nlike the dragons of the Orient, the members of the Draconian race in most other parts of the world were not viewed as the benevolent and wise creatures that they truly were.  Instead they were viewed by members of the race of man as greedy, violent and vengeful.  It is believed that the start of this misconception had its origin during the time of the Babylonian captivity of the nation of the Hebrews.  One of the captive Sons of Israel, Daniel, who was a prophet of God, inadvertently played a part in the misunderstanding that eventually led to the Great Removal.

his series of events began innocently enough.  One of the dragons of the area, Toracht who later became known as “the Ill,” had a great fondness for mutton and so did keep a large herd of sheep for his sustenance.  One day when Toracht was away on other business a group of men happened by and beheld the large flock.  Thinking that the sheep were wild, the men herded them together and made off with them.  When Toracht returned and found his sheep missing he immediately went in search of his flock.  Upon finding his sheep a few valleys away and in the company of strange men he construed that the humans had stolen his flock and grew very angry.  Roaring mightily he chased the men away and then betook himself and his sheep back to his home in the mountains. 

ord of this incident was spread by the men who took Toracht’s flock and soon all of the land knew of the fearsome dragon who had stolen a herd of sheep from a group of honest men.  The men of the land then began to worry that the dread dragon would not be satisfied with simply one herd of sheep.  To keep their flocks safe the inhabitants of the area began sending sacrifices of one or two sheep into the mountains to “appease” the dragon.  Although Toracht did wonder why so many finely bred sheep kept appearing on his mountain, he had other business to attend to and did not investigate the matter.  When the harvest came that year it came in such great abundance that the people believed that some supernatural force must have caused it.  They attributed the wealth to the fearful dragon of the mountain to whom they had sacrificed.  The humans then started to think of him as a god and did begin to journey up to his home to sacrifice and pay homage.  When Toracht saw this he emerged from his cave to explain to the people that he was no god.  But upon seeing the dragon, the people were greatly terrified and fled from him before he had uttered a word.  Unable to explain to any of the race of man the truth, he finally was forced to endure the nuisance of the pilgrims. 

n the meantime the Prophet Daniel was performing great wonders of faith and courage before the king of Babylon.  He exposed the conspiracy of the priests of Bel and struck down many false idols.  One day the King happened to ask Daniel if he would not worship the Dragon God of the Mountain, since he was most certainly real.  Daniel proclaimed that there was none but the one true God and that he would slay this idol without means of staff or sword if the King would permit it.  The King told Daniel that he might try so Daniel took pitch and fat and straw and boiled them together to make a great mixture.  After the concoction had cooled he molded it into monstrous balls greater than the size of true sheep which he then covered in sheep’s wool.  Taking up these balls he journeyed to the place where Toracht kept his flock.  Daniel placed the false sheep amongst the herd and then hid himself behind a rock.  When Toracht came forth to fetch his dinner he immediately saw what appeared to be two exceptionally large sheep among the flock and promptly consumed them.  When the Prophet Daniel saw this he leapt from behind the rock and shouted, “Dragon, I have slain thee!”  When the mixture of pitch did reach Toracht’s stomach he did not, as is told by humans, explode upon himself.  Instead, he waxed violently ill and did vomit and loose his gut upon Daniel.  (It is supposed by many draconian scholars that from the point of view of the man Daniel it did seem as if Toracht had exploded and thus the human legend began.) 

iewing his mission completed (and anxious to bathe himself) Daniel hurried from the mountain and told the people that the dragon was dead.  Toracht, after he recovered from his nausea, did not mind the rumors of his demise as it meant that he would be no longer troubled by unwanted worshipers.  This incident, however, was to have far reaching consequences as the next chapter demonstrates.