Vrash (ver-ASH)

(Header image by Lesseras)

What is a Vrash?

With four legs, two wings, and stout scales, Vrash are common dragons on Theoma. They have various arrangements of horns, fins, and ears that make them unique in appearance from one another, and they also come in highly varied colors and patterns.

Their front feet are dexterous and often referred to as hands. Vrash require all four legs to walk, but they can stand in one place reared up on their hind legs, and sturdily enough to bring their hands into play. Vrash are a common demographic on Theoma, and they have a 'salt of the earth' reputation as a result.

Vrash are sometimes called "metal dragons" as a result of their frequent use of metal in attire; this name is most commonly used by people who did not grow up around Vrash and who do not expect to see metallic attire. Resembling armor, war is so rare on Theoma that armor flourishes among the Vrash purely due to their common stout strength and excess availability of metal-working talents. Wearing metal is a way for them to show off their wealth to each other.

What is the magical gift of the Vrash?

The ground under the feet of a Vrash changes in response to their will. As a result of this, Vrash rarely sink into the ground, and can readily carve paths by walking them while focusing on the path to be carved. Mining Vrash develop this talent to break the earth up around valuable ores as they work it, yielding a purer output that is easier to refine. Farming Vrash get their nose into the ground and work more sophisticated magics to make it better for growing. In any case, any signfiicant use of this ability is tiring; walking on an almost-good-enough path is trivial and will leave behind a quite solid path, but trying to harden an entire field of mud in one go would likely work for about two meters before an exhausted Vrash would start sinking into the mud with every step.

Repeated applications are used for many endeavors, as well as critical ones. For instance, building foundations are stomped repeatedly for a week with exaggerated effort to get a deep foundation that will never sink. Vrash farms are also distinctively patterned by this ability, as many Vrash patrol their fields twice a day to keep the soil perfect as the plants draw upon it, creating thereby a characteristic pattern of Vrash farms that they have solid stone paths between every few rows of their exaggeratedly fast-growing plants.

Less well known, the Vrash also have an additional magical gift which isn't quite unique: regenerative attire. Anything worn by the Vrash will tend to clean and repair itself over time. This is a very common blessing on Theoma that draws little note, but all Vrash are born with it. This blessing eventually fails if over-relied upon, so more attentive cleaning is eventually needed to renew it... but it lasts for a while and it even fends off rust on metal armor. Thanks to this blessing, some Vrash wear the same outfit near-continuously, taking it off only when they're bathing.

Where do Vrash prefer to establish settlements?

Vrash settlers are often drawn to very stony areas. Their ability to reform the ground means that they can grow crops in land that would be worthless to other settlers, and furthermore they have advantages in breaking up stone for quarrying and mining. This preference for marginal land is balanced by a common desire to be on the trade routes, as Vrash metal-working is quite renowned. The best smiths among the Vrash can work at a very high level using only refinements of their natural magic. This produces valuable trade goods without the specific need of land god favor.

Additionally, there are typically some Vrash anywhere that is not prohibitive for them. They are numerous and hardy, and young Vrash often have long lineages reaching back towards the dawn of Theoma.

Questions given their own article:

1. How do Vrash hands work?

The majority of sapients on Theoma are dragons. Ageless, beautiful, and in this place at least, quite peaceful. The majority of dragons on Theoma are Vrash or Vashael. Vrash resist overheating and are more common in the warm southern regions.

by Laanuei