Dragonborn
Born of dragons, as their name proclaims, the dragonborn walk unsure, but with inner strength, through a world that greets them with fearful incomprehension. Once shaped by the rituals of cultist who stole away with dragon eggs, they began as an enslaved race, combining the attributes of dragons and humanoids. Some dragonborn remain servants to chromatic dragons, given by the cultists who made them, others form the ranks of soldiers in great wars, and still others find themselves adrift, with no clear calling in life.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Dragonborn have personal names given at birth, but they put their clan names first as a mark of honor. A childhood name or nickname is often used among clutchmates as a descriptive term or a term of endearment. The name might recall an event or center on a habit.
History
Not truly born of dragons, as their name proclaims, dragonborn are descendants of an old race of dragonmen known as draconians. Created by the Scaled Tyrant, Tiamat, to be her personal army, they were made rather than born, by corrupting the eggs of Bahamut's brood, the metallic dragons, using dark magic called the corruption ritual; a ritual carried forth by some of the Scaled Tyrant's more fervent worshipers. From birth the draconian were taught that the world was cruel and that elves (and soon later, humans) were most vile of all. Forced to fight for the scraps of leftover foods that their human caretakers threw to them; it insured that only the strongest of Tiamat's children survived and that their hatred of humanity became their driving motivator and sole focus for rage.
Tiamat and her dragon progeny used the draconian as troops against the armies of the Creators during the Divine War. The draconians proved to be loyal soldiers and far more reliable than the goblins, orcs or ogres.
After the banishment of the Betrayer Gods, the draconians became an aimless and abused people. Most remained servants to the chromatic dragons who's leadership they fought under during the great wars, while others became slaves to stronger races, such as the ogres. The draconian slaves still required the corruption ritual to be birthed, and without the Scaled Tyrant's oversight, the stock of quality specimens diminished over time. Who can truly say what happened to prevent the extinction of the dragonborn race; whether a genetic leap, the mercy of the Creators, or possibly exposure to certain magics, but eventually the draconian bred of their own volition, without the need of ritual.
At first this was looked on as a boon; the dragon armies swelled and the faithful of Tiamat rejoiced. Without the corruption ritual, the draconian which were born of the natural order possessed higher intelligence and were not content to be a slave race. Many clans revolted against their dragon masters, either defeating them or fleeing to safety, forming communities and developing language, art and society. They renamed themselves the Dragonborn, casting away their blind hatred and old allegiances; a people reborn. Those dragonborn who no longer follow the Scaled Tyrant practice a new ritual; usually at birth, where the wings are clipped, severing their connection to the Scaled Tyrant and the dragon lords who once controlled their destiny.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Lifespan
180 years
Average Height
Well over 6 feet tall.
Average Weight
Averaging 250 lbs.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
The blood of a particular type of dragon runs very strong through some dragonborn clans. These dragonborn often boast scales that more closely match those of their dragon ancestor—bright red, green, blue, or white, or lustrous black. It is not unusual for a dragonborn native to Verridia to have accenting scales of gleaming metallic gold, silver, brass, copper, or bronze under the eyes, brow or chin.
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