Arkhosia
There is no true "Draconic Empire", in the sense of a single ruler presiding over a vast dominion. Presiding means governing, governing means politics, politics requires manipulation and any real Dragonborn believes that manipulating is something best done with a sturdy weapon to an opponents face. Similarly, there is no Dragonborn ruler. No creature short of a deity could maintain rule over a race as strong as the Dragonborn. Not even Bahamut or Tiamat could subdue the independent streak of every one. Instead, Arkhosia is made up of independent clans spread throughout the Northern regions. Some provinces are on the barren steppes, others in the mountains, others by the sea. However, each contains a massive capital city, which serves as the center of all activity.
The first Dragonborn clans were the spawn of colossal chromatic dragons, and served as agents of these mighty beasts as they acquired treasure and glory. Nearly all clans are still ruled by one of these dragons, who spend their day in their palace entertaining (and sometimes eating) guests, reveling in their treasure and pondering how to acquire more. Chromatic dragons are a brutal sort, but intelligent, and the loyal Dragonborn will obey their rulers under dire circumstances. However, they can be pushed too far, and then they revolt in a bloody swarm of numbers, typically to replace their old master with a new dragon, more sympathetic to their concerns. A small handful of Dragonborn have fancied themselves leaders, forged their own throne from the massive bones of the previous draconic ruler and adopted the title "Dragon" for themselves.
A character knows the following with a successful Nature check:
- DC 20 - Though territorial, the Arkhosians are united enough that their different provinces usually fight each other directly; besides, there are almost always more interesting wars to get involved in. Smaller kingdoms come from far and wide, seeking to entice a clan to join their side in a war. The unspoken rule is that a Dragonborn clan cannot fight in a war that another clan has already taken a side in, meaning that clans try to pick the most glorious wars to enter before they are claimed.
- DC 25 - Arkhosia is surprisingly diverse, with many races living under Draconic rule; so much so that many cities have more non-Dragons than Dragonborn. Typically, other races fill out the labor-class, conducting trade, crafting goods and handling the farming on behalf of their noble lords. There are two major rules for any non-Dragonborn in Arkhosia. First, picking up a weapon is banned; arms are for the Dragons only. Second, only Dragons may war. In other words, keep your racial grievances in check; or, at least, know which officials to pay off to make life more difficult for your hated enemies, because in Arkhosia racial wars are fought by proxy.
Crags of Io[edit]
In the far north is a harsh land, where the cold taiga gives way to sharp mountains that look like the broken jaw of a dragon. These mountains mark the northern boundary of Arkhosia, and beyond them lies a land controlled by giants. It is here that the Clan of the Viridian Flame call home. The Viridian Flame is one of the smaller clans of Arkhosia, with a somewhat modest capital city of Bataar in the shadow of the northern mountains. However, its geography allows it to produce warriors specialized in subterranean combat. The Viridian Legions are highly sought after by foreign kingdoms who have, of late, had problems with aberrant creatures from the Underdark.
The Viridians are ruled by Smegash the Great, a mighty Green Dragon. Smegash's origins are unknown, but he appeared twenty years ago, at the head of half of the Viridian Army who had been contracted to eliminate Smegash and his followers at the behest of a Tiefling prince. The legion, lead by General Xuande (my grandfather and namesake) had eradicated Smegash's followers, and the Dragon found himself surrounded by an army eager to slay him. Somehow, Smegash convinced General Xuande to parlay.
Smegash learned that the current ruler of the Viridians, a Red Dragon named Antaxareas, had grown unpopular. There were many reasons, but paramount among them all was the ill-fated Underdark expedition. Antaxareas was the one who convinced the Great Dragon Council to launch the expedition and had instituted a draft to grow his army as much as possible, so his troops could lead the way and amass the most treasure. When contact was lost with the main body of the expedition, Antaxareas was the first to complain that the mission had gone poorly and attempted to shift blame on to his army. Eventually, some of the Viridian Horde emerged and told the council a tragic story of an expedition that was not fully prepared for the horrors of the Underdark. The bulk of the expeditionary force had been captured by Mind Flayers and were being brainwashed for some unknown purpose. In an act that broke with Dragonborn traditions of face-to-face combat, the council organized commando teams to free the imprisoned Hordes. This was a partial success, and the majority of the captured legions returned safely. The Viridian Flame, however, suffered high casualties. One quarter of the Viridian Horde had perished in the Underdark, and another quarter had vanished without a trace. The clan had been dealt a tremendous blow.
By the end of the parlay, Smegash had convinced Xuande that he would be a better ruler for the Viridians, and offered to divide up a large share of his horde to show his sincerity. The idea of a Dragon parting with his horde stunned Roland, who accepted on the spot and who's soldiers were happy to join in this coup. When Smegash, Xuande and half of the Viridian Horde showed up at the gates of Bataar, Antaxareas knew his time was up but had no intention of going quietly. He attempted to rally his own army, but found that the Horde was more than happy to allow the coup to take place. His political supporters betrayed him, his trade allies abandoned him and he found himself very much alone. In a final blaze of spite, Antaxareas flew out of the Ziggurat and began to lay waste to as much of the city as possible, before he was brought down from the sky from a hail of arrows and hacked to pieces by the army on the ground. Smegash immediately took his place, and as his first act, spent some of the Horde to quickly rebuild the city. He also promised to distribute Antaxareas horde to the city. Strangely, Smegash claimed that the horde was actually quite small and only a small amount of money spread around, making this gesture more symbolic than anything else. A few Dragonborns grumbled that Smegash had lied to his new domain.
Smegash had quickly formed a spy network in the city to be better-informed, and did not take kindly to that insinuation. In particularly, he grew paranoid over the power and influence wielded by General Xuande. When the war with the Tieflings broke out, Smegash found a perfect solution to his problems. He promoted worrisome officers and sent their units off on near-suicidal missions. If they managed to succeed, he could cast suspicion on the survivors and claim that they were double agents. If the Viridians perished, he did not have to worry about their treachery. And if they returned with anything less than a triumph, he could brand them traitors and Teifling sympathizers, and have them executed on the spot.
Razortear[edit]
Representatives of each clan unite every year at Razortear, in order to settle disputes, have claims arbitrated and call for open warfare. One year, for example, the clans united to liberate a province that had been seized by giants, who sought more slaves for their primordial armies; the might of Arkhosia drove them back, and may have provided enough cover for the fledgeling Dwarven rebellion to get started. In another year, the Arkhosians marched on the Feywild, in a preemptive strike against its subterranean Fomorian denizens; the venture proved disastrous, though no Dragon would ever admit defeat. Arkhosian generals declared a partial victory and lost interest from there, but abandoned no few legions on the other side of the wall between the worlds. Occasionally, the Empire must direct it's own wrath inward to control forces that have gone out of control and risk disrupting the balance of power. Centuries ago, an insane Red Dragon decided to open up a portal to the Infernal Plane and give Devils a free spot to come out of and invade this world. Never had there been such a united effort on the part of the Draconic Empire as the campaign that plunged it's greatest warriors in to the very depths of hell to save Arkhosia from being overrun by the legions of Devils.
Serpentus Rift[edit]
Nor Bargeth[edit]
On the southwest front in the war between the Arkhosians and Bael Turath, this pathless swamp is frequented by dire boars, venemous serpents, and no sane sentience. The Arkhosians have been using it as a staging ground for raids into the supply lines of the Bael Turath. Within it there are three hidden dragonborn encampments. Though men frequently try to sweep through the swamps, purging it of the guerillas, their efforts are either fruitless or costly beyond reason.
