Dragons of Tirenia

 I've been having a break from Tirenia, but I had a strange thought and wanted to get it down. What are dinosaurs? Dinosaurs were created in the War of the Host as living weapons. They were meant as living weapons. Eventually, they led to the creation of dragons, when some bright spark demon had the idea of putting a soul inside one and giving it wings and innate magic. (This also means that in Tirenia, birds did not evolve from dinosaurs, and might in fact pre-date them! What a strange thought...)Who are these angels and demons who enjoy flesh-shaping so much? What happened to the dinosaurs since then? Doubtlessly there are still some hidden away in the remote places of the world in the remote places. Perhaps some fairy or demon will bring them forth again as part of the Tirenian Wars! The Primitive World . Adolphe Pannemaker, 1857.

This post has SPOILERS ! I've always envisaged all the games I run in Tirenia as having one connected storyline. Things that happen in one game have consequences in another. The death of Rubina in The Company of the Wolf  led to the madness of Morignus in Carnevale , and the rebellion that followed on from there caused the unstable political situation that I'm beginning to explore in the Fiumenze Nights  games. (If I could just get those games finished...) Fra Salvatore from The Company of the Wolf  is due to show up again in the Camarma game, when that happens, and the magical surge in Carnevale  is the same one that triggered all the madness that's currently happening in The Ruins of Auromia. As all of this is going on, I've had the sense for some time that Tirenia is on the brink of a period of immense upheaval. As more campaigns occur, I get more of a sense of where they might be going. It's very hard to actually pin down what's going to happen, beca...

King Carlo of Orso was a historical king who united much of northern Tirenia during his lifetime. After the fall of the Auromian Empire and the establishment of the Church, there was considerable civic disruption. The Church did not want to take temporal power, and this resulted in a power vacuum. Carlo was a minor landowner and military leader whose use of heavy cavalry and skillful diplomacy led to him carving out a realm of his own. He took great care to promote the interests of the Church, and the High Ordinarch legitimized him in turn, eventually crowning him as Emperor of Tirenia and Defender of the Faith. Carlo spent a lot of time on campaign. When word reached Orso that he had been killed in battle, his son Moderio took the crown. Carlo was not dead, however: when he returned, Morderio refused to give up the crown and the two killed each other in battle. Carlo spent considerable time strengthening the key city-states in northern Tirenia and weakening the power of the nobility...

There have been many different calendars in Tellaia, but the most influential have always been Tirenian. The Auromian Empire had two different ways of counting years: they would refer to 'Anno Auri' (Golden Years), to refer to years since the ascension of the first Gold Dragon Emperor, but more commonly they would refer to events by the reigning emperor of the time: 'in the fifth-second year of the reign of Emperor Aurelius Draco Sahelianus', for example. After the fall of the Auromian Empire, the Church started counting from the death and resurrection of La Salvatrice, and so the calendar 'Anno Salvatricis' and 'Ante Anno Salvatricis' (A.S. and A.A.S.) became widespread. This timeline is a work in progress! 1229 A.A.S.   The Auromian Empire begins when gold dragons liberate the city of Pallantia from the fairy 'gods' who rule it. They become its new rulers, and the city is renamed 'Auromia' in honour of Aurelian Draco, who becomes ...

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...

Auromia was once the capital of the world. Its gold dragon rulers transformed the city into a monument of their rule, full of palaces, temples, statues and fountains. It was said that at its heyday, the city boasted over a million inhabitants. As implausible as that figure may sound, in these days where even the largest cities do not reach even a fifth of that total, the gold dragon emperors had established infrastructure to ensure that even the poorest citizens had an excellent standard of living, and food was imported in from across the world to feed them.  With the fall of the gold dragons, the Eternal City's decline began. The High Ordinarchs established themselves in Auromia, but the disruption meant that the city's population plummeted to more realistic levels. Ancient noble families with estates in the countryside took over the administration of Auromia. The city's decay became complete when the Ordinacy, due to the influence of the green dragons, moved to Atern...

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...

Since the rise of the Dragon Princes, the different city-states have been engaged in an endless struggle with each other to be the best. Some of the cities have hired condottiere (mercenaries) to expand their territory militarily. The red dragons of Vanzenia have been creating an extensive empire of colonies, using it to further control their trade monopolies. The bronze dragons of Staglia have declared themselves the rightful heirs of the Auromian Empire, and are marching against all their neighbours. Meanwhile, the Church, led in secret by the green dragons, is trying to establish its own right to rule all of Tirenia, bringing it politically into conflict with the courtiers of the bronze dragons. Meanwhile, in the south, the great matriarch of the black dragons has fallen: her offspring are engaged in a vicious civil war to take control of the great crime syndicate. A generation ago, a terrible plague swept across the world. It begun in Vanzenia, and killed nearly a third of the...

After the death of his sire, the red dragon Morignus realised that there was no way to defeat humanity head-on. With the miracles wielded by the church, even the power of dragons could be cast down. Morignus gathered the leaders of the other dragon clans and proposed a new conquest, not by force of arms but by guile. Over hundreds of years, the dragons took humanoid form and infiltrated the city-states. They could afford to be patient, with their vast life-spans. Morignus and the red dragons slowly took control of Vanzenia, the richest city in the world. Using the weapons of commerce and economics, they began to cripple enemies who would stand in their way. Meanwhile, the blue dragons went to Fiumenze, where they established themselves among the nobility. Slowly, they eliminated their rivals and became the dominant banking family in Tirenia. The green dragons, with their natural gifts at deception, slowly corrupted the church. They turned the interests of the Ordinarchs slowly from...

The interregnum between the fall of Auromia and the rise of the dragon princes was a time of consolidation. Following the death of Yeesha, humanity was saved from its many enemies and was free to follow its own path again. The Prophet’s followers organised the church, which spread her teachings and trained new priests to use the magic of their convictions. The revelations of Yeesha were collected in the holy book, the  Storia.  The church was led by the Ordinarchs, who would elect a leader, the High Ordinarch. Over time, these disciples died and became saints, and different church orders sprang up dedicated to them. It was easy to convert people to the new faith as well, because of the divine miracles that the clergy could perform. They were also influential in continuing to battle dragons and their humanoid servants wherever they should appear. No new central authority emerged to replace the gold dragons. The Prophet had always refused secular authority, and so her C...

It was the custom of the gold dragon emperors to retire upon reaching a certain age, and to become an adviser to the next Emperor. Dragons increase in strength and potency as they age, but the weight of years catches up with them in the end, crippling them physically and mentally. But the final Golden Emperor delayed his retirement. He had led the Auromian Empire through great challenges in his life, while his children had known only peace and did not have his experience. And so he remained on the throne, and did not notice the onset of senility. As enemies gathered on the borders, led by the evil dragon broods, the Golden Emperor saw treason within his own brood. He turned on his own family, destroying them. At the same time, he became obsessed with erecting a series of megaliths around the world. The Emperor abandoned day-to-day administration to focus on this task. As the situation deteriorated, rebellions broke out throughout the provinces. The massive cost of the megaliths, ...

In central Tirenia, during the time of the giants, a fire giant called Cacus enslaved the humans of Pallantia. He used them to make war upon a nearby brood of gold dragons. The dragons defeated the fire giants and freed the Pallantines, and remained with them as protectors. Over time, the gold dragons became the rulers of Pallantia: they were more intelligent and more long-lived than the humans, and so could rule the Pallantines better than they could rule themselves. This was the beginning of the Auromian Empire. Other peoples joined the Empire as the result of warfare or by inviting the dragons in. The dragons knew and regretted the consequences of their imperialism upon the conquered people, but justified it by considering the long-term positives. Other metallic dragons allied themselves with the gold dragons: in particular, the bronze dragons became the leaders of their armies. The reign of the Auromian Empire was a time of great prosperity. The dragons were benevolent rulers w...