Concerning the Metallic Dragons of Maerwald

During the Age of Terror when the Golden Order Pantheon was formed and intervention came at last to Worrel, Bahamut sent his herald Elzaraktium to command the metallic dragons in war against the demon princes.

Elzarakhtium was a colossal titan even among the dragons, and his wrath was indomitable in battle. With Elzaraktium came a host of metallic dragons numbering three score and seven, and many of these valiant defenders would fall in the ensuing carnage.

When the last demon prince was vanquished or shunned from the plane, Bahamut recalled Elzarakhtium to his place at the right side of the Platinum throne, but the Herald refused. Elzaraktium repudiated the distant command of his lord and remained in Worrel to guide the recovering kingdoms whose walls were shattered and whose people broken.

For a time there was flourishing, and the humbled kingdoms became mighty once again. But times darkened as Elzaraktium himself deteriorated in righteousness, becoming at first a haughty recluse for an age before devolving into a malevolent tyrant. The Herald was known to have killed several of his dragonkin, and so the other surviving dragons of the Age of Terror fled from Elzaraktium in fear. The wrath which once was renown against the princes of the abyss now became directed to mortal civilizations.

The Herald burned cities and devoured kingdoms without restraint, his onslaught a terror to behold. A new union was formed to defend the realms against Elzaraktium, led by a brave human warrior named Obadan Maergan who traveled the lands in search of warrior dragons. Under his leadership nine survivors of the three score and seven committed to subdue Elzaraktium. These metallic dragons are known as Gebbadon, Viragosius, Verafiraxys, Parysius, Telrion, Sepheranas, Eremorian, Galadrys, and Ishorial.

Armed with a rider each, these nine metallic dragons cornered and slew Elzaraktium within the eastern lands of Worrel, though Eremorian and Galadrys fell in the battle along with their riders. The dragons would not speak of the battle, but word came from their riders who catalogued the defeat of the Herald. Obadan himself issued a proclamation of unity, announcing himself as king to lands once terrorized by Elzaraktium and other dark creatures. His kingdom became known as Maerwald.

The alliance struck between Obadan and the metallic dragons would remain after the defeat of their lord, and they worked with the king to build a realm of peace, prosperity, and justice.

Gebaddon the Gold became chief among the dragons who founded Maerwald, counseling the king and his predecessors for many generations.

Viragosius and Verafiraxys, silver siblings of their progenitor Parysius, were mighty in the battle with Elzaraktium. Verafiraxys would never ride again to war regardless of the circumstance, though she would take a dragonrider and serve as protector to the throne. Viragosius, the elder brother of Verafiraxys, would ride to war in his sister’s stead and take many riders over the years.

Parysius the Wise was the first dragon to commit to Obadon’s cause and the first dragon upon Worrel to take a rider. The bond between Obadan and Parysius was great, and their friendship lasted for many years until Obadon succumbed to his mortal curse. Overcome with grief that he would not recover from, Parysius remained a secondary figure in the kingdom of Maerwald for the rest of his life before he too perished from age.

Telrion the Gold lost his mate Galadrys to Elzaraktium, and he would wander for generations in mortal form, bearing the suffering that the meekest in the kingdom would endure, learning the wisdom of the powerless, and gaining much insight into the affairs of world. Only in times of great need would he arise from his journeying to command respect among the council of Maerwald.

Sepheranas the Bronze would too lose her mate to Elzaraktium, though she remained dedicated to King Obadon and the future kings and queens of Maerwald. She is widely considered the most brilliant tactical mind in the empire, and it was her battle plan which was critical in slaying the Herald. She has served as the counsellor of war since the founding of Maerwald, and her vision of unification extended to many unfortunate fringe settlements.

Ishorial the Steel would depart from the kingdom shortly after its founding, and her story remains a mystery even to the surviving dragons.

The years would trickle through the hourglass until King Gondran II would reign as monarch to the Kingdom of Maerwald. His son Zakaraia possesses conflicting ideas as to the direction of the realm, and so much conflict is expected during a transition of power…