Dragon!lock outline - part 2: The life in Atlantis I.
So after some internal struggle, I've decided it'll be good to write something again. This time I chose my Dragon!lock story. I thought it might be good to describe life in Atlantis a bit better. What I've written in the outline before was rushed and everything but organized.
The next thing I have planned for this outline is a proper Character Study. I'm looking foraward to it, because it means I'll write something longer again (after all, I've invented more than 20 species of dragons just for this story...). I intend to update this week a lot - my class's gone to a ski training, but I'm ill so I don't even have anything better to do...
Now let's move on! The description of the mythological continent is waiting!
Jobs
Dragons have many important jobs and social statuses. Once the cub had grown enough to make its tests and exams they can become one of many different things; a politician (this counts mostly for noblemen), a sentinel (basicaly a soldier), a diplomat (this has entirely different meaning than it has in our world), a teacher (a surprisingly important position) or an outlaw. (Of course there are other jobs, but these are the most important.)
A POLITICIAN
This is simply exactly what you assume it is. This job is suited mostly for noblemen and rich people. Most of which live in the capital city, Irunbis. The Parliament is a bit different from what we have in our world.
Atlantis is divided into nine districts. Irunbis is one district and then other eight. Some of the districts are in the mountains, some in the valleys, some are the land of rich people, some of the poor, some are cold and hostile and some sunny and windy, but they all have one thing in common - The Parliament.
Every district has the right to choose 30 representatives. Only when there's some kind of a treat coming every district choose only two representatives (one is the main representative and the second is a consultant). Those 18 people pick one more person who temporary becomes The Commander - the highest person in the whole Atlantis, something like a king.
Anyway those 30 people reside in The House of District. They pick 5 among them who go to Irunbis and represent their district. When politicians in The Parliament vote remaining 25 representants in the districts vote too and then they send their votes to Irunbis.
It's a long and hard process, but it assures every district has enough people responsible for it and therefore everything can be taken care of properly. Every little triffle.
If you're still confused about the Parliament and politics, then I'll sumarize it up once again.
9 districts (Irunbis and 8 more)
every district can have 30 representatives
5 of those representatives are sent to Irunbis, 25 remain within the district
only Irunbis itself has all its representatives in The Parliament
Easy, isn't it?
The best example of a politician is Mycroft Holmes. Comming from a powerful and old line of dragons and noblemen with rich parents he has every perequisite to become a politician. And when you count his enourmous brain, wits and positively Alpha nature you get a really scccesful politican as well.
A SENTINEL
Sentinels are something like an elite unit of dragon warriors. They are supposed to protect Atlantis at all costs. They actually get a special training to become sentinels. And being a sentinel is something to be proud of. Dragons have rather a big amount of pride, so this means really much to them. What's more - dragons are a bit overprotective of what they claim theirs, so being a sentinel has something to do with their inner Fire as well.
Everyone can be a sentinel. Men or women. Big or small dragon species. Good with magic or not so good. Noblemen or poor. Not single one of these things is important. Dragons are free creatures and they praise their pride as something to be cherished and devoured, so they would never withhold the oportunity to become a hero to anyone. It's simply not in their nature to do it.
We have two kinds of sentinels. Outer and Inner.
Outer sentinels are something like an army. A real proper army, that is sent into wars and battles. An army full of warriors and soldiers who dutifully watch their county's borders.
Inner sentinels on the other hand are something similiar to police. They make sure no one does anything illegal and if they find someone who does, then they arrest him and let The House of District take care of the criminal. They solve crimes, to put it simply, but they once started as outer sentinels.
Everyone starts as an outer sentinel. Because they have a better training. It's a simple fact that inner sentinels are lazier. They don't have regular watches to attend to or a battle training every week or surprise "attacks" in the middle of the night to stay alert and prepared at all times. So being an outer sentinel is more honorable than being an inner sentinel. However inner sentinels have a much calmer life and a better probability of seeing their grandchildren.
A perfect example of an inner sentinel is Gregory Lestrade. He endured three years of training with outer sentinels. Then one year as a diplomat and after that he decided to be a simple inner sentinel. He wanted to have a family and he didn't want to let his precious wife suffer the stress of loosing her husband.
Sentinels have many different ranks and levels. Lestrade for example made it to the DI - Detective of Irunbis. It's definitely a high rank. One of the highest you can get. Detectives are partly diplomats so they can investicate even abroad. Detectives also always work on the interesting and more honourable cases involving murdres.
A DIPLOMAT
As I mentioned above - a diplomat has an entirely different meaning here than in our world. A diplomat is a synonym to an abroad explorer. Diplomats are all dragons who have the permission to go out into the cruel human world.
But we have diplomats and "diplomats" - or in other words - spies. Every diplomat has to be prepared that one day he or she will have to operate as a spy. That's why all diplomats need a special training and why only young can do this job. As Mycroft Holmes would say - it requires too much legwork.
Spies are actually very interesting. You could ask every dragon, but they would always say that such a thing as spies does not exist among them. And they would even believe it. It's as if you asked secret agent: "Does MI-6 exist?" they would always say: "Of course not, silly." even though they know better (and then shoot you right in the midle of you forehead... alright, this was just a lame joke - sorry!).
It's partly because being a spy seems dishonourable to dragons. They believe spies to be sly and mischievous (which, I have to admit, is mosty true) and that they could be double-agents (which is not so much true).
So even though diplomats are super-useful, people see them as something like an insect: no one likes them, but everyone needs them, because who would polinate flowers?
Diplomats provide the best source of information. They're supposed to live among humans, to live in their world and make friends with them so they can get information from them. They don't live there all the time. Always just few weeks, because then it becomes dangerous. Dragons' inner Fire and their magical Energy get a bit overwhelming if they can't let their other form out for a long time. They're more moody and restless. Their inner Fire is stronger and so is the Energy gathering around them. In extreme situations their moods and feelings can start controlling their Energy and there's even the danger of their inner Fire getting out without them letting it.
Well, it's not easy to be a dragon...
There are more different ranks of diplomats. Some actually work in politics. They take proper care of humans never finding Atlantis, which is a very good thing - all dragons have to agree on that (even the ones who despise diplomats), others are spies (though they would never admit it), some are doctors (looking after other diplomats and ensuring their well-being, or better, ensuring they won't simply Change in the middle of conversation with their human neighbour), some of them are detectives (like DI Lestrade) and some take care of "new-found-cubs" (I'll describe them better after a while).
Diplomats mostly work in pairs or small groups. It's easier this way - humans don't get so suspicious if they see at least one of their dragon neighbours every day. One of such pairs is infamous duo Dr. John Watson and Detective Sherlock Holmes.
John spent four years at a medical school and then one more year in a diplomat training. He's always been one for risks. So his decision wasn't all that surprising. His mother is even proud of him.
Sherlock Holmes on the other hand dishonoured his family by choosing a career of diplomat and not poitician as his older brother did. It even seemed he might become a good teacher, but he chose he wanted to do something more with his life. He has decided to be " A Consulting Detective" as he calls it. That basicaly means he's a diplomat who corrects a real detective's work. They all hate him.
And then there's Miss Mary Morstran with her promising career in espionage, though she studied to be "social worker" (the one takeing care of new-found-cubs).
But I'll describe their jobs more in the Character Study post I intend to make soon. (Can't wait actually!)
A TEACHER
Teachers are surprisingly important people among dragons. They are the strongest in their human form when they can use their Energy. They are actually so important because they can teach others how to properly use their Energy.
Before I describe teachers more I'd like to talk about the Energy. I've already mentioned it in the last post, but I doubt anyone remembers it.
So, Energy is something very importatnt. It's a part of the dragon biology. Energy allows dragons to use "magic" as people call it. It depends on every single person how much Energy they will have. The fact is Energy is originally there, so that dragons can change their form. It gathers around them, when they're in their human form and cooperates with their inner Fire. Through thousands and thousands of years dragons have learnt how to use the Energy even in their human body. Now they can lift objects just with their sheer will or make themselves invisible or build strong power-shields.
All in all their Energy is extremely useful. But the bigger your dragon form is, the more Energy is floating around you. It's a simple fact. Bigger dragons always have more Energy and can use stronger and more powerful spells. However it also means that they can slip more easily. If they're not careful their emotions and feelings could start to control their Energy. That almost always means many destruction. Because bigger dragons always have more pride and jealousy and sadly less patience. An another simple fact. These things even have special terms, but I'll get to it. Sooner or later.
Anyway, teachers can teach you how to use your Energy. What to do, so your Energy won't mix with your feelings and also how to get better control over your inner Fire.
You see, inner Fire is what makes the dragon nature so strong. It's something like their soul in the purest of states. It dies with its dragon and is especially dangerous during mateing times. It's the inner Fire who says "That's your mate! Take care! Protect! Never let go!" The inner Fire is built from reflexes and needs and instincts. It's the thing that stayed even when dragons started to change into humans. It's the thing that takes control whenever dragons change into their full dragon-form.
And teachers are there to help you get through it. To help you with self-control. All of this is very important, when you're dragon.
Teachers are also very skilled with "magic". They're actually the best in using it. To be a teacher is something very honourable, because teachers foraward the knowledge of eldest to new cubs and cubs are something extraordinary important in the dragon hierarchy
AN OUTLAW
.To be an outlaw isn't job per se. It's more like... Well, you don't really have a choice. Once you're an outlaw you're usually banished from Atlantis and don't have any other choice than to live among humans. But that's not all.
You also have to keep in mind all the Atlantis laws and keep the dragon kind secret. It's very important, because if you won't do it, diplomats, or actually any other dragons you can possibly come into contact with, have the right to kill you right then and there.
Of course - it's rather hard to become an outlaw. There are many possibilities, but the most common is to be accused of treason. It's the highest punishment you can get, because dragons don't have anything like the capital punishment. No, they banish you and if you're still misbehaving then they'll kill you. What's more - becoming an outlaw makes a big wound on a dragon's pride, something very important to them. There's only one thing more important to dragons than their pride - their mate and possibly their "pack", because dragons usually don't live in normal families.
Once you're an outlaw you have to wait three generations, before your blood can step back into Atlantis. It's so the offsprings of outlaws won't feel the need for revenge. It mostly works. There are only seven cases in the whole history when young dragons tried to defend their family pride even after such lenght of time.
One typical example of the third generation of outlaws is one Molly Hooper. Though she's not all that typical... oh, well, I'll describe her better later on, in the Character Study.
< Previous: (Basic information)
Well, that's all for today - I believe this post is alredy long enough. Next time I describe hierarchy, biology and dragon school system. And after that we can happily move to the Character Study (finally!!).
Anyway, I have a few things to mention beefore the end of this post:
Firstly, as always Sherlock Holmes and all other characters from his universe belonge to their respective owners (Sir Arthur Connan Doyle or BBC).
Then a big THANK YOU to Grace, my amazing friend who was kind enough to correct all mistakes in this post. Thanks again, girl.
However even betaed I can't promise it's without single mistake, but if there still is one, then it's only my fault.
And the last thing - want any detail? Is there something confusing? Do you have any more ideas about what to with my Dragon!lock universe? Read my ABOUT page and my ASK is always open.
Hope you enjoyed reading.