Dragonborn
Dragonborn descended from dragons a long time ago. They have scales of chromatic variation, are extremely strong and vicious in war, although they are not beyond forming alliances with other races.
Dragonborns in Elmincia are rare but form their own settlements, normally in locales that suit their affinities (a gold-skinned Dragonborn would prefer to live in a warm place, while a silver-skinned would probably search for a place with snow). They get well with humans, admiring their sense of industry and also the fact that they are always willing to pay well for mercenary work, but have trouble relating to longer-lived races like the elves and the dwarves.
Because of their short lives, Dragonborns have a sense of immediacy not seen in the other races. They are keen to take dangerous jobs as mercenary work or adventuring.
But as a result, few dragonborns have the patience for things like art and music, preferring to do things that keep their adrenaline pumping.
Nevertheless, metallic Dragonborns are usually imbued with a huge sense of honor, but the rigid hierarchy of their societies might be seen as troublesome for the other races.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Dragonborns are larger and heavier than humans. Their bodies are covered in chromatic or metallic scales, and the color of metal of the scale shows their ancestry. The ancestry of a Dragonborn imbues him with both resistance to an element and a breath that expels the element from his mouth.
Genetics and Reproduction
They reproduce sexually, and a few weeks after the intercourse the female Dragonborn will lay an egg. From the egg, a hatchling will be born a few months later.
Growth Rate & Stages
Dragonborns grow very fast. They grow to the size of a 10-year old human by the age of 3 and reach adulthood by 15.
They begin to grow old at the age of 50, and normally die before they can turn 80 years old.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Dragonborns need meat to survive, as they are carnivorous and not omnivorous like most humanoid races. As such, they rely not upon agriculture, but on cattle-raising.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Most of the dragonborns that live among other races (in this case, mostly human) are mercenaries looking for a job. A few of them become knights, and these are highly valuable due to their sense of honor and loyalty.
Chromatic and Color dragonborns do have their own cities. Normally, they do not mix, as there are much discrimination and strife between the two kinds. While the dragonborns do not seek other races and tend to keep to themselves, they don't shun them either, trusting that their physical power will protect them from people who would molest them.
As such, Dragonborn cities are open to others, as long as they can follow the rigid set of rules of Dragonborn society.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Mercenary Work. Dragonborns make good mercenaries and even better knights if one can get them to swear fealty.
Raw Strength work. Dragonborns excel in jobs that require raw brute strength. In human societies, it's common for them to be employed on harbors or in the transportation of heavy load.
Charismatic. Some Dragonborns find employ as bard, actors or dancers. While they are generally not good at composing and lack the appreciation of the artistic process, Dragonborns adapt the work done by others.
While in theory a dragonborn could be used in slave labor, nobody would be suicidal enough to try to own a slave that can breath fire or acid on their faces.
Facial characteristics
Faces are formed with scales and have draconic features. Normally have no hair and black eyes.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Very few tribes of Dragonborn remain. Most of them are now either living among humans or have congregated on their own cities.
Average Intelligence
Normal intelligence, though there are some discrimination among the other races that dragonborns are dumb. This comes from the fact that most of the dragonborns that people meet are soldiers with little to no education.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Many of the Dragonborns tend to follow either name of humans or dragons.
An old naming tradition of their own do exist, and some societies still use it, but the fad for human names is increasingly growing among dragonborns.
Beauty Ideals
Dragonborns value strength and might among everything else, especially on men. Women will sometimes make their suitors fight one another in combat, and whoever wins is deemed the most valiant dragon and gets to marry her. But women are not considered inferior in terms of strength and might be asked to do the same.
Apart from strength, dragonborns take great interest in the acts and what the other person does rather than what they look like.
Average Technological Level
Medieval.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Common, Draconic.
Common Etiquette Rules
When living among Dragonborns it is expected for people to respect hierarchy and follow orders. Soldiers in Dragonborn cities have maximum authority, they can judge someone on the spot and they expect to be obeyed. Nobles are also recognized by dragonborns as someone deserving of the position, and it would be incredibly rude to criticize one in public. Doing so may lead even to a trial of strength.
Common Dress Code
Dragonborns usually dress in simple and practical clothes, for a common reason: the finer clothes of humans do not fit well with their scales. As such, they prefer clothing made of more durable materials, and that allows for ease of movement.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The culture of Dragonborns in Elmincia is mostly derived from other races, especially from humans and dragons. Overall dragonborns put great value in honor and duty, but they seem to regret that the world is becoming a place where brute strength and might is no longer valued as it once was.
They have a respect for arcane magic because they see it as a dragon power, but they have little respect for divine spellcraft, as they are too proud to submit to another being. As such, dragonborn cities tend to be non-faithful.
History
The first cities of dragonborns were built and ruled by Dragons, at a time when the races were closer than they are today. This is a custom that is still often followed: dragonborns are happy to delegate the ruling of their cities to dragons, trusting not only on them for protection but also on their wisdom and intelligence to guide them.
Overall, dragonborns have evolved by observing the other races. Their medieval cities resemble much the human ones, and society tends to be very conservative and change very slowly.
Common Myths and Legends
Dragonborns believed long ago that one day Lord Bahamut would awaken and bend all the Dragonborn along with the Dragons to his will, and when this happened he would attain leadership over Elmincia. This was said to be his destiny. But nowadays this fable is mostly told to children, and no Dragonborn believes now that this could come to pass.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Humans. Friendly, dragonborns respect humans and their sense of entrepreneurship and industry. Besides, humans always pay very well for services provided by Dragonborns.
Elves. Unfriendly. The way of living of elves fluster dragonborns. They don't understand how elves are so detached, and why they frolic so much instead of doing something with their life. The sadness that also permeates elvish lives in their later years is also completely alien to the dragonborns, whose more practical values make them wonder why they just don't do something about it instead of spending all their time lamenting on something they don't even know what it is.
Dwarves. Dragonborns admire dwarvish strength, and the strongest of the dragonborns insist on possessing dwarven armors and weapons. They love the craft and durability of dwarvish products. However, the two societies don't mix well. Dwarves are too suspicious of strangers to allow dragonborns into their underground fortresses, and the encounters between the two races outside of combat gave the impressions to Dwarves that Dragonborn fight for the sake of fighting, and not to preserve values and people as the dwarves do.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Origin/Ancestry
They evolved from the Dragon.
Lifespan
80 years
Conservation Status
Dragonborns are not exactly common, but they are known throughout Elmincia. Their cities are open for visitation as long as one can abide by their rules, and some of them live in human cities (though mostly they prefer their own communities).
Average Height
1.8 - 2.4m
Average Weight
250 - 300 pounds
Average Physique
Very strong, muscle-bound, especially on the torso, arms and legs.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Scales can be metallic or chromatic. Among the mettalic scales there are the follwoing variations:
- Brass
- Bronze
- Copper
- Gold
- Silver
- Black
- Blue
- Green
- Red
- White
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