Xadrin'thaal

A grand game played by a select group of True Dragons competing for power and each other's hoards. Dragons who play Xadrin'thaal are known as Xadrin. 
== Pronunciation ==
"Zaa-dren-thal" 
Often mispronounced by non-dragons or dragons that want to conceal the game's true name. 
== Gameplay ==
The only creatures who can grasp the true nuances, concepts, and gameplay of Xadrin'thaal are dragons and some dragon-kin, as it is a game made by dragons for dragons to pass time in their incredibly long lifespans and gain power over each other and other creatures on the Material Plane. Only dragons can join the game as well, as it involves its players undergoing a transformation that takes a dragon's innate magical powers out of its body and into the game. 
Dragons that undergo this transformation and become Xadrin'thaal players are known as "Xadrin." These dragons still retain their physical form and abilities, breath weapon, shapechanging, and hoarding abilities, but they can no longer cast spells using their innate magic. Any Xadrin spellcasters would have regained the ability to cast spells through alternate means (e.g. normal arcane/divine spellcasting). 
To most creatures, Xadrin'thaal can be likened to 5-D chess, as the players use the magic they lost through becoming a Xadrin to control and give power to other creatures, who become like "pieces" in their games. Most of these "pawns" are completely unaware that they are being used for such a purpose, though some make the deal willingly and knowingly, in exchange for the power the Xadrin would share with them. The most powerful of these "pawns" are called Exarchs, and these tend to be very powerful figures in the world. Exarchs are often given control over other pawns, along with the ability to recruit them as their Xadrin's pieces. 
Xadrin'thaal is an ongoing game, and its players all play against each other, similar to an MMO game. The goal, or the way to "win" is to capture other Xadrin's hoards and add them to one's own. Taking a Xadrin's hoard also means taking their power, giving the winning Xadrin an advantage. The player with the biggest hoard is the top player and has the most power to divide between their pawns and Exarchs. If a hoard has been completely stolen, the Xadrin is out of the game and completely loses its magic. Thus, most Xadrin have many hoards hidden in various places on the Material Plane and hide their identities, often having a few alter-egos or personas. 
Xadrin'thaal gameplay is loosely based off of and inspired by Xorvintaal. 
=== Xadrin Names ===
Player names tend to follow the format of "<name> of <attribute>" for dragons who do not use or have a family/clan name. Some Xadrin will keep the name they had before they underwent their transformation, while others will change it. 
== Drawbacks ==
Besides its unethical use of sentient beings as pawns, Xadrin'thaal has many drawbacks and implications to both dragonkind and the Material Plane. 
=== Dragonkind ===
Draconic magic is inherited and passed down between generations, progressively becoming stronger with each generation. Since the dragons' innate magical powers are taken up by the game, they will not be able to pass it down to the next generation if they reproduce after joining the game. Therefore, any dragons sired by Xadrin have little to no innate draconic magic and must consume other dragons' souls to become True Dragons, even if they are the offspring of True Dragons. 
Dragons are encouraged to become Xadrin when they have not chosen an heir for their magic yet, as they have the greatest amount of power that can be used for the game - and the greatest amount of power that other players can steal. 
The growing popularity of Xadrin'thaal and continuous play has resulted in the population of True Dragons and draconic magic in general declining, and there are only a few True Dragon families left. Zamfira Argentine was one of the last True Silver Dragons until she passed her ancient magic down to the half-dragon Stella Argentine, who in turn used most of it to save the Ekenblim and part of it to become the Xadrin Stellfeira. The brass dragon-kin Nezgrax also used the power gained from ascending to True Dragonhood to become a Xadrin. 
If a Xadrin loses all of its hoard, they lose the fire within themselves - the desire to hoard, live, and be sentient. These ex-Xadrin dragons often die or go mad, going on destructive rampages and giving a bad name to other full-blooded dragons and even half-dragons. This has led to dragons being almost universally viewed as monsters and dragon hunting/slaying being generally normalized and even revered. That is why some dragons, such as Zamfira, refuse to partake in the game and must remain hidden. 
=== The Material Plane ===
Many Xadrin view "non-scaled" creatures as inferior and expendable. More evil-leaning Xadrin will stop at nothing to gain power or other Xadrin's hoards, committing acts that cause death and destruction on possibly immense scales (pun intended). Matches between Xadrin easily turn deadly for pawns or anyone unlucky enough to be caught in the crossfire. Pawns and exarchs can also be evil-leaning, and gaining power from their Xadrin only enables and fuels their deeds, so they become threats themselves. 
Some good-leaning Xadrin, such as Remedios of the Golden Scales, use their power to protect the Material Plane by curbing other Xadrin, empowering their exarchs to do good, and forming strong protection organizations such as P.L.E.A.S.E. However, these Xadrin and organizations are not without their faults and drawbacks on regular society. 
== Known Players ==
Note: the below table only contains known/revealed Xadrin'thaal players, and it is not exhaustive. 
From the Season 2022 epilogues, a few Xadrin were revealed to be black, copper, blue, and green dragons. 
Table of Xadrin
Rank	Xadrin Name 	Type 	Alignment 	Goals 	Exarchs
1 	Remedios of the Golden Scales 	Golden 	Lawful Good 	
# Remain the #1 player.
# Protect the Material Plane 	
* Kairosia of the Shadowy Maw. Remedios is the only Xadrin powerful enough to have a True Dragon as an exarch, and he is part of the select few that have more than one exarch. 
* Avarice H. Was initially a pawn, but he made her into an Exarch after Snackspionage
2 	Dolxeros of the Obsidian Soul 	Black 	Neutral Evil	
# Become the #1 player
# Take all of Remedios' hoard and make him lose 	Unknown
3 	Bob of the Ancients 	Silver 	Chaotic Good	
# Gain wealth
# Cause chaos but in a good way
# Survive 	Gaveriel Jovar. Gaveriel is also his adopted son.
4 	Stellfaeira of the Infinite Spirits	Silver 	Chaotic Good	End the game and restore the dragons' stolen power. She is known for taking most of a defeated player's hoard but leaving them with just a little bit so they don't lose entirely.	
* Maelaurian. Though Stellfaeira has not been playing for long at all and had little power to put into the game, she is among the top players due to having a demigoddess as an exarch and her power spread through millions of Ekenblim. 
* Lennington Brandybuck. Lenny has no clue what he's doing but he somehow does it well. As always.
5 	Egazhkera the Unhinged 	Crystal	Chaotic Evil	Make other players lose, or at least make the game difficult for them. 	Egazhkera takes a different approach to exarchs: rather than giving one or two enough power to be True Dragons, she spreads her power more evenly among them. 
* Trixie Jo
* Humbolt - Model 66784
* Graveyard Shift
* Reine Ylvaby
? 	Nesgrax Skaarzborroosh 	Brass 	Neutral Good	Become a top player 	Unknown
Category:Events