Njardr

**Njardr**, known as the Horned One, or more simply as the Nvordrak, is the last surviving dragon of the Nvordrakkar brood, a servant of the god Hafrjal, and a deity of the Qualla merfolk of the Drowned Reach. He once made his home in Njardheim within the Qyani Empire, but has been missing for a century since he left for a mysterious expedition to Rakshar.

## History

### Early History

Njardr was born a storm dragon of Solthris during the time of the Godswar. He swore his service to the Stormbringer, Hafrjal, and became a lieutenant in his army. During the war, a great Dread Serpent was created by opposing forces with the intention to destroy all dragons and devour the world. Hafrjal called to himself many powerful dragons, including Njardr, and blessed them with his power, creaing the Nvordrakkar, or "Horned Dragons".

With the power of Hafrjal, the Nvordrakkar defeated the Serpent and banished it to an extradimensional plane, bound by five runic seals forming a circle around a sixth nexus of power. However, even with their blessing, the Nvordrakkar were not able to resist the Dragonfall, and fell into madness, tearing at each other until only Njardr survived, fleeing into Hafrjal's realm beyond Solthris to escape the effects of the mysterious assault.

For centuries after the war between the gods ended with the Godspact, Njardr, now the last of the Nvordrakkar, kept watch over the magical seals upon the Serpent, ensuring no mortal would ever break them and unleash its terror upon Solthris. However, as time slowly passed, Njardr watched the mortal civilizations and loathed at the state of the world, at its lack of true magic and knowledge. He came to believe that none would ever possess the power to unleash the seals even if they so desired, and so Njardr returned to the plane of his master, though he had the wisdom to place a spell to warn him if the seals were ever in danger.

### Creation of the Qualla

Millennia later, amongst the growing civilizations of Xaxalin, the humans of the land of Arteanu built their capital atop the Serpent's central seal, noticing the nexus of ley-lines in the region. During the war that fell Xaxalin twelve hundred years ago, the Arteani king sought to draw power from the seals, causing damage to the nexus of protection. Njardr, realizing his misjudgement of mortal magic, recognized the danger posed to the seals and sought to reach them in time to protect them. His efforts were in vain, however, for he arrived too late to stop the king's foolishness, who had unwittingly unleashed the power within the seals in a destructive blast that turned Arteanu to dust and sent the sea rushing in to fill the void.

In the cataclysm that followed, Njardr expended his considerable power by placing a great spell upon the mortal inhabitants of the land that would soon be drowned, changing their forms and physiology so that they would be better adapted to life beneath the waves, having grown gills and fins and being now able to breathe both water and air. Njardr did not do this out of mercy, but because he would need servants to repair the seals and guard them, for the world now had the potential to unleash the Serpent. These merfolk would call themselves the Qualla, and their mission of repairing and guarding the seals would become known as the Edict of Storms.

As the dust of the Drowning faded, Njardr came to each of the five outer seals, where he raised mountains and called forth dragons of storm and sea from around the world to worship and serve him. They would act as his most elite servants and guardians, and he in turn would grant them protection and vast lairs and riches. These mountains would become the Dragonroosts, and upon the central Seal, where once the capital of Arteanu stood, the Nvordrak's own lair would rise, known as Njardheim.

### Recent History

Until recently, Njardr lived amongst dragons and merfolk in his lair, overseeing the repair of the seals and blessing the worthiest of his servants with power. However, about a century ago, the Nvordrak himself went on an expedition with an objective known only to himself and his closest advisors to the land of Rakshar, where he disappeared under mysterious circumstances. None know where Njardr has gone, or if he will ever return. In the wake of his disappearance, the Zathani Qualla have launched ever-bolder raids upon the kingdoms of the Naquassi, and the Dragonroosts fall into desrepair...