Wards

## General Information

The First Six raised the first ward at Basgiath War College over 600 years ago. Wards are the mutual benefit and key to the collaboration of dragons and riders; humans provide the manual dexterity that was needed to weave wards or runes, the dragons provide the power to the wards. The material that powers the ward's extension at the edges of Navarre is the same allow that kills venin. The wards are a protective magical shield provided by the dragons' hatching grounds in the Vale. They fall short of the mountainous borders of Navarre, and the entire southwestern coastline of Tyrrendor, including Aretia. Aretia has a second wardstone that was not activated to create wards. Prior to Iron Flame, the art of creating new wards was a lost magic.

Navarre has several outposts and city outside of the protection of the wards. Daggers used to extend the wards are created with a special alloy that is made up of Talladium, a few other ores, and dragon egg shells. The specific blend of materials is smelted into the dagger. It is not power in itself, but it is capable of holding power. They hold extra power that boosts the wards and extends them. The more material, the stronger the wards. The outposts are placed strategically to keep the Navarrean border from developing weak points. The daggers are only able to hold so much power, once the power is used up, they have to be imbued again. Riders at these outposts will pour their power into these daggers to imbue them again. In some cases, the stores of alloy are able to extend the wards twice as far as they'd normally reach.

Riders that have manifested a signet are more sensitive to the wards. It feels like a hum in their veins that gets stronger as they near the power source, whether it be an activated wardstone, or alloy daggers that are used to extend the wards

## Wardstone

### General Information

In the history of Navarre, more than one wardstone has been created. One of the wardstones is located in the Vale near the hatching grounds, within a wardstone chamber, where it acts as a stem for the wards, which take the shape of a dome over Navarre.

The further the wards are away from the wardstone, the weaker they become and the more they need a power boost from the alloy and the dragons. Outposts are used to extend the wards twice as far through the alloy stored in them. They hold power within. The creation of new wards is a lost magic. To activate a ward, a dragon has to contribute its flame to it, but it cannot activate more than one wardstone.

### **Books**

There are currently two books recorded to be in association with the creation of the wards: written by Warrick and Lyra, two of the First Six riders.

**The Journal of Warrick of Luceras ,** written in Old Lucerish, describes the history of how the First Six built Basgiath's wards.

**The Journal of Lyra of Morraine,** describes similar ways of activating a wardstone as Warrick's journal, but instead of six, Lyra mentions seven dens, who have to set the stone ablaze in an iron flame to activate it.

### Locations

Aretia - Aretia owns a dormant wardstone with seven circles for the seven runes on it, inside a wardstone chamber.

Basgiath - The wardstone in Basgiath is twice as large as the on located in Aretia, and the rings and runes carved into the stone are interrupted by a diamond pattern. The top of the wardstone is on fire by black flames, a so called iron flame.

## Trivia

Mira Sorrengail's signet allows her to extend the wards reach.