Dragon Spine

Warwick is a small fishing village on the outskirts of Dragon Spine, an island within the Misty Regions of the Pacific Ocean. The island’s living condition is harsh, with limited sunlight and low temperatures. Only the shores of Dragon Spine are habitable to humans. Most of the center region of the island is covered with remnants of giant bones of deceased ancient creatures that are now infested with a toxic red fungus that uses the bones as support and nutrient to grow, which the locals call the Crimson Forest. Children at a young age in Warwick were told never to set foot into those lands. Only experienced hunters may venture into the forest to hunt for sports. However, the most perilous areas of Dragon Spine lie in the heart of the island, the homes of the blood hounds’, Summit Shaper’s Lair. The ancient dragon’s remains are perfect for their shelter, only the most daring explorers may venture into their domain. The magical properties of the ancient dragon’s remains have long been fabled. Only a tiny quantity of it has ever made it to Warwick. How the bones were acquired are each legendary tales of their own.

In 1861, rumors on the streets of Warsaw spoke of an exquisite elixir known as True Sight. The local alchemist Albedo Kreideprinz has extracted the dragon’s essence from the bones. It is said that True Sight grants one the ability to see the afterlife. By injecting the essence of the dragon marrow into one’s vein, a blissful world of Dragon Spine, unlike reality, unfolds for the user. Recipients of dragon marrow describe the island as full of wonders instead of its current state of decay, fruits that quenches one’s deepest desires, and birds that sing songs of the heavenly choir—an abundance of everything green and good and water that is pure and sweet. The island also has a protector, an ancient dragon rider that soars the sky. Every moment in this Dragon Spine gives its residents a feeling of euphoria that is undoubtedly from the paradise of the afterlife. People who have seen this revelation yearn to acquire more dragon marrow, with some simply ending their lives for a quicker passage into heaven.

Explorer Arctur Fairflower has long been suspicious of such claims. Is it truly a sight into the afterlife? If the Summit Shaper has indeed existed, so might its legendary rider. Venturing through the depth of the mountains, Arctur found the notes the rider wrote, “Oh woe those who seeketh thy bones, for the vision granted to thee reveals only false wishes upon memories of thy splendors! Alas, those who dwell on thy bones!” Does this mean that the island has such wonderous times in the past? What changed that brought this devastation upon the land? Arctur presses on for more answers.