Verryn
(Pronounced Vey-urn) The oldest, largest, and most powerful race in all of Erathia.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Verryn appear as gargantuan quadrupeds (hexapods if you count their often prehensile wings). They have long prehensile tails, elongated necks, and are covered from head to tail with thick armored scales, usually spines as well. They appear reptilian as a result, but are in fact warm blooded animals.
Genetics and Reproduction
Verryn are unique in the fact that they can reproduce both bisexually and asexually. They are adaptable to the situation. In the case of no opposite genders, or lack of interested partners, a Verryn can undergo an internal process to generate a fertile egg to reproduce. This can be a long and uncomfortable act, and only produces one egg, so it is not common. Typically, a female will lay between four and seven eggs, which once fertilized by a male will be transferred to the pod's rookery for incubation and hatching. Eggs of both varieties usually take between eighty and ninety years to gestate before hatching.
Growth Rate & Stages
Verryn mature very slowly, which given their enormous lifespans does make sense. Despite being warm blooded, they do mature like reptiles, by shedding their old scales as they grow. Typically a Verryn will enter a new stage of growth every fifty years or so. When they are beginning to molt, they will enter a period of hibernation for approximately ten years. It is unknown exactly how long a Verryn can live, or how big they can get, as the two civil wars they participated in dramatically reduced their numbers. Given the size and age of the Verryn criminals Democodus and Scorch, we know they can live for thousands of years, and get quite large.
Ecology and Habitats
Habitat varies from species to species.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Verryn can literally sustain themselves on any form of matter. If it exists, they can consume it and find nourishment from it. From lesser animals to literal dirt, they can eat it all. They do require water however, though they can go up to several months without it. Given their unique nature however, this also means they can sustain themselves on water alone. This makes it impossible to know how long a Verryn can go without food. Most Verryn develop a taste for a specific type of matter. Often times those of the same pod will share this unique taste, but that is not universally the rule. Some Flamebreakers are known to have a taste for meats, while some Mistweavers are known to prefer the delicate sweet notes of flavor from rare and precious gems.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Verryn are very communal, keeping to familial units, or pods, generally within their same species. After the first civil war, Verryn tend to keep to their own kind, many harboring prejudices towards other species of Verryn. This is why Bahamut was adamant about reforming and maintaining the Verryn Council.
Facial characteristics
Varies from species to species.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
While Verryn can be found globally, they are predominantly found in the archipelago now known as Bahamut's Tears
Average Intelligence
Verryn are fiercely intelligent, quick witted and very inventive.
An old Midlander proverb: Never try and make a deal with or negotiate with a dragon, they will always win.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The abilities of the Verryn are vast and vary from species to species. Generally mot Verryn have some sort of empathic awareness, allowing them to "sense" when others are being deceitful or have hidden motives. Most Verryn can fly due to their wings, some are amphibian-like, some have psychokinesis, many wield magics and some can even shape-shift. (see individual ethnicities for further clarification)
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
See Bogwardens
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Verryn choose their own names, often before they emerge from their egg. Sometimes these amount to made up words, and sometimes they are Verryn-speak for phrases or abstract concepts. Verryn, once adult-hood is reached, will be given a title as well by their peers. This will often be representative of their personality or deeds.
Major Organizations
- The Verryn Council
- the Darkened Dawn
- Sentarus Knights / The Wanderers
Beauty Ideals
Verrn find beauty in bright colors, shiny baubles and glimmering metals. As such, it is quite common for Verryn of means to adorn their bodies with gems, jewelry, metal plating and drapery.
Gender Ideals
In the beginning, females held the most power in individual clutches, specifically the mothers of a particular brood. However as all eggs are hatched in rookeries now and considered to be all one family, this has fallen away. Today, gender has little to no influence in Verryn society.
Courtship Ideals
Varies by breed
Relationship Ideals
Varies by breed
Average Technological Level
Verryn have adopted the same techologies as the rest of Erathia, but tend to have little to no use for it, due largely in part to their sheer power.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Verryn have their own unique language, which is hard to learn by non-Verryn due to the inclusion of sound patterns and body language unique to Verryn. Fortunately the Verryn's keen intelect makes it easy for them to learn and use other languages. It is quite common to find a Verryn capable of speaking every language on the planet.
Common Etiquette Rules
Varies by breed
History
The legend goes that the first gods to descend to Erathia were Tiamat and her counterpart Bahamut. They found a world of chaotic energies and overpowered elements, fueled by arcane energies being bombarded from the planet's second moon. From these energies, the gods forged the Verryn, which means "First ones". Each of their children represented one facet of the elemental, chaotic, and arcane energies that were used to create them. Born in the image of their "parents", these new life forms were massive, majestic, cunning and fiercely intelligent. As the lesser races came to be, as Brygot began to reshape the world into what it would become, the chaotic nature of the world began to dissipate in exchange for order. This however led to a drain on the gods themselves, making it impossible to stay on their new world for long without sacrificing their power and immortality. This suited Bahamut just fine, however. He almost never returned to the realm of the gods. Tiamat on the other hand, also loved their new world, but would leave periodically to maintain her godhood.
Bahamut formed the Verryn council to maintain order amongst his children, as well as to provide guidance for the lesser races of Erathia. To aid in this, the council decided to foster a group of non Verryn to be their ambassadors to the lesser races and champions of Verryn justice. These noble warriors were blessed by the Verryn with power, strength, and longevity. While at first Tiamat may have been on board for the council, in time it's rulings and the whims of her mate Bahamut began to anger her. Tiamat's feelings eventually led to both Verryn civil wars, which were devastating in scope to the world. The Sentarus Knights were the first to be lost in the savage war. The first civil war was so destructive, that the lands that the Verryn called home were shattered into a cluster of small islands, now known as Bahamut's tears.
Fortunately for Erathia, the Verryn had called a truce before the Kolonati Empire emerged from the underworld. The Verryn proved pivotal in the war against the Kolonati, as they alone were mighty enough to take on the black metal warships of the lizard empire. Eventually the Grand Cast was made, temporarily banishing the Kolonati, but permanently trapping Bahamut and Tiamat in the mortal world, ensuring that their god-hood was coming to an end. Tiamat blamed Bahamut for betraying and trapping her in the mortal world, which would eventually lead to the second civil war.
Today, the Verryn council still functions as a major governing body, though now sharing governance between the United Commonwealth and the Circle of Magic respectively. Tiamat and her small, yet powerful group of followers have broken ties with the Verryn council, and have aligned with the Kolonati in a bid to ruin the world they once defended.
Historical Figures
- Bahamut the Golden Light
- Tiamat the Darkness
- Scorch the Vicious / Skielag the Titanic
- Democodus the Deceiver
- Kalkin the Wild Spirit
- Draygon the Obsidian Storm
- Curtis Delta the Sentarus Knight
- Feneral the Glutton
- Akabeno the Blind Guardian
- Aura the New Dawn
- Otho the Wise
- Tolen the Blue
- Feras the Thundering Sky
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Verryn tend to be a controlling body in the world at large, even going so far as to have a couple regions controlled directly by the council. for the most part however, they Verryn try to maintain a more hands off approach when dealing with the lesser races, preferring to be more of guides and patrons then direct controllers. many of the lesser races however often see the Verryn as arrogant.
It is very uncommon for the different breeds of Verryn to intermingle, despite years of unity formed by the council. When it does happen, usually offspring tend to inherit the traits of only one parent. In extremely rare cases however, unique breeds may be born from such a union (see Tolen the Blue and Feras the Thundering sky) As for breeding with other species, some Verryn too posses shape shifting magics that they can use to physically take the form of other races, and have been known to engage in romantic relationships. No offspring have ever been produced from such a union, so it is generally believed to no be possible.
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
unknown, estimated to be in the thousands of years
Average Height
4.5 - 6 meters (14' - 20' approximately)
*rough average based on current generation
Average Weight
14-16 metric tons
*rough average based on current generation
**special note: Scorch (as he is more commonly known) is the largest known Verryn, weighing in at nearly 36 metric tons
Average Length
13-16 meters (42'-52' approximately)
*rough average based on current generation
Average Physique
Verryn are typically lean and quite muscular. Some biologists have compared their physiology to that of a greater feline. A point that many Verryn find offensive.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Varies from species to species.
Related Ethnicities
Related Myths
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