The Master of Lalika

The master of Lalika is a very old marsh dragon.   He is known to his people by several names: Varesh, the best god; Mahdev, the great god; Janesh, Lord of the People. The other dragons know him by this last name, as he has kept his true name hidden even from his allies.

His skin is varicolored, with greens and browns, and he has a “beard” that resembles moss. Janesh is larger than most male dragons but he is sinuous, built for navigating the choked waterways of swamps and marshes. He is physically and magically very powerful. His greatest weakness is his arrogance. He consistently overestimates himself and underestimates his opponents. This is why he has not won a challenge since he took control of Lalika from his father. In all other respects, Janesh is very intelligent – a formidable foe.

Janesh is one who believes all non-dragons are inferior, suitable only as slaves and food. His people are forbidden magic of any kind, excepting the powers he grants his clerics. He rules his kingdom with an iron talon. His people do not love him, but they do fear and worship him. In fact, they are allowed to worship no one else.

This work by Jean Headley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.