Cataclysm

"On that day, the rivers shall run red, clouds of ash shall blot out the sun, and all that lives in the land shall wither and die. These things herald the coming of the Cataclysm..."

In ancient times, there was a proud clan of Imperial dragons, one of the largest ever known. Despite their proud nature, the dragons of this clan were generally peaceful, and maintained positive relationships with many other clans. They would offer help in the form of food, treasure, or even a home to Imperials in need.

One day, though, a precious treasure -- the Emperor's Crown -- was stolen from the Imperials by a crafty dragon who had managed to gain their trust, whose name is lost to history. The Crown was said to be the most valuable item in the Imperials' massive hoard, maybe even worth more than all of their allies' hoards combined. Upon discovering that the Crown was missing, the Imperials demanded it be returned immediately, but when no one came forward, the clan of Imperials flew into a rage and declared war on any and all clans they believed could harbor the thief. Many of these clans, lacking the numbers or the strength to match the mighty Imperials, were slaughtered.

Eventually, one of the clans realized that something had to be done to stop the Imperials from eradicating every dragon in the area. This clan convinced its neighbors to unite with it in order to stop the rampaging Imperials. A bloody and costly war ensued, both sides losing many dragons, and in the end, the remaining dragons of each clan agreed to stop the pointless fighting to prevent what would otherwise have been mutually assured destruction.

The battlefield where the two armies first clashed had become a mass graveyard, and it was quarantined and monitored for years, due to the sheer number of Imperials that lay in hastily-dug shallow graves under the grass. Though no one voiced it, the unspoken fear that an Emperor could emerge was ever-present. It was a justified fear, considering the circumstances, but it was never actually realized; no Emperor ever did emerge from that field.

Although, after many, many years, something else did.

One fog-blanketed morning, the guards posted at the field were stunned to see a lone figure staggering through the mist towards them. They were terrified, but the silhouette was too small to be an Emperor, and they could only make out one head through the fog, so they held their ground. A strange dragon emerged from the fog, an Imperial in appearance but with its whole body composed of glistening, blood-red crystal, its gait limping as though it were in pain.