mother of many, had given birth once more, and these dragons, who knew only the love of their mother, did not seek war, but instead, they rose in defense of their home.

And when they beheld the ruin wrought by those of their kind, they stood against them, not with hatred, but with the will to protect all that was dear.

And so did dragon fight against dragon, their forms vast as the heavens, their roars shaking the earth, yet none among the gods or mortals understood why such a war had begun.

The gods, who ruled from the heavens, saw that the new dragons came from the land of Yggdrasil, and among themselves, they whispered, saying, "What trickery is this, that beasts born of the World Tree should turn against their own?"

And these gods were not the Four Great Gods of the West, nor were they the Twelve who had come before, but rather, they were the descendants of those who had ruled in ages past.

And in their hearts, there was doubt, for they did not know the will of Yggdrasil, nor did they trust her as their forebears once had.

And as the war raged between the dragons, whispers spread among the heavens, and many among the gods murmured, saying, "This war is the doing of the World Tree."

And so, among the greatest of them, there arose a faction that sought to confront her, for in their eyes, she was the cause of all that had befallen them.

But the gods were bound by the laws that had been set in ages past, and they could not descend freely upon the earth.

Yet among them, a few still possessed the right to tread upon the land, and these few descended from the heavens to stand before the World Tree and her King.

And when they beheld her, they lifted their voices in demand, saying, "O Yggdrasil, thou who bearest 1the life of the world, what is this that thou hast done? Why dost thou birth creatures that bring war upon us?"

And Yggdrasil, with a heart that knew only truth, answered, saying, "The dragons I have birthed seek not war, but peace. They have risen only to defend their mother, their father, and their kin. This war is not of my doing."

But the gods who stood before her were filled with doubt, and in their hearts, they did not believe.

And so they spake, saying, "Thou speakest1 falsehoods, for war has come from thy land, and ruin follows in its wake."

And though Yggdrasil spoke only truth, their hearts were hardened, and they would not hear her words.

Thus, in their pride and in their wrath, they declared war upon the nation of the World Tree and upon all who dwelled within her sacred land.

And the heavens trembled, and the mortals who dwelled upon the earth beheld the coming of war, yet none could stop it.

And as Yggdrasil stood in silence, her King, who had long stood beside her, took up his sword, and his eyes beheld the gods before him.

21 And he spake, saying, "If this is the path thou hast chosen, then let it be so. We shall not yield."

22 And thus began the War of the World Tree, a war not of mortals nor of dragons alone, but of gods against gods, and the balance of the world was shaken once more.