Dragonborn

In the time of the ancient civilization the dragonborn were known far and wide, as the most devout and honorable race of the time. The original dragonborn were known to be humans who had ascended, by the grace of Io, to a state of body and mind that closely resembled the original image of the Five. These dragonborn excelled at all they did, becoming great heroes, community leaders, head of clergies and other research institutions of the ancient civilization.

By the end of the Great Dragon War, most of the dragonborn had been wiped out with many of the elder dragonborn bloodlines going extinct with their elder dragon brethren. After the reemergence dragonborns were a rare sight for villages and even some towns. Those that lived in cities were typically well respected noble families that could trace their heritage back to the ancient civilization. New dragonborns that weren't born from these families were almost unheard of. It was a rare occasion when a person of any race proved themselves worthy to an Aspect, and were granted the gift as a reward. In Tiamat's case, she lorded the ascension over her followers, only granting the gift to those who bring her priceless artifacts, great wealth, or progress her plans beyond her expectations. Those who fail her, or request the ascension, instead are typically turned into kobolds

Dragonborn of any age have a well-known dedication to honor, but how deeply rooted this trait is remains debatable. However, all dragonborn tended to view all living things, even hated enemies, as deserving of courtesy and respect. To dragonborn, honor was more than a word and was often considered more important than life itself. Cowardice was not simply undesirable among dragonborn, it was considered outright repulsive.

Part of the roots of this honorable attitude lay in the dragonborn's drive for self-improvement. The draconic nature of dragonborn gave them a strong self-consciousness and a tendency for strong emotions. Both of these combined to make dragonborn particularly wanting for the approval of others. Dragonborn placed great value on the skill of an individual, including themselves. Failing at a task was anathema to dragonborn and as a result they could sometimes push themselves to unhealthy extremes of effort. This aspect of the dragonborn mind meant few of the race took a laid-back approach to any skill or ability, striving always to become the masters of a particular skill, and dragonborn respected those among other races who approached life in the same manner. As a result, most dragonborn adventurers came to their way of life through a desire to prove themselves and win respect from their brethren.

Entry for WorldEmber 2021

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