Azdaha

Lore

Azdaha is a demonic dragon over a hundred years old. They usually have an odd number of heads, rarely just two. They spit fire, emit terrifying roars, and have malevolent expressions. Like all dragons, Azdahas are fiercely protective of their treasures. They live in caves or mountains, cause eruptions or hailstorms, and devour people and livestock. They were so well-known in Eastern lands that they became symbols of the devil—constantly greedy and hungry, and extremely hostile to all living beings. They choose inaccessible and forgotten places: underground temples, gorges, mines long abandoned by humans. These lairs are often connected to sources of power—geothermal zones, magical nodes, or sites of ancient curses.

There is a story about a merchant who had been childless for a long time. One day, while the merchant was on a journey with his goods, he received news that his wife had given birth to 40 children. The merchant became angry, suspecting something was amiss. Fifteen years later, he returned home wealthy, met all his children, and then took them with him on a short voyage to deliver trading cargo. Along the way, they encountered an Azdaha, and during the confrontation, the father was captured by the creature. The Azdaha demanded they give him the youngest son in exchange for freeing the father. The youngest son voluntarily went to the Azdaha.

The Azdaha tasked him with kidnapping the Count's daughter, whom he fancied and had long pondered how to obtain. During his journey, the young man met unusual companions: a sharpshooter, a swift runner, a man capable of drinking the sea, and a talking wolf, who all joined his quest. Once they arrived at the Count's estate, the youth announced that he wished to marry his daughter. The Count set conditions: his party must pass a series of trials.

The first trial was to wrestle the strongest dog in the county. During the challenge, the wolf stepped in and defeated the dog. The second trial was a race against a swift old witch. The swift runner took on this challenge. During the race, the old woman tried to put him to sleep, but the sharpshooter woke the runner with a shot, and he won the race. The final trial was to spend the night in a scorching iron room. In this challenge, the man capable of drinking the sea came to the youth's aid. He filled the room with water, cooled it down, and created comfortable conditions for all his friends to spend the night. Together, they completed all the Count's trials and took the girl with them.

On the way back, the companions met a wise old man who warned the party that the Azdaha was very cunning and deceitful, and that the source of his power lay in three golden eggs sealed in a stone atop the mountain where he lived. When the party arrived at the Azdaha's lair, following the old man's advice, the girl persuaded the Azdaha to reward the youth for his efforts. He asked for the Azdaha's magical sword for future feats. After obtaining the sword, the youth and his friends went to the mountain's summit. There, the youth split the stone with the magical sword and destroyed the three eggs. The Azdaha died, and the youth freed his father and his fiancée. They took the dragon's treasures and returned to his brothers.