0. The Story

The Kingdom of Castalon has been at war with the Eryven Empire for nearly 60 years, dueling for control of one of the seven great dragon lands, Neddiath. Castalon has long protected the dragons, training and selling only a select amount each year, keeping the populations healthy. But the Eryven Empire wishes to expand it's rule, and dragons are the most valuable weapons in existence. Castalon has kept them at bay, but weakens as the Eryven gather dragons from other sources, and rebellion within the kingdom threatens to destroy everything. The amount of adult dragons has sunk, and in desperation dragons have become more aggressive against hunters, and have begun to abandon Neddiath.

Castalon first began increasing the number of dragons captured from Neddiath ten years into the war. Since then, the number continued to grow. In order to survive, Castalon must bolster their forces, but it comes at the cost of killing more dragons than can be replaced. Groups began forming to protest the increased use of dragons, but it took decades for the movement to gain enough momentum to cause a stir. Now, they sabotage dragon hunts, steal and release dragons, and destroy stables. With the level of vandalism intensifying, any association with the rebellion becomes illegal. Forced underground, it only angers the rebels more. Meanwhile, the King feeds lies to keep the peace; the majority of society believes they can outlast the war as long as it takes. In Eryven, a similar, but much smaller rebellion began; this rebellion, unlike the decades old Castalon one, only has four years of experience. Due to the harsher laws and treatment in Eryven, anyone caught working against the Empire is killed. Obedience and patriotism is expected and demanded in Eryven, keeping the rebellion small and isolated.

The war has alienated the Guild of Dragon Hunters. Eryven poorly trained hundreds of new dragon hunters, sending them across the continent to bolster their armies. This puts the skilled hunters out of work, and the damage to dragon populations threatens to end their work forever. While the Guild has funneled personnel and money into the Castalon and Eryven rebellions, the Alliance of Witches have mostly remained neutral and away from conflict. Some witches end up in the rebellion, using magic to try and keep Eryven and Castalon hunters out of Neddiath.

Castalon is at the brink of defeat. Can peace be found the King and rebels, or will Castalon fall alongside the dragons of Neddiath?

Court of Castalon: The true Court is made up of the Royal Family, heads of noble families, and the top generals, priests, and constables. In Castalon it is expected to be loyal to the kingdom, but non-patriotism isn't punished. In polite society, it is unheard of to talk poorly of the Royal Family.

The Eryven Commission: The Lords of Commission are a handpicked group of five noblemen who control aspects of the empire for the Emperor. 'The Commission' also refers to a large police and spy force run by the Lords, watching and listening for any sign of dissent among the population. Commissioners are known to be violent, and has lawful permission to kill for certain crimes.

Rebellion: Largely populated by regular civilians, but many sorts join the rebellion for whatever reason. Funded largely by guild hunters. While the two rebellions rarely interact, some who escape Eryven end up in the Rebellion in Castalon.

-Castalon: The rebellion in Castalon is well organized and hidden. They are fairly successful at causing trouble for Castalon and freeing dragons. Rebels here are imprisoned for their crime, but can make an appeal. Citizens, some witches(Allied and not), many guild hunters, and even rogues and soldiers have become a part of the rebellion.

-Eryven: The rebellion in Eryven is small and poorly organized. Many rebels work alone or in small groups. Trusting others is dangerous, as many people would alert a Commissioner rather than be associated with you. Still, some brave souls still work at sabotaging dragon catching/keeping efforts. Most end up caught and hung. Typically made up of citizens, but some guild hunters have stoked the effort.

Alliance of Witches: The Alliance is an independent group of witches, number in the thousands. They offer schools in every kingdom, and those that graduate become full members of the Alliance. The Alliance sets a standard for those seeking to hire a witch; all Allied witches are trained and ranked appropriately. A Certificate of Alliance gives witches access to all kingdoms, Alliance sanctuaries, and High Witches may offer their services to Royalty and Nobles. They also commit to a promise of neutrality, denying aide to the war. Without a Certificate, a witch is seen as unskilled, suspicious, and possibly criminal. A witch also may not offer magical services legally if they don't join the Alliance.

Guild of Dragon Hunters: While Guild Hunters number less than five hundred across the continent, they are all professionals who have trained long years to be initiated into the guild. Despite the name, the guild focuses on understanding dragons, caring for them, and keeping populations safe and steady. They worked closely with Castalon for years, providing hunters who could safely retrieve a pre-determined number of dragon each year. When guild-members in Eryven refused to catch more dragons, Eryven shoddily trained hundreds and sent them out, capturing dragons violently. This put guild hunters on the Eryven side of the continent out of work, and demolished local dragon populations.