Half-Dragons

"You can always tell a Half-Dragon by the silence. A room quiets when they enter, not out of fear, but reverence. Or perhaps the hush of unspoken questions. Are they cursed or chosen? Beast or kin? No one truly knows. Maybe they don’t either."

The Half-Dragons of Gaiatia are a riddle whispered across eras. Towering, scaled beings born of fire, ice, thunder, and shadow, they stand as living echoes of the great beasts that terrorize the skies. Each one is different, each one born from different means, if they were born at all. For some, their origins are tied to legends of dragon blood mingled with mortal flesh. Others claim they are the remnants of an ancient transmutation, humans twisted into dragonkin during the apex of the Lost Ages. And some Half-Dragons themselves insist they were simply made this way by the will of magick, as natural as the wind or the storm. No single culture binds them. Their history is fragmented, their people scattered, their legacy half-remembered in myth and half-lost to the Schism. Some live as nomads, others as proud mercenaries, others still as shamans, smiths, or tyrants in their secluded dominions. Half-Dragons vary by region, with breath weapons and traits echoing the dragons of their lands, crimson-scaled fire-breathers from the volcanic ranges, silver-gleamed ice-born from the northern snows, and storm-cloaked wanderers from the jagged highlands. Each variation tells a different tale, but all share one truth: they are singular. They stand between worlds. Too draconic to be welcomed by most mortal societies, too mortal to be embraced by true dragons, who often regard them with contempt or bemused curiosity. And yet they endure. With wings that can snap banners from the sky, tails like battering rams, and the breath of elemental fury, they carve their place in the world not by birthright, but by force of will. A Half-Dragon does not plead. A Half-Dragon commands. Some whisper they were once a true race, with cities perched atop volcanoes or built into the walls of canyons, lost entirely when the Schism shattered the bridges between empires. Whether this is truth or romantic myth is impossible to say. The only consistent detail? That wherever a Half-Dragon walks, history watches.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

• Seraka.
• Thalmyra.
• Velixia.
• Nyssandra.
• Dravella.

Masculine names

• Kaelvorn.
• Rhazek.
• Thurnax.
• Dovrak.
• Malgorr.

Unisex names

• Ashkar.
• Zyrrin.
• Vaelth.
• Korran.
• Myrrak.

Family names

• Stormbrand.
• Of the Iron Brood.
• Ashwing.
• Fire-Claimed.
• Son of the Hollow Scale.

Other names

Ash-Blood (slur), Talonkin (colloquial), Voice of the Scale (druidic honorary title), Flame-Touched.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Most Half-Dragons speak Draconic, a guttural, ancient tongue shared with true dragons, though many adopt local dialects from the regions they reside in. Some are fluent in the Common Tongue, others prefer to speak in low, elemental tones that seem to rumble from their chests.

Culture and cultural heritage

Due to their scattered and often solitary upbringings, Half-Dragons do not share a unified culture. However, many find deep personal value in strength, honor, and legacy, perhaps a reflection of their draconic blood. Some create personal hoards, not of gold, but of memories, stories, or carved tokens of each place they’ve been. Their wings can carry them for miles, and their breath can level walls. But such gifts come at a cost. Their blood is thick with arcane energy, and many suffer from the weight of it. Half-Dragons often feel their instincts spiral into obsession, rage, or melancholic slumber, drawn to hoard, to hunger, to burn or protect. Some say they carry a fragment of true dragon madness, and if left alone too long, may forget they are not monsters.

Shared customary codes and values

• Never bend the knee to those who do not earn your respect.
• Always remember what you are, even when the world forgets.
• Do not lie. Speak power or speak silence.

Average technological level

Varies by region. Many are tied to primal or martial traditions, crafting intricate armor, magick-infused talismans, or alchemical augmentations from natural materials.

Common Etiquette rules

• Do not mock a Half-Dragon’s lineage.
• Do not touch their wings or tail without permission.
• Offer gifts with both hands and no expectations.

Common Dress code

Most Half-Dragons wear practical garments suited for travel or battle, often tailored to accommodate wings and tails. Cloaks of dragon-hide, ornamental scales, and runic tattoos are common.

Art & Architecture

Rare. Their art is often etched into stone, wood, or armor, symbols of storms, fire, and beasts. If a city of Half-Dragons ever existed, no one alive has found it.

Foods & Cuisine

Carnivorous diets dominate, often charred or seared. They enjoy intensely seasoned meats, volcanic herbs, and salted bloodwines.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

Few are born in traditional families. Some are found in eggs, others adopted after sudden transformations. When welcomed, they are often named beneath open skies, surrounded by fire or storm.

Coming of Age Rites

A solitary journey into dangerous lands to claim a relic, slay a beast, or confront a true dragon. Surviving returns one as an adult.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Bodies are burned, their ashes mixed with obsidian or forged into talismans. Names are carved into stone spires, left to face the wind.

Common Taboos

Pretending to be human. Betraying another Half-Dragon. Wasting breath, literal or metaphorical.

Common Myths and Legends

• The Wingless Flame: A tale of a Half-Dragon who challenged a true dragon for territory and won using only wits.
• Ash's Lineage: A rumored bloodline of Half-Dragons said to descend from the first dragon who chose to spare a mortal.

Historical figures

• Vythira Emberwing: Said to have ended a century-long siege by melting the enemy's citadel.
• Tyros of the Wyrmbound: Carried the wounded across five warfronts. Died standing.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Symmetry of horn, smoothness of scale, wingspan, and posture. Scars are marks of survival, not shame.

Gender Ideals

Gender is fluid among Half-Dragons, with traits of strength, presence, and fire taking precedence.

Courtship Ideals

Displays of prowess, breath contests, flight duels, or sparring. A shared hoard often marks a union.

Relationship Ideals

Fierce loyalty and independence. Lovers are equals or rivals, never one without the other.

Interesting Facts & Folklore:

• Some Half-Dragons can fall asleep mid-flight and remain aloft.
• A Half-Dragon's first breath weapon may occur during birth.
• Elders say their dreams are shared with dragons still living.
• It is said no Half-Dragon has ever died from age, only battle, starvation, or sorrow.

Idioms & Metaphors:

• "She breathes backward" One who hides their power too well.
• "His wings weigh more than his bones" A Half-Dragon burdened by lineage.
• "Scaled but rootless" Someone mighty but directionless.
• "Talon behind the gift" A hidden threat.
• "Drank from the Flame" A warning of overwhelming obsession or power.