Bamboo Dragons
Zhú lóng (jhú long), Takeryu (ta̠ke̞ ryū), Neak ryssaei (nāg rẏs-sī) - Draconic
“It is often observed within those peoples heavily aligned to the Yin Principle a certain deadening of emotions and a slackness in familial bonds. This is an effect which radiates through that peoples’ society itself and often leads to that society’s eventual collapse. Yet there always seems to be exceptions to any rule. The “Little Dragons” appear to be just such an exception. Despite the coolness of their blood, the bonds of family and society are incredibly strong. Each generation of ‘dragons seems to epitomize the Six Virtues.”
Sage, Tong Zhao-zi
Basic Information
Anatomy
The bamboo dragons are sapient, humanoid-reptilian species, nominally bipedal, with two arms, two legs, a head, and a tail. Longer forelimbs, a flexible spine, and digitigrade legs allow for quadrupedal movement for quick bursts of speed, greater balance and agile movement. They are an endoskeletal species and, unlike many reptilians, are endothermic. Their skin is covered by a horny epidermis of scales and scutes. Around the areas needed for motor skills are covered in softer, overlapping epidermal scales; while more vulnerable areas requiring less flexibility, such as the back, tail, and head, are covered in harder, dermal scutes. Their teeth are sharp and curve backwards and their digits end in sharp claws.
Bamboo dragons are a partially aquatic species and display several adaptations for living in an aquatic environment. The ends of their tails are broad and flat to help propel them through the water, as well, their digits are partially webbed to allow for greater maneuverability in a submarine environment. Nictating membranes keep their eyes clear of floating debris, and their sensitive tongues allow them to navigate even the murkiest of depths.
Bamboo dragons are a partially aquatic species and display several adaptations for living in an aquatic environment. The ends of their tails are broad and flat to help propel them through the water, as well, their digits are partially webbed to allow for greater maneuverability in a submarine environment. Nictating membranes keep their eyes clear of floating debris, and their sensitive tongues allow them to navigate even the murkiest of depths.
Biological Traits
The bamboo dragons are a small, hardy lizard-like folk, standing between three and four feet in height, weighing anywhere from 60 to 80 pounds with three foot long tails. They are covered in scales which range from a dark to pale green to a yellow-green or even blue or red in color, with black or lighter patterns depending on clan. The scales can shift color slightly with their backgrounds, making them quite adept at hiding and ambushing. Though the scales usually lighten or darken depending upon their mood. Their heads are basically reptilian, with the females sporting a fin-like crest and males a pair of small, curved horns and the long whiskers of dragon-kind.
Like all reptilian creatures, bamboo dragons must shed their skin during their growth cycles. During their childhoods and initial growth phases, as they're rapidly increasing in size, they shed much more frequently. Typically every three months. When their growth slows down upon reaching adulthood, the length of time between sheddings slows to around every 6 months or so. This is mostly due to replacement rather than actual growth, however.
Like all reptilian creatures, bamboo dragons must shed their skin during their growth cycles. During their childhoods and initial growth phases, as they're rapidly increasing in size, they shed much more frequently. Typically every three months. When their growth slows down upon reaching adulthood, the length of time between sheddings slows to around every 6 months or so. This is mostly due to replacement rather than actual growth, however.
Genetics and Reproduction
Reproduction is accomplished between males and females of the species. Females keep a clutch of 3 - 4 eggs internally and birth them live after a gestation period of 12 months.
Growth Rate & Stages
Bamboo dragons age and mature at a rate similar to that of humans. They are born mostly helpless and completely dependent upon adult caretakers. They learn to walk upright around the first year of life, go through an adolescent period of about ten years, and reach sexual maturity between 11 - 13 years of age. Though, this can occur at a younger or older age depending on factors such as diet, parentage, or environment.
Ecology and Habitats
Bamboo dragons make their homes among the many rivers, rainforests, and bamboo groves of the Great Bamboo Forest in the southwest of the empire in the Bankawa no Kuni province. There, they tend to build relatively simple villages and small communes of "floating villages." Collections of simple dwellings built on stilts over the waters which seem to float above the rivers.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The bamboo dragons are omnivorous and freely consume both vegetable and animal material; with the bulk of their diet consisting of fresh-water fish and aquatic plants.
Biological Cycle
Bamboo dragons live about as long as the human species, and age and mature at the same rate. They are considered to have reached adulthood between the ages of 16 - 20 dependent upon their village or family's social customs. Old age is reached around 60 years, and death generally occurs around 80 - 90 years of age. Though these stages may happen earlier or later depending upon factors like diet and environment.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Bamboo dragons organize themselves on a clan structure, called saambok, with each of the major clans typically dominating a single geographic region and subsuming smaller families into the main branch through marriages, political or trade unions, etc. With each clan tracing their lineage back to a single, legendary founder. The nucleus of the clan, is of course, the main family with the head of that family holding the most power within the larger clan. Power structure is typically based on seniority and age, with the elders of each family typically making a consensus ruling in regards to decisions affecting the overall clan. The final word on any decision, however, always belongs to the eldest member of the main family.
In smaller villages, typically composed of one, small clan, the eldest member typically appears as either the Clan Head or Village Head.
In smaller villages, typically composed of one, small clan, the eldest member typically appears as either the Clan Head or Village Head.
Facial characteristics
The faces of bamboo dragons are reptilian in nature. They have a rather blunt, u-shaped snout with relatively large jaws. Their faces are mostly covered with fine, green scales while the tops of their snouts and heads are covered in the more bony, scutes in a darker green shade. The tops of the males' heads are covered in bony protrusions, like spine, which run from the top of their heads to the tips of their tails and bony, brow-ridges overhang their golden eyes with vertical pupils. While females have a foldable, fan-like crest which tends to lay flat along their scalp unless they are angry or otherwise agitated. When in an aroused state, due to anger or some other emotion, the crest fills with blood and turns red. The brow ridges are less pronounced in the females of the species. The males also have long whiskers, reminiscent of dragons, on either side of their snouts, beginning just behind their nostrils, which are particularly sensitive to electro-magnetic signals. Like their tongues, this also helps them navigate their way in dimly lit areas, or find an agitated female.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Though they may live anywhere they please, bamboo dragons are most often found in the warm, wet bamboo- and rainforests of the Land of Ten Thousand Rivers.
Average Intelligence
Bamboo dragons are a sapient species capable of having complex thoughts and possess self-awareness. They form societies and utilize the technologies extant in the empire.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Like many other reptilian creatures, one of the primary ways a Bamboo Dragon senses the world around them is via its sense of taste. They also possess a pair of pit organs situated just behind their nostrils which they use to sense heat signatures around them. These two sensory organs combined allow them to navigate their environments even in perfect darkness.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Traditionally, males are given names related to aspects the bamboo dragons consider to be virtues, while females are given names related to beauty or grace.
Surnames among the bamboo dragons are a relatively recent phenomenon, only being adopted when the Imperial Seats and the Bureaucracy gained real power within the empire and made surnames an imperial law in order to differentiate family lines for the Imperial Census. Therefore, dragon surnames are only a couple of millennia old. Most dragon surnames are taken from a notable ancestor's given name or from clan names and are generally one, or two, syllables at most. Females keep their maiden names after marriage and the children typically adopt the father's surname.
In formal settings, the individual's full name is used, with the typical imperial style of surname then given name. In the case of an individual possessing a formal title, the title is used in conjunction with the person's given name with the title coming second. Stress is always placed on the last syllable of a name.
Some of the more common family names include: Tahhan, Trei, Sloek, Stoeng, Neak, Tra, Vorn, Chhlat, Khlang, Sen.
Bamboo dragon names use real-world Khmer.
Surnames among the bamboo dragons are a relatively recent phenomenon, only being adopted when the Imperial Seats and the Bureaucracy gained real power within the empire and made surnames an imperial law in order to differentiate family lines for the Imperial Census. Therefore, dragon surnames are only a couple of millennia old. Most dragon surnames are taken from a notable ancestor's given name or from clan names and are generally one, or two, syllables at most. Females keep their maiden names after marriage and the children typically adopt the father's surname.
In formal settings, the individual's full name is used, with the typical imperial style of surname then given name. In the case of an individual possessing a formal title, the title is used in conjunction with the person's given name with the title coming second. Stress is always placed on the last syllable of a name.
Some of the more common family names include: Tahhan, Trei, Sloek, Stoeng, Neak, Tra, Vorn, Chhlat, Khlang, Sen.
Bamboo dragon names use real-world Khmer.
Major Organizations
The Tahhan ryssaei, being the oldest and largest clan of bamboo dragons, was considered to be the nominal head of the bamboo dragon race as a whole. When it came to dealing with the other races of the imperial government, it was the Tahhan ryssaei which was given the power to consult and speak on behalf of the race. With the oldest clan destroyed, there is nobody left to speak for the little dragons. Though they still live within the Land of Ten Thousand Rivers, the province has ostensibly been annexed by their northern neighbors, the Great House Sawayaka has been laid low and scattered to the Four Winds, and their new ruler, Shuoyu, will hear them not.
Beauty Ideals
Like many of the other species and races of the empire, there are general differences in the refinement of the facial features between male and female bamboo dragons. These features, in females, tend to be much softer and refined than the more coarse, sharper angles of the males. For instance, the brow ridges of males have a sharper overhang with the scales often appearing almost spiked, therefore, they tend to find softer, elegantly arched brow ridges the most attractive in females. While females see sharper brow ridges to be a sign of masculinity and strength. The same goes for the mostly decorative head ornaments of either sex. Males find a well-formed, expressive crest to be a potent sign of femininity and vitality. Females find large horns to be quite arousing as a sign of a male's virility.
Females with smoother, more supple, scales with more vivid, and intricate, patterns are considered to be highly attractive by males of the species. While females consider thicker, hardier hide to be a sign of vigor. While the longer, and more sensitive the whiskers on a male, the more potent and intuitive the males is considered to be. Males look for a longer, more elegant tale in their females, while females look for a broader, more muscular tail.
In both sexes, the way one takes care of their physical appearance such as cleanliness and polish of scales or horns, well-manicured claws, a healthy crest-fin, is a definite sign of desirability among the race. A male whose scales are coated in algae or mud or cracked, has chipped horns or claws, would be considered to be undesirable regardless of how big the horns may be.
Females with smoother, more supple, scales with more vivid, and intricate, patterns are considered to be highly attractive by males of the species. While females consider thicker, hardier hide to be a sign of vigor. While the longer, and more sensitive the whiskers on a male, the more potent and intuitive the males is considered to be. Males look for a longer, more elegant tale in their females, while females look for a broader, more muscular tail.
In both sexes, the way one takes care of their physical appearance such as cleanliness and polish of scales or horns, well-manicured claws, a healthy crest-fin, is a definite sign of desirability among the race. A male whose scales are coated in algae or mud or cracked, has chipped horns or claws, would be considered to be undesirable regardless of how big the horns may be.
Gender Ideals
As with many of the species aligned to the Yin Principle, the overall build of the bamboo dragons tends to be a bit slighter than their counterparts of the Yang Principle. As with species the world over, however, male bamboo dragons tend to be slightly larger and heavier, with more muscle mass, than the females of their species. Therefore, in general, the ideal gender role of the male is that of protector and provider. Though, again, like most others, there is an extra role that males are ideally supposed to take up due to the stereotype of the Yin-aligned scholar, and that is as a teacher of the young. One of their traditional roles in bamboo dragon societies, is that of sharing their knowledge of history, traditions, and woodcraft skills. Ideally, males also play the roles of cultural leaders.
Females, on the other hand, ideally tend to be the more nurturing type, the emotional balm to the males' more logic-based approach to the young ones' education. The females tend to the heart of any community of sapient species, and it's no different for the little dragons. They are often the emotional pillar of a village, promoting unity, resolution of conflict, and creating a sense of harmony within the community. They tend to more often be the spiritual leaders of a village.
Of course, the ideal reality and the real reality are often two, different things altogether. Life is not a one-size-fits-all equation, and personal choice plays a very large factor in the roles which either gender may take.
Females, on the other hand, ideally tend to be the more nurturing type, the emotional balm to the males' more logic-based approach to the young ones' education. The females tend to the heart of any community of sapient species, and it's no different for the little dragons. They are often the emotional pillar of a village, promoting unity, resolution of conflict, and creating a sense of harmony within the community. They tend to more often be the spiritual leaders of a village.
Of course, the ideal reality and the real reality are often two, different things altogether. Life is not a one-size-fits-all equation, and personal choice plays a very large factor in the roles which either gender may take.
Courtship Ideals
Couples' meetings are usually facilitated through traditional events, festivals, and other social gatherings by the bamboo dragons. At these gatherings time and space is usually set aside to allow those young dragons, newly come-of-age to meet and come together in a more relaxed setting than a formal gathering of families facilitated by a matchmaker. Young females, especially just after reaching their age of majority, will dress up in their finest clothes and jewelry. Silver armbands and neck-bands are common accoutrements among the females. The girls will also paint the most striking patterns of their scales in order to draw the eyes of suitable males to them. Some will even use a red dye or ink wash on their own crests in order to appear aroused and attract the attention of a male. The more eye-catching they can appear, the better.
The young men of these events will use the same, or similar, tactics as their female counterparts. Dressing up in their best clothing, painting scales, using horn-rings or even specially crafted extensions to make their horns appear longer than they actually are. Scented oils are another tactic often used by both sexes to appeal to the other.
Before the events, the young women will gather wildflowers and other herbs from the forests and rivers in order to dye glutinous rice in the shades of the Five Elements to represent harmony. They then make rice balls and hide small, culturally significant objects, within them to either entice a young man into courting her or to drive him away. The rice balls are then wrapped in large bamboo leaves and tucked away into a cloth pouch to be retrieved at need.
Once the young men show up at the festival, they begin singling out young ladies they find interesting and begin singing to them in low, growling tones. The young ladies show their interesting by dancing to display their grace and their scales and begin singing questions back in a soft, chirping rhythm. The cadences of the couples' songs interweave to create a beautiful harmony. If, at any point, a young man breaks the harmony by not singing an answer back to a female's question, he loses and must give a gift to the young lady in order to keep her attention. Various contests may also occur between the young men vying for the attention of a particular female. Physical contests such as wrestling or a mock hunt to more cerebral contests such as answering riddles may be had.
These events usually occur in, and around, the normal events of a festival or other social gathering. During which time, the couples get to know each other better. At the end of the night, when the female has made her decision, she gives one or more males one of the balls of colored rice. The object hidden inside will tell the male whether she has interest in courting him officially or not.
If she does, then the matchmaker is called in to arrange the formal meetings between the families, cast horoscopes, and to chaperone the couple as they court. The matchmaker also casts a horoscope for a good date for the wedding if things progress to that point.
The young men of these events will use the same, or similar, tactics as their female counterparts. Dressing up in their best clothing, painting scales, using horn-rings or even specially crafted extensions to make their horns appear longer than they actually are. Scented oils are another tactic often used by both sexes to appeal to the other.
Before the events, the young women will gather wildflowers and other herbs from the forests and rivers in order to dye glutinous rice in the shades of the Five Elements to represent harmony. They then make rice balls and hide small, culturally significant objects, within them to either entice a young man into courting her or to drive him away. The rice balls are then wrapped in large bamboo leaves and tucked away into a cloth pouch to be retrieved at need.
Once the young men show up at the festival, they begin singling out young ladies they find interesting and begin singing to them in low, growling tones. The young ladies show their interesting by dancing to display their grace and their scales and begin singing questions back in a soft, chirping rhythm. The cadences of the couples' songs interweave to create a beautiful harmony. If, at any point, a young man breaks the harmony by not singing an answer back to a female's question, he loses and must give a gift to the young lady in order to keep her attention. Various contests may also occur between the young men vying for the attention of a particular female. Physical contests such as wrestling or a mock hunt to more cerebral contests such as answering riddles may be had.
These events usually occur in, and around, the normal events of a festival or other social gathering. During which time, the couples get to know each other better. At the end of the night, when the female has made her decision, she gives one or more males one of the balls of colored rice. The object hidden inside will tell the male whether she has interest in courting him officially or not.
If she does, then the matchmaker is called in to arrange the formal meetings between the families, cast horoscopes, and to chaperone the couple as they court. The matchmaker also casts a horoscope for a good date for the wedding if things progress to that point.
Relationship Ideals
The ideal relationship promotes clan unity and strengthens familial bonds. Extended families and clans may all live within close proximity to each other or even make up a single village. Therefore, it is imperative that any new member brought in through marriage be able to provide support, share responsibilities, and not clash with the rest of the clan or family's members.
Different clans will invariably have different elders, and some clans may have slightly different traditions and customs to the ones that one or the other partner is unused to. Therefore, it is imperative that be able to easily communicate and navigate those differences, however slight, as well as being able to keep respect for each others' elders and their customs and traditions.
All-in-all, like most of the races throughout the empire, the ideal relationship is one which results in harmony where any weaknesses one has can be shored up by the other person in the relationship.
Different clans will invariably have different elders, and some clans may have slightly different traditions and customs to the ones that one or the other partner is unused to. Therefore, it is imperative that be able to easily communicate and navigate those differences, however slight, as well as being able to keep respect for each others' elders and their customs and traditions.
All-in-all, like most of the races throughout the empire, the ideal relationship is one which results in harmony where any weaknesses one has can be shored up by the other person in the relationship.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
The bamboo dragons speak the language of dragons, called Phasa neak in their own tongue. This language uses real-world Khmer as its root.
The language is known as Lóngyu in Dàyángyu & Ryugo in Daiingo.
Common Etiquette Rules
Many of the bamboo dragons' etiquette practices are consistent with the rest of the empire.
When meeting someone new a polite bow is expected when introducing oneself. When greeting a friend or acquaintance, a small nod of greeting will usually suffice if they are of similar social status. When greeting an elder or someone of higher social status, a deeper bow is expected, regardless of whether or not it is a first time meeting or the person is known.
It is expected to bring a small gift or token of gratitude when being invited into another family's home. This gift is usually a small token of cultural significance thought to bring luck or prosperity to the visited household. For instance, a small carving of the dragon god, Kawanokami, would be appropriate.
Dining is a communal affair for the whole family or, in smaller villages, the whole clan, and many of the same rules for dining etiquette are the same as the rest of the empire. The eldest member of the family or clan is always offered the most prominent seat at the table, nobody eats until the eldest person starts, and chopstick etiquette applies. Among the dragons, themselves, it is considered polite to taste the air around the food, first, to appreciate both the scent and the time and effort that went into preparing the meal. It is also considered impolite to touch any food with one's claws. It is also considered highly disgusting to pick one's teeth, with either claws, chopsticks, or anything else, while at the table. Baring one's fangs at another, considered an act of aggression, while at the table, a peaceful, communal setting, is considered to be the grossest of insults.
Baring one's fangs at another, in general, is considered to be an act of aggression akin to being slapped in the face. Baring them at an elder or someone of higher social status, especially without legitimate provocation, can be seen as a criminal act of aggression.
The bamboo dragons, of course, have their own list of honorifics to be used in both formal and informal settings. Most honorifics come before a person's name.
Elders are, of course, accorded great respect and deference. Formal tones and honorifics are always used in their presence. When seeking advice or opinions on important matters, the seeker's posture and attitude are always deferential. The eyes are downcast, the body is often bowed, the claws are hidden in the palms of the hands, and the lips are usually sealed, both to avoid showing too much fang and to avoid interrupting the elder when they are speaking.
It is considered to be proper manners to wear the appropriate garb for formal situations, such as a visit to the temple grounds.
It is considered to be polite to wash one's feet before entering an abode. There is usually a trap door in the entryway to every house so that the feet can be dangled into the river below to wash any dirt or grime from them. This practice is not necessarily expected of guests of other races since many of them wear shoes, but it is considered an act of respect.
When meeting someone new a polite bow is expected when introducing oneself. When greeting a friend or acquaintance, a small nod of greeting will usually suffice if they are of similar social status. When greeting an elder or someone of higher social status, a deeper bow is expected, regardless of whether or not it is a first time meeting or the person is known.
It is expected to bring a small gift or token of gratitude when being invited into another family's home. This gift is usually a small token of cultural significance thought to bring luck or prosperity to the visited household. For instance, a small carving of the dragon god, Kawanokami, would be appropriate.
Dining is a communal affair for the whole family or, in smaller villages, the whole clan, and many of the same rules for dining etiquette are the same as the rest of the empire. The eldest member of the family or clan is always offered the most prominent seat at the table, nobody eats until the eldest person starts, and chopstick etiquette applies. Among the dragons, themselves, it is considered polite to taste the air around the food, first, to appreciate both the scent and the time and effort that went into preparing the meal. It is also considered impolite to touch any food with one's claws. It is also considered highly disgusting to pick one's teeth, with either claws, chopsticks, or anything else, while at the table. Baring one's fangs at another, considered an act of aggression, while at the table, a peaceful, communal setting, is considered to be the grossest of insults.
Baring one's fangs at another, in general, is considered to be an act of aggression akin to being slapped in the face. Baring them at an elder or someone of higher social status, especially without legitimate provocation, can be seen as a criminal act of aggression.
The bamboo dragons, of course, have their own list of honorifics to be used in both formal and informal settings. Most honorifics come before a person's name.
- Lok: is a general honorific that is used before a person's name. Much like Mr. or Mrs.
- Lok Srey: is a polite way to address an older or higher status female. Like Mrs. or Ms.
- Bong: roughly means "brother" or "sister," and is a term to address someone of roughly equal social rank.
- Ah: is a more informal and casual way to address a person of the same age or younger.
- Choukdey: is a term used to address someone of higher status or authority. Similar to "sir" or "madam."
- Ta: is a polite way to address an older or higher status male.
- Neay: is an affectionate term to address a person of the same age or younger. Similar to "dear" or "darling."
Elders are, of course, accorded great respect and deference. Formal tones and honorifics are always used in their presence. When seeking advice or opinions on important matters, the seeker's posture and attitude are always deferential. The eyes are downcast, the body is often bowed, the claws are hidden in the palms of the hands, and the lips are usually sealed, both to avoid showing too much fang and to avoid interrupting the elder when they are speaking.
It is considered to be proper manners to wear the appropriate garb for formal situations, such as a visit to the temple grounds.
It is considered to be polite to wash one's feet before entering an abode. There is usually a trap door in the entryway to every house so that the feet can be dangled into the river below to wash any dirt or grime from them. This practice is not necessarily expected of guests of other races since many of them wear shoes, but it is considered an act of respect.
Common Dress Code
Given the bamboo dragons' environment and their proclivities, such as spending at least some of their time underwater, they don't tend to wear a lot of clothing in their daily lives; while what they do wear tends to based entirely around its functionality. Factors such as ease of movement, dragging on the ground during quadrupedal movement, breathability, easily doffed and donned, are always considered before a little dragon chooses an article of clothing. Therefore, their clothing is often made of cotton, ramie, or hemp; silk is very rarely used due to it's delicate nature and usually only for ceremonial garb.
In their natural environment, male dragons rarely wear anything more than a simple, sleeveless vest called the av kak and a kilt-like garment called khiev kaun. The av kak is similar in design to the kobitos' jeogori, but usually falling to just below the ribs even on males. Men also wear woven cords known as sangvar day, a ceremonial item denoting a warrior, hanging from their horns and tied around their biceps. Though these are usually only worn for ceremonial garb or for going into battle. Females wear the same av vak, though it is a wide-sleeved garment and the hem tends to fall to the waist. With this they wear a wrapped, skirt-like garment called khiev srauv which falls to around the knees. Both sexes wear a mottled green-and-black sash called a krama. The krama is a versatile garment that can be used for many purposes from masks to scarves to baby carriers to weapons. They are usually worn folded around the waist for ease of access and removal.
Young adults who've yet to reach their age of majority wear a wrap-around, poncho-like garment called klaong sdai. While young children wear a simple, draped cloth, secured under the arms called kaak kun. The klaong sdai is also worn by bamboo shrine maidens as part of their everyday costume. Symbolizing their youthful purity and untouchable nature.
The av kak sakdak is much the same as the regular av kak, except the av kak sakdak is sleeved and tends to go down to the knees of the wearer and is generally only used for formal occasions or by higher ranking individuals in the dragon society such as priests and elders.
Given their bodies' unique morphology, neither shoes nor hats are generally worn by the bamboo dragons.
Everyday clothes are typically not heavily embroidered and the colors are usually muted forest tones as they're made to be easily removed as the dragons go about their everyday lives. Ceremonial clothing, on the other hand, is typically woven of finer material and heavily decorated and embroidered with themes ranging from the aquatic, bamboo, and three-toed dragons. Depending upon the social rank of the wearer these can be made of either finely-woven cotton or of silk.
Semi-circular neck-rings, called kamlang tumnealech, are popular accessories among the male and female population of the bamboo dragons with females tending to wear two or more stacked atop each other. Especially on formal occasions. Armbands are also particularly popular, as are horn-rings and frill piercings. These are all usually made of materials which will not degrade when exposed to water and air. Silver is quite common given its non-rusting nature and its connection to the moon god and, therefore, the Yin Principle.
In their natural environment, male dragons rarely wear anything more than a simple, sleeveless vest called the av kak and a kilt-like garment called khiev kaun. The av kak is similar in design to the kobitos' jeogori, but usually falling to just below the ribs even on males. Men also wear woven cords known as sangvar day, a ceremonial item denoting a warrior, hanging from their horns and tied around their biceps. Though these are usually only worn for ceremonial garb or for going into battle. Females wear the same av vak, though it is a wide-sleeved garment and the hem tends to fall to the waist. With this they wear a wrapped, skirt-like garment called khiev srauv which falls to around the knees. Both sexes wear a mottled green-and-black sash called a krama. The krama is a versatile garment that can be used for many purposes from masks to scarves to baby carriers to weapons. They are usually worn folded around the waist for ease of access and removal.
Young adults who've yet to reach their age of majority wear a wrap-around, poncho-like garment called klaong sdai. While young children wear a simple, draped cloth, secured under the arms called kaak kun. The klaong sdai is also worn by bamboo shrine maidens as part of their everyday costume. Symbolizing their youthful purity and untouchable nature.
The av kak sakdak is much the same as the regular av kak, except the av kak sakdak is sleeved and tends to go down to the knees of the wearer and is generally only used for formal occasions or by higher ranking individuals in the dragon society such as priests and elders.
Given their bodies' unique morphology, neither shoes nor hats are generally worn by the bamboo dragons.
Everyday clothes are typically not heavily embroidered and the colors are usually muted forest tones as they're made to be easily removed as the dragons go about their everyday lives. Ceremonial clothing, on the other hand, is typically woven of finer material and heavily decorated and embroidered with themes ranging from the aquatic, bamboo, and three-toed dragons. Depending upon the social rank of the wearer these can be made of either finely-woven cotton or of silk.
Semi-circular neck-rings, called kamlang tumnealech, are popular accessories among the male and female population of the bamboo dragons with females tending to wear two or more stacked atop each other. Especially on formal occasions. Armbands are also particularly popular, as are horn-rings and frill piercings. These are all usually made of materials which will not degrade when exposed to water and air. Silver is quite common given its non-rusting nature and its connection to the moon god and, therefore, the Yin Principle.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Despite their small stature, the bamboo dragons are widely regarded as a fierce and tenacious warrior race. Though their tactics and strategies are generally regarded as being less than noble, their overall prowess on the battlefield has long been a source of awe and not-a-little fear. The bamboo dragons have long used their natural abilities to compensate for their relatively diminutive frames in their defense of the sacred spaces against folk that are often much larger than themselves.
This, of course, is what lies at the heart of the bamboo dragons' culture: their ancient charge to protect the sacred spaces of the earth by fang, claw, and blood. it is the focus of their warrior culture and the reason they fight. It stands at the center of their clan and communal society and is the reason for their close associations with the tepoabsaar of the rivers and even leads to their sadness over the lost tepoabsaar of the bamboo forests.
So hard-wired is this ideal into their very spirits, that they believe that they, and every other creature which dwells within the rivers, rain- and bamboo forests, are intricately connected to the Dragons Springs and Pools, and the health of the natural world which emanates from them. Rightly or wrongly, n the end, every bamboo dragon man, woman, and child would fight and die to defend the Dragon Pools, their villages and families, their allies, and themselves. In that order. Thus, is their dedication to their divinely bestowed mandate.
The dragons' clan society emphasizes familial connections and community. This, of course, is a natural extension of their divine mandate and their warrior ways. Their naturally small size puts them at a severe disadvantage when confronting larger opponents who wish to despoil their charges. Therefore, having strong connections to both family and community guarantees that there will always be someone at their back when things get dicey. Like the rest of the empire, this sense of filial piety and community is fostered within the writings of the Dasheng where all connections and authority flows outward from the center. Within the bamboo dragons' community, this flow is centered on the family, and clan, elders.
This, of course, is what lies at the heart of the bamboo dragons' culture: their ancient charge to protect the sacred spaces of the earth by fang, claw, and blood. it is the focus of their warrior culture and the reason they fight. It stands at the center of their clan and communal society and is the reason for their close associations with the tepoabsaar of the rivers and even leads to their sadness over the lost tepoabsaar of the bamboo forests.
So hard-wired is this ideal into their very spirits, that they believe that they, and every other creature which dwells within the rivers, rain- and bamboo forests, are intricately connected to the Dragons Springs and Pools, and the health of the natural world which emanates from them. Rightly or wrongly, n the end, every bamboo dragon man, woman, and child would fight and die to defend the Dragon Pools, their villages and families, their allies, and themselves. In that order. Thus, is their dedication to their divinely bestowed mandate.
The dragons' clan society emphasizes familial connections and community. This, of course, is a natural extension of their divine mandate and their warrior ways. Their naturally small size puts them at a severe disadvantage when confronting larger opponents who wish to despoil their charges. Therefore, having strong connections to both family and community guarantees that there will always be someone at their back when things get dicey. Like the rest of the empire, this sense of filial piety and community is fostered within the writings of the Dasheng where all connections and authority flows outward from the center. Within the bamboo dragons' community, this flow is centered on the family, and clan, elders.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
After an initial period of courtship when a couple is determined to be a suitable match, the couple will officially announce their engagement to their clan or village in a celebratory even called Chaul chnam thmey. The couple exchanges engagement gifts, and the families of the couple exchange gifts symbolic of unity such as betel leaves or bamboo plants encouraged to coil around each other as they grow. Blessings and well-wishes are given by family members to the engaged couple.
There are several ceremonial events held on the actual day of the wedding itself. In the days prior to the wedding, for which an auspicious day is chosen via divination, the couple prepares themselves for the Lanh Khnong by ritually rubbing their skins with a certain mixture of oils and herbs which both encourages the development of new skin and irritates the old skin into shedding. During the actual Lanh Khnong, the couple enters a sacred pool and begin to ceremonially cleanse the already dull and flaking skin from their partner. The literal act of shedding their old skins is a symbolic act of shedding their pasts, old hurts and negativity, and starting a fresh, new life together.
Once the Lanh Khnong ritual is complete, the couple dries and dons their wedding garb which tends to be much like their everyday garb except finer and with more cloth. Males don the av kak sakdak, usually in blacks and dark blues, and wear a fine khiev kaun, usually made of black leather. The men also don their sangvar day. While the females wear an even more elaborate, and longer, av kak, called the Av Kak Reasmey, made especially for their wedding day, with a long train which does down to the tip of her tail. With this she wears an ornate khiev srauv. The colors of her garments are usually done bright red and green colors with ornate floral designs symoblizing unity, harmony, and love. Silver jewelry and accessories are on full display and both sexes wear a silk krama done in the colors of the Yin and Yang Principles of red and black.
They then present themselves before the clan or village elders for the Sien Doan Taa ritual. The couple kneels and offers respect to their elders and parents and officially receive their blessings upon the union while priests offer the blessings of the gods.
After this comes the Sompeas Ptem ceremony where the couple is seated under a red, silk canopy while a red, silk string is wound around their wrists in a figure eight pattern. The string is symbolic of the Red Threat of Fate and symbolizes the couples' connection and the eternal bond of marriage. The couple will remain bound in this way throughout the remainder of the ceremony. Often until the next day.
The couple then offers food and incense to the ancestors in order to gain their attention and garner their blessings in a ritual called Hae Chii Monkhim.
Once all the rituals are done and the couple is considered officially married, a lavish feast is prepared with many traditional and symbolic dishes served. Food made to symbolize happiness, harmony, longevity, and fertility all make their appearance at the feasting table. Dancing, music, and celebrations continue long into the night and even into the next day.
When she finds out she's pregnant, a female bamboo dragon will visit the village shrine in order to obtain the blessings of the gods and ancestors. There, she receives the Srodd Preah, a ritual conducted by the dragon priests in which prayers of protection and health are chanted, holy water from a Dragon Pool is sprinkled upon the expectant mother, and a red cloth is wrapped tightly about her belly in order to support the developing children and offer protection from malevolent, spiritual forces which may seek to harm them or their mother.
After about three months, the pregnancy is announced to the rest of the clan. Where the couple are congratulated and a celebratory feast is held. During which she is given a pair of bracelets of red and black jade beads. These are also to protect the mother and her developing children from malevolent energies and to ensure a safe pregnancy and birth. Six months into her pregnancy, the female is cloistered within an attached room specially built for the purpose with a closed-off access to the river below where she will spend much of the next several months until the birth within a riverine nest built specifically for her. This room is called saambok saamreal kaun.
The birth is attended by a lone midwife who coaches the new mother through the birth of her children. As contractions begin, a group of female priestesses gather at the river's edge. They sing the ancient chamrieng tonle, the "river song," harmonizing their voices with the flowing of the water. The melody is meant to soothe the birthing mother, alleviate her discomfort, and help guide her through the birthing process.
After birth, the infants are brought to the surface of the water to take in their first breath, assisted in this by both their new mother and the midwife. The water cradle of the river elves, called lom yol tuk, is also used by the dragons, and is indispensable during the month-long sitting in time that the bamboo dragons also give to their new mothers to rest, recuperate, and bond with their offspring.
After the infants' first shedding, which often coincides with the third full moon after their birth, the babies are considered to have passed the danger period and are brought from their home to be formally introduced to the rest of the clan or village during what is called the Pithi dakchhmoh, the Naming Ceremony. This time the infants, themselves, are taken to the local shrine with the entire clan or village attending and are taken before the head priest who reads the signs of nature (the pattern of moonlight filtering through bamboo leaves, the whisper of the wind over the river, etc) to determine the infants' given names. The bamboo dragons believe that this ritual ensures the children's connection to the natural world from nearly the moment of birth.
Unlike many of the other cultures existent within the empire, coming of age among the bamboo dragons is not merely a matter of reaching a certain age. Many of the shouren are nominal warrior cultures due to their traditional mandate of protecting the sacred spaces of the world. Therefore, their rituals for entering adulthood must, by necessity, display the child's understanding and acumen of the warrior's ways. For the bamboo dragons, this typically means displaying their skill with traditional weapons, woodcraft, and taking them on their first hunt. The last test before they perform the coming-of-age ritual is the warrior's vigil, the Tahan absaara. A ritual where the aspiring adult warrior journeys to the nearest Dragon Pool and sits in vigil throughout the night. The young one is expected to meditate on their place in, and connection to, the natural world and the Dragon Pools, while remaining completely alert the whole night. Those who fail this test must try again the next year. While those who pass go on to don their adult clothing at the shrine the next day in a ceremony similar to those which take place across the empire.
The funerary ceremonies of the bamboo dragons is mostly similar to those of the other races. The main difference involves shaping rice balls to represent the soul of the departed and offering them to the local clergy. This is thought to help guide the soul of the deceased through the hell realms and into a better reincarnation. The funeral pyre is lit by one of those priests who are enlightened enough to possess a pearl and use the blue breath of the dragon god. This breath is thought to be divine in origin and has much the same meaning as the rice balls mentioned previously.
As mentioned previously, a traditional custom of the bamboo dragons before eating a meal is to taste the air around the food for a few moments in order that they may meditate on the time and effort spent by the people to get the food from the forests, the rivers, and the ground to the table to be consumed.
While it's certainly not true that all bamboo dragons are necessarily warriors, if it were, their society surely would not have survived into the modern age, most young bamboo dragons are at least trained in the basics of the race's martial art known as bokator. It is an ancient form of fighting art which allows the relatively small species to use every advantage available to them in battle. From the hardened scutes on their knees, elbows, and heads to their claws, teeth, and tails to the very environment around themselves to often deadly effect. It is, in fact, not an uncommon sight to see groups of dragons, ranging in age from toddlers to older males, gathered to train in their town or village squares in the early morning hours.
In this same vein, while it's certainly true that the little dragons have their farmers who harvest bamboo for its multitude of uses or grow and harvest rice or who tend to small fish farms, much of their food comes from the river elves around them. No small amount of river elves have found their Lòng sông in living the agricultural life. The elves, therefore, consider it an honorable act to tithe a portion of their own crops to the little dragons who live among them and have so often given their own blood to protect the sacred spaces the elves hold dear. Hence, the dragons' own version of a harvest festival is often a celebratory event where the two races come together to celebrate the harvest on the last full moon of the Earth season where each race gives thanks to the other for their support. The dragons dance the Rbam sokhdom, the Harmony Dance, and offer portions of their own hunts and harvests to their allies and friends.
The hunter's moon, which occurs before the harvest moon in late autumn, is generally celebrated by the bamboo dragons with a Great Hunt. The hunters from several villages or clans nearby to each other will come together to make their way into the forests and bring home as many beasts as they can in preparation for the harvest festival to come.
There are several ceremonial events held on the actual day of the wedding itself. In the days prior to the wedding, for which an auspicious day is chosen via divination, the couple prepares themselves for the Lanh Khnong by ritually rubbing their skins with a certain mixture of oils and herbs which both encourages the development of new skin and irritates the old skin into shedding. During the actual Lanh Khnong, the couple enters a sacred pool and begin to ceremonially cleanse the already dull and flaking skin from their partner. The literal act of shedding their old skins is a symbolic act of shedding their pasts, old hurts and negativity, and starting a fresh, new life together.
Once the Lanh Khnong ritual is complete, the couple dries and dons their wedding garb which tends to be much like their everyday garb except finer and with more cloth. Males don the av kak sakdak, usually in blacks and dark blues, and wear a fine khiev kaun, usually made of black leather. The men also don their sangvar day. While the females wear an even more elaborate, and longer, av kak, called the Av Kak Reasmey, made especially for their wedding day, with a long train which does down to the tip of her tail. With this she wears an ornate khiev srauv. The colors of her garments are usually done bright red and green colors with ornate floral designs symoblizing unity, harmony, and love. Silver jewelry and accessories are on full display and both sexes wear a silk krama done in the colors of the Yin and Yang Principles of red and black.
They then present themselves before the clan or village elders for the Sien Doan Taa ritual. The couple kneels and offers respect to their elders and parents and officially receive their blessings upon the union while priests offer the blessings of the gods.
After this comes the Sompeas Ptem ceremony where the couple is seated under a red, silk canopy while a red, silk string is wound around their wrists in a figure eight pattern. The string is symbolic of the Red Threat of Fate and symbolizes the couples' connection and the eternal bond of marriage. The couple will remain bound in this way throughout the remainder of the ceremony. Often until the next day.
The couple then offers food and incense to the ancestors in order to gain their attention and garner their blessings in a ritual called Hae Chii Monkhim.
Once all the rituals are done and the couple is considered officially married, a lavish feast is prepared with many traditional and symbolic dishes served. Food made to symbolize happiness, harmony, longevity, and fertility all make their appearance at the feasting table. Dancing, music, and celebrations continue long into the night and even into the next day.
When she finds out she's pregnant, a female bamboo dragon will visit the village shrine in order to obtain the blessings of the gods and ancestors. There, she receives the Srodd Preah, a ritual conducted by the dragon priests in which prayers of protection and health are chanted, holy water from a Dragon Pool is sprinkled upon the expectant mother, and a red cloth is wrapped tightly about her belly in order to support the developing children and offer protection from malevolent, spiritual forces which may seek to harm them or their mother.
After about three months, the pregnancy is announced to the rest of the clan. Where the couple are congratulated and a celebratory feast is held. During which she is given a pair of bracelets of red and black jade beads. These are also to protect the mother and her developing children from malevolent energies and to ensure a safe pregnancy and birth. Six months into her pregnancy, the female is cloistered within an attached room specially built for the purpose with a closed-off access to the river below where she will spend much of the next several months until the birth within a riverine nest built specifically for her. This room is called saambok saamreal kaun.
The birth is attended by a lone midwife who coaches the new mother through the birth of her children. As contractions begin, a group of female priestesses gather at the river's edge. They sing the ancient chamrieng tonle, the "river song," harmonizing their voices with the flowing of the water. The melody is meant to soothe the birthing mother, alleviate her discomfort, and help guide her through the birthing process.
After birth, the infants are brought to the surface of the water to take in their first breath, assisted in this by both their new mother and the midwife. The water cradle of the river elves, called lom yol tuk, is also used by the dragons, and is indispensable during the month-long sitting in time that the bamboo dragons also give to their new mothers to rest, recuperate, and bond with their offspring.
After the infants' first shedding, which often coincides with the third full moon after their birth, the babies are considered to have passed the danger period and are brought from their home to be formally introduced to the rest of the clan or village during what is called the Pithi dakchhmoh, the Naming Ceremony. This time the infants, themselves, are taken to the local shrine with the entire clan or village attending and are taken before the head priest who reads the signs of nature (the pattern of moonlight filtering through bamboo leaves, the whisper of the wind over the river, etc) to determine the infants' given names. The bamboo dragons believe that this ritual ensures the children's connection to the natural world from nearly the moment of birth.
Unlike many of the other cultures existent within the empire, coming of age among the bamboo dragons is not merely a matter of reaching a certain age. Many of the shouren are nominal warrior cultures due to their traditional mandate of protecting the sacred spaces of the world. Therefore, their rituals for entering adulthood must, by necessity, display the child's understanding and acumen of the warrior's ways. For the bamboo dragons, this typically means displaying their skill with traditional weapons, woodcraft, and taking them on their first hunt. The last test before they perform the coming-of-age ritual is the warrior's vigil, the Tahan absaara. A ritual where the aspiring adult warrior journeys to the nearest Dragon Pool and sits in vigil throughout the night. The young one is expected to meditate on their place in, and connection to, the natural world and the Dragon Pools, while remaining completely alert the whole night. Those who fail this test must try again the next year. While those who pass go on to don their adult clothing at the shrine the next day in a ceremony similar to those which take place across the empire.
The funerary ceremonies of the bamboo dragons is mostly similar to those of the other races. The main difference involves shaping rice balls to represent the soul of the departed and offering them to the local clergy. This is thought to help guide the soul of the deceased through the hell realms and into a better reincarnation. The funeral pyre is lit by one of those priests who are enlightened enough to possess a pearl and use the blue breath of the dragon god. This breath is thought to be divine in origin and has much the same meaning as the rice balls mentioned previously.
As mentioned previously, a traditional custom of the bamboo dragons before eating a meal is to taste the air around the food for a few moments in order that they may meditate on the time and effort spent by the people to get the food from the forests, the rivers, and the ground to the table to be consumed.
While it's certainly not true that all bamboo dragons are necessarily warriors, if it were, their society surely would not have survived into the modern age, most young bamboo dragons are at least trained in the basics of the race's martial art known as bokator. It is an ancient form of fighting art which allows the relatively small species to use every advantage available to them in battle. From the hardened scutes on their knees, elbows, and heads to their claws, teeth, and tails to the very environment around themselves to often deadly effect. It is, in fact, not an uncommon sight to see groups of dragons, ranging in age from toddlers to older males, gathered to train in their town or village squares in the early morning hours.
In this same vein, while it's certainly true that the little dragons have their farmers who harvest bamboo for its multitude of uses or grow and harvest rice or who tend to small fish farms, much of their food comes from the river elves around them. No small amount of river elves have found their Lòng sông in living the agricultural life. The elves, therefore, consider it an honorable act to tithe a portion of their own crops to the little dragons who live among them and have so often given their own blood to protect the sacred spaces the elves hold dear. Hence, the dragons' own version of a harvest festival is often a celebratory event where the two races come together to celebrate the harvest on the last full moon of the Earth season where each race gives thanks to the other for their support. The dragons dance the Rbam sokhdom, the Harmony Dance, and offer portions of their own hunts and harvests to their allies and friends.
The hunter's moon, which occurs before the harvest moon in late autumn, is generally celebrated by the bamboo dragons with a Great Hunt. The hunters from several villages or clans nearby to each other will come together to make their way into the forests and bring home as many beasts as they can in preparation for the harvest festival to come.
Common Taboos
With the exception of certain ceremonies and rituals, it is considered taboo to bathe within a Dragon Pool that is associated with an actual, physical water source. The physical body is a base thing, and to use a sacred Pool for everyday bathing would be to defile it.
Along these same lines, again with the one exception of the Lanh Khnong marriage rite, it is considered to be quite rude to enter a public bath during a shedding.
It is also considered to be disrespectful to the moon god to point at the moon with a finger.
Stepping directly over food or other offerings placed upon the ground is disrespectful to the spirits.
Along these same lines, again with the one exception of the Lanh Khnong marriage rite, it is considered to be quite rude to enter a public bath during a shedding.
It is also considered to be disrespectful to the moon god to point at the moon with a finger.
Stepping directly over food or other offerings placed upon the ground is disrespectful to the spirits.
History
The bamboo dragons were one of the races created after the genesis of the elves during the Age of Breath, or the First Ten Thousand Years of Peace by the humans' reckoning. As many non-human historians know, that age was anything but peaceful. True accounts of the Age of Breath can be found among ancient ruins of ravaged cities, logged on the oracle bones of long-dead races and overgrown villages, within the moldering contents of crumbling bamboo scrolls locked away in hidden libraries and forgotten mountain keeps, or even within the unassuming villages of one of the most ancient races extant within the empire.
Before what came to be called alternatively either the War of Tears or the War of Nine Tidings, the little dragons lived simply and went about their divinely appointed task of protected the sacred places from those who would wish to harm them or take advantage of the power they offered. Even in these early days of life the effects of the split between Izanagi and izanami was being felt and the severing of the Principle Balance in the corruption of many spirits and now-mortals throughout the Shinkai and the physical world. During this time they developed close ties to the communities of tepoabsaar (elves) who were their neighbors and partners in the task of keeping these spaces unspoiled. Both the kawa yosei and the zhu xiao, a now-extinct branch of the wood elves, used their natural abilities to cleanse the sacred spaces of the rivers and bamboo forests and keep them flowing healthy, while the bamboo dragons used fang and claw to protect them.
The War of Nine Tidings began as one of the seemingly endless, internecine clan wars of the mu xiao. Over time, the war grew beyond the initial clans involved, bringing in other clans, and slowly growing until nearly every elven race, and even many of their shouren counterparts, was involved in what became known as the War of Tears. While some of the dragon clans wanted to immediately join in the war effort on the side of their longest-held allies and companions, the kawa yosei, the oldest clan, the Tahhan ryssaei, cautioned prudence; stating that the nature spirits' wars were their own and that the ferocious people had no place interfering. For while this council held, as it seemed that even the clans of the kawa yosei, called dòng in their tongue, were split on their own allegiances. Unbeknownst to the elders, however, many of the younger, more rash members of the various saambok, were helping close friends and companions using guerilla warfare against their supposed enemies, and it was only a matter of time before their conflicts followed them home.
When the attack came, it came swiftly and without warning, various smaller villages were attacked and nearly completely destroyed all at once by battle groups claiming allegiance to one of the larger lùm cây (the wood elf word for clan) of the bamboo elves. After this, the bamboo dragons could no longer sit on the sidelines of a war that had drawn much of the existing world at that point into its hellish grip. Many villages and their attending saambok were lost to the wars over its long length, many of the world's smaller dragon pools were devastated and even the larger ones were left tainted, and an entire bloodline of wood elves, thanks, in large part, to the efforts of the little dragons, was wiped from the face of the earth.
While their numbers weren't nearly as affected as the elves', the little dragons were still taught many valuable lessons during the War of Tears. They became far more insular than they'd been even previously and they took their allies on a case-by-case basis rather than allying themselves with entire families or clans. They learned that their divinely mandated tasks, as those they worked with, did not equate to a fraternity. That even earnest allies could turn on them if the situation demanded it. These lessons worked for the bamboo dragons for many long ages; for while their lives may be short, their memories are very long.
These strategies of keeping the other races at arms' length, indeed worked quite well until the Kami Daisenso, the Great Kami War. This was another long war, in which every race who was not aligned to the dark god, Susano-o, was at threat of extinction, where everyone pulled together for the sake of their own survival and to defeat the Lord of Storms and his chaotic minions. Had it not been for the bonds formed through the ages of peace, blood, and war, with the kawa yosei, the little dragons may not have survived the onslaught of the Serpent People from the southern lands whose cold, efficient ruthlessness targeted the very things the dragons sought to protect: their families.
The dark god's war did one thing that not even he could have foreseen: it worked to recreate the bonds between the little dragons and the kawa yosei that had been broken many centuries before, and even succeeded in forging new bonds with the human clans that had long-since called the great bamboo forests home.
Thus it was, that when the armies of House Shuòyù, Daixue of the Creator's Spire, invaded the lands of the Ten Thousand Rivers, the bamboo dragons were there to meet him beside the gathered elements of House Sawayaka, and the Kawa Yosei. This action resulted in the most devastating attack on the bamboo dragons in their entire history. Some of the greatest, and oldest, villages of the bamboo dragons were sacked and torn down. The most ancient village of the bamboo dragons, that of the Tahhan ryssaei, was completely destroyed and the clan decimated, with most all of the members killed or missing.
Currently, the bamboo dragons, themselves, are attempting to regroup after what they consider to be a nefarious, direct, attack by one noble house upon another. An action considered to be highly illegal within the Empire. Many have been taken captive or killed by the armies of Glittering Jade. Those who are left are either grief-stricken and despondent or full of an inarticulate rage. While the elders who are left council restraint, many of the younger once again gnash their teeth and look for revenge.
Before what came to be called alternatively either the War of Tears or the War of Nine Tidings, the little dragons lived simply and went about their divinely appointed task of protected the sacred places from those who would wish to harm them or take advantage of the power they offered. Even in these early days of life the effects of the split between Izanagi and izanami was being felt and the severing of the Principle Balance in the corruption of many spirits and now-mortals throughout the Shinkai and the physical world. During this time they developed close ties to the communities of tepoabsaar (elves) who were their neighbors and partners in the task of keeping these spaces unspoiled. Both the kawa yosei and the zhu xiao, a now-extinct branch of the wood elves, used their natural abilities to cleanse the sacred spaces of the rivers and bamboo forests and keep them flowing healthy, while the bamboo dragons used fang and claw to protect them.
The War of Nine Tidings began as one of the seemingly endless, internecine clan wars of the mu xiao. Over time, the war grew beyond the initial clans involved, bringing in other clans, and slowly growing until nearly every elven race, and even many of their shouren counterparts, was involved in what became known as the War of Tears. While some of the dragon clans wanted to immediately join in the war effort on the side of their longest-held allies and companions, the kawa yosei, the oldest clan, the Tahhan ryssaei, cautioned prudence; stating that the nature spirits' wars were their own and that the ferocious people had no place interfering. For while this council held, as it seemed that even the clans of the kawa yosei, called dòng in their tongue, were split on their own allegiances. Unbeknownst to the elders, however, many of the younger, more rash members of the various saambok, were helping close friends and companions using guerilla warfare against their supposed enemies, and it was only a matter of time before their conflicts followed them home.
When the attack came, it came swiftly and without warning, various smaller villages were attacked and nearly completely destroyed all at once by battle groups claiming allegiance to one of the larger lùm cây (the wood elf word for clan) of the bamboo elves. After this, the bamboo dragons could no longer sit on the sidelines of a war that had drawn much of the existing world at that point into its hellish grip. Many villages and their attending saambok were lost to the wars over its long length, many of the world's smaller dragon pools were devastated and even the larger ones were left tainted, and an entire bloodline of wood elves, thanks, in large part, to the efforts of the little dragons, was wiped from the face of the earth.
While their numbers weren't nearly as affected as the elves', the little dragons were still taught many valuable lessons during the War of Tears. They became far more insular than they'd been even previously and they took their allies on a case-by-case basis rather than allying themselves with entire families or clans. They learned that their divinely mandated tasks, as those they worked with, did not equate to a fraternity. That even earnest allies could turn on them if the situation demanded it. These lessons worked for the bamboo dragons for many long ages; for while their lives may be short, their memories are very long.
These strategies of keeping the other races at arms' length, indeed worked quite well until the Kami Daisenso, the Great Kami War. This was another long war, in which every race who was not aligned to the dark god, Susano-o, was at threat of extinction, where everyone pulled together for the sake of their own survival and to defeat the Lord of Storms and his chaotic minions. Had it not been for the bonds formed through the ages of peace, blood, and war, with the kawa yosei, the little dragons may not have survived the onslaught of the Serpent People from the southern lands whose cold, efficient ruthlessness targeted the very things the dragons sought to protect: their families.
The dark god's war did one thing that not even he could have foreseen: it worked to recreate the bonds between the little dragons and the kawa yosei that had been broken many centuries before, and even succeeded in forging new bonds with the human clans that had long-since called the great bamboo forests home.
Thus it was, that when the armies of House Shuòyù, Daixue of the Creator's Spire, invaded the lands of the Ten Thousand Rivers, the bamboo dragons were there to meet him beside the gathered elements of House Sawayaka, and the Kawa Yosei. This action resulted in the most devastating attack on the bamboo dragons in their entire history. Some of the greatest, and oldest, villages of the bamboo dragons were sacked and torn down. The most ancient village of the bamboo dragons, that of the Tahhan ryssaei, was completely destroyed and the clan decimated, with most all of the members killed or missing.
Currently, the bamboo dragons, themselves, are attempting to regroup after what they consider to be a nefarious, direct, attack by one noble house upon another. An action considered to be highly illegal within the Empire. Many have been taken captive or killed by the armies of Glittering Jade. Those who are left are either grief-stricken and despondent or full of an inarticulate rage. While the elders who are left council restraint, many of the younger once again gnash their teeth and look for revenge.
Origin/Ancestry
Asian, Dragon, LIzardfolk
Lifespan
80 years
Average Height
2.5 ft
Average Weight
40.5 lbs
Average Length
5 ft
Average Physique
Bamboo dragons are typically fairly compact individuals. They tend to be small and relatively lean. The most noticeably muscled part of their anatomy is their powerful tail.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
The large belly scales of bamboo dragons typically range from an off-white to a pale yellow, while the rest of the body's scales are typically shades of green ranging from light to dark. The scutes covering their more vulnerable areas are typically a near-black shade of the overall coloring of the body. The finer body scales are typically dappled in various shades of green in a seemingly random pattern to help them blend in with their forested surroundings.
Geographic Distribution
Bamboo Dragon Traits
Starting Attributes - +2 Grace, +1 Judgment.
Alignment - Bamboo Dragons are usually of Yin alignment.
Night-sight - allows for vision in near-perfect darkness due to life in darker conditions.
Natural Armor - a thick, scaly hide gives the Bamboo Dragon the equivalent of Rank 3 armor.
Natural Weapons -
Chameleon Skin - the scales of a Bamboo Dragon can shift to blend in with their surroundings. When not in direct line of sight, can attempt Skulk checks. Adept at Skulk - Hide.
Dragon Lung - Can stay underwater for an hour before needing to surface to breathe. Fleetness score doubles when swimming.
Starting Face: +2
Starting Qi: +3
Alignment - Bamboo Dragons are usually of Yin alignment.
Night-sight - allows for vision in near-perfect darkness due to life in darker conditions.
Natural Armor - a thick, scaly hide gives the Bamboo Dragon the equivalent of Rank 3 armor.
Natural Weapons -
Chameleon Skin - the scales of a Bamboo Dragon can shift to blend in with their surroundings. When not in direct line of sight, can attempt Skulk checks. Adept at Skulk - Hide.
Dragon Lung - Can stay underwater for an hour before needing to surface to breathe. Fleetness score doubles when swimming.
Starting Face: +2
Starting Qi: +3
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