Dragonborn

Appearance

Dragonborn appear as dragon-like humanoids, having no tail or wings. Their scales are fine, and not as hardened as a dragons. They can grow hair (and facial hair in males), with hair, eye, and scale colors ranging broadly. The color of their scales is indicative of their bloodline and ancestry, and indicative of what element their breath weapon will manifest as. Dragonborn are tall, typically reaching heights of 6-8 ft.

Biology

Dragonborn trace their genetic heritage to the Dragons themselves, inheriting many of their traits, including a reptilian reproduction cycle where they lay and hatch eggs. Eggs gestate for 3 months before hatching. Dragonborn age rapidly, achieving full adulthood by the age of 15, and living as old as 80 on average. Dragonborn are born with a draconic ancestry, which determines the color of their scales and the element of their breath. This manifestation is an indication of their bloodline, which is influenced through the genetics of their ancestry. Dragonborn will have a natural affinity for the element that their draconic ancestry manifests as, becoming resistant to harm from that element, and finding it easy to learn about and manipulate that element.

History

The Dragonborn are an ancient race, whose origins begin as clans in the 1st Epoch who fervently served their Dragon overlords. Tales and rumors of the races origin, creation, and purpose have circulated through the ages. Such rumors speculate they were made from the union of Elderkin and Dragon, others say they were made from the power of Dragonsblood, sculpted into humanoid shape for the purpose of serving the Dragons. What has baffled some is that the race didn't inherit the innate magical prowess of Dragons, such as how Sorcerers do through their bloodlines, instead only gaining some of the physical capabilities of the Dragons such as their elemental breath. Dragonborn used to be prolific throughout the world, in the 1st Epoch and before. During the 2nd Epoch, the Sorcerers rising to power sought to cull any who were loyal to the Dragons, and shattered many Dragonborn communities as a result. Most Dragonborn fled south, pushed out onto the Dragonshead Peninsula or to the harsh southern islands now known as the Draconid Isles.

If the dragonborn were a tough, hardened people before this event, they only become more so. The Dragonshead Peninsula has seen many wars, and suffered under many oppressors, its Dragonborn inhabitants becoming the most seasoned, veteran warriors in the world, matched only by the Shasarek Shogunate in experience. The Draconid Isles are harsh and unforgiving, battered by massive storms, barren of resources, and containing dangerous, exotic wildlife. In the 3rd and 4th Epochs, the sentiment of hatred towards the Dragonborn remained, though it gradually waned.

All these factors combined have made Dragonborn a weary, calloused people. They live in tight-knit communities, and suffer a shared shame at their ancestral past. Their communities are most centered upon the Draconid Isles, which are in the fold of the New Sovereignty now. A rebellious contingent of Dragonborn live upon the Dragonshead Peninsula of the Naiathel Empire, titled the Illfang Rebellion. A religion unique to their culture, the Blood of the Ancients, has been present among the race throughout the centuries, though its nature has adapted over time.