Dolina

X Worldbuilders:

GM James R

Dolina is a developed domain stretching across the dense swamplands of the Dolina Peninsula in Amusa. The primary inhabitants of Dolina are dragonborn and other dragon kin. In ages past they were a fervent supporter of the Dragon Queen Tiamat and served as a major player during Realm War I, but as many draconic races fled to the continent during The Second Draconic Crusades, many of those old beliefs fell to the wayside.

Dolina

Primary Race	Dragonborn, Lizardfolk, Kobolds

Weather and Natural Terrain

Winds blow in from the north and from the Elemental Plane of Air across Dolina which disperses the fog that creeps in from the south. This results in Dolina being home to cool and temperate wetlands that cover the entire stretch of their domain. The lands are unstable and marshy making the region treacherous to traverse.

It is because of this that travel by horse and cart is near impossible. Most travel in and around the region is accomplished with small and swift shallow water boats. The bay between Dolina and Western Amusa is to shallow for larger shipping vessels, and so any aquatic travel must be accomplished with smaller form boats.

The unforgiving terrain was a major reason that Dolina was able to survive through both of the Draconic Crusades as they did, as the crusaders were not adept at traversing the unfamiliar wetlands. The remnants and ruins of towns and encampments destroyed by the crusaders can be found along the outskirts of Dolina as they are beginning to eb retaken by the swamp.

Politics

Following the First Realm War and The Second Draconic Crusades, much of Dolina's central government had either collapsed or dissolved as its nature as a Tiamat-focused theocracy fell apart. A large part of this was the rise of a druidic order known as the Grove of Voiceless Whispers who worshiped a being called "He Who Knocks" who purged a majority of the remaining Tiamat worshipers.

Dolina is now organized into a series of small cities states each ruled by a prince dynasty. These princes are all organized in the Council of Thorns who convene every seven years and are led by the Arboreal, the current chief of the Grove of Voiceless Whispers.

Post Cavalry Rush, many princes and dynasties decided to surrender their crowns in favor of electing democratic rulers.

History

Founding and the Holy War

The Kingdom and later Domain of Dolina was believed to have been founded by worshipers of Tiamat in early 200 BR, around the same time Tiamat first entered into the realm with her dragons. In the years leading up to the Holy War, they began to grow their forces and assisted Tiamat in raising scores of evil dragons. When Tiamat was eventually banished in 995 and with the last dragon slain, Dolina's warfront fell apart without their goddess and their greatest weapons. They would spend many of the following years fighting crusaders from The First Draconic Crusades.

The First Realm War and the AmuPter Front

Following their losses in the Holy War and feeling pressure from the First Draconic Crusades, Dolina attempted to push into the continent of Pteris where they believed they could retreat into the badlands and regroup to continue their war in the name of Tiamat. The only thing stopping them was the Snobbite who halted their push into the Pteris badlands. The series of battles that resulted became known as the AmuPter Front and was considered one of the most dangerous areas of war in the entire realm. A majority of the fighting occurred in the open sea between Dolina and Snobbite ships.

It was a perfect battlefield for both factions as many Dolina dragonkin were adapt swimmers and masters of aquatic combat, , but the Snobbite were a sea-faring folk whose skin and blood were crusted with the salt of the ocean. Dolina became famous for their use of Maledictum Somnum poison and for charming pods of whales to hunt Snobbite ships. Some of these whales would have bombs attached to them to act as suicide bombers for enemy vessels.

Eventually though Snobbite forces were able to push Dolina back into Amusa, ending the AmuPter Front.

Dolina Ships

Ships crafted by Dolina forces were exceptional for their design, which often allowed for segmented hulls that could weave like a crocodile in water. A few notable vessels in the conflict included: The Qumado Kluchud, The Pab Urthalre Q, The umadosfan Sventar, the Nurh Marfedelom, and the Jaciv Geou Qe Spical.

The Second Draconic Crusades and The Night of a Thousand Knocks

While Dolina was still recovering from Realm War I, the Second Draconic Crusades began with the re-emergence of dragons. From all across Amusa and beyond dragonborn and other types of dragonkin fled to Dolina for refuge and safety. The natural swamplands made it easy to disappear and made it difficult for crusaders to pursue. As refugees flooded into Dolina from the surrounding lands, Tiamat's influence over the land began to falter. In this moment of weakness a being only known by his title, "He Who Knocks" rose to purge her from the land. No one knows where this strange deity came from, but many believe it is of the land itself and was a direct response to Tiamat's poisoning of their lands.

Stories say this being would travel door to door and knock on the doors of worshipers of Tiamat. This knock would invoke three curses, each preceded with a knock on the family's door when it would begin. First was Curse of Reclamation. In the following days, all of the family's property would rot and decay, returning to the land. The Second was the Curse of Hunger. In the following weeks the family would be beset by and endless hunger never to be sated no matter how much they would eat or drink. Then their was the Curse of Retribution which would fall on the seventh second of the seventh minute of the seventh hour of the seventh day of the seventh week after the first knock. First, the patriarch of the family would combust into flames that could not be dossed by any means. Then, the matriarch would be beset by the birds and beasts of the land, to be torn apart until their was not but bones. All of the sons would jump into the water and drown themselves while all of the daughters would run into the forest where their skin would turn to bark, their feet to roots, and their fingers to leaves.

The following weeks and months in Dolina were stained with death and suffering, but also came with the hope for a better future. A druidic cult called the Grove of Voiceless Whispers formed to worship this being who after its purge faded back into the swamplands, only ever appearing again to their cult or when the land of Dolina was again at threat of destruction.

Culture

Dolina's culture places a lot of emphasis on found family as many of its residents either came from or are descendants of those who came to Dolina from far off lands. After going through the hardships of the Second Draconic Crusades, the people of Dolina found solace in their shared identity as dragonkin. Much of this brought fourth a put your neighbor before yourself mentality in Dolina's people.

These beliefs though did not necessarily extend past Dolina's borders as they held a very isolationist stance in regards to realm politics. They most they would interact with the rest of Amusa is through trade across the bay with Cauldomo and Wistness, or from travelers crossing Dolina's land border with Galik. All such interactions are heavily regulated and checked by local Dolina officials to prevent any dangerous elements from crossing into Dolina.

Much of their local economy relies on hunting and the harvesting of rare swamp based flora which can be used to distill a number of powerful potions and are highly sought after spell components for spellcasters. Many towns and cities are built upon the wetlands with stilts and other wooden supports to protect buildings from rising waters. Travel across the land is accomplished by small shallow water ferries which an bring you to almost any point across Dolina.

Many Dolinan towns and cities pay monthly tributes to "He Who Knocks" as thanks for their protection of the land with bones and meat. Members of the Grove of Voiceless Whispers are highly respected in Dolina for their service to the swamp deity, but few know of their practices as many of the cults beliefs and rituals are practiced in secret. It is tradition that the first born child of each household in the deeper swamp regions of Dolina will journey off and train to join the grove. Those who pass the trials are welcomed into the grove while those who fail disappear.

Notable Towns/Cities

• Seawell
• Swamp Coast Reef
  • The Piep-Piep dynasty was said to rule over the swamplands.

Notable Locations

• The Spider Swamps
• Amparo (ruins)
• Atla (submerged off coast)