Centuries ago, dragonkind ruled the Earth.
In all the world, neither animal, man, nor myth could rival the sheer magical power of a dragon. Man and beast alike would cower in their homes as wings large enough to blot out the sun passed overhead. Their vast, glittering hoards filled entire mountains, gold flowing through caves like shimmering rivers of wealth. There was no place on Earth that did not feel the power and influence that dragons held, the very power to shape the world around them to their whims.
Yet for all the power and treasure at their clawtips, it seemed impossible to satisfy the dragons' desire for more.
Princes and princesses stolen away by bored wyverns to play the part of pets... Boats dashed to pieces by sea serpents searching for trophies to drag to the deep... Other mythical beasts, like the Roc, brought to near extinction in their hunt for a more decadent meal. Although some few dragons occasionally offered the use of their grand magic to help the weaker species of their world, over time, dragons became known far and wide for their cruelty and avarice.
Until the world could take no more.
As if appearing from nowhere, a young human woman- known only as the Enchantress- put an end to the dragons' reign of terror in a single night, with an incredible show of magical power never before used by humanity... or since. Seemingly fueled by sheer righteous fury, her spell took hold of every single dragon on Earth- and in an instant, transformed them.
All over the world, they found themselves twisted and changed, reduced to harmless shadows of their former selves. Their wings were stunted to the point of flightlessness, their entire visage made unintimidating and meek... Although this was certainly a shock to the once-powerful dragons, it was nothing compared to the worst, most cruel aspect of their punishment.
Because of their misdeeds, dragons had lost their magic forever.
These creatures that were once dragons- Dragolets, as humans had taken to calling them- struggled to discover their place in the world. If they were no longer to act as its callous owners, using it as they saw fit, then what were they to be? Their hoarded treasures began to seem ever more meaningless in the face of a world that no longer cared about their status. Many Dragolets began to pick their hoards apart, trading away their less treasured pieces in exchange for basic necessities.
It was through this, that the other side to the Enchantress' curse began to make itself known. The ever-powerful hoarding instinct that once controlled so many dragons' lives was... gone. Although they could certainly still appreciate the beauty of a glimmering silver bracelet or a diamond-encrusted tiara, Dragolets no longer found themselves consumed by a need to have it. Those who had been bitter enemies, embroiled in deadly fights over land and treasure, now found themselves laughing together and forming friendships, hardly able to believe that they could have ever fought over something as stupid as a few gold coins.
Even stripped of all their power, their influence, and their ability to fly... dragonkind had never been more free.
