Drakken's Deirold {Hill} (/drəʊkeən'z/ /direəʊld/)

From what I have heard there is a hill with a large, old and abandoned citadel. The name of the hill comes both from its shape and what once might have been the last known location of a mighty creature. A creature so remarkable and powerful that it was respected by all and hunted by the best of the Demon's warriors and kings. The location once held the last of their kin and when they disappeared all over Nimenra, Drakken's Deirold was left, diminishing into ruins and leaving the history of a creature like that into legends and myth...

— Everam, Teller of Nimenra

In the southwestern part of Central Nekuram, there is an old hill with the shape of large teeth protruding from beneath it and a long, forked tongue that the once-great citadel with the same name is located. Drakken's Deirold is locally recounted as a fortress that housed Dragons and was the last location of these before they disappeared from Nimenra to never be seen again. The old citadel and fortress was abandoned soon after for unknown reasons but the hill has had an eerie contrast with the rest of the landscape since and tales say that one day the hill might come alive as the dragons' return is at hand.

Alternative name
Dragon's Home
Dragon's Peak
Located
Nekuram
Related Titles
Keeper of Drakk

Type

Mountain / Hill

Geography

The hill is both a natural rock and demonmade formation circa 25 meters high. It stretches 150 meters with a short incline to the stretching plateau path, the plateau and path to the ruins stretch from the bottom of the hill with a forked "tongue" on which two paths are laid upon. Following the paths up to a middle one the first old gatehouse is located in a full ruined state, the collapsed gates leaving only a small opening to the overgrown soil of grass and wilderness.

From the gate onwards are six jagged "teeth" formations protruding on the side of the hill, three on each side, that reach into the sky. On each side, there are also one "broken" teeth that were the location of two "fountains" that ran down the hill. From the "back" of the hill, water flows down into a stream that runs on the northern side of the tongue and ends in a 20-meter waterfall. The stream comes from the mountains close by that has been redirected.

The Roars of the Hills

An equally terrifying as it is fascinating is the "Roars of the Hills" that rings out now and again. Locals believe that the "roars" comes from the spirits of dragons that died in the citadel where they were housed and sometimes captured and killed. The roars can change in quality, from faint rumblings to the echoes from the deepest parts of the southern mountain chain. Schoolers believe thus that either dragons still do exist in the mountains or that some other monstrosity is instead making the sounds from the mountains and due to not yet understood reasons the echoes come forth as roars. Since the roars of dragons have not been heard for aeons, who knows what they are?

History

Long ago the hill was one of many locations where dragons were said to call their home, living as masters of the surroundings and hunting for food. Local villages of Demons lived with them, in both with fear and worshipping them as found relics have told schoolers. Locals still keep some of this worship alive with offerings of sheep, cows and other animals close to the Drakken's Deirold. Sometime before the Time of Diapol, a small fort/citadel was established on the hill for the purpose of either hunting or taming the dragons, like many other similar locations. The title Keeper of Drakk was used by the leader and holder of the citadel and its surroundings.

When Drakken's Deirold fortress stood, the location received a reputation as the home of Dragon users and Dragon fire mages. What this means is unknown today, it was at this time Diapol was coming to an end and so were the dragons. It is believed that as dragons became more and more haunted, dragons took note in some way. Whether it was a large scale decision or not, many dragons slowly disappeared over the span of 1000 years. Around 810 B.V.D, the only known location of dragons was Drakken's Deirold. The citadel was defended against the Plaguser around the same time and Dragon users and mages were also present at the last battles of that age. Soon after the citadel was incorporated into the newly formed Nekuram but the time of dragons, and the hill with its mighty citadel that had hold of evil invaders, was truly at an end by that time. By 250 V.D, the last official records of activity, the citadel and hill had been abandoned and left to ruin, its last Keeper dead and local people beginning to stay away from it.

Even since the hill has stood quiet except for the Roars of the Hills. While no dragon has been seen, locals stay away to not disturb it. Their offerings go no further than the gatehouse that acts as an invisible barrier to an unknown wilderness up to the ruins.