The Scarlet Shore

== Summary ==
About the size of Rhode Island the Shore is easily transversed end to end within 2-3 days of walking. There are only 4 towns in the Shore with Rushings and Downriver being the smallest and Silvertree and Palmetto being the largest with Palmetto being the designated ‘capital’ of the Shore. The main roads of the Shore connect the main towns together and also go off to neighboring areas. Despite its size the Shore has strict border guard at its roads and does not allow airship or sea ship trade or entrances into their land.
The Shore’s weather is reminiscent of the Mediterranean, warm breezes during most of the year but during the winter time cool winds from the Southern Icefields and cool the Shore down to more temperate levels allowing the growth of more cold weather crops. The main architecture is also similar to the Mediterranean, white stucco walled buildings and beautiful vistas but because of the proximity to the Expanse the Shore is very technologically advanced. This extends into their farming and day to day life with most of the large farming done by machines and magic. 
The Shore’s main export is agricultural goods and artisan crafts. Because technology and magic helps so much in their farming many people have time to dedicate to mastering a craft and have a very high standard of living with even poor farmers being much more wealthy than poor farmers in other countries. As the Wastes and Expanse have such arid climates with only small pockets of arable land kingdoms and clans within it often have to import food from outside of their borders. The Shore is one of the few large areas with large amounts of fertile land between the two Flight territories and thus supplies many other clans and kingdoms with some or all of their food. This has made the Shore very rich.
== History ==
=== Founding ===
Originally the Scarlet Shore was known as the Green Stretch and was settled by four families who found the fertile ground trying to get away from the constant wars of the Flights and within the same Flight. They were the Silvertrees, the Palmettos, the Rushings, and the Downriver families and they settled in the Green Stretch in simple homesteads to carve out a life here to make their lives away from normal dragon society.
The land was rich for growing thanks to the rich sands blown from the Expanse and the ash from the Waste that collected in this area. Without trying too hard the land itself reaped more produce and product than the families could ever hope to eat on their own. So they started trading it to their fellow homesteaders and eventually out beyond the Green Stretch to neighboring clans, kingdoms, and factions.
This abundance soon gained unwanted attention. Before the Green Stretch was seen as too small and insignificant to even bother farming for the Flights or surrounding kingdoms, and too remote with no good places for ports to try and get to it. But these families had done it effortlessly. Soon dozens of farmers were coming to the Green Stretch to work the land of bounty. Not only was it outside of kingdom laws but you could own your own land and all the food you produced. They came and built their homes and farms around the original family's farms and the communities grew and exports of food exploded. This caused kingdoms to start to look closer at the Green Stretch and what it had to offer.
=== The Reddening ===
Several large clans and kingdoms all came to the same conclusion around the same time. Why bother paying to import food from the Green Stretch when they could just take control of the land and get all that food without paying for it.
This was the start of the Reddening. A period of a few centuries where the Green Stretch was invaded regularly by surrounding or sometimes far off kingdoms and clans to depose the current land owners and take over. This period of time saw a near collapse of the farming culture in the Green Stretch as farmers and their families left in droves. Because of the regular invasions the ground was often soaked in blood and it wasn't uncommon for the river and shore to run red with the blood of those killed in the raids and battles.
The new rulers always taxed the people hard and if they didn't pay in treasure or crops they were often killed and left in their fields as warning. Pay your taxes, or suffer the consequences. This is when the area became known as the Scarlet Shore and the name the Green Stretch faded from collective memory. Named such because the river and ocean shores were often stained red with blood.
=== Peacekeepers ===
After so long being subjugated by invaders at one point the remaining farmers finally had enough. With the help of their demi gods the farmers struck back against the current governor of the Scarlet Shore and threw him and all his soldiers out of their land. They then set up blockades at all the roads leading into the Scarlet Shore with armed guards to make sure no one could get in or out without them knowing. With the backing of their war gods even small forces were able to hold back larger forces sent to quell the uprising.
Eventually the losses the larger kingdoms took was too great and they decided it wasn't worth it to keep attacking the Scarlet Shore. The Scarlet Shore announced their independent sovereignty shortly after the last kingdom they were at war with signed a peace with them. The farmers of the Scarlet Shore had no use for a king but it was agreed they should have one anyway, to keep up appearances. 
Unlike other sovereign states the Shore has no ruling family or class. Instead the king or queen is an elected official who holds office until death or they step down after so many decades of service. They are a figurehead only and hold very little real power. The election is more of a popularity contest more than anything and most elected kings or queens are just the most liked dragon in the Shore at the time. Their main function is to meet with ambassadors of different kingdoms, empires, and factions and sooth any thoughts they have of going to war over the Shore again. Everyone in the Shore recognizes it as a paper title but those outside the Shore see them as a proper monarch of the Shore and treat them as such, not realizing to the inhabitants of the Shore it’s kinda a big joke.
== Stolen Demi-Gods ==
Located within the borders of the Shore are various demi-gods. Beings once worshiped by Beastclans and given power through their belief these beings have lost their originally worshipers and traveled Sorienth looking for a place to settle. Several settled in the Shore back when it was the Green Stretch and helped the original farmers get a foothold in the land, clearing trees and preparing the land for crops and pastures. Each of the towns in the Scarlet Shore house 2-3 of these demi gods in temple shrines and they are worshiped along side the traditional dragon gods. Some people of the Shore worship them more than the dragon gods as these gods are tangible and often interact with the daily lives of the citizens of the Shore.
Some Beastclans have heard of these demi gods and are furious that they are being worshiped by dragons. They see these demi-gods as their gods even though the gods were no longer being worshiped properly by their original worshipers. Serthis who come to trade or live in the Shore are especially bitter of the fact that major sun and moon deities live in the Shore and wear the guise of dragons and not their original serthis forms. 
== Notable Denizens of the Shore (lore in dragons in WIP) ==
*Vondugard Silvertree (king)
*Ardath Rushings (Patriarch of the Rushings family)
*Lucy Silvertree (Matriarch of the Silvertree family and mother of Vondugard)
*Relic Downriver (Patriarch of the Downriver family)
*Nadalin Palmetto (Acting Matriarch of the Palmetto family)
*Altair (demi god of the moon)
*Malik (demi god of the sun)
*Johanna (demi god of battle)
*Veronica Rhule (spymaster)
*Azrael Tealeaf (counter terrorism field operative)
*Aminik (Commander of the Scarlet Shore Militia)
*Spayar of the Belspring (Bodyguard to Tassa of the Belspring)
== Factions ==
== Towns of the Scarlet Shore ==
Palmetto
Silvertree
Rushings
Downriver
Category:Clans
Category:Fire