Background:

For as long as anyone can remember, there have been dragon riders in the kingdom you call home. As the story goes, they were created after a centuries long war between your kingdom and the great lizards themselves, as a means of preventing further conflict. The 'wild' dragons gave their eggs in the hope that some may help to create these great peace keepers. Originally, anyone could be a rider, and the eggs went on 'tour', so to speak, going from village to village. However, centuries ago, the king of your land, a dragon rider himself, decided to change the rules. A charismatic and cunning ruler, he managed to create a large following of fellow riders, in addition to the kingdom's large military. Finally, he made his move with a controversial proclamation. From then on, all riders were forced to swear fealty to the royal family, or faced aggression from the military and allied riders. The explanation was that it would strengthen the kingdom, and thereby strengthen its peace. Many agreed, either from preexisting loyalty or from fear of being killed. Those who resisted were easily done away with by those they once called friends, or else were sent into hiding. It was only then that the king truly tipped his hand: He re-legalized the hunting of so-called wild dragons, thus ending the truce altogether. Amazingly, the wild dragons were decimated in only a few short years. The reason was simple and brutal: While the riders' dragons had all been around humans their entire lives, and had no real connection to their fellow dragon aside from the fact that they were a danger to their riders, the wild ones hesitated in striking down what could very well be their kin. After the initial attacks, the wild dragons disappeared, whether extinct or in hiding, no one can really say. Of course, that was a long time ago. The king, who came to be known as The Conqueror, is now dead and buried along with his army. The law requiring riders to swear fealty to the royals is still in place, now only nobles can touch eggs.