Shiji-Long Creation

In the earliest days of our planet - when dinosaurs roamed and the genetics of modern humans were many millennia from evolving - Elder dragons roamed freely. Like nearly all other creatures of the Earth, they weren't as we know (or imagine) them to be today. Instead, they were like any other animal; driven by instinct and simplistic desires. Through time, evolution worked it's course, allowing the Elders developed an intellect that set them aside from the other creatures roaming the world.

In these days, the land was filled with magic... And so, along with intellect, the ability to manipulate that magic was also bourne on the wings of evolution. With with intelligence and skill came personalities -- and preferences; dreams and desires. And with these things came conflict. In time, the elders began to group themselves into clans; typically distinguished by those who shared similar magical affinities.

To beings that had lived thousands of years, changes to the world crashed over them like waves breaking in a storm. It was not long before the Elders realized that the world evolving around them was no longer fit for their kind. Many of the planet's largest animals had already succumbed to extinction, to be remembered only in soil and stone. With these thoughts heavy on their minds, the clans decided to create a new line of descendants. These descendants would be able to leave a legacy that the Elders could not: they were smaller, more delicate, able to change their form at will, and were able to communicate with other beings on the planet with ease. These new creatures were not as adept in magic as the Elders and were considerably weaker, but the Elders who participated viewed their creations as perfect nonetheless.

However, not every elder shared these opinions. Not every elder wanted to adapt. Not every elder wanted these fragile, weakened creations. 

Some elders felt that they deserved to stay at the peak of creation... And the world should bend to their needs. 

To these elders, the adapted creations of their peers were abominations: a disgrace to their heritage. 

Without warning, the dissenting clans attacked, killing thousands of the innocent new beings, doing everything in their power to eradicate them from the world's surface. This violent act sparked a war which lasted hundreds of years, costing countless lives. Some elders on both sides also disappeared during this time, persumably fleeing the conflict, and were never seen again - to date, it is still not known if the elders that fled survived. In the end, nearly all of the Elders had lost their lives, their magical souls snuffed out like candles in the dark... But ultimately, the battle was won, and the elders who had wished for descendants had emerged victorious.

As the final fights came to a close, only five Elders remained alive and standing by the sides of their creations - their descendants... The Shiji-Long. These elders did their best to impart all of their knowledge into the young Shiji-Long and as decades passed, their efforts bore fruit: the young dragons became a prospering species. Although Shiji-Long had spread all over the world, the majority chose to remain hidden to avoid conflicts with other dominant species on the planet.