LEGENDS
ISSUE 1
LEGENDS
ISSUE 1
Writer Artist
George Mann Mariano Laclaustra
Colorist
Carlos Cabrera
Flats Letters
Matias Blasco Andrew James
Cover Art
Fesbra
www.drakhapress.com/theriseofitza
Valerna. A world shaped by the magic of
Vaala: the threefold power of Dream, Will,
and Source, which provides the potential for all
things to evolve, to change.
Driven by Vaala, the greatest realms vie
for supremacy.
The half-elves of Allaria, the maghyri of
Tyveria, and the beast-kin of Nahuac have long
been locked in a fierce rivalry. From the frozen
north, pious Ysvalian knights bring their Light
to a darkening world. Across a dozen kingdoms,
humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, orcs,
and saurians make war upon their rivals. Yet the
greatest threat in all Valerna comes not from the
mortal world, but from the Red Moon, Drakha.
When the Red Moon rises, the dragons descend…
In the face of the draconic threat, the squabbles
of mortals are as nothing. Only the mightiest
heroes can stand against them. And those heroes,
when circumstances are right, can win the respect
of their dragon adversaries like no other. When
this happens, the two become as one – dual
beings, known as Dragonbonded. Beings who are
needed now, more than ever.
It is a tumultuous time on the continent
of Valerna. The neighboring realms of
Nahauc, Allaria and Tyveria have forged
a fragile peace. But peace in Valerna is
never long-lasting, and an Allarian army,
led by the renegade general Ran Kore,
masses outside the city of Angdain,
making ready to attack. They bring
with them a weapon to end all wars: the
Fulgen dragon, Reganna.
Meanwhile, a young necromancer named
Itza Chapula strives to help the people
of Angdain say goodbye to their dead,
all while fleeing persecution from those
who believe she is allied to the reviled
Xibac necromancer, Zuma…
This gift of the Vaala.
It never fails to amaze me. These shadows of memory
and being that exist beyond
the physical realm.
Come.
You are one
with the
Vaala. Speak to us,
Cualli. your
memory-form
would be
heard.
Tozi?
Tozi, my
daughter?
Is that
you?
These strands of
a life once lived,
these experiences
that may be called
forth from the
ether...
...like the weaving together of
so many loose threads.
This chance it offers
people to say goodbye.
I’m here,
Papa.
I’m here.
And
I am so happy I shall carry Come, children.
for you, Papa. you with me, It is time for Papa
The Vaala has always. Cualli to leave this
embraced realm behind
you. and join the
It has ancestors.
embraced
us all, my
child. I don’t
want him
Everything to go!
I was is now a
part of everything
you are.
Shh, now, Xoco.
We must be happy Fear not, young
for Papa Cualli. Xoco. Even when I Goodbye,
Where he goes, we seem far from you, Cualli.
all must follow, I shall be near. The
in time. Vaala’s song is
endless.
I love
you, Your love is
Papa. a blessing,
my child.
It’s time. It is
done.
I shall leave
you to your
memories.
...well, I know it A fucking
Thank Xibac.
you, Itza. is not easy for Look here!
I know... you. I just want It’s one of
you to kno-- them.
A corpse It’s not easy.
walker.
I’m not like
them. Not
anymore.
And just like
that, Tozi is
proved right.
Your sort think they
Not easy trying can just go around Using the
to prove that I’m doing whatever they remains of our
different. That like. Playing with life loved ones to do
I’m not like the Why can’t and death. Raising your sick
other Xibac. you just leave the dead like bidding.
the dead in puppets.
peace? Let
them rest.
That all I want to
do is help.
I agree with you.
That’s not what this
was about. I was
I told trying to help this
you. I. Am. No. family. To give them
Xibac. a chance to say To allow their
goodbye. patriarch to
show them he is
one with the
Vaala.
But sometimes I just
think there’s no--
Up there!
What?
What is
it?
My lips are dry. My
words crumble like ash.
Every problem,
every grievance
seems so small,
so insignificant
in the face of...
this.
Allarians,
hear me!
Drive these
Náhuinn
cattle from
their stinking
hovels! Claim
this city in
my name!
This power.
A dragon.
A fucking
dragon.
Here. In Angdáin.
And that’s when it
hits me. Like a cold
blade in the guts.
I’m going to die.
Right here.
Today.
And there’s nothing
I or anyone else can
do about it.
What are you
doing? You’re
going to get
yourself
killed!
Getting a
better view.
And what a
terrible view it is.
Shit.
For now,
perhaps. Yet I
The Náhuinn maintain, Ran Kore,
quake at your Aye, Petri. that this pact with
feet, master. Reganna is true to a dragon was
her word. The city ill-advised.
burns. And so do
its people. They are
creatures of
chaos. Their
whims cannot
be trusted.
And yet you would
have me trust you,
Salas? A null-eye?
A damned elf?
Trust me
or not, Master
Ran Kore, I speak
only the truth.
When the dragon
has what she
wants...
...she will She is a
submit or tool of
be slain. Allaria,
nothing Of Allaria?
more.
All that I All of this. Go now, Salas.
do is for The Náhuinn Without Lead our troops.
It is the
Allaria! pose too great this, there Level this city.
only way.
a threat. They can be no Take no
And the
must be peace. prisoners.
Dragon Queen
conquered. would agree?
Subdued.
The Dragon Queen!
What of her? I see only
a null-eye who does not
know her place. Who
mistakes diplomacy
for strength.
Aye. The
only way.
She is no
queen of
mine.
For Allaria! For Ran Kore!
And despite such evident
inferiority, he remains unafraid That is why
I do not to speak his mind. He is the I tolerate him,
understand why He is an elf, only one amongst us who does
after all... Petri.
you tolerate his not indulge in sycophancy
insolence, and gamesmanship.
master.
May the Vaala
embrace your
memories.
Oh, no.
I feel the emptiness of these forsaken
vessels, these husks of the once-living. Feel
the Vaala screaming at the wrongness of it.
I hear the bitter curses of
those poor people, playing
out again inside my head:
“Raising the
dead like
“Let them puppets.”
rest.”
And I know there is only
one force in this world
Rise! Stand
who would manipulate the
again to protect
Vaala in such a way.
your proud
city!
The Xibac
are here. Rise!
And the
bitter
irony is...
...they are the only ones
now capable of saving us
from utter destruction.
{huff}
No.
Be at
rest.
Papa,
no!
What’s
happening?
The Xibac
have called
upon the dead It’s the
to help defend Allarians --
the city. we’re under
attack.
The
Allarians?
Shit. What
happened to I guess they
the peace tore it up. If
treaty? there’s one
thing these
Allarians
want...
...it’s not
peace.
Get back in I’ll find a
the house and way to hold
barricade the them off.
door.
What about Somehow.
you?
Shitshitshit
shitshit
!
You? You filthy,
dream-fucking
traitor.
What...?
Umm... I am
Aellas.
And he is the
traitor. To Allaria,
and to Valerna.
They all
are.
You have Do what? No.
my thanks. I must
stop them.
I must find a way.
But there are I won’t watch any
All you can
more of them more of my
do is save
coming. people die.
yourself.
I must go. I need to find
I must do out how this
something. started and
I must-- stop it.
Then
I chose
wisely in
defending
you.
Come --
I shall be your
blade, and
together we
shall seek the
truth of
this.
MEANWHILE,
IN TYVERIA. . .
You
summoned
me, uncle?
I summoned
you here as your
monarch...
…not as
your uncle,
Madranna.
There’s a
difference?
There is trouble brewing
in Allaria. A rival faction
Your irreverence moves against the
pleases me, niece. Dragon Queen.
But there is little
time for games.
A rival
faction?
A renegade
army, led by an
What do upstart general
you need named Ran Kore.
of me? He has moved
against
Nahuac.
A renegade
army. Even as we
speak.
Attacking the
Náhuinn... The risk to Tyveria
is great. If the Náhuinn
become embroiled in a
protracted war, then there
is nothing to prevent the
Altanesi marching on
our borders.
And before
long, the whole of
Valerna erupts
into war.
Then of
course I
shall go.
We would And for
have you travel I ride
Aellas.
to the Dragon tonight.
Queen’s court
as an emissary, For my
to assess the risk For son.
to Tyveria if the Tyveria.
situation were
to... worsen.
I would know what
Elyse intends to do
about this renegade, and
whether she will move
to rein him in.
They’re
right on top
of us! What Keeping
are you them
doing? busy.
Itza!
Run!
{Snort}
Pitiful.
Oh shit.
Oh shit.
Oh shit.
...
It is not
yet over,
Aellas.
Almost immediately, the
pain is replaced by a
deep, overwhelming
sense of peace.
Of being one
with the Vaala.
Of letting go and knowing
the rightness of that act.
This, I know with absolute
certainty, is the purpose of all
living things -- to give yourself
up to the world, to strive to
always be a part of it.
To change it by
simply being.
And, in death,
to allow your
experiences to be
shared. To allow
the Vaala to
subsume you.
I reach out to it,
feel my thoughts
begin to fray
around the edges,
encourage that
embrace...
Other lives I
New futures
might yet lead.
still to be
written.
And I understand.
I’m not ready to
give myself up.
Other paths I
might follow.
There is more
I would do.
Like the Vaala
is showing me
More change
glimpses into
that must be
other worlds.
wrought upon
this broken
world...
...but then I see
them: broken
images of other
times, memories
of things that
have not
happened.
...and as I draw a most
unlikely breath, it seems that
I, Itza Chapula, am the one
charged with delivering it.
END
CHAPTER
ONE
CREDITS
Dragonbond is a universe based on the original ideas
by Daniel Servitje and developed by Draco Studios.
DEVELOPMENT
IP Manager: Mark A. Latham
Additional world building: Daniel Servitje,
Tom Babbey, Daniel Ehrli, Mark A. Latham,
George Mann, Bernardo Alvarez, JC Alvarez,
Rubén Bañuelos
Creative direction: Daniel Ehrli
Art direction: Tom Babbey
Graphic design: Heidi Badillo Digital versión 1.0
Concept art: Steve Prescott, Tom Babbey,
Daarken, Irene Aretia, Rodrigo Gil,
Aldo Domínguez © 2022 Draco Gaming Inc.
DRAGONBOND and their respective
MARKETING logos Great Wyrms of Drakha, Battles of
Head of marketing: Caroline Pritchard-Law. Valerna, Lords of Vaala are trademarks of
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Gabriel Viveros, Moisés Filigrana, likenesses are property of Draco Gaming
Valeria Hernández. Inc. This material is protected under the
copyright laws of the United States of
OPERATIONS America. Any reproduction or unauthorized
Project management and product supervision: use of the material or artwork contained
Pamela Forzán, William Burgos. herein is prohibited without the express
written permission of Draco Studios and
Production services: Alejandro Reyes Varela, Draco Gaming Inc.
Luis Miguel Arroyuelo, Raúl Díaz, Mitzi Díaz,
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© 2022 Draco Gaming Inc 848 Brickell
Avenue, Suite 950, Miami, FL 33131 USA.
SPECIAL THANKS Represented in Mexico by Draco Gaming
SA de CV.
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Itza & Reganna
Itza is a fiery young necromancer who has broken with the
traditions of her people, the Xibac, and uses her magic to help
those in her society who need her the most. When she is killed in
a terrible attack on her home city, she finds herself inexplicably
resurrected by the Vaala--the essence that underpins all life in
Valerna--for she still has much to do in the world. Her path is
about to collide with that of the dragon, Reganna,
and may change the fate of Valerna
forever...
Reganna is a dragon of the Fulgen brood,
with a tempestuous, brazen attitude and the will of
a conqueror. Outcast from her brood and fleeing the
Red Moon of her birth, she now seeks dominance and
power on Valerna, and has set her gaze fully on the
conquest of the Náhuinn lands.
