Drosau
The low rolling hills and open plains of the southern border give way to the dense forests of Drosau. The thick canopy swallows the horizon and the chill air carries the smell of decomposing foliage and woodsmoke. Foot paths and dirt roads cleave through the underbrush as they snake their way between massive trees. Those familiar with the wide bistling trade roads of the south feel almost claustrophobic here, where there’s often only room for one cart at a time and you always feel like something could be watching from just beyond view.
Border Crossing
You will not find customs houses or checkpoints as you cross into Drosau lands. There are no tolls or officials to speak with, just the road and the ever encroaching forest around you. However, this lack of formal entry should not be mistaken for freedom. The trees have eyes, as they say, and if something seems amiss, you will quickly find yourself on the wrong end of a blade answering questions that you better have answers for.
Laws, Customs & Taboos
Speaking with some travelers on the road, you learn a number of useful things that might help you in your travels.
Laws:
- In most places on the foot paths across Drosau, its impossible for two carts to pass side by side due to the dense forests. As such, the right of way is given to anyone heading north, deeper into the interior of the nation. Those headed south toward the border must yield, even if that means steering their carts off the road into the underbrush.
- Due to the thick forest, and to prevent interfering with the migration patterns of local wildlife, boundaries between neighbors are rarely marked with fences. Instead they mark the trees on their property lines. Erasing or changing these marks without consulting with local administrators tasked with maintaining records is a serious offense.
- It is strictly illegal to create new roads or cut paths through the forest without the authorization of the local administrators. The forest is considered a strong defensive deterrent and is managed carefully.
Customs:
- When entering a Drosauan home, it’s expected that you pause and tap your boots or shoes on the stone foundation before stepping inside. Doing so is believed to remove the feeling of paranoia that can follow you while traveling the forest and prevent it from taking root in the home.
- In taverns and tap houses, patrons will stack their coins neatly as they drink. An orderly stack will prompt the bartender to keep drinks coming but as soon as the stack is knocked over or becomes messy, it’s a sign that you’ve had too much.
- Even the most mundane of notes passed between individuals is marked with a wax or tallow seal. Sending an unsealed message is considered as being reckless with information and will let others know you can’t be trusted with more secret matters.
Taboos:
- Mirrors are thought to be openings to the material plane for devious fae and forest spirits. Drosauans will cover them with thick cloth or leather as soon as they are done using them for fear of giving these beings a foothold into their living spaces.
- Traveling through the forest dressed in undyed or bleached white clothing is seen as inviting bad luck or inciting the spirits of the woods.
- Sweeping dirt or debris directly out the entry ways of a building and into the street is very frowned upon. Locals see this act as pushing your problems onto your neighbors.
Faith & Superstition
- With how rural the nation is, traveling to a temple for regular worship rituals is often impractical. Most homes have taken to building small wooden alcoves, intricately carved to resemble doors, into their stone foundations. These false doors provide a place for offerings and are believed to allow the spirits of ancestors who have passed on, a way to return to the home and take part in daily life.
Currency & Commerce
The currency is minted as precisely cut shapes so that any shopkeeper can verify the coins’ authenticity by inserting them into calibrated slots on a shop counter. Coins have various shaped central cutouts that allow them to be secured on a cord of leather to help avoid loss or theft. The major banks of Kemet have joined together to standardize coinage to simplify trade across the world. While the face and shape can be designed freely, the coin must meet a standard weight and purity in Copper, Silver, Gold and Platinum to be accepted as currency outside its minting nation.
- Scale (Copper): An elongated teardrop shaped coin with a ridged outer edge and a rectangular cutout.
- Fang (Silver): A sharply angled rhombus with a circular cutout, its edges are slightly beveled so it slides easily onto a merchant’s spindle.
- Dragon’s Eye (Gold): A wide, polished ellipse and a small octagonal cutout in the middle.
- Crest (Platinum): A heavy, hexagonal coin with pronounced ridges along the outside edge and an x-shaped center slot.
Commerce Style: Private Exchanges
Rumors & Folklore
Rumors:
- Word is that during negotiations, the fae have demanded the king produce a living dragon as proof of their past claims. He has so far refused and many people are starting to question why. It’s said the king has asserted that dragons have not been seen in many years and may be actively avoiding people, but many are growing suspicious.
- Loggers who have returned from felling trees near the Grimroot border have reported a thick black sap leaking from the cuts instead of the normal resin they collect. Foreman have been quick to stop any discussion about the cause of the strange viscous liquid.
- Travelers coming from Cyndraig mention noticing increased activity near the castle’s aviary recently. Birds have been seen coming and going almost constantly which is unusual but so far there’s no explanation as to the reason for the commotion.
Folklore:
- A widespread superstition among the people dictates that at dinner on the first day of the year, an extra place setting must be laid out with a portion served to appease the mischievous spirits. Failure to do so it’s said to bring bad luck and famine upon the family that year.
- It is believed that finding a leaf with bright silver veins is a sign of good fortune and should be saved by tucking it into a heavy book to dry. Destroying is said to bring financial ruin.
- Traditional beliefs say that a hearth fire lit on the longest night of the year must not be allowed to burn out until the sun rises or the frigid winds of winter will enter the chimney and turn a member of the family to solid ice.
History & Dates
The Kingdom of Scalen (around 5,039 BR): Thousands of years ago, as The Kingdom of Liekia turned away from the old ways and toward monarchy, the people who felt shunned for keeping to their draconic traditions set out to form their own nation, free of religious persecution. They pressed north away from Liekia, into the dense woods that would become known as Bryncoed Forest and established the Kingdom of Skalen. Times were hard at first, with few resources and the ever present need to just survive. They used what they had and created simple homes but by relying upon each other they were able to flourish into a tight community centered around their beliefs. The kings who ruled over this land did so with fervor, and unquestioned authority granted to their bloodline by the dragons themselves.
Fflamgwyn (around 2,987 BR): A series of disasters began to weigh upon the nation. Some believed they were being turned upon by the dragons who were subverting the kings of the time and destroying the kingdom’s infrastructure causing widespread disease and death. In reality, this was caused by the hubris and mismanagement of the rulers, but shifting that blame was beneficial to those in power but it failed to prevent their fall. The people were desperate for change and a new movement, with persuasive leaders and lofty promises swept through the populace under the banner of Fflamgwyn. They established a theocracy and claimed to be the chosen of the dragons. By setting up elaborate demonstrations of their powers they were able to convert many to their cause and only entrenched the draconic traditions further. Stability followed for a time but these leaders became drunk on power and began to abuse their authority which sparked a widespread rebellion.
Drosau (around 485 AR): A charismatic leader named Aedec the Reclaimer stepped forward and began to rally the people against their leaders’ unjust rule. He claimed to be a descendant of the old draconic kings, sent to return the country to their former dragon blessed glory. One morning, after speaking to a crowd in the streets of Cyndraig, he led a march across the city into the palatial estate where a public trial was held. The head of the theocracy was bound, and after being found guilty of corruption and negligence, was executed for all to witness. In front of the collected crowd, he declared himself king of a new nation he called Drosau, or Where the Dragons Dwell. The new name was established as an effort to distance his authority from the failures of the past. In the years following, Drosau thrived. He was responsible for expanding their territory far beyond its historical borders, established new trade routes and fostered the creation of a formal religious order built around their draconic ancestry so that the king’s supremacy would never be questioned again.
Conflicts & Secrets
Truth in Lineage: A small but vocal group who call themselves the True Scales, a draconic cult that has recently started advocating for the return of subjugating dragons to their will, has begun to call the king’s legitimacy into question. They allege recent failings are because the kings of today no longer hold sway over the dragons and that the kings of old derived their power directly from the dragons themselves. Several high ranking members of the cult have gone so far as to demand a public display by the king to prove he’s worthy of the crown by subduing a wild dragon. This has put the monarchy in a difficult position since their entire claim that they were bestowed the right to rule through to their control of these creatures was in fact a lie. The louder these inquests become, the harder they are to ignore.
The Bryncoed Accord: As Drosau expanded their territory into Bryncoed Forest, they would occasionally come into conflict with the fae who called it home. After many years of disputes between them, the draconic kings leveraged their claimed power over the wyrms to tilt the negotiations in their favor and create a peace treaty that would last for 1,000 years. This agreement is about to expire and it’s become clear that the fae now understand those claims were a lie. King Dradoc Maengor fears the truce will devolve into all out war between them if it’s not somehow renewed, but the fae, upset at the deception, are much less interested in bargaining this time. He’s sent his son Gwion to negotiate with the fae in hopes they can reach an accord, however he’s unaware of just how steep of a price they will demand.
The Black Brine Crisis: In the calm shallows of Hirim Bay there are several large scale salt producers that harvest sea salts by diverting water into broad salt pans and allowing the water to freeze, then extracting the salt. However recently more and more of the salt pan production has been failing due to intrusions called “Black Brine” that renders the salt unusable. If this continues, and all of the salt pans become compromised, they will be forced to move production elsewhere or somehow clean out the contaminants. If that happens, the supply of salt across the nation will be halted and the entire food supply could be in danger of rotting before it ever reaches the people.
Economy & Military
Economic Reality:
Drosau’s economy relies heavily on exporting raw resources, such as iron, coal, and frost-dried sea salt from Hirim Bay. However, the brewing Black Brine Crisis has severely crippled the salt pans, causing a sharp decline in production. To maintain economic stability, King Dradoc has been forced to ration pure salt domestically, search for new income streams and increase taxes to balance revenue.
Military Might:
The Drosauan military is structured entirely around defensive deterrance using the Bryncoed Forest as a physical barrier. Instead of a massive standing army, the nation’s highly trained light infantry utilize the dense underbrush to ambush trespassers with brutal efficiency. Heavy infantry units, clad in scale patterned iron armor protect urban territory. While exceptionally lethal on their own terrain, Drosau’s forces lack cavalry and large scale siege capabilities, which makes them poorly equipped to engage in foreign offensive campaigns outside the forest borders.
Regional Encounters
| d10 | Encounter Details |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Commoner’s Feud: The party witness a confrontation over the trade of goods between two commoners which is rapidly escalating. A character can step in to de-escalate the situation or mediate the dispute by making a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) or Charisma (Persuasion) check. On a success, the commoners agree to a peaceful resolution, and one rewards the party with a block of premium Bramblerot Cheese. On a failure, the argument explodes into violence, drawing the immediate attention from everyone in the vicinity. Roll a d6; on a 1, a bystander alerts the local authorities, who fine the party 10 gp for breaking the peace. |
| 2 | Fae Tithe: A shimmering fog suddenly rolls into the immediate area, and a fae sprite appears before the party. With the Bryncoed Accord nearing its expiration, the fae boldly demands: “Give me the heat of your blood, or the gold of your mind.” One character must willingly sacrifice either 2 unspent Hit Dice or one unspent spell slot to satisfy the toll, or a character can attempt a DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) or Intelligence (Investigation) check to argue a clever loophole in the wording—such as offering actual gold coins or a flask of warm alcohol to satisfy the literal terms of the demand without giving up their essence. On a failure, the sprite scoffs at the argument, vanishes, and curses one random character with bad luck, inflicting disadvantage on all ability checks until they complete a long rest. |
| 3 | True Scales Assembly: The party stumbles upon a small cell of the True Scales cult holding a covert meeting. They overhear them speaking about sedition against King Dradoc. If spotted, the cultists mistake the party for royal informants. Combat triggers unless a character succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma (Deception) check to talk their way out of the situation.
|
| 4 | The Salt Runner: The party notices a nervous looking local frantically trying to conceal something in their cloak. Realizing they have been staring, the individual momentarily freezes and then quietly approaches the group, trying to look nonchalant. He slips a silver coin toward the characters, and mutters a plea for them to mind their own business. A character can press the individual or look past their cover story by making a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) or Charisma (Intimidation) check. On a success, the character uncovers that the local, named Teg, is smuggling untainted sea salt from Hirim Bay to bypass the crown’s strict domestic rationing. To buy their absolute silence, Teg hands over a valuable sample pouch of pure white salt (worth 25 gp). On a failure, Teg panics at the scrutiny and flees. |
| 5 | The Mirror’s Reflection: The party passes a discarded mirror laying on the ground. A low whispering echoes from the surface of the glass. Any character who looks directly into the mirror must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the character becomes fascinated by the devious forest spirit they see on the other side, rendering them incapacitated for 1 minute or until they take damage. Breaking their line of sight on the mirror ends the effect instantly. |
| 6 | Property Line Dispute: The party encounters an administrative scribe and a local landowner locked in a fierce, public argument. The scribe is accusing the local of illegally altering boundary records to steal territory, while the local vehemently claims the administrative records are flawed. The escalating shouting match is beginning to draw a crowd. A character can step in to defuse the hostility or help clarify the documentation by making a DC 13 Intelligence (History) or Charisma (Persuasion) check. On a success, the friction is successfully de-escalated, and the grateful scribe rewards the party with an official, wax-sealed letter of commendation addressed to regional authorities, which can be turned in to any Drosauan official to completely wipe away a single future minor legal infraction. On a failure, the party’s clumsy intervention insults the scribe, who accuses them of interference, drawing the attention of nearby guards who force the party to pay a 15 sp fine. |
| 7 | Intercepted Message: The party discovers a discarded satchel belonging to a missing courier. Tucked inside is a formal royal scroll bearing an unbroken seal with the mark of the Obsidian Coil. A character can attempt a DC 14 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to carefully melt the seal to read the contents without ruining it. On a success, the letter reveals a confidential report stating that over half of the salt pans in Hirim Bay have succumbed to “Black Brine” contamination, warning that domestic food supplies will begin rotting within months if the source of the corruption or a replacement preservative isn’t found. On a failure, the delicate parchment catches fire in the process and permanently destroys the message. |
| 8 | The Artisan’s Gamble: A traveling craftsman is showing onlookers an intricate, scale-patterned iron puzzle box, offering a reward to anyone who can deduce its complex interlocking mechanisms. Intrigued by the challenge, a character can attempt to solve the mechanism by making a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) or Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) check. On a success, the internal gears click open, and the impressed artisan happily rewards the character with the box’s contents: a pouch containing 30 sp and a vial of antitoxin. On a failure, the character triggers a concealed internal needle trap, taking 1 point of piercing damage and becoming poisoned for 1 hour. |
| 9 | The Lost Tracker: A mud splattered hound suddenly approaches the party, panting heavily and whining in distress. The hound is incredibly anxious, pacing erratically, and looking back into the distance. A character can attempt to read the animal’s behavior and deduce that it is desperately trying to get them to follow it by making a DC 13 Wisdom (Insight or Animal Handling) check. On a success, the character correctly interprets the distress signs, and the hound barks softly before sprinting ahead to guide the party directly to a wounded traveler, who rewards them with a pouch containing 30 gp for saving their life. On a failure, the party misreads the hound’s erratic behavior, causing the frustrated and anxious animal to give up, break away, and flee into the distance to find help elsewhere. |
| 10 | The Tangled Mess: The party spots a small, delicate brass spyglass sitting precariously nearby. The item is clearly valuable, but retrieving it without scratching the lenses or tearing oneself apart on the surrounding environment requires precision. A character can attempt to carefully extract the object by making a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a success, the item is recovered and the party gains a functional Spyglass (worth 25 gp). On a failure, the character slips, taking 1d4 piercing or slashing damage from the environment and accidentally crushing the delicate instrument beyond repair. |
Quick Stats
| Government | King Dradoc Maengor is the sole authority and rules through blood-right. He appoints individuals to oversee the administration of cities or regions, but all report directly to him. |
| Population | ~175,000 |
| Exports |
Key Factions & NPCs
| Factions | No known factions. |
| NPCs | No known NPCs. |
Language & Linguistic Guide
Naming Characteristics
Names utilize a Welsh inspired structure featuring complex consonant clusters and distinct vowels. Every name favoring descriptive utilitarianism to reflect identity and ancient heritage.Prefixes & Suffixes
Naming Prefixes:
- Nature & Wood: Coed-, Derw-
- Water Features: Aber-, Nant-
- High Places: Bryn-, Moel-, Pen-
Common Suffixes:
- Settlements: -caer, -tre
- Nature & Mystic: -wen, -wyll, -wy
- Industrial & Mineral: -aur, -glau, -maen
Naming Examples
Names reflect a strong, hardy culture where structure relies on a single name. Liquid consonants are favored for commoners, while harder stops denote warriors, leaders, and historical figures.
Ancient/Noble Examples:
- Dradoc
- Aerddoc
- Drannog
- Llyrwyl
Functional/Commoner Examples:
- Derw
- Glyn
- Rhos
- Teg
Place & Location Examples
Location names are functional descriptors. Settlements are formed by identifying a primary geographic feature or resource and applying a suffix based on the industry or terrain.
Settlements & Geography:
- Nantid
- Caergla
- Glanyd
- Tywmaen
- Penrhos
- Moelid
Industrial & Coastal:
- Abermor
- Glaumaen
- Aeron
- Draigwen
- Wyllnog
- Rhudden
Organization & Technology Examples
Formal groups use functional names combining a Drosauan utility word with a descriptive modifier. Items range from single-word tools to legendary artifacts that utilize an ancient compound structure.
Organizations:
- The Glau Sentinels
- The Draig Guard
- The Chwyth
- The Gwyllt Rangers
Technology & Artifacts:
- Arador
- Frostgraft
- Ironbite
- Aeror