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gaeleth:places:wuron_sfa

Wuron Sfa, the Dragon Nation

Map of Wuron S'fa

Capital: N/A

National Alignment: TN

Population: 51 adult dragons, 20,000 humans, 10,000 elves, 75,000 dragonborn, 150,000 scrag-trolls

Size: 65 thousand square miles

Government: Collective

Ruler: Sthisvantanalich

Law: Draconic

Coin: Talons

Overview

Wuron Sfa was founded by Sthisvantanalich in 1328 Avard, as a final stand for the dragons against the Inquisition and its crusades. The Dragon Nation is spread out over two peninsulas and several islands. The main portion of Wuron Sfa is located on a peninsula, with one shared border with the Toomaran Tribes. The border is hostile, but the Wuron Swamps and the many trolls therein keep outsiders away. The second peninsula of Wuron Sfa is the Rakirinel Desert, which shares a border with the Granite Clan of dwarves. The Rakirinel Desert is also a peninsula, populated by special srik that serve as both a food source for the dragons, and as a reserve defense. Wuron Sfa considers itself isolationist, though its dragons occasionally leave on self-imposed missions. No nation would dare attack Wuron Sfa, after the disastrous Toomaran-Vridaran attacks in late 1328 and early 1329. The Dragon Nation's greatest ally is Rakore.

History

Two hundred years before its founding, Sthisvantanalich, also known as “The Silent Wyrm”, began making alliances among the remaining dragons. Their scarcity in the aftermath of the Crusades had forced the remaining dragons to consider new ways, and new things. Forming a collective alliance seemed to be the only alternative the dragons had left, because the more selfish of the dragons would eventually be wiped out with each successive crusade. Despite the deaths from old age to all the dragon-slayers, the Inquisition remained powerful enough to destroy the dragons individually.

The first proposed location for the Dragon Nation was in the Granite Mountains, among the Granite Clan of dwarves. Granitch Sfa would not have required any participation by the dwarves, but Sthis engineered dwarven politics so that disgust with Shisason would force the dwarves to side with Granitch Sfa when Shisason failed to 'defend' them from the dragons. The Inquisition's armies would have ground to a halt in the Granite Mountains, particularly if the dwarves were turned against the Inquisition. Sthis' political machinations were well on their way to succeeding when the War of the Undead disrupted everything.

In the aftermath of the War of the Undead, the Granite Mountains sank into the sea, and with them, half of the Granite Clan. The remaining half was driven hard into the Jaeth Mountains of southern Galanath; there, they continue to fight against the Voord Orcs, and darker creatures from within the earth. With their dwarven support undermined, and the very lands they had planned on conquering under the Sea of Kiriath, Sthis and the remaining dragons had to change plans rather quickly. Casting about for a defensible area near the former Granite Mountains, they settled on the Samite Hills – easily defensible by land, from the air, and isolated by sea.

In the spring of 1329 Avard, barely six months after the existence of Wuron Sfa was leaked, war came. Rallying around a false prophet with a fake Princess Sword, an army of 250,000 Vridaran troops met up with an army of 100,000 Toomaran cavalry – and together, they attacked the Dragon Nation, with the aid of a Disciple of Rahne from Vridara. The war was short, as the eldest of all the dragons, Xynosalionisis, transmuted all of his body into pure energy in the midst of the enemy host – destroying the fake Princess Sword, killing the Disciple of Rahne, and annihilating half of the host. The specially bred and designed trolls of the Dragon Nation, combined with the auras of fear from the remaining dragons, was more than enough to route the Inquisition-aligned army.

In addition to Xynosalionisis, the war cost Wuron Sfa a young white dragon known as Pudretasthamonst, that had overflown the Disciple of Rahne and been brought down by the the Inquisition-aligned power.

After that 'brief skirmish' with the massed Toomaran and Vridaran forces , the superiority of the dragons' trolls, and their own battle-magics, made them an undisputed master within their own domains. The dragons have rallied around Sthisvantanalich's call: “Each for the other; All forever.” Far-thinking, and with her claws in a number of espionage rings, Sthis has funded an underground network of spies and informants from all over the world. Armed with knowledge and foresight, Sthis had made the Dragon Nation near impenetrable.

Not long after the War of the Princess Sword, Wuron Sfa found out that Xynosalionisis was not dead – he had become the God of Memories. The humans, elves, and others that live in Wuron Sfa, and follow the dragons, have begun to worship the God of Memories – even as some of the dragons have, for the first time, found true faith in a god.

Geography

Land: Nearly half of Wuron Sfa is the Wuron Swamps – a shallow estuary whose fresh water flows from deep aquifers that used to run beneath the whole of the Sea of Kiriath. Slow-moving and half-salty, the swamps give rise to nightmarish trees and creatures. The other half of Wuron Sfa are the Samite Hills. The hills are gentle and rolling, though they have been extensively trapped and changed by the druidic geomancer Sord.

Use: Each dragon has a valley or series of valleys that it calls its own, capable of sustaining massive herds of various beasts and creatures, complete with overhangs, flowing springs, deep forests, dormant volcanoes, and a host of other unusual ecologies to suit each dragon. The swamps serve as the home for some of the dragons, complete with underground rivers and ponds, above-ground reservoirs, and more.

Water: The Sea of Kiriath makes even the dragons wary, though the Aboriac Sea is protected by a number of the sea dragons. Few vessels negotiate the seas nearby, save those of Rakore or Kur Maeth.

Weather: Sord has tapped into the weather of the Samite Hills so much that all forms are found within it. Hurricanes continually ravage the Sea of Kiriath, blizzards sweep through the higher hills, rain falls in the Wuron Swamps… All is subject to change within mere moments.

Animals: Under the druidic dragons' guidance, the wild life has grown lush and profuse, particularly with well-controlled sunlight, wind, and rain. The swamps and estuaries team with life, and the hills grow plants wherever there is no solid stone. The hills have a number of minotaur lizards in them, but these are primarily a food source for the dragons. The tiny Rakirinel Desert hosts a number of srik, and has been stripped bare of most desert wildlife.

Keynotes: The mighty Maelstroms between the Sea of Kiriath and the Aboriac Sea prevent any shipping but smuggling from taking place. In addition to their treacherous currents, the Maelstroms cover spiky corals, broken shards of earth, and other dangers for the unwary. Only Rakoran ships have been known to brave the Maelstroms, and even then, only with magical or divine aid.

Military

Backbone: The backbone of the dragon armies are the tens of thousands of trolls. Trained by Korsth, and created by Sord, the trolls of Wuron Sfa are ecological defenders. Inanimate and photosynthetic when passive, they lie just beneath the waters of the swamps (or in ponds in the hills). When activated by any of the druidic dragons, they erupt from their watery beds ready for battle with carnivorous rage. Few arm themselves, opting instead for their enhanced claws and abilities, as bestowed by Sord.

Dragonborn: The dragonborn are a humanoid race created by the dragons during the initial founding of Wuron Sfa. They were originally intended to be an augmentation force to the swamp trolls – but they were given sentience and freedom, instead. Most of the first generation of dragonborn are coming of age, and bear the weapons of their choosing and training, learning from the elves and humans within Wuron Sfa. Upon achieving adulthood at fifteen years of age, the dragonborn have a mandatory five years of service in the armies of the Dragon Nation, after which time they are freed from their indenteratude. The first of the dragonborn were created in the late 1290s and early 1300s, and the population has exploded since then. When the dragonborn are of age, they are assigned to particular dragons or to particular armies within Wuron Sfa.

The Black Dragonborn: Considered the elite of the dragonborn, they serve Shiras the dracolich and Sthis the Silent, wandering the world with her and hunting for dragon-slaying weapons and peoples trained to kill dragons. The Black Dragonborn tend to wear ebonite armor, and are well-practiced in the arts of stealth and countering the undead.

Society

Philosophy: Though alien, a number of philosophies about the dragons are evident to their sentient allies. The dragons will do anything to ensure the survival of the dragon kind. They have no patience with anyone who would harm one of them, but otherwise they are as individualistic as can be. Each follows their own philosophies, and their followers echo that philosophy.

Classes: The majority of the surviving dragons have either druidic or roguish streaks in them, though a few have used their magics to conceal them from the Inquisition. All types are represented, from bards to wizards, barbarians to clerics – though no paladins exist among the dragons. Most take several professions, and are quite powerful in them. The dragonborn themselves tend to follow the professions of their chosen dragons.

Taboos: No modern dragon will attack or tempt to harm another dragon, or its eggs, nor any of the dragonborn.

Languages: The dragons themselves speak the ancient draconic tongue, but most are also capable of speaking the Common traders' tongue, as well as the ancient languages.

Foods: Sord has ensured that, even should he die, the land will continue to provide for the dragons. The seas are full of good fish, which the sea dragons help to catch. The valleys he has created are plentiful with game and vegetation. The Srik in the Rakirinel Desert are naturally maintained and changed, so that they can never leave. And if all else fails, the nearby Toomaran Tribes have plentiful horses.

Policies

Wuron Sfa has formed a mild, under-the-table alliance with Rakore, but remains strictly isolationist with regards to all other nations. Any nation that attacks the dragons suffers only enough attacks to convince them to withdraw – forever. While vengeful, the dragons understand that a show of force will have greater benefits in the long run than outright destruction of any nation. The annihilation of any enemies would also, possibly, unite the dragons' enemies into another Crusade – something they can ill afford.

Trade

Coinage: When the dragons barter with lesser races, they use whatever coinage they have within their vast treasure hoards. This ranges from the most ancient of cubits to modern coinage, and not all of it bears the stamp of the Church of Lul to indicate its purity. For the most part, a twenty-weight of golden coins is simply referred to as a 'talon'.

Notes

Each of the three maelstroms fall within Wuron Sfa's territory, and the dragons maintain control of these seaward menaces. The maelstroms themselves are natural features, caused by the differences in water depth and tidal influences between the Sea of Kiriath and the Aboriac Sea. Undersea mountains, and the remains of the old Granite Mountains, make navigating both the maelstroms and the Sea of Kiriath difficult. The undead still inhabit the Sea of Kiriath, and rumors of an undead kraken or leviathan are based on fact.

Religion

The dragons were predominantly uncaring about the gods or their affairs, until recently. Their original dragon god perished long ago, and the practice of worship was never very strong even when they had one. Some few of the dragons worshiped the goddess of music Habrem or the goddess of knowledge Agincoth, and one of the blue dragons followed the storm god Brigain, but religion was not really a concern until one of their own ascended to god-hood. During the Vridaran-Toomaran invasion of 1329, the great dragon Xynosalionisis gave his life to take out a large portion of the massed armies. 'Xynos', as he is more commonly known, was reborn when one of the young white dragons found a Relic out on the blasted battlefield where Xynosalionisis died. The Relic crafted a new Dragon God, of which many of the dragons of the Dragon Nations have begun to venerate.

Legends

The greatest of the dragon legends is Turibokalathanis. Turibok was the spawn of a green and a black dragon, and was the most feared of all the dragons to ever fly across the face of Gaeleth. He ravaged whole nations during the Prizm Wars, seeking to increase the size of his hoard by taking advantage of the chaos. His horrendous breath weapon would poison the very air, and linger for days at a time, slowly digesting everyone from the outside in, and with the air they breathed. Turibok's lair supposedly grew to be the largest in the world, but he was slain by one of Argunas' demon minions – and his hoard was never found. Some of the dragons feel that his hoard is hidden somewhere in Wuron Sfa, but no one knows for sure.

Figures

All told, there are 51 adult dragons within Wuron Sfa.

Sthisvantanalich's: The leader of the dragons, Sthis is an ancient black wyrm with a twist – she has no breath weapon, her throat having been torn out, and then mended, by a Karatikan druid several centuries before the Storm Wars. Sthis is politically savvy, quite intelligent, and will do anything to protect the last of the dragons. Sthis is most feared among the dragons for wielding a dragon-scale short sword known as 'Silence', complete with a black leather body harness made from the skin of hundreds of horses. Once known as “The Silent Wyrm”, Sthis was a true terror and a scourge in her youth, once having laid bare an entire kingdom on the edge of the Karatikan Alliance. AL NG. 'Silence' is her dragon-sized shortsword, twenty feet in length with a four-foot guard; it deals considerable damage, and is made of ebonite.

Korstholansthurast's: Korsth is the brawn of the Dragon Nation, and the brains behind its defenses. A great red wyrm with scales the color of fresh blood, Korsth directs the armies of Wuron Sfa with an iron claw. Single-minded and ferociously protective, Korsth will stop at nothing to protect his new home, his mate Talanathazar, and his four hatchlings. During the First Crusades, Korsth earned a reputation among the dragon-slayers as “The Torched Wyrm.” His breath weapon would light up the dark recesses of his volcanic caves from miles away, super-heating the air currents and sucking the oxygen out of the tunnels through which adventurers traveled. At that time, he began smelting the steel and mithral and magic that were in his hoard, and that all the dragon slayers brought to him. He fashioned for himself a suit of half-plate and chain, and created for himself enhanced gauntlets that allowed his claws to dig through stone like it was putty. AL LN.

Villithanalast's: Villithan led the white dragons from the Heavensbane Mountains to Wuron Sfa, to join the new Dragon Nation. Old white Villithan and his fourteen whites fly wherever Sthis directs, or wherever Korth needs, destroying anyone and anything that gets in their path except their fellow dragons. Barely controlled – if at all – Villithan craves battle with all the world, though that craving is tempered by some wisdom and experience. AL CN.

Talanathazar's: Talan is an old blue dragon with blue-green scales, and a breath weapon of bluish acid. An accomplished wizard and a fair druid, even without her draconic magics, Talan has a knack for cloaking and masking, as well as illusions and phantoms. Given over to a wicked sense of a humor, some of the other dragons speculate that she may have spent some time polymorphed into a gnome. Her husband is the red dragon Korsth. AL NG.

Bludanskitanileth's: Blud is an old silver dragon that has dedicated her life to the blood song of the dragons, through Habrem and Xynosalionisis. Though outwardly a proponent of the Goddess of Music, she inwardly does whatever it takes to ensure draconic survival, and therefore serves as a sounding board and advisor to Sthis. Daughter of Xynos, she used to soothe her ancient father to sleep, and serves as Xynos' first Disciple. AL NG.

Sordrunaskashast's: Sord is an old black dragon with green scales that are photosynthetic, and is thought to be a geomancer. Sord basks in the sun absorbing energy, when not tending to the myriad of draconic valleys scattered throughout Wuron Sfa. Sord was never a member of the Karatikan Alliance, but attained druidic status after he was driven deep underground during the First Crusades. Grim in his outlook, Sord has taken to the druidic faiths as intently as any monk, leading the remainder of the druidic dragons. It was Sord who found and modified the scrag-trolls of the swamps to serve the dragons, and it was Sord who first crafted the dragonborn. Interestingly enough, he walks along on two legs, occasionally using his tail or his wings as a counter-balance – though he can just as often slide around beneath the great boughs of his trees on his belly like a snake. AL TN.

Vristilistalamar's: Vrist is an ancient green wyrm, serving as the ambassador of the Dragon Nations in Rakore. Rarely in Wuron Sfa, Vrist occasionally visits by flight with news, information, and reports. AL CG.

Slithistirisavak's: Slith is an old blue sea dragon. She is the leader of the remaining aquatic dragons, ensuring that Wuron Sfa is protected from invasion through the Sea of Kiriath, the Wuron Swamps, and the Aboriac Sea. Slith has maintained a low profile all her existence, but has battled krakens, leviathans, zaratans, and more successfully. With her guidance and aid, zaratans have moved into the Sea of Kiriath to make it even more unstable for sea-going vessels. Younger zaratans – dragon turtles – have learned to harass shipping throughout much of the sea, and to attack the undead. AL LN.

Shirastalak's: Shiras is an ancient black dracolich. Animated by Demik Coruth during the War of the Undead, Shiras' will was once again hers after the death of her necromantic master. Shiras has allied with the dragons more for her own protection than any moral cause, but she and the dragons understand one another perfectly – one for all, and all for one, or all shall perish. Shiras is now master of the Castle Rezjomon, a flying castle powered by the souls of the damned. Shiras' body has been augmented by the bodies of other fallen dragons, such that she has two sets of major, and one set of minor wings, in addition to horns over her entire body. She has also removed all her fangs and teeth, and replaced them with the grasping arms of undead humans, orcs, elves, and dwarves that have opposed her. Shiras' task in defending the Dragon Nation, is finding and destroying all of the old dragon-slaying weapons from the First Crusades, such as Chuk un Drikthalon. AL NE.

gaeleth/places/wuron_sfa.txt · Last modified: 2021/09/28 15:49 (external edit)