What do we know/believe about the First Dragons?

[Alistair]

Like many other Fire Emblem worlds, Fateslandia has powerful dragons as a significant part of its lore and backstory. Specifically, a group of twelve powerful ones called the "First Dragons" feature prominently. Here is a link to the Wikia wiki on them: http://fireemblem.wikia.com/wiki/First_Dragons 

Like dragons in the Archanea timeline, they suffered degeneration, but unlike those dragons they became spirits instead of resorting to dragonstones. In addition, they warred with each other in the distant past, and they gave their blood to powerful humans who would one day go on to establish the major kingdoms of the continent. Now, we know that Anankos and the Rainbow Sage are the last ones left alive by the beginning of the game, and that there were First Dragons associated with the Nohr, Hoshido and the Tribes (Ice, Fire and Wind respectively). Apparently the other known First Dragon is named Moro, the Astral Dragon, who Lilith apparently calls upon when she initially transforms. By my count, that's eight dragons, which means we don't know anything about the other four. My personal headcanon is that they are linked to the remaining countries (iirc Mokushu, Cheve, Nestra and Izumo). In addition, it is known that the Rainbow Sage crafted the sacred weapons of Fateslandia (Raijinto, the Fujin Yumi, Siegfried, Brynhildr and the Yato) and that only Anankos and the Dawn and Dusk Dragons are confirmed to have blood bonded.

Now, I know it's kind of asking a lot of Fates to give a lot when it comes to worldbuilding, but the First Dragons, at least what we know of the, form an interesting contrast to the other "Big Dragon" groups from the other canons, especially since they're not really around that much for the actual game.

Anyways, what are your thoughts on/headcanons about them?

[I Deserve This]

I think you summed up pretty much everything we know about the first dragons right now, and that leaves the rest open to theories.

I don't think we'll ever get a fates 2 though, so this is basically all we'll ever have. That might not be entirely true, because in fates's Hidden Truths 1 DLC, 

Spoiler

Anankos travels to the world of awakening, and back. This means that the first dragons can travel through space and time (yes, even time, because Selena can be the mother of her own mother, I'm not sure if this should be considered canon, but in revelations IS could've made selena s-support with a lot of males that are not her grandfather, so they probably did this on purpose??). If the first dragons can travel to other realms, then maybe we'll see them again one day..

 

Edited June 21, 2018 by I Deserve This

[Lightchao42]

There were twelve of them that fought in a war. Some of them gave their blood to humans for use as minions; the Dawn Dragon gave its blood to the eventual Hoshidan royal family, the Dusk Dragon gave its blood to the Nohrian royal family, and Anankos gave his blood to the Vallite royal family. The Flame, Wind, and Ice Tribes each worship a dragon that they presumably received blood from. Izumo's royal line is also received blood from a divine dragon according to Izana's Japanese barracks profile. The Rainbow Sage created five weapons for humans to use in the dragons' war, though he came to regret this and remained alive until he could make up for it. Dragon Veins are apparently leftovers of their power that seeped into the land. At some point the dragons learned that they were losing their minds and cast off their bodies, sans Anankos and the Rainbow Sage. That's all we know about them.

My personal headcanon of the Dragon War doesn't count Moro and the Rainbow Sage among the twelve warring dragons because they didn't fight directly. There were also weaker, less important dragons that served the stronger dragons (the dragon that eventually became Fort Dragonfall was one of these). Some dragons also mated with humans to produce half-dragons, but these were uncommon and there were none left in the present until Corrin showed up. Besides the seven dragons mentioned previously, there are...

• the Sea Dragon held domain over the oceans, so humans seek his blessing whenever they sailed or fished or whatever they did involving the sea even in the modern day.
• the Requiem Dragon allegedly controlled life and death and is seen by both Hoshido and Nohr and a death goddess, she lived in the Woods of the Forlorn and made no blood bonds.
• the Earth Dragon could cause earthquakes and constantly fed. He degenerated first and killed most of his followers before being slain himself; his ravenous appetite when insane gave him the title of "the Great Devourer".
• the Storm Dragon was probably the most conventionally evil of the bunch, he represents chaotic weather and tormented humans and other dragons for fun.
• the Mage Dragon was a trickster who taught humanity magic in the hopes of being worshiped once the rest of the dragons were killed, but degeneration forced him to abandon this plan.

Anankos didn't like the idea of dragons drafting humans into fighting so he created Valla for his followers to live in. He was also the one who requested the creation of the Yato and kept it with him in Valla until Mikoto brought it with her to Hoshido when she fled. Meanwhile, the Dawn and Dusk Dragons weakened each other in battle to the point that they needed to abandon their bodies early; Nohr and Hoshido were founded by their worshipers shortly afterward. Their worship of rival dragons is one of the main reasons for their antagonism. The dragons actually still exist as spirits that can interact with their bloodbonded humans, but they typically ignore them most of the time.

There's also my idea that most of the dragons were killed by a shapeshifting entity that arrived on the planet via a meteor, and that the Dragon War started over who among the remaining dragons deserved credit for stopping it, but that is of little relevance to Fates's plot as a whole.

Edited June 21, 2018 by Lightchao42