Kalai

Kalai was once a prosperous country in the southern hemisphere of Tarin. This land was home to the Kalaia, shapeshifting water dragons that are capable of taking on esseni-form. The Kalaia were seafaring people, often trading with Creni and Kitain. Their country was blessed with the most pure of waters, rumored to have healing properties. And existing directly below the floating island of the Divine Realms that the Goddess of Truth, the head of the pantheon, called home? Surely, they were a blessed people.
In modern times, Kalai is known as the Lost Barrens, a series of tiny islands; in truth the mountaintops of Kalai. Kalaia still live in the ruins of their once great nation, but are now reclusive, remaining beneath the surface of the water most of the time.

History

The eight species of elemental dragons in Tarin were the first of the mortals the Gods created As the Elements, living embodiments of elemental magic, had a heavy hand in creating them, each species is heavily adapted for life related to their element. The dragons were sturdy, strong and proud of their elemental affinities. As such, they were the first to colonize the surface world, each taking their preferred lands before the slightly more fragile but far more industrious esseni were created and introduced.
The water dragons called Kalaia selected their continent for its pure waters and abundant supplies of sea life. Their culture was open and welcoming, they were the first to teach those esseni who would become Crenian how to fish. They were known for their gift-giving culture; supplies were so abundant that they hardly needed to charge for things they had in excess.
Living so close to the divine seat of the Goddess of Truth was seen as a blessing. None knew what was to come.

The skies grew dark. It was high noon and the sky went black. The sun was darkened, surrounded by an aura of red. A solar eclipse.
High above us, if we craned our necks enough, we were able to see two figures floating in the air. They were moving almost too fast to see. Bright sparks of gold and silver flashed in their hands, splattering against one another. The silver was familiar, it was concentrated essentia magic. But the gold... anywhere it fell to the ground, the earth and plants died instantly.
One of the figures fired a massive blast of that golden magic at the other. It looked different, almost tinged with multicolored lights... But the other dodged it and it went wide and... and when it hit the earth at our feet...

— An eyewitness account of the sinking of Kalai

A battle between the Dark God and the Goddess of Truth went awry. A blast of pure Celestial magic, powered by the Divine Relics, hit the continent. Somehow, instead of killing the plant-life and corrupting the ground, it caused the entire continent to sink below the surface of the waves, only the mountaintops remaining.
The land became known as the Lost Barrens, a place that none will seek out.

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Demonym

Kalaia

Kalai as it once was

The Lost Barrens today