Dragonforge

The great fortress of the Dragon-King, Dragonforge is home to the mysterious and isolated Dragonborn Clans. It is located on the northern peninsula, and reaches far into the roots of the earth and high into the clouds swirling above its arcane spires. The Dragonborn are ruled by the Primal Council, where each draconic element is represented by a Dragon-Lord and the Council in turn answers to the almost religious command of the Dragon-King, an ancient being of terrible power and unknown origin.

## History

### The Primordial Era

No one can say with certainty where the dragons came from or how they came to be. The metaphorical and often cryptic treatment of the majestic beasts in the writings of Saint Fain in the Book of Truth have left even the faithful divided on the topic. Some believe they were simply created by Elyrial like most living creatures, but the High Cleric rejects this notion on account of references to the dragons coming from "beyond" or "from within" the world, a passage in Condemnations 42: 12-18 even saying "The dragons who art the world, who art of the world and who art above the world; they shall envelop all Norospire in flaming wings of mercy which in infinite glory

shall crush good and evil alike. The final form of existence is not light nor darkness but the peaceful sigh of a sleeping dragon. The dragons are our enemy and our friend, the dragons are all of us for indeed the dragons are everything. Trust them only as often as you distrust them." This leads some to believe that the dragons are demons, or that they are instruments of the gods, or that they are both. Some even theorize that the dragons were not created by the gods at all, but were simply there. Scholars in the Bardic University have recently given rise to the idea that dragons are faeries that somehow came to the material world long ago, even helping to form it with their powerful command over the primordial elements. Whatever the case, it is clear that dragons have been around as long as time itself and that they are an integral part of Norospire and its arcane nature. What is known for certain of the primordial dragons follows here.

When the world was still forming, the dragons were present. Their wings carried them through the nether as their scales protected them from the explosive and twisting elements that were becoming Norospire. As shape, time and space gradually came into being, dragons would settle in places most pleasing to them. Whether the elements are a reflection of the dragons or the dragons are the reflection of the elements is not entirely clear, but each of the dragons most certainly holds power and likeness to a particular element known as their primordial affinity.

The Primordial Era was a time including and following the formation of Norospire in which huge beasts roamed the land and the early conflicts of the gods took place. According to Valamari legend, Rhonar hunted these monsters, including the primordial dragons. Huge draconic nightmares would do battle with the god of strength for decades on end, their breath burning down forests and their roar collapsing mountains. Wishmoreen historians concede that whether it was indeed Rhonar or some other powerful being or beings, there was a battle between something and the primordial dragons ere the birth of man. As the creatures were hunted into relative humility, they lost much of their size and dominion over the world. No longer did they control the seasons, but they could still exercise slight command over the elements and their innate connection to the flow of arcana gave them considerable magical ability.

### The Dragon Wars

Dragons had always been solitary and independent, even competitive and territorial, creatures. This is what made their downfall in the Primordial Era possible: dragons would never unite to protect each other. They only sought to gather their own hoards and rest upon them alone. Yet when the races of men and elves entered Norospire, their dominion was once again threatened. It must be understood that the dragons saw themselves as the apex predator, the unchallenged rulers of the world on a very physical and magical level. When humans started building cities and elves started weaving arcana, this was perceived as a threat on the dragon supremacy. This is why the dragons were willing to swallow their pride and look to the Dragon Lords for leadership.

The Dragon Lords are the last remnants of what was once the primordial dragons. Mighty beasts of immense power and intellect, these dragons are the alphas of dragonkind. Three main dragon lords rose above the rest - Uthagard the White, Baraxis the Red and Mithrilin the Green. Dragons all across the world swore allegiance to one of these three, forming the first dragon clans. Behind the Dragon Lords, draconic armies swept the land, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake. Entire Almadheen cities (most notably the great city state of Jarenha) were crushed by pure draconic power.

It wasn't long before the cities of man and all other races were ruled by Dragon Lords, and their people enslaved. Mortals lived in a state of constant oppression and fear. Some scholars of the faith point to the rule of the dragon lords and their cruel practices as the reason mankind was so depraved before the revelation of Saint Fain. Yet in this environment where their raw power was once again made apparent, the dragons began to fight each other for control over their hoards. The three clans of Uthagard, Baraxis and Mithrilin plus many more clans which had formed over the years would constantly war against each other. The mortals suddenly gained value as slave armies used as pawns by their overlords in bloody conflicts. Some of these slave warriors were dragon-marked. That is, they were branded with magical runes by their dragon lord masters which gave them dragon blood and some of the magical powers that came with that. These were the first draconic sorcerers.

As dragons are always drawn to their element, the clans were split into different biomes and their wars were contained within these areas. That is, the northern dragons would throw armies of Nothir slaves at each other in war but these nothir armies would rarely leave the north and interact with the other races. In this way, the world was split into various theaters that would not meet one another for many years till the spread of the Valamari Empire.

The people used this war time as a chance to rise up. Revolts all across the world threw down the dragon regime, and sorcerers were instrumental in this process. In particular, the Valamari remember Gunhiram, a sorcerer who rode a pegasus and took up an otherworldly blade called Elderthorn which glowed green and commanded an ancient power, and defeated Dragon Lord Baraxis in battle over the city of Valamar. In that battle, he struck the great dragon with Elderthorn and in a flash of green they both disappeared, as did much of the west part of the city. What happened to the sorcerer and the dragon is the subject of many myths and legends.

The tyranny of the dragons was ended after a long and bloody struggle, and finally the mortals ruled Norospire.

### Founding the Dragonforge

No one quite knows where the Dragon-King came from, or what his goals are and none now live who know what he looks like. But it is taught that it was he who spawned the dragonborn. Legions of draconic humanoids spewed forth from the Dragon-King's ancient place of dwelling beneath the northern peaks. The massive, perhaps primordial, king of beasts commanded them to carve out for him a kingdom and to build a towering spire in tribute to his magnificence. The dragonborn threw overthrew the Hinodese empire on the Norospire mainland, driving them back to the Hinodese Isles. Then, for the next hundred years, they would toil at the construction of the highest point in the world: The grand Dragonforge.

Dragonforge became known as a haven for dragon kind and therefore drew in dragons from all across the world, regardless of element. These dragons served as slave drivers to the oppressed dragonborn, whose work consumed their lives till their bitter end in the snow where they were eaten by their desperate companions. All in Dragonforge answered to the absolute rule of the Dragon-King, who ruled with an iron claw.

For many years, the dragons and dragonborn of Dragonforge would war with the neighboring Hinodese Empire. The Emperor of Hinode sought to reclaim his lost territories in the north which the dragons now occupied. During these wars, the dragonborn population was halved. With the collapse of the First Empire in Hinode, however, the war was ended and Dragonforge's interests turned inward as the realm of dragons returned to an isolated culture.

### The Dragonborn Uprising

As decades passed of the dragonborn toiling tirelessly to the benefit and luxury of their dragon overlords, the Dragon-King became less and less heard of. He retreated to rest in the deep parts of Dragonforge and faded into myth. Without the fear of the Dragon-King looming over them, the dragonborn became emboldened. Many started to speak in hushed whispers of rebellion. Most notable of these was Nazavur Velkel, a frost dragonborn. Nazavur gathered comrades sympathetic to his cause and spread the message that it was the dragonborn who upheld the Dragonforge and not the dragons, and so they had just as much right to the luxuries they wrought. Eventually, this led to the halting of mining and construction.

Dragons grew angry with their slaves and began to torture and murder disobedient dragonborn. This seemed to only embolden Nazavur's comrades further, as they realized they had nothing to lose. Dragonforge society was collapsing, and many dragons were leaving to seek their own fortune away from the Dragon-King's fortress tower. When the Dragon-King's own wealth began to diminish due to the halting of taxes from the dragons, he awoke once more. The Dragon-king let loose his terrible flame upon his disobedient subjects, killing even Nazavur Velkel himself. This was known as the Furnace of Terror, and it reduced the dragonborn population to a quarter of its previous size. Yet, the death of Nazavur only made him a martyr to his people who would now rather die than face servitude again. By now there were sympathetic dragons who took the side of the dragonborn and made their demands to the Dragon-King which were: Free the dragonborn from slavery and allow them to make their own hoards, appoint a council of dragons to look after the rights and interests of their dragonborn subjects, and lower the taxes on the dragon hoards.

The Dragon-King reluctantly agreed to these terms and signed the Dragonforge Accord, cementing them in law as he realized that it was either sign or lose his entire workforce. He only had one condition which was that the dragons of the newly formed Primal Council defer to his judgement on all decisions. This has over time become a more and more symbolic rule, as the Dragon-King is rarely interested in intervening in council politics and is in fact quite happy to simply slumber upon his great hoard of treasure.

### The Primal Council

Dragons on the Primal council each represent an elemental hall of the dragonborn, as the various elements inhabit separate parts of Dragonforge and have separate interests. At the center of the Council's meeting hall is a great statue of Nazavur. There exist four Orders of dragons, which serve as political factions striving for the votes of the dragonborn people so that their members may sit on the Primal Council. These Orders are: Nesitok, (tradition) which aims to preserve the ancient authoritarian traditions of the dragons and holds the Dragon-King in great esteem, Martivir, (peace) which aims for harmony and equality of the elements, Duulo, (freedom) which aims for greater power and freedom for the dragonborn themselves and Kultis, (order) which aims to maintain control over the less lawful parts of society by granting greater powers to the Council.

### Modern Dragonforge

No one but the Primal Council has seen or heard from the Dragon-King in centuries. The doors of Dragonforge have been firmly shut for so long that many now doubt its existence. Dragonborn society, however, thrives on sport and contest and although their isolationism has killed any potential imperial ambition, their mines boom and their people are safe and content. The Kultis Order shares majority power with the Martivir Order, with Nesitok seemingly on its way out. It would seem that the future holds nothing but brightness for the dragonborn.

## Clan and Family

Clan and family bloodlines are both preserved among dragonborn and are highly important to dragonborn culture as a whole. Both are different, though the distinction is subtle to non-dragonborn. Family refers specifically to actual blood relatives, as far as can be traced, whereas clan, in the dragonborn context, refers to a confederation of families united by mutual purpose in ages past, organized along military lines. Of the two, clan is usually considered more important and it is to the clan that dragonborn owe their most loyalty.

Clans are led by wizened, aged clan-masters chosen for their ability to lead who are looked to for guidance by their lieges. Dragonborn do not forget the past, and ties to clan and family determine much about how one dragonborn is viewed by others. All clans have reputations, for good and ill, that often last for generations. A dragonborn's actions are expected to bring favor and good will to their clan, improving this reputation. For this reason, dragonborn typically go by their clan names rather than their family names, hoping to bring honor and glory to their clan.

This pressure to either right the wrongs of the past or continue a clan's glory can define a dragonborn's life. Some dragonborn flee from the imposing responsibilities their clan put on them, choosing infamy over such a burden. Others accept the responsibility or even turn it into an additional drive for their ambition, hoping to one day become the clan-master.

Overall, compared with clan ties, family is secondary and private to dragonborn, as reflected by the fact that most dragonborn family names are kept secrets shared with only the closest friends and other family members. The usual family unit is quite small, often composed of only two individuals: a mated pair or a parent and its child. Dragonborn marriages are arranged by the clan leaders along old pact lines. Dragonborn lack the association of love with marriage that many races have, instead wedding purely for reproductive reasons. Once a dragonborn child reaches 3 years old the wedding is typically dissolved, with the parent who is the same sex as the child rearing it for the remainder of its childhood.

The parent–child relationship during the formative years between the marriage's dissolution and the child's adulthood are incredibly important. Parents, along with other adults from the community, are expected to not simply act as loving caretakers but teachers as well, using storytelling and direct action to instill the virtues of society within a child. In addition to scholarly studies and moral lessons, parents are also expected to focus the drive of a child and teach them basic martial skills for the purpose of defense. Dragonborn believe this in-depth mentorship is necessary not only for the child's education but also for their morality. It is thought that without this imposed discipline, a dragonborn's fierce passions might give way to a feral savagery. Within a large dragonborn community, the parent maintains the position of authority, but other adults are allowed to act as surrogate parents and teachers, giving a young child multiple examples to learn from.

## People of Dragonforge

Dragonforge is inhabited entirely by dragons and dragonborn. Dragonborn have a well-known dedication to honor, but how deeply rooted this trait is remains debatable. However, all dragonborn tend to view all living things, even hated enemies, as deserving of courtesy and respect. To dragonborn, honor is more than a word and is often considered more important than life itself. Cowardice is not simply undesirable among dragonborn, it is considered outright repulsive.

    Part of the roots of this honorable attitude lay in the dragonborn's drive for self-improvement. The draconic nature of dragonborn gives them a strong self-consciousness and a tendency for strong emotions. Both of these combine to make dragonborn particularly wanting for the approval of others. Dragonborn place great value on the skill of an individual, including themselves. Failing at a task is anathema to dragonborn and as a result they sometimes push themselves to unhealthy extremes of effort. This aspect of the dragonborn mind means few of the race take a laid-back approach to any skill or ability, striving always to become the masters of a particular skill, and dragonborn respect those among other races who approach life in the same manner.
Humans see dragonborn as proud or even arrogant because of this dedication to excellence and high standards. It is true that dragonborn are typically proud of their race's accomplishments. However, dragonborn are also more than willing to recognize with respect the accomplishments of other races in turn, whether or not the race in question is an ally or enemy.

    Moreso than other races, dragonborn often wear their hearts on their sleeves, typically hiding neither anger nor joy. Dragonborn are enthusiastic about life, particularly success, and brood about failure for only a short time before their disappointment is shaped into a strong drive for improvement. Only a handful of dragonborn actually demonstrate traits that might be considered timid or reserved, and the vast majority of the race has no qualms asking for what they need or taking time to improve themselves. Trust is a major factor in the lives of all dragonborn and each expects others to be just as open and forthcoming with them as they are.

Perhaps paradoxically, given the often rigid conditions of their society, dragonborn have a strong sense of independence and self-worth. Most dragonborn, however, do not view this as a need to break away from society as other individuals might, but rather to shape it for the better through their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Likewise, dragonborn see themselves as responsible for those around them, with the group ultimately reflecting on the individual. In this way, the successes and failures of each dragonborn are the successes and failures of the group they associated with, giving dragonborn a very collective sense of self while retaining their individuality. Ultimately, dragonborn hold themselves accountable for their choice of allies and poor judgment is considered no excuse for failing to uphold the standards all dragonborn hold themselves to.

Among dragonborn, the most horrible crime is oath-breaking; honesty is expected whenever a deal is struck. Commitment to a word is expected to be carried out to the letter and all parties in a transaction are held accountable and responsible for failings. Ultimately, those who fail to meet their word were expected to accept the consequences and, in fact, most dragonborn do so. So widespread is this value of honor and honesty that it is commonly believed that dragonborn *never* break their word.

The studies of magical arts are rare in Dragonforge. This is not to say that dragonborn mages are uncommon, it is quite the contrary. Draconic blood lends dragonborn to very powerful arcane magicks, but magic is viewed more as a blessing than a learned talent in the society of Dragonforge. Sorcerers make up most of the magical community, as arcane practice is mostly confined to those dragonborn who have inherited a draconic bloodline. Sorcerers are revered and deeply respected by the dragonborn and even some lesser dragons.

Like the dragonborn approach to art, the race's attitude towards leisure activities is very practical, and when dragonborn aren't at work, they are often engaged in sports with a training component to them. Often competitive, these sports lack teams, with the most popular games ending in victory for one, clear winner. Many of these sports are also violent, particularly by the standards of many other races, and wrestling is extremely popular with the race, as are, to a more limited extent, blood sports such as gladiator games or pit fighting.

Not all dragonborn sports are so physical, however, and the race is also fond of strategic board games, riddle contests, or improvised storytelling events. In all cases, the dragonborn emphasis for recreation is on the triumph of the individual and the improvement of practical skills.

As Dragonforge is extremely isolationist, dragonborn are rarely seen by the other races. The less educated do not even know the majestic creatures exist and may be frightened upon seeing one.