The ancient dragon Federigo il Barbarossa, more commonly known as Fred, reminisces about the good old days when he and his cohorts ruled the world, before, alas, they got above themselves and were slapped down, permanently as it turned out. During their abandoned spree, he and his fellows created creatures at will, sometimes to help out and some just because they could: the griffin, the opinicus, the basilisk, the hydra, the unicorn, the Pegasus, the questing beast, She that lives in Ness, and others.

MICHAEL MCCARTHY was a recognised expert in the field of ecclesiastical heraldry.