Skybreak

Skybreak is the southernmost district of **Eoralia** and is currently ruled by **Brathig Stormhide**. It touches all other districts and also borderes **Xerelyn**. It contains the extremely tall and treacherous **Skybreak Mountains** and the temperature is very cold. Many buildings and city, like the capital, **Slatewatch**, are built into the stone of the mountains.

## History

**Origins:**

Long ago. there was a small town named Kravale that was home to many dwarves. One day, a band of orcs came from the northwest and ransacked the village. Left with nothing, the dwarves decided to set off to find a new, safer home. They headed south into the **Skybreak Mountains**, and they eventually came across a towering peak that had the potential to become a well fortified settlement. The dwarves set to work and in about 219 EOS, they completed building their city and named it **Slatewatch**. Twelve dwarven lords were chosen to be the leading council of their city. Over the next century and a half, the Mountainfolk began to spread and set up mines across the mountains that were rich in resources. Many travelers and fellow refugees of the orc attacks occurring in the northwest migrated to their mountain cities. The dwarves were now a fearsome and hearty people; truly a force to be reckoned with.

**Andurik Pebberd:**

**Andurik Pebberd** was born in about 211 EOS, and by the time he was 50, he had gained an impressive reputation as a bard. He traveled Skybreak and stopped at many taverns and inns along the way. He was known for his drunken ballads and excellent skill of storytelling. Many would be honored to share a drink with him. Once Pebberd had traveled most of the country, he decided he would take his gifts elsewhere. He had heard tales of the mysterious elves and fey of the north and decided that that is where he wanted to go. He set out on his own with nothing but some rations, his instruments, pen and paper, and, of course, plenty of alcohol. After many months of travel, he arrived at the **Twilight Forest** of **Feylan**. He tried to enter and find a settlement, however, he quickly became overwhelmed by the magical flora and got stuck. It was then that he met the firbolg Rókan Throst, who would become the first of many of Pebberd's lovers. Rókan helped Pebberd reach the nearby city of **Zatlis**. In this city of the arts, Pebberd began to tell his stories as he had done in Skybreak, however, he began to quiet in order to listen to the elven tales. He learned of their history and tradition and was fascinated and inspired. After staying in Feylan for 10 months, he began to venture back to his homeland. When he returned, he began work on his first play. Titled *A Night in the Fey Court*, it was a love story between an elf noble and a firbolg commoner heavily inspired by his experiences in Zatlis. Although beloved now, his first work was scoffed at by the boisterous and foolhardy dwarves. However, his future plays would be great successes that earned him the title of the best playwright of Quivor. One of his other famous works is *Firiashe*, the story of a sea elven woman who falls for a man who lives on the land although she has never met him. She is forced to watch from afar as he lives his life without her, eventually marrying, having children, and eventually dying. The story is from her perspective as she watches this man with curiosity and heartbreak and is one of Pebberd's best tragedies. Another one of his works is called *Lord Sverdi*, the story of a fictional dwarven lord on a quest to save his nation from his traitorous daughters. A famous comedy by Pebberd is called *The Merry Drunkards* which tells the story of three men who, in a night of drunken antics, meet with an archfey, find a magical ale, court an elven princess, and many other absurd things.

**The Whitest Winter:**

The winter of 404 EOS was one of the harshest and coldest winters in the history of Skybreak. Temperatures hit an all time low and the relentless blizzards caused famine to sweep through the nation. The nearby goliath tribes saw the opportunity and decided to attack the freezing dwarves. They caused avalanches that blocked off main roads that prevented the Mountainfolk from receiving supplies. Many smaller cities began to fall and the goliaths were encroaching on the walls of Slatewatch. It was then that the Morsilics and Khiirans came to their aid. The Eoralian troops fought valiantly. The fire genasi played a vital role in the relief effort, melting snow and providing heat to the frostbitten Mountainfolk. Many received honorary medals forged by the dwarves for their actions. By the time spring arrived in 405 EOS, the dwarven lords approached the High Emperor and Tal'Khiir and asked to join the empire to which they graciously accepted. The Moutainfolk then constructed a monument in the middle of the capital depicting a human and fire genasi dressed in armor with an everburning flame above them.

**The Dreb War:**

From the years 562 to 571 EOS, Eoralia fought in a war with the goblinoid nation of **Drebniz**. The Dreb War took place predominantly in the west and in the Skybreak Mountains. Eager to repay the Morsilics and Khiirans, the Mountainfolk proved to be some of the fiercest and strongest warriors of the empire. Their most notable victory was the Battle of the Crying Mountains. The Crying Mountains were a pair of two mountains on the border of Skybreak and Drebniz with two waterfalls that looked like eyes crying. The Mountainfolk forces set up camp on one of the mountains. In the dead of night, a lookout spotted a light in the distance. They soon saw an army of hobgoblin and goblin troops heading towards them. The Mountainfolk used the siege weaponry masterfully and finished the battle by pushing large boulders down the mountain. The goblinoids that were not left dead and trampled quickly fled.

**The Titanrock Mine:**

In the eastern mountains of Skybreak lies the mining town of **Titanrock**. In 566 EOS, a rush of people fled to Titanrock after a woman found enough gold to make her rich. By 600 EOS, the Titanrock mine had become one of the most profitable and deepest mines in Skybreak. But that year the miners uncovered something horrible. They had dug so deep that they had gone into the Underdark. The monstrosities of the Underdark began making their way into the mines. Most notably, a extremely large dire troll. The miners were killed and some were eaten alive. For three weeks the people of Titanrock sent in warriors, mages, anyone who they thought could help, but their attempts were futile. Eventually, they decided to cave in that portion of the mine and were careful never to tread too close to the Underdark again.

**The First Irizian Games:**

In 1077 EOS, Emperor **Iriz Kôbelerd** was sitting in **Aegerfell Keep** and grew bored. He then had the idea to host an event the likes of which the empire had never seen. He wanted to host games where the best athletes, warriors, and mages from across the empire could come to compete. After sending word and getting excited approval from the other emperors, construction of an arena began in 1078 EOS in the Morsilic city of **Bråfield**. Construction was finished in 1080 EOS and the first games were to be held in the spring. People from all across the nation to watch the first Irizian Games. Some of the winners of the first games were the halfling swimmer Joriko Keesbury from Morsil, the changling warlock Raelyn Whitemoon from Morsil, the kalshtar barbarian Liri Eshana from **Khiira**, and the orc runner Erik Gorrbrand from Skybreak. The Irizian games are held once every 5 years and are a huge event in Eoralia. The most famous winners of recent years are the eladrin druid Emile Larikstead from Feylan and the tiefling paladin Nadea Vanderman from Morsil.

**The Draconic Purge:**

After the assassination of **Antiphonus Veindel**, a wave of fear and hate of everything draconic swept through Eoralia. From 12 to 198 EOI, there was a rise of dragonhunters who found fame and fortune in hunting out these beasts to near extinction. In Skybreak, many of the mountainfolk instead of hunting individually formed teams that would track and slay dragons. The most notable dragon killed by the people of Skybreak was the black dragon Mirgeo who had taken root not to far from the city of **Maer's Peak**.

**The Tarnag Royal Family:**

From the period of 604 to 675 EOI, the ruler of Skybreak was Emperor **Hali Tarnag III**. His rule was rather unimportant and bland. His family, however, was much more interesting. His wife was **Delani Tarnag** and she owned a bakery before meeting and eventually marrying Hali III. Unbeknownst to the general public, the Emperor had fallen ill with the **Sleeping Madness**. At first, he seemed to be recovering, but one night in 620 EOI he never woke up. Although still alive and technically emperor, he was unable to do anything. Delani took it upon herself to continue in her husbands place in secret. She began governing and passing law in Skybreak under the guise of her husband and during her 35 years in power, Skybreak underwent significant boosts in economy and unemployment and crime lowered. Citizens along with the other emperors and empress began to grow suspicious given they had not seen Hali III in a long time, to which Delani hired someone to magically give her the appearance of her husband. It is also believed that she had a lover during this time. All we know of them is what has been extrapolated from love letters written addressed from Miss E. Delani continued this charade until real Hali III truly died of old age in the autumn of 675 EOI. Delani then said that Hali III had died of natural causes, and things went on as usual. It wasn't until a few decades later that it came out what Delani had done. While some were outraged that the throne was disgraced in such a way, many were supportive after remembering the prosperity Delani had brought and now she is used as a role model for many women and a symbol of feminism. Hali III and Delani also had a child together by the name of **Adryl**. Never quite drawn to the royal lifestyle, they always would misbehave. They pulled pranks around the Keep, cut their hair and clothes, and snuck away at night. One day, they'd had enough of the royal lifestyle and chose to run away to form an adventuring party. They even renounced the family name, choosing to get rid of it entirly. Hali III was furious and disowned them. Adryl was an excellent fighter and eventually teamed up with the aasimar cleric Yrwen, the bugbear barbarian Gerkk, the centaur rogue Pavolos, and shadar-kai warlock Nitrin. Together, the five of them would become somewhat famous in Eoralia. They boated the slaying of a beholder, the successful exorcism of ghosts from a haunted manor, and the rescue of the Dyonian princess **Arteros Viritu**. In the later years of Delani's secret rule, Adryl visited and the two reconciled before Adryl departed once more, but this time on good terms.

## Culture

**Food**:

Popular foods in Skybreak often contain beef, mutton, potatoes, and cabbage. Stews are very common and nearly every meal comes with a large side of freshly made bread. Alcohol is heavily consumed for many mountainfolk and taverns serve as a community meeting place.

**Music, Art, and Literature:**

The music of Skybreak are often drinking songs and more lighthearted and fun in nature. Often times large bands with a variety of instruments will gather to play and by the end of the song, everyone in the tavern will have joined in singing.

Art in the mountains often consists of sculpture and architecture. Many buildings carved in stone have very intricate designs on them and many mountainfolk take pride in their artisan handiwork. Statues and monuments can be seen scattered about in many cities in Skybreak. The most famous mountainfolk sculptor is Dox Jaharr.

Literature is not too big in Skybreak save for the occasional reading of a Pebberd play in school, but aside from that there have been a few famous books that have made their way out of Skybreak. A translation of an ancient dwarven text titled *Bridín*, a somber novel titled *The Stagnation*, and a fantasy story called *Under the Mountain's Edge* are all very popular among the mountainfolk.

**Marriage and Funeral Traditions:**

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