Clan Castoff

A rendition of the ironbough that marks the clan's center

*This is a place for ordinary dragons. The legends have moved elsewhere, and the few heroes left don't linger much. We're quiet folk, content with our flowerbeds, our scrolls, our trading-posts and trees. When the night gets dark, we'll tend to other duties. But the world forgets those, and forgets us, and even we forget our stories in time--except by the campfire, when the flames burn low.*

**Castoff** is a clan located just within the Shrieking Wilds. Comprised of druids, laborers, and self-declared "uninteresting folk", the clan uses their collective knowledge to breed, grow, and propagate rare plant species. They also act as a base of operations for scholars from other Flights--assuming, of course, their research doesn't present a threat to Nature.

The clan name was chosen by the three leaders on assumption no other dragons would stick around. Changing the name's come up once or twice, but you can't be a Castoff without a healthy sense of humor, and so the name stays.

As friendly as the clan is, visitors should still mind what they say; if a Castoff seems resistant to answering a question, it's best to drop it. Similarly, if a Castoff gives what sounds like an order (such as "don't go outside tonight"), it's best to follow it, even if it does seem somewhat brusque.

## Location and Layout

The clan's built at the very tip of a "peninsula" of Everbloom terrain that juts deep into the Shrieking Wilds. The jungle encroaches on three sides, with the northern edge of the clan abutting a particularly dense section of the Wilds. Trees grow thicker along the east and west edges, rising to meet the northern sweep, while the south is sparse jungle and clearings.

The clan territory proper is a bowl-shaped valley around a massive, ancient ironbough that acts as a "roof" for the center of the valley. Beyond the ironbough, the valley rises in concentric tiers, with individual lairs dug into and built from the turf. Further lairs are scattered through the surrounding jungle and marked by a unique style of lantern. These same lanterns are hung thickly on the ironbough, and are the only reason the area beneath doesn't exist in permanent night.

Clan Castoff extends into both earth and sky, with cold-storage and tavern areas located among the ironbough's roots and lightweight lairs nestled in its branches. It also maintains an outpost much deeper into the Wilds, though it sees little traffic these days.

## Trade and Hosting

Castoff counts among its members many druids and ex-warriors who remain committed to the cause of Growth, resulting in an ongoing effort to spread appreciation and utilization of plants. The clan is coated in functional gardens, and visitors are encouraged to take a walk through them, and will be gifted a few "free samples" of something that catches their eye. This has proved a decent entry point for trade, and Castoff does good custom in landscaping and medical plants. They also have crude facilities to work with "exotic" plants, such as those found in the Southern Icefields, and they're happy to sell discounted cuttings to a homesick traveller.

Naturally, they're willing to pay for species they can't otherwise access. They also have limited manufacturing ability and rely on traders for delicate equipment and most metal goods.

They're constantly attacked by creatures from the Shrieking Wilds, not all of which are known species. They don't discuss this with outsiders, but they're happy to trade their excess mundane meat, furs, etc.

They don't officially deal in poisons and the like, but there's at least one black-market herbalist working out of the clan. Again, this isn't something discussed.

## Trouble

There's something off about the clan. Previously, their territory was patrolled by zombies that warded off the worst of the Wilds beasts. While necromancy is illegal and alarming on its own, the replacement of the zombie guard with members of the Glade Brigade has also raised some concerns. Perhaps more alarming is the true cause of the high number of monsters in their area, as well as many of the more "exotic" members of the clan: Castoff was accidentally settled near a sentient structure known as the Well of the Woods.

There are no "evil" dragons in Castoff. But there certainly *are* dragons ready to make the world a better place, and they're not the sort to let anything stand in their way...

## Notable Dragons

* Capensia
* Ezekiel
* Zachariah
* Aria
* Rosaspinam
* Sapling