Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with the next instalment of this wonderful story by Draxenath. It is entitled “Interview with the Dragon Goddess”.

Background music by Smartsound

Part 8: Starmire

– The next settlement in terms of size is called Starmire. It’s an odd one indeed. About four hundred years ago, a meteor crashed on a humid region, leaving a very large crater. The minerals of the meteor nourished the earth and water. This slowly transformed the region into a swamp full of life, attracting several nomadic tribes of different races. They fought for about two centuries, then one day their leaders sat down together and established a civil code that would allow them to co-exist peacefully.

The goddess was surprised at hearing that. She was in a much better mood than before. – They live in peace by themselves? What is their form of organization? – she asked. – They have a council of elders, composed of the wise men from each tribe. – I answered.

Her eyes gleamed with interest. – And no control from Amaxis? Do they live in complete freedom? – She asked. I noticed a hint of excitement in her voice. – Yes, they are completely free, and their way of living is very careful about not to upset the natural balance of their home. And I now understand them a little better. You mentioned a goddess of plants and god of fungi earlier. Starmire’s inhabitants don’t refer to them as deities, but they worship them and bury their dead in the swamplands as a form of offering. I heard the names Viridiana and Fungar so many times, and how the dead served as food for them. I thought they were two creatures inhabiting the swamp.

Draxenath nodded. – They didn’t participate in the conflict, always indifferent to it, so they were left alone even by Amaxis. Their influence might be what made the tribes stop fighting! Do they have other traditions in common among the different tribes?

– They have a festival during the flowering season. The swamp is covered in vivid colors from the different flowers. The tribes gather to thank Viridiana and Fungar for the abundance of vegetation. There is music, dancing, food, and the usual games and activities seen on festivals. At night one can observe varieties of luminescent insects tracing beautiful light patterns as they do their mating flight.

She seemed delighted, as if she were imagining it – What are their main activities?

– Their main activities vary among races, but most of them are hunter-gatherers. The swamp provides plenty of food and resources for them to survive. Besides the activities essential for living, the do clay pottery, carpentry, stone crafting, and bone crafting.

Draxenath nodded. – No agriculture or cattle raising… do they have commerce with other regions? – she asked. – They don’t, they are prosperous and self-sufficient by themselves, and would not risk causing scarcity in their homeland. They take all means necessary to control their own population and take only what they need, even when they hoard for the winter. – Draxenath seemed thoughtful. – There is still hope… They understand… what about technology?

– They have developed technology for building through natural means like tree root and branch growth and shaping. They also use shaped rocks for construction. Their homes, bridges. and constructions, in general, are made of shaped trees, rocks, vines and plants. -The goddess was very surprised. – I need to see that! What other wonderful things have they accomplished through technology? – she asked. – They have also developed techniques to shape and rebind bone matter. Their bone and stone craftsmanship is very impressive. Their weapons made of bone and stone are comparable to metal ones in terms of hardness and sharpness,