This letter is in response to the essay "Dragons are Evil" by Benjamin.

To: the Free Peoples of Arda, Eraioch, and Drahawn and their leaders.

The Royal Palace of Ariania  

The ninth day of the ninth month,

Two-thousand-twelve years into the second Age 

A letter from Lord Malachi Damusaun,

As dictated to Ethaniel Svykadar, Crown Prince and heir to the throne of Ariania,

To the leaders of the Free Peoples of Arda, Eraioch, and Drahawn:

Shen el brion – greetings.

It has come to my attention that you have accused my race of being irredeemably evil, and abomination in the sight of Dar’ré.  As I cannot allow an accusation of this severe nature to go unanswered, I have decided to address each of your accusations one by one.

To your claim that all dragons are created evil, endowed by our Creator with the, as you claim, inalienable qualities of depravity, wickedness, and pursuit of all evil, I say this: In the beginning, just as all of creation, my race was created perfect and, along with the unicorns, gryphons, phoenixes, and the other dragonkin, was entrusted with the duty of aiding Dar’ré’s most beloved creation – Man.  But paradise was not to last forever, and when Man fell and brought the rest of creation along with him, two more tasks were given to us – those of protecting and guiding the peoples of the Earth.  And to the Damusaun – the Lord of the dragons – a special task was given: being the messenger of Dar’ré himself.

However, I will not deny that my race is fallen, as are the races of Men and, for that matter, all of Creation.  For, just as a third of the Seraphim fell when Naran’ré, The Deceiver, rebelled against his Maker, so have many of my kind vowed their service to him.  As for these traitors, who dare to call themselves by the title of “dragon,” I can give no answer; they have turned their backs on their duties, their race, and their Creator, and have been given over to their depraved minds, cast out from Dar’ré’s Hall and scorned by their kind for as long as they continue their service to the Betrayer.  Make note, however, that these creatures are a minority among us; and if you encounter one of these vile serpents, let it be known to me, and I will reckon with this traitor myself or through my emissaries.

As to the accusation of thievery and greed: While it is inexcusable to steal another’s belongings, I must give an explanation on this point.  Dragons – particularly our young – are irresistibly drawn to shiny or beautiful objects, as they remind us of Dar’ré’s Hall, our rightful home that we long for, which gleams with Dar’ré’s light as if lit by a thousand suns.  While most dragons either grow out of this phase or learn to cope with it in more healthy ways (such as frequent visits to Dar’ré’s Hall), there are a few who give into this desire and become corrupt.  Unfortunately, as these are the dragons most often witnessed by Men (as the dragons are stealing items from them), the misconception that all dragons give into this nature arose.  Thus, just as Men need to enact justice against the wrongdoers of their kind, if you are dealing with one of these dragons, please inform me and I will enact due discipline against the offender myself.  (As to your example of Glaurung, who you claim is the “father of all dragons,” I know him not, and I question as to where you received that information).

Of the “mighty warriors” you claim have been slain by my kind, I must ask this: Why  were these “mighty warriors” slain?  Is one of mine not allowed to react in self-defense?  Or were these so-called “mighty warriors” on the side opposing those who fought for Dar’ré, to whom the dragons had allied themselves, and your so-claimed “might warriors” fell in battle because they opposed His will?  Or perhaps these “mighty warriors” attacked one of mine who was innocent, believing the misconception that all of my race is bent on evil, or for the purpose of sport, attempting to prove their bravery and to gain a trophy for their lodge?  Again, I will not deny that there are some of my kind who are depraved, who kill Men to consume their flesh – this is an abomination.  Only, I wish to ask that you examine the facts of these tales thoroughly, and that if you encounter such a dragon, you call for my aid, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.”

To the accusation that we have purposefully deceived Men into worshipping us as deities, I say this: The hearts of Men are fickle and fallen, easily turned away.  Men will turn to worship anything they choose, be it earth, creature, or themselves, and yet your do not claim that a stone is inherently evil.  As to instances when one of mine purposefully attempted to lead Men astray, I have heard of this happening but five times in history, and in each instance the dragon was dealt with swiftly by the current Damusaun as soon as he received word unless otherwise instructed by Dar’ré.

You say our character is remarked by every act which may define total depravity; what, then, are the acts of Men?  Which of you does not have many vile acts recorded alongside his righteous ones – righteous acts, I might add, which are referred to as “filthy rags”?  Which of you has not fallen, as your forefathers did – whose Fall, may I remind you, was the very act that plunged the world into Darkness?  Which of you can stand blameless before the throne of Dar’ré?  None, I say! – But for the mercy of our Creator, who alone is my authority and to whom alone I answer.

As to your declaration of war, I highly advise against it.  While we do not usually engage in battle unless called on to protect our bonded ones, we are authorized to react in self-defense, and this would likely end disastrously for any forces you send against us.