The Valley of Dragons (Do'Hei'Kre)
Far to the north of the Imperial Capital, beyond the ancient highlands known as the Crownreach, lies the hidden Valley of Dragons, or Do'Hei'Kre in the ancient tongue. Encircled by an immense ring of towering mountains, the valley remained concealed from the eyes of man for ages. Within its natural walls flourished one of the richest ecosystems in the known world. Crystal rivers fed emerald forests and open meadows where herds roamed without end. Great trees bore fruit throughout every season, freshwater springs flowed from the mountainsides, and the cliffs provided perfect nesting grounds for dragons. Few places in history have ever rivaled the abundance of Do'Hei'Kre, and none have surpassed its beauty. Long before the rise of House Xytheris, the valley belonged to the ancient wyrm Zaerakor the Great Dread and his mate, Sylthera, whose bloodline had ruled the sanctuary for generations beyond memory.
It was by chance that the valley was discovered by the young Cin Xytheris. During one of his earliest scouting flights he crossed the peaks of the Crownreach and descended into the untouched basin below. There he encountered Zaerakor and Sylthera. Rather than arriving with fire or conquest, Cin proposed an alliance. He spoke of House Xytheris, of a growing empire, and of a future in which both bloodlines might protect the valley together beneath a single banner. Zaerakor rejected the offer without hesitation. He declared that Do'Hei'Kre belonged to his ancestors and would belong to his descendants long after the name Xytheris had been forgotten. When Cin persisted, the elder pair forced the young dragon from the valley, making it clear he would never be welcomed there.
Cin returned to Dah'Kalyn and recounted all he had witnessed to his sisters, Vesta and Savory. They agreed that no land of such importance could remain outside the Empire's protection. Believing diplomacy had simply begun poorly, they urged Cin to return bearing gifts worthy of dragons. He came once more carrying entire aurochs, mountain elk, rare gemstones, celestial crystals, polished gold, ancient relics, and casks of aged volcanic amberwine. The offerings were refused without consideration. Harsh words soon gave way to violence as Zaerakor attacked.
The battle echoed through the mountains. Zaerakor 's age was matched only by his ferocity, and the elder dragon fought with the patience of one who had survived centuries of war. His jaws closed on Cin's neck, his talons carved deep across the younger dragon's chest, and a crushing strike shattered portions of Cin's left wing, sending scales and blood across the valley floor. Cin answered with relentless aggression. He raked Vaerakor's face, destroying the elder's right eye before wrenching two of his crown horns free during a desperate struggle. Neither dragon yielded until exhaustion forced them apart. Barely able to remain airborne, Cin escaped the valley and collapsed upon reaching home, where Vesta and Savory spent weeks tending wounds that many believed should have claimed his life.
Three moons passed before the heirs of House Xytheris returned. This time they came not as envoys, but as conquerors. United in purpose and carrying both vengeance and resolve, the three dragons descended on Do'Hei'Kre beneath a darkened sky. They found Zaerakor and Sylthera together near the valley's central nesting grounds and attacked without warning. Vesta and Savory broke away to engage Sylthera while Cin confronted Zaerakor once more.
The sisters fought with terrifying coordination. Sylthera met them with all the fury of a mother defending her home, yet she found herself overwhelmed by two Celestial Dragons moving as one. They tore through her defenses with claw and fang, shattered her wings until flight became impossible, and brought her crashing to the valley floor. Even then the assault did not cease. Their talons opened her throat and chest in a final display meant not only to end her life, but to answer the wounds inflicted upon their brother. By the time they turned away, the ancient matriarch of Do'Hei'Kre had fallen.
Elsewhere within the valley, Cin and Zaerakor fought with unmatched brutality. Their roars shook the cliffs as flame rolled across forests and stone alike. The elder wyrm's immense tail struck Cin with such force that it hurled him through ancient trees and left him unconscious beneath broken earth. Believing the younger dragon defeated, Zaerakor turned upon Vesta. His jaws locked around her neck and he drove her across the valley floor with overwhelming strength. Savory threw herself onto his back, burying her talons deep into his hips and shoulders in a desperate attempt to free her sister, but the elder refused to release his grip. Instead he unleashed a torrent of flame that engulfed Vesta where she lay. Her cry echoed across the valley.
That single sound awakened something within Cin that neither battle nor blood had stirred before. Rising through smoke and flame, he launched himself into the sky before descending on Zaerakor with a fury neither sister had witnessed. The duel that followed ended the reign of the Great Dread. Cin broke through the elder's defenses, brought him to the valley floor, and struck the final blow after a relentless exchange that left both dragons drenched in blood and scarred beyond recognition. When silence finally returned to Do'Hei'Kre, Zaerakor lay dead beside Sylthera, and House Xytheris stood victorious.
The three siblings departed soon after, leaving the bodies of the elder dragons where they had fallen. Their remains were neither buried nor honored. They were left to the valley as a warning that a new bloodline now ruled the sanctuary. The scars carried home by Cin, Vesta, and Savory became lasting reminders of the price paid to claim one of the Empire's greatest treasures.
During their occupation of the valley, House Xytheris discovered evidence that Zaerakor and Sylthera had produced numerous clutches of eggs hidden throughout Do'Hei'Kre. Many nesting sites were found abandoned, while others vanished into the countless caves and forgotten caverns beneath the surrounding mountains. Refusing to risk the return of the elder bloodline, the Imperial Family ordered every surviving clutch destroyed. Yet not all have been found.
Nearly two centuries have passed since the conquest. Today Do'Hei'Kre remains one of the most closely guarded territories within Xytheria. Imperial wardens, dragon keepers, hunters, and loyal subjects maintain the valley, preserve its abundant wildlife, and prepare its nesting grounds whenever the Royal Family chooses to reside there. Even now, expeditions continue to search the mountains, forests, and caverns for the last hidden eggs of Zaerakor and Sylthera. Among those entrusted with the valley, an old warning still endures.
"So long as one egg remains unbroken, the Great Dread has not truly fallen."