Hello People of Earth, Tava Yachi here.
In spite of all my attempts and research, some truths behind Elder Rov remained unknown to me. To this day I am still unsure if Rov was his first or last name, yet despite this I can say that he was someone to be pitied.
Seventy years ago, he was one of the strongest leaders in the Dragon Tribe Council of that age.
The Spirit Dragon Tribe has a long history of harnessing the murky side of the human condition. Some previous wielders could instantly tell if people were lying, by weighing their soul just by looking at them. Yet others saw visions of problems they needed to solve, and were able to prepare for the coming incidents.
Rov could wield the Spirit Dragon's power with skill, strength and conviction. The Spirit Dragon Tribe may never have been a powerhouse among the various tribes, but what it lacked in numbers, it made up for in unique powers and people like Rov.
So when Talasson fell to ruin, one had to wonder just what could possibly overcome that power. Rov had been so strong and resourceful in his prime, which in a way reflects what has become of him. As time weighed upon him he began to lose focus and often lost himself in senility, even before the fall. Did he see a vision of the event and forget it? Did a vision just not show it to him?
Rov spends his days in a constant shift of mind as old memories and senility battle for control. Most people can't make heads or tails of whether he's in the moment with them, or reliving the past. As a historian, I need to be able to make that distinction and that's why I pity him so.
Despite my research, I was unable to uncover this mystery of the downfall of Talasson. I know what happened, but not why. Exasperated, I decided to follow up on other leads.
Elder Yulai Villa, another from Rov's generation of the Dragon Tribe Council, was a prideful and powerful person.
In her youth, she had been one of the most powerful Emperors of the Ice Dragon Tribe in history. Rulers across the world feared her icy demeanour and her unshakable will, as if she was an immovable glacier.
Such a woman is hard to find flaws in, so cold as if to become diamond itself. Everyone has a weakness though, and it seems time was Yulai's greatest threat. After her generation's Dragon Tribe Council disbanded, she returned to the Ice Dragon Tribe and its kingdom. There she got married, had children, and raised her offspring.
The royal family of the Ice Dragon Tribe always inherited the Emperor's power. Their sense of duty to that was unmistakable. Every single child of royalty, be it in the main branch or the cousins, were instilled with the training and fortitude that came from millennia of duty.
The Villa family of the Ice Tribe were among the most faithful to the honour of receiving the Dragon's power from the Dragon's Sacrifice. In times of war, they were always generals and leaders that led their tribe to victory, time and time again, even in wars that statistically they should have lost.
To them, personal achievement means nothing, nor even personal suffering. If it meant protecting their people, they'd humble any honour, and endure any hardship. That determination and strength of will infects their people, uniting their people in such strong camaraderie, that most countries could only dream of.
This penchant for self sacrifice for the greater good, eventually can be a Villa family member's downfall though. Shortly after a few of her grandchildren were born, Yulai had handed over leadership of the tribe to the next generation.
When war broke out between two neighbouring countries, the Ice Dragon Tribe fulfilled their duty and helped their allies. Despite that war not being all that causality heavy for the standing armies at the time, the Ice Tribe had lost their leaders due to underhanded means.
Yulai was confronted with the fact, that the next Villa family generation, that she had raised with pride and duty, had been lost. This hit Yulai, the woman with the diamond-hard facade, hard. It was greater than any other torment that she had endured before. The people she raised and groomed so she could entrust the future to them... were gone.
The Ice Dragon Tribe was a nation that was given strength by the conviction of its leaders. Take away those leaders, and its strength is weakened greatly.
Perhaps that's why Yulai never wavered in her determination. Retaking the throne, she continued leading her people; as time clawed at her, taking away her fighting prowess and physical strength.
As Yulai's grandchildren grew and became stronger, Yulai in comparison grew weaker and more frail. Before long, she needed help of Torai, an aid, at all times. Eventually, needing a wheelchair more and more.
Yulai's greatest dishonour was the fact that she could no longer personally take to the battlefield and fight. That to become physically unfit, was to bring shame upon her and her duty to her people. But her will never failed or faltered. Under her leadership, the Ice Dragon Tribe never succumbed to neighbouring countries.
Now personally, I think self sacrifice is a bit overrated, but to see it in motion. To see that conviction and strength of will, is something marvellous in my line of work.
I've seen many worlds, and documented many histories. But until this world I had never seen such strength of conviction born of pride. One that transcended generations, and infused itself into the entirety of its people.
I've rambled quite a bit about just Yulai and her tribe. So much so that I'm out of time for today.
In fact I even forgot to explain what Emperors are in regards to the Dragon Tribes. I shall explain that next time.
This has been Tava Yachi. Best wishes to the people of Earth.
