Hebbourg is a Kingdom hidden away in the Asvard Highlands, a mountain range that drops precipitously into the The Ocean of Kearterel to the west, forming the fjords of Kaer, whereas to the east they gradually curve towards hills and valleys, speckled with rivers and lakes.
The Capital of Hebbourg, the City of Orest was built in stone on the side of a cliff. The Royal Palace overlooks the vast expanse of forest to the east.
The climate in Hebbourg is characterised by cold temperatures; long, cold winters being prevalent, as well as relatively low precipitation. In spring, the sun is higher in the horizon, so temperatures grow milder.
Hebbourg is rich in lumber, ore, and fish, all three of which are their main exports, although they only have established trade routes with a few neighbouring Kingdoms to the South and Southeast. There is little farmland, although they do grow some root vegetables, like carrots, potatoes, onions, and beets. They rely mostly on hunting and fishing.
In the past, a long, long time ago, the Asvard Highlands were teeming with dragons – not particularly large in size (most were the size of an adult male human), but unmatched in speed. They did not breathe fire, however. They breathed frost.
They lived side by side with the people of Heb, the so-called Dragonkeepers, but they were nearly hunted to extinction by other nations. Today very few remain, and they are kept safe in the crypts of Orest, allowed outside only under the strict supervision of the Keepers.
Bluespike, the biggest of the bunch, and the only one that is suitable to be ridden, often slips away to glide over the valleys and to dip her claws into the Ocean, as she is much like her only friend – the Crown Princess. The two of them are bonded, though that is not spoken of in Court. Vanya does not understand much about dragon riders, but she knows she is one. She rides without a saddle, though.
Bluespike has blue scales, almost mirror-like and prismatic, and bone spikes on her back. Her breath is a stream of frigid mist. She can be quite entitled and arrogant towards the Keepers, but she is rather playful and mischievous around Vanya. She likes to lounge around in the sun most of the time and does not appreciate her naptime being interrupted, especially by the fledglings.
Vanya is just as stubborn as her dragon. As the eldest child of the current Ruler, she is set to inherit the Throne, except that she isn't exactly the calm, composed, diplomatic type. She is wild, hotheaded, and stubborn. She can't stay put to save her life, has a lot of energy, and is eager to take action, but she is also someone who likes to have fun and mingle with the common folk. She has a sense of duty to her people, it's just that she and her father don't see eye to eye. She is not cunningly smart, but she is very skilled in combat and understands battle strategy more than her father, who has spent his whole life avoiding any kind of conflict because of fear.
With the ascension of King Draven to the Throne, Hebbourg had learned peace. But therein lies complacency. Whereas their neighbouring Kingdoms grow strong and amass great armies, Hebbourg stagnates, or so does Vanya believe.
She grew up as an unruly child, always skipping her school lessons to go off swordfighting or exploring the woods with her friends. She possessed none of the elegance a Princess should, nor was she interested in learning how to be one. She only became interested in learning how to be a ruler, though, in the aftermath of an attack from a neighbouring tribal nation, inhabiting the northernmost corners of the land, that left the whole Kingdom reeling.
She was kidnapped for a whole month when she was a child, but to this day, she hasn't told a soul what happened during that time.
