"The Dracci"
A Flintloque Background Article Collated From the Original Flintloque eGroup.
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Back in 2007 when I first published this article the Dracci had all but disappeared. This was the first step in bringing the Dracci back, something which happened slowly but steadly over the intervening years. - Craig Andrews, Editor, November 2014
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AA initially realeased their excellent Dracci miniatures to go with thier fantasy rulsets Maelstrome and Darkstorme. An artilce in the Orcs in the Hills magazine saw them killed off before the Fourth Age of Valon, when Flintloque is set, began. The original Flintloque eGroup oft ruminated on how the Dracci could be used and some of thier comments are quite inspiring. (The original eGroup is still around today. It was the precursor to the Notables Yahoo Group, and is now known as The Historical Orc, if you're not a member, check it out here. It's a quieter group than the Notables these days but has a searchable database of posts going back to Flintloque's release in 1995. You also find the occasional post on non-AA miniatures that would work with Flintloque. You can aslo sell your old Flintloque miniatures there too as well if you want. - Craig, Ed.)
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Simon Day on the Dracii - June 1999
According to "Orcs in the Hills", the Dracii were a race of lizard/dragon-kin who were driven backinto the mountainous areas by various races and eventually died out.
I forget the exact specifics of the article, but that's a rough outline. I thought that they could prove a useful adversary and give a little bit of extra spice to the newly developing armies, so we dreamed up some suitable stats for them. As far as figures go, we tend to use the plastic Saurus/Skink figures from GW. We're in the process of running a campaign based on the birth of the gunpowder, so countries who have developed gunnes are going up against less developed countries. We've drawn up stats for old-style dwarf, elf, orc, human and Dracii troop types that can be used with both Flintloque and Slaughterloo, so we can have both skirmish level and major battle level games. So far, it's a very close run thing, as both types of army are holding their ground nicely.
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Steve Blease on the Dracci - June 1999
The original AA idea was to have the Dracii (first mentioned in The Duel) as a Chinese race in Valon (you know the dragon imagery etc). Hints to this were being set up in OITH.
[The plastic Skink/Saurus figures] would be perfect. The Saurus with coolie hats and a selection of matchloques and polearms would be perfect for colonialesque Flintloque games...
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Steve Blease on the Dracci - July 2000
Essentially they were the Chinese and [thier] racial cousins and the idea of a Ferach colonial invasion of the Dracci homelands was on the cards. The Dracci Empire covered most of the reverse Pacific for the Empire would also bave many armed subservient races. (I recall mention of fire dwarves once who lived in a Volcanic region and black elves were also planned).
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Daryl Lonnon on the Far East of Valon - July 2000
Although I'm off by a coupla years/decades, colonial expansion into the Far-West might make some interesting scenarios.
I was thinking of the fading imperial power of China and the rush of European powers to grab a slice of the pie.
In the back of my mind, I was thinking of the Chinese being draconians. With the higher up the nobility you go the more dragon like the person (peasants being more like lizardman). Each dynasty representing a single warlord/dragon taking power and ruling for several 1000 years, growing fat on the power. Each dynasty slowly falling into a beauracratic state as the ruling dragon becomes more and more lethargic ... until they take their final sleep. Then a period of warring dragons as various dragon warlords marshal their forces for a bid for the throne.
As the imperial powers of "Europe" move into the region, the current Ruler (The Drachu Dynasty from Dranchuria), is entering his final sleep. The empire is effectively (or ineffectively) ruled by his chief consort, Dracager, and a beauracracy of Draconian Eunuchs.
Meanwhile, two Dragon warlords have appeared and are building support for a bid for the Imperial Throne. Skang Sky Chek, a sky dragon, who is favored by the Orcs of East Valonia and Mao Say Dung, an earth dragon, who is backed by the Liches of Witchlands.
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Steve Blease on the Dracci - July 2000
Boxer Rebellion, Black Flags, Opium Wars - lots of inspiration. Even Brooke and the Malay Pirates...
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Mac Coxhead on the Dracii - February 2001
So is it written in the legends of Shivalia, that the Dracii stole from the Elves their greatest treasure, and how the Elves waged a Holy War until they regained what had been taken from them. It is told how evil were the Dragon Children, and how their malice covered the world.
Now I, Morgana, deposed Empress of the Peacock throne, and last of the first, will speak unspeakable words, and open the secrets of my faltering heart before I join the Lie.
We were a young and proud people, first-born we styled our selves - not that we came before the Orcs or Dwarfs - but we were the first beautiful creation upon Valon....
...the Dracii ambassadors spoke of knowledge they would share with us, of the peace of Valon....
...then those who spoke with Shia spread stories of the wealth the Dracii would hide from us.....
...we fell upon the ambassadors and forced from them the path to their home. So dragon-bright their spirits, that they smiled upon us as children, even as we slew them.
Then armed we our host, and by many unknown ways, barren, fruitful, strange, stormy, came we, The First-born, to far Kathay. Up we toiled, more than a league, above the clouds we were....
...and we fell upon the undefended city of the Dracii, no walls had they for the fools thought they needed none. We reaved and burned and slaughtered even unto their Holiest place, and there we seized the great crystal, which has been forged into the Ring of Power...
...then up rose mighty Dragons, whose visages terrified our hearts, and we fled...
Thus is The Lie revealed.
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Webmaster's Notes
This article was compiled from posts on the original Flintloque eGroup, now The Historical Orc, and was first published on the 2nd December 2007 as part of Orcs in the Webbe's 2007 Advent Calendar. It was absent for several years due to a prior regeneration of the website not transferring everything over correctly, the wrong has now been righted and it returned on the 2nd November 2014 as part of Orcs in the Webbe's ongoing Flintloque Archive Project.
Since then the Dracci have featured in many articles on Orcs in the Webbe, click on the maroon tag below and to the left to see them all.
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