Draconis

Draconis is a small island, only about Thieves, beggars and goblins are at the bottom of
100 miles long and about 50 miles wide. It is the caste. Demi-humans are usually outside of
sparsely populated and made up of mostly hills the caste but are usually treated like farmers.
and mountains to the northwest. There are
roughly half a dozen villages scattered through There are a fair number of wizards and spell
out the land, mostly in the center of the domain. casters in Draconis. Most are members of the
The largest city, Wyrmsgard, is located on the Royal class, and therefore, Dragons. There are
southeast coast. It is the only largely populated some purely human wizards, but they are rare.
city of about 5,000 souls. The central feature to
Wyrmsgard is Castle Kor. This massive While for the most part intelligent, almost
structure rises several stories above any building. everyone is superstitious to some degree. Even
The castle itself is set on a mound with smaller (or especially) members of the Royal class are
buildings all around it. The overall impression superstitious. The DM might want to check to
one gets from seeing the castle is a long thin see if the PC develop any odd superstitions while
reptilian beast rising to the sky. they remain in Draconis. A common gesture is to
touch ones heart, then mouth and then forehead
Cultural Level: Medieval (Fantasy type) with the right hand. This is often used to word
Draconis resembles 12th to 13th Century France off evil.
or Britain. Draconis hails from the D&D
campaign world of Mystara. It is actually a copy The Law
of a province in the Principalities of Glantri. Draconis makes an attempt at parliamentary rule.
However only members of the Royal class are
The Folk allowed into Parliament, and they are all
The populace of Draconis are largely human. controlled by Prince Kor.
Also since there is more of a “fantasy” feel to the
land, there are also elves and half elves to be There are some laws that might effect the PC’s.
found here. There is a small (50-75) population First all witches are arrested on sight and burned
of goblins living in the city, the human at the stake the next morning. The “witch” does
population considers them a nuisance, much like get a trail, but a guilty verdict is always reached.
rats. There is also a small halfling village Who or what is a witch is dependent on the
located some 5 miles outside of the city limits to constabulary at the time. Normally any priest,
the north. Small elf encampments can also be psionic or wizard may be accused of witchcraft.
found in the neighboring woods. Secondly, any open religious practice is
Most of the people that live in the city gain a punishable by death. Priests were rare in Glantri,
living from the nearby sea. Fishing is a big in Draconis they are criminal. Among the laws
market in Wrymsgard. The outlying villages that can be used to punish priests are possessing
make their funds from farming and there is one a holy book or cannon. Consulting with familiar
mining town. spirits not sanctioned by the Mage Guild.
Possessing a holy symbol or prayer beads is also
The population is divided up into a rugged, but considered criminal.
unspoken, caste system. The Royalty is at the
top of the caste. Most of these were converted Laws are vigorously inforced and justice is swift.
Dragons. Next are the non-royal wizards, the It is not uncommon for even minor infractions of
merchant class, and followed by any tradesman the law to be met with heavy fines or
in the fishing or boating industry. A special imprisonment. All capitol crimes are punishable
note, one tradesman class is held above the by death, usually with no chance of appeal.
fishermen and that is the Ice-cutters Guild. The laws are made by the Parliament, but most
Draconis has long hard winters and the come directly from Kor himself. Most members
waterways freeze up. These Ice-cutters clear the of Parliament are also members of the Mage
way for water traffic. In the summer months Guild, making it even more powerful.
they are treated as other tradesmen. These are
followed by other tradesmen, then farmers.
Due to ancient custom, people in Draconis Damage/Attack: 1d12+4
cremate their dead, not bury them. Special Attacks: Shocking Grasp, spell use.
Special Defenses: Nil
Native Player Characters Special Vulnerabilities:
Natives to Draconis my choose any class except Magic Resistance: 35%
priest. Most common are warriors and thieves. Str: 19
To become a Draconian wizard one needs to be Dex: 13
able to afford the prestigious, but expensive Con: 16
school of magic. Most NPC wizards tend to be Int: 10
more affluent than the average population. Wis: 9
Cha: 16
Encounters
Outside of normal villagers, a stray elf or Kor’s human appearance is nearly as imposing as
halfling may be encountered, travelers are not his former dragon one. He stands about 6’5” and
likely to run into anything outside of the is heavily muscled. He wears his jet-black hair
ordinary. Due to Draconis’ cremation rites, long and tied back. His beard and moustache are
undead are very rare for a dark realm. There is a neatly trimmed. His blue eyes seem almost
small band of ghouls living in the sewers of electric. Normally he wears his blue robe of
Wrymsgard, but they only come out on new state over his warrior’s clothes. He keeps his
moons or the darkest nights. arms bare, but his hands are gauntletted. When at
To the southwest and northwest travelers are social functions he wears modest fashion, but his
more likely to run into a small (2-3) pack of blue gloves remain.
werewolves. Kor is serious man. Rarely does he laugh or give
over to an emotion, even anger. However he can
During times of Prince Kor’s bad moods, Mist and will get angry. A story is told of a goblin
Dragons, can be seen in the air. These are not *demanding* that Kor extend rights to the
true dragons, but illusions created by the Dark goblins in Wrymsgard. Kor was so angered at a
Powers to further anger Prince Kor. mere rodent’s imputance that he grabbed his
sword and cleanly split the goblin head to tail.
Dragons in Draconis
The dragons in Draconis have lost most of their Kor longs to be a real dragon again, but not as
dragon-like powers. Namely the ability to cause much as his fellow captives. More than anything
dragonfear and their breath weapons. Some have at all, Kor longs for a son. Not just any son, a
been able to hold on their spell use, but most perfect one, either fully human or fully dragon.
have become wizards to compensate. All the Kor would gladly accept his imprisonment if he
converted dragons have a special “touch” attack. could become a father. It is unlikely that the
Normally this attack is a variation of their former Dark Powers will grant him this wish.
breath weapon. Unless noted this attack causes
1d6 hp of damage per barehanded touch. The Kor correctly believes that there are those who
dragon can decide whether or not to use the want his throne. Highest among these is Tiara.
attack. He keeps the red dragon around because he
Other than these powers, the former dragons are believes he may be able to successfully mate
no different than normal humans. with her. He she cannot produce offspring then
her fate will be sealed.

The Lord Can cast spells as an adult Blue Dragon.

Prince Kor, Darklord of Draconis
14th Level Human (blue dragon) Warrior, DM’s and players should be reminded that Kor is
Lawful Evil evil. Yes, he does what he does, because he
wants a son to call his own, but he has killed
Armor Class: 8 (Normal), 2 (Plate Mail) numerous people to get to this goal, first among
Movement: 12” them was his wife. Kor abandons his less than
Level/Hit Dice: 14 perfect children and murders their mothers. He
Hit Points: 89 kills priests, simply for being priests. He fosters
THAC0: 4 an attitude among his dragon-kin that humans
No. of Attacks: 2
are mere cattle for him, and demi-humans are Armor Class: 10 (No Armor)
insects. Movement: 12”
Level/Hit Dice: 7
Kor can close the borders with a field of charge Hit Points: 40
electricity. THAC0: 18
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: ?
Other NPC’s Special Attacks: Burning Hands, Spell use.
Special Defenses: ? (if any)
Duke Kovis Special Vulnerabilities: ? (if any)
12th Level Human (black dragon) Warrior, Magic Resistance: 30%
Neutral Evil Str: 10
Armor Class: 9 (Normal), 3 (Plate Mail) Dex: 10
Movement: 12” Con: 10
Level/Hit Dice: 12 Int: 14
Hit Points: 67 Wis: 9
THAC0: 6 Cha: 17
No. of Attacks: 3/2
Damage/Attack: 1d12+4 Tiara is the youngest of the three and the leader.
Special Attacks: Acid Touch, Spell use. What she lacks in age, she makes up for in will
Special Defenses: Nil and sheer cruelty. Previously she had been a
Special Vulnerabilities: None young red dragon who was only passing through
Magic Resistance: 20% when she was caught in Evelyn’s curse. She
Str: 19 want’s nothing more now than to have Kor pay
Dex: 14 for her suffering. While some the Draconian
Con: 17 royalty have become more human-minded, Tiara
Int: 9 has never let go of her dragon nature.
Wis: 8 Of all of Kor draconian enemies, Tiara is the
Cha: 12 most powerful.
Tiara can cast 4 1st level spells, 3 2nd level, 2 3rd
Duke Kovis is Kor’s right hand man. He acts as level and 1 4th level spells.
the Prince’s advisor, general and (although not
needed in this function) bodyguard.
As a human, Kovis is an impressive sight. Juliet
Standing 7 feet tall his skin has the color of 9th Level Human (white dragon) Warrior,
polished mahogany. He is completely hairless Chaotic Evil (Neutral)
and speaks with deep bowing voice, that is, when Armor Class: 9 (No Armor)
he speaks at all. Movement: 12”
Previously he had been an adult black dragon. Level/Hit Dice: 9
He can cast spells as an adult Black Dragon. Hit Points: 12
THAC0: 11
No. of Attacks: 1
The Three “Sisters” Damage/Attack: by weapon type
While obviously not sisters, these three are Special Attacks: Chill Touch
always found together and are as ruthless as their Special Defenses: None
dragon personalities were. While they do what Special Vulnerabilities: None
they do under the guise of “fun”, there is a Magic Resistance: Nil
violent streak to their acts, especially from Tiara, Str: 13
a former red dragon. Tiara is very jealous and Dex: 13
wants all of Draconis for herself. She believes Con: 10
Kor has trapped them all here for his own Int: 7
personal gain. Wis: 7
Cha: 15
Tiara
7th Level Human (red dragon) wizard, Chaotic Juliet, a former white dragon, is the most passive
Evil of the group. She speaks only a little and usually
agrees to whatever Tiara has planned. She is young, beautiful half-elven princess, and she
also the least evil of the group. She has no spell would have nothing to do with Kor. This
casting ability. infuriated him like nothing ever had before, but
his first response was not a draconian one, but a
human one. He would win her heart. He
Bethany pursued her, sent her lavish gifts, took her to the
8th Level Human (green dragon) Theif, Lawful finest operas and plays in Glantri, he even
Evil learned to cook for her. Eventually Evelyn was
Armor Class: 9 (No Armor) won over, not because of Kor’s attempts or even
Movement: 12” his good looks, but because she felt he honestly
Level/Hit Dice: 8 cared for nothing else but her. Who was to say
Hit Points: 17 she was not at that time correct.
THAC0: 14 The wedding was a lavish affair and soon Kor
No. of Attacks: 1 and Evelyn moved into her father’s estate and
Damage/Attack: by weapon type began what they thought was going to be a long
Special Attacks: Poison Touch married life together. Soon the great news came
Special Defenses: None that Evelyn was pregnant. Kor, could barely
Special Vulnerabilities: None contain himself. He quickly refurbished his own
Magic Resistance: Nil war den into a nursery. He hired maids, nannies
Str: 11 and midwifes to be at his wife’s beck and call.
Dex: 13 “Nothing is to good or expensive for my son” he
Con: 12 would proudly say when ever any one was
Int: 12 within ear shot. His boasting caught the
Wis: 9 attention of other dragons living within Glantri
Cha: 13 City. One was Kovis, a black dragon that Kor
sometimes associated with. Kovis warned Kor
Bethany, a former green dragon, is not as that no good would ever come of this. He told
ruthless as Tiara nor as docile as Juliet. Kor to leave Glantri, that a “human” life was no
She holds a secret and deep grudge against Tiara. place for a dragon. Kor ignored this warning,
A while back Bethany was smitten with both a claiming that Kovis could only be jealous.
young bard and a laborer. When Bethany The day came for the birth and Kor was as
mentioned she could not choose between the anxious as any father would be. He stood in the
two, Tiara killed them both, her only response courtyard, as was the custom, and waited for the
was “now you don’t have to choose my dear”. call from the midwife. That call never came.
Instead he heard only the screams of the women
in the nursery. Kor ran to the nursery, thinking
History only of his newborn. The women cowered in
Kor was a blue dragon living in the mountains fear when he stormed into the room. He looked
north of Glantri City (in the Principalities of around. He could see blood, but not his wife or
Glantri, on Mystara). He was growing tired of child. He picked up a nursemaid and demanded
the life allotted to a dragon in a mostly human to know where they were. When she didn’t
world. So using his polymorph ability he answer quick enough for him he snapped her
transformed himself to a handsome knight. He neck. He grabbed another, she pointed to the
went to Glantri City to see what sort of trouble door leading to the grand hall. He tossed her
he could stir up. aside, not knowing or caring if he had killed her
Passing himself off as a foreign prince, Kor soon as well. He ran to the great hall. He saw his
found himself deeply involved in the politics and wife with a bloody bundle in her arms, she
schemes of Glantri’s ruling class. For years he screamed and tried to run away. He followed.
played at this game, but soon some things Gone was his husbandly or fatherly sense of
became apparent to him; humans were no less protection, he was hunting her. Kor finally
evil or scheming than dragons, and (the most caught up with her in the courtyard. She stood
surprising of all) he enjoyed being a human. away from him, her back to the castle wall, and
After a while even Kor began to settle down and the pile of bloody linens between them. Kor
soon his attentions turned to fair ladies of the walked to the pile and looked into it. Inside was
court of Glantri. Eventually his attention what could only be called an abomination. The
focused on one in particular. Evelyn was a baby was mostly human, but its head showed
signs of dragon, its skin was a pale blue and its is human. Some of these “humans” are in fact
hands were fine little dragon claws. Kor, transformed dragons. While they still have the
however did not see any of this, all he saw was temper and arrogance of their natural forms, they
his own son. But he noticed something else, that are as human as everyone else. Evelyn’s curse
the baby had been killed. Evelyn apparently had has had one more effect that Kor did not discover
cut its throat. Kor looked up at his wife and till later Kor can only sire monsters. Regardless
murderer of his son. She was bloody as well, of the race of the mother the offspring are half-
much of it was her own. She was still holding human, half-dragon monsters.
the small pearl handled knife that he had given Kor desires are to break his curse, he wants his
her when they were courting. She was freedom and he wants his true form back, but he
screaming at him, calling him a “liar” and a would trade both if he could only have a normal
“bastard”, but he had not heard any of it. Kor let son.
out a scream that was heard all though Glantri.
As he did, he rushed at his wife. All pretense of Adventure Ideas
humanity was shattered. He had fully 1. The Bargain
transformed back to his dragon form by the time Draconis’ laws are very strict. Eventually the
he reached her. They crashed through the castle PC’s are going to break one. Most likely it will
wall to yards beyond. He picked her up in his be because of witch-craft or it could be a capital
mighty jaws and tossed her like a house-cat crime with death eminent. However Prince Kor
might a mouse. She back flew into the castle (or Duke Kovis) comes and offers the PC’s
wall and dropped with a sickening wet thump. freedom if one of the female members will agree
Kor approached her, his mouth open and his to marry him. Kor will always choose a
electric breath crackling in the air around him. potential wife based on race and not charisma.
Evelyn pleaded, but not to him, but to her He will choose full blooded humans first,
ancestors. She asked them to curse him and his followed by half-elves and then any others. Two
kind to never be able to find happiness, to be cut choose between humans he will then relay on
off forever to what they find most dear. With age and then charisma. Remember he is not
that said she died and the mists began to seep in looking for a wife, but a mother to his children.
and around Glantri.
Kor fought against the strangling mists he tried 2. The Outcasts
to fly away, but he lacked to strength for flight. Several monsters have been reported in the
Soon he fell to the courtyard, unconscious. sewers of Draconis. Duke Kovis hires the PC’s
Kor awoke the next day in his bed, in his to find out what is going on. The PC’s discover
“human” form. He knew, although he did not that the sewers are filled with Kor’s offspring,
know how, he was no longer in Glantri. The horrible human/dragon abominations. They also
land looked the same, but he knew it was not. soon discover that the half-dragons (Children of
He was now the lord of a new land called Kor) are also for the most part good and what
Draconis. Over the next few hours he discovered only to be left alone. There are monsters here
much. Evelyn was gone and no evidence existed though, ghouls that feed on humans and Kor’s
that she had ever had been there. But the most children alike. Of course Kovis knows all of
frightful to Kor was he, and all the other this. He is hoping to rid himself of the Children,
masquerading dragons in Glantri, were locked the Ghouls and the PC’s.
into their human forms. They all had become the
royalty of Glantri, but none could use any of 3. The Seduction
their dragon-like powers or change back to their Tirara sets her fancy on one of the PC’s party.
true forms. All of the dragons, like Kor, knew it
was Evelyn’s curse, but none know how to 4. The Blue Hand
reverse it. Also Kor was trapped in his new A group of good aligned dragons are trying to
realm. change themselves back to there normal form.
Many of the dragons joined Kor in his new court, They are known as the White Hand and they
in particular Kovis and a young red dragon need the PC’s to get an item from Kor’s castle.
named Tiara. Others have rebelled against the However, despite their goodness, they still
new leader. regard the PC’s as inferior creatures. Plus a
splinter group, the Blue Hand, wants to use the
Draconis is a medieval/fantasy type setting. PC’s as means of distraction while they try to
Many races can be found here, but the majority kill Kor.
 everything they were before, and still exude a bit
Role-playing Notes of dragonfear (fear checks apply). But I don’t
My initial use was to create a land my Players think they can still use their breath weapon.
were familiar with. Most of the PC’s were from
a combined Mystara/Greyhawk world. Draconis
leads them to believe that they might be home. I
once read a quote from Steven King (from
around the time I picked up “’Salem’s Lot”, that
he attributed to Lovercraft), that for horror to be
effective you have to start with the familiar and
go from there. So for Draconis to be truly
effective in your campaign, then it should be
close to world your PC’s come from.

About Kor,
Kor is loosely based on Korbendaur, the blue
dragon from module CM1: Death’s Ride. The
old D&D (not AD&D) module gave me some
very memorable NPC’s to constantly through
against parties. Plus with a little work that whole
module could be used as a Ravenloft adventure.
Ulslime would make a passable dark lord.

Kor is constantly trying to have children. So a

good plot point is falls in love (or lust) with one
of the female PC’s. Now Kor almost always
kills his wife when she can’t bare him a true son.
Not only is this a big problem for the PC’s, but
Kor will not let them leave.

About the Dragons.

I wanted to fill the catacombs below Draconis
with Kor’s offspring. Since they are not perfect
he casts them out, but can’t bring himself to kill
them. I thought of having them evil and hunting
down the PC’s ala “Aliens”, but then I thought,
no they should be good despite their monstrous
appearance. I still don’t know what I want yet.

I thought the human-dragons should all retain

their basic dragon personalities. So they are all
arrogant, even the good dragons that were also
trapped. Also the dragons still feel the need to
horde treasure, so any PC that looks like a
walking treasure chest had better watch out!
Plus they are all still bloodthirsty, so once a year
they feast on the raw flesh of a human. I don’t
know how that will work out.

In Glantri, all of the rulers are wizards. In

Draconis all of the rulers are dragons, and many
of these dragons will be wizards as well. Most
are working to find an end to their shared curse,
but not necessarily together. I have a red dragon,
Tiara, who is working on a cure, but only for
herself. So all of the dragons are still immune to