The islands are hard, black rocks rising dramatically from the sea. Volcanic in origin, they often still smoke. The landscape here is cracked and sharp, littered with volcanic glass and dotted with needle-like crags. A cold rain blows almost constantly here and the human communities, known as the Suomi, cling to the rocky coast, fishing, herding goats and eking out a living from small gardens. Others live behind walls in the recently built Free Towns founded by Brecht adventurer-merchants. These people are a tough, insular lot who struggle against weather, rock and the monstrous creatures of the deep they hunt for their own survival. Instead of praying to the gods, they turn towards the mountains and worship their dragon lords.
Each island is a single volcanic seamount, which is the home to a single dragon clan and a city of fawning kobold servitors. These underground citadels, mostly never seen by human eyes, are of unimaginable size and complexity. Dark, sprawling, smelling of volcanic gasses and decorated over the millennia with baroque designs, they are unsettling for human aesthetics. It is difficult for many to understand, but these were not places designed for mammals.
There are five large islands (from south to north): Raalmi (ruled by the Clan of Water, with one province), Kuosuu (ruled by the Clan of Wind, with three provinces), Oumaki (Seat of the Emperor, with two provinces), Taival (ruled by the Clan of Earth, with two provinces) and Muopi (ruled by the Clan of Fire, with one province). There are also a number of rocky islets between Kuosuu and Taival, which are inhabited by only small human fishing clans; they make up the provinces of Hamalmaa (between Kuosuu and Oumaki) and Seilo (between Oumaki and Taival).

At the heart of the Isles and what makes them unique is the presence of the largest concentration of dragons in all of Aebrynis. Although the numbers were at one time much higher, there are currently eighteen adult dragons that inhabit the Isles. Draconic ?society? can be best described as a collection of four interrelated families who traditionally elect a spokesperson and interfamily mediator. In fact, the Dragon Emperor only has authority in matters of external affairs and inter-clan disputes.
Each clan is associated with one of the four primal elements. The vast majority of both humans and kobolds will never see a live dragon ? for them the dragons and their clans are understood more as embodiments of primal forces than living creatures. Each clan is associated with an element, an island, a season, an astronomical sign, a bodily fluid (called a humor) and a bodily organ. These associations are used for astrology, to plan festivals (for instance, festivals celebrating Muo are held in summer when the constellation the Warrior is in the sky), in healing and in art. Pre-Contact Suomi and kobolds planned all of their activities upon a draconic astrological system.
Muo, the Glorious Flame Clan: With three members, Clan Muo is the smallest and most physically isolated of the dragon clans. The dragons of Clan Muo are considered to be ?hot-blooded? and are famous for their courage and brutality in the wars against the giants. Their traditional foes are the peace-loving Raal. Their island, Muopi, is the most volcanically active of the chain and the residents enjoy the numerous hot springs. Muopi is the most conservative of the islands: the local humans have violently driven out Brechts, missionaries and traders alike and push for their expulsion from all of the islands.
Element: Fire
Season: Summer
Characteristics: Easily angered, courageous
Constellation: The Warrior
Organ/Humor: Gall bladder/Yellow Bile
Raal, the Profound Wave Clan: Four dragons make up this Clan and call the island of Raalmi home. Clan Raal distances itself from the politics of the other Clans, though its members are not secretive like those of Clan Taiv, only neutral. They prefer hunting the seas over discussing politics, war or philosophy; unfortunately, this often brings them into conflict with the rash Clan Muo. Raalmi is a low, eroded place, which is partially due to the fact that the rain is nigh-continuous. Locals say that the entire island is laced by lava tubes flooded with sea water and that sea creatures (and dragons) can swim underneath its entire length. House Waarder has established some trade contacts, but no Brechts live here and there has been no missionary presence.
Element: Water
Season: Winter
Characteristics: Calm, unemotional
Constellation: The Serpent
Organ/Humor: Brain/Phlegm
Kuos, the Venerable Wind Clan: Five dragons call Clan Kuos home. The Kuos are famous among dragon-kind as philosophers, poets and illusionists (the three primary arts of a species without opposable thumbs). Deeply passionate, the Kuos tend to see themselves as the elite statesmen of the Clans, the most cultured, learned and refined. Kuosuu, their island, is never calm: whether a breeze or a hurricane, the air always moves here. Kuosuu was the home to the first Brecht colony, Ost Haaven, as the kobolds and humans here saw it as their diplomatic duty to lead the way in Brecht-Island relations.
Element: Air
Season: Spring
Characteristics: Emotional, creative
Constellation: The Lovers
Organ/Humor: Liver/Blood
Taiv, the Magnificent Earth Clan: Four dragons are aligned with Clan Taiv. The wealthiest clan, both in material treasures and magical knowledge, the Taiv are famous for being secretive, thrifty and untrustworthy. They traditionally vie with the Kuos as the most powerful clan and are proud to hold art treasures from every civilization in the history of Aebrynis. Taival, their island, is rich in metal treasures and incredible rock formations: basalt towers, natural arches and great frozen lakes of volcanic glass. The House Gorswythe has established a colony here and found the locals more than willing to trade, luckily for them their naiveté is balanced by the incredible mineral wealth available for trade.
Element: Earth
Season: Autumn
Characteristics: Secretive, Thrifty
Constellation: The Artisan
Organ/Humor: Spleen/Black Bile
The Emperor and his Consort: Sil-Kathrak, the Dragon Emperor, and his Queen-Consort, Yyth-Sylvak, dwell on their own island. Originally of the clans Kuos and Taiv (respectively), they long ago abandoned all clan ties to promote the good of the species as a whole. They embody the perfect balance of the five elements, called ?Aether? and represented by the crystal. Their palace lies on the island of Oumaki, the mightiest peak of the entire island chain. Oumaki enjoys the most favorable environment, a perfect balance of wind, rain, warmth and wealth, and consequently the largest human population. It is also home to the largest Brecht settlement, the sprawling colony of Frywarden controlled by the ruthless House Baergen. Here people from across the archipelago have traditionally met and traded.
Element: Aether
Season: Solstices and Equinoxes
Characteristics: Noble, Wise
Constellation: the Sun
Organ/Humor: the entire body/none

While the kobolds of the Dragon Isles are of the same species as those of Cerilia (which strongly resemble, socially and statistically, those of the Monster Manual), they are worlds away from them culturally. Cerilian kobolds are relatively rare and arrived on the continent as servitors to the Cerilian Dragons; the rare communities of today descend from those who either escaped draconic rule or were forced to adapt when their patrons died or abandoned them. They are a cruel, secretive, primitive people.
On the Dragon Isles, however, true kobold society thrives. Created eons ago by the dragons, the kobolds have always existed to serve their master?s needs. Generations have worked for the lieges, whom they often view as akin to gods. They mine the earth for metals and work them into treasures to add to the hordes, they are bureaucrats and diplomats, spies and, sometimes even food for the dragons. Kobold cities are well-organized (to a kobold) warrens that spiral around the lairs of dragons.
Hierarchy infuses kobold society. The fundamental divisions are between caste and age. At birth, young kobolds are already members of a clutch, a group of age-caste mates who serve as friends, peers and family. Elder kobolds search through the clutch mates, separating only the most suitable for their caste (in size, shape, intelligence, etc) and sending the remainder to be fattened for consumption by the dragons. By the end of their first year, only roughly a quarter of the clutch remains ? the exact number depends on how many adult caste members died in the previous year ? who will be raised to adulthood.
There are several hundred castes, each of which is easily identifiable (to other kobolds) by a distinctive combination of scale patterns, body size and scale color. Generally speaking, the larger and more red in color a kobold is (thus the more similar to the dragons), the higher its caste. The highest castes serve the dragons directly, 97% of kobolds only see dragons at the moment of their deaths. Those who provide objects for the dragons or serve in the uppermost levels of bureaucracy are the next lowest. Then, there are those who extract or process the materials (such as miners, smelters and smiths) used to make offerings for the dragons. Finally, the lowest are those who serve the needs of other kobolds or humans (farmers, lower bureaucrats, maintenance, etc).
Most kobolds never leave their sprawling warren-cities. Kobold farmers raise strange funguses and slimes on super-heated, mineral-rich steam that emerges from within the mountains, feeding various breeds of subterranean beasts (the kobolds are carnivorous, like dragons). They also consume goats and sheep given as tribute from the human populations of the islands.
The species has produced excellent miners and metalworkers, sometimes even approaching the skill of the Cerilian dwarves. Their distinctive metalwork, mostly copper and bronze, features spiraling, swirling patterns, reptilian eyes, scales, fire and dragon wing motifs.
Most outsiders never see the kobold cities and their subterranean mines, forges and farms. To the Suomi and the rulers of realms with which the Dragon Clans which to parlay, the kobolds are the voices and emissaries of draconic might. Small, even dog-like in the eyes of the humans, the Dragon Islands kobolds dress in baroque outfits: long robes, elaborate headdresses and copious jewelry. They have a love for the dramatic: emissaries are preceded by drums and horns, carried on sedan chairs and flanked by orog or Vos mercenaries.
As a species the kobolds tend to be cruel, cowardly, pompous and vain. They epitomize ?bureaucracy? and many Suomi have stories of humiliating encounters with kobold bureaucrats on high chairs forcing supplicants to kneel as they begged for assistance. Kobolds always dislike being around others taller than themselves.
Interestingly, however, what holds the kobold society together is a genuine loyalty and love for dragons. Some scholars theorize that this emotion was magically bred into the species long ago; it is known that the wild kobold tribes of Cerilia still worship their long-departed masters. The most extreme example of this is the fact that they willingly give the lieges their own children as food: kobolds are the primary food source of the dragon clans.

The native people of the islands call themselves the Suomi (abbreviation ?Su?) and descend from a race of wide-ranging seafarers who migrated onto the Isles from the east. While they have lost the technology of long-range boat travel (partially through the lack of wood to build boats and partially because of the dangerous nature of the waters around the Isles), they continue to ply the shores of the Isles in outrigger canoes built with beaten-copper hulls and driftwood. Bloodlines were unknown among the Suomi before the arrival of the Brechts.
Pre-Brecht contact Suomi society was divided into small, autonomous villages. Each was a collection of a few families which elected a official called a ?Tanta? who represented them to other villages and the kobolds and served as a mediator within the village (much as the Dragon Emperor mediates between Dragon Clans). Almost all Suomi were involved in the same economic practices and work was divided up by gender and age. Adult men did the fishing, women the gardening and children and the elderly the herding.

The only ?profession? among the Suomi were the Noaide. In every generation, a few children manifest the presence of draconic blood through a dragonmark (see Sidebar 1). These children held the potential to become Noaide, sorcerer-priests. The Noaide separated themselves from common Suomi and performed rituals to consult, venerate and appease the dragons. They were also the only Suomi to learn the Draconic language. They served as repositories of cultural knowledge, teaching Suomi children the stories of the clans (usually via the constellations); they taught a philosophy of balance, seeking to create harmony within each Suomi by equalizing the elements within them (thus becoming like the Emperor). Today the Noaide struggle to maintain their prestige against that of the Brecht newcomers, though some have been ?bought? by the Brecht Houses and serve as local intermediaries and interpreters for deals made with kobolds.
Suomi cultural traits: Suomi society revolves around the sea and the veneration of the dragons. They are consummate sailors: courageous, level-headed and a bit superstitious.
Common First Names:
Male: Arvo, Antero, Eemeli, Ilmari, Juhani, Kalevi, Leevi, Matti, Olavi, Tapani, Tapio
Female: Anneli, Annikki, Esteri, Hannele, Hilkka, Kaarina, Laina, Lissa, Marjatta, Meri, Suvi
Cultural Background Skills: Balance, Profession (Fishing), Knowledge (Sea)
Bonus to saving throws: Suomi receive a +1 on Reflex saves.
Automatic Language: Suomi.
Common Rogue Skills: Listen, Profession (Fishing), Sleight of Hand, Spot, Tumble
Common Arms: Dagger, Shortspear, Shortbow
Common Armor: Leather
Common Feats: Alertness, Audax Hunter**, Endurance, Seafarer*, Skill Focus, Toughness
Culturally Restricted Feats: Audax Hunter**, Draconic Heritage**, Hardiness*, Seafarer*

The Free Towns: Each of the Free Towns began similarly as trade outposts. A rickety dock made of imported wood leading up to a fortified stone building housing a few merchants and guards. Since then, they have grown to include more buildings, some stone structures (for Brechts and some wealthy Suomi) and mostly semi-permanent goat-skin tents (for the majority of Suomi). They are rough-and-tumble places where everything is fluid, law is negotiable and money quickly shifts hands.
Frywarden (House Baergen, Isle of Oumaki): The only true ?town?, Frywarden is a sprawling town of close to a 1,000 inhabitants centered around the Open Market controlled by the ruthless House Baergen. Lukas Baergen (MBr; Guilder 3; Brenna, Minor, 20; NE) has transferred the center of his house?s operations to Oumaki from Danigau and seeks to squeeze every copper out of the island. Frywarden is also home to the only sizeable meeting house of the Society of Sera; the idealistic missionaries attempt to teach (with only moderate success) the natives the nature of trade and to protect the people from outright exploitation from their fellow Cerilians. Head priestess Aeren Frien (FBr; Priest, Sera 4; Andurias, Minor, 13; LG) is in the middle of a crisis of faith: she believes in free trade and the gospel of wealth but is increasingly unable to make this belief jive with the abuses she daily sees heaped upon her parishioners.
Nieubrechlen (House Gorswythe, Isle of Taival): A newcomer to the Isles, House Gorsewythe is an old Mudenite family from Brechlen. Their ?town,? Nieubrechlen is a little more than a glorified fort with a central blockhouse and a few outbuildings. The leader of the house is Niklas Gorsewythe (MBr; Guilder 1; Masela, Tainted 3; N), a young Berhagenite on his first assignment overseas, he hopes to prove himself (and return home) through a spectacular deal. He is pushing to expand Nieubrechlen quickly by attracting fishermen from neighboring islands, he currently has around 80 residents, close to half Brecht.
Ost Haaven (House Waarder, Isle of Kuosuu): The oldest Free Town, Ost Haaven is still ruled by its founder, the 76 year-old Erik Waarder (MBr; Guilder 8; Brenna, Tainted, 9; LN). Somewhat quieter than the other two towns, Waarder has stabilized the population around 350 and seeks to impose the rule of law over his domain. He dreams of Ost Haaven becoming a center for cross-oceanic trade.

There are conflicting tales as to the earliest days of the Dragon Isles. In one version, they were created spontaneously with the dragons themselves?much as the elves sprung forth from the forests of Cerilia?and in the other the dragons, retreating from Cerilian wars with the Giants, used their elemental magics to raise the islands from under the sea. Only the dragons may know and, regardless, they have always existed in the histories of humans and demihumans.
Early in the history of the Isles, the dragons felt the need for a servitor race. They experimented with elves, dwarves, goblins and orogs but found all of them unsatisfactory. Turning to their immense creative powers, they shaped a new species for their use: the kobolds. Protected from war and competition with other species by the might of their masters, kobold history is one of slow change. It was a process of glacial population increase, the differentiation of castes and the development of ever-more-complicated legal systems. Rarely leaving their underground cities, they knew nothing of the world beyond the islands. Likewise, for the humans that knew of the islands, they appeared uninhabited (except for legends of dragons).
Before the era of the Masetian Empire, the islands were colonized from the east by humans known as the Suomi. They arrived as fisherfolk and goat herders, building a small settlement on Raalmi, the southernmost isle. After considerable debate, the dragons presented themselves to the Suomi. After a rapid conquest, they were integrated into the Dragon-Kobold hierarchy, presenting their masters (via the kobolds) with fish, grain and goats.
The Suomi society that developed on the islands was distinct: trapped by the ferocious sea monsters that inhabited the deep water, they soon lost all knowledge of the world outside the Isles. To them, all that lay beyond the islands was an endless, monster-filled sea. They came to worship the dragons as the embodiments of the raw, elemental power of the universe?albeit a semi-civilized power as opposed to the ferocity of the sea beasts.
This way of life was greatly disturbed fifty years ago. The Dragons, who rarely involved themselves in the affairs of their servitors, announced that the Islands would welcome outsiders who would be able to set up ?free towns?, communities outside of draconic rule for the purposes of trade. Soon, the Brechts arrived; it is unknown how the first traders knew of the Isles (perhaps disguised dragons?), but a generation of young, adventurous sons of the merchant houses of Müden, Danigau and Berhagen set sail for the exotic land of the dragons.
The social upheaval to the culture of the Isles was incalculable and is still evolving. The Brechts brought knowledge of the outside world, of the Gods, of trade and money, of war and of profit. The desperate kobolds sought every means to oppose the strength of the Brechts (within the mandates of the Emperor, of course) but found the Suomi drawn to the lawless Free Towns and the worship of Sera. Even within kobold society there were upsets as the castes who dealt with humans and produced goods for sale?previously low-status positions?found themselves enriched and empowered by their access to Brecht goods. As chaos unfolds, the Dragons themselves seem largely oblivious?or perhaps they gain something out of trade that the mortals that scamper about their feet do not comprehend.

• Law: Officially, the dragon lords have a tight control over the law within their own islands?except for the Free Towns?in practice, however, this is operated by the kobold bureaucracy in their names with little draconic involvement. This system is part of the in-bred caste system of the kobolds. The Brecht trading houses have begun to establish legal systems to facilitate trade in their strongholds.
  
• Temples: Two religious systems compete on the islands. Traditionally, the kobolds and humans were drawn into the Glory of Dragons. The kobolds still practice this system which is integrated into every aspect of their lives. The humans also practiced a version of this system which is currently being eroded by the arrival of Brecht missionaries bringing the faith of Sera and the concept of extraplanar gods.
  
• Guilds: Before the Brechts came to the Isles, there was no formal trade. Humans traded with one another on a small scale and present tribute to the dragons (via the kobolds). Likewise, the kobolds had complicated economic interactions but they were not based off of profit motives and were not organized for external trade. The Brechts have brought their own system of trade to the islands including accounting, coinage and supply and demand. They are seeking to expand these holdings into more areas of the islands.
  
• Sources: The dragon lords fiercely control the magic of the islands. Unlike the other holdings they control, the dragons directly administer their sources and take action to prevent others from despoiling or steal the magic. Each clan maintains its own magical resources.