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Draconi

Author: Jarucas
Date Added: 7/20/09
Last Modified: 7/20/09

Contents


Long ago, in the 1st Age of Aedolyn, near the end of the Days of Aratar, the grand and noble Dragons were accorded the highest honor that the old gods could bestow.  They were tasked with guarding and protecting the gates that the gods would give their lives to create.  Dragon kind had been given a sacred duty to uphold.  They were to enforce The Warning.

” Sealed these gates must forever remain,
If it’s peace and order you wish to reign.
Unlocked these gates grant you our power,
Yet yield your realm for chaos to devour.”

Despite the efforts of the great Dragons, who considered themselves unfathomably superior to the lowly mortals for whom The Warning was intended, sealed the gates did not remain.  One by one, the gates were unsealed; little by little, the power of the gods seeped into the world; time after time, the mighty Dragons failed to prevent the inevitable.  Then, one fateful day nearly 1,000 years since the Dragons had taken on their sacred duty, their failure became complete.  The Elspeth Gate, the last of the five, was unsealed, releasing the full spectrum of magic into the world.  The resultant wave of magic that rolled across the face of Aedolyn lashed out at the Dragons for their failure.  It brushed them aside and created new guardians, the Faeries, to replace them.  The entirety of the power of the old gods continued to wash across the face of Aedolyn, granting equal access to all the denizens of the world.  Only then, when it was finished, did it return its attention to the disgraced Dragons and punish them for their failure.

The magic cursed the Dragons, casting them aside in shame.  It took from them their glorious forms, their immortality, their arrogance, their pride, and their language (they now speak common).  It changed them, altering their forms.  It forced upon them the shape of men, but with many physical attributes of the Dragons they once were, that they never forget their shame and dishonor.  Thus were born the Draconic race.  The shame and dishonor of their failure is why, to this very day, the use of magic is anathema in Draconic society (see Religious Observance below).

It is rumored that true Dragons still exist somewhere upon the face of Aedolyn, but surely those are nothing more than fireside tales.

Appearance

Draconi (plural), Dracon (singular), Draconic (subjective), are generally quite tall, averaging anywhere from 6 feet 6 inches to a towering 8 feet.  They have, more often than not, a very muscular build and every inch of their skin is covered in colorful scales (the colors of their scales is not indicative of anything, it simply lends them variety of appearance).  A Dracon’s hands and feet are tipped with sharp talons and they have the reptilian facial features of a Dragon combined with some human aspects.  The most notable feature the Draconi possess is their impressive wings.  These wings are the most Dragon-like aspect of their appearance and give them the ability to fly, a constant reminder of what they once were.  (Reference Images)

Lifespan

0-15 (Child); 16-30 (Young Adult); 31-65 (Adult); 66-85 (Elder).  Draconi rarely live longer than 85 years.  Elder Draconi are highly respected in Draconic society.

Flight

A Dracon’s ability to fly is not as glorious as one might imagine.  It is not the soaring flight of the eagle, nor is it the long distance flight of the goose.  Dracons can fly for short (a couple miles) distances at an altitude between fifty and one hundred feet up before the muscles involved become too fatigued to continue.  They are able to hover and fly around in a small area through the active flapping of their wings and brief periods of gliding.  Yet another dash of salt in an ancient wound.

Lands and Society

Draconic society inhabits the mountainous regions of Gaalvar and Bavkür.  They reside within the caves and caverns that riddle the mountainsides.  A group of Draconi living in the same general area are known as a flock.  The Draconi have a somewhat reclusive and private society, having very little contact with other races (besides the Faeries), preferring to isolate themselves and dedicate their lives to atonement.  Domestically, the Draconi hunt, fish, and gather for food and they maintain loving family units to raise and educate their young.  They are a peaceful people overall, not seeking to conquer new lands or take what does not belong to them.  They have the will and the means, however, to protect their homes and their families if the need should arise.  Culturally, the Draconi are devoutly religious.  Their religion, unique to the Draconi, affects nearly every aspect of their everyday lives.  It is their way of life.  It is their law.

Religion

The Draconic religion appeared immediately after the Dragons were cursed by the very magic they had failed to safeguard and transformed into the Draconi.  Since then, it has shaped every aspect of their society.  Many prophecies have arisen in that time and the religion has grown fat with ritual, artifice, and dogma.  Priests and monks permeate society, enforcing the righteous laws of the church and ministering to the populace.  Any Dracon that forsakes the Draconic religion, or breaks with church doctrine, is banished from Draconic society and labeled an Infidel to be refused salvation on the Day of Redemption.  (There is an underground movement, which disputes the claims of the church.  More on them later.)

  • Religious Dogma

    Draconic religious scripture holds that a single Dragon was spared the fate of becoming Draconi.  This Dragon’s name is Culdreth.  It is written that Culdreth was not transformed into a Dracon, but given another punishment.  He was tasked to watch over his brethren, sit in judgment upon them.  He waits for the day that the Draconi have sufficiently atoned for their failure, the day that they have repented their sins completely.  On that day of days, the Day of Redemption, Culdreth will return to Aedolyn in the flesh, the flesh of a true Dragon, and pronounce his judgment upon the worthy, who will be transformed into glorious Dragons once again.

  • Religious Prophecies

    The prophecies associated with the Draconic religion are numerous and varied, different sects accepting some while rejecting others.  Most of the prophecies center upon what must be done to bring forth the Day of Redemption.  The primary prophecy among these claims, the one that is propagated above all others, declares that a Dracon called ”Aurak” will one day arise and lead his people on the path to atonement - and then give his own life in a final act of repentance to bring about the Day of Redemption.  Of course, this will only come to pass if the Draconi people atone and repent sufficiently in the meantime.

  • Priests of Culdreth

    Draconic society is ruled by its religion.  Draconic priests - rarely seen without their ornate vestments, robes, and voluminous hoods - act as confidants, teachers, councilors, police, judges, and lawmakers.  These priests are known as the ’Priests of Culdreth’.  Each sect, each Draconi flock, is ruled by a High Priest who leads the entire flock in ablutions every morning that they may face another day on the path to salvation.  Monks (see Combat below) are accorded the respect of priests, but do not have the same level of authority.

  • Religious Observance

    A Dracon in good standing must attend morning ablutions with the rising of each day’s sun.  Furthermore, he must kneel, facing in the direction of the nearest Gate, and pray to Culdreth for five minutes each day at noon.  Every evening, after the day’s work is finished, but prior to the evening meal, he must spend an hour reading from scripture, either alone or aloud with family and friends.  Most importantly, Draconi must never give in to the temptation to use magic.  A Dracon that uses magic, even a single time, will find himself discommunicated from the church and banished from Draconic society.  The Draconi are not worthy of magic.  Magic is not for those who failed it.

  • Religious Indoctrination

    From the time they are born, Draconi children are taught to feel the shame and guilt associated with the ancestral failure of their race.  They are taught the dogma of Draconic religion as indisputable truth.  They are taught that Draconi are inferior and that that inferiority is a punishment for the sins of their predecessors.  They are taught to repent these sins in humility, that pride in oneself is offensive, and to ceaselessly strive for atonement.  They are taught that the use of magic by Draconi is forbidden, that it is a grievous sin.  They are taught that faith in church doctrine will lead them to eventual forgiveness and redemption.  They are told that the most likely path to atonement lies in service to the very magic that punishes them.  That service is performed by Draconian Knights, trained in the art of combat by the Culdrethian Monks.

Culdrethian Monks

Living in isolation within the caves and caverns of the highest reaches of the mountains, the Culdrethian Monks are Draconi that have dedicated their lives to introspection and philosophical thinking.  The meditation and mind centering techniques employed by the monks have evolved into a graceful dance, a series of movements known as the ‘Hokas’.  One needs only to witness a monk dancing his Hokas to realize that this smooth and flowing display of motion could easily become a lethal form of unarmed combat.  It is this dance, with the addition of two curved blades, which has evolved into the fearsome fighting style of the Draconian Knights.

Draconian Knights

As previously mentioned, the Draconi are taught that the most likely path to atonement lies in the service of magic and the Draconian Knights do exactly that.  Acceptance into the ranks of the knights is considered the highest honor a Dracon can receive.  It is considered the most righteous path a Dracon can choose to follow and the knights are treated with respect and reverence by all of Draconic society.  Even the Priests of Culdreth generally defer to the Draconian Knights.  Future knights are trained relentlessly by the Culdrethian Monks in a martial form of the Hokas known as the ’Tokas’.  The Tokas are the same graceful dance performed by the monks, but performed much faster and with the addition of two curved swords, one in each hand.  Once a would-be knight has passed his training, he is assigned to a ’Flight’ (a “unit”) in service to one of the five Faery Legions and tasked to protect the gates and the all important balance.  They are the steel to the Faeries’ magic.

  • Ground Combat

    The Draconian Knights can dance the Tokas with wide variety of weapons, or without any other weapons than their own talons, but the official weapons of the knights are a dual set of curved swords (Sword reference image).  The Tokas are a graceful, flowing dance with no wasted movements.  Each Toka stance leads smoothly into the next; each is either an attack or a defense.  A Draconian Knight dancing the Tokas is an amazing thing to behold as he spins, leaps, and flips - all with a beautiful and deadly efficiency of motion.  There are not many upon the face of Aedolyn that would wish to face a Draconian Knight in melee combat.

  • Mid-Air Combat

    Contrary to popular belief, the strenuous use of the back and shoulder muscles required for flight make drawing and firing a bow nearly impossible.  Instead, the Draconi utilize spears, darts, daggers, and a myriad of other thrown weapons when conducting air to ground attacks.  These attacks are primarily used to harry opponents before coming to a landing, at which time the Draconian Knights begin their deadly dance.  Mid-air combat with another flying opponent is simply not feasible, as the knights learn first hand during their training.  Any attempt to engage in melee combat while in flight is almost guaranteed to bring both combatants crashing to the ground.

The 7th Age Adventists

Hiding in the shadows of Draconic society, beneath the nose of the Church of Culdreth, is a movement that calls itself the 7th Age Adventists.  The 7th Agers (as they’re known) do not believe the ‘Scriptures of Culdreth’ - they do not believe that there is a dragon named ‘Culdreth’ - nor do they believe that there will ever be a ‘Day of Redemption’.  What the 7th Agers do believe is that the gates must be destroyed to remove magic from the world.  They believe that preventing the release of magic into the world had been their ancestors' true charge and so, removing it once again and ushering Aedolyn into the 7th Age is the only way to atone for their ancient failure.  The 7th Age Adventists meet in secrecy, plot in the shadows, and take covert action with stealth and deception.  Many of them secretly practice the arts of magic, right in the midst of the Draconic faithful, and work to sabotage the church at every turn.

Goblins

The Goblin Horde, in their quest to destroy the gates, are the nemesis of the Draconian Knights and their Faery allies.  Small skirmishes and, at times, all out battles occur in the vicinity of each gate quite regularly.  These clashes are generally brief, as the Goblins tend to turn tail and run, frustrating the Draconi immensely.  The noble Draconian Knights find Goblin tactics to be annoying and distasteful, but while they have no respect for the Goblins themselves, the knights do not dismiss the real threat that they pose to the gates.  The clandestine 7th Age Adventists, while they consider Goblins to be worthless scum, are not above helping them from the shadows, as they share an ultimate goal.  Fortunately for the Draconian Knights and the Faery Legions, however, there exists little to no structure to this covert and unofficial alliance.

Time Travel Note

Using the gates to travel through time is considered magic, and rightly so.  Therefore, time travel is against the Draconic religion and garners the same punishment as using magic to craft spells - that punishment being discommunication and banishment.  The exception to this socio-religious decree is the Draconian Knights.  The knights may utilize the gates for time travel as part of their duties in working with the Faeries to protect the gates and maintain the balance.