The Dargonesti | dlsaga.com

They are the toughest elves on land or in the sea, who evolved on two separate occasions into their racial offshoot. Let’s learn more about the Dargonesti. Let’s learn more about the Ameshites. Buy Otherlands: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/188636/DLR1-Otherlands-2e?affiliate_id=50797

Transcript

Cold Open

Interestingly, even without the Greystone, the Dargonesti would exist.

Intro

Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about The Dargonesti. I would like to take a moment and thank the members of this channel, and invite you to consider becoming a member by visiting the link in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate link. I am referencing DL12 Dragons of Faith, Dragonlance Adventures, Otherlands, and the Races of Ansalon sourcebook for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below.

Discussion

We know that the Grathanich or Greystone transformed some Silvanesti elves into both Dimernesti and Dargonesti in the Age of Dreams around 4350 Prae Cataclius on Ansalon, but this wouldn’t be the only creation story worth noting for the Sea Elves. In fact, another faction would evolve out of the Great Armada that left Silvanesti in the Age of Might around 2050 Prae Cataclius. The Great Armada would be blown wildly off course and find itself guided by Habbakuk, the Sea Lord to Taladas. They arrived in the Bay of Hoor and founded Armach. While many of the Silvanaes desired to recreate Armach-Nesti, many refused to participate and migrated to the islands off the banks of the Hoor in 1959. These elves slowly evolved to spend more time in the ocean and evolved the ability to breathe underwater, and the Taladas Dimernesti were born.

It was these Shoal Elves that tried to emulate the guild system of their forebears and a portion of their population known as The Purifiers didn’t wish to have anything to do with the folly of the Silvanaes. In 1863, they migrated out further into the broad, sandy undersea valley and the Quoowahb or Dargonesti were born. With these two distinct creation myths, one has to wonder if the mark of the Grathanich lay dormant in the Silvanesti from the Age of Dreams, or if it was a gift of the gods that allowed the evolution of the Silvanaes. In either case, separated by leagues, the Dargonesti shared the same traits and traditions, living their lives apart from all others, celebrating the natural ocean world around them.

Led by Drudarch Takalurion, the Dargonesti waged a brutal war against the koalinths that lived in the depths of the ocean and in 1862 they consolidated and founded the kingdom of Quoonoqua or Sea Land, outsiders call their kingdom Watermere. Drudarch Takalurion would be their first Speaker of the Moon. But this was not the end of strife. Between 1538 and 1521, the Dargonesti would go to war against the humans that came to inhabit the islands off the coast who hunted dolphins. After Takalurian refused to target anyone but Military targets, the humans came to sue for peace and they opened exclusive trade between them. A final trial confirmed the future of Watermere, but it would take twelve decades of battle against Sagarassi, the sea witch. She marshaled the koalinths, lacedons, sea dragons and amphidragons against the Dargonesti forces which consisted of the Dargonesti led by Takalurion, mermen and the humans on the isles. When at last they defeated Sagarassi, she fled to the western oceans, never to be seen again. It is believed that she lay in wait for an opportunity to return and destroy the Dargonesti.

A month after their victory over Sagarassi, Drudarch Takalurion died, and was succeeded by his daughter Imbrias Takalurian as Speaker of the Moon. Her reign was one of peace and prosperity, and perhaps as a gift, her death was a year before the Cataclysm. Her lazy and incompetant cousin Dohwarqh Kwahbrahb became the next speaker of the moon. It would only take his lack of compassion and two years for the gods to rid Watermere of their ill suited speaker, and all of their divine support due to his refusal to aid any others that suffered from the Cataclysm. You see, Watermere suffered very little from the Cataclysm, and actually gained territory from the sunken islands. The gods sent a giant dolphin which swallowed Kwahbrahb whole. Since that time, the Dargonesti have suffered the same diseases that ravaged the surface world.

In the Age of Despair, about 12 Alt Cataclius, an ambitious Dargonesti named Nakaro Silverwake sought to appeal to the gods and end the suffering of his people. He quested after the lost sword of Drudarch Takalurion called Tideripper wish was lost in the ancient war against Sagarassi. He completed his quest after two months, and Habbakuk and Kiri-Jolith were so impressed that they healed the Dargonesti and began granting their priests divine magic. His people were so grateful they named him the next Speaker of the Moon. After three hundred and fifty years of peace, his son Treyen Silver-wake would succeed him and the ancient evil would return. With the Queen of Darkness waging her War of the Lance, Sagarassi reformed her army, now greater than ever, and attacked with all of her might. Treyen, not to go silently into the night, recruited dolphins, octopi, tritons, whales, hippocampi and dragon turtles. With his hammer and anvil approach to battle, he decimated the Sea Witch’s forces, sending her back into hiding, maddened by defeat. Treyen Silverwake remains the Speaker of the Moon as the natural lifespan of the Dargonesti is over a thousand years.

The Dargonesti society is divided into clans. Regardless of location around Krynn, the clans share loyalty and cultural connections. Unlike their Silvanesti ancestors, there is no class system that places one elf over another. A prince is no more valued than a tradesman. This puts them at odds with all other elven cultures save perhaps the Kagonesti. All clans are headed by a Speaker of the Blood, the family patriarch, and all Dargonesti in their society are in the range of good to neutral, with any evil sea elves, known as the Mahkwahb, being cast out of their society. Dargonesti are a life and nature loving people. However they distrust any outsiders and treat them suspiciously when encountered. Their largest city is Takaluras though it is more of a governing location, as most Dargonesti live in natural caves, sea shell caves or sunken cities, like Istar.

Due to their historical conflicts their population is low, and they look down on their elven cousins as much as any other race. There is a faction of the Dargonesti called the Beekatawahb who live altruistically. When one hears tales of sailors rescued from the depths, it is the Beekatawahb that they are referring to. Beekatawahb loosely translates to fringe elves. They are led by Toouata Solacehand, their Speaker of the Stars. They are so different from the traditional Dargonesti that they are referred to as Foobwahb, or Crazy Elves by their peers. They do not extend their grace to Minotaurs or Draconians however, seeing them as pure evil and not worthy of life.

Dargonesti are larger and more robust than all other elves, with males around seven feet tall, and females up to six and a half. They are considered adults at forty years of age, and have deep blue skin and webbed hands and feet. They are capable of transforming into Dolphins or Porpoises, depending on the edition of the game, though they need to be submerged in water to do so.

Outro

But that is all the time I have to talk about The Dargonesti. I hope you enjoyed the information. What do you think about Dargonesti society? Do you want to learn more about Sagarassi and her sister? And finally, have you ever played an underwater campaign in Dragonlance? Leave a comment below.

I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time, remember:

Age? What is age to the sea? Does the sea acknowledge time? For one to exist in harmony with the sea, one must follow the sea’s example.