Our Spellbinding Guide - Official OSL Lore Book

In spite of OSL's progenitors referring to one of these as The Asqura, they are a species very small in number. At a time, there are no more than a handful alive due to their demanding birth conditions and the violent interactions between males.

Asquras are white, wingless dragons that bear iridescent scales which cover them much like suits of armor. Their claws are like gauntlets and their legs like greaves. Along their body and tail, however, the scales arrange themselves like those of a koi fish. Asquras may almost appear mechanical, but they are entirely organic.

Details of their armor and horns will vary from one to another, but Asquras universally boast a mane, velociraptor-like feet, and a long tail tipped with hair. Surprisingly flexible, they can stand upright on their powerful hind legs, drop to all fours, and levitate/fly. Even swimming isn't beyond them.

All Asquras are drawn to destruction. They carry the natural urge to wreak havoc whether or not there's any agenda behind it. Thankfully, they spend much of their life asleep. Growth is rapid; they hatch at the size of a small dog and will eventually reach a length (nose to tail tip) of 100m-150m. Most of this length is the tail.

While destruction calls to any and all Asquras, males bear intense rivalry amongst themselves. Two females will likely ignore each other, but two males will behave like betta fish and engage in combat until one of them is dead.

Such barbaric behavior could inspire belief that Asquras are mere animals - their bestial appearance doesn't help that notion. Yet these dragons are fully sentient and capable of intelligent thought. They simply elect not to speak to "lesser" life forms.

They have a soul like any other sentient OSL species.

Abilities

Outside of magic-based exceptions, Asquras are the hardiest, strongest, most powerful beings in OSL. Their scales are nearly indestructible and can generally only be harmed by another Asqura. They are heat, radiation, and gravity resistant. With powerful muscles and sharp claws, they can reduce buildings to rubble with mere smacks.

Rather than breathing fire like traditional dragons, these cosmic beings wield quasar breath. This is achieved by forming a miniature star in their mouth, then accelerating its life cycle until it becomes a black hole/quasar. Then, the quasar's jet is fired as a devastating beam. This beam is what split Boofbamia in half. Even an Asqura's innards are armored to protect themselves from their own breath weapon.

Despite these dragons' power, they are not invincible. They can be killed by their own kind and have been shown to be susceptible to poison. They are also susceptible to spells. Furthermore, while they are long-lived, they aren't immune to aging like deities.

Hatching Process

Asquras are the only known OSL species to not fall gravid in any way. Instead, a male and female will breed on the surface of a star. If this star is massive enough to one day go supernova, then mating will result in an Asqura egg forming at that star's very center.

There, it will incubate until the star dies. At the host star's death, the egg will be released into the universe but it still won't hatch. There are further, not-yet-revealed hatching conditions. Therefore, even an egg that makes it through a star's entire lifespan may remain a dud for eternity.

Recall that Our Spellbinding Lies features a genetic system in which a person's species is determined by planet of conception rather than the DNA of their parents. E.g., Frostylians are the result of copulation on Planet Frostylia; Sages are the result of a union on Planet Adrapise.

Asquras are what happen if copulation occurs on a star.

However, it is important to note that no other species can survive the surface of a star, therefore it is not possible in practice for anything other than two Asquras to parent their own kind. With planets in OSL, it is not unheard of for mothers to carry and birth a species entirely different from their own.

The type of star that an Asqura was born from determines their eye, blood, and breath color. Arcturus was a red hypergiant variant, whereas Asqura-Celeste (despite her form's magical roots) is a blue supergiant variant. Her black scales are a mutation, stained by the addition of Violet's eyes in Celeste's transfiguration ritual. Natural Asquras cannot be black or any other hue; they are always some sort of white, silver, or off-white.

Beautiful creatures, but deadly. A snug fit for Our Spellbinding Lies.