The Six Lords of Draconia

There is no traditional government in Draconia. There is no central body that makes laws, collects taxes, or raises an army. Perhaps this is surprising to you, my readers, since the empire has been alive and well for 800 years. The only law of the land is that laid down by the six draconic lords that preside over different sections of the empire. Usually, they only step in to keep the peace between different nomadic groups so that the sacrifices that these groups make to their draconic overlords continue with regularity.   Here, in this section of my account, I shall tell you about each of the six lords so that you grasp the basic information needed when traversing the Southern Draconic Empire. I must warn you, dragons are generally unpredictable beings. Their nature is volatile -- they will be entirely cordial one day and be unwilling to even look at you the next! I should recommend that if you ever must deal with one of these giants, you should be properly armed with the knowledge here.

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Sabahg the Friendly:

Sabahg is perhaps the most cordial and beloved of the six. His scales are a deep ruby-red, and he has a temper to match the fiery power he weilds. Though his temper can flare easily, he is incredibly friendly towards non-dragons. He is famous for regaling his guests with old stories long forgotten by all others. Being the oldest of the six, Sabahg is filled with stories unmatched by any of his kin, and some rumors speculate that he even lived to see the waning days of the Morlu War. The raw amount of knowledge contained in that being exceeds that of any other being I have ever heard of, except maybe the gods themselves.   Sabahg resides in the Abakan desert -- he often gives travelers quite the scare when he rises out of a dune in front of them when awakening from his quite-common naps there. He has no grand cavern or abode that he calls his home. He simply burrows into the sand and sunbathes for most of his day, even holding his counsel there (giving his visitors a protective heat-shield of course). He cannot be found in any one location as he often randomly chooses his resting place, but should you ever seek counsel with him, simply stop by an oasis town and ask for his whereabouts. Someone there will know.

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Amug the Hoarder:

Deep in the Galzhür Mountains is a massive cavern filled to the brim with all manner of trinkets, gold, and shiny objects. If you look closely enough to the mountain of wealth, you may also see a dragon inside. Amug is a living embodiment of the "greedy dragon" idea that many a lesser mortal thinks of when thinking of dragons. He loves all things shiny, regardless of actual value. He simply likes things. Accordingly, those within his territorial sphere, mostly mountain dwellers and the few nomadic tribes roaming the northwestern reach of the Eazim Grasslands, will give him offerings of items made especially for him as well as the usual food.   His love of trinkets has led to the greatest known accumulation of wealth in Ultor. On several occasions, the Mage's Enclave or some representative of the Crystal Palace (poor souls!) was sent to Amug to try to convince him to hand over a particularly powerful and dangerous magical artifact. They never do say how much it costs them! Amug is loathe to part with any of his collection (rumor has it that he knows every single thing he possesses, and that he will instantly know if something has been moved or taken), but thus far, the Crystal Palace has successfully retrieved each item that they seek from him. I suspect that Amug realizes the importance of locking relics away in the Crystal Palace (after all, several other dragons work with that institution, and two even guard it!).   Amug's age is unknown, but, on the rare and glorious occasions that he allows archaeologists to look through his hoard, they have found Morlu coinage in better condition than is found anywhere else. These findings have led to speculation that Amug could have lived around the same time as the ending of the Morlu War! If that were true, Amug would be nearly as old as Sabahg, though he doesn't seem to possess the same penchant for storytelling...   His color is that of an amethyst. He uses his knowledge of portals and gateways to traverse Ultor and add trinkets to his massive collection. Amug is not unsociable, but he is not nearly so outgoing and friendly as Sabahg. The best way to curry good favor with Amug is to bring him some small offering (he loves everything shiny, especially things that match his scale color). Do this, and he shall surely grant you an audience.

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Ythyssa the Alchemist:

The emerald giant of the Onta Grove has a personality as icy as a frost dragon's breath. She is well aware of her superiority to the races that worship her, and she does not often waste her time speaking to lesser beings. Instead, Ythyssa spends a majority of her time studying alchemy. Emerald dragons are naturally talented at alchemy, so this is no surprise, but it may surprise the aspiring dracologist that Ythyssa focuses mainly on healing salves, anti-toxins, and anti-venom, rather than their respective converses -- poisons, venom, and other toxins. For an emerald dragon, this focus is quite unusual, and I wonder if Ythyssa cares for life slightly more than she is willing to admit.   Her domain is considered to be everything east of the Eazim River and everything south of the northernmost tip of the Onta Grove. She spends most of her time in the Onta Grove, and rarely leaves. Her "subjects" leave all sacrifices for her in the forest, knowing that she will find it no matter its location in the forest (dragons have an amazing capacity to tell where other creatures have been, even if they haven't been there for days). These sacrifices are, of course, the usual food, but also certain herbs and reagents that the Mistress of the Forest requests. Allegedly, she maintains telepathic connections with the leaders of her worshippers and tells them what offerings she desires. Those leaders then speak to their people, and the collection commences.   Though she does not seem to especially value the lives of lesser mortals, should you ever be travelling though her lands, it would do you well to respect those already living there. While Ythyssa doesn't care for an ordinary lesser being, those living within her domain are her subjects, so she perceives any offence to them as an offence to her. Accordingly, when travelling through her territory, it is important to show the utmost respect to all you find living there, or you may soon find yourself in a dragon's belly.

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Chevoroz the Knowledgeable:

With scales the color of fine silver jewelry, Chevoroz is truly a sight to behold. He is the most magically skilled of the six lords, and is considered to be a grandmaster by the Arcanist's Enclave in pyromancy, aquamancy, transmogrification, shapeshifting, summoning, and many other arcane arts. His arcane skill influences his taste in sacrifices, just as Ythyssa's influences hers. Chevoroz especially prizes arcane scrolls, especially those of the Morlu or those of particularly ancient origin. Of course, he does not expect his subjects to regularly bring him these trinkets, but those that do will often be contacted by their lord, and will be rewarded for their contribution.   Chevoroz's land encompasses the Dragon's Crater and all of the Eazim Grassland north of the northernmost tip of the Onta Grove. He enjoys lounging in the Crater and sunbathing, but he does not expect his subjects to make the journey to him in order to make sacrifices. He instead prefers to travel his territory and accept his sacrifices at special shrines built for him. He accepts these sacrifices regularly, and many of his subjects turn out in hopes of catching a glimpse of him accepting their gifts. During my travels in Draconia, I had the great fortune to witness one of these sacred rituals. Chevoroz landed, stunning all who saw him into a silent reverence for this great being that stood before them. He then, with great emphasis, examined his tribute (I have never seen an ox eaten so quickly), and proclaimed his satisfaction at the tribute. The gratitude and awe in the audience was palpable, and it was only then that I had my first taste of the reverence and respect that the denizens of the south have for their draconic overlords.

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Feorut the Deathless:

Feorut lives in the Southern Grove of Draconia, controlling the Eazim Grasslands to the west of the Eazim River and to the east of the Abakan Desert. She shares some of her territory with Sabahg in the west and Amug in the northwest. She is quite a unique dragon -- one of marbled black and white scales. Many of those who do not understand her power fear it, as she appears to be surrounded by dangerous specters and ghosts. Of course, it is very unnerving to see for the first time, but she would not allow them to harm the living unless she so desired. Her (some would say macabre) connection with the dead has inspired her worshippers, and many of the tribes and nomadic groups that follow Feorut have complex relationship with the dead. Most have elaborate burial rituals, encourage immense respect for the dead, and have some sort of ancestral rituals where libations are poured and sacrifices made to the ancestors of the living.   Though she seems strange and distant, Feorut is reported to be quite able to hold an interesting conversation and to spin a wonderful tale. This is no doubt because she spends much of her time conversing (telepathically, of course) with her summoned spirits. The conversations, while certainly of some amusement to her, are mainly so that she can gain the knowledge and wisdom of past beings. Obviously, there are far more dead lesser mortals than creatures equal to her stature, but with such a high volume comes a trickle of useful knowledge. What all this knowledge is used for, I do not know. Perhaps she merely wishes to accumulate knowledge for its own sake...   Feorut has a well known "lair" in the Southern Grove, which is less of an actual lair and more of a sort of "watering hole" for her. What I mean to say is that she can often be found there lounging and conversing with her spirits. Due to her somewhat loquacious nature, Feorut is reportedly quite welcoming of guests who happen upon her. Her den is quite a nice spot, I must say. The climate is quite bearable under the shade of the trees there, and the small spring in the center of her habitat would offer quite a relaxing dip, I imagine.

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Neoju Three-foot:

I shall leave off my rambling with a discussion on the youngest of the lords of Draconia. Neoju is vastly younger than his contemporaries -- having been born sometime in the last 300 years. His position of power is due to rather tragic circumstances as his father, Umbor the Sun, was killed by the Terror of Uurbazj, Vul Ganeid (a massively powerful lich). Neoju, while able to avenge his father's death (with the aid of the other lords, several grandmaster magicians, paladins, and a small army), lost his hind left leg in the battle, hence his title. While many a dragon would be insulted by the title he bears, Neoju wears it with pride, as a sort of battle scar from his greatest triumph.   Neoju, like Sabahg, is a ruby-red dragon, though of lighter complexion than his ally. His mastery of pyromancy, while surely not yet as impressive as his father's or Sabahg's, is still potent and obviously far above the skill level of any more common mortal. Speaking of the ancient giant, Neoju and Sabahg are unusually close for dragons, and even share territory relatively freely. Neoju lives in the Galzhür mountains, but his brood often mixes with Sabahg's. I believe that this quite unusual companionship is just the manifestation of a very familiar bond common to us lesser creatures: sympathy. It is my belief that Sabahg, who had immense respect for Umbor, felt his loss nearly as strongly as Neoju, and, while dragons surely are great beings far beyond my meager comprehension, they are still capable of bonding in sorrow. This is what happened for Neoju and Sabahg, and now they are inseparable allies and, more amazingly, friends.   The common home of Neoju, as I have briefly mentioned, is in the mountains. His brood mainly stays somewhere near Astrophel's Keep, but they often make trips over to Sabahg's lair, or they go to visit him in the Abakan Desert. Neoju's allocated territory consists of the Cape Forest and the Unbadd Greenlands. His subjects provide plentiful livestock for him, raising special ritual cows which are fattened up just for the sacrifice. They will then make a pilgrimage to his cavern, which is a yearly event. Since the road can be dangerous for ill-equipped peasants, Neoju often sends some of his brood to guide the caravan and to guard his subjects on the way to his home.   This annual "parade" of sorts is significant in that it shows Neoju's unique relationship with his followers. He seems far more fatherly a deity to those under his protection, and it seems that he legitimately cares for the lives of his subjects. From my own observations, I have deduced that this is due to two major factors. First, the assistance that Neoju received from lesser mortals to avenge his father, and second, the simple fact of his relative youth. Both factors contribute to his rather loving relationship with his subjects. He will often go so far as to visit random villages under his protection just to speak with villagers, though he surely gains almost no insight from speaking with them. As a result, the other lords privately consider him to be quite soft, but his subjects love him in a way none of the other dragons are loved.