Dragonborn

Dragonborn are a scaled, draconic humanoid species found mostly in the southern and eastern reaches of Diaghal. A people divided, dragonborn trace their lineage back to the Arcane Age, from the end of the Reign of Fire.

Physiology

Compared to other species, the physical difference between individual dragonborn can vary wildly. Nearly all have a draconic appearance, with scales, draconic snouts, and a humanoid shape. Beyond those cohesive traits, dragonborn could have any combination of features from frills, horns, digitigrade or plantigrade legs, or braids of soft keratin material on the head, face, and chin that dragonborn referred to as “tentacles”. Dragonborn could have four or five fingers on their hands, one of which was a thumb. Regardless of their leg structure, dragonborn usually had three large toes, with a vestigial back talon. The colour of a dragonborn’s scales usually reflected their draconic lineage, but in some cultures, such as the Tavanuan dragonborn, interbreeding between clans had made this implication moot. One important aspect of dragonborn physiology was their tailness - Tavanuan dragonborn are born without tails, and Arigo-Shei dragonborn are born with tails. Those born without the trait common of their culture were often ostracized. Other smaller dragonborn cultures could be born with or without tails. Dragonborn were between 5’8” to 6’10” tall, and weighed 180 to 370 lbs.
Unlike what their reptilian appearance might hint at, dragonborn, like dragons, are warm-blooded creatures. Dragonborn also had the ability to expel an elemental breath weapon, much like the dragons themselves. They were also resistant to the element of their breath weapon. Lineages also had unique abilities; chromatic dragonborn could give themselves immunity to the element of their breath weapon for a limited amount of time, gem dragonborn could manifest wings and fly for short periods, and metallic dragonborn had access to additional breath weapon abilities. Chromatic and metallic lineages were seen as equal in dragonborn culture, and discrimination as a result of one’s lineage was almost unheard of in the modern day. The gem dragonborn lineage was far rarer - outside of Bithedians, who were all gem dragonborns, the gem lineage usually sprouted up suddenly in the children of metallic and/or chromatic dragonborn. While most cultures saw this as just a strange quirk, Arigo-Shei dragonborn saw this as a sign of racial impurity, and the child and family were usually ostracized.
Dragonborn are spawned from eggs, which are fertilized via sexual reproduction through the male’s hemipenis and the female’s cloaca. Female dragonborn also lay slug eggs on occasion, and a small minority can even reproduce parthenogenetically. Dragonborn did not nurse their young; only a miniscule percentage of dragonborn had mammary glands, and the evidence of them was usually seen as a sign of descent from other humanoids. Only in extremely rare cases could dragonborn breed with non-reptilian species.
Hatchling dragonborn often had an appearance similar to a lizard or drake, moving around quadrupedally. However, soon afterwards, their body would mature to allow them to move bipedally, usually a year after their birth. By age three, a dragonborn would have physically matured to a point similar to that of a ten year old human child. Maturity would then slow down drastically, and a dragonborn would reach physical adulthood at around their mid-teens. As a result of this, the third birthday in a dragonborn’s life was often seen as an important coming-of-age celebration in many cultures, and most dragonborn would receive their personal name at this ceremony. Before that, the hatchling was referred to by a nickname. Dragonborn lived lifetimes slightly shorter than humans, living to around 80 years of age.

Culture

Dragonborn culture was divided into two main ethnicities, with two other minor ethnicities being recognized. Descended from chromatic and metallic lineages, the Tavanuan and Arigo-Shei dragonborn were the most common ethnicities sighted throughout Diaghal. Two additional ethnic groups, the Bithedians and Kuyuiri, also exist.
Arigo-Shei dragonborn hail from the draconic empire of Lengzhu, serving as the subjects of the royal dragons that lead the country. Their name is descended from the Draconic word for “inheritors”. Arigo-Shei dragonborn often have tails, and were hard believers in the purity of their scale-colour lineages. Many Arigo-Shei dragonborn seen outside of Lengzhu were the children of parents with differing scale colours, leaving the nation to escape the prejudice they faced for their birth. Arigo-Shei had somewhat hostile rivalries with every other dragonborn culture, especially the Tavanuan dragonborn.
Tavanuan dragonborn are descended from the eighty-seven clans that were exiled from Lengzhu after an attempted revolution against the dragons, and now settle in the militaristic, thalassocratic Tavanuan Khaganate that bears their name. Tavanuans have no tails. They are often known for their ancestor worship, called the Nahknin, and their skills in sailing and navigation.
Bithedians are universally gem dragonborn, and inhabit the small nation of Bithedia in Lurean. They are descended from religious pariahs of Lengzhu who were exiled for their beliefs during the 600s MT. Occupying settlements both on the surface and in the Underdark, Bithedia’s Luminous Council was overthrown in a coup led by Myiamraler Hethress fifteen years ago, installing herself as dictator and Khan. Many Bithedian dragonborn fled Bithedia at this time, finding sanctuary across Diaghal.
Kuyuiri dragonborn, whose name comes from the Kuyu Draconic phrase kuyuped iri, meaning “feathered ones”, live with the Povula in the Kingdom of Povul. Descended from a literal lost clan of the Tavanuan, Kuyuiri act as the spiritual leaders and caretakers of the Povula temples. Unlike other dragonborn, Kuyuiri are feathered, and have all dragonborn lineages as part of their ethnic group.
Every dragonborn ethnic group has a society made up of familial clans. Most dragonborn put their clan name first when presenting themselves, followed by the family name, then personal name. For example, Ildrex of the Gorarinn family from Clan Tiammanthyllish would be known as “Tiammanthyllish Gorarinn Ildrex”. In Kuyuiri culture, all members of the ethnicity are treated as if they were part of one’s clan, as a result of the group’s history.
Honour is an important part of dragonborn culture. Even though only two dragonborn cultures follows the faith, the code of honour used by the dragonborn has roots in the Ten Petals of the Liantuhao Way; that being upholding the Five Virtues (Knowledge, Righteousness, Integrity, Piety, and Benevolence) and to reject the Five Sins (Wrath, Avarice, Envy, Pride, and Sloth). Dragonborn also see serving their clan as a greatly honourable act, as well as self-improvement and proficiency in a skill or field. Combat prowess was highly respected, and as a result, dragonborn culture was highly militaristic. The status of a clan was measured by the collective honour of all individuals that were part of it.
Another important aspect of dragonborn society was faith. Both Arigo-Shei and Bithedian dragonborn followed the Liantuhao Way, though Arigo-Shei practiced the Habiao, Jundian, and Nanyuedian denominations, while the Bithedians practiced the Sardioran denomination. The Tavanuan created and followed the Nahknin, and the faith played a very important role in Tavanuan society. The Kuyuiri followed the Povula Pichukaya faith, and are designated as the spiritual leaders of said faith.
All dragonborn cultures speak dialects of Draconic as their native tongue. Arigo-Shei dragonborn speak Arigo. Tavanuan speak Tavan Draconic, with those on the colony of Tegeletan speaking the Tegelan dialect. Bithedians speak the dialect of the same name, while Kuyuiri spoke both the Povulan language and their own draconic dialect, Kuyu.

History

According to the Vishgana, dragonborn were first spawned when Vishwamitra bisected the insane Io with the spear Padevalla. When Io’s blood fell upon the earth, the dragonborn and Kobold species were born. In the text, as well as in other historical accounts, it is unclear if the races sprouted forth whole from the spilled blood, or if humanoids caught in the blood were transformed into dragonborn and kobolds. Most dragonborn themselves believe the former. There were accounts of draconic humanoids prior to this event, although it is unclear if they were dragonborn, half-dragons, or some completely different species entirely.
With the sudden appearance of new humanoid species within the territory of the Ysen Empire, the empire hastily made a proclamation declaring the dragonborn as part of their civilization. This angered many of the dragonborn, who rose up in revolt. This became one of the many events that led to the fall of the Third Ysen Empire.
From the end of the Reign of Fire to the Dark Ages after The Retreat, dragonborn mostly populated various disparate nations, mostly on Ysen Tei, with dynasties made of dragonborn, dragons, and other humanoids. In 355 MT, however, a cabal of Tuhaoist dragons conquered the states of the Xiyihoba Peninsula and founded the Empire of Lengzhu, creating a dragonborn-majority state, led by an aristocracy of all metallic and chromatic dragons. The peninsula was split into ten states, one for each type of metallic and chromatic dragon, and led by an Emperor or Empress of that colour. These dragons were required to follow the rituals and traditions of the Liantuhao Way, to prevent them from letting their draconic natures get in the way of their leadership. Later on, each dragon noble would also have a council of dragonborn advisors attend to them, in order to advocate for the non-dragon citizens of their states.
A group of dragonborn, mostly those who were citizens of the dragonborn-led nations of the Xiyihoba Peninsula, protested this, refusing to be ruled by any species other than their own. They called themselves the “Eighty-Seven Clans”, named after the number of clans that made up the movement, and led an unsuccessful revolt against their dragon overlords. In 381 MT, the Eighty-Seven Clans were exiled from Lengzhu. Led by Prophesh Azzakh, chief of Clan Prophesh, the Eighty-Seven Clans wandered the Remnants of Diaghal for 57 years. According to legend, Prophesh Azzakh vowed never to rest until he had found a home for his people. When the Eighty-Seven Clans landed on an island in the Coravian Sea, the 104-year-old Azzakh was the first to step on the beach, and, after surveying the land, died where he stood. The Eighty-Seven clans named the island, Azatan, in his honour, and founded the Tavanuan Khaganate.
Four years after the Eighty-Seven Clans were exiled, the Nyaalki clan was caught in a storm and separated from the rest of the group. Their ship was wrecked on Lurean, and they wandered the continent aimlessly for two years, until they came across a grand temple. The coatl of the temple told them the way of Puchukaya, and after the dragonborn converted, the coatl bestowed upon them feathers, naming them caretakers of the sacred places of their faith. These dragonborn then became the Kuyuiri.
In the late 6th century, a growing religious movement among the dragonborn began to take shape. This movement began preaching that a third deity, Sardior, was needed to fully understand, become one with, and reunify Io. Taking the name Sardiorans, this movement was seen as the highest blasphemy by a majority of Lengzhese citizens, and in 609 MT, the Sardiorans were exiled. Following the path of the other dragonborn cultures before them, they wandered for five years, until they found a Draconic Shard in the Underdark of Shigantai. Believing this shard was a part of Sardior himself, the Sardiorans founded a new nation, Bithedia, named after the plentiful gemstones embedded in the walls of the caverns surrounding the shard. Over time, the abilities of the Sardiorans changed, as they all became part of the gem dragonborn lineage.
During the Chikelan Crisis, the Tavanuan Khaganate conquered Cape Oba-Ikahu in Chikelu, founding the colony of Tegelatan. In the aftermath of the Chikelan Crisis, the Khaganate and the Wusiph^djibundi created the Oba-Ikahu Contract, allowing the Tavanuan Khaganate to keep the territory that they won in the war, but allowing free passage to any Wusiph^djibundi tribe member, and to be required to protect Chikelu as allies of the Wusiph^djibundi if a Khninla ever declared it necessary. Tavanuan dragonborn would still be the majority species of Tegelatan, but as a result of this deal, Tegeletan became a unique blend of Chikelan and Tavanuan customs, creating its own practices, accents, and culture.
In 1347 MT, the Luminous Council of Bithedia was overthrown in the Hethessian Coup, named after its leader, the sapphire dragonborn Myiamraler Hethess. In its aftermath, she named herself Khan, and still rules Bithedia as an autocrat.
In the modern day, dragonborn are usually found in southeastern regions of Diaghal, especially Lurean and eastern Ysen Tei. The only dragonborn civilization that was found outside those continents was the Tavanuan dragonborn of the Coravian Sea. As a result, most dragonborn found on Tuatha were Tavanuan. Arigo-Shei dragonborn living outside of Lengzhu were usually exiled or ostracized in their home country, or were the descendants of those that were. In the past two decades, an influx of Bithedian dragonborn has spread across Diaghal, especially in Pelavayan, as a result of the Hethessian Coup. Kuyuiri dragonborn are usually only found in Povul, but the occasional individual might leave the nation on a quest, or just as the result of wanderlust.

Lifespan

~80 years

Average Height

5’8” - 6’10”

Average Weight

180 - 370 lbs