A Little Fantasy Poem

"Beware the Bride of Fire

Beware the Maiden of Flame

Or else be it your own Pyre

And to her, you'll be her Slave

Let not her voice caress you

Singing softly through the glen

Succumb not to her lovely truths

For it is not warmth, but pain

Let not her venom take you

Succumb not to her flames

Let not her lips consume you

No other lips will comfort you again

Let her not take you to her bed

It'll be your heart, not hers, that's won

Flee far the other way instead

For you'll never father any sons"

~Old Vallan'Gangst Rhyme 

This little poem came to me one day.

So, the fact that dragons are female and can shapeshift is actually NOT common knowledge in the Vallan'Gangst Empire. It used to be, but since the dragons were slain more and more history slipped away with them- some unintentional, but some, like the above poem, was intentional.

The rite of passage involving the young men challenging and being scarred by the local dragon was stamped out by the Slayers. After the practice was outlawed, they told the young men to stay away because of the reasons above. Sure, she's beautiful, but don't be fooled, blahblahblah.

However, this backfired horribly. It only made dragons more mysterious and alluring. So, they had to remove their own propaganda. So, then the common knowledge was they were hideous beasts- and even the female only factor was even forgotten with time.