Dragons rule the world, having carved it into pieces long ago. The primordial Aspects abandoned the world of Astria at the end of the last era, and in their absence, the dragons established a new paradigm, claiming territories across Astria to rule as living gods - divvying the planet amongst themselves. With centuries of experience to develop their own Aspects, they possess an almost insurmountable advantage over mortals' Aspects and lesser facets - but this same advantage has made them complacent. The Dragon of Battle owns almost half of the eastern continent, but rarely leaves his peak, hardly finding any challenges worth his Aspect in recent decades. He leaves governance of his territory to his appointed warriors for years at a time, until a new cycle of his grand war games descends on his subjects, forcing them into total war. Conquest continues to expand his empire across the western continent. As he subjugates other Aspects and accumulates power, his appetite soon turns him toward the east. Wealth squeezes his city-states dry in his greed, content to use his Aspect merely to accumulate money as he lounges in his cave. He ignores rising discontent as he forces mortals to toil for scraps of coin. They hope to improve their lots in life - but ultimately only serve to fill the dragon's coffers. The other Dragons sleep, or treat the world as a playground, emerging only for their amusement; the Dragon of the Tides is one of the few able to see the approaching storm, and is seemingly the only one willing to take action. Meanwhile, the Dragon of Knowledge views all from his tower, wielding his Aspect to scry past, present, and future, as he keeps watch over Astria to ensure dragons remain dominant. Confident in his grand hoard of knowledge, he is unaware of what he has already missed. The recently born Aspect of Revolution has already begun taking steps to upend this stagnant world order. And Kael, a young human born and raised in Battle's domain, sheltered from the worst of the fighting, sets out to become a crafter at his mother's behest - and hopefully learn to control his Aspect of Rain - not realizing just how much he will have to fight to carve out a place of his own as the world changes around him. [Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] The story will mostly be told from Kael's POV as he journeys throughout the world. Interludes from other POVs will happen, but probably not that often.