Sundrake History
Early History [??? B.A - 1 A.E.D]
The First Sundrake Queen [37 - 94 A.E.D]
The Immortal Sun Queen [155 - 213 A.E.D]
The Great Plague [483 - 491 A.E.D]
Civil War [491 - 498 A.E.D]
King Tigerlilly's Reign [498 A.E.D - today]
Wrath of the Sun King [505 A.E.D]
Memory’s Ruin [505 A.E.D]
The First Sundrake Queen [37 - 94 A.E.D]
The Immortal Sun Queen [155 - 213 A.E.D]
The Great Plague [483 - 491 A.E.D]
Civil War [491 - 498 A.E.D]
King Tigerlilly's Reign [498 A.E.D - today]
Wrath of the Sun King [505 A.E.D]
Memory’s Ruin [505 A.E.D]
Early History [ ??? B.A - 1 A.E.D ]
Adeodatus calling down the wrath of the Moon Sisters. Art by J-Haskell.
The tyrannical Elder Drakes once dominated the entirety of the Realm, and the Sundrake kingdom was no exception. These immense, wingless overlords ruled with an iron fist, taking delight in the suffering they caused, for they were ever jealous of the flighted dragons they ruled over and took every opportunity to push them down.
Records of the periods before the rule of the Elder Drakes are lost, so great was their destructive tendencies; all we know of the events of this period are legend and folk tales handed down through the generations that followed.
The end to the Elder Drakes came unexpected to most. A Moonviper named Adeodatus challenged the last Queen of the Drakes, Midas - she told her that she and the rest of the Drakes must surrender all her lands and leave the Realm forever, lest they face the wrath of the Moon Sisters. She simply laughed in response; she would not be threatened by the superstitions of those beneath her, but when she tried to kill the Moonviper, Adeodatus was able to slip away without violence.
The next night, however, proved that there was more than simple superstition at work. As the sun set and the three moons of the Realm crept over the horizon, it was plain to see by their blood-red hue that something was deeply wrong. All of dragonkind, save for the Moonvipers, fell under the Moon Sister's curse, stripping away their clarity of thought and inflicting a violent madness upon them. The Elder Drakes attacked each other without care for their own wellbeing, falling upon friends and family without a care in the world.
The Sundrakes, however, had a god of their own to protect them. The Suntouched felt no influence from the red moons, and any dragon who stepped into their light was freed from the Moon Sister's curse. Deep underground, dragons clustered around the flickering deposits of Candlestone, whose light had a similar effect on their minds.
When that first deadly night ended, the Sundrakes had survived with surprisingly few casualties, while there was nothing left of their Elder Drake rulers but their bodies. The following morning they chased off what few loyalists there were left, bringing to ruin all the remains of their empire.
The Sundrakes did not stop there. They tore down much of their wretched cities, destroying their monuments and building new homes out of the rubble. Chaos followed, however, as they were unable to decide who should lead them or what should happen in the wake of the Elder Drakes' destruction. They squabbled and fought with each other until Adeodatus and a group of Moonvipers arrived from the Serpent Delta to the North.
Adeodatus claimed to be the last True Mage, blessed by the Moon Sisters themselves, and the Sundrakes had no reason not to believe her, for it was she who called upon the trio of goddesses to curse the Elder Drakes in the Night of the Red Moons. Adeodatus did not ask to be their new leader; she simply began to settle down, drawing the Sundrakes away from the dark and abandoned ruins and into new homes carved from stone and wood. She set out laws and soon enough the rest of the Sundrakes began to follow them; for she had freed them from the Elder Drakes, surely they could trust her?
She guided them to heal from the wounds inflicted by the Elder Drakes, to grow beyond and past it, and the Sundrakes grew to respect Adeodatus for her wisdom as well as her deeds. They did not need to be asked to follow her rule; they simply fell alongside her, won over by her actions. In the following decades, they fought alongside the Moonvipers as they conquered the Fireworms and took much of the dragon and human cultures of the Realm under their wings.
Records of the periods before the rule of the Elder Drakes are lost, so great was their destructive tendencies; all we know of the events of this period are legend and folk tales handed down through the generations that followed.
The end to the Elder Drakes came unexpected to most. A Moonviper named Adeodatus challenged the last Queen of the Drakes, Midas - she told her that she and the rest of the Drakes must surrender all her lands and leave the Realm forever, lest they face the wrath of the Moon Sisters. She simply laughed in response; she would not be threatened by the superstitions of those beneath her, but when she tried to kill the Moonviper, Adeodatus was able to slip away without violence.
The next night, however, proved that there was more than simple superstition at work. As the sun set and the three moons of the Realm crept over the horizon, it was plain to see by their blood-red hue that something was deeply wrong. All of dragonkind, save for the Moonvipers, fell under the Moon Sister's curse, stripping away their clarity of thought and inflicting a violent madness upon them. The Elder Drakes attacked each other without care for their own wellbeing, falling upon friends and family without a care in the world.
The Sundrakes, however, had a god of their own to protect them. The Suntouched felt no influence from the red moons, and any dragon who stepped into their light was freed from the Moon Sister's curse. Deep underground, dragons clustered around the flickering deposits of Candlestone, whose light had a similar effect on their minds.
When that first deadly night ended, the Sundrakes had survived with surprisingly few casualties, while there was nothing left of their Elder Drake rulers but their bodies. The following morning they chased off what few loyalists there were left, bringing to ruin all the remains of their empire.
The Sundrakes did not stop there. They tore down much of their wretched cities, destroying their monuments and building new homes out of the rubble. Chaos followed, however, as they were unable to decide who should lead them or what should happen in the wake of the Elder Drakes' destruction. They squabbled and fought with each other until Adeodatus and a group of Moonvipers arrived from the Serpent Delta to the North.
Adeodatus claimed to be the last True Mage, blessed by the Moon Sisters themselves, and the Sundrakes had no reason not to believe her, for it was she who called upon the trio of goddesses to curse the Elder Drakes in the Night of the Red Moons. Adeodatus did not ask to be their new leader; she simply began to settle down, drawing the Sundrakes away from the dark and abandoned ruins and into new homes carved from stone and wood. She set out laws and soon enough the rest of the Sundrakes began to follow them; for she had freed them from the Elder Drakes, surely they could trust her?
She guided them to heal from the wounds inflicted by the Elder Drakes, to grow beyond and past it, and the Sundrakes grew to respect Adeodatus for her wisdom as well as her deeds. They did not need to be asked to follow her rule; they simply fell alongside her, won over by her actions. In the following decades, they fought alongside the Moonvipers as they conquered the Fireworms and took much of the dragon and human cultures of the Realm under their wings.
The First Sundrake Queen [37 - 94 A.E.D]
During that time, the Sundrake population grew, and the horrors inflicted by the Elder Drakes healed. By the year 37 A.E.D (After Elder Drakes) they had grown confident and strong enough to declare independence from Adeodatus.
Their first Queen was Aubade ad Meliora - Adeodatus’ granddaughter and the child of a Sundrake who claimed descent from Hyleg himself - who, while maintaining loyalty to the Moonvipers, of course, believed strongly that the Sundrakes were ready and able to govern themselves.
The transition from Adeodatus’ rule to Aubade’s was, surprisingly, entirely peaceful. Despite their newfound Queen and independent status, the Sundrakes remained close to the Moonvipers and have strong bonds even to this day, helping them try to keep a hold on their waning empire.
When Adeodatus passed away in 56 A.E.D., Aubade took a step back from her previously wholehearted support of the Moonvipers. Perhaps she foresaw the fracturing of their remaining lands that would follow, and the rival claims to power of the Perigee - a religious order founded after the Elder Drake that worshipped the Moon Sisters - and Adeodatus’ descendants. She was happy to shelter her relatives who wanted nothing to do with the fight, but refused to get the Sundrakes involved with that mess.
She died in 94 A.E.D and was succeeded by one of her grandchildren, and remains fondly remembered even to this day. While they were never as loyal to them as they were under Aubade, the Sundrakes still have close ties to the Moonvipers.
The ad Melioras ruled the Sunflecked Reaches for a few more generations before dying out and being replaced by a new dynasty. Although the first ad Meliora is viewed as a heroic figure, the last is decidedly less so.
Their first Queen was Aubade ad Meliora - Adeodatus’ granddaughter and the child of a Sundrake who claimed descent from Hyleg himself - who, while maintaining loyalty to the Moonvipers, of course, believed strongly that the Sundrakes were ready and able to govern themselves.
The transition from Adeodatus’ rule to Aubade’s was, surprisingly, entirely peaceful. Despite their newfound Queen and independent status, the Sundrakes remained close to the Moonvipers and have strong bonds even to this day, helping them try to keep a hold on their waning empire.
When Adeodatus passed away in 56 A.E.D., Aubade took a step back from her previously wholehearted support of the Moonvipers. Perhaps she foresaw the fracturing of their remaining lands that would follow, and the rival claims to power of the Perigee - a religious order founded after the Elder Drake that worshipped the Moon Sisters - and Adeodatus’ descendants. She was happy to shelter her relatives who wanted nothing to do with the fight, but refused to get the Sundrakes involved with that mess.
She died in 94 A.E.D and was succeeded by one of her grandchildren, and remains fondly remembered even to this day. While they were never as loyal to them as they were under Aubade, the Sundrakes still have close ties to the Moonvipers.
The ad Melioras ruled the Sunflecked Reaches for a few more generations before dying out and being replaced by a new dynasty. Although the first ad Meliora is viewed as a heroic figure, the last is decidedly less so.
The Immortal Sun Queen[155 - 213 A.E.D]
In the middling years of the second century following the fall of the Elder Drakes, the Sundrake’s monarchy experienced… an interesting shift. The ad Meliora family had ruled for decades, ever since Adeodatus stepped down for Queen Aubade, but had recently fallen upon misfortune.
Queen Chaophraya ad Meliora came into power in 155 A.E.D, and shortly after came the mysterious deaths and disappearances of the others of her dynasty. Although obviously there were a great many rumours about what might have befallen them, no one knew for sure exactly what had occurred. Chaophraya was already ninety years old at the time and sought out the services of a Necromancer - publicly - from Meros named Iraklis Agni Jericho Almássy. Necromancy had been outlawed since the time of Adeodatus, but Chaophrya said that surely there were acceptable applications of the ability, such as for the last queen of an old, powerful dynasty so that she might live long enough to have an heir?
That was her claim at first. As the years crept on and she did not seem at all interested in finding a spouse, and Agni continued to use executed common criminals to reduce her age and refine her appearance, both her court and her neighbours grew increasingly concerned. She ignored such concerns and continued to govern unbothered.
Emperor Liekki Kehotus of Rohkeutta came to power in 182 and expressed his people’s concern to Chaophraya about her open support for Necromancy. She assured him that there was nothing to be worried about, and for a time, he accepted her word on that for the time being.
Until in 204 A.E.D, Chaophraya crossed a line. A young Harvest Mage, Oksa Pyyhkäisy of Ilma, was travelling through eastern Rohkeutta Perhe territory, blessing the fields as they were planting - the only time such magic was used in High Heart - when they and their friends were set upon by sundrake soldiers. Oksa was taken and two of their companions killed, but one managed to escape to Falcon’s Landing to bring news of what had happened.
Liekki could guess the reason for the kidnapping; Agni, Chaophraya’s current Necromancer, was getting old. It appeared she intended for Oksa to be a replacement. He sent a missive to the Sunlit City with an ultimatum; if Oksa was not returned before the end of the year, he would take his people to war.
He received no response, and in 205 A.E.D, Liekki gathered the griffon-riders of the seven Perhe and flew east.
What followed was at once a war between the Sundrakes and High Heart, as well as a civil war between the Chaophraya and many of her people who found her use of Necromancy to prolong her youth unnerving. The common folk, in particular, flocked to Liekki’s side; in recent years, Chaophraya had made the penalties for laws steeper and executions more common to further fuel her dip into Necromancy. They were led by a minor noble named Lady Rigel Celestial.
The war lasted a total of eight years. On July 5th, 213 A.E.D, Liekki’s army of griffon-riders and sundrakes, as well as the Shardbearers of the Deepwoods and Big Fang province, managed to reach the Sunlit City. The battle lasted the entire day, but eventually, they were able to reach the Palace of the Suns, where Chaophraya was waiting for them with Agni and Oksa. Agni had wanted to flee but was too old to make the journey alone, and she had been unwilling to give him an escort; so he had been forced to remain in the city as things went from bad to worse. All the death, however, had given him ample fuel to raise the dead as minions, and a second battle took place inside the castle.
At least… that was what happened for a few minutes. Seeing that others had finally reached them, Oksa took action and stabbed Agni, killing him. They had not disliked the man, but - they had to protect their people. Instantly, the man’s army of raised soldiers fell dead once more, their souls put to rest.
Enraged, Chaophraya turned on them, but Oksa’s own griffon intervened, attacking the Queen and managing to hold her off long enough for Liekki’s warriors to reach them and kill her.
In the weeks that followed, an uneasy peace unfolded between the two nations. Liekki stayed in the city to help clean up and make sure no bodies were left unclaimed or unburied before he gathered up his griffon-riders and returned to High Heart with Oksa. Since then, the two nations have treated eachother with mixed respect and wariness.
After Oksa came back, many were suspicious that they may have delved into Necromancy while under the thumb of the sundrake Queen. Liekki ignored all such rumours and took the youngster - who was only twenty-three - under his wing, and eventually, such talk faded away. When he passed away in 225, Oksa entered into the Trials that followed, and succeeded him as High Heart’s leader, becoming Sovereign Oska Pyyhkäisy of Ilma.
Oska would rule for the next sixty-four years, before dying in 289 A.E.D, at the age of ninety-nine. They remain one of High Heart’s most respected rulers.
In sundrake territory, the Shardbearers, the other nobles and the citizens who had fought against the Queen gathered to decide what was to be done; Chaophraya had no heirs, and she had been the last ad Meliora. They discussed it calmly at first, then devolved into arguing. That was when Lady Rigel stepped forward and put forth her claim. As she had led them alongside Liekki to fight the old Queen, the common people supported her, and the other nobles were perhaps too afraid of a civil war coming so soon after a defeat like they’d experienced to do anything but agree with her.
And so the Celestial family came to power in the sundrake kingdom. They would rule for the next few centuries, until the death of Queen Hessian Celestial during the Great Plague in 489.
Queen Chaophraya ad Meliora came into power in 155 A.E.D, and shortly after came the mysterious deaths and disappearances of the others of her dynasty. Although obviously there were a great many rumours about what might have befallen them, no one knew for sure exactly what had occurred. Chaophraya was already ninety years old at the time and sought out the services of a Necromancer - publicly - from Meros named Iraklis Agni Jericho Almássy. Necromancy had been outlawed since the time of Adeodatus, but Chaophrya said that surely there were acceptable applications of the ability, such as for the last queen of an old, powerful dynasty so that she might live long enough to have an heir?
That was her claim at first. As the years crept on and she did not seem at all interested in finding a spouse, and Agni continued to use executed common criminals to reduce her age and refine her appearance, both her court and her neighbours grew increasingly concerned. She ignored such concerns and continued to govern unbothered.
Emperor Liekki Kehotus of Rohkeutta came to power in 182 and expressed his people’s concern to Chaophraya about her open support for Necromancy. She assured him that there was nothing to be worried about, and for a time, he accepted her word on that for the time being.
Until in 204 A.E.D, Chaophraya crossed a line. A young Harvest Mage, Oksa Pyyhkäisy of Ilma, was travelling through eastern Rohkeutta Perhe territory, blessing the fields as they were planting - the only time such magic was used in High Heart - when they and their friends were set upon by sundrake soldiers. Oksa was taken and two of their companions killed, but one managed to escape to Falcon’s Landing to bring news of what had happened.
Liekki could guess the reason for the kidnapping; Agni, Chaophraya’s current Necromancer, was getting old. It appeared she intended for Oksa to be a replacement. He sent a missive to the Sunlit City with an ultimatum; if Oksa was not returned before the end of the year, he would take his people to war.
He received no response, and in 205 A.E.D, Liekki gathered the griffon-riders of the seven Perhe and flew east.
What followed was at once a war between the Sundrakes and High Heart, as well as a civil war between the Chaophraya and many of her people who found her use of Necromancy to prolong her youth unnerving. The common folk, in particular, flocked to Liekki’s side; in recent years, Chaophraya had made the penalties for laws steeper and executions more common to further fuel her dip into Necromancy. They were led by a minor noble named Lady Rigel Celestial.
The war lasted a total of eight years. On July 5th, 213 A.E.D, Liekki’s army of griffon-riders and sundrakes, as well as the Shardbearers of the Deepwoods and Big Fang province, managed to reach the Sunlit City. The battle lasted the entire day, but eventually, they were able to reach the Palace of the Suns, where Chaophraya was waiting for them with Agni and Oksa. Agni had wanted to flee but was too old to make the journey alone, and she had been unwilling to give him an escort; so he had been forced to remain in the city as things went from bad to worse. All the death, however, had given him ample fuel to raise the dead as minions, and a second battle took place inside the castle.
At least… that was what happened for a few minutes. Seeing that others had finally reached them, Oksa took action and stabbed Agni, killing him. They had not disliked the man, but - they had to protect their people. Instantly, the man’s army of raised soldiers fell dead once more, their souls put to rest.
Enraged, Chaophraya turned on them, but Oksa’s own griffon intervened, attacking the Queen and managing to hold her off long enough for Liekki’s warriors to reach them and kill her.
In the weeks that followed, an uneasy peace unfolded between the two nations. Liekki stayed in the city to help clean up and make sure no bodies were left unclaimed or unburied before he gathered up his griffon-riders and returned to High Heart with Oksa. Since then, the two nations have treated eachother with mixed respect and wariness.
After Oksa came back, many were suspicious that they may have delved into Necromancy while under the thumb of the sundrake Queen. Liekki ignored all such rumours and took the youngster - who was only twenty-three - under his wing, and eventually, such talk faded away. When he passed away in 225, Oksa entered into the Trials that followed, and succeeded him as High Heart’s leader, becoming Sovereign Oska Pyyhkäisy of Ilma.
Oska would rule for the next sixty-four years, before dying in 289 A.E.D, at the age of ninety-nine. They remain one of High Heart’s most respected rulers.
In sundrake territory, the Shardbearers, the other nobles and the citizens who had fought against the Queen gathered to decide what was to be done; Chaophraya had no heirs, and she had been the last ad Meliora. They discussed it calmly at first, then devolved into arguing. That was when Lady Rigel stepped forward and put forth her claim. As she had led them alongside Liekki to fight the old Queen, the common people supported her, and the other nobles were perhaps too afraid of a civil war coming so soon after a defeat like they’d experienced to do anything but agree with her.
And so the Celestial family came to power in the sundrake kingdom. They would rule for the next few centuries, until the death of Queen Hessian Celestial during the Great Plague in 489.
The Great Plague [483 - 490 A.E.D]
Sundrakes are no strangers to plague, but the one that swept across their kingdom in the year 483 A.E.D was something else entirely. Some dragons became convinced that the world was ending as loved ones and neighbours fell ill and died thanks to a contagion known as Scale-Rot.
As the name suggests, the infection had a disfiguring effect on those unlucky enough to catch it, and over a period of seven years nearly half of the population succumbed to disease. While attempts to isolate and quarantine the infected were made, by the time these efforts became serious the plague had spread to most major population centres in the Kingdom.
Aristocrats and commoners alike were affected equally by the disease, and the entire royal family save for the reigning monarch, Queen Hessian, died over the years the disease ran rampant across the kingdom.
Hessian herself refused to leave the capital, despite the great risk of infection and personally oversaw the efforts to contain and eradicate the illness. She sent missives to two groups of potential heirs; the Halcyons, who were on a trading expedition in Meros and distantly related to the previous dynasty, and the Tyrs, who were still fighting in Padwell’s revolt against Xocrium, ordering them to remain outside of the Kingdom until ‘at least a year after the Plague ceases’.
With the quarantines unsuccessful and her family dying around her, she ordered in 488 that any dragon infected with the illness was to be killed on sight and their homes and belongings burned. While this did result in the end of the plague after a year of ruthless murdering of civilians by the military, it was too late for the Queen; Hessian herself was infected in late 489 and passed a few months later in 490, one of the last victims of the disease.
This marked the end of her dynasty, and paved the way for the years of unrest that would follow.
As the name suggests, the infection had a disfiguring effect on those unlucky enough to catch it, and over a period of seven years nearly half of the population succumbed to disease. While attempts to isolate and quarantine the infected were made, by the time these efforts became serious the plague had spread to most major population centres in the Kingdom.
Aristocrats and commoners alike were affected equally by the disease, and the entire royal family save for the reigning monarch, Queen Hessian, died over the years the disease ran rampant across the kingdom.
Hessian herself refused to leave the capital, despite the great risk of infection and personally oversaw the efforts to contain and eradicate the illness. She sent missives to two groups of potential heirs; the Halcyons, who were on a trading expedition in Meros and distantly related to the previous dynasty, and the Tyrs, who were still fighting in Padwell’s revolt against Xocrium, ordering them to remain outside of the Kingdom until ‘at least a year after the Plague ceases’.
With the quarantines unsuccessful and her family dying around her, she ordered in 488 that any dragon infected with the illness was to be killed on sight and their homes and belongings burned. While this did result in the end of the plague after a year of ruthless murdering of civilians by the military, it was too late for the Queen; Hessian herself was infected in late 489 and passed a few months later in 490, one of the last victims of the disease.
This marked the end of her dynasty, and paved the way for the years of unrest that would follow.
Civil War [491 - 498 A.E.D]
As commanded by Queen Hessian, the Halcyon and Tyr families - now the sole heirs to the Kingdom - remained outside of its borders until a year after the last cases of the plague were reported. The rival heirs were Juno Halcyon, aunt to Helia Halcyon, and Cavern Tyr, older sister of the current King Tigerlilly.
It was a quiet winter morning in 491 A.E.D when they descended upon the Sunlit City, the head of each family eager to claim what they viewed as their rightful throne. If they had known the destruction their feud would bring to their nation, would they have done things differently? But they did not know the future, and so over the next few days the families discussed their claims with what was at first civility, then gradually growing tensions. It is unclear what exactly happened, but after a week they were no longer on speaking terms.
Juno attempted to order the royal guards to arrest Cavern; half of them obeyed and half resisted, and, when word spread that there was still no verdict on who was to be the next ruler of the Sundrakes, most of the army and nobility took sides.
The Tyrs took up residence in Dragon’s Eye City, while the Halcyons attempted to remain in the Palace of the Suns, believing it would help cement their claim. But the palace was no fortress or place to hold out against a siege, and they retreated deeper into the Sunflecked Mountains to a mountaintop castle better suited to the task.
What followed was a brutal civil war that lasted seven years. Juno was poisoned in 493 - the Tyrs denied responsibility, of course - and Cavern killed in battle in 494. Juno was succeeded by her sister, Astya, and Cavern by her brother, Tigerlilly, who until then had simply been leading soldiers in battle and fighting on behalf of his family. In the year that followed the Tyr family lost many members, including all three of Tigerlilly and Helia’s children, and the savagery of the fighting only grew as a result.
Tigerlilly took no prisoners; if a supporter of the Halcyon’s was captured, they were executed without exception. He ordered his soldiers to gather up any poor or homeless dragons and force them into the Deep Provinces to work as miners and smiths, hammering into shape weapons and armour for his army.
His actions were brutal, bloody, and won him no sympathy, but Tigerlilly did not care - it was working. After a final decisive battle in 497 the Halcyons were finished; Atsya and most of the Halcyons were able to escape capture that day and fled with a small group of loyal soldiers, but they no longer had the strength of numbers to face Tigerlilly in battle again.
The Halcyons were finally cornered and taken prisoner in 498, when Tigerlilly’s soldiers tracked them down to their fortress and forced them to surrender. What happened next would characterize Tigerlilly ever onwards as a brute that knew neither compassion nor mercy.
His wife, Helia, begged him to spare her family; even just the children, so that they might have some hope of rebuilding. But Tigerlilly ignored her heartfelt plea, and ordered every member of the Halcyon family - except for her, of course - to be killed on the spot, even the unhatched eggs.
Following this massacre Helia vowed, rather publicly, that she would never have a child with him again - a rather brutal thing to swear, since only one of their children had survived the civil war and anything could happen to them now. Tigerlilly ignored this; she would come around eventually.
It was a quiet winter morning in 491 A.E.D when they descended upon the Sunlit City, the head of each family eager to claim what they viewed as their rightful throne. If they had known the destruction their feud would bring to their nation, would they have done things differently? But they did not know the future, and so over the next few days the families discussed their claims with what was at first civility, then gradually growing tensions. It is unclear what exactly happened, but after a week they were no longer on speaking terms.
Juno attempted to order the royal guards to arrest Cavern; half of them obeyed and half resisted, and, when word spread that there was still no verdict on who was to be the next ruler of the Sundrakes, most of the army and nobility took sides.
The Tyrs took up residence in Dragon’s Eye City, while the Halcyons attempted to remain in the Palace of the Suns, believing it would help cement their claim. But the palace was no fortress or place to hold out against a siege, and they retreated deeper into the Sunflecked Mountains to a mountaintop castle better suited to the task.
What followed was a brutal civil war that lasted seven years. Juno was poisoned in 493 - the Tyrs denied responsibility, of course - and Cavern killed in battle in 494. Juno was succeeded by her sister, Astya, and Cavern by her brother, Tigerlilly, who until then had simply been leading soldiers in battle and fighting on behalf of his family. In the year that followed the Tyr family lost many members, including all three of Tigerlilly and Helia’s children, and the savagery of the fighting only grew as a result.
Tigerlilly took no prisoners; if a supporter of the Halcyon’s was captured, they were executed without exception. He ordered his soldiers to gather up any poor or homeless dragons and force them into the Deep Provinces to work as miners and smiths, hammering into shape weapons and armour for his army.
His actions were brutal, bloody, and won him no sympathy, but Tigerlilly did not care - it was working. After a final decisive battle in 497 the Halcyons were finished; Atsya and most of the Halcyons were able to escape capture that day and fled with a small group of loyal soldiers, but they no longer had the strength of numbers to face Tigerlilly in battle again.
The Halcyons were finally cornered and taken prisoner in 498, when Tigerlilly’s soldiers tracked them down to their fortress and forced them to surrender. What happened next would characterize Tigerlilly ever onwards as a brute that knew neither compassion nor mercy.
His wife, Helia, begged him to spare her family; even just the children, so that they might have some hope of rebuilding. But Tigerlilly ignored her heartfelt plea, and ordered every member of the Halcyon family - except for her, of course - to be killed on the spot, even the unhatched eggs.
Following this massacre Helia vowed, rather publicly, that she would never have a child with him again - a rather brutal thing to swear, since only one of their children had survived the civil war and anything could happen to them now. Tigerlilly ignored this; she would come around eventually.
King Tigerlilly’s Reign [498 A.E.D - today]
The current ruler of the Sundrakes, King Tigerlilly, has reigned for only five years, and won his throne during the Civil War prior. In his short time as king he has shown disdain towards both the frivolity of the other nobility and the ‘grasping neediness’ of the lower classes. The only aristocrats he shows even the barest respect for are those whose support he needs, and even then it is clear to see that he hates and resents them.
He has completely reformed the army, replacing officers who earned their post through their family name with those who have proven their skills. Tigerlily spends most of his time dealing with military matters, and sending soldiers and extra guards is how he deals with most issues brought to the crown’s attention.
His wife, Helia, on the other hand, possessed all the poise and graceful manners that Tigerlilly lacked. While he goes off to ‘play soldier’ in his Dragon’s Eye fortress, she remains in the Palace of the Suns, holding court and doing what she can to keep the nobility loyal… using both kind words and blackmail, depending on the target.
The lower classes resent Tigerlilly in the extreme. He has continued the practice started in the Civil War of forcing homeless and unemployed dragons to work in the underground mines and forges, tearing them away from their families without a care if their labour is needed. Any attempt to fight back or even to discuss this with him has always ended in violence, and he views even the smallest acts of rebellion as unacceptable.
A particularly difficult figure for the King has been a Shade named Guile. She travels to the Dusk province and small towns across the Sunflecked Reaches, stirring up anger and starting riots, before vanishing underground before anyone can apprehend her. She lives in an abandoned mine in the Midnight Province, according to informants, but has killed any who try to capture her.
Many suspect that Guile is not the only Shade who calls the darkest sections of the underground caverns home, and that there are more to her plans than simply stirring up peasants and causing small riots… but those are just rumours, after all. In any case, the King wants her dead and has put out a rather significant bounty on her head.
He has completely reformed the army, replacing officers who earned their post through their family name with those who have proven their skills. Tigerlily spends most of his time dealing with military matters, and sending soldiers and extra guards is how he deals with most issues brought to the crown’s attention.
His wife, Helia, on the other hand, possessed all the poise and graceful manners that Tigerlilly lacked. While he goes off to ‘play soldier’ in his Dragon’s Eye fortress, she remains in the Palace of the Suns, holding court and doing what she can to keep the nobility loyal… using both kind words and blackmail, depending on the target.
The lower classes resent Tigerlilly in the extreme. He has continued the practice started in the Civil War of forcing homeless and unemployed dragons to work in the underground mines and forges, tearing them away from their families without a care if their labour is needed. Any attempt to fight back or even to discuss this with him has always ended in violence, and he views even the smallest acts of rebellion as unacceptable.
A particularly difficult figure for the King has been a Shade named Guile. She travels to the Dusk province and small towns across the Sunflecked Reaches, stirring up anger and starting riots, before vanishing underground before anyone can apprehend her. She lives in an abandoned mine in the Midnight Province, according to informants, but has killed any who try to capture her.
Many suspect that Guile is not the only Shade who calls the darkest sections of the underground caverns home, and that there are more to her plans than simply stirring up peasants and causing small riots… but those are just rumours, after all. In any case, the King wants her dead and has put out a rather significant bounty on her head.
Wrath of the Sun King [505 A.E.D.]
Events described below were part of an official RoS story event, Wrath of the Sun King, which ran from June 1rst - July 15th, 2022.
Over the past handful of years in the Tyr Kingdom, tensions have been rising between the nobility and the lower classes. In May 503, a group of dragons trying to flee the underground, aided by a traitorous sundrake soldier and Guile herself, sabotaged one of the military bases guarding the entry to the Deep Provinces, allowing them to escape into the Upper Provinces above.
Following the incident, King Tigerlilly and his loyalists have been desperate to apprehend the fugitives and bring them to justice. The group has, however, been harder to pin down than he expected and were able to wander the Tyr Kingdom freely for months after committing their crime.
In the early weeks of April 505, Tigerlilly’s soldiers, under the command of Général Schist, were finally able to track them down to the Temple of Hyleg in the Sunlit City, where they were stalled by the Scions of the Sun there… only for the fugitives to manage to reach the city of Memory before they could be cut off, where the Scions of the Sun charged with keeping the city offered them refuge.
Schist set up camp on the slope of a neighbouring mountain and sent a messenger to bring word of the Scions’ actions to the King and to call for reinforcements, making his intentions clear; if the Scions did not hand over the criminals they were sheltering, Schist would enter the sacred city of Memory by force and take them. The Scions refused; they would not betray those who had sought safety with them, least of all a group who was little more than a flock of desperate refugees led by two young dragons who were barely more than children themselves.
When news reached King Tigerlilly of the events at Memory and the Scions sheltering Guile, his reaction was far more extreme than anyone could have anticipated. This would be the last time, he swore to his council, that the Scions would defy the rule of law in his kingdom; they would not get away with this again. He gave his soldiers simple orders; they were to go to the Scions in their homes, temples and other places of refuge and demand they swear allegiance to the King. If they refused then they were enemies of the crown and to be treated as such.
What followed was vicious attacks on the Scions of the Sun that left the rest of the Tyr kingdom confused and alarmed. Those who did not swear fealty to the King were forced to flee for their own safety, as soldiers either attempted to arrest or kill them on the spot.
In Memory, Général Schist and his growing group of soldiers waited as news and refugees, many coming through underground tunnels the Scions keep between Memory and the Deep Provinces, trickled into the sacred city, and has given them one more chance to open the city to him or face his men in combat. Within the city itself, two camps have formed; one under a Scion named Talc Sunchaser, who thinks that the risk of the city and the burial grounds of the entire sundrake people being destroyed is too great to fight and that they should seek a peaceful solution, and one under a Scion named Skoll Sunchaser, who believes that they ought to fight to the last to defend those who have sought refuge with them and not allow the city of Memory to fall into the talons of those hostile to the Scions.
The rest of the Tyr kingdom watches events at Memory closely. Whatever the fate of the city and its occupants, it will define the future of the sundrakes for years to come.
Following the incident, King Tigerlilly and his loyalists have been desperate to apprehend the fugitives and bring them to justice. The group has, however, been harder to pin down than he expected and were able to wander the Tyr Kingdom freely for months after committing their crime.
In the early weeks of April 505, Tigerlilly’s soldiers, under the command of Général Schist, were finally able to track them down to the Temple of Hyleg in the Sunlit City, where they were stalled by the Scions of the Sun there… only for the fugitives to manage to reach the city of Memory before they could be cut off, where the Scions of the Sun charged with keeping the city offered them refuge.
Schist set up camp on the slope of a neighbouring mountain and sent a messenger to bring word of the Scions’ actions to the King and to call for reinforcements, making his intentions clear; if the Scions did not hand over the criminals they were sheltering, Schist would enter the sacred city of Memory by force and take them. The Scions refused; they would not betray those who had sought safety with them, least of all a group who was little more than a flock of desperate refugees led by two young dragons who were barely more than children themselves.
When news reached King Tigerlilly of the events at Memory and the Scions sheltering Guile, his reaction was far more extreme than anyone could have anticipated. This would be the last time, he swore to his council, that the Scions would defy the rule of law in his kingdom; they would not get away with this again. He gave his soldiers simple orders; they were to go to the Scions in their homes, temples and other places of refuge and demand they swear allegiance to the King. If they refused then they were enemies of the crown and to be treated as such.
What followed was vicious attacks on the Scions of the Sun that left the rest of the Tyr kingdom confused and alarmed. Those who did not swear fealty to the King were forced to flee for their own safety, as soldiers either attempted to arrest or kill them on the spot.
In Memory, Général Schist and his growing group of soldiers waited as news and refugees, many coming through underground tunnels the Scions keep between Memory and the Deep Provinces, trickled into the sacred city, and has given them one more chance to open the city to him or face his men in combat. Within the city itself, two camps have formed; one under a Scion named Talc Sunchaser, who thinks that the risk of the city and the burial grounds of the entire sundrake people being destroyed is too great to fight and that they should seek a peaceful solution, and one under a Scion named Skoll Sunchaser, who believes that they ought to fight to the last to defend those who have sought refuge with them and not allow the city of Memory to fall into the talons of those hostile to the Scions.
The rest of the Tyr kingdom watches events at Memory closely. Whatever the fate of the city and its occupants, it will define the future of the sundrakes for years to come.
As word of the situation in Memory spread, many were drawn to shelter within the sacred city or take up residence in the Général’s camp.
Some arrived in Memory out of a selfless desire to help; for the nobles Centaurus, Osiris, and Amalthea, King Tigerlilly’s actions are a step too far for them to support, and the travelers Moorhen, Opal, Omen, the Moonlilly family (Auspice, Meridian and Peyton), Haunting, and Crevasse refuse to turn a blind eye to the actions of the King. But not all have come of their own choice; driven there to escape the persecution of the Scions, or to avoid the wrath of the soldiers for violating the laws of the Tyr Kingdom, Cepheus, Helios, Eridanus, Pulsar, Mynydd, Shell, and Altair all find their way into Memory’s gates.
In an attempt to mediate the situation without earning the King’s ire, the Perigee sends an envoy, Prometheus, accompanied by his younger brother Psychopomp, to speak of peace between the Général’s camp and Memory. Only time will tell if their attempts to avoid violence will succeed.
From faraway Cyr, the seraphim Harbinger and Qin come to the city chasing a voidseer’s dream, determined to alter the threads of fate. A Society of War soldier, Havoc, finds his vacation to Theavia has more in store for him than he initially bargained for when he arrives in Général Schist’s camp and attempts to mediate. And Tempest, fleeing Cyr to avoid punishment for a crime he did not commit, stumbles into the situation wholly by accident.
The Scion Talc Sunchaser feared that if they rile up the soldiers encamped outside the city too much, they could risk the destruction of Memory in a pointless battle. In an attempt to ease tensions, she tasks a number of volunteers with delivering a message and some supplies on her behalf to the Général, in hopes that it will make Schist more open to a peaceful solution.
Harbinger and Qin, Tadmor—one of the King’s own soldiers, though doubting their loyalties now--Ganymede—one of the refugees who initially fled with ‘Guile’/Jasper—Havoc, Cepheus, and Psychopomp all agree to help carry Talc’s message of goodwill.
Although Général Schist was wary of the new arrivals in his camp, he eventually decided to make use of them as best he could, and requested that they travel to the city under the guise of seeking refuge to spy for him. The better he knows the situation there, the easier it will be to resolve things without causing too much destruction.
Havoc and Perseus travel briefly to Memory on his orders, spending time among the refugees and learning of their recent troubles. Vesa, a Merosian harvest mage, and Tadmor both agree to help the Général, though neither have any intention of following through with their promises.
Within the Memory, Scion Skoll makes a similar request of newcomers; as they’re unknown to the soldiers camped to the north, they could slip into their ranks and get a good look at their numbers and weapons. Skoll knows that they’re outmatched, but any information could be helpful in defending the city and those taking refuge there, and helping her plan for the future.
Tadmor, Mockingbird, and Descry all agree to spy for Skoll. Tadmor slips into the Général’s camp, using their previous reputation as a loyal soldier to avoid drawing much attention to themself. Mockingbird uses their small size to slip between tents unnoticed, gathering information and ‘misplacing’ various soldier’s effects within the Général’s own tent to cause some trouble, before returning to Memory. Lastly, Descry moves to the camp to offer to work for the Général, all the while creating a collection of memory stones containing key bits of information about the soldiers.
Those who have arrived in Memory take a moment to pause and breathe. They are safe, for now, though their enemies wait beyond the gates.
Eventually, the spies that Général Schist and Scion Skoll sent out return to report their findings. Within Memory, Descry delivers the information they collected in memory stones, and Mockingbird has a meeting with Skoll in a secluded part of the gardens. In Général Schist's camp, Havoc and Psychopomp—reluctantly—part with some of the information they have gathered during their visits to the city.
A group of refugees led by Shine and Jasper plot a largely harmless trick to play on the soldiers camped in the surrounding hills; Shine has found some fireworks, meant for a coming holiday, stashed in one of Memory’s storehouses, and they plan to light them off over the soldiers’ heads. With the help of numerous volunteers, they are able to ensure that Schist’s men get little sleep that night.
But all is not right within the city. Over the past few nights, there have been dark shadows passing overhead at odd hours—some of Schist’s soldiers, scoping out the city when they think no one will be awake to see them. But Skoll isn’t the only one who’s noticed their spying, and searches for recruits to give their unwelcome guests a good scare. Harbinger and Qin use their abilities as Seraphim to terrify a group of drunk soldiers; Emmer, Meridian, Crevasse and Vega get into small airborne skirmishes; and Elysian uses her power of necromancy in secret to give the soldiers a scare that they will not forget. Together, they ensure that, at the very least, Schist’s soldiers will not be so incautious in their snooping again.
Those taking refuge within Memory have been coping in different ways with the stress of being trapped within its walls… but many have turned to point fingers at Jasper and blamed her for recent tragedies. The young Shade isn’t quite sure what to think of things herself, anymore. Especially not with Scion Talc occasionally coming to speak with her alone, trying to persuade her to turn herself in to save the city. She thought she was helping those around her by getting them out of the Deep Provinces, but things have spiraled so far out of control, and she can’t help but wonder if this really is all her fault.
After speaking with a number of others who have refuged in Memory, Jaspers’ confidence in her choices was restored. Although she would never have wished for any of this to happen perhaps, as some say, King Tigerlilly’s wrath was inevitable. If it hadn’t been her, someone would have triggered it.
Or, at least, she hopes so.
One of Schist’s soldiers, Perseus, was once a miner before they became part of King Tigerlilly’s army—they know that things feel inescapable down there, in the dark and the cold—but to them, path these refugees have taken isn’t the solution. Trying the King’s patience like this will just get them all killed. With the backup of another soldier named ‘Ahinahina and a mercenary named Arwin, they’re able to slip away to meet with a few of the refugees willing to hear them out, and successfully convince a number of them to abandon Memory. One of their meetings is interrupted by Ganymede, who shames Perseus for turning their back on their fellow dragons of the Deep Provinces. Their confidence in their actions is momentarily shaken, but ultimately Perseus is reassured that they did everything they could by the successes they had.
Asp Daybreak was once a soldier in King Tigerlilly’s army, and after recognizing some of the soldiers working under Général Schist, believes he may be able to sway them to help should things go poorly. With the backup of a number of volunteers, Asp made a few quiet meetings with former comrades to try to convince them to see his side. Although he saw some small successes, his actions drew the attention of the Général himself, and his third outing turned into an ambush that claimed the life of an ally and left him with a bleeding wing injury. He and the others managed to flee back to the safety of Memory, evading the attempt to capture them, but Asp makes no further attempts to contact the soldiers.
Reinforcements from Dragon’s Eye City have arrived in Schist’s Camp, bearing the blood-red war banner of the King—Tigerlilly Tyr himself has arrived in the foothills surrounding the city. Scion Skoll knows that their time is running out, and gathers volunteers to make final preparations for the attack that she knows is inevitable. They do not have the numbers or weapons to win, but maybe they can buy enough time for some of the others to escape, if a viable evacuation route can be found. Opalus, Beetle and Mockingbird prepare for the assault on Memory, while Emmer takes a moment alone to pray to Hyleg within the city gardens.
Scion Talc attempts to make preparations of her own, and aims to arrange a meeting between herself and the newly arrived King Tigerlilly to try to discuss a way to resolve things without risking Memory’s ruin. Although it burns her heart to offer such, she would be willing to arrange the peaceful handover of Jasper if it means the survival of the rest of the city. When word spreads of what she intends, a public argument breaks out between her and Ganymede, halted only when one of the visiting seraphim, Harbinger, stepped in to remind them that they were—or at least should be—on the same side. Though Talc did make one visit to King Tigerlilly, she failed to give any impression that the city is unified in its desire to surrender, and was lucky to leave his presence unharmed.
With the arrival of King Tigerlilly and reinforcements from Dragon’s Eye, the balance of power in the camp shifts in Chevalière Auriga Starstrike’s favour and away from General Schist’s control, who may have preferred not to utterly decimate the city unless they had no other option. The Chevalière organizes a military parade in the King’s honour to show those holding out in Memory just how doomed they are. It doesn’t go as she’d planned. One of her own soldiers, Tadmor, who had been spying for Memory for weeks, turns on her and attacks, and violence breaks out. Tadmor is only saved by the swift intervention of friends from Memory, leaving them badly injured, the Chevalière a bit clawed up, and a number of soldiers dead from the fighting. They flee to Memory, leaving the Chevalière enraged and humiliated before the king.
A few hours after that debacle, the Chevalière calls upon one of the Moon Children in the city, Sovereign, to tend to her wounds. Little does she know, however, that Sovereign is a fraud, and has none of the healing gifts of a true Moon Child. After making an excuse about why he cannot heal her immediately, the Perigee priest decides to flee the camp to avoid the possibility of being found out.
After Talc’s failed attempt to reason with the King, the Scion sets herself to one task that she can succeed at: safeguarding the Tyr Kingdom’s dead. With the help of a number of volunteers—Helios, Pulsar, Osiris, and Psychopomp—she is able to move a large number of urns into the safety of the caves surrounding the city, and other secure places where they might remain safe if the worst should come to pass.
Before their flight to the Memory, Jasper and the refugees travelling with her first took shelter in a temple to Hyleg in the Sunlit City. After they were discovered by soldiers serving the King, it was the Scions—Shine’s own mother amongst them—who delayed them while Shine guided the refugees through hidden passages out of the city and to Memory. Before she left, she heard the sounds of fighting and knows that her mother must have died that night. She recognizes some of the soldiers in the camp that had recently arrived as the very same dragons who razed her temple to the ground and killed her mother and fellow Scions.
With the aid of a dragon named Meridian, Shine is able to hunt down and kill one of the dragons responsible for her mother’s death, although feels little better having done it.
The young shade hatchling that accompanied the Deep Provinces refugees to Memory, Moonstone, vanished as tensions in the city reached their peak. Asp and Jasper, distressed at her disappearance, search through the city for hours and find no sign of her. The only place that they hadn’t yet looked was the Northern Caverns. They gathered a number of volunteers to help look for the hatchling in the winding, unmapped caverns, eventually finding her safe and sound—near a previously unknown passage exiting deep in the mountains, to where the city and camp are far from sight and one can see the waters of Lake Four-Shore shining in the distance.
The young shade may have accidentally discovered a path to safety.
After she returned to Asp’s waiting arms, the searchers set about spreading the news and making preparations for evacuation. Harbinger tells everyone she can find about the discovery; Havoc prepares an evacuation plan with Talc and the most vulnerable of the refugees; while Descry hollows out a stone nook within the caves where a defender could hide and fight, should they have to flee under pursuit.
Some arrived in Memory out of a selfless desire to help; for the nobles Centaurus, Osiris, and Amalthea, King Tigerlilly’s actions are a step too far for them to support, and the travelers Moorhen, Opal, Omen, the Moonlilly family (Auspice, Meridian and Peyton), Haunting, and Crevasse refuse to turn a blind eye to the actions of the King. But not all have come of their own choice; driven there to escape the persecution of the Scions, or to avoid the wrath of the soldiers for violating the laws of the Tyr Kingdom, Cepheus, Helios, Eridanus, Pulsar, Mynydd, Shell, and Altair all find their way into Memory’s gates.
In an attempt to mediate the situation without earning the King’s ire, the Perigee sends an envoy, Prometheus, accompanied by his younger brother Psychopomp, to speak of peace between the Général’s camp and Memory. Only time will tell if their attempts to avoid violence will succeed.
From faraway Cyr, the seraphim Harbinger and Qin come to the city chasing a voidseer’s dream, determined to alter the threads of fate. A Society of War soldier, Havoc, finds his vacation to Theavia has more in store for him than he initially bargained for when he arrives in Général Schist’s camp and attempts to mediate. And Tempest, fleeing Cyr to avoid punishment for a crime he did not commit, stumbles into the situation wholly by accident.
The Scion Talc Sunchaser feared that if they rile up the soldiers encamped outside the city too much, they could risk the destruction of Memory in a pointless battle. In an attempt to ease tensions, she tasks a number of volunteers with delivering a message and some supplies on her behalf to the Général, in hopes that it will make Schist more open to a peaceful solution.
Harbinger and Qin, Tadmor—one of the King’s own soldiers, though doubting their loyalties now--Ganymede—one of the refugees who initially fled with ‘Guile’/Jasper—Havoc, Cepheus, and Psychopomp all agree to help carry Talc’s message of goodwill.
Although Général Schist was wary of the new arrivals in his camp, he eventually decided to make use of them as best he could, and requested that they travel to the city under the guise of seeking refuge to spy for him. The better he knows the situation there, the easier it will be to resolve things without causing too much destruction.
Havoc and Perseus travel briefly to Memory on his orders, spending time among the refugees and learning of their recent troubles. Vesa, a Merosian harvest mage, and Tadmor both agree to help the Général, though neither have any intention of following through with their promises.
Within the Memory, Scion Skoll makes a similar request of newcomers; as they’re unknown to the soldiers camped to the north, they could slip into their ranks and get a good look at their numbers and weapons. Skoll knows that they’re outmatched, but any information could be helpful in defending the city and those taking refuge there, and helping her plan for the future.
Tadmor, Mockingbird, and Descry all agree to spy for Skoll. Tadmor slips into the Général’s camp, using their previous reputation as a loyal soldier to avoid drawing much attention to themself. Mockingbird uses their small size to slip between tents unnoticed, gathering information and ‘misplacing’ various soldier’s effects within the Général’s own tent to cause some trouble, before returning to Memory. Lastly, Descry moves to the camp to offer to work for the Général, all the while creating a collection of memory stones containing key bits of information about the soldiers.
Those who have arrived in Memory take a moment to pause and breathe. They are safe, for now, though their enemies wait beyond the gates.
Eventually, the spies that Général Schist and Scion Skoll sent out return to report their findings. Within Memory, Descry delivers the information they collected in memory stones, and Mockingbird has a meeting with Skoll in a secluded part of the gardens. In Général Schist's camp, Havoc and Psychopomp—reluctantly—part with some of the information they have gathered during their visits to the city.
A group of refugees led by Shine and Jasper plot a largely harmless trick to play on the soldiers camped in the surrounding hills; Shine has found some fireworks, meant for a coming holiday, stashed in one of Memory’s storehouses, and they plan to light them off over the soldiers’ heads. With the help of numerous volunteers, they are able to ensure that Schist’s men get little sleep that night.
But all is not right within the city. Over the past few nights, there have been dark shadows passing overhead at odd hours—some of Schist’s soldiers, scoping out the city when they think no one will be awake to see them. But Skoll isn’t the only one who’s noticed their spying, and searches for recruits to give their unwelcome guests a good scare. Harbinger and Qin use their abilities as Seraphim to terrify a group of drunk soldiers; Emmer, Meridian, Crevasse and Vega get into small airborne skirmishes; and Elysian uses her power of necromancy in secret to give the soldiers a scare that they will not forget. Together, they ensure that, at the very least, Schist’s soldiers will not be so incautious in their snooping again.
Those taking refuge within Memory have been coping in different ways with the stress of being trapped within its walls… but many have turned to point fingers at Jasper and blamed her for recent tragedies. The young Shade isn’t quite sure what to think of things herself, anymore. Especially not with Scion Talc occasionally coming to speak with her alone, trying to persuade her to turn herself in to save the city. She thought she was helping those around her by getting them out of the Deep Provinces, but things have spiraled so far out of control, and she can’t help but wonder if this really is all her fault.
After speaking with a number of others who have refuged in Memory, Jaspers’ confidence in her choices was restored. Although she would never have wished for any of this to happen perhaps, as some say, King Tigerlilly’s wrath was inevitable. If it hadn’t been her, someone would have triggered it.
Or, at least, she hopes so.
One of Schist’s soldiers, Perseus, was once a miner before they became part of King Tigerlilly’s army—they know that things feel inescapable down there, in the dark and the cold—but to them, path these refugees have taken isn’t the solution. Trying the King’s patience like this will just get them all killed. With the backup of another soldier named ‘Ahinahina and a mercenary named Arwin, they’re able to slip away to meet with a few of the refugees willing to hear them out, and successfully convince a number of them to abandon Memory. One of their meetings is interrupted by Ganymede, who shames Perseus for turning their back on their fellow dragons of the Deep Provinces. Their confidence in their actions is momentarily shaken, but ultimately Perseus is reassured that they did everything they could by the successes they had.
Asp Daybreak was once a soldier in King Tigerlilly’s army, and after recognizing some of the soldiers working under Général Schist, believes he may be able to sway them to help should things go poorly. With the backup of a number of volunteers, Asp made a few quiet meetings with former comrades to try to convince them to see his side. Although he saw some small successes, his actions drew the attention of the Général himself, and his third outing turned into an ambush that claimed the life of an ally and left him with a bleeding wing injury. He and the others managed to flee back to the safety of Memory, evading the attempt to capture them, but Asp makes no further attempts to contact the soldiers.
Reinforcements from Dragon’s Eye City have arrived in Schist’s Camp, bearing the blood-red war banner of the King—Tigerlilly Tyr himself has arrived in the foothills surrounding the city. Scion Skoll knows that their time is running out, and gathers volunteers to make final preparations for the attack that she knows is inevitable. They do not have the numbers or weapons to win, but maybe they can buy enough time for some of the others to escape, if a viable evacuation route can be found. Opalus, Beetle and Mockingbird prepare for the assault on Memory, while Emmer takes a moment alone to pray to Hyleg within the city gardens.
Scion Talc attempts to make preparations of her own, and aims to arrange a meeting between herself and the newly arrived King Tigerlilly to try to discuss a way to resolve things without risking Memory’s ruin. Although it burns her heart to offer such, she would be willing to arrange the peaceful handover of Jasper if it means the survival of the rest of the city. When word spreads of what she intends, a public argument breaks out between her and Ganymede, halted only when one of the visiting seraphim, Harbinger, stepped in to remind them that they were—or at least should be—on the same side. Though Talc did make one visit to King Tigerlilly, she failed to give any impression that the city is unified in its desire to surrender, and was lucky to leave his presence unharmed.
With the arrival of King Tigerlilly and reinforcements from Dragon’s Eye, the balance of power in the camp shifts in Chevalière Auriga Starstrike’s favour and away from General Schist’s control, who may have preferred not to utterly decimate the city unless they had no other option. The Chevalière organizes a military parade in the King’s honour to show those holding out in Memory just how doomed they are. It doesn’t go as she’d planned. One of her own soldiers, Tadmor, who had been spying for Memory for weeks, turns on her and attacks, and violence breaks out. Tadmor is only saved by the swift intervention of friends from Memory, leaving them badly injured, the Chevalière a bit clawed up, and a number of soldiers dead from the fighting. They flee to Memory, leaving the Chevalière enraged and humiliated before the king.
A few hours after that debacle, the Chevalière calls upon one of the Moon Children in the city, Sovereign, to tend to her wounds. Little does she know, however, that Sovereign is a fraud, and has none of the healing gifts of a true Moon Child. After making an excuse about why he cannot heal her immediately, the Perigee priest decides to flee the camp to avoid the possibility of being found out.
After Talc’s failed attempt to reason with the King, the Scion sets herself to one task that she can succeed at: safeguarding the Tyr Kingdom’s dead. With the help of a number of volunteers—Helios, Pulsar, Osiris, and Psychopomp—she is able to move a large number of urns into the safety of the caves surrounding the city, and other secure places where they might remain safe if the worst should come to pass.
Before their flight to the Memory, Jasper and the refugees travelling with her first took shelter in a temple to Hyleg in the Sunlit City. After they were discovered by soldiers serving the King, it was the Scions—Shine’s own mother amongst them—who delayed them while Shine guided the refugees through hidden passages out of the city and to Memory. Before she left, she heard the sounds of fighting and knows that her mother must have died that night. She recognizes some of the soldiers in the camp that had recently arrived as the very same dragons who razed her temple to the ground and killed her mother and fellow Scions.
With the aid of a dragon named Meridian, Shine is able to hunt down and kill one of the dragons responsible for her mother’s death, although feels little better having done it.
The young shade hatchling that accompanied the Deep Provinces refugees to Memory, Moonstone, vanished as tensions in the city reached their peak. Asp and Jasper, distressed at her disappearance, search through the city for hours and find no sign of her. The only place that they hadn’t yet looked was the Northern Caverns. They gathered a number of volunteers to help look for the hatchling in the winding, unmapped caverns, eventually finding her safe and sound—near a previously unknown passage exiting deep in the mountains, to where the city and camp are far from sight and one can see the waters of Lake Four-Shore shining in the distance.
The young shade may have accidentally discovered a path to safety.
After she returned to Asp’s waiting arms, the searchers set about spreading the news and making preparations for evacuation. Harbinger tells everyone she can find about the discovery; Havoc prepares an evacuation plan with Talc and the most vulnerable of the refugees; while Descry hollows out a stone nook within the caves where a defender could hide and fight, should they have to flee under pursuit.
Memory’s Ruin [505 A.E.D]
Skoll, upon hearing of the escape tunnel, organizes a group of former miners to widen and mark passages through the dark… as well as carve out sections of stone so that the fleeing refugees can collapse them behind them as they go and cut off any pursuit. She does not plan to make use of it herself, however. Countless dragons pouring out into the countryside will no doubt attract attention: if they are to make full use of the tunnel and allow as many people as people to survive, someone must step forth as a diversion… as a sacrifice.
Although Talc begs her wife to reconsider her plan, Skoll is adamant about leading the city’s final defence when the time comes. She swore to protect the refugees when they arrived in Memory, and, well… she’s always wanted to take a swing at Tigerlilly. The pair spend their last few days together quietly despite the harsh words exchanged previously.
The discovery could not have come at a better time. After only a few short days have passed, King Tigerlilly’s patience runs out; after the failure of Auriga’s parade and the deaths of multiple soldiers, the outlaws camped in Memory have made it clear that they are unworthy of any mercy. He gathers his soldiers and leads an attack on the city as the sun rises.
The Scions hastily put into action their evacuation plan; Talc and Shine direct the refugees to the northern caverns, while Skoll and her small group of volunteers—all made aware that this will likely end in their death—head to meet the soldiers in battle to buy their friends time to escape. Talc sits by the entrance to the caverns with Shine long past when the last dragon has filed into the dark, waiting until Shine pulls her away, finally sealing the path behind them with a great rumble of falling stone.
The battle that follows is bloody and drawn out. Although the soldiers outnumber them and have better equipment, Skoll and her volunteers are determined to hold them off as long as they can. They are slowly, gradually, pushed back from Memory’s Gates and towards the northern half of the city. The defenders make their final stand in the Radiant Sanctum, where Tigerlilly himself charges in with Auriga and Schist at his side—only for Skoll to pounce on him, bowling the King over whilst her allies occupy his companions.
Billowing black smoke fans out around them as the two dragons struggle. Skoll managed to seize the King by his horns, sharp teeth digging into the halo-like shape and dragging him forwards. He screams in rage, but even his claws sinking into Skoll’s stomach do little to ease her grip on him. It is only when the horn snaps and he falls backwards that he is freed, and takes a moment to catch his breath from the exertion. Whatever Skoll might have done next is interrupted when Auriga, having killed the others she was fighting, leaps between the Shade and her King and blasts her in the eyes with a burst of sunfire. Skoll staggers, clawing at her eyes, and orange-gold flames begin to catch on the rug at their feet.
Auriga paid the flames no mind and rushed toward her to finish the job. Skoll was killed defending the city, and by the time the battle within the city of Memory is over—its defenders all struck down or captured—the fire has gotten out of control. Tigerlilly makes little effort to save the Radiant Sanctum, and steps out of the smoking temple, his broken horn like a shattered crown around his head.
It is then, as the adrenaline starts to fade and he examines the prisoners and bodies left from their battle, that Tigerlilly notices that there are far too few in the city. Where was ‘Guile’, who they had come all this way to apprehend? The other Scions and refugees? The fool who had deserted his own army?
Tigerlilly ordered the prisoners interrogated, and after an hour passed, finally hears about the path through the northern caverns—now collapsed—and how those who had defended Memory had done so to buy them time to escape. Enraged at being tricked, Tigerlilly commands his soldiers to find where they have gone.
Far away, the dragons who had sheltered within Memory make their way through the tunnels, following the lead of those who had previously travelled through the caverns. After hours of slow passage through the dark, they emerge out into the quiet mountains, and the group disperses in every direction. Most head towards Meros or the waters of Lake Four-Shore.
Jasper, Asp and Moonstone head towards the town of Fairhill; Asp has family there, and he hopes that they might be safe there for the next few days, while they plan what to do next. Although Asp is tired of running for their lives and wishes to continue north to Meros, Jasper convinces him that after what they inadvertently caused at Memory, they’ve got a responsibility now to work against the King and try to fight for a better future. As word of her defiance of the King spreads across the kingdom, even more dragons are emboldened by her actions and take up the mantle of ‘Guile’.
Talc and Shine stuck together after fleeing Memory. The older Scion is despondent for days even before confirmation of Skoll’s death and news of Memory’s destruction reaches her. However, given time, she resolves to not allow Skoll’s sacrifice to be in vain and dedicates herself to working against King Tigerlilly.
…as King Tigerlilly’s army scours the hillsides in search of ‘Guile’ and her accomplices, word of the desecration of the city of Memory spreads across the kingdom, to the shock and horror of its citizens. Although Tigerlilly claims that the insurgents who camped within its walls forced his hand, his justifications do little to ease the growing tensions in his lands.
Unrest grips the Tyr Kingdom in the days that follow. Even for those who had accepted the King’s attacks on the Scions, the destruction of Memory is a step too far and becomes a rallying cry for sundrakes across social classes. Tigerlilly is forced to end his search early as a riot breaks out in the Sunlit City, turning his military forces onto his own citizens to prevent harm from coming to the Queen-Consort and Crown Prince.
With the King’s attention focused on managing turmoil in the Sunlit Province, the Shardbearers each take a moment to assess their loyalties.
To the shock of the entire kingdom, the typically reluctant to act Shardbearer of the Midnight Province, Vesta Saturn, is the first to take a stand. As a former Scion and a devout follower of Hyleg, the King’s recent actions have horrified her, and she declares that she will no longer recognize Tigerlilly as her King. The citizens of the Midnight Province under her command seize key checkpoints between themselves and the surface, preparing to defend their borders against Tigerlilly’s retribution.
Shardbearer Fern Psyche of the Deepwoods Province follows suit shortly after Vesta’s declaration, deeply offended by Tigerlilly’s interference in her territory and the destruction of one of her cities; her demand that the King step down in favour of his young son falls on deaf ears and loyalists to the King and the Shardbearer clash at the divide between their territories.
Although the Shardbearers of Whitecliff and Brightsand Provinces take no formal stand, many of their citizens take sides against or for the King’s rule. Mokara insists that it is Tigerlilly’s responsibility to deal with rebellion and that their duty lies with protecting the Kingdom’s coasts from pirates, while Eris says nothing at all, simply watching the fallout of Memory’s destruction with hawkish eyes.
Only Shardbearer Tropic of the Big Fang Province and Shardbearer Lacaille of the Dusk Province remain loyal to King Tigerlilly, and the latter with some reluctance.
The common people of the Tyr Kingdom are likewise horrified by their King’s actions, and a number of new factions emerge seeking to depose the King—and, for some—remove the noble class entirely.
In the Deep Provinces, a group of former miners and smiths rise up against him, taking up the name “Sunchasers” for themselves in honour of the late Scion Skoll Sunchaser who died protecting the refugees in Memory. They do what they can to sabotage Shardbearer Lacaille’s efforts to support the King, and form a tenuous alliance with Shardbearer Vesta despite their deep mistrust of the aristocracy. And despite their Shardbearers’ stances of neutrality, a number of farmers and labourers in Brightsand and Whitecliff Province organize to fight against the King, making efforts to stop shipments of food further into the city and to hinder those attempting to enforce his laws.
Leaving the Sunlit City unnoticed in the growing chaos, the stormherald Society member, Fluke, sees the opportunity to be someone that she’s always wanted open up before her very eyes. She pledges her Sundrake Societies and their technology to the rebels, in the hopes that whatever group comes out on top will remember them after they take power.
Although the Scions of the Sun were decimated by the recent actions of Tigerlilly and the destruction of the city of Memory, they have become a symbol of resistance against his tyranny and many—proper training or otherwise—have taken up the name of Scion in rebellion. Scion Talc, a survivor of Memory, supports these new Scions and does what she can to aid them in undermining the King’s authority. Though bloodied, they are more driven than ever to work against King Tigerlilly, and the Scions remain a political force in the Kingdom.
It isn’t long before word of recent events in the Tyr Kingdom reaches the ears of its neighbours. Sir Sol Tres Lunae, a former Chevalier of the King and commander of the Southern League’s air forces, is shocked to hear what Tigerlilly has done. Although they were previously reluctant to act against him, Sol decides that they can ignore his misdeeds no longer, and returns to his birthplace with a heavy heart to join those who have rallied against his rule.
Sol is not the only arrival from the Land of Rivers; a dragon claiming herself to be “Queen Carinae Halcyon”, a daughter of the late Astya Halcyon that was allegedly smuggled out of the Kingdom and saved from execution, arrives in the Tyr Kingdom seeking vengeance against the King and to take her place as ruler of the sundrakes. While many are doubtful of Carinae’s claims, some who secretly harboured sympathies for the massacred family flock to her side to aid her claims to power.
Tigerlilly reacts to recent events with yet more fury, leaving the Sunlit City to lead his armies himself to put down the Shardbearers and upstart peasants that think to usurp him. The throne of the Tyr Kingdom is his by right of the blood he shed fighting for it, and he is more than prepared to bleed more to keep it. He sends Chevalière Auriga to guard the Queen-Consort and Crown Prince from any would-be assassins, and Général Schist and Perseus to fight against the rebelling Midnight Province.
As the Tyr Kingdom falls into disorder, no one within or outside of its borders can say for certain what the coming months will bring, or if King Tigerlilly will keep his crown.
Although Talc begs her wife to reconsider her plan, Skoll is adamant about leading the city’s final defence when the time comes. She swore to protect the refugees when they arrived in Memory, and, well… she’s always wanted to take a swing at Tigerlilly. The pair spend their last few days together quietly despite the harsh words exchanged previously.
The discovery could not have come at a better time. After only a few short days have passed, King Tigerlilly’s patience runs out; after the failure of Auriga’s parade and the deaths of multiple soldiers, the outlaws camped in Memory have made it clear that they are unworthy of any mercy. He gathers his soldiers and leads an attack on the city as the sun rises.
The Scions hastily put into action their evacuation plan; Talc and Shine direct the refugees to the northern caverns, while Skoll and her small group of volunteers—all made aware that this will likely end in their death—head to meet the soldiers in battle to buy their friends time to escape. Talc sits by the entrance to the caverns with Shine long past when the last dragon has filed into the dark, waiting until Shine pulls her away, finally sealing the path behind them with a great rumble of falling stone.
The battle that follows is bloody and drawn out. Although the soldiers outnumber them and have better equipment, Skoll and her volunteers are determined to hold them off as long as they can. They are slowly, gradually, pushed back from Memory’s Gates and towards the northern half of the city. The defenders make their final stand in the Radiant Sanctum, where Tigerlilly himself charges in with Auriga and Schist at his side—only for Skoll to pounce on him, bowling the King over whilst her allies occupy his companions.
Billowing black smoke fans out around them as the two dragons struggle. Skoll managed to seize the King by his horns, sharp teeth digging into the halo-like shape and dragging him forwards. He screams in rage, but even his claws sinking into Skoll’s stomach do little to ease her grip on him. It is only when the horn snaps and he falls backwards that he is freed, and takes a moment to catch his breath from the exertion. Whatever Skoll might have done next is interrupted when Auriga, having killed the others she was fighting, leaps between the Shade and her King and blasts her in the eyes with a burst of sunfire. Skoll staggers, clawing at her eyes, and orange-gold flames begin to catch on the rug at their feet.
Auriga paid the flames no mind and rushed toward her to finish the job. Skoll was killed defending the city, and by the time the battle within the city of Memory is over—its defenders all struck down or captured—the fire has gotten out of control. Tigerlilly makes little effort to save the Radiant Sanctum, and steps out of the smoking temple, his broken horn like a shattered crown around his head.
It is then, as the adrenaline starts to fade and he examines the prisoners and bodies left from their battle, that Tigerlilly notices that there are far too few in the city. Where was ‘Guile’, who they had come all this way to apprehend? The other Scions and refugees? The fool who had deserted his own army?
Tigerlilly ordered the prisoners interrogated, and after an hour passed, finally hears about the path through the northern caverns—now collapsed—and how those who had defended Memory had done so to buy them time to escape. Enraged at being tricked, Tigerlilly commands his soldiers to find where they have gone.
Far away, the dragons who had sheltered within Memory make their way through the tunnels, following the lead of those who had previously travelled through the caverns. After hours of slow passage through the dark, they emerge out into the quiet mountains, and the group disperses in every direction. Most head towards Meros or the waters of Lake Four-Shore.
Jasper, Asp and Moonstone head towards the town of Fairhill; Asp has family there, and he hopes that they might be safe there for the next few days, while they plan what to do next. Although Asp is tired of running for their lives and wishes to continue north to Meros, Jasper convinces him that after what they inadvertently caused at Memory, they’ve got a responsibility now to work against the King and try to fight for a better future. As word of her defiance of the King spreads across the kingdom, even more dragons are emboldened by her actions and take up the mantle of ‘Guile’.
Talc and Shine stuck together after fleeing Memory. The older Scion is despondent for days even before confirmation of Skoll’s death and news of Memory’s destruction reaches her. However, given time, she resolves to not allow Skoll’s sacrifice to be in vain and dedicates herself to working against King Tigerlilly.
…as King Tigerlilly’s army scours the hillsides in search of ‘Guile’ and her accomplices, word of the desecration of the city of Memory spreads across the kingdom, to the shock and horror of its citizens. Although Tigerlilly claims that the insurgents who camped within its walls forced his hand, his justifications do little to ease the growing tensions in his lands.
Unrest grips the Tyr Kingdom in the days that follow. Even for those who had accepted the King’s attacks on the Scions, the destruction of Memory is a step too far and becomes a rallying cry for sundrakes across social classes. Tigerlilly is forced to end his search early as a riot breaks out in the Sunlit City, turning his military forces onto his own citizens to prevent harm from coming to the Queen-Consort and Crown Prince.
With the King’s attention focused on managing turmoil in the Sunlit Province, the Shardbearers each take a moment to assess their loyalties.
To the shock of the entire kingdom, the typically reluctant to act Shardbearer of the Midnight Province, Vesta Saturn, is the first to take a stand. As a former Scion and a devout follower of Hyleg, the King’s recent actions have horrified her, and she declares that she will no longer recognize Tigerlilly as her King. The citizens of the Midnight Province under her command seize key checkpoints between themselves and the surface, preparing to defend their borders against Tigerlilly’s retribution.
Shardbearer Fern Psyche of the Deepwoods Province follows suit shortly after Vesta’s declaration, deeply offended by Tigerlilly’s interference in her territory and the destruction of one of her cities; her demand that the King step down in favour of his young son falls on deaf ears and loyalists to the King and the Shardbearer clash at the divide between their territories.
Although the Shardbearers of Whitecliff and Brightsand Provinces take no formal stand, many of their citizens take sides against or for the King’s rule. Mokara insists that it is Tigerlilly’s responsibility to deal with rebellion and that their duty lies with protecting the Kingdom’s coasts from pirates, while Eris says nothing at all, simply watching the fallout of Memory’s destruction with hawkish eyes.
Only Shardbearer Tropic of the Big Fang Province and Shardbearer Lacaille of the Dusk Province remain loyal to King Tigerlilly, and the latter with some reluctance.
The common people of the Tyr Kingdom are likewise horrified by their King’s actions, and a number of new factions emerge seeking to depose the King—and, for some—remove the noble class entirely.
In the Deep Provinces, a group of former miners and smiths rise up against him, taking up the name “Sunchasers” for themselves in honour of the late Scion Skoll Sunchaser who died protecting the refugees in Memory. They do what they can to sabotage Shardbearer Lacaille’s efforts to support the King, and form a tenuous alliance with Shardbearer Vesta despite their deep mistrust of the aristocracy. And despite their Shardbearers’ stances of neutrality, a number of farmers and labourers in Brightsand and Whitecliff Province organize to fight against the King, making efforts to stop shipments of food further into the city and to hinder those attempting to enforce his laws.
Leaving the Sunlit City unnoticed in the growing chaos, the stormherald Society member, Fluke, sees the opportunity to be someone that she’s always wanted open up before her very eyes. She pledges her Sundrake Societies and their technology to the rebels, in the hopes that whatever group comes out on top will remember them after they take power.
Although the Scions of the Sun were decimated by the recent actions of Tigerlilly and the destruction of the city of Memory, they have become a symbol of resistance against his tyranny and many—proper training or otherwise—have taken up the name of Scion in rebellion. Scion Talc, a survivor of Memory, supports these new Scions and does what she can to aid them in undermining the King’s authority. Though bloodied, they are more driven than ever to work against King Tigerlilly, and the Scions remain a political force in the Kingdom.
It isn’t long before word of recent events in the Tyr Kingdom reaches the ears of its neighbours. Sir Sol Tres Lunae, a former Chevalier of the King and commander of the Southern League’s air forces, is shocked to hear what Tigerlilly has done. Although they were previously reluctant to act against him, Sol decides that they can ignore his misdeeds no longer, and returns to his birthplace with a heavy heart to join those who have rallied against his rule.
Sol is not the only arrival from the Land of Rivers; a dragon claiming herself to be “Queen Carinae Halcyon”, a daughter of the late Astya Halcyon that was allegedly smuggled out of the Kingdom and saved from execution, arrives in the Tyr Kingdom seeking vengeance against the King and to take her place as ruler of the sundrakes. While many are doubtful of Carinae’s claims, some who secretly harboured sympathies for the massacred family flock to her side to aid her claims to power.
Tigerlilly reacts to recent events with yet more fury, leaving the Sunlit City to lead his armies himself to put down the Shardbearers and upstart peasants that think to usurp him. The throne of the Tyr Kingdom is his by right of the blood he shed fighting for it, and he is more than prepared to bleed more to keep it. He sends Chevalière Auriga to guard the Queen-Consort and Crown Prince from any would-be assassins, and Général Schist and Perseus to fight against the rebelling Midnight Province.
As the Tyr Kingdom falls into disorder, no one within or outside of its borders can say for certain what the coming months will bring, or if King Tigerlilly will keep his crown.