Dragonborn

The dragonborn, or Strixiki in Draconic, are a race of reptile-like humanoids currently native to the continent of Drul'Mak. An ancient race, in existence since the First Age, the dragonborn are proud and honorable. Most are tall and strong, with leather-like scales covering their bodies. They come in a range of colors, much like the colors of true dragons, which are inherited much like the skin color of other humanoids.
There are two notable subraces of dragonborn on Aeramis.
Drul'Makarn dragonborn have reptilian frills on their cheeks and ears, and a crest of soft horn-like scales grows from the backs of their skulls, resembling dreadlocks. The tend on the more muscular side, and do not have tails.
Isharan Dragonborn do not have the same frills or dreadlock-like scales. Instead, two or more large horns sweep back from their skulls. They have muscular tails, approximately the same length as their standing height, and tend toward leaner bodies.
Due to their geographical distance from each other, mixed-heritage dragonborn are rare. However, such individuals can exist, and tend to have a mix of characteristics from both subraces (tails appear to be a dominant trait). Some dragonborn also have a stronger tie to true dragons than other members of their race. Most of these are sorcerers, but not all draconic bloodlines manifest in arcane power. For such individuals, their physical characteristics (including scale color and horn arrangement) more closely resemble the kind of dragon that they hail from.
The Isharan dragonborn are not well known, living on the faraway continent of Ishara. Most information relating to dragonborn history and ecology revolves around Drul'Makarn dragonborn.

Physiology

Despite their reptilian appearance, dragonborn more closely resemble monotremes; they are warm-blooded and suckle their young with milk, yet lay eggs (usually one, rarely ever two). Men tend to be larger and more muscular than women, with wider skulls and more aggressive spikes on their heads, though both sexes are stronger than the average human. The scales that flow down into dreadlocks can be long or short, depending on the individual and independent of sex. On Ishara, men tend to have larger and more elaborately-spiked horns than women.
A dragonborn egg is typically laid 1-2 months after conception. About 200 days later, the young hatches and can quickly walk within a few hours. Newly hatched dragonborn have no teeth for the first few months of their lives, allowing them to be breastfed, switching to solid foods as the teeth come in. Dragonborn grow quickly compared to humans; by the first year a hatchling is the same size and has the same mental development as a 3-year old human. By 3 years of age they are the equivalent of a 10-year old, and at 12-years of age they have become a lanky version of their adult self. Dragonborn reach full sexual and mental maturity at 15. They have the same overall lifespans as humans; 80 years on average, though some have been known to live as long as 100.

History

The dragonborn are one of the oldest humanoid races, having existed since the First Age alongside other scaled races such as kobolds, lizardfolk, and yuan-ti. Other scaled species lived during this time; wyverns, drakes, and other lesser dragons, and the dinosaurs. Aeramis was the name of the world since its creation, and in this time had one great continent known as Arkhosia. The dragons ruled over Arkhosia alongside the dragonborn for 35,000 years. Their main competitor for control of the world was the yuan-ti country of Mhairshaulk, which warred with Arkhosia for thousands of years. Despite this conflict, however, the dragonborn seemed likely to have a long and bright future, where it not for the godly calamity which destroyed their great civilization. The Abbysal being Tharizdun did battle with the dragon's god Io, and in so doing nearly destroyed the world.
In the wake of this calamity, the landmass of Arkhosia was broken apart. The largest landmass, which would come to be known as Aerlon, quickly became devoid of most of the life which had existed in the First Age, as it served as the site of the battle between Tharizdun and the two children born of Io's ruin: Bahamut and Tiamat. The dragonborn and other living things that survived the conflict lived on two of the smaller continents which formed; landmasses that would come to be known as Drul'Mak and Ishara. Of the true dragons, their numbers were cut dangerously low. The survivors abandoned any attempts to recreating a society, and managed to survive on all continents except Ishara.
For the rest of Aeramis' history, the dragonborn lived a relatively reserved existence, though they whispered prophecies which claimed that, some day, the sun and moon themselves would descend onto Aeramis to lead the dragonborn to their former power. The yuan-ti had apparently been destroyed in the calamity which ended Arkhosia, and the dragonborn needed time to lick their wounds as new races such as elves sprang up on the largest continent and began to take control of the world. The dragonborn segregated themselves into clans, which became the most important aspect of a dragonborn's life. Those living on Ishara become isolationists almost by accident; their continent being so far away as to escape notice from the rest of the world. Dragons were no longer looked up to or embraced as a kind of cousin, perhaps the dragonborn's trust in them having been destroyed along with Akhosia. On Drul'Mak, a clawed hand of friendship was extended to the elves living across the Aeldir Sea, but the dragonborn did not have the resources or society structure to be considered a great power.
By the Fourth Age, however, this had begun to change. Some clans banded together, uniting under a Clan Council, hoping to regain some sense of their former glory. Not all clans recognized the authority of the Council, however, preventing this new alliance from being as strong as it could be. When the Astral War started, the dragonborn of Drul'Mak joined forces with the other humanoid races living on Aerlon to put a stop to the fighting before the world could be sundered again.
The Fifth Age has proven to be an interesting time for the dragonborn. In T5A 1,940 a gold dragon by the name of Aurumas and a silver dragon by the name of Argenta, arrived in the capital of Drul'Mak. They made claims of prophecy fulfillment, of the sun and moon descending to remake Arkhosia and return it to its former glory. The dragonborn of Drul'Mak, almost unanimously, banded together under their leadership, bringing dragons back into their newly reformed society. The Holy Empire of Arkhosia, named in honor of their past, quickly grew in power and influence until, in T5A 2,003, they waged war on the Realm of Aerlon across the sea.
The War of Cinders, also known as the War of Fire and Sun or the War of Dragon and Phoenix, created distrust between dragonborn and humans that would have lasting impact upon both societies. It lasted for over 8 years, and promised to continue on longer with much greater loss of life when the apparently not-extinct civilization of yuan-ti suddenly struck at Arkhosia. Unable and unwilling to fight a war on two fronts, Arkhosia and Aerlon agreed to a cease fire. For now, the two countries exist in a kind of cold war as the dragonborn, still reeling from their recent conflict, defend themselves from the yuan-ti.

Culture

Dragonborn society in the late Fifth Age is complicated, and functions through a system of clan and family reputation, tradition, and honor. Members of other races often reference the fact that dragonborn spend much of their time discussing their honor; how to keep it, its importance, and sometimes how to regain it when it is lost. A dragonborn without honor is a failing, both to the individual, their family, and to dragonborn as a whole.
Clans and family bloodlines are still preserved among the dragonborn even after the arrival of Aurumas and Argenta, and both are important. All dragonborn revere their honored ancestors, family, and clan. They perform their work with an eye toward what their deeds say about their lineage. Such ties can define peace and enmity, as well as cooperation or antagonism, among individual dragonborn. Families and clans have reputations, good or ill, that can have little to do with the living scions of the bloodline. The desire to live up to a laudable legacy or overcome a besmirched birthright can define a dragonborn’s life. Some dragonborn instead embrace infamy or flee from the responsibility imposed by the past. Others make their way according to personal values, perhaps aiming at becoming the most capable and admired dragonborn among the elders of a clan, thereby becoming the clanmaster. When doing so is possible, all dragonborn of a particular clan look to their clanmaster for guidance.
Dragonborn wed to procreate. Although notable exceptions exist to this generality, wedlock ends as soon as the offspring from a union is 3 years old. If the parents have no reason to maintain proximity, one of them, usually of the same gender as the child, raises and trains that youngster in the ways of people, family, and clan (some couples remain bonded even during this separation, coming together occasionally to be with each other and perhaps procreate again). Honor demands that a parent teach a child well, and that adults care for the young. Through storytelling, tutoring, and demonstration, the parent instills virtues and skills in the child. Although this process serves to educate, it also gives the youngster’s fiery spirit a focus.
Principled behavior and instilled daring mean dragonborn adults are different from their counterparts among other peoples. Dragonborn society produces fewer petty criminals, but more outright villains (dragonborn are more likely to be bandit lords than pickpockets). Conversely, dragonborn are numerous among adventurers. They also find places more regularly in the company of those who have unusual or specialized skills, artistic or venturesome.
Regardless of what they do, whether among other dragonborn or not, dragonborn are conscious of how they are responsible for what they do. A dragonborn weaponsmith aims to be the best, to push the boundaries of his craft, to sell weapons in a scrupulous manner, and to honor those who use his armaments by creating implements of worth. The dragonborn soldier, in turn, honors armorer, commander, and clan, by performing his or her duties well. He or she does so by taking initiative in training and on the battlefield, and by helping comrades. Failing to recognize such interconnectivity is a failing of character.
War is not directly integral to dragonborn society; hardened warriors value peace time over needless conflict. However, dragonborn do believe that to die with a weapon in one's hand, especially when fighting to protect your loved ones or in the name of justice, is to die well; your conviction in battle to be as strong as possible means you never gave up, even as you lay bleeding. It is a fate preferred by all dragonborn, in favor of passing away peacefully in one's bed (though to do so is not considered dishonorable in itself).
Of course, despite this strong sense of justice and honor, dragonborn are not infallible. An offense, depending on its severity, can bring shame to the offender's name for several generations, unless individuals in the family can prove their value through some means appropriate to the situation. In these circumstances, a guilty dragonborn usually has two options; to take their own life, or to be exiled. Ritual suicide needs to be performed publicly before witnesses in order to be valid, usually in a town square or before a court. To remove themselves from the burden of society and their family is the greatest thing a shamed dragonborn can do, returning them to a status of honor.
On the other side is exile; to run from punishment and responsibility. There is no greater shame for a dragonborn than to choose such a life, especially as their dishonorable action reflects upon their family and clan. In particularly extreme cases, sometimes exile is enforced upon a dragonborn formally against their will. Such circumstances are rare, but are intended to be the harshest punishment possible to bestow upon an individual, as they are not allowed to take their own life and regain their honor. The dragonborn's family name is stripped and replaced with Dukhaal, "Dishonored," and the dragonborn is forbidden from returning home or face further punishment. During their exile, the dragonborn is expected to introduce themselves appropriately so that everyone will know of their shame, and to never take their own life.

Religion

The original god of the dragonborn was Io, patron of all dragonkind. The Isharan dragonborn still worship him directly, though whether this has any measurable purpose is unknown. With his death"at the hands of Tharizdun, the dragonborn now worship two other gods who were spawned from Io's two halves.
A majority of dragonborn follow Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, a beacon of justice and nobility. Bahamut is the god by which Aurumas and Argenta claim to have the blessing of as proof of their right to rule, and Akhosia marches to war under his banners. Their worship of him is integral to their sense of honor and systems of punishment; every dragonborn hopes to be joined with Bahamut after death. Dying in shame is a foolproof way to ensure that will not occur, which helps to explain the dragonborn's near obsession with honor.
Tiamat is Bahamut's evil counterpart; as much devil as she is goddess. Villainous dragonborn often follow her, hoping to free her from her home in the Nine Hells. Dragonborn who follow Bahamut fear Tiamat more than any other evil. They believe that, if they die in shame, not only will they not rejoin with Bahamut, but they face an eternity being ripped apart and consumed by Tiamat's five heads.
Dragonborn do occasionally worship other gods, particularly if the dragonborn resides in other parts of the world around non-dragonborn. Of these, they are particularly interested in Pelor for his role as the sun, Avandra for her sense of adventure, Moradin for his focus on tradition, and Erathis for her sense of law and order.