Darum's Reign of Terror

Darum, Eldra's brother, made the decision in 52 DR to stay in Astana instead of joining her sister on her crusade across the world. His reign of destruction defined a huge portion of Astana's early history.

Darum’s Reign of Terror starting in 52 DR stands as one of the darkest and most harrowing chapters in Astana’s history. Rather than seeking conquest beyond the continent, Darum, the Black Death, turned his full wrath upon Astana itself, declaring himself its sole and absolute ruler. His campaign of devastation swept across the land, laying waste to the mighty kingdoms of Drakengard, Arlona, Zanhor, and countless others. Resistance crumbled before his unmatched power. Arrows shattered harmlessly against his obsidian-like scales, and even the most potent magics fizzled upon contact. His wings blotted out the sun, and his claws shredded entire armies long before they could close for battle.

Darum established his dominion within the Ardentspire Mountains, where he amassed a colossal hoard of pillaged treasures. His tyranny was absolute, his demands for fear and reverence inescapable. So complete was his grip on the region that many human populations surrendered to his dominance, delivering tributes of gold, food, and riches to his mountainous lair. Others, desperate to avoid his wrath, built shrines at the edges of their towns, piling offerings for Darum and his draconic followers, hoping to be spared from his fiery destruction. His rule turned the once-proud lands of Astana into a realm of submission and terror.

For three years, Darum’s shadow smothered Astana, a reign defined by destruction and the forced subjugation of mortalkind. His tyranny seemed unstoppable—until the arrival of the mysterious figure known only as The Watcher. In a battle of legendary proportions, The Watcher directly challenged Darum. Their duel shook the earth and split the skies, but after a brutal, titanic clash, The Watcher dealt the killing blow, ending Darum’s monstrous reign once and for all.

With Darum’s death, his draconic followers scattered, and the skies of Astana grew eerily silent. Dragon populations plummeted to near extinction in Astana, and in the years that followed, the creatures that once ruled the land vanished entirely. Even now, dragons are conspicuously absent from the land that was once their homeland.