The Secret Order of Dragon Defenders

The Order of Dragon Defenders is a secretive group that carefully guards its secrets and strives to keep its existence from public knowledge. The Order was founded by nearly 150 years ago, with its headquarters located on the hidden island known as Dragon Isle. The Dragon Isle is considered a safe zone, a sanctuary where defenders and dragons of all races, types, and alignments can meet, associate, and solve any disputes without fear of reprisal. The following information describes the function, purpose, and hierarchy inherent within the order.

Death of a Defender or His Dragon

Dragon defenders are oath sworn to protect their dragons, so also are dragons sworn to protect their defenders. Each is duty bound to ensure the other’s safety, even sacrificing one’s self for the other. However, there are times when a dragon defender or his dragon companion, fail to uphold this oath. If a defender’s dragon has been slain, he cannot advance any further in the dragon defender prestige class. From that point on he is recorded on the rolls of the Grand Council as a dragon avenger, and is bound by his oath to avenge his dragon’s death. Once the defender has succeeded in eliminating the dragon’s killer, he is eligible to be chosen by another dragon as its defender after one week of mourning. At such time, he is again recorded on the rolls of the Grand Council as a dragon defender, and may once again continue to advance in the dragon defender prestige class. Dragons who lose their defender must also avenge their deaths before they may select a suitable replacement.

The Grand Defender and the Grand Council

The Secret Order of Grand Defenders is an organization of singular individuals united in a common cause–to preserve the cumulative knowledge, magic, and culture of dragonkind. Each defender shares a symbiotic relationship with his dragon companion. Both are pledged to protect one another, and aid any other dragons or defenders of their order. Although a defender and his dragon frequently work alone within the edicts of the order, there are times that the entire order is summoned together as one body, but this is done only under remarkable and dire circumstances. Such gatherings are initiated under the supervision of the Grand Defender and the Grand Council.

The Grand Defender, who also serves as a dragon defender, is elected by the Grand Council to serve as the protector, representative, and final voice of the order. In times of war, when the order is called to battle as a whole, the Grand Defender serves as their field marshal, with the members of the Grand Council assuming command under him. A Grand Defender is usually chosen for his or her individual merits–matchless bravery, prowess in battle, intuitive mind, and strength of character in upholding the edicts and oaths taken as a defender of dragonkind. The Grand Defender must have a character level of 15 or higher, 6 levels of which must b