Concept

Dragonsea Campaign Concept

The Birth of Dragons

When the world was young and wild, the great children of creation, the gods and goddesses of ancient times found this world filled with potential. Seeing it, each decided to create their own race to explore and interact with this unique world. Amongst them, was Io the concordant dragon, one of the great ancient gods. He watched as the other races toyed with clay and wood and water as they pondered what form their races would take. In his infinite wisdom, Io thought to give his race the greatest power, he would make them out of the very essence of magic, thus the first dragons would be born. Their forms, powered teeming with so much magic, attuned themselves to the realms where they were created. They bonded with fire and water, with stone and sand, with wind and forest, and became masters of them all. Seeing that Io had created his children first, the other gods rushed to finish their creations and let the great mechanism of the world begin.

The Exodus

As the ages passed, the other gods saw that their creations were flawed. They fought each other, killed and sacrificed each other for petty reasons, they were savages. Jealous of the perfection that was the dragons, the other gods interfered, and gave their children the tools to fight the dragons, and the desire to hunt them. Io watched in horror, as his children, who once existed above all others, were hunted and killed. Io knew he could never satiate the jealousy of the other gods, and that they would hunt his children to extinction. Hoping to save his creation, Io went to an area in the deepest parts of the ocean, far from the sight of any land. He shaped new lands, a sanctuary for his kind. Once completed, he called to his children, beckoning them to come. Great flights of dragons took to the sky, aiding each other in a journey that would take months. Most came, only a selfless few stayed behind to guard the dragon's retreat, and keep the other races from following. As the final dragons arrived, Io sealed off all the waterways, veiled the land from the sight of both gods and men, and with great magicks wiped the exodus from the minds of all the pursuers. He created Dragonsea, the Dragon's Paradise.

The Children of Io

Being large, powerful and severely independent creatures, Io knew that it would be difficult for his children to live so close to one another. He needed powerful god-like beings to guide the dragons through this difficult transition. Io took the essence of Dragon itself, his very body and split it. In one hand, he held the honor, stubbornness, pride and strength of the dragons, and he named it Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon. In the other hand, he held the cunning, intelligence, emotional and independent aspects of the dragons, and he named it Tiamat, the Prismatic Dragon. They were to be the gods of the dragons of Dragonsea, to guide them and create a society where all Dragons would live in peace and harmony.

Io left Bahamut and Tiamat to guide Dragonsea, and left to focused on something unexpected. When he split the dragonic essence, something was left behind, a small fragment that held strange qualities. It was innocent and naive, curious and surprisingly ingenious. Io shaped the creature the best he could, creating a small dragon-like creature. He named her Kas, the Dreamer and Io played with the child.

The Rise of the Exarches

While Io spent time with Kas, Bahamut and Tiamat began their work to lead the dragons to create a unique draconic society, a draconic civilization. Like Io however, they knew that their direct interference would do irreparable harm to Dragonsea and the veil that protects it. They looked upon the great clans that had formed and knew, that if they wanted to get the cooperation of all the dragons, they would need direct representative of each.

They went about choosing the best from each flight, one from each kind of dragon to be infused with the power of the gods. These representatives would come to be known as the Exarches , godlings of Dragonsea.

First to be chosen were Moradin of the Red Flight, and Erathis of the Gold Flight. These two were the representatives of the most powerful flights that had survived the trek to Dragonsea. They heard the whispers of Tiamat and Bahamut, and knew why they were chosen. Erathis, the embodiment of imagination, saw the dream that Io had for his children clearly. She knew that need for a draconic civilization. Moradin, heard Erathis's vision, and he knew how to build it. Together, they built the great Eyrie that would be known as the Exarches council. But it was more than their shared vision that led to success of the draconic utopia, it was their total trust and love of one another that brought not only their clans together, but all clans under the fold of one united civilization. Other Exarches would be chosen to help Moradin and Erathis forge the great draconic civilization.

Ravena, of the White Flight, Exarch of Cycles, would go on to teach dragons the beauty of their time upon dragonsea, and dissuade them from corrupting that beauty by prolonging their age through sacrificial magic. Though many call her the Exarch of Death, it was her actions that allowed Dragonsea to evolve with new live, instead of stagnate under the weight of aged powers.

Sune, of the Silver Flight, Exarch of Giving, went on to break the draconic need to hoard. His lavishness, often thought of as shallow, help dragons see the beauty of giving to others, to aid one another in a community. He also came to be the most romantic of the Exarchs, believing the heart to be the greatest gift a dragon could give another.

Bane, of the Black Flight, Exarch of Law, brought order to the new society. He knew that all civilizations, though needing to change to survive, must still be based on a strict series of tenants. It was he who penned the first law of Dragonsea, that no dragon may take the life another.

Pelor, of the Copper Flight, Exarch of Justice, was dear friends with Bane, and sought to temper the cold harshness of law with mercy. He believed that true justice held a place for mercy and compassion in it's purview. It was Pelor who would create the system of determining the guilt of any creature in Dragonsea.

Ioun, of the Mithril Flight, and Avandra of the Blue Flight, were unique Exarches in that despite being different clans, were born of the same clutch when a Mithril Dragon and a Blue Dragon mated. Ioun, would rise to become the Exarch of Knowledge, a master historian, Ioun thought to record all knowledge. He hoped to preserve all information, believing none of it unimportant, so that it could be shared and told to others. His sister Avandra, would become the Exarch of Experience. Like her brother, she had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, but where he wished to record it, she wished to live it. The two would become the two halves of learning, and built the great repository of knowledge of Dragonsea.

Melora, of the Green Flight, became Exarch of Nature. She knew that for Erathis's vision to come true, they could not destroy of overwhelm the world around them. She learned from nature, and taught Moradin how to fuse the two together. Some of the great natural homes of the dragons were directly born from the knowledge of Melora. She is considered the mother of druidic magic on Dragonsea.

Asmodeus, of the Iron Flight, Exarch of Cunning, who sought to outwit his opponent rather than meet them with force. Believed to be a match to Erathis in cunning, and Ioun in raw knowledge, Asmodeus flourished when presented with any problem.

Sehanine, of the Grey Flight, Exarch of Secrets, was Asmodeus's equal at guile. She valued the need for secrets, and often came at odds with Ioun over the nature of certain knowledge. He could never counter the argument of the need to keep Dragonsea secret from the rest of the world. Though she was valued secrets above all other, it was she who taught the magic of dragons to the new lesser races.

Kord, of the Adamantine Flight, Exarch of Strength, was the polar opposite of Asmodeus. He knew that dragons, despite all their wisdom and knowledge, were powerful beasts who had to revel in that strength. Knowing that if left unchecked, their innate ferocity would tear Dragonsea apart, he taught the dragons how to contain their power, and even control their size. It was also he would cretaed the games that would allow dragons to truly let go and challenge each other without fear of harm to one another.

Torog, of the Purple Flight, Exarch of Punishment, was the most somber of Exarches. Like Sehanine, Torog knew that certain things needed to be kept locked up, but he applied to creatures, not just knowledge. He proposed the solution of life with eternal imprisonment for any dragon who broke the First Law. Torog sought to protect Dragonsea in the only way he knew how, to keep the most dangerous elements from roaming free.

Chauntea, of the Brass Flight, Exarch of Family, was the youngest of all the Exarches. Though she was the smallest and youngest, she knew that the only way civilization could work if it was built on a core principle. She taught the multiple flights the bond that tied the various clans together. She also taught them the need to take simple pleasures and appreciate the world around them.

Corelleon, of the Brown Flight, Exarch of Instinct, knew that Kord's game would not be enough to satiate all of the dragon's needs. Where Kord found a release for a dragon's pride, and Sune broke the dragon instinct to hoard, Corelleon was the one who forged the innate beast within a dragon. He showed the dragons how to hunt without devouring a landscape bare. He showed them not to gorge, but to enjoy the hunt, and honor their prey. The ritual hunts still go on today, to showcase the dragon's superiority to the beasts around them, but prey and predator have reach a careful balance and both thrive.

The Races of Dragonsea

As the Exarches each were chosen, and began to forge and shape the great draconic civilization, Bahamut and Tiamat watched, and they both saw a problem. The dragon's still were ignoring many of the small places, at least to a dragon's point of view. The dragons needed help to access these small spaces, and both gods agreed, Dragonsea needed a new race. Bahamut quickly decided that the new race should be echoes of the Dragons; after all, one could not improve on perfection. Tiamat disagreed; she wanted to experiment, to try something new so that Dragonsea would be more vibrant, and evolve through differences.

Bahamut, the spirit of stubbornness, went ahead without Tiamat and created the first race of Dragonsea, the Dragonborn. They mimicked the dragons in form and shape, but since they were created without Tiamat, they were like Bahamut, stubborn, prideful, and strong.

Meanwhile Tiamat looked at the cosmos around her and saw countless opportunities. Entranced by the primordial realm, she dug her claws deep and pulled out a piece of the realm and fused it with draconic essence. Like Bahamut, her creation was a shadow of her own carefree and flighty existence, but she dug too deep into the primordial realm and a touch of the abyss changed her creation slightly. They were sleek, lithe, and could tap powers that many dragons could not, still Tiamat was proud of her creation. And thus was formed the second race of Dragonsea, the Tieflings.

When Io returned with Kas he was happy to see that his children had so thrived and he praised Bahamut and Tiamat. It was Kas who saw the Dragonborn and the Tieflings and brought them to her father's attention. Io saw the two creations and was intrigued at the thought, but disappointed Tiamat and Bahamut could not work together. He charged them with the task of creating a third race, this time they would work together.

As Bahamut and Tiamat began their journey through the cosmos, Kas discovered some of the essence that both Bahamut and Tiamat discarded and ignored. Curious at the left over essence of creation the others chose to ignore, she decided to use it, and she created her own race. She created little dragonlings like herself, and like her, they were innocent, naive and extremely resourceful. She called them Kobold, and the third race of Dragonsea was born.

Io looked at the three new races, each reflections of their creator. He knew that like his daughter, the little Kobold's naivety would invite the lesser and darker instinct of the other races to use or abuse them. While his children continued on their flight through the cosmos, he snatch essence from the Feywild, using most of what little energy he had left, he breathed life into Dragonsea itself, bonding the new magic with the magic he originally used to create the great paradise. Thus awoke the protectors, the Oaklings, the 4th race of Dragonsea.

Meanwhile, Tiamat and Bahamut distressed at their father's displeasure, flew across the cosmos seeking a new medium to create a united race. They flew to the Astral Sea, and bickered. The flew to the Feywild, and argued. They argued endlessly over from the Far Realm to the countless demi-planes. Every detail underwent fierce negotiation and seemingly tireless amount of arguing. Finally, as they the were near the Shadowfell, their argument reached a fever pitch and the two godlings nearly attacked one another. In this moment of dis-chord, their unleashed energies bled into the Shadowfell, awakening it. The two godlings watched as this awakened essence was molded by their quickly fading anger, and a new race came to be in front of them. Thus the last true race of Dragonsea birthed itself, the Kayal, fury's shadow.

The Breaking of the First Law

As the new races integrated with the dragons, the civilization of Dragonsea finally began to feel complete. The Exarches became a ruling council, allowing each Flight to have a voice and vote onto the rules and governing of Dragonsea. The new races, while not dragons, were still children of the dragon gods, and thus were given a voice, but no vote, since even without magic, their lifespans did not match that of a normal dragon, or the near immortal like Exarches.

Like all new things though, Dragonsea would face one great challenge before it would reach it's final state. Bane, Exarch of Law, saw change coming too quickly to Dragonsea. He feared that the Exarches and Voices were to willing to change the foundation of Dragonsea. His arrogance led him to believe that only he knew what would be best for Dragonsea, and began to plot against the others.

Bane's plans were quickly uncovered, and it quickly crushed. Bane fled to the edges of Dragonsea, as the others judged and passed punishment against Bane, eternal imprisonment. Asmodeus, knew that no other Exarch would stand a chance at bringing back Bane except his dearest friend and colleague, Pelor.

Pelor searched across Dragonsea and finally found Bane, attempting again to build a force to gain control of Dragonsea. The two friends, not wanting to hurt each other, pleaded their cases. Their argument became heated, and then violent. Bane made the first move, and immobilized Pelor so that he could escape. However, Pelor, always more powerful because of his emotions and sense of justice, was at his strongest. He easily shattered the spell that captured him and retaliated. Before Pelor could realize what he was doing, he unleashed his full force. In his fervor to stop his dear friend, Pelor killed Bane, and rendered the land nearby dead from the release of so much magic. For the first time since it's creation, a dragon had been killed on Dragonsea, and the First Law was broken.

Io's Warning and The Exarches Retreat

Bane's sudden murder caught everyone off guard. Before the Gods of the Exarches could react, they were once again visited by tragedy. Pelor, overcome with grief and horror at his own actions, took his own life. Io's heart broke. He saw that he and his children had meddled too much.

For the second time in history, Io called to his children. Every dragon in Dragonsea gathered at the great Eyrie of the Exarches. As more and more arrived, the Eyrie grew and grew, powered by Io's power until they were all housed in it's walls. He spoke to them all at once. He told them that from here on out, no Exarch shall once again set foot on Dragonsea. Upon his pronouncement, each Exarch began to vanish one by one. As they vanished, a great tower as tall as the Eyrie appeared around it. The power of the Exarches was too much for Dragonsea, and as no Exarch would set foot on Dragonsea, nor shall any dragon set foot upon any of the towers.

Io then informed the dragons, that for them to survive, they must rely on one another. He also warned them, that should they fail, then they would lose more than each other. He struck a covenant, as long as they protected and honored one another, so would he protect and honor them. Io, turned to his three children. He tasked them to watch, and comfort, and guide the dragons, but never directly interfere with Dragonsea ever again. With that, Io disappeared, for the great rest he had forseen.

The Great Fortresses and the Slave Races

With the Exarches gone, the great flights honored what they had created. Each clan chose an elder, each elder chose a council member, and together, the Council of Exarches was recreated with members from each of the flights of Dragonsea. Honoring their fellow races, they continued to allow them a Voice on the council, but like the Exarches before them, denied them a vote.

Generation after generation continued to build upon the wonders of those before them. The pinnacle of their creations would be the great Fortresses of Dragonsea. Each flight, wanting a place like the great Eyrie, used the great magics they had discovered, and with the help of the others, built wonders that would last forever as a monument of their genius.

Though many dragons believed that the fortresses were their greatest accomplishments, the true pinnacle of their ingenuity would happen not once, but twice.

Knowing that they needed a workforce for their fortresses, they sought to mimic the gift of the gods. They pulled great and powerful forces, forged and refined them over and over again and forged a new race on Dragonsea. Unlike the other lesser races, these new beings were not considered to be true races of Dragonsea.

The first of these races were forged from the Elemental Chaos itself. Though one race, they would be known by the four elements that they were forged from. The Undine, Slyphs, Ifrit, and Oreads worked the elements of their creation, and did most of the labor for the great fortresses. However, like the elemental chaos they were born from, the Elemental Races were unpredictable. The Council of Exarches saw this unpredictability was uncontrollable and released the Elemental Races from their servitude. Able to thrive in harsher places than the other lesser races, the Elemental Races thrived. Because they were not a true race of Dragonsea, they were not given a Voice on the council.

Generations later, long after the Exarches had left Dragonsea, the dragons once again saw the need for a workforce completely dedicated to them. They knew though, that like the Elemental Races, and the other Races of Dragonsea, that for any attempt to was to succeed, their creation would have to be sterile to be loyal. So they went about to craft a new race, less flesh and more automoton. They forged stone, steel, vine and magic. Thus the Forged were made, and serve them to this day.