The Southern Draconic Empire

South of the Chükan Jungle on Galzhür lies a vast expanse of land all under the wing of six draconic lords. Their domain stretches across the continent, touching the seas in the east and west. The lesser mortals that are permitted to live in their domain often worship them as minor gods, offering up sacrifices and tokens of appreciation to the great beings that soar above them.   Dragons, are, of course, central to the ideology and function of life south of the Chükan, and a deep understanding of them will permit you, my dear readers, to truly grasp how and why this so-called "empire" came to be, and why it still persists. Dragons are, of course, different from drakes, wyverns, and other scaled beasts of a large size. The main, important difference being that dragons are far more intelligent that the others, which are considered to be nothing more than animals -- a bastardization of the glorious species that is dragonkind. This brief synopsis is all too short and unintelligent, in fact it pains me physically to write such sweeping statements with little detail, but alas, I shall have to discuss this later!   The worship of dragons is a fairly controversial practice, with many of the priests, priestesses, templars, paladins, etc. travelling to this region in an attempt to convert the "savage" natives to a more mainstream (gods only) religion. There are, in fact, many misconceptions about the people of this strange land, but I shall dispel this religious oversight first. Worship of dragons as true deities or as the only living deities is quite rare and exceptional in the empire. More often, the dragons are worshipped as minor deities, or as great beasts that exist in addition to the religion's existing gods and goddesses. Many of the priests whom I have spoken to who have travelled to the Southern Draconic Empire originally travelled there with that very misconception and were entirely surprised to learn that the natives there had their own fully formed religions and pantheons (often derived from a religion known to the rest of the world) wherein the dragons were only added, seemingly, as an afterthought or footnote in the religious history of the pantheon.   Another common idea that is incredibly incorrect is that the people of the south are entirely one people. This could not be further from the truth. Having travelled to this wonderful land many, many times, I should very rightly say that the diversity of cultures there matches anywhere else in the world. You may find orcs, goblins, kobolds, minotaurs, lizardfolk, humans, elves, and many, many others living under the wing of one of the lords. Even populations of the same race are completely different in different regions! I once met a tribe of orcs living on the plains near the Onta Grove who had raucous festivities late into the night every time the moon shone full, and then travelled to the Abakan Desert where I met a tribe who threatened to stuff my mouth with linen for talking too loud at too late an hour!   Yet another common idea that is entirely ridiculous upon closer examination is the idea that since there are six draco-lords, then there are only six dragons in the entirety of the southern draconic empire. This ideation is not entirely unexpected or surprising, but I shall try to spread the truth through my work here. Dragons, while not being creatures of the pack (such as most of us more social species), do have children, on occasion, and must care for them. What I mean to say is that while the six draco-lords are easily the most powerful dragons of the region, each of them has, under their protection, children and consorts that live in the south as well. There are not too many of them (less than a dozen for each of the lords), but there are far more than just dragons. Each, of course, is respected by the locals, but usually the denizens of the south recognize the most powerful of the group, and will direct sacrifices and prayers towards them.   I hope that this all-too-brief account of a few misconceptions has allowed you to open your mind and see the truth of the matter in regards to the south of that western-most continent. The land itself is beautiful. The vast plains of the central empire are dotted with small forests, bordered by the sea in the east and the Abakan desert in the west. Travelling across those plains gives a sense of your smallness in the world. There are so many nomads spread across the vast space and yet it is more common to see nothing but tall grass all around -- you are almost afraid that you must be lost in it. There is also, of course, that massive blemish in the land called the Dragon's Crater, which is a quite deadly region contained within the peaceful plains.   The crater is quite ancient, dating all the way back to Morlu times before the war. Some of the accounts we have from actual Morlu scripts indicate that there used to be a race of great dragons, far more powerful than the present lords of the south. They were so rare and so powerful that they seemed as godly to the Morlu as the present day dragons seem to us (remember that the Morlu were far more powerful than you or I, so this is quite an impressive level of power these dragons must have had!). Two of these giants got in some sort of quarrel and their battle was so destructive that a massive crater was formed when one struck the other down with a mighty magical blast! Rumor has it that to this very day, one may find the bones of that ancient giant somewhere in the middle of the crater -- if you can survive all of the mutants on the way to it!   Of course, a description of the beautiful geography of the south cannot be complete without mention of the Unbadd Grasslands and the Abakan. The desert, though it may seem uninhabitable, is filled with life, hiding away from the scorching sun and desolate sands. There are a few oases throughout the desert that are home to some of the only permanent settlements in the entirety of the Southern Draconic Empire. These oasis-based villages are often waystations and trading centers for those passing through the desert, and are surprisingly rich given that they are in the middle of a barren sea. The Unbadd, too, has a few permanent settlements, and even a city. There are a few farms, but many of the inhabitants are still nomadic, rotating around the grasslands, following the packs of animals that feed them.   I absolutely must recommend that any prospective druid or nature-lover visit this land. There are many things about the people and creatures here that cannot be found elsewhere: the nomadic cycle, life without centralized large cities, beautiful scenery, and the dragons, of course! Never have I seen a land which so disproves all of the preconceptions that I had before visiting it. The societies there are beyond anything else I have ever experienced and I took an entirely new mindset away from my travels there. I truly think that visiting this land actively makes me more attuned, and therefore a better druid.