Owing their strength and endurance to their kinship with the dragons, the Drackiss are a resiliant race that has and will continue to survive any hardship thrown their way.
Appearance
The Drackiss are a humanoid species whose most distinctive traits are reptilian/dragon-like features. These most commonly emerge as patches of scales that cover various parts of their bodies; the amount of scales a Drackiss can have depends on genetics. Some Drackiss are almost scaleless, while others are almost entirely covered in them. This applies to other features like small horns and claws in select individuals. Additionally, individuals known as Harifins have unique mutations, including tails, digitigrade legs, large horns, and wings in some exceptionally rare cases. The only traits fully universal to all Drackiss are their snake-like eyes and more slender builds.
History
Origins
The early history of the Drackiss is shrouded in mystery due to the Altanra Ministry's lock and key attitude towards many historical documents from that time. What little has been released is full of years-long gaps with no information or mixed with religious retellings of events.
The first humans arrived in the Khatirra Desert of Southwestern Ostenland circa 330 AE. These early groups of humans traveled south from modern-day Sumana, believed to have been pushed out for having conflicting beliefs with their brethren. The migrating humans, known as the Taijair, settled along the Taijerman River, just east of where the river merges with the Haercat River. This civilization expanded down the Taijerman river and further south into the desert until they made a discovery that changed the course of their history. The colossal skeleton of the Arch-Dragon Assearing rested partially buried in the desert sands, which had been stained a crimson color by the dragon's blood. The soil around the body was toxic to all plant life due to the lingering Dracolyth energy from Assearing's blood. Fascinated by their discovery, the Taijair began their research to uncover the secrets of the Arch-Dragon.
The period between the humans discovering Assearing's remains and the eventual creation of the Drackiss species is mainly recorded through Ministry ordained sources, which lessens its credibility in the eyes of many historians. The Ministry tells a story of a centuries-long journey of this ancient civilization to learn the power of dragons and achieve their kinship. These sources claim that the Drackiss emerged in 879 AE after Kair Hodar's bloodline was blessed by the great golden dragon Darraka. His firstborn daughter, Melika, would become the first Drackiss, who would become a ruby scaled dragon herself and bless the Taijair people like Darraka had blessed her father.
While the truth of these claims remains uncertain, verifying these accounts would mean fighting against the Altanra Ministry itself, which has held a death grip on this information for centuries.
The Ancestral Reclamation
As the Drackiss population expanded across the Khatirra desert, some Drackiss would cross the Lahayit mountains into the jungles in the southern peninsula. This new land was completely alien to the Drackiss, who had only known the arid landscape northern deserts. Drackiss colonies began to emerge along the Lahayit mountains which would eventually grow into their own independent Keeps. Unbeknown to them, the jungles were also inhabited by human tribes who originated in the same region as the Taijair centuries prior. This shared ancestry allowed the two races to find common ground and establish a friendly relationship with each other. The two groups exchanged ideas and beliefs with each other, which planted the seed for a cultural revolution within the colonial Drackiss. As the two societies lived alongside each other, they would intermingle and produce Drackiss of mixed heritage. Since the Drackiss genes dominate over the human genes in mixed children, the Drackiss population would creep into the native tribes. It is believed that by 1352 AE, the once human tribes of the northern regions of the peninsula had become almost entirely Drackiss.
Inversely, the population of colonist Drackiss had been on the decline, with humans and mixed heritage Drackiss becoming the majority within the peninsula. The practice of dragon worship among the Drackiss in the region was slowly dying out in favor of the humans' worship of the Ancestor Gods. Despite attempts by a few Drackiss to fight against the inevitable, by 1407 AE, the Ancestral Reclamation had begun. The Drackiss of the peninsula would move to claim the entire region as their own, establishing the nation of Drakkard, a name seemingly chosen in defiance of the Drackiss's past. The nation would endure hardship after hardship, but in the end, they would thrive, standing strong as one of the major powers in southern Ostenland.
Formation of Ky'ind
While their draconic traits like scales and reptilian eyes are sacred for the Drackiss, the more extreme traits some Drackiss have are seen as impurities and affronts to Melika's blessing, who blessed the Drackiss in her image. Many children born with traits like large horns, digitigrade legs, tails, and wings are often killed at birth or exiled from their homes. Most of these children would not survive, however, a group out of Ky'ind Keep in the northwestern regions of the Khatirra Desert took in the exiled children. They saw these children as being closer to their dragon kin than the other Drackiss and would soon become dragons themselves. The exiled children grew resentful of their treatment and were emboldened by their newfound position within Ky'ind Keep. As the years went by, Ky'ind Keep grew from a relatively small and insignificant keep into one of the dominant powers in the northwestern Khatirra. Ky'ind Keep would gain the derogatory name, Manbud Keep, for its openness towards the mutated Drackiss.
By 3402, Ky'ind Keep had become the strongest Keep within the northwestern Khatirra. All rival keeps had been brought to heel, with the largest city in the region, Eahdha, under the control of Ky'ind. Calling themselves the Sahqar, the Drackiss exiled from their homes for their mutations were the majority in Ky'ind. Their building resentment towards those that had cast them aside had been unleashed with multiple violent campaigns that saw many non-Sahqar Drackiss mercilessly killed. When news of the violent conquests of the Sahqar reached the rest of the Drackiss population, the nations of Serbakan and Scarkal sent armies to quell the uprising. The Sahqar's highly organized and emboldened armies defeated the unified attackers with ease. Fearing a possible attack on the holy city of Altanra, many Keeps sent troops to the city to defend it from the threat of the Sahqar. Instead of launching an attack on the holy city, the Sahqar pulled back and bolstered their position in preparation of retaliation by the opposing Keeps. This stalemate lasted until 3414 AE when Kair Nattaer brokered a truce between Ky'ind and the Drackiss Keeps. This truce ended the war and recognized Ky'ind as a sovereign nation.
While the Drackiss Keeps and the Altanra Ministry recognized Ky'ind's sovereignty, they would block all trade with them and demonize the Sahqar and tainted creatures that sought to kill them all. Conditions for mutated Drackiss outside of Ky'ind got significantly worse as their very existence was an affront to the Drackiss. Just as many were before, mutated Drackiss were killed at birth, though this time there was no option for exile. The Altanra Ministry enforced laws that all Drackiss were to be checked for "deviant traits". Those found to have even minuscule amounts of the banned traits were arrested and removed from society, never to be seen again.
Culture
Society
To the Drackiss of the Khatirra Desert, a warrior spirit is a treasured and sacred quality, second only to their kinship with the dragons. To rule, one must prove themselves to become Kair of their Keep or to inspire others to build a new one. In the Khatirra Desert, a Keep is a region of land ruled over by a Kair. Keeps may ally themselves with each other to form nations, though ultimately each Keep rules themselves individually. Despite their differences, all groups recognize the Altanra Ministry as the religious leaders of the Drackiss. the nation of Nakdona is recognized as Ministry territory, any Keeps claiming territory from Nokdona would set themselves up as enemies of the Drackiss.
The jungles of the Drakkard Peninsula are ruled over by the Great Houses ordained by the Sarif, who oversees their squabbles and keeps them in check if their politics pose a threat to the nation. The practice of the Great Houses was created to bolster strong ideals while weeding out weak and harmful ones. To become a Great House, a group must appoint their Rayiys, and establish their ideals and code of conduct. Once a Great House is initiated, they will enter the great game of Drakkard politics. Deceit, assassinations, alliances, and full-blown war are all par for the course for Great House politics. However, if a conflict could damage Drakkard as a whole, the Sarif would intervene. The Sarif has the power to order a diplomatic end to a dispute or to assassinate problematic individuals. When the Sarif's assassins come for their target, the victim must not resist their impending death; doing so would defy the Sarif's will and threaten stability in Drakkard.
Despite the stark differences between the Drackiss of the deserts and jungles, one aspect of their cultures remains the same: the Durva. A warrior judge clad in ornate silver armor, the Durva is a renowned warrior chosen by their Kair or Rayiys to mediate disputes within their lands and act as their chief advisor. Their word is final and unquestionable by even their rulers, for the judgment of the Durva is absolute. In times of war, the Durva will act as head of their Keep's or Houses armies and lead them into battle. The Durva is appointed for life, with the title only changing once the current Durva is dead.
Language
The primary language of Drackiss of both Drakkard and the northern Keeps is Tanha, a descendant of the old Malasa dialect originating in northern Imbelek. Additionally, some Keeps in the eastern regions of Trennalad, Scarkal, and the country of Sempavira speak Lestdraeda, a language that branches off of the old Arrini tongue.
Art and Architecture
The Drackiss Keeps living within Ostenland's Khatirra Desert are known for their impressive stone cities and fortresses, which creatively utilize groundwater and canal systems to keep them running. Many of these settlements are sprawling both above and below ground. Rural villages nestled along the river banks often utilize mud bricks and clay, while urban settlements often use concrete and sandstone. Temples dedicated to the dragons high up in the mountains, often including large open spaces meant to entice dragons to visit and bless worshippers with their presence.
Drakkard's dense jungles make constructing massive cities difficult, but like their desert-dwelling kin, the Drackiss of the southern jungles are creative in their city building. Many significant settlements are built around Maeba Trees, towering trees whose roots create wide clearings for buildings and act as sites of worship. Villages deep in the jungles are often built on wooden stilts to combat potential flooding, especially villages near swampy areas. Much like their kin to the north, many settlements in Drakkard dig into the earth, creating grand underground cities, temples, and catacombs.
Religion
Dragon worship is quite prevalent within the numerous desert-dwelling Keeps and Clans. While their exact methods of worship vary, all of these groups believe themselves to be the direct descendants of dragons. Often the ancient Arch-Dragon Asearring is at the forefront of their beliefs. The story they tell of the dragons' arrival in
Nostrina is quite different from what is commonly accepted by most scholars, as they believe that this world rightfully belongs to the dragons. Gratowa, the mighty titan who slew Asearring back in the Primeval Era, is reviled by these cults. The resting place of this titan has been turned into a place of imprisonment and exile, a home for Drackiss reviled by their own kind.
After the Ancestral Reclamation in the southern jungles of Drakkard, the migrating Drackiss abandoned their dragon worshipping past in favor of the Ancestor Gods. At the center of their faith is the Sun Goddess Almsalla, who gave light and life to this once cold and dark world. In contrast to Almsalla is her brother, Layqamar, the Moon God, who the Drackiss must recite a prayer once the moon rises, while they must recite a different prayer to his sister at the beginning of a new day. While Almsalla also represents the beginning of life, the Drackiss must also please the one who rules over death, the God Mallaray. When one dies, they are buried near the roots of a tree or with a seed planted in their bodies as a symbol of death fueling new life.
A Drackiss must always be careful of the influences of the Dakhulin, meddling Gods from beyond this world who seek to undo Almsalla's work. For many centuries they have tried to influence the minds of Almsalla's followers by tempting them with promises of power. The mighty God Fabair, the first son of Almsalla, battles the Dakhulin as they also lay siege upon the world from the stars. Many warriors pledge themselves to Fabair so that they may join him in his eternal war in the stars after death.
The Aeunta are grouped with Dakhulin, who prey on mortal's desires to claim their Anika and souls. Communing with the Aeunta and any form of summoning magic is strictly forbidden in Drakkard, with the punishment for these crimes is death.
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