Fantasy Dragonfall - Lore

[SilverFlight]

Dragonfall Lore
Interest Check ~ Main ~ Characters ~ OOC

One day, the dragons disappeared. At first, people were wary, worried; dragons had been terrorizing villages, killing people as long as anyone could remember, but as the weeks wore on, and not a scale, not a puff of smoke appeared, they began to rejoice. The reign of the beasts was finally over, some cried, Aerdra was finally free.

No more did ocean leviathans sink ships and steal catches, or sky wyrms decimate high mountain towns. No more did the blazing breath of firedrakes scorch fields, or the earth tremors of rock dragons break city walls, and the high dragons? Rare as a sighting was, now, they were completely gone.

Not everyone was so quick to accept it. The orders of dragon knights, special warriors trained in fighting and killing dragons thought it would be temporary, that they would return in force, or that it was a simple shift in their biology, some migratory instinct that needed a special year to kick in, but the weeks passed, then the months, and slowly the orders began to lose the respect and love of the people, and soon after, they began to fall apart.

Most orders disbanded within four months, the knights taking jobs elsewhere, as mercenaries, or hunters of smaller beasts, ogres, gryphons and basilisks and the like. Some joined the armies of kings, and traveled far to fight the wars of others, but some, the last few stayed, determined to find the cause of the vanished dragons.

The day the dragons disappeared; the high dragons were caught unawares. These dragons were no ordinary monsters; they thought, they felt, they spoke. They were intelligent as any human. They had culture, music, customs, clans, unbeknownst to all but a very few, unique humans. The day the dragons left, they were put into a deep sleep. One month past, one cycle of the moon, and when they awoke, they were no longer dragons. Their forms had diminished, their scales had gone and for all they could see, they had become the thing most of them hated above all else: they had become human. They had been put into human bodies, their souls contained, and they had been given lives, whether stolen or constructed they did not know. They had human lives, friends, jobs, families, yet the memory of their dragon selves remained, strong and sharp as a knife under scale.

Many searched desperately for a cure, some searched for the other wyrms, for Elder dragons who may have answers, but even those had gone, just like the rest. Some began to study, they found few answers, and many more questions: A dark stain had begun to creep across the surface of the moon, the monsters remaining in the forests and caves became wild, more aggressive, and more dangerous. With a sinking feeling many realized that they must seek aid in the very people who had been sworn to end them. Dragon and dragon slayer had to join forces.

On this page you will find all the information required for the thread: Information about dragons, their clans and magic, about slayers, their countries and skills. Everything that is written by the players will be checked by me, Silver, and put here. That being said, welcome to Dragonfall.

Art by Bronya

The Story

The people believe that all of the dragons vanished, and now the dragon knights are disbanding, leaving the remaining orders short on money and failing. In truth, not even the high dragons, the first tier of sapient dragons, know what happened to the others, only to themselves. They were given the forms of humans, either a curse or a protection none of them know, but the world has been this way for half a year now, with no sign of change.

You can play a dragon slayer, or a high dragon, and the goal is to work together to uncover clues and find out what happened, meanwhile it seems the world is suffering from the loss of the dragons in slow and subtle ways.

You can create clans, families, noble lineages, histories, I want to leave the world building fairly open.

The only thing I will say is, you need to be prepared to play as a team, and work with the other players and me, the gm, to create a fun and positive experience for all. I will develop some basic lore and guidelines, and there will be a character sheet you must fill out. To start you can play one dragon and one dragon slayer, no more.

As a dragon, you get to choose one physical element that you represent: Earth, air, fire, water, lightning, ice or nature. You will have elemental powers which will gain strength as the story progresses. You have strength and speed that surpasses a regular mortal, but that is about on par with the dragon slayers. There are absolutely no physical features that will give you away, you appear completely human (the beginning at least). Every class of dragon has elemental powers, but the lower classes, the ones lacking complex thought use theirs instinctively, wild and uncontrolled, you will have the power to manipulate your element at will, much like magic.

As a dragon slayer you are physically enhanced by magic, trained from childhood and given special dragon-slaying weapons and armour that protect against dragon elemental powers. Your most powerful asset is a tool made from the initiation quest you would have had to complete before being accepted into your order: Killing a high dragon. The scale you procured from this event is embedded in your dragon blade and wards off their elemental powers.

Your histories and situations are free for you to choose: if a slayer, are you still part of an order? Have you given up and tried to make ends meet at something else?

If a dragon, what had you been doing up until the “curse”? Have you been peaceful? A scholar? A warrior? Did you avoid humans, or actively confront them for their atrocities against your kind? Dragons have as much ceremony and culture as humans do, invent some for your specific clan.

Elements are seemingly random among dragon offspring, they are not hereditary, so it is possible for a dragon of one element to be directly related to another dragon of a completely different element. Clans are made up of family groups rather than elements, and have unique cultures and preferences.

There are no human magic users in this world, so elemental powers will be highly suspicious coming from a human form. The elements are for dragons, and if you as a dragon want to keep a low profile, its best to keep your powers a secret from people you don’t trust.

 

[SilverFlight]

The World

​

• Geography
• Brix
• Tal Kang
• Balamar
• Tollus

• 
  Aerdra is a world of many different places, cultures and atmospheres; from the cold, mountainous kingdom of Brix, to the lush, southern jungles of Rannar. High, snowy plateaus of Tollus to the arid regions of Southern Seifa. Travel between regions is not uncommon, and the borders are nearly always shifting here or there, so cultures along them are blended.
  
  Those borders are only for humans however, dragons do not see the earth as being claimed or owned. They go where they wish, when they wish, and the only meaningful delineations are the bonds of family and clan.
  
  Humans have been in constant struggle with the attacks of lesser dragons and other beasts, so settlements are few and usually well-fortified. Dragon slayers, up until recently were treated like celebrities wherever they went, no matter where they had come from. War and old grudges had no sway over their reception.
  
  There are other races besides humans, and they often have their own countries or regions. Any sapient race can train to become dragon slayers, as it is the magic of the dragons they slay that imbue the slayers with their abilities.
  
  Worldbuilding
  
  Feel free to create your own dragon clan, kingdom or dragon slayer order. Keep the general guidelines in mind and if you have any questions, I will be available several times a day to answer questions. There will be links to several google doc files in the discord, which will be our main channel for communication.
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  A kingdom in the North West of Aerdra. The center of the kingdom is filled with high mountain ranges and the people are cold-hardy and stoic. Farther south the land opens out and provides good soil for crops and livestock. Brix’ hardy, winter grains produce more sugars and are the best for making a wide range of alcohols, which they export all over Aerdra using the many port towns on their eastern borders. The capital is called Neyst (pronounced “nest”) and it is folded in the cradle of a long fjord, well-protected from attack by sea and from ocean dragons. Brix’s main dragon problems come from air and earth dragons coming down from the mountains, and to a lesser extent, nature and water dragons on the coastlines and in the South.
  
  Brix is governed by a royal family, and at its head is King Sandal, his wife, queen Emrell and their daughter, princess Selene. The merchant’s guild has a great deal of power in Brix and the noble circles are influential and given to bickering and intrigue. The crown funds the Order of the Brix Dragoons, and these dragon slayers have a global reputation of being more of a military operation than a stand-alone order. They were well-funded and highly selective up until the dragons’ disappearance, training only the best candidates for their ranks. This order boasts of having a perfect record for the initiation quest success, given that they never send a recruit against a high dragon unless they are fully prepared. They also had a decent amount of funding pooled into dragon research and a number of volumes were filled by the researchers at the Brix order head office in Neyst.
  
  Brix is also well-known for its steel and forgework. Brixish blacksmiths are in high demand in other lands, and often they are chosen to work for dragon slayer orders as their official forgemasters, taught the secrets of the dragonblades and armour.
  
  Brix relies on other countries for many different foods and textiles. They lack the precipitation for crops like cotton, or different fruits, and their farmland is used mainly for food-based livestock. Silks, leathers, pottery and paper are imported in exchange for alcohol, softwood, grains, steel and furs.
  
  The music of Brix is as rough and lively as its people; fiddles, bagpipes, tin flutes and hide drums provide the tunes to various jigs, reels and drinking songs. In Brixish culture, the tavern is the beating heart of a town.
  
  Though Brix folk can be rough they have a decent sense of honour. Keeping one’s word is very important, and acting with integrity and honesty. Agreements are sacred and if someone gives their word, it is kept come Hell or high water. A quick wit is considered a most valuable of gifts, and Brixish friends will show their affection by verbally eviscerating each other over a pint.
  
  Brix is fairly tolerant of other cultures, and has a steady flow of immigrants, mostly traders or craftsmen, flowing across its borders. Other cultures are treated with a pleasant curiosity, and a Brix is much more likely to poke fun at their own culture before anyone else’s.
  
  Dun Gannon
  
  A small coastal village built on the shore of a gulf, north-most of Brix. It doesnt have much to offer in terms of wealth or beauty, the real heart are the people that dwell in it. The people of Dun Gannon are hardy and stubborn but very hospitable. They're used to the cold, damp environment that seems to linger year round and stay close to the hearths in their homes. Superstition and tradition run thick in their hearts, rarely receiving outsiders to change their ways or expand their minds. Most occupations consist of fishing and transporting goods, whether on land or by sea. As the town slowly expands, with few homes built on stilts on the cliff face behind it, small farms have propped up on the flat lands a top the surrounding cliffs.
  
  On one side of said flat lands, sits the ruins of an old castle from an ancient time, over looking the northern ocean with a grim shadow. No one ventures there, or even dare talk about it. The story of the fallen fortress haunts the people of Dun Gannon even to this day, as some had ancestors who fell when the castle did. It is said that a large dragon, bigger and nastier than any one had ever layed their eyes on, destroyed the monument with a single flap of its razor-like wings. It spewed spikes from it's tail with one, effortless flick, raining down on the helpless village people, demolishing years of peaceful civilization in mere seconds. It's name was Saoghal-tair, the world eater. There are many who doubt the event, and believe the people of Dun Gannon were too proud to admit they had fallen at the hands of an ancient army, but some firmly believe Saoghal-tair sleeps in the heart of the earth, spewing both smoke and flame through holes in mountains across the world.
  
  Like most towns, they have a rich history with dragons and are very relieved for the disappearance of them. They grow and prosper in peace and would rather keep it that way.
  
  
  
  
  
• TBD
• TBD
• 
  Geography
  
  One of the largest kingdoms in Aerdra, it is nearly split into two. East Tollus and Western Tollus. Western tollus was on a peninsula that also had another kingdom carved into it, Welisia. The northern region was a giant plateau that extended into glaciers that expanded out to the sea; there the Ice Dragons roamed in huge numbers. Under the plateau is a large mountain range that tops Welisia and goes to the inlet on the eastern side of Western Tollus. After that are forests and hills, the only dragons here are earth and nature dragons. The snow lasts until mid spring, and as one goes farther south, lakes appear. The two biggest are Tjörn and Tjarn. Yes, very exotic names that mean the same thing. Lake. Both are inhabited by pods of water dragons, as the lakes are rather large, more like inland seas. The southernmost point of Tollus is an island that holds the capital: Visland.
  
  East Tollus is one large plateau, inhabited mostly by earth dragons, firedrakes, and nomads. There are several extremely large cities, each with their own king. But, they all pay their loyalty to Visland’s king, because that is where the Drakon Svėfja is based.
  
  Drakon Svefja
  
  The Drakon Svefja is the dragon slayer corps. that protects Tollus. Using a special ink formula that is mixed with high dragon blood. They tattoo runes into the flesh of their warriors that neutralize the elemental magic of dragons. The training that they do is extreme, pushing their bodies and armament to its max until they can handle a full on blast from a High Dragon, but only one blast. They don’t have vendettas against dragons like most nations, being raised to respect strength, especially the strength of Tallema, Mother Nature. Dragons were the epitome of that strength, and so they held them with a sort of reverence. But like all power, it needed to be held in check, and that’s what they were for. They mourned the disappearance of the dragons, for they took it as a sign that Tallema was weakening.
  
  

 

[SilverFlight]

The Dragons

​

• General
• Lesser Dragons
• High Dragons
• Elder Dragons

• Dragons are the only truly magical beings in all of Aerdra. They are spirits of nature, and as such, command its power. By careful crafting and alchemy, this power can be stolen and repurposed, however the methods to do so are held almost exclusively by the dragon slayer orders, who guard them jealously, stating that this kind of power should be used only by those with the desire to protect, and only if absolutely necessary. There are 3 central classes of dragons: Lesser dragons have the minds of beasts, and are wild and unpredictable. High dragons have more human minds, with speech, thought and culture. Elder dragons are as ancient as they are massive, and wise beyond the ken of most. This post will outline the different dragon classes and cover the clans of high dragons your character might belong to.
• 
  
  
  These are the beast-like creatures that cause the most destruction to human settlements. They have few thoughts, no power of speech and can be aggressive and predatory. They come in all shapes and sizes, from small cat-like wyrmlings to creatures the size of high dragons (about elephant sized). They can be quite destructive if not properly understood and usually these are the creatures the slayers are called in to deal with. They have elemental magic but use it instinctively, not creatively. Their abilities are innate and they have simple, raw power.
• 
  These dragons have the intelligence of humans. They have culture, language, art and politics. They can craft artifacts, and often live together in family groups. High dragons have mostly kept to themselves, it is wholly frowned upon to meddle in the affairs of humans, even though they are similar in all but appearance. Generally, they will only attack humans if they have been wronged first, though this is not a rule. Their lifespans are not unlike that of humans, and they have dreams, and desires, they feel loss and love and sympathy and rage. Most humans do not have a good grasp of just how intelligent high dragons are, generally they assume they are just larger, more cautious beasts. Only the veteran dragon slayers know better.
• 
  These dragons are massive, ancient and wise. To the high dragons, they are almost like gods, wielding magic much greater and deeper than their own. The high dragons come to the Elders for council and guidance, that is, when they can be found. Elder dragons are secretive and reclusive, and often move or hide. These dragons can tower higher than a forest, and command forces equivalent to natural disasters. It is very unwise to anger an elder dragon, and not even the best slayers would attempt to bring one down, lest they drown an entire coastline, or set a kingdom ablaze.

Dragon Magic

Each dragon is in control of a single element. The elements are:

Earth

Fire

Air

Water

Ice

Nature

Lightning



There are no elements for: Mind, light or Shadow etc.

Your powers will be weakened at first, limiting the area and strength of your abilities. As the story goes on your powers will grow and you will be able to take your dragon forms again for short periods of time. At the beginning, you may be able to cover only a small areas with your power, about the size of a house, but if you use your power creatively, and cooperatively, you can have a much greater effect.

All dragons have good night vision and excellent reflexes. Most have very good memories. Each dragon has a resistance to the element they possess, so a fire dragon will not be harmed by fire or heat, a water dragon can breathe under water, nature dragons are resistant to poisons and can calm animals (but not monsters), air dragons can instinctively cushion their falls and avoid being hurt, and divert strong winds so they are not blown over. Earth dragons have incredibly tough skin that earth and metal cannot pierce (save for the dragon blades).

Dragon Clans

Coming soon

 

[SilverFlight]

The Dragon Slayers

​

Dragon slayers come from every culture, and each order has different techniques and abilities they impart to their members. Though the differences are many, there are some general similarities:

Dragon slayer orders generally accept anyone fit enough to train and fight. Usually, they admit children at age 12 to start training, but you can start at any age after that. Provided you complete the ten-year training program, pass the practical tests and the initiation quest, you can become a fully-fledged slayer.

Dragon slayer abilities:

Dragon slayers are masters at combating large foes and are given a myriad of tools to help them. Because their training is directed at dragon hunting however, they may be lacking in combat abilities against other humans, but this is not always the case.

The Dragonblade

The technique to forging a dragon blade is a heavily-guarded secret among dragonslayer orders. The forgemasters are not permitted to leave the order once they are sworn in and made to take an oath of secrecy. As such, the secret of forging Dragonblades has never left dragonslayer hands. These blades are stronger than normal steel, and imbued with magical properties drawn from the dragon scale that was acquired by the slayer their initiation quest. When held, the blade protects the wielder from all breath weapons used by dragons, regardless of the colour of the scale. Dragonblades are not always swords, they can be any type of weapon designed to slay dragons.

Dragon Armour

The dragon armour is a rare and special type of armour that can be forged from steel, or the scales and bones of lesser dragons. It too is imbued with magical properties that soften blows and protect against dragon magic, though not as strongly as the dragonblades.

Dragon Knowledge

The orders are secretive to the outside world, however many orders share knowledge and information, and as such, their libraries on dragons are extensive and detailed. A slayer is just as responsible for knowing the contents of the libraries as they are combat tactics and weapon mastery.

A Dragon Secret

This is something only a very few dragon slayers know: The scale one needs for the initiation quest does not have to be taken by force. A scale can be gifted. If a dragon slayer has acquired a scale in this way and admitted it to the order, they would not be initiated.

The Dragon Slayer Orders

• The Brix Dragoons
• more coming soon...

• 
  
  Founded by the 5th king, the Brix Dragoons were created 300 years ago to protect Northlanders and mountain homes from the threat of dragons. Always funded by the state, the dragoons were incredibly well-trained, and that high standard has been maintained throughout their history. It is a point of pride. The order acts more like a military unit, using a chain of command and strict discipline. Daily training is expected of even the most seasoned of slayers, and their mentorship strategies make sure the young initiates are always prepared.
  
  The traditional weapon of the dragoons is the dragon lance, a long pole weapon with a bladed tip. The hunters are armoured in plate male and often carry short shields on one arm. Dragoon blacksmiths have found a way to use dragon bone to create lighter plate that increases mobility but loses none of its strength.
  
  The dragoons also traditionally used horses in their hunts where possible. The animals traditionally were hardy-mountain breeds, sure-footed on rocky terrain, but decades ago the staunch little horses were replaced by a foreign breed, larger and more intelligent, just as nimble and able to carry more and run for greater distances.
  
  Now dragoons can choose whether or not to train a horse, but if they accept, they pick the animal when it is born, before their own initiation, and spend every day working with it. The horse becomes a steadfast companion and often an invaluable asset in fighting dragons.
  
  There is a legend among the Brix dragoons, that when the first knights joined the order, they climbed to the tallest point in the country and tamed a flock of gryphons to ride into battle. The story is woven into a tapestry in the great hall of their keep, but most people dismiss it as just that, a story.
  
• Coming soon