Ladong Ladozong Skyala
The Ladong Ladozong Skyala, or, more simply, Ladong, as many call it (though this name is anachronistic) is a tiny state, ruled over by Heavenly Lighting Dragons and situated in the highlands and mountains just south of the [tbd] Plateau. Ladong is a nation primarily composed of a mixture of [tbd] and Ghuraki peoples in a set caste system. The [tbd], a highly linguistically diverse set of people, have long lived in and amongst the valleys of Ladong, ever since being evicted from the high plateau by other groups. They presumably pushed the local Ghuraki to the fringes, securing their supremacy. There, they heavily diverged, fighting against one another as isolated groups with infinitely small levies while still retaining nominal kingship and resisting conquest. Dwarven records of [tbd] suggest that prior to the arrival of the Lightning Dragons to the region, Ladong was composed of no less (but perhaps more) than 27 semi-fuedal protokingdoms, ranging in population between several hundred and tens of thousands. The majority of these kingdoms were [tbd-ruled], though some Ghuraki managed to eke out their own microstates during this time of unrest. Despite disunity, the mountainous kingdoms were never under serious threat, and while some paid tribute to the dwarves, all considered themselves equals under the heavens.
All this changed with the arrival of the Lightning Dragons in 1671. The religion of Ladong had long been reverential of dragons, who were considered emissaries of their distant god. They occupied a position similar to angels in other religions, overseeing the world in the god's name. To the Lightning Dragons who settled there, having an entire people group of worshippers seemed quite appealing, and the valley they settled in soon became their permanent home. Despite being a primarily nomadic species of dragon, the idea of having a safe valley to return to and attendents to care for them at all times outweighed the wanderlust of many of the older dragons, who settled permanently and allowed their children to travel the world. Slowly exerting more and more control over the regional lords, whose tribute faltered in times of war, the dragons eventually formed a draconic monarchy whose eldest scion would rule the lands while others were free to travel at will. The former "kings" became regional governors, upholding loyalty to the dragons in return for aid only beings of such power could provide. No more would unwanted storms trouble the skies, and rainfall always came at exactly the right time. A planned economy was develped under the wise guidance of each region's local draconic representative.
It wasn't all good though. The Ghuraki resisted serving the dragons, and pushed by the prejudice of the [tbd], the rulers would work to conquer and assimilate them as a permanent lower caste. In turn, the regional lords showed ever-more fervent loyalty. It became custom for younger dragons to wed a human child of one of the royal houses and only upon their consort's death take to wandering. The regional lords, ever more enhanced, became the upper caste, with regular farmers and herders as a middle caste and the Ghuraki as a servant class. Above all reigned the dragons in what some would call enlightened absolutism. Traditionalist, comservative, and deply suspicious of outside intervention, the state was a hermit kingdom. All contained within the benevolent rulership of the dragons, whose foresight and divine abilities kept the people well-off enough.
Ladong Ladozong Skyala, directly translated as the Heavenly Realm of Lightning Dragon Storms, refers to the storms themselves (Ladong), Lightning Dragons, the creators of such storms (Ladozong), and Skyala (Heavenly Realm). Thus, a less wordy name might be Empire of the Stormlord Dragons. Naturally, the word Ladong, as only referencing the storms, makes little sense to use as the direct name, but as the object comes first in their language it has slowly come to refer to the whole nation due to limited information and very few outside the Empire being able to speak any of its tounges.
All this changed with the arrival of the Lightning Dragons in 1671. The religion of Ladong had long been reverential of dragons, who were considered emissaries of their distant god. They occupied a position similar to angels in other religions, overseeing the world in the god's name. To the Lightning Dragons who settled there, having an entire people group of worshippers seemed quite appealing, and the valley they settled in soon became their permanent home. Despite being a primarily nomadic species of dragon, the idea of having a safe valley to return to and attendents to care for them at all times outweighed the wanderlust of many of the older dragons, who settled permanently and allowed their children to travel the world. Slowly exerting more and more control over the regional lords, whose tribute faltered in times of war, the dragons eventually formed a draconic monarchy whose eldest scion would rule the lands while others were free to travel at will. The former "kings" became regional governors, upholding loyalty to the dragons in return for aid only beings of such power could provide. No more would unwanted storms trouble the skies, and rainfall always came at exactly the right time. A planned economy was develped under the wise guidance of each region's local draconic representative.
It wasn't all good though. The Ghuraki resisted serving the dragons, and pushed by the prejudice of the [tbd], the rulers would work to conquer and assimilate them as a permanent lower caste. In turn, the regional lords showed ever-more fervent loyalty. It became custom for younger dragons to wed a human child of one of the royal houses and only upon their consort's death take to wandering. The regional lords, ever more enhanced, became the upper caste, with regular farmers and herders as a middle caste and the Ghuraki as a servant class. Above all reigned the dragons in what some would call enlightened absolutism. Traditionalist, comservative, and deply suspicious of outside intervention, the state was a hermit kingdom. All contained within the benevolent rulership of the dragons, whose foresight and divine abilities kept the people well-off enough.
Ladong Ladozong Skyala, directly translated as the Heavenly Realm of Lightning Dragon Storms, refers to the storms themselves (Ladong), Lightning Dragons, the creators of such storms (Ladozong), and Skyala (Heavenly Realm). Thus, a less wordy name might be Empire of the Stormlord Dragons. Naturally, the word Ladong, as only referencing the storms, makes little sense to use as the direct name, but as the object comes first in their language it has slowly come to refer to the whole nation due to limited information and very few outside the Empire being able to speak any of its tounges.
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