[@bloonewb]

"Violently" came his curt reply. "The great dragon ruled over Hekaga as a sort of bargain. When war threatened the villages which now make up the city, the dragon offered his protection in exchange for tribute. It was a good deal at first, if the legends are right. The dragon's exact name has been lost to history, but the two leading sources say he was either named 'Abraxas' or 'Caerlon'. I'm not quite sure why the discrepancy is so great, but the truth is probably a third name. Anyway, the dragon's power grew as he did, and he was able to secure a larger territory over time, based largely on the amount of land he could cover in a day's flight. Even today, the realm of Hekaga proper, the land that I rule as grand prince as a direct ruler and not through a vassal, is still basically the same as the dragon's territory. As his territory grew, so did his demands for tribute. Eventually, it got to the point where few soldiers would follow him out of anything but fear." 

Ternoc paused for a moment to examine the massive statue. "That orb is the same one my father wielded, and his father before him. Only a king has the right to use that particular orb and sword. They're gathering dust in the palace treasury right now. To continue, the dragon reigned for several centuries, only dying in a gigantic battle against Minbenthac when his soldiers fled the battle as soon as it looked like they were losing. By that time, he had several sons, all of which fought over the kingdom. After much bloodshed, only one of his sons was left alive. His rule was comparatively brief and unstable, as he had all of his father's cruelty but little of his father's strength or skill. He was killed in a rebellion. Since then, several dynasties of dracons have ruled Hekaga, all related to the other in at least some small way. My family is the fifth such dynasty. Sixth if you include the dragons."