The Great War against the demons united the dragons. It forced them to set aside their petty rivalries and to master the mystical powers that had long lain dormant in them. The surviving dragons were more powerful than ever before, but their population had been devastated by battle. Following the defeat of the Overlords, most of the surviving dragons retreated to the sanctuary of Argonnessen. The elders gathered in the first great Conclave and laid the foundation of draconic culture that remains in place to this day. The survivors spent tens of thousands of years nursing their wounds, rebuilding their flights, identifying and studying the signs of the Prophecy, and honing the magical gifts they had developed during the war. In time, some began to look beyond Argonnessen, and to explore the lands they rediscovered.
Sixty thousand years ago, the dragons began spreading across Eberron again. They found dozens of growing civilizations—kingdoms of giants and titans in Xen’drik, primitive clans of dwarves in Frostfell, nomadic groups of shifters in Sarlona, and nascent goblins in Khorvaire. Some merely wished to study the lesser creatures. A few came as mentors, foremost among them the descendants of Ourelonastrix. These dragons shared the secrets of magic with giants, curious to see what innovations these promising creatures might develop. But the bulk of the dragons chose the path of conquest. Flights of dragons carved out dominions across the world.
For most of the dragons, it began as a game—one with a high cost in life among nondragons. In time, however, the struggle turned dragon against dragon. Friendly rivalries became bitter. The blood of dragons flowed. And as the troubles spread, the Daughter of Khyber stirred in the Pit of Five Sorrows. Hundreds of dragons fell under her sway, and the spawn of Tiamat rose from tainted broods. Given time to spread, this corruption could have destroyed Argonnessen. Fortunately for the dragons, the watchful Eyes of Chronepsis were able to identify the tainted dragons, and the militant Light of Siberys brought an end to the corruption.
The Conclave gathered at a massive natural aerie in the heart of Argonnessen. There the students of the draconic Prophecy presented their findings. To this day, the records of this gathering remain privileged information even within Argonnessen, shared only with respected and powerful elders. Most dragons believe that the seers linked Tiamat’s rising power to the spread of draconic activity across the globe—opining that the influence of the dragon lords in turn empowered the Daughter of Khyber. One fact is known: Following the council, the Conclave called on the scattered dragons to return to Argonnessen. The age of draconic expansion was at an end.
Source: Dragons of Eberron
