Homebrew Campaign || Secret of the Dragons (Inactive)

Game Master Zayne Iwatani

1048 years.
That is how long its been since the end of the war. And though only the oldest of elves even remember the conflict, all know how it ended. For they are reminded every time they look at the border of their nations and see the soaring peaks of mountain range formed in the span of a single day.

--The story--

The nations of Ouros and Boros were, up until the Great Intervention, at war with each other. This was a war the likes of which no other land could even comprehend. It didn't just last for decades or centuries...but millennium. Thousands of years the two nations had been at odds. Sometimes the two clashed on the border endlessly for years. Other times there was peace to allow the two to recuperate. And just when peace might have actually settled, a spark would ignite the two nations yet again. The war is so old that only the most ancient of dragons even know how it started. And they are as tight lipped as ever. So what could possible put an end aggression built over thousands of years?

The Gods themselves.

Specifically Tiamat and Bahamut. The two great dragon gods of good and evil. And why are these two involved. Again, only the dragons know the whole story. But part of it might be because the Metallic dragons and worshippers of Bahamut controlled the northern Ouros and the Chromatic dragons, worshippers of Tiamat, controlled southern Boros. And because of this schism of beliefs, neither could suffer the other to live peacefully. For in the north, the Metallic's and indeed most of the kingdom of Ouros, believed in the tenets of Bahamut. Honor. Justice. Loyalty. Wisdom. These are the virtues the Metallic dragons try to uphold but without being tyrannical. They prefer to guide the kingdom of Ouros by example. Whereas in Boros, the Chromatic's lead with an iron claw. They beat into the people the virtues of power, strength and greed by any means necessary. And they don't bother hiding their chains of control. Everyone in Boros knows the king is a puppet to an ancient and powerful red dragon that few have ever seen. Volthuryol.

But that is neither here nor there for the current situation. A strange grouping of people, who have yet to discover the power within, have found themselves together and bound for the city of Bastion in southern Ouros. When the gods rent the ground and formed the mountains that now separate the two nations, they created a very dangerous area. The mountain range used to be the front lines of the war where countless soldiers and creatures lost their lives. Now those lost souls wander the mountains as undead, making it all but impassable. And if the undead didn't deter you the forbidding cliffs would. Only one valley through the mountain range was discovered and that is where Bastion began. Great mages from all over flocked to the sight and began work setting up wards along the mountain range and the valley. They joined fellow scholars from Boros in the middle and set up, after many long years, the first land route between the two now peaceful countries. Both nations are bordered on one side by mountains and the other by ocean so this route was much appreciated. Unfortunately it wasn't too long before an "accident" occurred and the wards failed. The valley was abandoned as undead flooded in and since neither side knew what happened, the route was closed. The two nations still distrusted each other but the gods pretty much forbade them from acting against each other.

So Bastion was mostly abandoned and soon fell into disrepair. The walled city still maintains a skeleton crew and the mage college still retains some loyal scholars trying to figure out what happened but the city has significantly fallen in grandeur. It still maintains a decent number of devoutly loyal citizens and it lies on a trade route from the mines to the east and ocean ports to the west. In recent years though it has been the target of bandits who attack the traders headed to and from the city. Many essential goods have been stolen or burned before reaching the city and the small guard left over doesn't have the man power to fight them off. Only time will tell if the city survives.

The Dragonborn:

For as long as anyone can remember, the eight Dragonborn have been the exemplars of Bahamut in humanoid form. The metallic dragons have always been such and thus need no boon from their deity. The eight, however, have been given great strength for their unwavering loyalty the Platinum Dragon. Each has been blessed with an aspect of dragon kind to be used in the pursuit of Bahamut's virtues, honor, hope, justice and wisdom. And because of these mighty blessings, only eight Dragonborn have every existed at anyone time or ever will for the blessing of Bahamut is not to be taken lightly. And when the time comes, each Dragonborn chooses a successor to carry on the will of Bahamut and receive his blessing.
The current eight:

The Dragon's Strength: Kennen the Half-pint Hammer - In his youth, the Halfling created his own unarmed fighting style and used it to defend himself and his friends in the slums of the port city of Tradewind. He then went on to teach the people how to defend themselves and almost singlehandedly brought the crime-rate down to almost zero. His style focused on swift attacks to pressure-points on his opponent. Now with the strength of a dragon, no challenger, even a real dragon, has been able to best him.

The Dragon's Heart: Leon Stroud - Few have ever seen the face of Leon Stroud since he took his oath to be a paladin. He wears his silver armor almost all the time as he wanders from town to town helping in any way he can. And not just by fighting evil. He also spends a great deal of time healing the sick, helping build houses and settling disputes. When he does engage in battle he is an impressive sight to behold and he gives off a strength that makes even the most timid of fighters into zealous warriors.

The Dragon's Wings: Lavi, Valkyrie of the Sky - The greatest dragon slayer in all of Ouros, Lavi Earhart uses a combination of martial prowess and magic to dominate the skies. Wit enormous silver dragon wings, Lavi soars above her enemies and strikes before they realize the danger. Truthfully her skills have only been tested against wyverns, rocs and rogue air elementals, she is confident she could take on any dragon in the sky.

The Dragon's Tail: Athos Rhode - The Dragon's Tail tends to keep to himself, preferring the ocean depths over the surface. He claims he enjoys the peace of the dark abyss but when he fights he is anything but. He zips through the water like he was born in it, for he was as an Undine, and strikes at both sea monster and pirates with brutal precision. If the need calls for it he can even move the water at will to wash away his foes or give him an advantage. Even before the blessing he was a formidable opponent in the water to the point that he gave the previous Dragon's Tail decent competition. With the blessing, he is unmatched.

The Dragon's Presence: Oberon Kaiser - With his half-giant ancestry, the Dragon's Presence has the size and bulk of an ogre and wields a greataxe almost as big as he is. It is said he could cleave throw four men and the boulder behind him. That is assuming anyone got that close because the man radiates an oppressive aura of power that sends most running. Even when he consciously restrains it, most feel uneasy around him. All save for his delightful wife who seems to be both immune to its affect.

The Dragon's Teeth and Claws: Eärendur and Lelithien Meratyn - Elf twins, the duo work together fairly often as there areas of expertise overlap. Earendur is the head of the King's Rangers and carries a pair of scimitars from which his blassing was derived. The blades are adamantine with dragon claw hilts and capable of cutting anything. His sister, Lelithien, heads a scouting and information network called the Shadows and wields twin daggers crafted from an ancient red's teeth. The blades are powerfully enchanted to return Lelithien who is one of the best knife throwers in Ouros. The Ranger's watch over Ouros while the Shadows watch Boros and together they have the most comprehensive intel on the state of both nations.

The Dragon's Scales: Briaries - Dragon scales are powerful and Briaries found a way to harness their power to amplify his magical power. Briaries knew he wasn't cut out to be on the front lines where his scales could protect him from enemy blades and magic. So instead he sacrificed most of the scales' power of magical defense for amplification of his own powerful magic in the form of arcane tattoos. Though some think it a sacrilege to use his blessing in such a way, the other seven thought it a clever use of the gift to his advantage.

The Dragon's Wisdom: Onikjun - Onikjun is the only human to be given a dragon name. Literally translating to "wise king", Onikjun has the longevity of a dragon and has ruled Ouros for thousands of years. He is the first Dragonborn and has never been succeeded. The Dragon's Wisdom is a wizard, an alchemist, a cleric, a scholar, and many other things. For when he grows bored of one pastime, he finds another. But the one thing he has always taken seriously is the rule of Ouros. Under his leadership born from years of experience, Ouros has never fallen to the chromatics and continues to uphold its traditions of honor and justice. But even as old as he is, he still doesn't know the reason for the war, as it is before his time, nor its abrupt end.