The Dragon's Star Chronicles [Companion Guide]

The Realms

Now that I have offered you a grand measure of what is known to be happening in the universe around us, I will turn to an exploration of the five known realms and the connections between them.

Most inhabitants of these worlds, have no formal name for them. They simply think of the one they dwell in, as the only one, so why would they need to name them? But as I learned of the existence of worlds beyond my own, I began to delve into ancient tomes and myths, in the hope of learning what the worlds were called.

From what I have gathered, the oldest given names of the worlds, correspond to the titles of The Elementals, Aeyr, Fyer, Eayrth, Watyr and Spyrit. I have discovered other names, but upon deeper study, realized that those names are simply other translations of the originals.

Do not confuse these with the elemental planes of existence, that are not considered to be 'living' worlds. While life can exist in those planes, they are not generally friendly to mortal creatures without the aid of magic.

At first look, the realms seem to be indistinguishable, aside from variances in the civilizations that live in them. All possess a comfortable balance of all of the elements, making mortal life possible on each. In all of these worlds, the major mortal races dwell, elves, dwarves, halflings, humans, orcs and dragons. But with a longer eye, one can see that there are subtle differences.

The realm of Aeyr is possessed of trees that reach amazing heights, along with taller spires in the mountains. There are even islands of floating land, naturally occurring and welcoming to airborne civilizations. As with the other realms, all of the major mortal races are present. The biggest difference here, is the larger population of airborne peoples and creatures. In Aeyr's skies, floating cities populated by the winged elves, on a scale that makes them the most populous race. Airborne variations of the dragons are also seen in much greater numbers, here. Another point of interest are the large number of airships used for transport by the land bound folks.

Fyer, is a realm that is regularly dotted with volcanoes and deserts. This is the place to find many more fire type dragons, than the others. Due to the heightened volcanic activity, there is a greater frequency of earthquakes to unsettle large man made structures. The population has adapted by taking up a more nomadic approach to civilization. The few large cities that do stand are magically enhanced to better withstand the unsteady ground. Aside from the remote tropical areas, the presence of elves is minimal. While dwarves apparently flourish along with orcs. This is the place to find some of the finest forged weapons and armor, across all of the realms.

Eayrth, is the world dominated by humans. It seems to be much more settled in it's nature, as far as the land goes. There is more land than sea and much of the land is highly fertile, making agriculture quite productive. The mountain ranges seem softer here, their peaks rounded with age, yet still reaching high. Conditions are fair for all of the major races, but still the humans have prevailed. The main source of instability in Eayrth, is it's inhabitants, who seem to fall into regular feudal wars, between the races and within their own kind. There seems to be a steady balance in the types of dragons in this realm, but the numbers of any dragons, is small. This is mainly due to mortals nearly destroying them in their pursuit of greater control over their world.

Watyr is a world of islands. Humans and dwarves are most assuredly in the minority here, as well as most types of elves. But water borne elves and dragons are numerous. The limited land for other mortals, has kept their population levels down. I find the most amazing thing in this world, is the amazing ship craft. The land bound peoples have adapted by creating some of the most innovative and destructive ships I have ever seen. Some are practically cities on the sea.

The realm of Spyrit.....my home. Here, there is an equal amount of every elemental terrain. This has lead to a fair balance between the major races. This is the realm where the platinum dragon makes regular appearances, making it a regular part of the legends and lore. In this realm, magic is much more prevalent among all of the races. Until recently, Spyrit has been a very peaceable realm. Within the last millennia, the peoples have been stirred up by what I suspect is the outside force of The Darkened One. They have nearly hunted dragons to extinction here and are now hunting down some types of magic users, believing them to be a threat. It appears that this realm has become the first major battleground between The Darkened One and The Elemental Furies.

All of the realms are connected through the weave. There are magical corridors, the origin of which I am not clear, that pass between them. But gaining access to these, requires intensive study and journeying. The entrances are either, forgotten or hidden from the residents. They can only be found and used by those who pursue them. Each is guarded by elemental servants of The Furies. One must prove oneself capable, to these servants, before travel is permitted. While I am allowed to reveal the existence of these paths between the worlds, I am forbidden to tell of their locations or of how to gain access. This is part of the price of being able to use them.

I can simply offer a quote that has been given to me, more times than I can recall. "The exit is always different from the entrance." There are numerous variations on this statement across all of the realms. I can explain no more about it, as it's interpretation is for each individual to understand.