History of Isk’Waere

Hidden in the mountains to the Northeast of the city lies Isk’Waere, a land where dragons and those sworn to them make their living within the Empire.

Long ago, a purple dragon by the name of Amethyst claimed control of these lands. In the bloody wars fought at the time of the Empire’s founding, she and the dragons she lead of her flight proved themselves mighty allies among those who earned their trust, and terrifying enemies to whoever they opposed.
In times of peace, they were known to keep to their own, but when the winds of conflict began to blow throughout the realm, those who gained the Dragons’ favour often gained the upper hand. What helped the dragons as a whole, helped Amethyst in her own ambitions to establish and keep a lasting territorial sovereignty of what became known as Isk’Waere.
Her lands became peaceful for dragons, and she was content in that the dragons within the Empire lived alongside their fellow kindred.

Eventually, her long life came to its final days. She picked a successor among her loyal kindred, one fit to lead the dragons to a bright future, before she could no longer stave off her twilight and passed away.
The new ruler sworn to their duty ceremoniously cremated Amethyst’s body together with the other dragons until it was nothing but ash. The magic of her being released what seemed like a soul, perhaps the essence of her spirit. No one knew for certain and each hold their own beliefs, but it became a venerated tradition that was followed for all living creatures which had passed away within Isk’Waere.
Now as then, the sacred tree which stands at the heart of the dragon lands is something the denizens of Isk’Waere love and protect with their lives, looked upon as the very source of their livelihood, history and destiny.

As of today, those who live in Isk’Waere are elusive at times, but welcoming to those who know how to behave themselves. There never was any distinction between dragon or non-dragon, it was simply Isk’Waere for all. Other races were permitted to live within the dragons’ ancestral lands as oathsworn, long as they honored their oaths and sought to improve the sovereignty to which they were sworn. The lands flourished, the dead were and always would be burned. This was not a place where darkness resided.
The laws became simpler to follow. Money held no value as it did elsewhere in the Empire, rather was a precious commodity the dragons kept in their hoards. They preferred to trade something, be it favour or property, for something else.
Peace reigned in the eastern mountains.
The entrusted Monarch, though many have held the honor throughout history with varying names, yet carries on the honored traditions inherited from the founding mother. Each generation of ruler moves forward with their own dreams and ambitions of how to guide Isk’Waere to a brighter future, carrying on the tradition of seeking betterment throughout I’Vlorisstulshar and does not take kindly to law-breakers and acts of injustice. She is difficult to win over diplomatically.

Isk’Waeren Laws

1) No violence or harming of another be it a dragon or any other race within Isk’Waere’s lands.
– Only Peacekeeper training regiments and organised tournaments approved by the monarchy are exception to this law. Excessive force will not be tolerated even in cases of exception.
– Official duels between Oathsworn or Peacekeepers apprehending a lawbreaker are exempt from this law.
– If you hail from the lands below seeking a duel, you MAY NOT challenge someone within Isk’Waere’s territory. If you want to duel an oathsworn member of Isk’Waere, wait until they are no longer within its borders. (Whether you challenge them for property, their life or their family.)

2) Do not take scales or fluids of dragons, or any other beings without explicit permission.
– A single scale is full of primal draconic magic and is as much a part of the dragon as a human’s nail would be. Taking any body part or liquid, no matter how small and insignificant is strictly Illegal and a serious offense.

3) Souls are not to be touched.
– Souls are revered as sacred and should never be disturbed or tampered with in this land. To do so is a severe violation and it is a practice Isk’Waere cannot condone and publicly opposes itself towards.
– All research and magic involving souls for any reason other than spiritual communion is strictly prohibited.
– Resurrection and spirit-walking are the only form of soul-related rituals that are permitted, this is due to the fact that the soul of the fallen has its own will to determine if they want to come back to life or not.
– Artificial prolongation of life involving soul magic (Soul stones, Dracolichdom, etc.) are all banned practices.

4) Dispose of your meals.
– Do not let bodies, skeletons or not, sit wasting away. All dead must be cremated. This is done to prevent necromantic practices and applications, and also departs the lingering soul away onto a higher plane. It does not matter if it was a simple mouse. This MUST happen if you kill something and/or bring remains within the borders of Isk’Waere.

5) Never touch a Dragon’s (or any other being’s) hoard.
– Dragonkind have a natural affinity to hoarding and will keep material possessions they deem worthy with great attachment. Targeting a dragon’s hoard is the equivalent of assaulting that dragon in its own right. YOU WILL BE HUNTED AND ATTACKED. In the case that this law is violated, it is deemed legal for the victim of the theft to do so freely. They are considered to be rightfully protecting their property.

6) No acts of Treason are tolerated in Isk’Waere.
– Be this against the Drow, the dragons, or otherwise. Conspiring against anyone that is not declared a marked and public enemy of Isk’Waere by the monarchy and High Circle within the territory of the dragons is considered an act of treason and liable for punishment.

7) Protect the sacred tree situated at the peak of Isk’Waere
– Under no circumstance should the great tree ever be damaged or endangered. It is the dragons’ own Yggdrassil, intricately connected to the primal energies which runs within them and revered as part of their own lifeblood. Failure to respect and keep the sacred tree safe is a grave offense met with very severe punishment. This is a shared responsibility for all denizens and visitors alike of Isk’Waere.

8) It is forbidden for all but those sworn to Isk’Waere to tamper with any crystals across the dragon lands.
– The crystal clusters are the prime source of trade commerce exchanged by the otherwise greedy and hoarding dragons of Isk’Waere. The dragons hold these magical crystals at much lesser value than the gold and treasures of their hoards, but it is against the law for any visitors not oathsworn to the dragons to interact with and harvest them. Violation of this law is considered an act of theft of property. (Visitors can still freely purchase crystals within Isk’Waere and receive a signed proof of the transaction to free them.)

Flight Structure

Ruling Class
Isk’Waere Zaneun [Monarch]
Isk’Waere Wanotreyxkaiv [Princess]

Elected High Circle
Isk’Waere Yoweth Tharm [High Circle]
– Earned by being a loyal and active member of one of the three Castes and being elected by majority to serve as that caste’s trusted overseer and headmaster.

Castes
Isk’Waere Martivir Naktaari [Peacekeepers]
– Earned by being sworn into the service of a Caste, which one is determined by personal suitability. Peacekeepers represent the strongest, bravest, hardiest and unwavering. They must be willing to apply for training and throwing themselves into battle, fighting to defend Isk’Waere. Their reasons why they do so are their own however.

Isk’Waere Wurunwa Akuechari [Dreamweavers]
– Earned by being sworn into the service of a Caste, which one is determined by personal suitability. Dreamweavers are among the wisest and educated and are expected have an interest in magic arts, artefacts, lore keeping or research tasks, their reasons for this inclination are their own. They also serve as ranged defenders of Isk’Waere, but do not follow the same militaristic doctrine or iron discipline in so doing.

Isk’Waere Tobor Xurwkari [Lifemakers]
– Earned by being sworn into the service of a Caste, which one is determined by personal suitability. Lifemakers are perhaps considered among the most pious and gentle-natured of all the castes, but also houses the more zealous. required to have an interest in the healing arts, spirituality, medicine and/or healthcare and to care for the physical or spiritual well-being of Isk’Waere. Their motivations for it are personal however. They sometimes, though rarely serve as supportive defenders of Isk’Waere, but much more commonly treat the wounded out of harm’s way.

Basic Citizens
Isk’Waere Ingellarari [Dwellers]
– Earned by swearing an oath to adhere to Isk’Waere’s laws and to place trust and loyalty in its monarchy and High Circle. Citizens have no obligation to serve in defending Isk’Waere in any but the very most dire of circumstances. While being the lowest standing in the hierarchy they do still have a voice, though they cannot vote for elevation into the High Circle, nor can they themselves serve on it or otherwise have any influence with the affairs of the Castes.

Code of Honor

Any attempt to hold Isk’Waere responsible for the retaliation of individual dragons who have had their pride damaged (Except the Monarchy and members of the High Circle, who are always expected to represent Isk’Waere at all times) and took action outside the dragon lands borders will not be met kindly. A proposal is offered for an arrangement between the two parties to honorably settle their score outside Isk’Waere, but it is offered once, and only once. If the offer is declined, further attempts to implicate Isk’Waere will be answered harshly.

(The second part of the honor code, to stop members trying to hide from the consequences of their own actions and those going out over the entire group.)
Any Dragon or Oathed who commits atrocities outside Isk’Waere that bring retaliation towards them putting anyone other than their own selves in danger, cannot expect sanctuary within the dragon lands from the consequences of their own actions. Isk’Waere will not take the fall for someone who cannot pick their battles and rivals wisely and will take measures to make both sides face each other to settle the matter. If the member of Isk’Waere actively refuses to do so, there is no choice but to forcibly exile them for the safety and stability of the faction.

(The third part of the honor code, Right to Life and Accepting the Conclusion.)
If either party of a pride dispute dies in the resolution, Isk’Waere will take measures to ensure a Right to Life by seeking a means of resurrection to bring the killed party back to life.
This effort comes with terms however that both parties are expected to agree on as part of their arrangements for settling the score between them; Whether the losing party lives or dies in the end, they must consider the dispute settled and over with.
They can still hold rivalry, but waiver any right of retaliation over past actions.
If any party, or both, refuses to accept these terms, they also waiver their Right to Life.
In this event, Isk’Waere will not attempt any resurrection should either party die.
If the dead belong outside Isk’Waere, their body will be respectfully brought to next of kin or their home faction for proceedings. If they are resurrected there, Isk’Waere takes no action against it, though individual dragons may consider this an act of extreme cowardice. If this for some reason cannot be done, the body will be burned by Isk’Waere tradition with all due respect.
If they are of Isk’Waere, their remains will be honored and ceremonially cremated to set their spirit free into the afterlife.
In the rare event that a body which was returned to next of kin or homeland is resurrected there and they return to continue retaliations against the member of Isk’Waere, the entire faction will see this as the highest disrespect a living creature can commit and will collectively take offense, making sure to end their unworthy life and immediately incinerate their remains without reservation or procedure.