Welcome to Your Final Resting Place

The Deadly Fortress of Dragnid

Dragnid Fortress is the remains of Naur's Citadel. The Citadel was a bustling capitol for the Ancient Pae'il in its heyday. Now, all knowledge of the Citadel has been lost to antiquity and modern Pae'il only know it as Dragnid Fortress.

Dragnid Fortress is an evil place. No sane Pae'il dares enter the forest, let alone make it to the fortress. Rumors and superstitions surround the ruins. Some even speculate that the Taint originated in the fortress.

Only the bravest, fiercest, and wisest of warriors can handle what Dragnid Fortress will throw at them.

RP Notes:

No Pae'il knows this is the ancient Fire capital. It will be slowly revealed via Metaplot. Many secrets will be revealed to the squires and their rescue party, but they will not know to piece together the clues yet.

No Pae is allowed to enter this fortress without permission. (Events count as permission)

No Pae knows of the Dracian except those who've unlocked their memories of their former life.

The Throne of Death

The seat of power for the metropolis in ancient times. If a pae was asked to attend a session here, they were likely never to leave the citadel again. The Blazing Throne is in the center of the citadel, the tallest building where the war chief sat and ruled the lands. The throne itself was formed with rhyolite lava due to being highly viscous, causing it to flow slowly enough to shape and manipulate. Skulls of their defeated enemies and traitors are embedded in the igneous throne. Among the skulls, the throne is adorned with natural obsidian that took centuries to form.

The Blazing Throne presides over a round and spacious room. There are windows encircling the entire room, but only at the level the Blazing Throne rests. Only the war chief could look at the fortress while ruling his people. In its heyday, the massive tower burned a brilliant, sacred flame, fueled by the volcano, and served as a protective ward against all enemies. Today, all that is left is a weak and crumbling tower that has been exposed to the elements.

The Blazing Throne, now called the Seat of Death is a dark reminder of the nature of the Pae'il of the past. It sits alone atop the high dais. A long stairway once led to the dais. The granite stairs have not survived the years as well as some other parts of the Dark Fortress. The Seat of Death remains unreachable without climbing equipment or wings.

There is a stench of death surrounding the throne. The air is heavy and the ghosts of the past can easily be felt watching, waiting. There are signs the throne has been used recently as there are discarded bones of small animals and even blood marks on the dais.

Heart of the Fortress

Deep under the main Fortress lays the true heart of the once booming metropolis. Most of the caverns and tunnels have long collapsed or become too dangerous for any living creature to explore. The tainted swamp water has seeped through the earth and corrupted nearly everything in the underground city.

The tunnels go everywhere, winding around each other and leading to secret chambers. One could liken it to an ant colony with how intricate the underground maze is. However complicated the layout of the underground labyrinth may seem, it is quite easy to navigate. All tunnels eventually will lead to the main chamber hidden deep under the fortress. One would never know this chamber exists buried in an island because of the vast expanse. Lining the outer walls of this chamber are many stairs and tunnel openings. There are a few platforms on each level, each serving a different purpose. In the center of this open space, not touching any other surface than the ground level, is a humongous statue of a dragon with wings outspread and maw open wide (It is hundreds of yards tall). The statue has been untouched by time. The intricate details in the craftsmanship of the carving are simply awe-inspiring. It is so realistic, the stone dragon looks as if it could spring to life at any moment.

At the base of this statue is a round plinth that is nearly as big as the hallowed cavern. All around this plinth are doors that appear sealed shut. Each door has an epigraph etched in a language unreadable to modern Pae.

South-Western Bastion

Also known as the Bastion of Flame in ancient times. It is the main line of defense for the citadel. It is a fortified tower located southwest of the citadel, connected via the wall that surrounded the village outside of the citadel. It served as the military outpost and stood in the center of the only access point to the valley where Dracian lived. Military actions and orders were coordinated in this bastion and were controlled by the second in command. It served as the headquarters for the elite guard and contained a massive amount of ammunition as it was the top-side weapon distribution center.

Tunnels connected the Bastion of Flame to each of the 5 other strategic military points located in the ancient valley. They form a 5-pointed star with the center being the Blazing Throne and seat of the Warchief.

Today, the tower is a shadow of its former self. It is mostly a crumbled mess; exhibiting the size of the external explosion that was needed to destroy it. Stones, weapons, and various relics of the Bastion of Flame can be found scattered all over Dragnid forest, buried over the centuries.

Like all Dracian buildings, what is above ground is only the tip of the iceberg.

The Great Hall

The center of social life for the Dracian Empire; there was always a reason to meet and share a beer in the Great Hall.

The Great Hall in Naur's Citadel served a bigger purpose than the Great Hall in the other capitals. It served not only as the main throne room but as the dining hall and entertainment hall.

Located in the center of the citadel, The Great Hall was the biggest room of the castle (not including underground forges or the secret war room). Seated at the far end of the Hall was the large throne upon which the Warchief sat and ruled. The throne itself was made of large bones and leather and often decorated with trophies collected from defeated enemies. The room has a balcony along the perimeter allowing for extra spectators when official business is conducted or important dignitaries visited for the feast. On the main floor, large banquet tables lined the perimeter because each meal is a chance to celebrate life, and there was ample entertainment for all who attended each feast.

Today, the Great Hall is one of the rooms that looks like it has been partially restored. The decor is vastly different as the walls are cracked and holes in the ceiling have allowed forest overgrowth in. There are animal pelts stretched on the walls to cover the cracks and the once sturdy and beautiful banquet tables are splintered and weathered; mostly broken, but covered in dark and dirty cloths.

The throne has obviously been used recently, and is covered in animal pelts as a way to improve the "comfort", and perhaps hide some of the more macabre decorations.

The kitchen off to the west of the Great Hall has also been partially restored--at least enough to make it functional. It remains filthy with traces of poorly cleaned carcasses all over.

This throne currently belongs to Branwen.

Great Forge

The heart and soul of the Dracian Empire is the Anvil of Flame, in the center of the Great Forge.

Located deep under the center of the citadel, in the naturally carved caverns and once considered the Heart of Dragnid Mountain, is an immense expanse of stone and magma pillars, with naturally carved shelves. Long stone stairways were carved to connect the shelves, providing paths and connections to each of the various natural magma forges. All paths lead to the central pillar, upon which sits the giant Anvil of Flame.

The Anvil of Flame is a holy anvil; a gift from unknown sources. The Dracian believe it is a gift from their Fire Element and serves to provide everything the Dracian Pae'il will ever need. It can provide answers to those who are brave enough to ask. Only the legendary weapons wielded by the heroes of the past have been struck upon the Anvil of Flame. Rumors circulated among early Dracians that the Anvil of Flame was actually the egg of the Great Dragon.

While the magma still flows, everything else in this forge has been forgotten to time. Covered in a thick layer of soot, it's obvious no one's used the Great Forge in hundreds of years. Echos of hammers hitting the anvils can still be heard throughout the expanse. The smell of sulfur is strong and grows even stronger the deeper into the forge one treks.

Lining the walls of the shelves and the pathways are hammers and tools covered in soot and cobwebs. Rats, spiders, scorpions and varies roaches scatter when the ground is disturbed. It's hard to not see and hear the ghosts of the past as one enters and tours the once-powerful forge. It truly was the heart and soul of the great Dracian Empire, and invokes feelings of great sadness and anger. How did such a powerful group of Pae disappear? Who could have been strong enough to overpower such a group?

A single set of Blood Pae'il footprints can be seen in the soot, following every path in the abandoned forge.

The Menagerie

One of the most well-preserved buildings of the citadel.

The menagerie, in ancient times, was the living museum and pride and joy of the Dracians. The building was circular, with a giant glass dome in the center to let in the sunlight. In the center of the dome was a tall tree, rumored to be one of Laisidhiel's saplings. The menagerie was home to many exotic birds and aerial mammals & primates. Dracians had an affinity for studying flight, birds, and the biology surrounding naturally flying non-magical creatures.

On the walls inside the menagerie were various displays and artifacts reflecting flight, including dissections of bird wings, various skeletons, paintings, scrolls, and many books on the subjects.

The glass in some of the panes of the dome included very beautiful and intricate stained-glass images, some telling stories.

Today, the menagerie is eerily intact. But first glances can be deceiving. The tree in the center of the dome is void of life, and there is a giant crystalline owl perched in the upper boughs with wings spread, looking like it was about to take off. The glass of the dome is not intact but not broken or missing, instead, looks like it was frozen in time just before it was catastrophically destroyed. Some of the stained-glass scenes are perfectly preserved, showing images of dragon-like creatures in battle, forging, in celebration, in peace, and in prayer.

The museum displays have been preserved as well, however, all of the text is written in an ancient pictograph language, decipherable by no modern pae. (well, maybe one).

The tables and chairs that were once used for guests have been long destroyed, unable to be preserved as the displayed artifacts. Cloths cover the old tables and there are make-shift cages all over the room. In some of the larger cages, animals remain; some of the gruesome mutants that sometimes wander out of Dragnid Forest to attack innocent Pae'il.

Actually, many of the cages in the menagerie contain these abominations. There are also tools and vials scattered around indicating that has been turned into some sort of animal laboratory.

Library

At one point, this massive maze of shelves held the whole of Dracian history. Tales of glorious battles, heroic feats, fantastic fights, as well as famous victories and all the achievements of the mighty Dracian empire. There were scrolls depicting the differences between the wings of various bird species, bats, and then some that looked more like they belonged to different types of Pae'il. Scientific observations, as well as musings on practical applications of concepts that had been tested...

The devastation was clear upon entering the library. Whatever knowledge may have been stored there before had been reclaimed by the ages. And fire, from the look of it. Shelves stacked with parchments and scrolls were marred by scorch marks at the edges, their contents darkened to soot and ash. Some still held their original shape, but seemed they'd crumble with the slightest stirring of the air. Many sections were destroyed in a similar fashion; the damage seemed quite deliberate and thorough, especially when one noted a few sections left completely untouched.

Perhaps 'untouched' was not the word, but 'unburned' at least.

Several sections had been protected from whatever had burnt the others, but it seemed more recently, someone else had found them. Or something. Parchments had been scattered over the floor and shelves, scrolls unbound and unrolled, lying draped over chairs and covering the floor.

Hatchery

Most of the doors of the plinth of the dragon statue that is the heart of the fortress are sealed tight unable to be opened. But some of them can be pushed open with a lot of force.

One door is etched with not only the same type of undecipherable epigraph, but also has a beautiful carving of what appears to be baby Pae'il. The Pae'il don't look like any that have ever been spotted on the island, but it is very clear they are Pae. They almost look like Demons.

The door opens to a dank and musty tunnel, not unlike the tunnels that led to the cavern. Following the foul odor and muddy path will lead to a large chamber full of columns and crystals. It appears almost alien. There are large, opaque amber crystals embedded in all of the columns and natural rock formations. The chamber feels very warm and humid and the odor appears to originate in this location.

Exploring this chamber would yield only results of no consequence. It's merely a filthy, humid, stinking chamber with natural rock formations and crystals. Perhaps one of the island's miners would be interested in this place.

The Dungeon

The dungeon served as more than just a holding pen for those awaiting trial. Towards the upper levels of the Heart of the Fortress main chamber (with the giant dragon statue) there is a single port of entry with a heavy iron gate. The gate has been rusted closed for hundreds of years. There appears to be a hole broken through in the middle, but it's difficult to tell if it was natural from the rust, or if something else managed to break the thick iron. Crossing through the hole in the gate and over the threshold, there is a dark and musty tunnel. The tunnel is long and unpleasant, but it finally opens up to a large, low-hanging ceiling chamber reeking of hundred-year-old rot and swamp water. Inside this chamber are a number of cells, each blocked by more heavy iron gates. Inside the cells are the remnants left behind by prisoners. Scratches on the walls, chipped stone, rusted shackles and chains still hanging from hooks on the walls. There are tufts of matted fur stuck to the sharp edges of the rusty bars. The ground is muddy and hard to walk on without sinking.

At the far end of the prison cell chamber is another gated tunnel. The gate remains open just enough to fit through without much danger or difficulty. The tunnel winds around at a steep slope. One misstep could cause a Pae to slide down the rest of the tunnel. The tunnel finally opens up to another dark, granite (no more mud), foul-smelling chamber. However, this chamber is quite large. The ceilings are a few stories tall, there are platforms with ladders leading up to them on each story.

The true horror of this chamber lies in the artifacts contained within. Despite the hundreds of years of abandonment, some of the bones and bodies have been preserved rather well. Tacked to the wall on what could be described as the second story are several formations of wing bones. A learned Pae would recognize the bones contained in Angel and Demon wings. The formations contain the bones from many wings.

There remain tables with instruments of torture. Canopic jars line shelves containing hundred-year-old substances. Decaying bones rest in iron boxes. Swords, spears, and other rusted weapons litter the ground. Mounted like a trophy on the far wall is the skeletal remains of a fish -- no, a fish-like creature with the torso and head of a Pae'il. On the third story are many plant pots. In these pots are small, dead saplings. Along with the potted plants are more grotesque displays of captured and tortured creatures tacked to the wall. These creatures -- giant bug-like creatures it appears -- are displayed in contorted and unnatural positions. Their wings are detached and displayed beside the bodies.

An unknown light source appears and sheds light on the worst atrocity in this torture chamber: The decaying remains of a large dragon chained to the walls high overhead. It is attached with hooks that pierce the skin to the walls all around it to keep it stabilized -- and from escaping.

The stench of death, the presence of tortured souls, and gruesome discoveries are overwhelming. The details that remain of the pain a Pae'il had to endure are eerily preserved here more than the rest of the Fortress. There are even traces of blood, feathers, skin, and fresh-cut bones. How could findings like that survive hundreds of years under a swamp?