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This fan-fiction article, School of the Dragon, was written by Witcher190. Please do not edit this fiction without the writer's permission. |
The School of the Dragon, or 保護官 (Hogo-kan) / ほごさん (Hogo - san) (Standard Tuyotukian: Protector / guardian), is a witcher school situated on the Tuyotuki Islands in the Far East. Due to the isolated nature of these islands, sightings of them on the Far East side of The Continent are exceedingly rare. Their primary dedication lies in protecting the people of these remote islands from local monsters. Although instances of School of the Dragon Witchers have sporadically been observed on continental lands, particularly in Bia Thin and Asatta, with their main focus being on protecting members of the Imperial Clan or Tuyotukian diplomats when they are on continental soil.
Origins
The School of the Dragon traces its origins back to the golden age of the School of the Manticore, precisely around forty years before the school faced the tragic event known as the "Day of Fire." This schism began when Nasira and Iwan attempted to apply the witcher mutations to Zerrikanian warrior women, sparking disputes within the School of the Manticore. A faction emerged, deeming it a futile effort and citing Alzur's unsuccessful results with women.
Despite objections, Iwan and Nasira persisted, further intensifying the ongoing debate. Within the school, a growing sentiment emerged that Iwan was possibly being manipulated by the Zerrikanian Crown and its allies, amplifying the schism. Despite their allegiance to the Zerrikanian crown, some members fervently argued for maintaining some degree of independence as witchers, among them, the future founder of the School of the Dragon, Gilgasmesh.
Consequently, around thirty members of the school, led by Gilgasmesh, decided to leave in pursuit of greater autonomy, refusing to be, as they put it, "political puppets." They chose to march southeast, forging their path away from the supposed political entanglements they sought to escape.
During the process, they encountered a Tuyotukian diplomatic caravan returning to the Tuyotuki Islands, which offered to hire them as escorts back to their homeland. The thirty members accepted this proposition, finding themselves without the resources that being under the umbrella of the Zerrikanian Crown provided. Additionally, they were uncertain about where to go after their separation, and the distant destination seemed as good as any other.
Throughout the journey, it's worth noting that they crossed a significant portion of Bia Thin. Observing the abundance of monsters in the area and recognizing the need, twenty out of the initial thirty members decided to abandon their march towards the Tuyotuki Islands. They split into two groups of ten, eventually giving rise to other witcher schools, such as the School of the Lungonite. Only ten Manticores, led by the already mentioned Gilgasmesh, arrived at the Tuyotuki Islands, and they were the ones who gave rise to the School of the Dragon.
History
The beginning & the early years
Due to their isolation, the Tuyotuki Islands remained untouched by witchers until a relatively late period in their history, around the year 1100. In contrast to the Bia Thin region, where occasional encounters with School of the Manticore witchers, mainly along the border areas with Zerrikania, were not uncommon. Consequently, for generations, the islands' most skilled warriors had to confront the region's monsters, the yokais (though the term holds various meanings), leading to the creation of numerous legends and tragic deaths. The Tuyotukians, compelled more by necessity than anything else, had to "learn" to coexist with these monsters. However, everything would change with the arrival of Gilgasmesh and his group to the islands.
Once in the islands, having established a strong rapport with key members of the diplomatic caravan and showcasing their prowess in fending off a variety of monstrous and non-monstrous threats, the ten individuals destined to form the School of the Dragon secured an audience with the emperor of that era, Yasuo San Obu za Mūn (ヤスオ・サン・オブ・ザ・ムーン). Assisted by a translator, they were afforded the opportunity to articulate their profession, the purpose behind their visit, and their aspirations to establish a presence in the region. Following a comprehensive discussion, the ten witchers from the School of the Manticore were granted permission to remain and extend the support and financial backing of the Tuyotukian Imperial Crown.
However, this privilege came with a condition; akin to the School of the Fox in Vicovaro, they were required to substantiate their value by eradicating some of the most formidable monsters plaguing the islands in that era, basically, yokais who had taken the place of "gods" among the peasantry and were undermining the authority of the clans, including the most important, the one of the Imperial clan. If they successfully accomplished this task, they would be permitted to settle, establish their new school, and enjoy the desired independence while still benefiting from the protective umbrella of the imperial court. Conversely, should they refuse this mission, they would face expulsion back to The Continent.
Therefore, the pioneers of the School of the Dragon diligently embarked on their mission, overcoming numerous trials and errors, often at the brink of death, to vanquish the powerful yokais. These monsters were survivors of the Tuyotukian Invasion, having adapted and transformed into "cruel gods" with the passage of time, inflicting suffering upon the local peasants. It was through these efforts that the pioneers earned the nicknames for the future School of the Dragon members, of guardians and protectors by which they would be widely recognized.
During this pivotal time, the creole (a mix of Zerrikanian, Common, and Standard Tuyotukian) that would later be spoken among members of the school began to emerge. Simultaneously, with the assistance of different local people such as hunters, shinobis, samurais, alchemists, and the island's equivalent of mages, the mojiusiphas, the pioneers of the School of the Dragon initiated the compilation of a comprehensive bestiary. Recognizing the value of the witchers, many of these individuals later joined the School of the Dragon, where, in the case of hunters, shinobis and samurais, they imparted their combat techniques to future Dragon Adepts—techniques that would hybridize with what was known by the pioneers from the Manticore School. The samurais also influenced the members of the school with their code. The mojiusiphas who joined the school, for their part, contributed by reconstructing the mutation process. Lastly, the alchemists would contribute by creating equivalents to witcher potions from other regions.
This era also witnessed the birth of numerous legends, including the tale recounting Gilgasmesh's confrontation with the tatsu known as Watatsumi. The legend says that the eastern dragon was punishing the inhabitants of a coastal town for having overfished that year. However, it turns out that there had been a bad crop year on the island, so the villagers were unable to trade and needed to secure food for the rainy season when they could hardly go out to fish. This situation did not matter to the dragon, and it was about to destroy the village if not for the timely arrival of Gilgasmesh.
In this legendary battle, the eastern dragon, it was said, fought with honor. Acknowledging this noble act, Gilgasmesh, the future leader of the School of the Dragon, paid tribute by establishing the school's stronghold at the very site where the dragon met its demise. He named it the "Tomb of Watatsumi" and adopted the dragon symbol for the soon-to-be-born school.
The legend says that the dragon's skull can still be seen in the main hall of the fortress. However, according to the reports from Fabio Sachs' expedition, this must be false because none of them saw any dragon skull during their time there.
And so, once the problem of monsters undermining human authority was dealt with, along with a bestiary of the monsters inhabiting the islands and people to help the school thrive, the construction of the School of the Dragon fortress would finally take place. Shortly after, it would come into existence. The recruitment of its first adepts primarily targeted orphans from the peasantry and child slaves, whether local or from trade with overseas powers like Zangvebar. Two notable cases were Baem from the local population and Yasuke from the foreign part.
This stage proved to be the toughest for the school. As mentioned before, the mutation process had to be reconstructed, along with the potion-making process, to create equivalents. Due to these challenges, many adepts perished, and almost all the pioneering Manticore Witchers who had accompanied Gilgasmesh did as well. This was either due to experiments with mutagens and potions or to fulfill their monster-hunting duties. Eventually, Gilgasmesh found himself alone, and his informal leadership mantle within the group that had arrived on the islands evolved into the grandmaster of the school. At this point, Gilgasmesh decided to abandon his old Zerrikanian name and adopt the name Suetake, by which he would be known from then on until his disappearance.
Once this stage was overcome, the school would flourish, and the Dragon Witchers would become a recognized and appreciated force in the islands, successfully keeping monster threats at bay. Unlike their distant Nordling cousins, they wouldn't decline due to a lack of monsters. The Tuyotukian monsters proved to be tough and persistent, reaching a balance between hunters and prey. However, human ambition would be their downfall. With the monsters causing less trouble for the Tuyotukians, some members would start setting their sights on non-humans who hadn't submitted to Tuyotukian domination, reasoning that they posed a greater danger due to their ability to reason and unpredictability. Unbeknownst to them, this would lead to their decline and almost extinction until the end of the Tuyotukian Civil War and their gradual resurgence, which reached its peak after the Second Conjunction of the Spheres in the year 1358.
The later years & the Draconid Uprising and the decline of the school ( 1250s )
It is indeed accurate that the School of the Dragon experienced a decline due to human ambition, but to be more precise, its fall occurred because of the clash between ambition and the values the school sought to impart. The school's code, a version considerably more radical than the one originally taught by the samurais who joined in the early days and conducted classes there, mandated the protection of all conscious life, with the sole exception being life that derived pleasure from causing harm to others, encompassing both humans, non-humans, and monsters. Rumor has it that this perspective emerged because, in the days preceding the school's establishment, its leader, Gilgasmesh, engaged in a romance with the Aen Hagde elf geomancer, Hoseki, the leader of the guerrilla group known as Hyakki Yagyō (百鬼夜行). During their romance, Hoseki successfully persuaded Gilgasmesh that all conscious life held value on the islands, and in return, Gilgasmesh convinced Hoseki to temporarily dissolve the guerrilla.
So, when some members of the school deviated from its principles and began hunting non-humans, claiming they posed a greater threat than the monsters they kept in check, instead of reasoning with the non-humans and persuading them to cease harming others, Gilgasmesh found himself forced to exile them from the school. Unbeknownst to him, this act set in motion the decline and near-extinction of the school, unwittingly nurturing its greatest enemy with each exile he made, as it gained strength with every expulsion. This ultimately gave rise to the union of all the outcasts in a new school, so to speak, which eventually sought to destroy the School of the Dragon—the School of the Wyvern.
The Imperial Crown also did not help resolve this, as has been mentioned. Unlike the Zerrikanian Crown with the school from which the School of the Dragon had split, they had been given much more independence, so they didn't intervene. However, it is worth noting that they felt a stronger affinity for the exiles due to their shared desire to eradicate non-humans (who had caused numerous issues for the Tuyotukians since they settled on the islands), not only in keeping check on the monsters, as the School of the Dragon was doing. So, in secret, they began to finance them, unaware that this would be a mistake—one that would endanger the guardians/protectors who had significantly improved the quality of life on the islands, eventually giving rise to what would later be known in history as the "Draconid Uprising."
What the Tuyotukian Imperial Court believed was that, by funding the exiles, they would convince the remaining members of the School of the Dragon to join them, seeing all the advantages they were providing compared to the Dragon Witchers and their greater independence. The idea was that, after that, the non-humans would be dead, and the "problem" would be solved. It was an innocent enough thought on their part. Since the exiles harbored resentment toward Gilgasmesh for expelling them, they felt that the grandmaster had unjustly taken away their honor. They considered it foolish not to kill non-humans, as they believed these beings caused harm, and, in their view, the school's code would permit such actions.
Instead of merely creating their own school, they decided that the best course of action was not only to establish one but to use it as a replacement for the School of the Dragon and its antiquated values. Thus, they adopted the symbol of a monster similar to a dragon, which they had heard about through the contact between Zerrikania and the Tuyotuki Islands—the wyvern. This gave rise to the School of the Wyvern. As one can imagine, in all aspects, it mirrored the School of the Dragon, except for its morality.
And with the birth of the School of the Wyvern, the decline and near extinction of the School of the Dragon would come sooner rather than later, once the so-called "Draconid Uprising" took place. This uprising, unknowingly financed by the Tuyotukian Imperial Court and involving hired ronins as an army, consisted of a siege, assault, and the surprise capture of the School of the Dragon's fortress.
The siege, assault, and attempted takeover lasted for weeks and proved to be a disaster for both parties. The Wyverns, instead of focusing on gaining new adepts and growing as a school, blinded by what they perceived as unjust treatment, all perished in the conflict, leading to the extinction of their school. The Dragon Witchers barely survived, with their fortress, while not destroyed or turned into ruins, left in a dilapidated state. Once numerous, their members were reduced to only about 36 after the conflict, similar to the fate of the School of the Griffin after the avalanche and reconstruction in distant Kovir or the School of the Wolf after the Cats' betrayal in the Witcher's Tournament. And so they would remain for a long time.
The reconstruction and resurgence of the school and the subsequent years ( 1250s - 1358 )
After the events, the survivors investigated the attack and those who had allowed the exiles to have access to an army. Upon discovering that it was the Tuyotukian Imperial Court, they quietly severed ties with it out of fear of a new attack. They then depended solely on the goodwill of the common Tuyotukian people and various clans from the diverse islands for reconstruction and resurgence, processes that would take a considerable amount of time.
The rebuilding of their relationship with the Tuyotukian Imperial Court would also occur gradually, as they felt, with some justification, that financing the exiles had been a profound betrayal. The healing of the relationship between both parties would reach its climax only after the events of the Tuyotukian Civil War in the late 13th century.
It is noteworthy that the advancement of the siege on the part of the attackers was facilitated by Baem, who, in an innocent attempt, tried to negotiate a truce with the exiles, which did not work. During the process of returning to the other Dragon Witchers, he inadvertently left the main door slightly ajar, allowing the enemy to infiltrate. As a consequence, Gilgasmesh would exile him after both survived the ordeal. However, curiously, through twists of fate, Baem would go on to become the first Tuyotukian to set foot on Nordling lands (more information in the article on the Tuyotuki Islands).
Gilgasmesh, for his part, after everything that happened, felt that he had failed and that all of it was his fault. So, one day like any other, he took what remained of his belongings and disappeared. Some say he simply left and is still alive, while others claim he went to perform seppuku. The truth is, no one knows for certain. After the downfall, Oda, the oldest witcher of the school and one of Gilgasmesh's first students, would take up the mantle of grandmaster of the school until 1300.
The Tuyotukian Civil War & The visit of Fabio Sachs´s Expedition to the Far East and the far future ( 1283 - 1284 / 1358 )
And so, nearly thirty years passed during which the Dragon Witchers continued their process of rebuilding and gradually resurging. During this time, they left their fortress in an optimal state, thanks to the assistance mentioned earlier, and initiated the recruitment of new adepts, aspiring to restore the School of the Dragon to its former glory. Their efforts went beyond relying on external aid; since they took proactive actions, such as serving as protectors for Tuyotukian diplomats traveling abroad, with the intention of not only maintaining their status but also gradually repairing their broken relationship with the Tuyotukian Imperial Court. This commitment became a constant for the school in its second era, ironically initiated by the exile Baem.
Gradually, the strained relations with the Tuyotukian Imperial Court in the 1250s regained strength. Although they didn't reach an optimal state, there was a significant improvement compared to previous decades. This improvement prompted the Dragon Witchers to involve themselves in the Tuyotukian Civil War when it erupted. Opting for neutrality, they dedicated themselves to addressing the root cause of the conflict—the death of the then-emperor of the Tuyotuki Islands.
To achieve this goal, they sought the help of Fabio Sachs' expedition to the Far East, which had arrived at the Tuyotuki Islands shortly before the conflict broke out. This expedition became a scapegoat, due to being the only survivors of the attack that killed the emperor, so subsequently, they were condemned to crucifixion. The Dragon Witchers liberated them and formed an alliance to uncover the truth with them since the ports were blocked, and the expedition couldn't return home, and they were the only witnesses who could have seen something. Beyond halting the war, this alliance also aided in recruiting more members. The Dragon Witchers successfully convinced Łukasz, one of the last active Wolf Witchers (excluding Geralt of Rivia, Freyja of Kaedwen, and the future Fox Grandmaster, Adalwulf of Aedirn), to stay on the islands and join their ranks once the conflict was resolved. Although they attempted to persuade the other witcher in the expedition, Putnam Pitch, he ultimately declined the offer due to his loyalty to Fabio Sachs. Much later, Putnam would go on to establish another witcher school—the School of the Crane, the second school after the Second Conjunction—alongside his future wife, Jolanta Dinmarb.
Only with the resolution of the civil war, as previously mentioned, were relations with the Tuyotukian Imperial Court fully repaired. This positive development was attributed to the newly elected emperor, named in honor of one of the most renowned Dragon Witchers, Yasuke. This hastened the reconstruction and resurgence of the school, ensuring that by the time the Second Conjunction of Spheres arrived in 1358, they were well-prepared to face it and protect the Tuyotukians from the new and old monsters it would bring.
Characteristics
Due to its isolation, the School of the Dragon has cultivated distinctive characteristics over time. Foremost among them is its code of ethics, encompassing a set of principles that share certain traits with the Witcher's code from the former Order of the Witchers or that of the School of the Griffin. This influence directly stems from the samurais who assumed teaching roles within the school, following the emperor's recognition of the skills and worth of the ten members of the School of the Manticore—but particularly their leader—who arrived on the islands. The emperor, acknowledging their prowess in killing monsters, committed to funding the establishment of their school, with the primary objective of either eliminating the monster problem or, at the very least, keeping it under control. The latter would occur more frequently, given the more strong nature of the Tuyotuki Islands monsters. Ultimately, they would become guardians of the balance between humans, non - humans and monsters, so to speak.
School of the Dragon armor
In the matter of swords, the school adopted a hybrid approach, combining elements from the swords of samurai warriors and those wielded by other teachers within the school, such as the shinobis. They preserved certain aspects from the swords of the School of the Manticore. Regarding armor, they opted for a medium-weight design—not too cumbersome for wear, providing effective protection and facilitating stealthy tasks. These choices were all influenced by the amalgamation of warriors who were teachers within the school, such as the already mentioned samurais and shinobis. This influences extended to their combat style, resulting in a hybrid approach that integrated the most suitable techniques from both warrior traditions, adapting to the demands of each situation.
Another notable characteristic that distinguished them from their continental counterparts was, out of necessity more than anything else (due to the isolation of the islands), the development of potions equivalent to the usual Witcher's elixirs. This was because not all the plants typically used for these elixirs were present on the islands. A similar challenge was faced by the school from which they branched off in Zerrikania, but to a lesser extent. For this undertaking, they sought the assistance of various renegade mojiusiphas (the equivalent of a mage in the Tuyotuki Islands) who had been exiled from their clans, along with some alchemists who aided them in the brewing process. The renegade mojiusiphas also played a crucial role in recreating the Witcher's mutations process locally.
Similar to the School of the Manticore, the School of the Dragon also maintains a notable connection with the court/crown. In their case, this affiliation is with the Tuyotukian Imperial Court. However, unlike the School of the Manticore, their relationship is not as intimate, stemming from the aforementioned rationale: their founding members aimed to preserve a certain level of independence and avoid becoming, as they perceived it back in Zerrikania, "political puppets".
Despite what might seem evident due to the schism that gave them origin, the School of the Dragon, in contrast to others like the School of the Bear, which considered accepting and attempting to mutate female members a waste of time, deeming them "weak, crazed little bitches who served only as lesser imitations of true witchers," in the words of its founder, or others like the School of the Viper, which believed it was far too costly to create their own female witchers, welcomed female members (albeit very occasionally). They adopted a similar approach to the early members of the School of the Cat in Stygga, training their first female students without mutations. This made them more akin to the Zerrikanian warriors that Gilgasmesh once knew than anything else. This likely played a role in the emergence of matriarchal clans in a very patriarchal society, like the society of the Tuyotuki Islands, although it is not known for certain.
And lastly, another notable characteristic is the absence of weapons such as crossbows, which are replaced by weapons like orions or kunais. The use of bombs, like their Zerrikanian or Nordling counterparts, or one of their sister schools, the School of the Lungonite, is retained, albeit to a lesser extent.
Known members
Original 10 Witchers
- Aba
- Alulim
- Balih
- Dumuzid
- Ensipad
- Etana
- Gilgasmesh
- Jushur
- Ubara
- Zuqaqip
Other notable members
- Annei
- Baem (exiled)
- Faxicura
- Herardo
- Jimu
- Jubei
- Kaika (exiled)
- Kōan
- Nintoku (exiled)
- Oda
- Suizei (exiled)
- Seimu (exiled)
- Umi no raion / Łukasz
- Yasuke
Samurais
- Abe Hajime
- Aki Takeo
- Mano Sora
- Yokota Kayo
Shinobis
- Asato Rin
- Maki Ayame
- Sakamoto Ryo
- Taguchi Aimi
Mojiusiphas
- Kawasaki Bunko
- Mita Kimi
- Murano Yuriko
- Noguchi Akio
- Okuma Natsumi
- Tanabe Kichiro
Alchemists
- Ono Eiji
- Sanda Miyako
Affiliated
Fabio Sachs´s Expedition to the Far East
- D´yaebl
- Eberhatt of Rivia
- Dwarven mercenaries affiliated with Eberhatt
- Fabio Sachs
- Istredd
- Łukasz (would later join the School of the Dragon)
- Monga
- Putnam Pitch
- The Explorer
Image Credits
- School of the Dragon Armor Concept Art by TylerSpenceArt
Notes
- All the names of the shinobi who were part of the school are female, so take that into account if you want to create a character. The samurais are all male. Regarding the mojiusiphas and alchemists, they are a mix of both female and male names.
Trivia
- The names on the list of pioneers who gave rise to the School of the Dragon are a reference to legendary kings of Sumeria.
- The names on the list of notable members of the school is mostly a reference to legendary Japanese emperors.