Ascelion is an ancient dragon from a nearly extinct bloodline whose members could take on human form at will without losing their true nature — and he is the only known survivor of that lineage, though he cannot say for certain whether anyone else remains. Deceived by humans and imprisoned within a human body through magical shackles, he serves as a power source for an entire empire that has exploited his magic for centuries under the guise of a religious cult, turning him into a living god.