You can find more about this WIP and its characters on Tumblr.

from The God-Dragon's Wife by Annika Sage Ellis

Here we have this custom map that I made myself for The God-Dragon’s Wife. It’ll probably change by the time the book is finished/gets published, but for now, this is what I’ll be working off! The vast majority of the story takes place in Syo-Lang, as it’s the country that the protagonist, Queen Xinya Ba-Leng, rules, and the origin of the worship of the God-Dragons.

In general, the planet is a bit smaller than Earth and also has a slightly higher base temperature, so life can be sustained easier near the respective poles. It has one sun and three moons orbiting it, and each of the three moons are contributed to one of the God-Dragons (in Syo-Lang, at least, and in other places the God-Dragons are worshipped). The sun is known as Dragon Heart in Syo-Lang, referencing the myth that the most powerful of the God-Dragon’s ejected His heart into the sky on purpose. It has vast oceans, long mountain ranges in the north-east, thick deciduous forests near the poles, swamps along the coasts, and tropical islands in the west.

About Syo-Lang

The largest nation on the Eastern Continent, Syo-Lang rules with a powerful bloodline monarchy, rivaled only by the neighboring nation to the north, Ciam. Unfortunately, what could have been a powerful alliance was destined to fail. Their centuries-long disagreement comes down to a clash of culture, as those of Ciam view their neighbors as high-and-mighty, pompous, and obsessed with politeness, while Syo-Lang sees Ciam’s people as unable to see past their noses, and can’t look past “battlefield glory,” as a lifetime achievement. The countries are still discussing borders from a war that ended seventy years ago. The war itself lasted almost twenty-three years before both sides realized the bodies were piling too high to declare a reasonable winner, and signed a shaky truce.

Syo-Lang is on better terms with A’Shar, the tinier group of collected states to the west. Syo-Lang often provides financial and military aid to the smaller nation, and in return A’Shar has made many exclusive trade dealings with Syo-Lang, especially in the market of fine fabrics and dyes. For decades upon decades, the council of A’Shar and the sitting monarch of Syo-Lang have visited each other’s countries for both keeping political face, and for pleasure. Famously, the late queen, Queen Panxi Ba-Leng of Syo-Lang, was close friends with the head of A’Shar’s council.

Teux is a nation that Syo-Lang is neither friendly nor hostile towards. They hardly speak, though they’ve had no interaction that would provoke distance. Teux does most of its trade with A’Shar, a moderate amount with Ciam, and almost none with Syo-Lang. Simply put, there’s hardly anything they have that Syo-Lang cannot make itself.

1. Dragon’s Head Gulf

A popular tourist attraction on the south-eastern coast of Syo-Lang, the unique shape of Dragon’s Head Gulf has encouraged many cities to spring up around the coast. The reason? Ports, food, and devoted worship. It’s said that the shape was left when the God-Dragon of Seas and Rivers, Lylang, laid her head down on the world for the first time, creating the gulf, and the rest of Syo-Lang’s coast.

2. Dragon’s Belly

The second-largest ocean on the planet, Dragon’s Belly plays into a similar religious context as the gulf it funnels into, though there is some conflict. It is believed to be Lylang’s belly, but some say it’s not just hers. Some believe the depth came from Lylang’s belly as she was pregnant with her three sons. Believers can’t agree on whether or not the God-Dragons “have” children as other animals do, or if their divinity creates new aspects when two or more of them collide. Regardless, the ocean has been named “Dragon’s Belly,” not “Dragons’ Belly,” so it’s safe to say that the majority of devotees agree with the first interpretation.

3. Dragon Print

The island off Syo-Lang’s east coast harbors only one port city, the rest of the island used for farmland and animal husbandry, and few would visit if not for the story of the island’s name and shape. When Taitou, God-Dragon of Skies, stepped up above his brother and sister, who had laid to create the world, his foot imprinted on the land. Worshippers make regular pilgrimages to Dragon Print, to ensure Taitou’s sacrifice to never touch the ground again would never be forgotten.

4. Lylang’s Tears

Framing the capital city of Haokai, the twin rivers of Lylang’s Tears are sacred to those in Syo-Lang that practice worship of the fifteen God-Dragons. It is said that Lylang, when she saw her sons for the first time, wept tears of joy and cried every river, sea, ocean, and lake onto the world. The rivers are believed to be the first tears she ever shed, the beginning of her creation of all water. When the winter snows on the mountains melt in the spring, the rivers swell and flood, like the welling of tears in Lylang’s eyes.

5. Spine of Baokan

The longest mountain range on the Eastern Continent is named after Syo-Lang’s own God-Dragon of Mountains, Baokan. Also called the World Spine, this mountain range separates the thick, lush Saojao Forest from the rest of Syo-Lang’s rolling hills and wetlands. It has also been the topic of political strife between Ciam and Syo-Lang, and the land on its eastern side has long been up for debate.

6. The Great Ocean

Though simply named, this ocean is, in fact, the greatest in the world, and for more than just its size. Most trade goes through the Great Ocean, as every county is easily accessible from it, and it’s faster than travelling on land. Dozens of port cities and towns face the Great Ocean all around the world, all vying to be the next profitable spot for trade.

7. The Disputed Land

The infamous disputed land between Ciam and Syo-Lang has been one gigantic game of, “he-said, she-said.” The land was taken by Syo-Lang in the war that ended seventy years ago, but Ciam claims the land was unrightfully conquered, and the peace treaty that was signed to end the war should have granted it back to them. Syo-Lang, on the other hand, claims that it is entitled to this land anyway on the grounds that it was the sacred place where Sao-Han, God-Dragon of Forests, first blessed the land with trees, and that it was conquered by Ciam before the war happened. The rightful owners were simply taking their land. Neither side is willing to back down, and while a treaty was devised, it seems as though Ciam is more than willing to break that truce and go to war again.

from The God-Dragon's Wife by Annika Sage Ellis

In Syo-Lang, as in all countries, there are stories of creation of the world, of life, and a fall from grace. Their God-Dragons are no different. From the birth of the deities, to the bloody war that ripped them from the world they created, these are the stories told of The 15 God-Dragons of the Ageless Oasis.

The Birth of the Gods

In the beginning, there was only the Universe. In the dark void, there was a clap like thunder, a flash like the dawn, and born was Keungkai, of the World, Lylang, of the Oceans and Rivers, and Taitou, of the Skies. The Universe gave them all great power and a great task: create life.

Keungkai curled in upon himself, his girth creating a great planet. Lylang joined with him, and from them there became three beautiful children: Hang’ao, of the Storm, Baokan, of the Mountains, and Sao-Han, of the Forests. The children laid with their parents, and Taitou, overjoyed, encircled his family to protect them. Lylang was so happy she wept into the arms of Keungkai, and so became the oceans and rivers. Keungkai, with such love for his brother, cast his heart into the sky that Taitou had created, so they would never be apart, and it became the sun. They slept for thousands of years.

From Keungkai’s heart and Taitou’s body there came three daughters and the three moons: Yu-Qi, of Passion and the First Moon, Yu-Kai, of Health and the Second Moon, and Yu-Liang, of Faith and the Third Moon. Keungkai called awake his first set of children to meet their sisters. Hang’ao blew his mother’s tears across the land as he awakened, Baokan split his father’s World, the ridges in his back peeking through the cracks, and Sao-Han stretched his neck tall to greet his sisters, all of the trees growing with him.

Hang’ao greeted Yu-Qi, and Sao-Han joined him. Where the three met, there became two God-Dragons: Zan-Xi, of War and the Hunt, and his brother, Tsuyan, of Justice. Even from conception, the two despised each other. They retreated to the farthest corners of the World to brood.

Sao-Han then greeted the Second Moon, Yu-Kai, and where they touched, there became Xaoya, of Animals and Food. The newly created God-Dragon leapt down to the World and began playing in her father’s forests. Everywhere she touched, there became a new creature, a new plant, a new crop.

Yu-Liang was greeted last, and though she bore no children from her brothers, the sight of her sisters’ children gave her hope for her own.

Yu-Qi and Yu-Liang worked together to give Yu-Liang the child she desired, the Passion of the First Moon burning bright and eternal. One night, Yu-Liang and Yu-Qi created a God-Dragon of their own: Haoxin, of Love and Family. The genderless God-Dragon leapt down to the World, and became the close friend of Xaoya. They created packs and families for her animals as a gift, and Xaoya – with Yu-Qi’s help – created flame in return, to match Haoxin’s burning heart.

The World slept for a millennium. The animals from Xaoya prospered, and with Haoxin, were plentiful. So plentiful, in fact, that there grew to be too many of them, crowding the World and the Oceans.

Keungkai poked and prodded at the brothers of Hang’ao, Yu-Qi, and Sao-Han. He implored Zan-Xi and Tsuyan, the wisest of the God-Dragons, to create a way to cease the growing population before the World became overrun.

Reluctantly the two brothers met in the center of the World. They argued for fifteen days and fifteen nights, but could not agree. Zan-Xi became angry, so angry that he created a bloody and terrible war. A war that would never end, for Yu-Kai, the God-Dragon of Health, kept all the animals alive long enough to keep fighting for an eternity.

Furious, Tsuyan approached Yu-Kai, and demanded she stop healing the animals. When she refused, he made her look upon the World, and see the suffering she had caused. Horrified, Yu-Kai agreed, and created death to release the animals from their suffering, and return them to the World. Zan-Xi considered the problem solved, and returned to his corner of the World. Tsuyan could not bring himself to continue the argument.

However, the Great War did not stop. The animals fought each other, and would continue to fight each other for survival for all eternity.

Yu-Liang watched this war from above, and decided to confront Zan-Xi. She went to him, and implored him to see the errors of his ways, and stop the Great War and return peace to the World. Their arguments were carefully constructed, and they chased each other in conversational circles for hours. On the fifth day of arguing, another God-Dragon appeared: Janlin, of Games and Strategy. A mischievous one, Janlin snuck away without either of his parents noticing, and created games for all animals to play. The Great War was not ended, but games created enjoyable moments in the lapses between battle.

Yu-Qi was so enamored with Janlin’s cleverness and games, she alit upon the World and embraced the young God-Dragon. From their embrace, there was born another God-Dragon: Pangan, of Arts and Dancing, the fifteenth, and final, God-Dragon. She decorated the World with music, flowers, gorgeous landscapes, the beauty of sunsets, and grace of movement for all things. She filled every inch of the world in a special kind of magic.

Seasons

Keungkai’s heart, ablaze with love for his family always, was burning the ground and boiling the waters. Sao-Han, fearing for the safety of his plants and the creatures his daughter created, fled with Xaoya into one of the many caves of Baokan’s back, and hid.

While they hid, they fell asleep, and failed to tend to their duties of the World. The plants died, the animals starved, and a cold fell over the World as Keungkai’s heart grew dim with sorrow. It left the sky early, and the night stayed longer. Hang’ao’s storms grew cold and frozen, and Lylang’s waters turned to ice.

Baokan, normally one of the God-Dragons to stay indifferent to the surroundings of the World, grew concerned. He knew Sao-Han and Xaoya were hiding from Keungkai’s heart, but the world had become dead and barren without them. He gathered his father, brother, and niece together.

They agreed that when the heart in the sky was growing too hot for the World, that Sao-Han and Xaoya were allowed to sleep – but only for half the year. So, Sao-Han and Xaoya returned to their duties of the World, until the next winter would need to be called.

Day and Night

Keungkai’s heart stayed in the sky with his daughters, but soon the overbearing heat chased the three away. Slowly, Keungkai’s heart followed them, plunging the World into darkness, where the Moons could be safe from his heat.

When the sisters were first safe from their father’s heart, they laughed so hard that they cried, and their tears sparkled and glowed in the darkness. As the thee Moons travelled across the sky, their tears stuck to Taitou’s body, and shimmered there in the night.

Eternally, Keungkai chases his daughters across the sky, and every night, the tears that stuck to his brother’s body are revealed as the World becomes dark.

Creation of Humans & the Afterlife

The World was created, and many of the God-Dragons considered it perfect. But Haoxin and Xaoya wanted to create something else – something more intelligent than any of the animals they had created so far. They enlisted Janlin to help collect one scale from each of the God-Dragons, and used those scales to create the first Human, a creature with attributes of all fifteen God-Dragons.

Humans were the new joy of the World. All of the God-Dragons greeted this new creation, and with the blessings of all fifteen, the Human became the most powerful creature on the World, second only to the God-Dragons themselves. The Humans spread across the World, and there were many joys.

However, the Humans had inherited attributes of all the God-Dragons, the virtues as well as the vices. From Keungkai, there came the urge to rule, but also to claim viscously. From Lylang, depth of feeling, but also uncontrollable emotion. From Taitou, the desire to protect, but also to hoard. Hang’ao gave them power, but also destruction. Baokan gave them endurance, but also indifference. Sao-Han gave them desire for shelter, but also solitude. Yu-Qi gave them passion, but also obsession. Yu-Kai gave them health, but also sickness, and death. Yu-Liang gave them faith, but also zealotry. Zan-Xi gave them strength, but also bloodlust. Tsuyan gave them the need for truth, but also stubbornness. Xaoya gave them prosperity, but also greed. Haoxin gave them love, but also loneliness. Janlin gave them play, but also boredom. Pangan gave them creativity, but also perfectionism. Humans were as imperfect as the God-Dragons they were made from, and would forever remain imperfect.

It was one day in particular that they showed this imperfection.

One day, the Humans decided they were not content to be the second most powerful beings in the World. They banded together and rose up against the God-Dragons, starting a bloody war that lasted centuries.

The God-Dragons were heartbroken that their most prized creations would rise against them, but they were also furious. For the sake of themselves, the Humans they created, and the World, the God-Dragons tore their souls from their bodies, and created a realm beyond the World, beyond Humans, and beyond life. They created the Ageless Oasis, and while their bodies remain in the World we live in today, their souls are no longer. They await all of us after our deaths, in the place of peace they created for all life to exist in harmony, for all eternity.