The Dragon Lords
Humans may draw the boundaries of their nations on maps, elves may profess to oversee vast expanses of nature, and dwarves may lay claim to entire mountain ranges, but all these piddle in importance next to the borders laid down by dragons.
Birth of the Dragons
A dragon’s power is only rivaled by their ambition and arrogance. Dragons were birthed by the same process that created the world itself, and a spark of original magic burns in the heart of every member of the species. As its earliest mortal inhabitants, dragons have always felt a natural ownership over the world - and with few creatures able to rival them in power, longevity, and intelligence, it is a claim that is rarely challenged. At the dawn of time, the ambition of the dragons was held in check by the gods themselves, who dwelled long among their creation, shaping it to their desires. When the gods at last departed, leaving mortals to their own stewardship, the dragons laid their claim upon a world they saw themselves as the natural heirs of.War of the Dragons
Perhaps if dragons were all alike in temperament they could have forged a great and wondrous society. Unfortunately, it’s the nature of dragons to feud - each driven by their alignments and inner natures to contend for the same territory. Red versus gold, silver versus white, dragons began to divide up the world their desires, with no regard for any of the races they shared it with. Clashing titans of terrible size and strength, the wars of the dragons brought devastation wherever they broke out, until the entire world was a battlefield. The great cities left behind by the golden age of the gods were shaken to their foundations, and trade and industry ground to a stop. In the escalating battles. Dragons probed the depths of their arcane powers to unleash mighty acts of “High Dragon magic,” incredible rituals that call forth the world’s raw magic through the power of dragon song. By these acts the dragons built enormous lairs, created monsters of terrible power, and devastated whole stretches of countryside. Short-lived truces would allow the other peoples of the world just enough time to rebuild, before a continuation of hostilities shattered the peace again, as the boundaries of the dragon territories shifted yet again over the centuries long wars.The End of the War
The end of the War of Dragons, and the dawn of the modern era, began with the founding of an abbey long ago. The War of Dragons devastated the world for centuries - an endless conflict between bickering dragon lords who battled over territory without any regard for the “lesser” races living there. This war was brought to an end only through the efforts of four heroes and the sacrifice of one noble dragon. Working together, they were able to force a powerful new artifact - the Orb of Dragonsouls, which would allow its bearer to control the mind of any dragon. The wars of the dragons only came to an end when four heroes from the Greenwold - a dwarf, elf, halfling and human, went on a quest to speak with one of the dragon lords - a mighty bronze dragon named Aphelion. The heroes convinced the dragon to help them bring peace to the world, and through the sacrifices of all five, the Orb of Dragon Souls was forged. By its power, the dragons were forced to negotiate for peace. In the hands of the good heroes, it was the ultimate deterrent, and by its power the people of the Greenwold were able to sue for peace in court of the Dragon Lords. Lines of territory were drawn which the dragons agreed to abide by, and for the first time in a long age the Greenwold was able to re-build and flourish. In a grand convocation, held in a cloud temple in the high reaches of the sky, the dragons negotiated a peace - dividing up the entire world into ten territories. Each territory would be ruled by a dragon of a given color, with the eldest dragon of that color being the lord of the region. No other dragon would be allowed to pass into or interfere with the territory of any other dragon lord. Each dragon lord assumed the mantle of their governorship in a way suited to their demeanor, some ruling as powerful tyrants, others embracing the new period of peace. Fearing that the Orb would be a potent weapon for evil if it ever fell into the wrong hands, the four heroes dedicated the rest of their lives to protecting it. They founded an abbey in the ruins of old Grayhaven - a place where the survivors of the dragon war could seek peace and healing. In its depths, they built a secret vault and concealed the Orb there - warding it with mighty magics to prevent the artifact from falling into the hands of the unworthy. Centuries passed, Grayhaven flourished, and the threat of dragons receded into memory. As the peace drew on, the abbey gradually became neglected and fell into disuse. The city continued to grow around it, until the abbey became just one more part of the city’s tangled and forgotten sewer system, little more than a haunt for rats and thieves. Somewhere within the abbey’s subterranean, crumbling halls the Orb of Dragonsouls still rests, the two-edged sword by which peace was forged and by which it can be broken, waiting patiently to emerge again into the world.The Dragon Lords
The world was originally created by dragons - or at least, that’s what the dragons say. As a result, the species feels not merely a desire, but an actual obligation to rule the world. In accordance with ancient agreement, the mightiest dragon of each color claims 1/10th of the world as their own inviolable domain. The dragons of the realm are not often seen as they used to. It seems most of their number are gone in one way or another. However, the greatest of the dragons are still present in our world. The dragon war ended with the formation of the Dragon Council. The council is made up of the greatest of each type of dragon. They split the world into parcels at the end of the war and each was given one to preside over.The Greenwold
Mouyld the Green. Mouyld is by all accounts of legend a terrible creature. Green dragons are not known for their goodness to begin with, but as the greatest of the greens, she embodies their cruel and toxic ways. It is said that she brought down the old elven kingdom of the Tanglebrier and took their seat of power as her own. Her presence deep in the Forest is what tainted it, turning it into a dark and dangerous place.The Great Sea
Roil the Brass, rules over the Great Sea. Legends speak of him as a lover of freedom and wild things. You always hear tales from sailors of seeing him frolicking about in the waves or clouds, but who knows if there is any truth to the tales of a sailor? They also say he can summon great storms of wind and lightning and does battle with the kraken of Kraken Bay. Now that would be a sight to behold.The Starless Mire
Sable the Black, Keeper of Secrets is said to reside in the Starless Mire. She is another cruel creature as I have accounted in my knowledge of that area. Sabal is said to Lair somewhere deep in the darkness of the Mire, hoarding secrets. Treasure is not as important to her as the secrets that can control a being’s fate.The Other Dragon Lords
Hrime the White, Lord of Hunters - Lord of the northern areas of the world, Hrime is said to always be hunting. With no single lair to call its own, barbarians tell of small hoards of treasure left by Hrime scattered across the tundra. None are foolish enough to take any if found, and they say that Hrime is best avoided as all are prey to it. Aether the Blue, Master of Lore - Ruler of a vast desert, Aether is said to love knowledge and discoveries of science. He does not take any of the treasure that flows through trade routes of his desert, instead allowing the people living there to pursue their studies. That is more worthwhile to him than gold or jewels. I’ve found note that his Lair is filled with bookshelves and he keeps scholars as slaves to further the knowledge in his collection. He also has a magical palanquin that he resides upon. Quite the sight, I’m sure. Lux the Red, Queen of Wealth - Lux is the most traditional of the Dragon Lords. She covets wealth in all forms. However, she does not enjoy the wanton destruction her color was categorized for. She believes that healthy subjects working in un-razed villages produce more wealth for her to take than dead ones. She rules a large chain of volcanic islands. Perhaps the Burning Isles? Maybe another? I am not sure. Knell the Brass, Totem of Spirits - Knell lives in a vast jungle far from the Greenwold in the Midlands. It’s written that he is an active part in his realm, guiding his people toward balance within their lush home. There are even notes of him taking upon himself their disease or hardships to allow them to prosper and find peace. He sounds like a nice dragon. Much nicer than our own, to say the least. Swift the Copper, The Merry Trickster - Swift rules over idyllic hills and plains filled with rivers, lakes, forest, and happy people. He is said to roam the land in search of a good story, though with his shape-shifting ability who can say if this is true? I suppose that tale telling is a favored pastime of this realm. I know if I were to visit, I would also mind my manners. It wouldn’t do to accidentally be rude to the Dragon Lord in the form of a commoner. Star the Silver, Ward of Hope - The youngest of the Dragon Lords, son of the former Lord, Hope. He inherited a great realm of mountains, forest, and farmland far to the east of the Greenwold. Twelve different nations are in his realm. They are often at war with each other and Hope gave his life to try and show them the ways of good and peace. It is yet to be seen how Star will behave in his realm. Zenith the Gold, Divine Authority - Zenith has been around for a long, long time. He views himself as the protector of the world and that burden has changed him. Texts say he used to be a compassionate and merciful dragon, but now he is known for his cruelty despite being a gold dragon. He views the law as paramount above all, including the lives of other beings. His mountainous home is shared by many dwarven clans who dig into the earth to mine the minerals, but it has been said that digging too deep will only bring doom from what lies below. Well, not so much our problem here in the Greenwold, now is it?The Dragon Council
When the Dragon Council convenes, it is said to do so in the highest reaches of the Overbright upon a cloud fortress formed by the Council’s magic. I don’t know of anyone who’s seen this, so I suppose this information is all conjecture. But one must assume that a Council has a place to meet, yes? Another account I’ve come across says that their Dragon Castle is actually in the Stormfields, but is protected and shut off from the world by a gigantic wall of wind, impassable and that the only way in is to fly up and over the wall. It seems both legends require flight up into the highest reaches of the heavens.
Founding Date
1 Jomiorae 1 AWD
Type
Geopolitical, Lordship
Location
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