Dean the Dragon

Race: Dragon
Occupation: Protector of Ator, Whatever He Wants
Place of Birth: Realm of Dragons
Known Relatives: Sandscale (Brass Dragon – Brother), Stoneclaws (Bronze Dragon – Brother), Skywing (Copper Dragon – Brother), Auric (Gold Dragon – Brother), Platinum (Platinum Dragon – All Father)
First Appearance: Neverending Nights – Episode 21: Accumulation
History: Dean is but one of the Dragons of the Metallic Order (Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold, and Silver – with Platinum being their All Father). Though Dean is not his “true” Draconic name, it is the one he adopted when he travels the world in Human form. Dean’s true, Draconic name, though rarely spoken is Argent. The Dragons of the Metallic Order long swore that they would not directly interfere or influence the way of Mortals. However, the Dragons of the Chromatic Order (Black, Blue, Green, Red, and White – with the Dragon of Silverlake as their All Father) made no such vow. Argent watched over the world, furious that the Chromatic Order was doing so much not only to influence, but rule over the world. The most powerful of the Chromatic Order was none other than the Red Dragon named Crimson. Her relentless evil influence spread across the land as she amassed an army called The Crimson Draco Legion. Argent fought with the other Metallic Order, saying that sitting idly by was not the right answer; that they too, had to return to the world and do something about the Chromatic Dragons and their evil ways.

Still, the Metallic Order disagreed. They believed if they interfered with the ways of Mortals, that Mortals would come to rely on them and become weaker, rather than stronger. Argent went against the others, the first to do so in the Order, and ventured to the world, where he adopted the disguise of an old, human wizard with silver eyes and silver hair. Dean traveled the world, never directly taking action, but more often than not gently “nudging” the Mortals to do specific things.

Argent took up residence in a cave, just outside the City of Ator, where as the human wizard Dean, he would venture down into the City of Ator to walk among the humans. He sensed one of the Chromatic Dragons within the area – so he took it upon himself to inform them that somewhere near the City of Ator, there was a blue dragon named Cobalt – and that the city would have to be ready. A few short years later, Cobalt did indeed attack the City of Ator, but the people were not ready (none of them believing that Dragons walked the world, since it had been thousands of years since any dragons had ever been seen or heard from – other than in the form of tales told by bards). Dean had been watching, hoping that the humans would be able to drive Cobalt back. But the Blue Dragon was too powerful. Dean was forced to make his presence known and changed into his Draconian form. He took no action, other than roaring – which startled Cobalt to find one of the Metallic Order in the World of Mortals. The people of Ator cheered and showered Argent with riches. This was not what Argent had wanted, however. Though he did not directly take action against Cobalt, he could see that the people would rely on him to protect them. Argent explained that he could not defend them against the Blue Dragon – that they needed to take it upon themselves to defend themselves. The Mages were inspired by the awe and power that Argent represented and switched from studying simple “Dazzle” spells to forging magical weapons that would protect them against Cobalt – or any threat that dared strike against the City of Ator.

Argent was pleased with the results; the humans only needed to be educated and to believe in themselves. They had become too complacent. Argent knew he had to travel the world more – but he always considered the City of Ator his home away from home. One of his first ventures, included meeting Amiee, and Elf who had unparalleled skills at making dresses and clothing that fit perfectly. She was able to – at a glance – guess someone’s shirt, dress, and pant size, with 100% accuracy. Dean took her in and helped her hone her skills at her craft. As she grew older and more skilled, Dean explained that the outside world rarely cared about fluffy gowns. The world outside Sunflower Vale was a dangerous one, and so she turned to making armor with Dean’s help. From designing gowns to designing metallic armor, Amiee’s skill increased rapidly as she mastered the craft of making armor with a metal that Dean called ‘Silverscale.’ The metal she had been using called ‘Silverscale’ was actually the metallic scales from Dean’s Dragon form; forging extremely powerful armor, with an assortment of magical properties that protected those who wore it.

Dean left Amiee to forge her own destiny, and explained there was other tasks he had to tend to.

Dean ventured to a small village called Northern Stonepark. It was there he met a young woman, whose talent for art was amazing. She drew several incredible designs for armor, weapons, toys and even homes. Dean encouraged her to take her art and do more with it. He explained that she could create the very things she drew. Ann refused to believe it, but Dean showed her how to forge armor that she had designed in her art, once again, using Silverscale.

Ann’s skill at creating armor became legendary. Dean, before leaving, informed her that one day, her services will be called on – and to be ready. Because at a moment’s notice she will need to develop armor that would disguise two would be heroes being viciously hunted down by the Crimson Dragon. (This seemed like crazy talk to Ann, because there had been no dragons in the land for thousands of years!) Dean saw the doubt in her eyes, and simply said, “The one who will request the armor from you will be another Armorer – she will tell you the code, and you will know it’s time.”

Still, Ann was not convinced, so Dean added, “Tonight, when you go to Artifact Succession, you will meet a man there – his name will be Ed the Engraver. You two will, very quickly, fall in love with one another.”

As if the talk about Crimson Dragons wasn’t already foolish enough, the idea that Ann would meet someone at Ancient Succession and fall in love was ludicrous. So few people came through Northern Stonepark, and she knew almost everyone – and there was certainly no one named Ed the Engraver, and the chances of someone passing through with that name and title was little to none. But Ann the Armorer did indeed meet someone by the name of Ed the Engraver; and several years later, when Amiee the Armorer showed up, she made the armor that had been requested by her to hide two heroes from the Crimson Draco Legion.

Dean had left the night before that fateful storm over Northern Stonepark, and returned to Amiee the Armorer. Dean assured her that one day, two young men would approach her seeking armor – and that she should keep an eye out for them, as they were destined to do great things – whether they believed it or not. He explained that she would know them by how they explained “how grapes grow.” Amiee the Armorer thought nothing of it, until one day – two would be heroes came to her seeking armor in Stonefrost City. The Ranger, who should clearly know how grapes grow (being all outdoors man like) said that “grapes grow on bushes” – and she corrected him, explaining that they actually grew on trees – which immediately triggered the memory of what Dean had once told her several years ago. Amiee the Armorer began following Peter and Grayson, unsure of how these two seemingly dim-witted would be heroes would be the ones to “save the world.”

She nearly lost them a few times, while following them – but picked them up again in the City of Ator, where her good friend Poppy the Salt Vendor explained that she had just seen them both come into the town. (Poppy had previously sold salt to them in the City of Galana).

Amiee lost them again, just inside the caves behind the City of Ator, where they had gone to find and kill a dragon. She did, however, encounter a Silver Dragon, who explained that the two heroes had just left. The Silver Dragon, for some strange reason, seemed strangely familiar to Amiee – but she could not place it. The Silver Dragon recruited Amiee as an Agent of the Silver Draco, and urged Amiee to track and follow Peter and Grayson.

Dean followed Peter and Grayson as well; and was quite surprised when he sensed another from the Metallic Order within the city walls of Blackmire City. Dean tracked it down and discovered that Auric – the Gold Dragon – had been inspired by what he saw Argent doing; so he had come to the world of Mortals and adopted the human guise of a resurrection priest named Zoe Din. When Argent/Dean questioned Auric/Zoe Din about why he had come to the world of Mortals, Auric explained that he had been watching the two morals destined to slay the Dragon of Silverlake and foresaw the death of one of the two heroes – namely, Grayson, the heir to the Blade of Destiny. In the secrecy of the temple’s basement, Auric asked if Grayson was indeed the destined one; and if he was, he was doomed to fail. Argent simply said, “No, there is another.”

Auric remained in Blackmire City to watch over some mortals that had nearly perished at sea, while Argent continued to follow Peter and Grayson. When Andrea the Assassin and Daniel the Destructive finally caught up with Peter and Grayson; Dean had sensed that someone had placed a spell over Daniel’s memory, blocking out a small portion. Dean, with the Magic of Dragons, easily wiped away the spell placed there by the Captain of the Crimson Draco Legion. Daniel suddenly remembered what had happened at Gnome Mountain and recognized the crest that Andrea the Assassin wore. He kept quiet, and when it came time to teleport them all way as Andrea had commanded – he merely teleported Peter, Grayson, and Pawl – along with Dean the Dragon, hoping that Dean would destroy the Crimson Draco Mother. However, Dean upheld his promise to not directly take action and waited on Grayson, who courageously charged the Red Dragon, Crimson, and killed her with the Blade of Destiny. In the blinding flash of light, Dean disappeared and returned to the Realm of Dragons.

There, he plead his case that the Chromatic Dragons needed to be stopped; and that the Mortals would not rely on the Dragons as the Metallic Dragons suspected – but sometimes, everyone needs a nudge to do the right thing – even Dragons.

The Metallic Order agreed, and all of them descended down to the World of Mortals.

Eyes: Silver
Hair: N/A (Silver In Human Form)

Accessories:

DEAN: Being a dragon, Dean is a weapon all unto himself. Within the Chromatic Dragons, Argent is sometimes known as “Seolfur.”