The Knowledge of the Dragonvale

The Dragonvale Knowledge

The Serpantol Empire

This book appears to be a sort of guidebook to the Lost Empire, the Serpantol. The people of the Serpantol Empire were a very conservative and non-militant lot. They were interested more in the study of magic and the powers of the mind. The Conclave was a creation of the Serpantol Empire, although the magi were quick to declare themselves a sovereign entity from the old Empire. Along with the Conclave, the art of Meditation was a product of Serpantol, as well as the art of hand to hand combat, artfully mastered by the monks of the Serpant's Eye Temple. The Serpantol Empire was also partially responsible for the build-up of the Knighthood, and organization upon which the people of the Empire depended for protection and assistance. The Serpantol Empire and culture was totally annihilated by the Yinn, who stormed the lands after the Knighthood succumbed to political pressure from the Yinnish general Tayana. The old city of Serpant's Eye was renamed dae'Tayana by the Yinn, in honor of their heroes, and to date, the Yinn control the whole of the lands of Serpantol, and most important, the Temple of Serpant's Eye, wherein lies the collective knowledge of the Serpantol Empire, now lost to all but the Yinn. It is widely whispered that this knowledge, in complement to the existing might of the Yinnish race, is what made the Yinnish armies indefeatable against such superior numbers during the Wargar-Shalonesti conflict.

Dae'tok, Our Empire

This work appears to be a careful disection of the New Empire of the Yinn written by a scribe from Altirin. The book explains how the superior military tactics and sheer size and ferocity of the Yinnish people lent to the total annihilation of every army that has gone up against them. The book doesn't delve much into Yinnish culture, merely the aspects of it that pertain to the military might of the Yinnish Empire. The work briefly discusses the origin of the Yinn, where were they before they took over the lands of Old Serpantol Empire? The Yinn called this old homeland dae'Tok, and since the invasions have come from the far north, it is believed that they are arctic creatures, but none have yet to find any evidence of Yinnish civilization beyond the current Empire.

Great Betrayal

This book carefully examines something known as the 'Great Betrayal,' and how it impacted dwarven commerce during the Dark Years. It speaks of the creation and subsequent unification of the 5 Dracons, although it doesn't explain exactly what a Dracon is. The book speaks of horrid fires, of dragons attacking and eradicating towns in search of the Dracons. It tells of dwarven refugees of the Dark Wars trickling east into Shalonesti only to be turned away, as the elves fought their own battles against the dragons. Strangely, there is no mention of metallic dragons anywhere in the book. The book ends with the seperation of the 5 Dracons, but the last few pages are missing.

The Passage Rites of the Dead

This appearse to be a priestly textbook on embalming and burial ceremonies. It is written in old elvish runes, and is difficult to decipher. The book speaks of wards against evil, charms that grant the deceased peaceful rest and ward off the curse of undeath. It also speaks of a great tomb of dead elven kings and leaders, and discusses the manner in which they were laid to rest. This tomb was stocked with gold, precious weapons, and legendary wealth. The text apparently assumes that the read knows where the tomb is located, as it doesn't divulge that information.

Ancient Spellbook

The spellbook is very ancient. Although the spells in it are old and very dated, the notes written in the back are somewhat interesting. They read, (some of these notes are torn, smudged and unreadable) ".... We know not what to call this new era. The time of war is technically past, and so I lay to rest this book of combat. I must confess, I was none too sad to see the dragons lay waste to the foul knights of the Eclipse. Although their transgression was before the time of my grandfather's grandfather, the legendary sacking of the tower will live forever in the souls of the Magi. It is with a glad heart that I put away the tools of war and prepare my Conclave for a time of enlightenment and peace.

Signed, Demagant Thill, High Sorcerer of the Conclave

The Sunset Dawn

This is a summary of the books of the Sunset Dawn, found within the Dragonvale. A critique for truth is available here.

Sun of Dominance

This book speaks of the founding of the Brotherhood of the Eclipse, a form of self-proclaimed 'higher evil.' The Clan Eclipse was founded by a man known only as San Gohdam, who felt that the world was in imbalance. The Serpantol Empire and the Knighthood were powerful forces in the world, and were unchallenged. Gohdam believed that such complacency was a prequel to disaster. It was on a red day that Gohdam saw his vision: the sun, burning high in the sky, was being overtaken by a single black dot...a moon. Despite all of its power and strength, a shining giving of life was easily overcast by something that was simply closer. Gohdam was inspired, and gathered about him Knights who would hear his message. Gohdam spoke of true Brotherhood, of the Ends justifying the Means. Gohdam spoke of a higher purpose, that the Knighthood was outmoded, made up of men so stuck in their armor that they couldn't see people as they were. The Eclipse was coming, and it would strike close to home, it would strike the heart.

Honor in Brotherhood

This work appears to be a continuation of Sun of Dominance. It speaks of the fast rise of the Eclipse to power, and how the scales almost tipped in the other direction, until the Knighthood did some recruiting and began to fight back. Villages were sacked, but only for money and food to feed the brothers of the Eclipse. Lives were not needlessly taken. But this practice didn't last long, and before too long, the 'noble' brothers of the Clan Eclipse began to kill mercilessly, without motive, and without guilt. Gohdam spoke out against these individuals, and it came as no surprise to his followers that Gohdam was found dead in his tent one morning. His throat had been slit in his sleep, and truly malicious act, and those who had done it separated from the Eclipse, and became the sons of Malice. These cruel and heartless warriors spread misery and sadness, in the name of spreading misery and sadness, and not necessarily for any good reason. The ranks of Malice inflated quickly as those who were tired of being limited by the beliefs of the Eclipse changed loyalties. This, however, gave the Knights an even more evil target, and Malice found itself in a position of unwanted attention as the Knights and the magi of the Conclave centered their might on Malice. With reprieve from conflict, Eclipse set about to licking its wounds, and slowly regained the nobility and respect even of the Knights.

Rise of the Eclipse

The Clan Eclipse grew quickly while the Knighthood busied itself with the clan Malice. After a few dozen years of growth and strengthening, Eclipse again made its presence known in the world by making an unholy pact with Sah'ron, a daemon of the foul Abyss. Known as the Dark Alliance, the Ecliptic warriors ravaged the countryside, in the traditional Ecliptic style, they razed and pillaged, but they did so only to secure what resources they needed. It became well known after years of raids that when scouts of the Eclipse are spotted, just open the town gates and let them in, and chances are, they'll leave most everything alone. Eclipse spread and grew with the dark assistance of Sah'ron, and eventually decided to attack the Conclave, as they were the weakest of clans. Unable and unprepared for combat, the magi had no choice but to forfeit themselves to the Eclipse. The raiders sacked the tower of the Conclave, and stole the Draconus, the spirit of the dragons. With this new power, they commanded flights of dragons, and began what would be known as the Dark Years. The scourge of dragonfire and destruction was ended when a unified army captured the Draconus, and split it into 4 Dracons, each piece to be untrusted to a different clan.

Writings of the Dragonvale

1. 'It was given unto the Thane of Wargar to protect the Dracon of Might. It was given unto the Speaker of Shalonesti to protect the Dracon of Truth. It was given unto the Lord of the Knighthood to protect the Dracon of Justice. It was given unto the Master of the Conclave to protect the Dracon of Magic. It was given unto the Moderate of the Eclipse to protect the Dracon of Souls.'

2. 'It was in the Year of the Great Famine that the Thane was killed by the Moderate's assassin, known to us only as the Targeter, and the Dracon of Might was brought into the possession of the Minions of the Eclipse. It was our duty, then, to restore the balance of power. It was not a decision that we made with haste or gladness, but one born more of an unholy union of desperation and necessity. The Moderate was found and destroyed after a bitter war that claimed the life of Rhall'katak, the great Red. To our dismay, the Dracons were not in his possession, and his followers were quick to vanish

into the anonymity of obscurity as the fall of the Clan Eclipse was imminent.

'But Eclipse did not fall. A man whom we later learned to have been the Targeter took the reigns of the clan, and steered Eclipse into power once more. Under his careful yet ruthless hand, Eclipse was resurrected, but the location of the two lost Dracons remains unknown. '

3. 'After the revival of the Eclipse, the Lord of the Knighthood succumbed to political pressure from the Yinnish Empire of dae'Tok, and surrendered a portion of the old Empire to their control. The Yinn stormed the region, and took not only the entire old Empire, but a significant portion of Shalonesti as well. ' Infuriated at the incompetence of the Knighthood, the elves of Shalonesti severed ties with the Knights. After the dust settled, the Yinn had stolen the Dracon of Justice from the Knighthood. ' Worrysome of conflict, but fearful of the power of the Yinn, the Wargar and Shalonesti mobilized and attacked the Yinnish Empire. Despite superior forces, the army was decimated, and the Yinn remain in control of the old Empire to date, although the location and status of the Dracon of Justice is unknown.

'Years of civil war within the Knighthood followed, and was finally resolved when the Lords of Valor went their separate way. Although many attempts were made to recover land lost to the Yinnish Empire, all met with failure, and the old Empire was lost to the Yinn.

'After 3 score years, the Shalonesti were betrayed by a faction of elves known as the Ka'tath. They assassinated the Speaker of Shalonesti and fled the old kingdom, taking the Dracon with them. These outcasts, known as the Dark Elves, were fiercely hunted, and many slain, although the Dracon never surfaced in the course of bloody vengeance.

4. 'It was then that the Dark Alliance was destroyed, and the freedom of soul was returned to our brethren and our order. The times of darkness have passed, and to prevent such an unholy pact of happening once more, the Dracons were forced to be separated into 5 parts, called by the youth as the 'Parting of the Dracons.' Where the Dracons are placed remains a mystery, even unto us, the constructors of our Birthright. '

5. If you know your runic, the wall reads: "The Draconus was our life. It was part of our license to live. We would be kept as slaves of the gods if not for our willingness to sacrifice a part of our essence to the Draconus. For we are the Children of the Wing and Scale, and we are more powerful, more intelligent, and of a higher universal being than the mere mortals of the land, the flightless ones. Who can blame them for their jealousy? Who can blame them for their hatred?"