Hi All,
This is the first of my weekly blogs about the development of Here Be Dragons.
Here be Dragons is a new setting book for the wonderful OpenQuest setting by Simon Bray and Paul Mitchener.
The book is set on the ancient isles of Pherae, a magical place, the last remenants of the might World Dragon. A dragon haunted land, Pherae has had a turbulent history of violence, slavery and civil war. In ancient times the lands were the roost of the mighty drakes, until they became enslaved by the foul Dracorians, monster born from the infected wounds of the World Dragon. When human settlers came in exodus to these islands, they found no freedom, instead they became of the playthings of the Dracorians, and toiled for a thousand years beneath that yoke of oppression.
Bata the Summoner, a mighty leader amongst the slaves, overthrew the monstrous overlords. with the aid of potent magic and inhuman allies and made a new world. He returned the power of the Old Gods, Zorious the King and Ora the Queen, and their pantheon of followers. He built the wonderous city of Draxa, his capital. Many innovations were made and his sorcerers sought out the secrets of the world. But Bata became seduced by dark forces, and his empire became corrupted by demons and it fell in holy civil war to the glorious blade of the foreign Saint Theron.
In time Pherae found its own ways, its hardy people explored the far corners of their lands. They built great cities, and temples, but the land was wild at heart and many were lost to the dark forest or stormy seas. The fates of Gods and men have waxed and waned.
Now, a thousand years after Bata’s rebellion, Pherae has a new leader, Flames of Purity, the mighty Golden Dragon Queen, has taken the throne of Draxa as her own. She has routed out the evils of mankind and returned the lands to their rightful heritage. Only the foolish, condemned or wicked would resist her, and those that do, die!
Pherae is a land of ancient ruins, choked by forests and wild mountiains. Only a small pocket of civilisation remains, with the city of Draxa actin as a beacon of hope. Beyond the walled villages lies the wilderness, haunted by half demons, restless spirits and secrets beyond the comprehension of man.
The Gods are in decline, the Dragon Empire is arising and once again the world is about to change, for better or worse?
Here Be Dragons has completed the preliminary writing stage and is currently undergoing early editting and playtesting. I personally have been running my game there for over thirty sessions, converting old players and adopting new. The setting offers the feel of the fantasy movie greats such as Jason and Argonauts and Clash of the Titans, with a smattering of H P Lovecraft, Terry Pratchett and Robert E Howard.
The book covers a number of areas from a comprehensive regional gazetteer, an in depth study of the city of Draxa, Demonology in OpenQuest, new monsters and lots of new deities.
I am very excited by the project and have loved every minute of writing with Paul. I just need to get on with the artwork 
Simon Bray