The City in the Sky pt. 1

In this post, I'll begin delving into the origins of dragons and how they play into the lore of my campaign. Dragons are rather rare in the current portion of the game, and through this particular parts of the lore, you'll find out why. Also, this entry is a rather short one, but it's just the first portion. Trust me, it gets better!

Long before the current King’s family came to Nyldaria, its inhabitants of had another king. A millennia ago, the gods came together and created a ruler for not just Nyldaria, but the entire realm: they created a dragon. But not just any dragon, (for dragons were originally created when the realm was first created) they created a superior dragon. They created King Riptide. 

Riptide stood taller than the tallest mountain and his wings stretched almost as far as the sea. His eyes were like a swirling vortex inside a crystal clear pond. When he opened his mouth, his voice boomed like thunder, and his teeth would stoke fear into even the most fierce and noble warrior. This mighty white dragon was unmatched in every way.

King Riptide was made to rule over the inhabitants of the realm, and that he did. He was a kind ruler, and did all he could to make his subjects feel safe and at peace. He was a friend to all. However, whenever there came a time to deal out punishment he did so justly; for his wrath was not to be trifled with. 

All races both loved and respected King Riptide, except for the other dragons. They felt inferior and resentment towards their new King, and the other races no longer feared them. This troubled the King, for truly the dragons were his people.

So, the King went before the gods and requested they grant him the power to provide for his people in the form of a new, wondrous city just for them. A city that no other race could enter. A city in the sky.

The gods were hesitant to grant this request. They feared this new city would keep him from his duties as ruler, and still wanted the other races to have access to their king. They ultimately agreed, but under one condition: King Riptide could create this new city ONLY if there were a mountain created to reach it so that the inhabitants could come before the King.

King Riptide agreed, and called the city Melaith, and the Mountain was known as Mt. Melaith. This was the City in the Sky: the home of the dragons.

The History of Grydain pt. 1

This is part one of me diving into the setting and history of the world I'm creating for my ongoing Dungeons and Dragons game, where I'm the DM (most of you already know this but just in case). This is a whole new world that I and one of my players have created. This particular post is the history behind Grydain, where the game is primarily taking place. Please enjoy.

The city of Grydain lies within the country of Nyldaria. Nyldaria was founded centuries ago, while Grydain is approaching its 200th anniversary. The Royal Family has a tradition that whenever they reach adulthood they may either become the new ruler of one of the cities as Jarl OR they may found a new city and become it's Jarl.

The Royal family also has a history of being notoriously prejudice against certain races. Most races in fact.

Now the Country of Nyldaria has been at war with the orcs for centuries. The orcs were/are relentless, as they have right to be (they were the original inhabitants of the land). In fact, the orcs were so hellbent on taking back their land that they began conquering and pillaging smaller cities and settlements. This in turn left many races seeking shelter and refuge.

The Royal Family lived in the City of Joelby, which was at the very heart of Nyldaria and was only allowing the wealthiest and noblest families to live their. It was full of Humans, High Elves, and Mountain Dwarves, and that was it.

When the refugees began pouring in, the Royal Family turned them away completely, with no hope of and type of aid or assistance.

This troubled Reynholm, the son of King Thomas. Reynholm, despite his raising, felt compassion for the refugees. He wanted to help them in some way.

And so, when he approached the "Age of Nobility", as the Royal Family had taken to naming their tradition, instead of accepting a Jarl position from one of the already established cities, he told his family that he wanted to establish a new city for the refugees that had nowhere else to go.

Outraged, his father rejected his proposal immediately. However, his mother, Lillian, reminded him that this was tradition, and they had no choice.

So, Thomas agreed to allow his son to establish a new city, but under two conditions:

1. He would receive no aid from the City of Joelby OR the Kingdom.

2. He had to have the City "up and running" with a Keep, a council, and a steady flow of economy ready in two years time.

Obviously, King Thomas assumed that his son would fail completely and come running home to take on a more "acceptable" position, but young Reynholm was determined to succeed.

And so, Reynholm left with only his family, a few guards, and some gold and provisions that his mother Queen Lillian provided for him secretly.