Laerakond

Laerakond (pronounced L-AIR-ah-KON-d) is a large horseshoe shaped landmass on the world of Abeir.

Geography
Laerakond itself is made up of mostly mountains and forest with very little clear plains or open fields.The continent is a large horseshoe shaped landmass with the Dragon Sea in the center. Notable island groups set in the south of the Sword Lands and to the north east of Skelkor.

Laerakond, as of present, is divided into roughly into six major kingdoms with many city-states and collectively autonomous regions.

The Dusk Ports
The Dusk Ports are ostensibly a collection of free trade cities on the western shores of the Dragon Sea. These city-states are made up of Dusklan, Lylorn, Marrauk, Mreyelundar, and Tarsith. The cities are also well known for their piracy on the high seas as well.

Eskorn
Eskorn is a densely forested land that is one of the few human kingdoms in Abeir, after overthrowing their draconic overlord Eskornamundyr several hundred years before the events of the Blue Breath of Change. It is considered a backwater realm pretending to be a kingdom. The current royal dynasty barely enforced the laws of the region, moving from one royal keep to the next. Law and order only seemed to be around when the royal dynasty is present, leaving the rest of land they "rule" in lawless anarchy. Setting on the eastern coast of the nation facing the Dragon Sea is the capital of Stormhelm, which is rife with political intrigue and backstabbing.

As of Marpenoth 1385 DR, Eskorn is being ravaged by a plague with no cure found for it as of yet. Reports on what exactly this plague is have been sketchy at best. Very little information is making its way out and actively being suppressed by Eskorn authorities as best as it can for moral purposes while in the mists of a war.

Fimbrul
Fimbrul is a vast mountain range locked permanently in winter's grip. It is the sleeping place of the last of the Dawn Titans, who has slumbered since they were overthrown by their former dragon mounts. What little population calls this region home are mostly earth giants and near feral orcs. All of these resident despise dragons for one reason or another and expelled them from Fimbrul whenever possible. A handful of dwarf settlements have been formed here, constantly warring against both the dragons, giants, and orcs.

Gontal
Gontal is a nation isolated in the southwest of Laerakond. It is sparated from the rest of the continent by its mountainous frontier and is a mystery to even other Abeirians. To its populous, Gontal is known as a place of intrigue. Commerce with other lands of the continent does occur, but is hard because of its few ports and mountainous boundaries. Trade consists primarily of lotions, oils, wines, and specialty herbs. Occasionally magical elixires and golemwork toys leave its ports for foreign shores.

Melabrauth
Melabrauth is the oldest dragon kingdom in Laerakond. It is ruled by Melauthaur, the Undying One, a huge black dragon. The region is mostly unmapped, heavily monster infested, and completely unnavigable to non-dragons.

Relmaur
Relmaur lays on the southern edge of Fimbrul and acts as a buffer between the dragon empires of Melabrauth and Skelkor. Relmaur is primarily a dragonborn kingdom, consisting of escaped slaves and their descendants. It is a highly defensive kingdom, with all of its cities lying underground. As of current, they are constantly fending off orc tribes that are pushed out of Fimbrul into their lands.

Skelkor
Skelkor is the evil dragon empire of Laerakond. Larger than Melabrauth and by far more powerful, Skelkor is ruled by the Dragon Empress Gauwervyndhal. Skelkor treats its slaves with a special level of malevolent brutality. Because of this a large rebellion broke out when the Blue Breath of Change struck.

This rebellion was not just opportunistic though but crafty as well, waiting until Skelkor had invaded Tymanchebar, drawing Eskorn to declare war, before it stuck. Normally an insurrection like this wouldn't be an issue, but the rebels had a secret weapon. In the chaos of the Blue Breath of Change, a new amber like substance began to be found across Skelkor. It would soon be called "dragonbane amber" for its ability to weaken dragons to the point to give the rebels a fighting chance. Only just though as this amber was only found in small quantities for those lucky enough to have it.

In Marpenoth of 1385 DR, Skelkor had managed to recapture Tymanchebar but partisan guerrilla attacks continued in the hope Eskorn would come to its aid. With a civil-war breaking out all across its lands and Eskorn at war with them many are wondering how even the most powerful nation on the continent can hold power. Fortunately for Skelkor, Eskorn hasn't been able to do much militarily speaking, itself dealing with a plague in the mists of the war.

The Sword Lands
The Sword Lands are human-controled lands in the southeast of Laerakond. They are largely lawless and dotted with city-states all vying for control of the area. Those city-states have sort of a loose alliance in case of draconic invaders but otherwise are independent, even more so that the Windrise Ports in most cases. In spite of this, the countryside is relatively peaceful.

Underdark
The Underdark is a cavernous area that stretches under all of Abeir. It is home to the drow as well as weird and strange aberrant creatures. Entrances to the Underdark are hard to find and the place itself is a dangerous land. Because of this, the Underdark is mostly unknown to the majority of the inhabitants of Laerakond.

The Windrise Ports
The Windrise Ports are a collection of large trading ports that are free of draconic rule. This is due to the lingering presence of a sleeping a Dawn Titan, Achazar, who ruled the region centuries ago, rests in the main Windrise Port of Tarmalune. While in slumber now, the dragons of the area still fear attacking these cities for this reason. While the cities are free from draconic influence, they have a reputation for collaborating with them, returning escaped slaves and the like. This isn't out of some sort of alliance though and out of fear that the dragons will eventually turn on the bustling metropolises of the Windrise Ports eventually, regardless of Achazar resting there.

In the time since Achazar fell into slumber, the citizens of these cities have declared themselves free and banded together in a loose alliance. These ports are largely merchant trading ports, unlike the Dusk Ports that are mainly pirate havens that happen to participate in trade. Aside from Tarmalune, there are four other port cities that make up the Windrise Ports, Harglast, Imdolphyn, Ramekho, and Sambral.

History
During the Dawn War, Glaur, a huge metallic fortress was erected in the northern region of the land later known as Gontal by the Dawn Titan Nehushta to serve as a centeral front in the conflict. After the war, Ao sundered Abeir-Toril into the twin worlds, Abeir and Toril, sending Laerakond to Abeir.

Not long after, the War of Fang and Talon took place and the few Dawn Titans who survived retreated into hiding, either in the northern mountains of Laerakond or left the continent for Maztica or Shyr, and fell silent. A few years later, a mighty dragon by the name of Gorloun founded the first dragon empire. Soon rival draconic realms sprang up one after another, heralding the beginning of the Rule of Dragons. Unlike the eastern continent of Shyr, Laerakond became exclusively ruled by dragons.

In the 13th century DR (1200-1299 DR), the first challenges to draconic rule began to show. Not learning their lesson from the Primordials that had enslaved them, dragons imposed their own dominion fearing little backlash. By now though that was changing. Dragonborn and human rebles managed to win their freedom first in the Sword Lands, then Eskorn, and finally Tymanchebar most recently.

Nations like Gontal and the Windrise Ports either were ruled, simi-atonomously ruled, or gained independence from the Primordials that controlled them. The Dusk Ports were the only odd exception, gaining their independence and autonomy seamlessly. All these nations though were constantly wary of their draconic neighbors. At any moment the freedom they had won could be taken away by the dragons that surrounded them.

On the 29th of Tarsakh in 1385 DR, the Blue Breath of Change shook up the established order. Earthquakes rocked all of Abeir. In Gontal the blue flames of the event made contact with the ancient fortress of Glaur. Unable to withstand the chaotic forces, the fortress detonated in an explosion reminiscent of the Tearfall, rocking the entire planet of Abeir and creating the Glaur Barrens in the process. Because of the massive amount of debris ejected into the atmosphere, the next three months over Laerakond where clouded with dust, making the continent have a rather unseasonably cold summer. Farming output decreased and many farmers moved closer to local cities where food could be brought in from the coasts. What couldn't be brought in was hunted for in the vast forests of the continent. Eventually though the dust settled, saving most of the fall harvest.

This wasn't the only disaster to befall the continent though. In Tymanchebar, the capitol of the nation, Djerad Thymar was completely engulfed in blue flames and destroyed. Hearing reports of this Skelkor saw its chance to reclaim Tymanchebar. With preperations completed, the draconic nation launched its offensive on the 4th of Eleint 1385 DR. This started what Skelkor would call the Reclamation War. On the 2nd of Marpenoth 1385 DR, Eskorn officially declared war on Skelkor, keeping in line with its alliance with Tymanchebar, having previously helped them gain their independence.

Even with this, all three nations were not on stable ground. Upon the news of the declaration of war in Skelkor open rebellion broke out among the slave population. In addition partisan attacks picked back up again in Tymanchebar. This wasn't just some light disruption that could be stomped out though. Somehow the slaves had a new weapon, dragonbane amber. Suddenly things looked unsteady in the most powerful nation on the continent and it wasn't an outside threat but an internal one.

Eskorn wasn't on any better footing either. By the time Eskorn had martialed its army and was ready to go on the offensive, Tymanchebar had already fallen. In addition a plague had swept over the land. Instead of the grand offensive that had been planed, Eskorn was forced to play a defensive campaign, trying to maintain what little civil order there was in its own nation. It was a painful blow as, given the situation in Skelkor, it looked like the nation might be on its knees and that Eskorn would be there to deliver the blow that would establish Eskorn as a legitimate power in the region. As of Nightal 1385 DR, neither side seems to have advanced into one another, partly because of their own internal dysfunction, but also because of it being the middle of winter. Both sides plan for open offensives in the spring.