Rule of the Dragon Tyrannies

With the destruction of disappearance of the Old Gods the mortals were left behind in war-torn worlds, isolated, and overwhelmed by the monstrosities that remained. The most powerful of the mortals, the sorcerers gathered the survivors together in enclaves call Citadels. These massively walled citadels were the last bastions of civilization.

Able to prolong their lives through their mastery of magic, and making the people reliant on their magics for protection and trade, the sorcerers became the absolute rulers of their citadels. Their heirs, the Dragonblooded Scions, became the nobility, vying for scraps of power that their immortal ancestor deigned to grant them.

Beyond the defenses of the citadels is a post apocalyptic wasteland filled with ravening monstrosities that prey on the weak or unprepared. Fragments of the old world exist in the wastes, waiting for those foolish enough to seek them out.

People of this Era

There are four rough social classes of people:

• The Dragonblooded Scions, with their dragon companions vie for the favor of their citadels Dragon Tyrant. They are a devious bunch raised in the rarefied power politics of the Tyrant's court. They are in constant competition and have all the excesses and intrigues of those with unlimited but precarious power in society.
• The Elect are the non-sorcerous elites that make up the bureaucratic, military, and clerical apparatus of the Tyranny. They vie for scraps of influence with their Dragonblooded Scion patron. They execute the will of the Dragonblooded Scions and keep the masses in line.
• The Masses are the bulk of the Dragon Tyrannies population. Generally laborers, they do include craftspeople and specialists outside of the Elect.
• The Pack Seekers are an underground society being actively suppressed. They act alone or in covens, trading knowledge about the rising spirits, how to contact them, how to deal with them, and how to avoid being overwhelmed by them. They will form the backbone of the resistance that will eventually overthrow the Dragon Tyrants.

Stories in this Era

Themes of tyranny, political machinations, and urban fantasy run throughout this period. The stories that are best supported by the period are:

• Cuthroat stories of inheritance and vying for political power, with an overarching power playing their scions against each other for their own amusement and to secure their own power.
• Rag tag groups venturing out into a post apocalyptic wasteland to recover fragments of a destroyed past in exchange for a hint of wealth.
• Revolutionary movements trying to garner support among the Masses, Elect, and Dragonblooded Scions to undermine the power and control of the Dragon Tyrant working to overthrow them.
• Hard boiled mystery trapped between powerful factions all of whom have a reason to be involved