Wraithguard

''"What-ho, traveler! Come and sit, come and sit! Let me tell you the tale of my homeland, for it is a very silly place full of strangeness and wonder!" -Mariki Bard from the Wraithguardian South''

The Subcontinent
Wraithguard is much smaller than the main continent that makes up most of Ori, but it is still large enough to have many cities and biomes. Wraithguard is the birthplace of all dragons whether flesh or stone alike. Hundreds of thousands of different colored dragons once roamed the skies. Eating freely of the charismatic mega-fauna that inhabited the subcontinent. It was a beautiful and terrifying land, but that was many eons ago. There are now no dragons to be found on the surface of Wraithguard, or so it seems...

Wraithguard is made up of a series of drifting volcanic islands, and it has been said that the magical core of Ori which has stored much of the Sruth's power, like a glacial lake of magic, burped Wraithguard into existence. Creating the dragons from all the different elements of the world.

The Age of Dragons
Caves and lairs abound Wraithguard. And a rainbow of dragons filled the sky. Beings of magic enfused elements, the dragons of Wraithguard wared with each other in grand and terrible battles upon the earth, air, and sea. But it was not through conquest that the dragons were rid of. Even though much like their represented elements, they battled for supremacy, the dragons instead began to grow tired and weary of the violence that made up their days. And so, to fill the time of day, the dragons began to play games and gather to engage in sports and tests of courage and ability.

Peace settled across Wraithguard as the dragons became more interested in backing their own colors in the great games than in killing each other and engaging in conquest. For there was plenty of food abound, and the flights had grown to regret the deaths of their own kin.

It is unclear which flight was the first to begin assuming smaller forms to engage in the games and begin tests of craftsmanship, but it wasn't long before almost all of the dragons assumed smaller forms with which to compete. For the nimble hands of the lesser races were greater at building than the large scaled claws of the dragons. Some retained reptilian forms, which others took ideas from the rest of Ori. Becoming halflings dwarves, humans, orcs, and many other forms of smaller folk so that they could join in the more finessed games of smaller beings.

The Fall of Dragonkind
Many ages passed and the dragons who hadn't transformed into smaller races decided the leave Wraithguard and go to Ori to seek their own fortunes. But those who remained on Wraithguard as smaller races, had eventually forgotten their dragon lineage and began to live as lesser races. And so, the people of Wraithguard, who were once majestic dragons, fell into the regular and everyday lives of common people. Eventually breeding out many of their draconic abilities and even shortening their lifespan until they became indistinguishable from the races they had copied. And that is why some people in every race have the natural ability to tap into the Sruth, instead of having to study and learn the ways and wits of magic.

The Grand City of NOLE
The most power of the ancient dragons were the black dragons, formed from the dark depths of the Sruth. Living in the north most point of Wraithguard, these black dragons eventully joined their brothern and became a lesser race. But instead of becoming dwarves, they loosely based themselves off of the Whitebeard's physical appearance and became the Black Kin.

Unlike their flesh colored brothern, the Black Kin dwarves have jet black skin and burning coal-like eyes. Their muscled forms and fire red beards make them an imposing sight, even for a race so short. And they lived within their mountain city of NOLE. NOLE was made as a direct insult to the yellow dragons who had become a type of elf, and was originally written as No-One-Likes-Elves, until relations improved with the yellows, and the name of the city was shortened to NOLE.

NOLE was the greatest city in all of Wraithguard, and could give most cities of Ori a run for their money. Impressive in its size, NOLE made up the entire hollowed out core of the largest mountain on Wraithguard. And with the craftmenship and powerful magics of the Black Kin, it quickly became the wealthiest Wraithguardian city, and a place where many of the games and craftsman competitions were held. NOLE was a shining utopia for all of Wraithguard, and indeed, all of Ori.

The Fall of NOLE
If you wish to read about the fall of NOLE, there is a whole story devoted to it. Feel free to click HERE.

The Tales of Wraithguard
For more information and tales of Wraithguard and its many interesting peoples and zany adventures, feel free to click HERE and read some stories about them. These story are supposed to be silly and funny adventures of fantasy fiction, each written with a theme. They're much less serious than the rest of Ori, and meant purely for enjoyment and entertainment. -Ori Mod Pierce