Dragonlands

## History

While the other four Dominar have forged relatively contiguous realms based at least partially around cooperation among their own races, the Dragons could not be more different. Undoubtedly the most powerful beings in Eluseus, the five Elder Drakes combined could have certainly used their combined forces to annihilate not only the Men and Magi, but the other four Dominar in time, however for reasons unknown the five flights seemed to want little to do with each other. Instead the Five Flights, Red, Blue, Green, Black & White, dispersed across the enormity of Eluseus, each carving their own territory seemingly as far away from the other as geography allowed. To the west of Nevullon went the White Flight, settling upon the shivering isle of Irabar. To the east of Ulcanyos went the Red Flight, claiming the scorching Scorz Plateau. To the north of Thulu went the Blue Flight, roosting on the volcanic island of Crakon. To the south of Karvhat went the Black Flight, subduing the majestic Smarag Mountains. Lastly, to the center of the known world went the Green Flight, settling on the irenic island of Oburoos.

These dragons would utterly annihilate the local kingdoms, razing any settlement larger than a hamlet in their reign of fire. However as the last embers of conquest began to extinguish, a curious calm fell over these newly christened ‘Dragonlands’, as the beasts which had wrought such total destruction retreated to their mountain peaks instead of claiming the mantle of their new empire. From the ashes, the races which had once ruled began to rebuild, still cowering at even the slightest shadow in the clouds. Yet the silence from above would continue for decades, allowing the rebirth of humanoid rule in Eluseus. This would not go unnoticed by the other Dominar however. Just as these new kingdoms of Men and Magi began to find their footing, invasions were launched by these other Dominar, and seemingly insurmountable tides of Dominar forces poured into these fledgling kingdoms. Just as all seemed lost, suddenly the Dragonflights reappeared, slaughtering the Dominar armies with ease and forcing a hasty retreat. The Flights would not pursue this advantage however, instead retreating to their mountains to continue their inexplicable silence. The kingdoms of Men and Magi, in awe of the destructive power on display, assumed that this protection must mean they had been divinely chosen by these new strange and powerful gods. They grew brash and bold, and began building armies of their own, intent on reclaiming their stolen lands from the other Dominar. Yet just as they marched to the edge of each borderland, again the heavens opened and the terrible power of the Dragons poured forth, immolating their armies before turning to rain fire once again on their cities. With this reckoning, the hubris of the humanoids was thoroughly cowed. The message of the Dragons was clear, no matter how unclear their reasons; the men and magi of the Dragonlands would have no masters but the ones above.

And so the Dragonlands have continued, ruled by petty kingdoms of Men and Magi, unable to expand beyond their small reserve and unable to progress past a state of perpetual superstition, as virgins, scholars, and foreigners are often ritualistically sacrificed to these mysterious mountain gods. These kingdoms would still attract refugees from all corners of Eluseus, falsely believing their lands to be free of the iron grip of the Dominar. In truth, though they are rarely seen, the Dragons do still strike, burning cities and colleges or even snatching upstart wizards or generals in a seemingly arbitrary fashion, dooming their lands to a state of perpetual feudalism and superstition. Though recently this too has begun to change…