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Category: Dragon-Created Races

The dragons weren't created by the gods, but came to be in much the same way. Stardust began to condense under the influence of the Elemental Planes, slowly creating powerful beings infused with elemental energy. However, because these planes were more sparsely populated and less purposeful than the outer planes, the process was slower. It also created many lesser beings, rather than a single, powerful entity. The gods awoke to sentience, and seeing the process, were inspired.

Where the influence of the elemental energies came together at a single point, the gods used their vast powers to create the world. The Stardust that was still forming the dragons became raw material for the gods' work. The countless dragons that were still forming would now never come to be, becoming the rocks, trees, oceans, and breezes from which the world was made. Many newly born dragons, fully formed but helpless, were trapped within the world as it formed. Their corpses became veins of metals and minerals buried deep below the surface. The dragons that survived were filled with a mindless rage; a hatred for the gods that slaughtered their kin to make the world.

This hatred of the gods and their creations persists to this day. It was renewed with the Dragon War, when the world that the dragons viewed as rightfully theirs was taken from them by upstart deities and their followers. Since then, however, they have mostly stayed in their mountain lairs and seethed.

Dragons once roamed the length and breadth of the world. After the Dragon War, they were mostly confined to the mountain ranges in the Southern part of the world. On an island in the center of a vast lake deep in these mountains lies Crid Rionnag. This immense structure houses the Council of Wyrms. It was built with powerful magics to a dragon-sized scale, and it makes an awesome sight. Rising from the eerily calm waters of Cuan Mor (the Dragon Sea), it seems to tower above even the mountain peaks surrounding it. Deep in the center is the immense chamber where the Council meets. It is a vast chimney, open to the sky and with dozens of aeries cut into its walls for the great beasts.

In Astaria, a dragon's appearance doesn't always tell you its worldview. You can encounter a good and just black dragon, and you can't assume that a silver dragon won't tear you to shreds. Particular types do have certain tendencies, but you won't have any difficulty finding exceptions. What never changes is that dragons care first and foremost about their own kind.

Dragons are divided into ten tribes, each of which is associated with a metal and a color. Dragons tending toward good are described as metallic, and those with an evil bent as chromatic. It isn't unusual for the dragon's appearance to subtly reflect this, with an iron dragon showing grey, metallic streaks through her crimson scales, for example.

The ten tribes are: Name: Metal/Color Rannin: Iron/Red Stannin: Tin/White Naggin: Mercury/Blue Cillin: Zinc/Violet Aiddin: Lead/Black Praissin: Brass/Yellow Ummin: Bronze/Brown Parrin: Copper/Green Geaddin: Silver/Grey Orrin: Gold/Orange

The most powerful of dragons from each tribe form a sort of ruling council. They allied to avoid wiping each other out, then to stop the other great powers from hunting them down. The Empire is ruled by this Council of Wyrms. Each of the 10 color groups chooses three representatives to sit on the council. One of these is selected to become the Emperor. Interestingly, while the Emperor has certain powers, they are not replaced on the Council, leaving their house one vote short. As a result, no house wants to be Emperor, but all want to close ally to take the position. This results in a mind-boggling web of bribes, lies, alliances, betrayals, and politicking.

The dragons found dealing with other, lesser races boring and infuriating. So, from their own blood and using the magic of the Starheart, they created a servant to race to do whatever they didn't want to. These dragonborn were basically slaves, carrying out the will of their Dragon overlords in the world.

The dragonborn were originally owned by individual dragons, and matched their color type. Over time, the dragons realized that different dragonborn had distinct skills, and they began trading them. The dragonborn were interbred, creating hybrids. Individual dragonborn were often owned collectively by an entire family of dragons, or eventually, the Empire as a whole. In fact, the vast majority are essentially free today, with no master apart from the Empire.

Over time, the dragons have withdrawn further and further from the rest of the world while dedicating more and more of their time to council politics. This has left the Dragonborn as the de facto power running the Empire day-to-day. Individual dragonborn are the judges, officials, diplomats, officers, and governors of the nation, although always in the name of the Council and Emperor. Most decisions never even reach the Council, and those that do are chosen to keep the Council occupied rather than affecting real change.

Most true dragons are blissfully unaware of the situation. A few know but ignore it, while a handful are increasingly alarmed. For their part, the dragonborn are fiercely loyal to their lords, viewing them as gods. They aren't stupid, though, and continue to advance their own agendas.

Dragonborn (and kobolds, for practical purposes) are organized into these same ten tribes. Originally, the Dragonborn's color matched that of their master, and therefore their tribe. Today, as a result of trading, politics, and interbreeding, this is not always the case. A Naggin dragonborn owned by a powerful blue might be of lead/gold blood.

Dragonborn don't form large cities the way that other nations do. Rather than living around a river ford or harbor, dragonborn settlements aggregate around the lair of a dragon. All those living in the dragon's settlement serve it, and belong to its tribe. Another dragon might take the lair by force, taking most or all of the settlement's inhabitants in the process. As a result, dragonborn aren't particularly civilized. Barbarians, druids, rangers, and sorcerers are common among them. To learn the formal skills of a fighter, monk, or wizard, they would need to live among other races. Clerics are entirely unheard of, naturally: the dragonborn do not worship the true gods.

Kobolds are an accident; unwanted and unloved. When the first dragons fought each other for dominance after the creation of the world, their blood fell onto the newly forged earth. Astaria still glowed with the power of creation, and where this blood fell kobolds emerged. These pathetic creatures worship the dragons as gods, but are viewed as the lowest of the low. While the dragonborn have risen above their servitor status over time, kobolds are still used for the most unpleasant and miserable tasks. Kobolds scurry around the margins of dragon civilization. Dragonborn are inclined to bully, abuse, and mistreat kobolds, seeing them as slave labor and cannon fodder. They have absolutely no rights and live as barbarians and savages; servants at best. Unlike most oppressed peoples the kobolds have no inclination to rebel against this treatment. They see this as their natural place in the world; this is what their great gods created them for.

Articles under Dracoine: Dragonfolk

• Dragonborn
• Kobold