Draconic Clades

Dragons are loosely classified by the colour of their scales and other aspects of their physiognomy, although in truth all dragons are unique entities, and dragons - unlike the Dragonborn who revere them - can change their clade as they grow, their form changing to match their nature. It is even possible for a dragon to transition from chromatic to metallic, or vice versa, although incredibly rare.

Chromatic Dragons

The dragons who descend from Goch, Qestor, Jalaen, Ystor and Ulean are marked by the rich colours and matt finish of their scales. Most revere Malcidis, and to a greater or lesser degree espouse the principles of draconic rule over the lesser races. A few, however, look to Tropos as their divine model, and seek power in dark magics and undeath. While sometimes considered the 'evil' dragons, chromatics are not inherently destructive, although neither do they have the guilt-driven benevolence of their metallic kin.

• Red dragons are proud, authoritarian and commanding. They crave control and order, more than simply power, and are at the forefront of most attempts to establish draconic rule. Most red dragons are mountain or desert dwellers.
• Blue dragons are direct, sometimes brutal, and extremely mission-oriented. They tend to think tactically rather than strategically, focusing on how to achieve specific goals rather than why those goals are right or important, and often specialising in one area of study or expertise for decades at a time to perfect that method. They favour desert or coastal territories.
• Black dragons are grim, obsessive and detailed. Often scholarly, they pursue their studies with a single-minded, ruthless focus, regardless of the cost. They typically possess intense appetites, although the focus of that appetite varies between individuals. They are usually swamp or freshwater dwellers.
• Green dragons are inqusitive, shrewd and insightful, but often paranoid with it. They are frequently skilled magicians, using divination or illusion to support their love of, and paranoid dependence on, intrigue. Of all dragons, they love forests the most.
• White dragons are often tragic figures, their compassionate and intelligent nature overridden by the dying pain and fury of their progenitor and guide Ramad. While some do possess great healing powers, most are consumed by rage and give way easily to instinctual violence. When a white dragon's territory comes close to that of another dragon's, especially another chromatic, they will often be adopted by their neighbour, who will try to soothe and protect them. They prefer cold climates in the mountains or on the coasts.

Metallic Dragons

The descendents of Ysvir, Oreath, Torath, Aspiris and Ymorah have a metallic sheen to their scales. They revere Hrabram as the guiding harmonious principle of the universe and are commonly regarded as the 'good' dragons, but such reductive terms do not really signify with dragons, especially the older ones. Many suspect that their benevolent acts are driven by guilt over their creators' part in the sundering of the world. The most that can be said for certain is that the metallic dragons tend to accumulate valuable knowledge more than simple wealth, their hoards often resembling museums more than treasure vaults.

• Gold dragons are process-level thinkers, strategists and advisers. They possess incredible power, but little desire to rule. Treasuring the lessons of the past, they collect histories, both personal and on a larger scale, and study them in search of deep truths. They are usually found in forests or mountains.
• Silver dragons are philosophers, questioners and theorists. A silver dragon will often spend decades studying the theory behind a skill that they never possess on a practical level, and consider themselves more accomplished than those who do possess that ability. Like white dragons, they love colder climes, but favour oceanic or cold desert environments.
• Bronze dragons are pragmatic, stoic and loyal to a fault. As they age and establish a territory, they devote themselves to the protection of their domain, against outside aggression and the folly of those within it. They favour mountainous or freshwater territories.
• Brass dragons are compassionate, courteous and erudite. They tend to prefer speech to action, and often develop a love of language for its own sake rather than for its practical use. They enjoy maritime and saltwater swamp territories.
• Copper dragons are playful, cunning and given to tricks and jokes. They rarely have much time for the wider concerns of the draconic race - such as it is - and instead get invested in the lives of shorter-lived races. They love deserts and other hot climes.

Gemscale Dragons

Gemscale dragons descend from the Five, the second clutch of Elder Wyrms. They stand apart from the scions of the Ten, and a gem dragon cannot transition to or from the chromatic or metallic superclade, although hatchlings of one superclade may be adopted by another if the circumstances allow. The gem dragons are rarefied philosophers, deep thinkers and play long, long games. They consider themselves to stand apart from the long and tragic feud between the chromatic and metallic, but are more likely to insinuate themselves into the politics of other races.

• Amethyst Dragons look to the future, and see their ultimate fate lying beyond the Void. More than any other beings in Aiaos, they are concerned with the nature of potential other worlds, and in particular with those world where other dragons exist. They are mountain dwellers.
• Crystal Dragons are collectors and preservers. They cleave to the old duty of preserving harmony by seeking to create little pockets of perfection intended to survive the inevitable destruction of the World. They usually form these domains in forested areas.
• Emerald Dragons are masters of story and song. They see the stories of the world as more important than the world itself, gathering histories wherever they go. Their store of knowledge is vast, but not always reliable, as they tweak the narrative of their story to make the events more harmonious. They favour desert dwellings in which to create their lorehouses.
• Sapphire Dragons are drawn to conflict. Engines of destruction in themselves, they also love planning and strategy, and some will muster forces to fight the same battles again and again to see what difference is made by minor changes in the starting conditions. They prefer a coastal dwelling close to civilisation.
• Topaz Dragons are thanatologists, obsessed with the nature of death and mortality. Many also study the entropic aspects of Dzenmisa, and find swamps to be the ideal environment.