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Description
Across the sea from Jassa Bay, in the sweltering heart of Oshar's tropics, lies Matotlijascurte. It is a land of dense steamy jungles, swampy lowlands, high ridges and plateaus, rich platestone mines, Titanwood trees as tall as skyscrapers, ancient giant ruins (containing some of the most elaborate and exquisite art and architecture ever made), great draconic reptiles, and the almost god-like fae-folk in some of the highest numbers anywhere in the world.

The people of Matolijascurte (known as the "Matojasli") used to have one of the largest empires in the world, until unrest caused by the gross mismanagement and abuse by the tyrant emperor Ormeza led to about a third of the provinces seceding.
Even 20 years after Ormeza's death, the former provinces of the western third are still fiercely independent, and a silent yet brutal war is being fought along the disputed borders with the loyalist provinces. The war is called "silent" because the forces of both sides are some of the best human guerilla fighters in the world (only those of the elves outclass them), so usually the only sign of a typical skirmish between them is a series of quiet whistles, twig snaps or wood knocks, followed by some dull thuds in the leaf litter as body-painted warriors fall dead from the trees covered in poisoned darts or arrows.

In the heartland military of the Matojasli loyalists however, there also exists an elite class of warriors who, although less stealth-focused in their approach to combat, are no less deadly. These are the Drakemasters, and the elite of their already elite class: The Drake Riders.

In the Matojasli jungles, one of the most formidable predators is the Eagle-Drake, a large, almost "Dakotaraptor"-like feathered draconic reptile (closely related to the ancestors of birds) that hunts in packs to bring down even truly massive prey such as tarasques and behemoths.
They are also not only resistant to magic, they can also sense it, and tell exactly what they are tracking by the "feel" of its magic (even without a normal scent trail being present).

The Drakemasters of the empire steal eggs from Eagle-Drake nests, and then hatch, raise and train the babies, socially bonding with them in the process. This is something of a gamble, as if the bond between Drake and master isn't strong enough, the Drake will inevitably turn on the small squishy human and eat him once its hunting instincts develop.
And even if the bond is strong enough, most of the time the Drakemaster can only give the Drake simple commands. Enter the Drake Riders:
Only those Drakemasters whose bond with their animal companion is truly exceptional will ever be allowed to ride it as their mount.

---

Son of the current Matojasli emperor Miracoz, Prince Niritez is one of the most accomplished Drake-Riders who ever lived.
He's a skilled and formidable warrior with a lot of experience fighting southern sea raiders, Jassan leopardskin pirates, hostile unconquered rainforest tribes, and huge reptilian monsters. However, he doesn't have much patience or tolerance for the dreary politics and bureaucracy of his princely duties, much to the annoyance of his father.
He's a wild adventurer at heart, always looking for a worthy challenge for himself and his beloved Eagle-Drake (whose name translates to "Tiger Orchid").

One example of Niritez's adventures is that time he led a party of Drakemasters to a fishing town in the swampy river deltas, where for the past few weeks a large and aggressive male Mokele-Mbembe, seemingly driven out of its pod by a rival male further upstream, made itself a lair in the coastal swamps and regularly terrorized local fishermen.
Niritez and his men were tasked with hunting down and slaying this beast.

Description
Across the sea from Jassa Bay, in the sweltering heart of Oshar's tropics, lies Matotlijascurte. It is a land of dense steamy jungles, swampy lowlands, high ridges and plateaus, rich platestone mines, Titanwood trees as tall as skyscrapers, ancient giant ruins (containing some of the most elaborate and exquisite art and architecture ever made), great draconic reptiles, and the almost god-like fae-folk in some of the highest numbers anywhere in the world.

The people of Matolijascurte (known as the "Matojasli") used to have one of the largest empires in the world, until unrest caused by the gross mismanagement and abuse by the tyrant emperor Ormeza led to about a third of the provinces seceding.
Even 20 years after Ormeza's death, the former provinces of the western third are still fiercely independent, and a silent yet brutal war is being fought along the disputed borders with the loyalist provinces. The war is called "silent" because the forces of both sides are some of the best human guerilla fighters in the world (only those of the elves outclass them), so usually the only sign of a typical skirmish between them is a series of quiet whistles, twig snaps or wood knocks, followed by some dull thuds in the leaf litter as body-painted warriors fall dead from the trees covered in poisoned darts or arrows.

In the heartland military of the Matojasli loyalists however, there also exists an elite class of warriors who, although less stealth-focused in their approach to combat, are no less deadly. These are the Drakemasters, and the elite of their already elite class: The Drake Riders.

In the Matojasli jungles, one of the most formidable predators is the Eagle-Drake, a large, almost "Dakotaraptor"-like feathered draconic reptile (closely related to the ancestors of birds) that hunts in packs to bring down even truly massive prey such as tarasques and behemoths.
They are also not only resistant to magic, they can also sense it, and tell exactly what they are tracking by the "feel" of its magic (even without a normal scent trail being present).

The Drakemasters of the empire steal eggs from Eagle-Drake nests, and then hatch, raise and train the babies, socially bonding with them in the process. This is something of a gamble, as if the bond between Drake and master isn't strong enough, the Drake will inevitably turn on the small squishy human and eat him once its hunting instincts develop.
And even if the bond is strong enough, most of the time the Drakemaster can only give the Drake simple commands. Enter the Drake Riders:
Only those Drakemasters whose bond with their animal companion is truly exceptional will ever be allowed to ride it as their mount.

---

Son of the current Matojasli emperor Miracoz, Prince Niritez is one of the most accomplished Drake-Riders who ever lived.
He's a skilled and formidable warrior with a lot of experience fighting southern sea raiders, Jassan leopardskin pirates, hostile unconquered rainforest tribes, and huge reptilian monsters. However, he doesn't have much patience or tolerance for the dreary politics and bureaucracy of his princely duties, much to the annoyance of his father.
He's a wild adventurer at heart, always looking for a worthy challenge for himself and his beloved Eagle-Drake (whose name translates to "Tiger Orchid").

One example of Niritez's adventures is that time he led a party of Drakemasters to a fishing town in the swampy river deltas, where for the past few weeks a large and aggressive male Mokele-Mbembe, seemingly driven out of its pod by a rival male further upstream, made itself a lair in the coastal swamps and regularly terrorized local fishermen.
Niritez and his men were tasked with hunting down and slaying this beast.