The Shadow is returning to Aebrynis at last and this time Evil will not be denied. A great darkness will blanket the world, heralding the beginning of an age of hopeless suffering.  There is naught that can be done to prevent this, for this final doom has been foreseen by all the great prophets of ages past. And so the Champions of Light must ready their defenses for the Last War against the Shadow  - and hope, against all hope, that they can somehow emerge victorious! Yet as all would-be heroes know - in the deep dark corners of their minds - they will eventually fail, no matter what victories they bring about. And when they do fail, as they must, then all that is pure and good will be forever lost and the world plunged into eternal darkness...but still they toil and struggle, sacrificing everything and more, if only to buy one more day in the sun for a world of ungrateful strangers. Such is the courage of true heroes that they dare defy even the inevitable - their names and deeds will be remembered in song and legend, until the last shred of light has been extinguished and all things come to an end...

This page tells you what Epic Birthright is all about, and a little about the main characters (both good and evil) and the primary campaign themes.

The Order of the Celestial Dragon live and die by their inflexible doctrine. At the core of this doctrine lies the Draconic Creed, which sums up what the Order is all about - eternal duty to the Dragon, unflincing valor in the face of the Shadow,  and honor to be found only in death.

Resource page relating to the 'prequel campaign' that formed the basis for the Epic BIRTHRIGHT campaign (this was my last P&P campaign using a heavily modified version of 2ed). The main protagonist is about one Moergan 'Draco' Shaeme and his adventures, and how he became akin to a god to his followers.

To understand the legend one must understand the man. And to understand Moergan Draco one has to understand how it is to be without fear, to have within oneself an infinite reservoir of belief in self and and utter disregard for other people and the world at large. You may have heard some wise old men say that courage, that is not lack of fear, but fear faced and conquered. Perhaps this is true for lesser men, such as you and me, who are born, live and then die. Not so for Moergan. He was not like us. He was not born like us - his mother was of mortal flesh, but his father was Haelyn come to Aebrynis. Nor did he just live, he not only lived, but he did - and whatever he did shaped the world, not the other way around. And he never died...or rather he did, but only because he chose to die so that he could become something greater. Can you start to comprehend the mind of such a one?

But enough of that. I have heard scholars and commoners alike claim that his courage was but a result of his divine blood. And certainly all members of House Shaeme are blessed by the blood of sacred Anduiras. And divine courage is among the abilities frequently found among the scions of House Shaeme...and arguabley did in fact Moergan have this ability as well. But it does become moot does it not, when Moergan did struggle and fight his way through the world for many years without the blessings of his bloodline, does it not? And by all accounts Moergan's lack of fear was something that was strong in him early, perhaps from birth even, and certainly long before any divine power blossomed within his veins.

So whatever else you may believe about Moergan - call him fraud, call him saint, call him god - it does not matter as long as you accept that he was a man without fear. Call it courage if you will. Or insanity if it pleases you. He certainly was intelligent enough and learned enough to understand the dangers he faced, but he did not care. To him only his own will counted. The rest of the world was his to command...or the target of him boundless wrath if it defied him. Oh, this 'courage' certainly game him great inner strength, but it also made him utterly callous and incapable of forging social bonds beyond that of master and servant. And he suffered many a setback because of it - not that he cared or even understood. But in the end - nay, after the end - was his true genius made clear. Moergan Draco had understood what few men have before or after...that men are gods and gods are men, and all that matters is what you decide to be. And Moergan Draco chose to rise beyond his station - to seize what the gods would not give, and all consequences be damned!

Enough of my prattle - open the tome and look for yourself. Try to understand the mind of God - and if you dare...try to be one yourself...but be warned, though your will may be strong...it needs to be strong enough to contend with the powers-that-already-be...and they care little for intruders and usurpers! Do you have that in you? I think not...

The original Epic BIRTHRIGHT campaign (often called the Draconic Empire campaign). It tells the tale of Shaedan Draco, son to the Celestial Dragon, and how he comes to rule a vast Empire in Aduria.

A current non-epic campaign run within the framework of the Draconic Empire epic campaign. Moerdred Draco is the son of Shaedan and the grand-son of Moergan.

This page has rules for using the Order in DnD v.3.5 games. Note that while some of the rules presented are balanced enough for normal play, the majority of the rules are applicable only for Epic BIRTHRIGHT campaigns (they are either overpowered or very campaig-specific).