| Dr. Dragon | |
|---|---|
 Art by xWECHTERx | |
| About | |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 5'8" |
| Birthday | 40 EE |
| Died | 102 EE (age 62) |
| Birth Place | Gaenghazie, Ende |
| Appearances | |
| Debut | Prelude Ch.2 |
| Final | Prelude Ch.52 |
Dr. Dragon (or simply, "Dragon") is the antagonist of Metal Shadow Prelude. His full name is Tilzunde Dragon (TILL-zuhn). He was Noa Rylie and the Three Queens' husband, founder of the Agency, and underground kingpin of Purgia. He betrayed Noa to attempt an escape from Ende. He was assassinated by Agent Ziare just before he and his wives could do so.
Gineden claims he was the human host for Godden following Godden's release from his tomb.
History[]
Dr. Dragon is first mentioned in chapter 1 of the Prelude during Noa Rylie's reflections. He is her husband, yet also a traitor to her since he performed some kind of misdeed to her, which caused her to flee from him. It is implied she is pregnant as a result of this betrayal. Noa likens Dragon to Godden, the tyrant of Ende who was killed by his wife, Gineden, the moment he let his guard down.
Dragon makes a debut in chapter 2 of the Prelude when he appears in a nightmare Van was having. He is characterized as an elderly man with glittering golden eyes and a commanding aura. Van inquires from Dragon his wife's whereabouts, and Dragon replies that she is dead. Van then attempts to kill Dragon with a mysterious lance; Dragon survives the attempt and the dream collapses.
Following this, Dragon is mentioned by numerous characters in the Prelude. He is established as the supreme commander of the Agency, and the one who ordered Niccoli to retrieve Noa. Noa believes that Dragon made her pregnant during one of his many experiments, without asking for her consent. She learns from the Un-sin that Dragon had not impregnated her, but planted a parasite in her which would eventually rob her of life. Niccoli reveals in an angry rant that Dragon had survived Van's attack thirty years ago and killed Van with some sort of weapon; the Van from chapter 2 onward is Lad Wydnie, the original Van's son who was brought back to life with the same weapon that killed his father. Niccoli also reveals that Dragon was planning something called "the Leap", which required Noa and Lad's latent powers to execute. The Leap was a means of escaping the Cloud Wall, and the first step in Dragon's raid on Gilta Nnea with all his collected knowledge and resources.
Dragon makes his first physical appearance in chapter 49 of the Prelude, where he demands that Noa turn herself over so he can perform the Leap. (He does not inquire of Lad, suggesting that he didn't need Lad's power after all.) When Noa and the Agents escorting her conspire to kill him instead of complying, Dragon orders them dead. After a heated battle resulting in everyone but Dragon and his wives' deaths, Ziare takes Dragon by surprise and kills him at the cost of his own life. The three wives survive and continue with the Leap.
Gineden claims Dragon was the human host of Godden after Godden was released from his tomb by a teenage Van. If this is true, it follows that Dragon became the mysterious red-headed man following his death, and his penultimate goal may be to take revenge on Gilta Nnea for exiling him.
Characteristics[]
Appearance[]
Dr. Dragon is an elderly man with a large, prominent hooked nose, large gray beard and short gray hair. He is bespectacled, strewn over with jewelry, and wears a black reptillian coat. He usually looks down his nose at anyone standing in front of him.
Personality[]
Arrogance defines Dr. Dragon. He is wise and well-connected (and well-protected), with an enigmatic air literally swirling around him. Though he has three wives and an ex-lover in Noa, he displays no empathy for any of them, let alone anyone else. His motivations for creating the Agency and escaping the Cloud Wall all seem to be connected to strength and vengeance.
Trivia[]
- Dragon's practice of polygamy is common among Clandestined, with characters like Golden Stanlie and Lord Pyenze having two and three wives, respectively, themselves.
- The number of spouses a Clandestined has is an indicator of their social status. However, fans of the series have suggested it is also an indicator of how antagonistic they are plot-wise. This holds true for Stanlie and Dragon, but as Lord Pyenze never physically appears in the Prelude, the theory cannot be proven.
- The name "Tilzunde" means "Twin Suns" in the Old Tongue, which refers to the fact that Dragon has golden eyes.
- All characters with golden eyes in the Prelude turn out to be possessed or allegedly possessed by Godden or Gineden.