Locations > The Dragonlands of Drae'nin

A huge mass of land in the middle of the ocean, on the other side of the planet from the Karran continent. Historically, this used to be a beautiful island-continent on which every biome could be found, and was inhabited by the noble yet ambitious proto-elves. When they sought to dominate their brothers by summoning and enslaving the Dragons into servitude, their plan backfired, and the entire landmass exploded into violent hellish cataclysm, cursing it to forever be a reflection of Dunia's ancient Draconic age. Though the true dragons were repelled, their mindless legions of dragon-headed humanoids that numbered in the hundreds of thousands were too numerous to dispose of.

Perhaps miraculously, the Dragonkin began to feel a mental disconnect from their creators, and instead of becoming mindless death drones, they turned to worshiping them instead. They soon turned inward, building a city of their own amidst the apocalyptic wastes that remained. One of the most famous features of Drae'nin is the giant industrial train system that cuts the continent from north to south, from the heart of the Dragon Kingdom to Ur'ken and down to the trade settlements in the lower cape of the Southern Barrens.

Nation - The Dragon Kingdom: The world's greatest and only warrior-city. Built right over the charred remains of an ancient elven nation, the Dragonkin have reclaimed the valleys for themselves and sought to build their own home country in the ways of the other races. The mountainous area of Drae'nin features an elaborate network of canyons and caves and slopes which, at night time, appear studded like the starry night sky by an innumerable amount of fires and motes of torchlight that signal the presence of Dragonkin civilization.

Despite having no real need for them, the Dragonkin erect countless homes, barracks and temples fashioned of timber, dragonbone and leather from the skin of native animals. Temples looked after by wily Dragon shamans are as abundant as the gladiatorial arenas and fight pits in which they test their mettle for sport. Smitheries, markets and a surprising number of libraries are built along the winding stony streets.

The Dragons have no need for a ruler of their own kin. Despite having achieved sentience, there lingers in their minds a fanatical devotion to the Dragon God. The capital of Draconic civilization is built around the slopes of a singular mountain peak that juts from the earth, the top of which is carved in the form of a great hall that leads to an unpowered portal to the Plane of Hate. Prophecies state that one day, the Dragon God will return to rule the world from his rightful place at the yet vacant throne room at the highest point in Drae'nin.

Region - Ashen Hills: The outskirts of the Dragon Kingdom features a seemingly endless stretch of grayed pastoral chaparral. Rivers and thus fauna and trees are rare and only sporadically dot the enormous hilly area. Gigantic ungulate creatures, reminiscent of dinosaurs, roam the area and are frequently hunted for sport by the Dragonkin.

Region - Bloodrun Sound: North of the Dragon Kingdom, on the northern coast of the continent of Drae'nin, a network of straits and islands separate the Dracon Ocean from the great Bloodrun Bay. Harbors belonging to the Dragon Kingdom line the shore, populated by countless junk-style Draconic boats. As the Dragonkin have been all but stripped of conquering ambition, the main use of their navy is for trade with Southport, to actively capture and torture pirates, and to wage mock battles amongst themselves.

Region - Mount Ur'ken: Sitting close enough to the Dragon Kingdom to be visible from the horizon, the famed volcano of Ur'ken rises menacingly, surrounded by the Scorchlands. It was harnessed by the Dragonkin hundreds of years ago, who managed to subdue the flow of magma and pool it harmlessly beneath the crust of the volcano, then built an array of workshops and lesser cities within its inner rim.

The region could be considered the industrial heart of the Dragon Kingdom, as only in the oppressive heat of the Draconic blast furnaces, and only at the hand of their centaurean Draktaur can their legendary armor be forged. Their equipment rivals that of the Dwarves in its power and longevity, though its designs are much more crude and haphazard and chaotic by comparison. Materials are regularly shipped in and out of the titanic Draconic foundries through the Drae'nin train system.

Region - Scorchlands: The dry and inhospitable land surrounding Mount Ur'ken is known as the Scorchlands. Its geography consists of arid volcanic stone hills occasionally dotted by obelisks of eroded black stone. Lakes of molten magma occasionally pour over into rivers and bubble ominously. The region is largely incapable of sustaining life, with a permanent cloud of ash darkening the sky, although bits of red lichen and tough fern manage to eke out a rough existence. The few Dragonkin who take up traditions that are frowned upon in their culture, such as Necromancy or the study of Vampirism, usually self-exile here. Consequently, this area is known for its hidden death barrows and evil temples. Train tracks that serve the Drae'nin train system cut through this place mercilessly.

Region - Southern Barrens: Far south of the kingdom and from volcanic ash clouds, a rocky stone desert covers the southern span of the continent. More traditional creatures roam these areas, such as antelopes, coyotes, cougars and countless species of snakes and birds of prey. The animals in this area very rarely linger around train tracks, as the dreadful roaring horns of the industrial trains of Ur'ken send them into incomprehensible terror. To the south, in the bay of the continent, a few shore cities manned by the Dragonkin are open to trade with the Thousand Isles and other nations of the South Seas.

Being a desert, this area follows the same rules as the Eshran. All creatures need to drink water equal to their racial hit die in liters per day, or suffer disadvantage on every single roll. Every hour spent under the sun reduces STR, CON, DEX and AGI by 1 point each incrementally. If a creature's CON modifier reaches -1 as a result of this, they suffer a heat stroke and go unconscious. Finding shade resets this timer over a period of 1 hour.