The Vale of Alungar
Few outsiders ever get to see the volcanic valley where The Dragon Empire was born, but those that do marvel at what they find. Towers cling to the black ridges, joined to the city below by bridges and winding paths. Luxuries from all over Nostvary can be found in the many shops and markets, along with every vice known to man. All this is possible because of the dragon sleeping at the heart of the volcano. Alungar the Demonic might have founded the valley, but it was the mighty dragon Gorphin who led them to conquer half of the known world.
Alungar
When Alungar the Demonic first laid eyes on the valley of fire, he knew it would make the perfect location for his new kingdom. The rocks still smouldered from the most recent eruption and the volcano looming to the north rumbled threateningly as Alungar led his people down the mountain pass. Over the centuries, the people of the valley would carve homes into the rock and build towers on the surface, all the while contending with the torrents of lava flowing past their doors. They soon learned it was easier to pray to the dragon God, Gorphin, that lived in the volcano than to fight it and an uneasy peace fell upon the valley. With the god of the valley appeased, Alungar instructed his people to bury the eggs they had carried across the desert deep into the flanks of the rumbling peak. When they refused his orders, fearing the eggs would be harmed, Alungar asked Gorphin for a demonstration of its Magic. The great dragon channelled a portion of its magic into one of the eggs, hatching it before their eyes. The dragon that came forth grew before their eyes and stretched its wings before taking flight. The monastery of Gorphin's Breach was built on the site of the miracle, and it is there that the dragon eggs are kept in vaults, tended by monks. The surrounding lands live in fear of the Vale of Alungar, but to those inside, it is the centre of the universe.Gorphin's Children
From that first clutch of eggs, thousands of dragons have been born, each one nurtured and fed by the magic present in the volcano. While the dragons of the jungle dwelling Jurati to the south lack wings and are confined to the waters in which they are bred, Gorphin's children can fly and breath fire. Only in The Blue Mountains far to the north can the like be found but they are few in number and wild in nature. The dragons bred in the vale of Alungar are as tame as a dragon can be. The first Human to ride a dragon barely survived, but they lit the way for others and soon the dragon empire was born. With their fire breathing mounts, The Dragon Eyrie soon extended its control over the surrounding regions, eventually conquering all of Talidar, Juridala, and part of Rekrar. If not for The Sondaran Empire, they would have swarmed across Nostvary and left a trail of scorched cities in their wake. The war of the sands, as it became known, was the bloodiest conflict in Nostvary, but it brought an era of peace that has lasted to this very day.Geography
A glacier carved the valley out before retreating to the west, leaving behind a scoured land. Into this pored the rivers of magma flowing from the volcano that dominates the northern ridgeline. Over eons the valley filled with the black rock, waiting for Alungar and his followers to arrive.
They built their first homes in caves but soon built towers and bridges connecting the spines of rock that cross the valley.
A fast flowing rivers cuts through the city from the glacier, bringing much needed water to the parched land, before leaving via steep ravine at the southern end.
Ecosystem Cycles
Weather in the valley is changeable to say the least, with snow and scorching heat barely a month apart. It's high altitude and proximity to the Intraana Mountain Range leave it on the colder side, but warm winds blow in from both The Jennarian Desert to the south-east, and the jungles of Karpanaa to the south.
The citizens of The Dragon Eyrie are protected from the cold by an ingenious heating system that taps into the super heated chambers just below the surface. Sadly for most there is no way to escape the sweltering heat, but those who grew up in the shadow of the volcano are used to sweating.
Alternative Name(s)
The Dragon Eyrie
Type
Valley
Location under
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