"Elegy for the First World" is an ancient Draconic poem of unknown origin, found with minor

variations in the collections and traditions of dragons across many worlds of the Material Plane.
Various creation myths told on different worlds echo some of the themes and notions of this poem,
particularly when they describe dragons or draconic gods being involved in creating the world. But the
heart of the poem is a profound assertion not found in any of those individual myths.

The elegy suggests that before the myriad worlds of the Material Plane came into being, before Oerth
and Toril and Eberron and Krynn existed, the primordial dragons—Bahamut and Tiamat—worked
together to create the Material Plane in the form of a single First World. All the worlds that now
constitute the plane are, in the words of the poem, "seedling realities" formed when the First World was
sundered in some unexplained catastrophe.

The story told in "Elegy for the First World" suggests a number of truths regarding the nature of
dragons. First, it portrays the ten varieties of metallic and chromatic dragons as the first inhabitants of
the Material Plane. Dragons were made to populate the First World before any other worlds came into
being, but they were supplanted by the teeming peoples that the gods of the Outer Planes brought to
inhabit that world. The elegy likewise suggests that dragons are living embodiments of the primordial
energy of the First World, which now flows throughout the Material Plane, and that they are thus
inextricably linked to the magic of that plane. The religions of numerous worlds teach that Humanoids
are creatures of a dual nature—part material and part spiritual, made of the essence of both the Material
Plane and the otherworldly Outer Planes. But dragons, at least in the view of "Elegy for the First
World," are wholly material, dwelling in the Material Plane and embodying its essential nature.

Many worlds have myths and legends about Bahamut and Tiamat, though these primordial dragons are
sometimes known by other names. But "Elegy for the First World" differs from nearly all those legends
in its mention of Sardior, "first-born of dragonkind." The poem suggests that Bahamut and Tiamat
created Sardior together, and that "ruby-red" Sardior then joined with Bahamut to craft the metallic
dragons and with Tiamat to craft the chromatic dragons. Some dragons who have studied the poem
believe that Sardior was destroyed and shattered along with the First World and that the Ruby Dragon's
splintered consciousness became the gem dragons on the new worlds of the Material Plane.
Dragons of Many Worlds[–]

Whether it is regarded as interpretive myth or historical record, "Elegy for the First World" offers an
explanation for the common elements that appear in the legends and mythology of so many worlds
across the Material Plane. Dragons populated the First World from the time of its creation, and a variety
of peoples came to live in the First World after their gods made war on the dragons. As such, the
similar natures of the creatures now inhabiting the many different worlds of the Material Plane can be
seen as a product of the First World's sundering. And because dragons are so tightly linked to the
essence of the Material Plane, they are thought to be the only creatures that appear on every world
formed from the shattering of the First World, even when they take on different forms.
Forgotten Realms[–]

The most comprehensive histories suggest Toril (the world of the Forgotten Realms setting) has not
always known dragons, at least not in their current forms. Many scholars theorize that Toril's dragons
evolved from some reptilian ancestor. And though it's possible to read these theories as contradicting
the story of "Elegy for the First World," it's also possible to imagine that the newly formed Toril,
fragmented from the First World, retained a hazy memory of the full ideal of dragonkind, which then
took thousands of years to manifest. Certainly, the dragons of Toril cleave closely to the draconic
archetypes described in the Monster Manual, and although Bahamut and Tiamat have sometimes been
known by other names on that world (such as Xymor and Tchazzar), they have always had a part to
play in the world's divine drama.
Greyhawk[–]

Myths concerning the creation of Oerth (home to the Greyhawk setting) are few and often
contradictory. Still, a number of those myths mention the dragon gods—or a single draconic creator, Io,
who shed his own blood to inspire creation. Dragons have been reclusive and rare for most of Oerth's
recorded history, but ancient annals of the Suel Imperium record that that empire created the mighty
Orbs of Dragonkind for use in a war against a powerful cabal of shadow-wielding red dragons.
Dragonlance[–]

Legends say the world of Krynn (home to the Dragonlance setting) was created in the interplay
between the High God and Chaos. Its most important cosmic powers have always been the three
children of the High God—Paladine, Gilean, and Takhisis, with Paladine and Takhisis easily
identifiable as Bahamut and Tiamat. According to the creation myths of Krynn, Paladine and Takhisis
worked together to create five dragons to rule the world, but Takhisis secretly corrupted them, creating
the first five chromatic dragons. Mourning the corruption of his children, Paladine worked with the
forge-god Reorx to create the metallic dragons. Much of the history of Krynn involves the strife
between Takhisis and Paladine and the ongoing effort to maintain balance between good and evil.
Chromatic dragons have long been Takhisis's favored agents as she strives to dominate the world, while
metallic dragons have helped the peoples of Krynn to foil her schemes. Meanwhile, Paladine, in the
guise of a doddering old wizard named Fizban, walked among the peoples of Krynn to aid them—just
as Bahamut has done on many worlds throughout their long histories.
Eberron[–]

The myths of Eberron describe the involvement of the three Progenitor Dragons in that world's
creation: Siberys, the Dragon Above; Khyber, the Dragon Below; and Eberron, the Dragon Between.
These godlike beings are said to have created a microcosm of the multiverse in the depths of the
Ethereal Plane, sequestered away from the Outer Planes and all the influence of the gods and other
cosmic powers. Viewed through the lens of "Elegy for the First World," Eberron is thus not actually a
fragment of the First World, but a second-generation derivative of that original realm—yet even
Eberron is profoundly shaped by dragons.
Dragonsight[–]

A little-known phenomenon supports the central ideas expressed in "Elegy for the First World."
Occasionally, dragons develop a sense known as dragonsight—an awareness of multiple incarnations
of themselves across different worlds of the Material Plane. Dragonsight is most common in ancient
dragons, especially when their enormous hoards include items from other worlds or powerful artifacts
whose histories span multiple worlds. Gem dragons, perhaps because of their connection to Sardior, are
most likely to develop dragonsight.

Dragons who develop dragonsight amass knowledge that spans the Material Plane, making them
among the foremost experts on worlds beyond their own. With time, dragonsight can expand beyond
passive awareness to allow active communication between a dragon's incarnations. Some ancient
dragons with well-developed dragonsight begin to weave grand plans that involve coordinating
activities across multiple worlds, culminating in cosmos-shaking events.

As one example, tales are told on multiple worlds of the Material Plane regarding the red dragon
Ashardalon. Less widely understood, though, is the fact that as one Ashardalon developed his
dragonsight, he concocted a scheme to preserve his existence by consuming his echoes on other worlds.
All these different Ashardalons thus became a single, immensely powerful greatwyrm that fed on soul
energy—and that prevented souls from incarnating into newly born creatures across the worlds.

Given most people's limited understanding of dragons' beliefs and philosophies, let alone dragonsight,
many mortals are quick to describe dragons with heightened dragonsight as "dragon gods"—which
they are not. Still, some powerful dragons have so successfully extended their consciousness across
multiple incarnations, and so expertly coordinated their activities across multiple worlds, that they can
seem godlike even to younger dragons. The black greatwyrm Chronepsis once accomplished a feat
similar to Ashardalon's, with one version of the dragon devouring multiple echoes before leaving the
Material Plane and establishing a lair in the Outer Planes.
Dragons and Dungeons[–]

Just as individual dragons have echoes across multiple worlds of the Material Plane, some places of
tremendous power that have a connection to dragons resonate across the plane. Dungeons such as the
Sunless Citadel (buried by Ashardalon in his wrath), Dragon Mountain (the lair of the red dragon
Infyrana), and the ruined city of Xak Tsaroth (home to the black dragon Khisanth) manifest in various
ways across multiple worlds. Similarly, the power of mighty dragonslayers often resonates around sites
they build or inhabit. The Tomb of Horrors is one such site, crafted by the lich Acererak, whose
uncountable evils included slaughtering metallic dragons for the magic of their blood.

Artifacts associated with dragons can also resonate across the different worlds of the Material Plane.
The clearest examples are the Orbs of Dragonkind, described in the Dungeon Master's Guide. On the
world of Greyhawk, these artifacts were made during an era when the Suel Imperium battled a cabal of
red dragons. On Krynn, the orbs (known there as Dragon Orbs) were created to defend the Towers of
High Sorcery from dragon attack. In Faerûn, the Orbs of Draconic Influence were made by dragons to
extend their influence over other dragons. The similarities among these artifacts are not a matter of
coincidence or convergent magical evolution; these items partake of dragons' unique connection to the
magical fabric of the Material Plane and echo across its many worlds.
Character Creation[–]

From the folk hero dreaming of liberating their people from a tyrannical blue dragon's reign to the
idealistic acolyte who imagines purging the world of Tiamat's corruption, many adventurers aspire to
be dragonslayers. In time, some have their dreams realized—or shattered in spectacular fashion, as they
discover they are woefully unprepared for the threat a dragon poses.

This chapter is for any D&D character who hopes or fears that they might one day face a dragon. But
this chapter is also for the bard who has made a lifelong study of dragonsong, the cleric devoted to
Bahamut, and the warlock who made an eldritch pact with a moonstone dragon. For dragons are not
always adversaries. They can be patrons, allies, and benefactors; they can scheme in the shadows; and
they can dramatically shape adventurers' lives.

The following sections present a variety of options for creating characters with a tie to dragons:

"Draconic Races" presents variant dragonborn race options to give characters a draconic heritage
strongly linked to the three great dragon families.

"Subclass Options" allows monk and ranger characters to explore deeper ties with dragonkind.
"Heroes of the Dragon" includes inspiration for characters of any class to portray their training or
magic as derived from a connection to dragons.

"Draconic Feats" provides feats to forge connections to the chromatic, gem, and metallic dragon
families.