Dragonborn

A.K.A "Rijatannin"

"They are poor creatures, the dragonborn. More closely resembling majestic dragons, but shunned for looking differently than humans. Even parents cast out their babies. Too many children are not comforted as their bones shift and their skin peels away over the course of years. I pity them as much as I hate the society which rejects them." - Erich Geseller, Monk of the Wandering Order.

"Kill the beast!" - Most villagers

Basic Information

Anatomy

While appearing very human-like, it is impossible to ignore the scales, large teeth, and bony appearance of the rijtannin. The bone structure of the dragonborn is slightly different than a human's, with the skull and leg bones becoming more like a dragon's. Those who have the ability to develop wings will develop a large membranous pair out of their shoulders, usually reaching a size equal to the dragonborns's full height.

Genetics and Reproduction

Dragonborn result from a disease known as Draco mutatio. This is a sexually transmitted disease in which only the offspring of the infected are affected.

Growth Rate & Stages

Dragonborn grow more quickly than humans, reaching puberty at the age of 10 and adulthood by the age of 15. Dragonborn will appear mostly human at birth, although they will have dry, scaly skin which will flake and have a noticeable lack of hair. Their eyes will also have a slight, vertical oval shape. Scales will develop by puberty and the abnormal skull and characteristic 'breath' will develop by adulthood. Further mutations, such as a tail and wings, vary by individual and are triggered by environmental effects.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Many people seem to think that dragonborn feast mostly on uncooked flesh, and perhaps human flesh at that. This is incorrect. Dragonborn prefer a meatier diet than humans but have an almost identical diet otherwise. They also require a fair few more calories due to their rapid growth and physical development.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Dragonborn society often is very tribal in nature. They have small groups which rarely interact with the outside world. The organization of each group varies.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Due mostly to their appearance and social stigma's, people are quite content to enslave dragonborn or to treat them as second-class citizens.

Facial characteristics

Often resembles a dragon's, although much shallower. Their eyes are larger than human's, with a black slit inside of their yellow eyes. Rijtannin lack human noses, ears, and hair. Their teeth compare to that of an orc's.

Average Intelligence

Rijtannin are completely capable of having intellect equal to that of a human's but are often shunned and ostracized from humanity. This neglect often causes a lack of education and mental development in the individual.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Dragonborn have adopted many dragon names, modifying them to be pronounceable for humans.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Most dragonborn speak a form of Low Draconic, a modification of the original language of dragons, with most different clusters of people each having their own dialect. While Low Draconic is easier for humans to read and understand, it is considered by dragons to be a crude mockery of their tongue.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

As a result of their rejection by humanity, Rijtannin have chosen to adopt dragon culture as their own. Their society, beliefs, and customs are all heavily influenced by the belief that they are dragons in human form.

History

When a dragonborn is discovered, they are often sent to a faraway island segregated from the rest of the mortals to prevent the spread of their illness. That is how it was for the first many ages of mortals. Very little is known about the origins of dragonborn due to their widespread ostracization in the First Age, but it is known that on the various isles they inhabited they developed their own culture, language, and society.
The first dragonborn were sent to the Zabraz Isles, at the time called the Islands of the Damned. There they learned of the ancient ruins left behind by the dragons which inhabited the place before them. They learned what they could of the High Draconic language. They revered the ancient dragons and worshipped them as deities, building shrines and culture around what they left behind.
The inhabitants of Zabraz split into various groups based upon ideological controversies and each left to each inhabit a different section of the islands. The dragonborn developed into various colors and appearances based upon their ancestry due to their long separation.
Eventually the dragonborn were called upon in the Second Age for war, and masses left the island. Since then they have been seen, albeit rarely, in any continent, typically in isolated communities. Most still live in Zabraz Isles to be free of human oppression.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Dragonborn are a peculiar lot. They are humans, resemble dragons, but are accepted by neither. Even their own kind hate them. Small groups may ally themselves with any other sentient race, but as a whole the rijtannin are almost completely isolated.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Humans

Scientific Name

Homo sapiens tahnin

Lifespan

45-55 years

Average Height

6'0"

Average Weight

180 lbs

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Varies based on genetics and environmental effects.