Draelish

Harbingers of legends long forgotten, Draelish resemble humanoid saurians that have a knack for magic.

Created by bananafire and written by Vyir#6432

"Draelish aren't terribly innovative. They like to stick with what they know and can be found isolated from the rest of the world. But if one stays around them long enough, you might just learn a thing or two." 

Basic Information

Anatomy

Draelish are bipedal, humanoid saurians. Their whole body is covered in textured scales dependent on their elemental affinity, giving them an overall solid, leathery feel. In addition, the backs of their arms, shoulders, lower legs, thighs, and tails are covered with larger, oftentimes darker scales featuring a variety of styles, including sharper edges, smoother angles, large scale plates, and even horns. Starting at the neck and ending all the way down the tail, the front of the Draelish is lighter in hue, sporting a smoother surface compared to the rougher scales adorning the rest of their body.
Arms and Legs Unlike most other humanoids, Draelish are digitigrade, which means that they walk on their toes, not their soles, though they do possess the ability to. Their feet are comprised of three clawed digits which are supported by pads with an additional back claw for extra support. These features allow them to be more flexible than plantigrade (sole-walking) species, with their claws being able to cling to surfaces, allowing Draelish to traverse more difficult terrain with ease. Along with clawed feet, Draelish also have clawed hands, with each being comprised of three digits and a thumb. For those who have an affinity for water, webbed appendages may be present, alongside a finned neck and tail, enhancing their swimming speed and maneuverability.
Scales The skin of a Draelish is covered in scales, varying from metallic hues to more classic colors. Ranging from a dull sheen to dazzling intensity, Draelish morphology depends on the elemental Affinity that one is born into. Depending on the parents, environment, magical potency, and Essence that may be around, a Draelish can be born into a number of different categories called Affinities.  Depending on how long a Draelish has lived in their environment as well as how potent the Essence of the area is, Draelish can exhibit additional characteristics of their Affinity called Expressions. Examples range from lichen-covered scales to coral outgrowths. All of these features further enhance the diversity of the species.

Genetics and Reproduction

Mating Draelish rely upon sounds for rituals and other cultural events, but it also plays a part in finding a spouse, too. Draelish youth are encouraged to create their melody, and are taught to weave their own songs, adding their own spatial flair. Males characteristically stick to lower beats and bass vibrations, while females carry out higher pitch clicks, whistles, and calls. If a couple finds that their songs match well together or find one's tune particularly noteworthy, it may strengthen the courtship. Well-suited couples help lead choirs in worship, teach younglings, and travel abroad.
Reproduction Draelish reproductive glands are kept within an internal cloaca, shielding these vital organs from the outside. Males typically have theirs housed within a convex region, whereas females have their cloaca within a more concaved region. When coming together, the two may position themselves in a way where the fluids needed for reproduction may have the best possible chance of fertilization. Later during embryo development, a slightly-scaled egg may start to form, protecting the little Draelish inside. This is when the formed affinity starts to really take shape. Although the egg is relatively soft-shelled, it grows an initial layering of scales akin to the given affinity a little while after the egg is laid. Once the egg reaches final mass, female Draelish go to the hatcheries, laying the eggs and ensuring proper protection until fuller development has taken place. Upon reaching maturity, the egg will begin to break apart, weakening as the Draelish inside continues to take nutrients and essence from the shell and scales.

Biological Cycle

As Draelish age, dull scales take upon a muted sheen as time goes on, while shinier scales turn frosted in opacity, though rarely do they turn harder and more translucent. Depending on the sex, rope-like tendrils start to grow, forming a beard on some or a crown of hair on others.

Additional Information

Social Structure

A council of elders rule the clans, consisting of males and females relatively equally. Both sexes are seen to provide essential skills to the clans, with general harmony seen throughout. Younglings, officially known as Draelings, aren't given prominence until after they have come of age, having proven their desire to carry on the traditions of their clan through their own way of life. Indeed, all Draelish are to rise to this occasion all throughout their lives. Finding and fine-tuning their own particular melody is also seen as a rite of passage, as well as the final changing of the scales, training in the clan's military, and priestly duties.

Facial characteristics

Draelish faces are typically armored, V-shaped, and exhibit fins, horns, or smooth plates. Their snouts are hardened, angular, with a jawline represented by softer, leathery tissue around the lips. Scales may protrude from the upper and lower jaws, protecting these softer tissues. Draelish teeth are comprised of fangs and molars, allowing the ability to eat meat and vegetation. As Draelish age, their fangs may begin to extend outside the mouth, particularly in the front. Long, leathery ropes can also form along the snout, under the jaw, or even on top of the head as Draelish age. These almost always take on a silvery-gray to white color, and is referred to as a crown. The back of the head continues to slope downward, merging with the spine. This area is particularly armored, with horns or frills oftentimes extending away from the skull.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Sound Keeping in tune with their more reptilian cousins, Draelish can pick up on sounds that other humanoids are not aware of, able to discern deeper rumblings and bass tunes with acute awareness. This trait goes hand-in-hand well when more than one of their kind gather to engage in vocalizing songs, especially in worship of a Duo. It is claimed that when a clan comes together and weave their voices as one, spatial distortions and visions appear, allowing Essence to freely flow.  The structure of the ears is oftentimes protected by a frill, a special set of scales, or horns.
Sight Draelish eyes are able to adapt to all sorts of environments. Featuring binocular vision, Draelish eye cavities are forward-facing at a slant, are oval in shape, and possess a circular pupil. The color of the eyes depend upon the affinity, oftentimes matching well with the body's color hue, but it is not uncommon for the color to contrast. Eye colors range from reds, blues, purples, greens, yellows, and oranges, with the pupils always being closer to black, though brown and even sometimes gray can be featured as well. Flecks of color are also common, and may even include rarer colors such as silver, copper, and gold. The rarest of colors for eyes seem to mimic jewels, kaleidoscoping in color and translucent in reflection.
Smell The sense of smell is divided between the nostrils and the tongue, with the nostrils able to detect the direction of the smell and the tongue able to differentiate the smell. Older Draelish may even grow small, ropey appendages around the snout.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Draelish have three names: their personal name given at birth by their parents, their family name, and their clan name. This allows other Draelish to identify family and clan origins rather easily. If a Draelish ever traveled outside of the clan, they would typically drop their family name and go by their first, personal name and their last, clan name.

Major Organizations

Storm's Scar

Relationship Ideals

Couples are monogamous, marrying for life. In the rare event that an infant is born without parents or extended relatives, elders of the council may take the infant under their care. Any outsiders may be brought into the clan as well, with a family group given to them for bonding, growth, and care. Rarely does this include non-Draelish, though tradesmen are commonly accepted into the clan if a bond and trust has been established over decades of time.
Draelish populations do not explode overnight, nor do they dwindle into nonexistence. When Draelish settle into a new area, there is a need to populate, and so the choice is given for clutches of eggs to be born. When the need falls, Draelish couples typically have between one to two children, with three being the exception. Oftentimes Draelish couples will live in designated groves/grottoes, which are groupings of couples that choose to live close by, attending worship services, clan meetings, and fellowship gathering and feast days together. Draelish parents encourage their children to develop close bonds with other children, especially those outside of their groups, learning family traditions and developing close relationships with each other. This is typically encouraged when young Draelish attend their priestly chores and military duties, being partnered with other Draelish outside of their known groups.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

The Hope of the Draelish

Special Thanks

I would like to thank Sam Santala over at https://www.artstation.com/samsantala for letting us use his artwork for this article. Please check out his site and give him a follow over at https://twitter.com/SamSantala?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Images by Sam Santala via https://www.artstation.com/samsantala.

by Sam Santala

Origin/Ancestry

Unknown

Lifespan

Draelish typically live up to 80 years of age, with the max being 120.

Average Height

Draelish are taller and heavier than other humanoids, with their height from the bottom of their toes to the top of their skull ranging from 6 to 8 feet tall. A Draelish over 8 feet is rare but not unheard of.

Average Weight

The average weight runs between 250 pounds to about 300 pounds.

Average Physique

Most Draelish have body types that are lean and muscular, with females reaching on average 6-7 feet tall, featuring slenderer frames, less plates, and more prominent affinity characteristics. Males generally reach 7 to 9 feet in height, can range from being small and lean to large in height and girth, and generally provide larger plates.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Though most Draelish scales feature slight gradation within the given color scheme, it is not uncommon for some of their kind to possess scales that seem to camouflage into their surroundings. This change typically takes place when a Draelish youngling is still maturing up until the age of 17 years. Examples may include a Draelish with gray gradation with black-tipped spikes featuring streaks of dull green within the crevices of the plates, along with specks of gold in the eyes, or a bright cyan Draelish with purple shimmering across the scales and fins, leading to deep, azure eyes.

Geographic Distribution

• The northern continent: Akus
• The Southern Continent: Unperica
• The Wilds

by Sam Santala

by Sam Santala