@Aristocles Ha, sorry for the miss about Dracons. Besides the thing going on with kobolds, I have a feeling there are more family related matters going on elsewhere (hatching/rising young Dracons, conversations about magic, possibly something else?). Some examples about the kind of magic you've used in game might be helpful (I imagine that healing is the most straightforward). And what evil beings are there? Also, what are some of the most common modes of transportation?
Yes, there are family-related matters. Adykon (my main character; he's the guy in my avatar) has a wife named Aerta and they have a large family. The "something else" could involve courtship, as long as we keep it PG-13 at most in public areas.
Evil beings include most tribal dracons (as opposed to the ones who live in more civilized areas), bandits, evil dragons, the undead, various demonic beings, evil wizards (and other forms of mage),
Some examples of magic use include fireballs, teleportation, wards (magic which protects someone from harm), lightning bolts, levitation, turn undead spells, scrying (seeing things in a distant land), and of course, healing magic.
Besides teleportation, other means of transit include carriages, chariots, and wagons (often as part of a caravan), travel up rivers and along the coasts by ship, walking a long way, and using various mounts (horses, camels, riding lizards).
@Aristocles Very helpful, thank you. And yes, there are still things I would like to know about. I think you've said there are thousands of gods worshiped by Dracons - so I'm guessing these gods represent every natural, social and other phenomenons in the world (e.g. gods and goddesses for life, death, war, battle, luck, love/family etc.). Is every Dracon free to chose whom/what they worship or are some gods and goddesses more predominant in certain cities/social groups?
I'd like to know about some general desirable and undesirable traits for Dracons. Maybe some common stigmas.
Also, what is currently known about those dragons and humans who originally created the Dracons? (I'm guessing not much). Do any actual (winged) dragons still exist (you've mentioned evil ones above)?
Well, some of what you consider desirable and undesirable may vary. Here are some facts about the dracons and the setting:
- Rich dracon males are almost always polygamous, with several wives. Rich females can only be married to their husband.
- Dracon clothing varies by age and sex. Young male dracons wear a loincloth until age seven, when they can use pants or shorts. They can use a full adult set of clothing (similar to what a human uses) by age fourteen. Female dracons only use a loincloth until their breasts begin to develop, at which time they get a top piece. And dracons never use footwear no matter their age or sex.
- Dracons are free to choose which gods they worship unless said god is explicitly prohibited in that realm. Their gods represent almost anything and everything you can imagine. Some gods and goddesses are more prominent in certain cities and social groups, but this is one of a few areas I have to develop more.
- There are winged dragons, both good and bad. They existed long before the dracons did, and some dragons were alive for millennia before the dracons were created by those dragons and mages.
- The dracons were created about 10,000 years ago (older material of mine says 9,000 or less) by the cabal of mages and dragons. Keep in mind that some of the four-legged dragons were also mages. Not a huge amount about them is known, but dracon scholars have compiled a partial list of the cabal (not quite half), which numbered over 100 individuals.
- Dracon culture is very patriarchal, and they don't allow females to own land. That said, actual abuse of their wives is frowned on, and there are dracon priestesses, although the highest clerical positions are reserved for males.
- Apart from using footwear, dracons stigmatize effeminate behavior by males, although this condemnation really takes until age 25 to kick in. They also don't tolerate anything but straight relationships. Fortunately, the very point of their creation was to be bred as soldiers and servants for the cabal who made them (the cabal actually made them for contradictory purposes, with few of the mages agreeing on how to use the dracons, or if they should be used as servants or tools at all) so anything which would get in the way of their breeding wouldn't have made any sense.
Keep in mind that dracon society was made to be intentionally flawed. Good drama often comes from people fighting against the issues presented by society. A utopia filled with peace, love, and tolerance isn't very dramatic.
@Aristocles Oh, I agree completely with you regarding to flaws. It would be boring otherwise.
And here, I finally made an approximate CS for this. Correct whatever you feel needs correcting. I'm also open to other suggestions (such as where to fit him, though I feel Hekaga might be a good place). I've included his family "tree", but consider this just to be setting (I won't play all these other characters, though I may mention them occasionally). His abilities could still be fleshed out (any recommendations in for that?).
In regard to both duty and personal ambition he has been known to say: “What one can do [to achieve their goals], one must do.” – for better or worse, he holds true to this.
Name: Yssil
Race: Dracon
Age: 17-25
Gender: Male
Appearance: Dark gray scales, green eyes, black horns and claws (and possibly spikes), he’s thin but wiry – built for speed, flexibility and maneuverability rather than brute force.
Background: Yssil was born as a sorcerer and being the only one like that in the family, it was quite stressful, even accounting for his mother’s help and his own studies. He tended to compete with his brothers, but although he was always more powerful in magical terms, he never could get an edge in physical prowess on either of them. Knowing that his magical strength was something that would most likely stop growing or even decline eventually, this has driven him to better himself and try to understand his own natural powers. The idea of becoming someone second rate when older due to becoming comparatively weaker terrifies him.
He’s a highly ambitious and determined individual, always striving to do better. He has high standards for both himself and others. As much as he might criticize himself for failure, he will likely also show distain to those who fail to meet his (or society’s) expectations. Due to his mother’s influence, he’s quite spiritual, praying often even though he isn’t a cleric. Despite his strong personal ambitions, he prioritizes duty first and foremost. This most likely has to do with his intense wish to not only prove himself to his family, but to other Dracons as well.
Because of the pressure of his positions (i.e. his capable and skilful family and the general expectation that he, compared to them, will be most “useful” only during his youth), Yssil is also a bitter individual, harbouring some resentments and is often outright cantankerous, while maintaining the appropriate veneer of politeness when required.
Abilities:
Air magic – used for attacks (razor sharp wind, throwing items or individuals around, at most a small tornado or multiple condensed projectile attacks) and flight (he could probably carry another person while doing this) – he can also just glide around swiftly.
Shadow magic – stealth, possibly illusion magic.
Decent close-quarter ability (daggers or spear?).
Imra – his mother, a mage knight (maybe enchantress) OR cleric. Kelbym – his father, an elite guard, a well-known and fierce warrior.
Siblings: Gyveos, the eldest brother, a strong warrior, with a potential to surpass even his father. Jaidra, the middle brother, a ruthless soldier, trained in ice magic, interested in politics. Lyria, sister and youngest sibling, a cleric-in-training.
Some more questions:
What do Dracons eat?
Which Dracons would be the rich ones (besides nobility)? And do those multiple wives and their children usually get along?
What's the basics of courting anyhow? Is there an average (expected) age of getting a mate and children and such? And what if there's competition for a potential partner?
Dracons are omnivores, but they almost universally prefer a diet heavy in meat.
Other rich dracons include merchants, bankers, powerful mages who sell their services for a great deal of money, and those who are more than one of the above. For example, a noble might also own trading ships, or at least own a share in them.
Courting depends heavily on one's class. It is formal for the richer dracons, about normal for the middle classes, and rather informal for the poor, who rarely marry. Competition for partners often results in a fight between males or even between females who both want the same male. In the latter case, he may marry both if he has a lot of money.
Hekaga sided with an evil semi-self proclaimed god named Dememoras. Said "god" tried to conquer the dracon lands. Even before that, Hekaga tolerated and even promoted necromancy, demon worship, and had levels of slavery which other dracon realms would not tolerate. Oh yeah, slavery is a thing in the dracon lands, too. It is limited in most areas (practically abolished in many of the nicer areas), except for Hekaga and a few others.
I'll reply very soon, but I want to wait until the site is running a bit more smoothly, lest my long reply get lost. Just hang on a bit longer everyone! Sorry for any delay! Stupid site was down for me much of Sunday.
Just to be sure, how is Yssil dressed at moment? I know what his appearance is (dark gray scales, black claws, green eyes). One minor thing is that black-colored claws aren't usual among dracons. Did he paint them?
@Aristocles He is dressed right now. I think I gave him shorts and a T-shirt (I know I wrote he got some kind of clothes from Aerta, at least). If the only way for black claws/horns is to paint them, sure. Otherwise, let's call it a physical manifestation of Yssil's shadow magic (something he would have had from birth; a passive kind of thing).
