Have you heard tale of the Dragonfang Mountains? Often are they referred to as the umbral mountains to the common man or perhaps even swept up in the Shadowlands moniker as much around the Umbral Spire often does. The Dragonfang Mountains sweep the southern edge of the continent. The dwarven territory of Vadren is the only land south of the mountains. Unless you count the Shifting Isles or the Dorcarin lands but the former never stay in the same place for long, and the latter is only connected by way of a supposedly unbreakable bridge left from the God Wars. Legends for another time I am sure but I asked if you had heard tale of the Dragonfang Mountains? Perhaps I should start by explaining why they have such a name.

You see long ago maybe a thousand years ago, no it was twelve hundred years I remember the last dragon’s passing quite well. It was a sad end to the summer as I was finally free of that dratted apprentice of mine. Shame I gave Keldrin a staff instead of a fireball, would have saved me quite a lot of trouble. Anyway long ago Lumare was home to dragons, those mythical beasts said to fly, breathe fire, and be nigh unkillable. It is not, however, mentioned that dragons were fascinatingly vulnerable as a species. Young dragons or rather the eggs from which they hatch require specific conditions of which the Dragonfang Mountains meet. There are legends of lands which dragons come from, a realm of high cliffs and deep canyons. Sadly, the God Wars stranded the dragons here. As a result, almost every dragon known called those mountains home. Or rather I should say sacred ground. Dragons were a migratory species always traveling the winds or hunting for something. Midwinter was the time when most dragons found themselves heading in the direction of those ancient mountains, these ancestral lands one might say.

It was common practice to tell of one’s travels, boast of achievements made during the year, and look for mates during this time. Of course, proof of the year’s stories often meant bringing back trophies, trinkets, and exotic items from across the globe. The mountains became the equivalent of dragon territory during the winter months. I was lucky enough to spend a winter there long ago and I must say that dragons throw the best parties and tell some of the most interesting stories. It was an odd part of their culture, for a race that spent nine-tenths of the year solitary or in small groups they were such close people.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

As years became decades, the young become old, and the old grow tired. The stories tell of how hard it is to kill a dragon, the scales that can withstand cannons and claws that can rend castle walls. What the stories don’t say is that a dragon is borne of magic and they neglect to mention the surge of magic that these great creatures leave behind when they die. Even more fascinating, however, is the event which happens when a dragon ceases to exist. It's an odd ritual that I was lucky enough to witness. Much as I wish I could have talked Mirkath’ranverus into living a few centuries more.

The reason dragons can only be born in the Dragonfang Mountains is that dragon eggs seem to have an innate sense of security, the eggs are nearly unbreakable but only in the presence of great quantities of dragon magic will they hatch. As such it is a tradition that those dragons who have tired of this life seek out their homeland, many contemplate the choice for years while living in a warm cave somewhere within the mountains. Records claim that in the early years after the God Wars a mother would give her life to allow her children to be brought into this world. That dark time became rarer and less common as old dragons infused the mountains with their magic. If one were to find a dragon egg today they could hatch it without the need of a dragon at all. The mountains are so rich in magic that some who are born there or whose parents spend great swaths of time in the mountains can be born with just a hint of dragon magic within them.

The mountains are home to a new race, they are rather young perhaps only six hundred years. A miraculous evolution of some of the lizard species within the oldest burial grounds granted a spark of intelligence which was cultivated into the kobold tribes we know today.

While not the most advanced of people the kobolds have a great gift left to them from what is essentially their ancestors. When a dragon leaves this world of its own choice their body is broken down into magic, but its bones are left behind. For what reason this happens I do not know but it has granted the kobold people a wealth of valuables that the world is willing to trade for. Due to the abundance of dragon magic and their knowledge of the territory the kobold people have decimated any who try to take their lands or its spoils. Crafty beyond their years I see great potential in their people, just as soon as they discover plumbing and refine the art of politics or trade. I do suppose either will allow them to develop the other.