Dragons of Tirenia

(This one's out of character, to record my new thoughts.) I'd always known that dragons represented sins, which a medieval viewpoint. I always knew that the church literally prohibited dragons, but that the current leaders say the passages are meant to be taken metaphorically.  But there are seven sins and only five dragons! As a result, Tirenia welcomes its new draconic overlords! Two more good and two more evil dragons, from some of the supplementary material not yet converted to 5th Edition, are joining the ten established dragon broods. The evil Brown Dragons  live in Felsina (Bologna) - they promote the greatest university in Tirenia, and are famous gourmands. The good Mercury Dragons  are in Trion (Turin), where they serve the bronze dragons and are great alchemists. The evil G rey Dragons fought as condottieri, before becoming lords of Pirusi (Rimini); so did the good Iron Dragons  in Matauro (Urbino), and they are now deadly rivals. That's 150...

Do not trust the dragon of wrath, for he brings bloodshed, destroying reconciliation. Do not trust the dragon of gluttony, for he consumes rapaciously, leaving nothing for others.  Do not trust the dragon of envy, for he turns brother against brother. Do not trust the dragon of luxury, for he desires all things for himself. Do not trust the dragon of greed, for he sells anything so as to buy everything. Do not trust the dragon of sloth, for he quells good deeds through inaction. Do not trust the dragon of pride, for he would set himself equal to the firmament itself. These words from the Storia  are officially taken by the church as metaphorical. The 'dragons' are the seven sins that can stain the soul so direly that it remains affected beyond this lifetime. A soul that is too stained may damn itself to Inferno, never again to be reborn. However, there are some who believe that these lines should be taken literally: as an exhortation to beware dragon-kind itse...

Trion is a city of about 30,000 people situated in the foothills of the White Mountains, about 200 miles north-west of Staglia. It was founded by the Auromian Empire after an important victory against the orcs in the mountains. Since then, it has had many rulers: it was part of Carlo d'Orso's empire, was ruled by the Ordinarch-Princes of the church, was conquered by mercury dragons and finally annexed by the bronze dragons of Staglia, who still rule it. All of Tirenia is highly magical, due to the convergence of ley lines there, but Trion is particularly magical. The ruling mercury dragons princes have many magical advisors, and have created palaces attuned to the five elements - earth, fire, water, air and aether. There are rumours that some great alchemical secret is buried in caves under the city, but no one knows what. Certainly, the aetheric currents in the city means that it is closer to Heaven and Hell than usual. It is rumoured that the lost caves may lead to the Unde...

During the War of the Host, angels and demons both experimented with creating life to swing the balance of the war in their favour. Ultimately, however, the war was in a stalemate. Since both the angels and the demons were immortal spirits, any setback was only temporary, and neither side could achieve victory. And then dragons were created. The demons were the first to create the five broods of dragons. In response, the angels soon created their own broods. Dragons immediately changed the course of the war. They were able to fight the angels and demons on an even footing. More terrifying by far, though, the devastating breath of the dragons was able to destroy souls - permanently. An angel or a demon that was incinerated by a dragon was annihilated, and a human that was killed would never be reborn, never go to heaven or hell. Furthermore, the dragons grew more and more powerful with time, until they were as strong or stronger than even the most powerful lords of heaven or hell. ...

Not all of the gold dragons are dead. At the fall of the Auromian Empire, the last surviving gold dragons fled Tirenia for distant lands. Tirenia is often myopic in its focus, and so their survival went unnoticed. Over time, the Golden Emperor unified Tataria. Tataria is wrongly dismissed as a backwards, barbaric land by the Tirenians, and so this went unnoticed. The Golden Emperor then brought his Tatarian horsemen to bear against far-distant Cataia. There was a brief hiccup in the trade of silks, but when the silk trade resumed, the Tirenians paid it no notice. Eventually a Vanzenian trader, Niccolo Defusah, travelled to the court of the Golden Emperor, where he was given many rich gifts and told the Emperor all about his home. Defusah has since returned home, but few have noticed the threat implicit in the story of his travels - of course a foreign court would mimic Tirenian dragon iconography! The Golden Horde is mustering. The Emperor's bodyguards, a legion of half-drago...

The brass dragons are the only dragon bloodline that have not claimed land. They deplored how the evil dragons had dominated Tirenia, and swore to oppose them. However, they see the actions of the other good dragons as hypocritical and self-serving - freeing humans from oppression by taking control yourself will just trade one master for another. The brass dragons have gone into deep cover, hiding themselves among the cities. They work to promote the humanist agenda. Some foment rebellion, working to destroy the hold that the dragon princes have upon the land. Others have a more day-to-day approach, simply trying to make the world a better place. When their work is done - or when their cover is broken - they depart, only to start again in a new place. The brass dragons are not unified in the same way that the others are, although they try to have a passing knowledge of where their kindred are at any given time, and try to help each other out if needs be. But these dragons are socialite...

Sunny Southern Tirenia has more farming villages, and fewer cities, than the north. It is famous for its historic culture, and the advances that were made in philosophy, literature, the arts, science and mathematics. But today it is famous for a more insidious menace - crime. While small feudal landowners might officially have say, organised crime is rife in the south. The 'Benevoli', the Benevolent Men, portray themselves as businessmen and community leaders. But they are involved in protection rackets, smuggling, gambling, prostitution, embezzlement, and many other illegal businesses. Most of the local lords are under the thumb of the Benevoli, and those who attempt to stand against them are destroyed through scandal, intimidation, or murder. The secretive leaders of the Benevoli are each responsible for crime throughout a large swathe of southern Tirenia. And, unknown to all but their most trusted underlings, they are black dragons. Rather than infiltrate political structu...

Ercolia was an ancient seaside city, believed to have been founded by the mythical hero Ercole in the years after the Hostwar. It became popular under the Auromian Empire as a holiday destination, and its hot-water springs were believed to have healing properties. However, Ercolia was destroyed a long time ago during a volcanic eruption. Even one of the gold dragons who was there at the time, a member of the imperial family, was killed. The lava flows and the ash completely buried the city, and it was lost to history. But not for much longer. Aurelius Victor Incantator Divus was the uncle of the Emperor and a mighty wizard. He cast a great spell as he perished to ensure his survival. His body was almost destroyed, but his indomitable will kept him alive - barely. It took an excruciatingly long time for the dragon-wizard to free himself, and his sanity is the poorer for it. Eventually, however, the undead, mummified corpse freed himself - to find that the world had changed. The eter...

The Church States are those states that are under the direct control of the High Ordinarch and the Church. The High Ordinarchs have declared that they are the rightful successor to the Auromian Empire, and therefore control a large amount of land in central Tirenia directly. At least, they do in theory. With the Church currently in disarray, some states pay little more than lip service to their lord, and some do not even pay that. Traditionally, the Church States were governed from Auromia. However, the High Ordinarch currently lives in Aterni as 'guests' of the green dragons. For this reason, Aterni is often called the new Eternal City (a name formerly applied to Auromia.) It is situated high in the central mountains, and powerful winds blow through it. It is surrounded by lush woodlands, which serves as a retreat for the church leaders and their draconic sponsors. The green dragons have had great success in subverting the power of the church. Rather than leading in person, ...

Monte Mamiliano is a tiny but beautiful island in the Tirenian Sea, located off the coast west of Fiumenze. For most of its history, it has been isolated and uninhabited. Following the collapse of the Auromian Empire, San Mamiliano founded a monastery on the island for those who wished to dwell in isolation from the world and contemplate the beauty of the world. Over time, the monastery and the island both took the saint's name. There the monks remained, with only the most fleeting of contact with the rest of the world. Occasionally, the island's caves would be used by smugglers, but they left the monks alone. Everything changed when the copper dragons moved in. Unlike the other metallic dragons, the copper dragons had no plans to fight the chromatic dragons who had taken over the world. Instead, they wanted to create a palatial home for themselves and their friends, cut off from the troubles of the world. Suddenly, the Conte of Monte Mamiliano and his family, friends, foll...

One reason why the Auromian Empire was able to expand so effectively was because of the bronze dragons. They agreed with what the gold dragons were doing, and swore allegiance to the Golden Emperor. The bronze dragons became the leaders of the armies of Auromia, driving its expansion throughout Tellaia. When the Empire began to fall, the bronze dragons were responsible for delaying its collapse for as long as possible, holding off waves of orcs, goblins, and evil dragons. They failed, but without their efforts, the world would have been overrun and La Salvatrice would not have had the chance to discover the word of the Almighty One and save the world. When the bronze dragons were driven back into Tirenia, they fought ferociously to defend Staglia. This maritime city had been an important headquarters for the military. Consequently, it never fell to the attackers. During the following years, the bronze dragons remained its rulers, while petty kings rose and fell throughout the rest of...

At the north of Tirenia is an extensive mountain chain: the White Mountains. A series of valleys in the mountains allow for travel through to the lands beyond. The largest of these, such as the Salassi Valley in the north-west, serve as major trade routes. Others are more isolated, such as Zigura, a plateau in the north. It is home to one of the largest gnomish settlements in the world, with a unique culture. The area is renowned for its mercenaries, who are some of the best trained soldiers in the world. The White Mountains are ruled over by the white dragons. They were driven north from Mezilano by the silver dragons, and settled in the mountains. They settled throughout the region, with little organisation between them. Most of the dragons are indifferent lords as well: Ghiaccolo, lord of the Salassi Valley, shows up to collect 'taxes' (tribute), and then leaves the people alone. Anything from months to decades may pass between his visits, and so the Salassi Valley is fair...

Fiumenze was built a long time ago, on a ford of the Puzza River. It grew in importance under the Auromian Empire, as commerce became more widespread, and stone bridges were build across the river. The city was spared much of the devastation that accompanied the Empire's fall, and continued to be a major economic centre. The golden florins, the city's coinage, became ubiquitous worldwide, so much so that the 'pezzo d'oro,' as it is informally known, has become the most common name for a gold coin worldwide. Fiumenze's importance made it a natural target for the dragons. The blue dragons worked their way into Fiumentian society, posing as an up-and-coming mercantile family, the di Dottori. They established banks, as well as other enterprises, and worked to drive their rivals out of business. Within a hundred years, the blue dragons ran the largest and most successful banking house in the world, with branches in all the major cities. Anyone could get a loan from...

Mezziano is a city in northern Tirenia, in fertile plains bordered by multiple rivers. It serves as the main trade route for goods travelling across the northern mountains. As a result, it is an extremely prosperous city, and was historically seen as a rival for the great city of Auromia itself. From the beginning, the silver dragons who live near Mezziano have been its protectors. They were curious about the humans, and kept a watchful eye on them. This is also why there is such a high proportion of silver dragonborn in the city. Mezziano was absorbed into the Auromian Empire after a brief war - the gold dragons thinking that the long-term benefits of unity would outweigh the short-term suffering, while the silver dragons believed that the ends could not justify the violent means. The silver dragons soon sued for peace, wishing an end to the destructive conflict. Mezziano entered the Empire on favourable terms, and those silver dragons that were willing (and later, other dragons a...