Lux the Red, Queen of the Great Sea
Queen of Wealth
Opulence is the byword for Lux - none knows better than she the true value of gold. The accumulation of material wealth is her driving joy, and she pursues it with the well trained mind of a devoted banker. Ransack a village and you’ll have gold for a day. Lease out the land the village is on, on the other hand, and you’ll have gold for a lifetime. By the same token, a healthy worker is more productive than a sick one. As a result, Lux rules her vast chain of volcanic islands like a fire-breathing business tycoon, carefully cultivating her land and subjects to maximize her wealth.
Nearly the entirety of the Great Sea is the domain of Lux, an ancient red dragon that rules from the Golden Archipelago.
After warring for centuries, the dragons reached an agreement. They would divide the world into ten territories, each one the domain of a different color of dragon. For her part, Lux claimed the Great Sea. A red dragon to her heart, the accumulation of material wealth is Lux’s driving joy. Unlike the rest of her ilk, she doesn't burn down towns - instead, she taxes them. As a result, nearly all trade in the Great Sea flows through her.
Miserly though she is, Lux realizes that a healthy village is more productive than a sick one. As a result, she rules her domain like a fire-breathing business tycoon, passing out edicts to ensure her islands are cultivated, her subjects productive, and her profits maximized.
In exchange, the people receive Lux's protection. The sea lanes her tax collectors travel, known as the Dragon’s Coin, are so well patrolled that safety is all but guaranteed. All vessels that sail those routes must pay the dragon a steep tithe, which they show by flying Lux’s banner: a bright red flag sold at ports all across the Great Sea for a hefty fee. Made from the tanned hide of giant sea slugs, any ship on the Sea not flying the flag is subject to punishment by one of Lux’s many offspring, ranging from confiscation of goods, to instant incineration.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Nearly the entirety of the Great Sea is the domain of Lux, an ancient red dragon that rules from the Golden Archipelago. After warring for centuries, the dragons reached an agreement. They would divide the world into ten territories, each one the domain of a different color of dragon. For her part, Lux claimed the Great Sea. A red dragon to her heart, the accumulation of material wealth is Lux’s driving joy. Unlike the rest of her ilk, she doesn't burn down towns - instead, she taxes them. As a result, nearly all trade in the Great Sea flows through her.
Miserly though she is, Lux realizes that a healthy village is more productive than a sick one. As a result, she rules her domain like a fire-breathing business tycoon, passing out edicts to ensure her islands are cultivated, her subjects productive, and her profits maximized.
In exchange, the people receive Lux's protection. The sea lanes her tax collectors travel, known as the Dragon’s Coin, are so well patrolled that safety is all but guaranteed. All vessels that sail those routes must pay the dragon a steep tithe, which they show by flying Lux’s banner: a bright red flag sold at ports all across the Great Sea for a hefty fee. Made from the tanned hide of giant sea slugs, any ship on the Sea not flying the flag is subject to punishment by one of Lux’s many offspring, ranging from confiscation of goods, to instant incineration.
Social
Reign
Every dragon in Lux's court is awarded an island. Lux gifts the best islands to her favorite members of the brood. Dragons who have fallen out of favor with their queen lose their prominent islands for smaller, less beautiful islands on the outskirts of the Golden Archipelago, or are banished to obscure reaches of the sea far from the lap of luxury.
Contacts & Relations
Court of the Crimson Queen
Chief among all Lux's rulings is the fabulously wealthy Golden Archipelago, a chain of islands that holds Lux’s vast wealth. The crown jewel is Grand Sol, where Lux and her court of red dragon kin scheme and plot. The most notable feature of these courtly dragons is their penchant for wearing as much of their treasure horde as possible upon their bodies. Much of the court retains skilled jewelers and goldsmiths to cast the precious metals of their horde into dragon-sized amulets, bracelets, necklaces, tiaras, and other adornments. No red dragon would dare be seen in court or on the queen's duty without their wealth on full display. Most of Lux’s court is composed of her children from her many mates, but familial ties are but a single component of tangled draconic politics.Grand Sol
Grand Sol is the island where Lux's court is located - the wealthiest and most secure location in the Great Sea. The waters around Lux's isle are filled with ornate galleons painted in red and gold, their decks packed with chests of gold coins, precious goods and red dragonkin guards. Clouds gather around the lush green of the island’s towering mountain peaks, through which the dark silhouettes of soaring dragons can be glimpsed. Lux’s court is located deep in the hollow heart of the island. A warren of Great Sea caves have been carved out beneath Grand Sol, accommodating numerous passageways and chambers filled with treasure of all kinds, sealed off by massive vault doors that open to reveal mountains of coins, heaps of gemstones, and priceless works of art. All are watched by draconic guards and trained wyverns. The court itself is reached via a huge cavern where incoming ships may dock - its water glimmering with limpid light reflected off the pearls lining the grotto floor. Just across the harbor, a cave mouth leads to a cavern large enough to hold an entire castle and its grounds. The walls of the cave appear to be natural stone, save that every inch has been plated with gold. The floor itself is a single sheet of pure, polished gold that stretches from wall to wall. The whole chamber is brightly lit by enormous chandeliers of platinum and crystal that reflect off the gleaming walls and floor. At the center of the room is a huge rectangular dais tiled in a dizzying pattern of precious metals and heaped with rubies - the resting place of Lux. Such an uncountable profusion of necklaces, amulets, bracelets and rings adorn Lux’s royal body, that from a distance, she could pass as a gold dragon. Apart from the dizzying display of wealth, the chamber is decorated by life-sized statues that are actually creatures perfectly preserved in amber. Many of them bear expressions of fear or horror. Most are animals like dolphins or antelopes, but there are several preserved humanoids near Lux, all quite dead. Other red dragons beside the queen are nearly always found in Lux's court, currying favor or spinning schemes to advance their power.
“The only treasure greater than the gold you have, is the gold you’ll have tomorrow.”
Current Location
Species
Children
Aligned Organization
Ruled Locations
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