The Liberation of the East

Military: War

The Moradon Conclave had divided the Empire's territories amongst themselves during the chaos of the Tempore Ignis. Each dragon-lord claimed a settlement or swathe of land, ruling as tyrants over populations that had once known only Republican law. Emperor Valafon, now wielding powers that none could fully comprehend, set about systematically destroying these ancient terrors.   The dragons of the Moradon were not mere beasts, each was a power unto themselves:

Borealis the Eternal - A white dragon of terrible majesty, solitary and cold beyond measure. He claimed the Imperial fortress of Weisshaupt in the frozen north, preserving it perfectly with his breath of endless winter. Within those frozen halls, he kept his collection, Imperial servants, soldiers, and administrators frozen in the moment of the fortress's fall, preserved like insects in amber. The dragon spent decades studying his trophies, learning the secrets of Imperial administration through necromantic communion with the frozen dead.   Valafon's campaign against Borealis (195-196 TA) was brutal. The battle atop Weisshaupt's frozen battlements lasted three days, and when the dragon finally fell, something catastrophic occurred. Whether it was the dragon's dying curse, the unleashing of centuries of bound winter magic, or some unforeseen consequence of Valafon's psychic assault, the result was the Weisshaupt Anomaly, a freezing tempest thousands of feet tall that bars all passage save magical transportation. The anomaly is visible even from distant Aramathia to the east and Rozan to the west, a permanent scar upon the world.   Fulmen the Fulguric Fury - A blue dragon of paradoxical nature: orderly, precise, almost lawful in his tyranny. He established a powerful cult in the city of Saxum but did not deign to live among his subjects. Instead, Fulmen made his lair in the Dead Wastes to the west, a desolate expanse of lightning-scarred earth. He would venture into Saxum only to adjudicate disputes, guard his territory from other claimants, and collect his tribute. His cult grew powerful, viewing the dragon's ordered cruelty as preferable to the chaos of the age.   The defeat of Fulmen (197 TA) required Valafon to venture into the Dead Wastes themselves, a place where reality bent under the weight of ancient storms. The battle is said to have lit the sky for a hundred miles.   Anansi the Web-Weaver - A green dragon of sublime cunning, deceiver and manipulator without peer. She claimed the Shattered Boglands and the Tear of the Shattered King, drawn by rumors of ancient knowledge hidden in those mist-shrouded swamps, secrets of life, death, and the thin veiled places where they meet. Anansi ruled through deception, her subjects often unaware they served a dragon at all, believing her to be a benevolent spirit or ancient guardian.   Unmasking and destroying Anansi (198 TA) required as much cunning as force. The dragon had woven such intricate webs of lies that Valafon had to carefully unravel each deception before striking.   Ydraig the Red Hunger - A red dragon, destroyer and hoarder, pure draconic avarice made manifest. He claimed the fortress-city of Oculus Albus, transforming it into a vault for his ever-growing treasure hoard. Entire villages were stripped of wealth to feed his collection. Unlike the other Moradon, Ydraig made no pretense of rule, he was conqueror and thief, nothing more.   Valafon's assault on Oculus Albus (199 TA) saw the greatest deployment of Imperial forces in the Dragon Wars. The 13th Legion, the Emperor's Own, stormed the city while Valafon dueled Ydraig in the sky above.   Vuthasjach the Black Cloud - One of the most powerful Moradon, a black dragon whose very presence poisoned the land. He claimed Etrusca, ruling through fear and corruption. The city's liberation (c. 198 TA) saw Valafon personally face the dragon, and when Vuthasjach fell, his death throes poisoned the waters around Etrusca for years after. The Emperor's battle with Vuthasjach was witnessed by generations of Etruscan citizens, who, when liberated, showed fanatical devotion and praise to the liberator Emperor.   Al'Zastrain - The most terrible of the Moradon, and the last to fall. Al'Zastrain was no pure dragon, she was a hybrid abomination, born of a night hag and a dragon, combining the cunning of fey corruption with draconic might. She claimed Aramathia, the Blackened City, and with her came the Dragon Cult in full force.   The Dragon Cult, led by the brilliant and ruthless Kree H'Tan, transformed Aramathia into a theocratic nightmare. They worshipped Al'Zastrain as a dark goddess, and she rewarded their devotion with dark gifts. The bulk of the Cult's power sat in Aramathia, making it the true seat of Moradon authority.