Kindal Dragonflight
History
The earliest form of the Kindal flight arose in 2811 as a direct consequence of the War of the Flights. It is said that a powerful stag by the name of Herkirt recruited ewes from neighboring territories and the Solar Dragonflight across eastern Europe, forming a large harem. Younger dragons followed their parents as Herkirt claimed territory and migrated their nesting grounds, and the grouping secluded themselves from other dragons, staying largely out of the warring and disavowing the Solar Dragonflight's cruelty to mortals. It is believed that due to their relatively peaceful nature, many more dragons joined the early Kindals from neighboring regions and other flights, contributing to their unique appearance. Kindal dragons since the formation of their flight have largely stayed out of conflicts with both their own kind and mortals, generally preferring solitude and cooperative relationships. While most historical records from humans and other mortals often point to them as guardians of their settlements, Kindali sources heavily disagree in that they only would intervene when conflicts threaten their own hunting grounds and territory.Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Dragontongue, like with all dragons, is their primary language.
The Kindal flight is considered to be much more poetic in their speech, and by many their form of Dragontongue is considered to be its own dialect. Body language is much more fluid and more akin to a dance than the usual snappy and distinct fragments making up words and phrases. By many other flights, Kindal dragons are described as their speech being as though they are singing rather than speaking plainly, and their word choices more flowery and prose-like. Descriptors are often emotion driven or focus on personal aesthetics, rather than factual and observational points about what is being described.
Culture and cultural heritage
As masters of flame and volcanic based magic, the Kindal flight is known to be rather comfortable in cooler regions due to their abilities to easily keep themselves warm, no matter the temperature. Many within the flight often tend to prefer cooler and drier regions than other closely related flights, such as the Solars, who have been noted as particularly uncomfortable with harsh winters.
Kindali dragons’ ability to resist the cold is also particularly noted in how many raise their young- Most dragons typically avoid nesting and raising hatchlings in the deepest parts of winter due to heightened risk of their eggs falling below optimal temperatures to develop, however Kindal dragons seem to have little issue with this due to their magic and different customs of building their nests. While many other flights prefer open air nests for the easiest access to their young and better view for predators, Kindals prefer to construct their nests in small shallow caves and hollows, often dug by the stag. These dens are often only barely large enough to hold their clutch and are filled with decomposing plant matter and warmed stones, and then sealed over with dirt, mud, or large stones to protect the eggs. This nest type is often reused well into childhood for many young Kindal dragons when their parents are away and hunting.
Common Etiquette rules
Kindal dragons are known for traveling vast distances when they disperse from their family groupings as young adults, and oftentimes will settle in territories hundreds of miles away from their parents. As Kindals are also known to journey back to their parents upon important life events (such as finding a mate, births and deaths within immediate family, or significant life changes), this often results in them making several long journeys throughout their lives.
These pilgrimages and journeys to their birthplace and parents’ territories (should their parents still be alive) are considered a sacred custom and part of what makes their flight the Kindal- close knit family relationships are held in especially high regard, and it is often a deeply concerning act for any member of the flight to be unwilling to speak with their immediate family for such important developments. This is generally regarded as a shame upon the parent, however, rather than the child unwilling to make amends, and can quickly lead to gossip about potential neglect or abuse as refusal to follow this tradition is often only for the worst of acts committed.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
The Kindal Dragonflight makes use of scarification, body paint, and tattooing in their beauty culture heavily, much like most other dragon groups. As most of their natural ornamentation falls on the head and tail, Kindal dragons heavily adorn other areas such as the face, neck, and shoulders. Many forms of their scarification is done through the use of fire magic or their own natural flame to create decorative scars.
The forms of scarification among Kindal dragons often is done to cover up and alter areas that a dragon is uncomfortable with or feels is 'too plain', while accenting their own features they are proud of and draw the eye to them. Tattooing, while much more uncommon, is most often done to add a sheen to the skin underneath their scales.
Gender Ideals
Most Kindals generally have a much more relaxed culture surrounding gender than many of the flights, especially when compared to their Solar Dragonflight ancestors. Kindali dragons will generally self identify as stags or ewes throughout their early life once they reach sexual maturity, and by their early hundreds, will typically have raised 2-3 clutches and begin to identify as a non-competitor and 'retire'. These retirement phases are quite common and typically can last anywhere from 40-50 years at a time, ending when either due to boredom or a change in personal circumstances and identity, they will come out of this retirement and once more identify as a stag or ewe. During periods in which they identify as a stag or ewe, Kindal dragons heavily engage in polyamory, and typically form or join large harems depending on their identity.
Courtship Ideals
The vast majority of Kindal dragons show a heavy preference to polyamory over monogamy, most often forming temporary seasonal relationships in large numbers. Most often, these groups are a single stag and many ewes, communally raising their offspring together with little distinction in who their biological parents are. Adults within these harems adopting hatchlings and eggs from one another is incredibly common- should one lose a nest or another have far too many, others within the harem will take up parental duties for them, raising their offspring as their own or give them some of their eggs to do the same.
Courting and rearing offspring culturally are important milestones in Kindal culture, however are not at the forefront or a main focus of their lives, and instead are seen as temporary phases in life that one will generally come and go through depending on personal circumstances. There is little pressure for Kindal dragons to seek out mates and consistently nest, in stark contrast to their closest relatives, instead focusing much more on personal growth and fulfillment.
During courting phases and periods, Kindals are expected to be the best representation of themselves, wearing their scars and marks with pride, and with honesty at the forefront of their achievements rather than 'fluffing' or exaggerating their own acts. As is common among dragons, potential mates will generally spar one another to test their mettle and compatibility, but these spars are not for show but a test of strength and battle prowess.
Relationship Ideals
The Kindal flight also has particular ideals surrounding true mates- permanent mated pairs among their kind. Among the Kindal, a true mate can be declared by Mating Flights much earlier than other groups at only 5 years of consecutive pairing. The primary idea with this ideal is that one declares their true mate much earlier as a test to see if they can uphold their promise without pairing with other dragons, and can remain dedicated to their mate, rather than a continuation of an already present relationship that is already likely to be life-long when compared to other groups.
Kindal dragons also have the expectation that with true mates, under perfect circumstances the pair will come to the end of their lives together. This is done by what is considered mutual suicide, in which the pair will mimic their initial sparring fights but with deadly force until they are near death, at which point they will be put down by a mutual friend, past mate, or as is most often the case, one of their surviving adult children, and be put to rest together.
Encompassed species
Related Items
Related Myths
Languages spoken
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