GossamerAndIce/TheWyldDragon
The Wyld Dragon
Rokat, the Dragon of the Wyld, is considered a mystery by Dragons and Raksha both. Each seems much of themselves in the odd creature, but none can reliably guess just what the creature actually is. He is widely considered ancient beyond measure, perhaps dating back to the time of the Primordials, but has had but little contact with the worlds of Creation until very recently.
the Lair of the Dragon
The Wyld Dragon lairs in the very edges of the Middlemarches, near to the Deepest expanses of the Wyld, in a smallish region of 6. In describing the area, it is perhaps most correct to suggest that it is a small piece of Creation that remained where it previously was when everything else broke away and drifted off. The difference between it and a Driftland is subtle, for both are large chunks of land, but Roktan's small lair does not "drift" or move but remains as anchored as if it was still a part of Creation itself. The land itself is hard to approach, requiring some manner of flight, and protection from the cold as all approaches to the region are buffeted with freezing Northern winds and windblown snow.
Waypoints
The Grounds: When one first enters the region, one is upon the Grounds. Little more than a large expanse of frozen turf and the occasional rock or dead tree, the Grounds are by far the largest of the Waypoints. Snow is constantly falling here, and the temperatures range from very cold to freezing, but seldom dip below that except at the wishes of the Wyld Dragon. The Grounds are mostly only barren, but Hobgoblins and various wyld-twisted spirits occasionally lurk in the Blizzard.
Other than walk through the grounds and interact with others who might be present, there is little of interest in the Grounds. Usually, after a variable amount of time, walking through the Grounds will lead one to the Gate. It is possible, with a shaping action, to skip the gate and go directly into the Ruins by climbing over the outer wall or squeezing through a ruined section of it. Other waypoints are generally reached through visual cues, such as spotting the dim glow of the Firepit in the distance through the blizzard, or catching sight of the rocky territory that ultimately leads into the Cave.
The Firepit: One finds the Cave through following a dim glow in the Grounds; it is generally not possible to arrive in this waypoint through any other method. A number of large stone marks when one first enters into the Firepit, and the blizzard commonly dies down to some degree. The fire itself becomes more clear, resting as it does in a depression of the ground just across from a ruined section of the wall. Dim shapes of the Ruins can be seen past the ruined wall, and one who heads in that direction finds their way into the Ruin waypoint.
The Firepit itself is home to Lady Wren, a crazed and mad Courtier who has dwelt in the Firepit for the past 300 years. A tall beautiful woman with long black hair that blows in the wind, and white skin the color of the snow, it is her eyes that attract the most attention -- wild and maddening, with all the intensity of the blizzard. She usually uses Cup attacks on anyone who enters the Firepit, and possesses the entire Spirit-Twisting Obsession Style. If she successfully Ravishes a subject, she's likely to target their Valor or Conviction, often making them fear blizzards, Rokan, or making it so they cannot stand to see someone abandoned in the snow. If one resists her Cup attack, some manner of wisdom can usually be pulled from her lips.
The Cave: The Cave lurks in the heart of a rocky patch of the Grounds, far from the Ruins. After searching through it for a time, one finds a deep gorge that drops off into a strange and flowing cave beneath the Grounds. The exact nature and layout of the cave varies each visit, but somewhere within one can always find something that you have lost. Also within the Caves is a clear pool of black water, the exact depth and volume of which varies. The pool readily readily consumes gossamer, eventually spitting out various wyld-spawned creatures after being fed enough dreams.
Rokan can sometimes be found within the Caves, but their most frequent inhabitant is Dark Whisper. Not precisely a Fae, this dream-spawned creature was hurled out of the pool some 400 years ago and has been growing mightier over the years. A darkened nightmare vision of one of the Wretched, the Dream-Monster is not precisely one of the Exalted, but wields a few abilities that mirror some of the classic abilities of the Night Caste of the Solar Exalted. While no match for a powerful Noble, Dark Whisper is a dangerous and cunning opponent, and craves more Gossamer so that he might grow yet more powerful and perhaps for other darker reasons as well.
The Gates: The Ruins at the center of the region are ringed by a broken and shattered wall, but even so most visitors enter through the Gate. The area around the gate is mostly still whole, the stonework dating back to the First Age and if anything being even more puissiant than it once was. Even most shaping cannot effect the wall or the gate itself, only the most potent of the Raksha having the power to alter the merest stone or bit of iron. The gate itself is a huge 15-foot ediface, with massive iron doors. If the door is closed when the characters approach, it takes a shaping action to open them, or a Strength attribute of 10 or higher. The images molded onto the door change every time you inspect them, showing a different scene of battle and glory every time.
Beyond the gate, a small path of stone gradually leads one into the Ruins themselves.
The Ruins: Almost certainly the center of the region, the Ruins vary in their composition and area from moment to moment. Sometimes they seem to compose a trade district, other times a governmental bureau, and at some times even a collection of scattered ruined homes. The buildings themselves are uniformly shattered and broken, the materials and items within almost entirely broken, though sometimes they seem ancient and weathered though other times new and only recently destroyed. The outer nature of a building and the items found within do not always match, and sometimes it's even possible to enter an inne to find that you've walked inside a stable. The closer you get to the exact center of the region, the greater the fluid nature of the ruins become.
The Keep is only visible once you've entered the Ruins themselves, despite the fact that the structure itself stretches up so high that it disappears into the snow-tossed winds above. One can either move toward the Keep, or explore the ruins, depending on ones inclination.
The Keep: The Keep is a huge Giant-sized fortification, and it's exact layout changes every time one visits (likely due to the Whims of the the Wyld Dragon, as it always seems to meet his needs and nature), except for the presence of a huge throne room and a massive Dragon-sized throne found within. This is usually where one must go to find Roktan, and it is thus the place one is most likely to find Raksha and even the occasional God. Mostly such visitors prostate themselves in the Throne Room, entertain themselves in some other part of the Keep, or dwell in one of the rooms given to them.
