The imposing mountain of Haldraka on the Northern Plains is technically beyond the eastern the borders of
Sankhar in the failed state of the
Western Khanate. It is, however, of immense strategic influence to Sankhar
and is part of the 'sphere of influence' that Sankhat has in that country. For a long time there have been
legends associating a dragon with the mountain and there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that the 'dragon'
is real.
One should first not that the 'dragon' was clearly not active during the
First Gnoll War in
622 when the Gnolls under Zenoggu chose to invade Sankhar via the the most direct route, namely past the
mountain and over the Northern Plains. By 819, however, in the
Second Gnoll War the
Gnolls were reluctant to use that route and preferred to invade via the Southern Plains.
The Gnolls therefore clearly believe in the 'dragon' as do the Sankhar military who have not built up their
military presence in the North but instead patrol the Southern Plains.
The Logath tribesmen also believe in the 'dragon' and feel that
they are safe to encamp as far east as Haldraka.
There is some dispute, however, amongst sages as to the nature of the 'dragon'. Some say
it is merely a genius loci of the mountain itself, others that it is a rumour put about by a powerful sorceror
who wishes to maintain his privacy. Some also point fingers at the local village woman known as 'The Seer' who
claims to have contact with the dragon although most seem to dismiss her as a 'tribal shaman' or even a complete fraud who is unlikely to wield much power. Those arguing against the presence of a real dragon on the mountain point to the lack of eye witnesses and the fact that the villagers who sell 'dragon tokens' to gullible visitors
colour their representaions of the dragon different colours depending on their supply of dyes.
It is interesting, however, that the legend of the dragon on the mountain seems to be older than the Gnoll Wars.
The name Haldraka ('Hall of the Dragon') is Marwhini and must date before the invasion of the
Eatern Horde. Further it a a perculiar fact that the Gnolls,
the original inhabitants of the plains from even further back in history, left the tribal village at the foot
of the mountain untouched in their invasion of 622 even though they must have been aware of its existence. Some sages believe that 'genius loci' are in fact spirits of powerful beings (such as dragons) who having having
acted as guardians of a place in life continue that function after their death.