Primer: Dragon Empire Revelations
We know little about the Dragon Empire that rules Darastrix Tolgalen, the Lost Dragon Isle. When it first appeared on the Day of Dispelling, thousands of low-caste refugees poured out of the island. A few years later, the purple shards of the Boundary went up to stem the outflow. Now, only a few citizens of the Empire escape each year.
Them dragonborn are some of the toughest fighters I've ever had the pleasure to tangle with. If those sons of dragons are low-caste warriors, I can't even imagine what their well trained troops are like. I hope they stay cooped up on that island forever. Az knows what kind of trouble we'd be in if their armies ever cross the Boundary!
The large island of Darastrix Tolgalen is actually an ancient sub-continent that was exiled in a pocket dimension at the end of the Age of Monsters. Only a few thousand years passed in the outside world, but time ran differently in the Dragon Empire. 100,000 years went by for the dragons and their kin. As the millenia passed the dragons realized they had miscalculated their ritual. They would be trapped away from the rest of the multiverse until an external force released them.
As the millenia passed, the immense dragons quickly ran out of space. In a bid to save themselves, the lawful dragons banded together to create the Darastrix Order and the Primacy of Scales. Led by the ancient gold, Harmonic Horizon, they partitioned the island into eight parts and subjugated the rest of their draconic brothers and sisters. Less than a thousand true dragons remain on the island, only eight of them (plus the Emperor) are ancient wyrms.
In order to survive the remaining dragons adapted by becoming smaller and having a shorter lifespan. They became dragonborn.
The Boundary
A boundary of purple megaliths carved with runes float in a circle around the Dragon Isle. Overflowing with elemental energy, they blow apart boats and skyships that dare to approach them from the outside world. Those unworthy enough to flee the Dragon Empire also face destruction from the Boundary Markers.
Regular wildlife, birds and fish that lack the spark of intelligence, fly and swim past the Markers unharmed. Any animals attempting to land on the Markers, however, are incinterated when they touch them.
The magical power of the Boundary Markers prevents divination magic from penetrating them. Not only do they protect the privacy of the Empire, they prevent those within the borders from seeing out as well.
The Truth and the Fallacy
Refugees escaping the island report that the denizens of the Empire are kept under contol by the doctrind of "The Truth and the Fallacy". They are taught that that only they know the "true" nature of reality. There is nothing except for Darastrix Tolgalen, everything else is a lie and a deception. The Truth existed since time immemorial: the Land, the Sea, and the Red Dome of Heaven that marked the end of reality.
A lifetime ago, on the Day of Deception, the Red Dome disappeared, replaced by an unnatural void. The void shines blue during the day as the unrelenting Eye of the Enemy travels above. At night, it becomes dark and black, full of small uncaring eyes. The changing nature of the "sky", with the "Shattered Moon" and new "moons" constantly appearing are obvious proofs of The Truth and The Fallacy.
Those who leave the island do not survive. They become Unmade, they no longer exist. Those who return must be killed and their bodies burned immediately lest they spread the Fallacy and unmake reality.
The Primacy of Scales
The strict caste system of the Dragon Empire is referred to as the "Primacy of Scales". Based on a being's ancestry, the Primacy determines a person's rank, jobs, titles and ability to advance in the society of the Dragon Empire. It places dragons above all with dragonborn and other scaled races just beneath them. The lower castes are filled out with amphibians and avians with mammals at the very bottom.
The Emperor
Emperor Harmonic Horizon stands at the top of the Primacy. He has ruled the Dragon Empire since the beginning of time. There has been no other Emperor. He rules in the name of the Five-Headed Mother and is her Avatar in the Truth.
Darastrix Order
The dragons of Darastrix Tolgalen serve the Emperor and rank just below him in the rigid order of the Primacy. Eight ancient wyrms rule their portions of the island with iron will and their destructive breath weapons. They are named:
- Prince Heartlance
- Rajah Tempest Fury
- Amir Hannibator
- Rajah Empyreal Watcher
- Prince Willblighter
- Amir Thuncada
- Rajah Sentinel Tango
- The Dauphin Gammoranth
After the dragons the Primacy orders the sentients of the island in the following order: dragonborn, the scaled (lizardfolk, yuan-ti, tortles, kobolds, troglodytes), the unscaled (bulllywugs, grippli/grung, kenku, kuo-toa, locathah, sahuagin), and lastly mammals.
Mammalian sentients suffer under the rule of "Mammals are Meat". They are considered little more than livestock in the Primacy of Scales. The only widespread sentient mammals on the island are the nezumi rat-folk.
Clans of the Dragon Empire
Under the rigid order of the Empire, the Emperor and the Order own all the lands of the Island. The dragons allow those lower in the Primacy to work on and administrate the land. In return for this honor, they provide food, treasure, and warriors to the Imperial Order. Only the strong are allowed to control land. The clans war amongst each other constantly to prove their worth. The clan families constantly probe each other for weakness, seeking to become the head family of their clan.
The clans rise and fall in status over the centuries. Today's great houses and families can become minor clans, or even extinct, in the span of a generation. The clans are named for the great beasts of the island that have earned the respect of the dragons.
Major Clans
The Major Clans of the Empire are currently: Alligator, Tapejara, Tyrannosaurus, Allosaurus, Raptor, Quetzalcoatulus, Dilophosaurus, and Triceratops.
Minor Clans
The Minor Clans of the Empire are: Tortoise, Crow, Snake, Sauropod, Spinosaurus, Therizinosaurus, Ankylosaurus.
Extinct Clans
Clans that have become extinct include: Monitor, Axolotl, Stegosaurus
Lands of the Dragon Isle
The sub-tropical island of Darastrix Tolgalen contains most climates except for those of the cold arctic. During its time cut off from the rest of the world, it has developed many unique species. Since the time of its exile, the healthy population of dinosaurs has continued to thrive.
Over the millenia, every inch of the island has come under the control of the Darastrix Lakanates.
The Mountains
The island has two sets of mountain chains. The tallest, Horizon's View, runs north to south down the middle of the island. The older, shorter range runs on the southeast shore and is called the Dragon's Back.
The Birthing Pools
Warm lagoons in the center of the island are held in great reverence. The egg laying denizens journey here to make nests and raise their hatchlings in peace. Combat is forbidden in the Birthing Pools and they are held in common amongst all the Clans and Families.
The Jungles
The central basin holds deep jungles that serve as hunting and breeding grounds for scalykind. The jungles provide food, medicine, and materials for the Empire.
The Coast and Islands
The scalykind of the coasts and islands live in the shadow of the Boundary Monoliths. They fish and swim offshore, careful not to tempt the elemental power of the Monoliths.
The Western Desert
The mountains of Horizon's View block the clouds, forming the Desert of Dry Lightning. The canyon strewn land is a source of mineral wealth craved by the dragon overlords.
Comments