Dragon Watchtower Settlement

The Ruined Remains of Times Past

The turning of the ages has been far enough in the past that some doubt the validity of the stories of those times. It is true that stories passed down from hundreds of griots can change their shape over time. But generally we have found that the meat of those stories remain true. Take the existence of dragons. I've heard some great thinkers say that dragons were likely not as large or as destructive as some old stories suggest. I've even heard that "dragons" represent a race of violent people who once dominated Mbali and that in order for our civilization to advance, kingdoms had to band together to abolish the "dragon clan". But there still remain some remnants of those times passed, that remind us of the great threat the beasts we called dragons were. It is told that after The Cleansing, great towers were built in various places along Mbali's west coast. People would occupy these towers all day and all night. The purpose was to watch for the return of any of the dragons that fled across the Skorbakan Sea. Over the centuries, most of these watchtowers were torn down. But deep in the Dade forest, somewhere close to the coast, there are ruins of a settlement that served two tower locations, pieces of which are reported to still stand. Occupying these towers every hour took dedicated service. Each tower was always occupied by two watchers. At the bottom of the tower, were runners, who would spread the message of any spotted dragons. The watchers and runners had families, needed food and water, and homes to live in. If the tower was near a great city or village, and most were, then those particular dragon watches had a base of operations. But deep in the Dade, far from any of the ancient cities, a settlement was created to provide a home and command center for those serving the two most central watchtowers.

Today, the Dade is considered haunted. There are real dangers in that old forest that have been rumored over the years. While I don't lean towards the ghost stories, I do believe that some group has taken residence in that forest, and they are doing what they can to stay isolated and keep others out. Because of this, we only have a few reports of these ruins, but they are clear. There are even drawings confirming the age and style of this ancient endeavor; captured likenesses of the crumbling remainders of the towers themselves and ruined stone structures of the settlement used by those who dedicated their lives to keeping Mbali safe.

-Dulamah