A sleeping dragon (pranys in the local language) rested under the jungle of the southern continent. Only its nostrils were visible above the jungle, and were mistaken for ordinary volcanic mountains by Mussalmian outsiders - although the native blond "savages" knew better. The last time it had awoken, its fire had wiped out the large reptiles which had ruled the world, enabling the small shrew-like mammals to survive and evolve into humans. One day the dragon will awake and spew similar fire on the world. This day may come 20,000 years from now, or even 10,000. Or it may come in 20 years, or even two, or even one. Or it may come tonight.