In ancient times it is said that the Orichalans who lived on the Pazidan Peninsula had
dragon-blood. There arose amongst that people wizard-princes who sought power by using
arcane means to subdue the race of dragons. At first they extended their influence subtly
offering to protect towns and villages from dragons that they themselves had stirred up. Too
late other civilisations realised their treachery but by that time the Dragon-lords had
developed armies led by hosts of dragon-riders. The Dragon-lords conquered the known world and
built huge cities where great dragon-eyries and the towers of wizards dominated the skyline.
It is said even the great Empire of Karak in the East paid them tribute.
The thirst of their wizards for arcane knowledge could not be abated, however, and some
turned to uncovering the ancient secrets of the Markrabs. Huge war-machines, greater than
dragons were built, including many that could fly. Deadly magics that could slay many at
a distance were created and even the Orichalans own wizards were hard put to create defenses
against the new weapons. Not content with such might, however, some sought to delve into the
secrets of life itself and thousands of slaves were sacrificed in experiments designed to
give the wizards the power to create and mold life. At this point (and too late) some supporters of
the Gods influenced their leaders to put constraints on the work of the wizards. The
wizards, however, continued their work in secret and eventually a plot was discovered to build a
a device which would allow them to trap and experiment on one of the Gods of the Empire.
Civil war errupted in the Dragon Empire and spread to other civilisations because the
secrets of the Markrabs were now coveted by the whole world. The rebels summoned the Markrabs
themselves it is said but these beings were now few in number and in retaliation their enemies
summoned the Gods. Towns, cities and whole regions of countryside were laid to waste and when
the dust had settled, although the rebels were defeated and the Markrabs themselves destroyed,
the Orichalans had but four cities left and these were partially ruined.
Barbarians filled the wastelands and for many centuries the Dragon-lords fought for
survival. Again they turned to arcane knowledge and it is said they created at this time
many of the monsters that plague the Wilderlands today. But the wizards also fought each
other and this weakened the cities which one by one fell to the barbarians. At last only
their capital in Oricha stood but by then so evil was its reputation that all the barbarian
tribes of Altanis united to assault it. When it fell the
barbarians removed and scattered every stone and destroyed and burnt every artefact
and tome. The population was slaughtered to a man and those that fled were hunted down in the
hills. Thus ended the Dragon Empire of which little record now remains
and even the name and the location of its capital is lost.