Overview

The Morrighan is Claen Gael’s elite military organization of dragonriders. They take their name from Mor-Rioghain, a Tuatha Dé Danann war deity. Originally, all Morrighan were Drakeri. Over time, as the Drakeri married or interbred with the other hominid species (Sídhe, Human) some of the offspring were born with fragments of the Song of Airsith. They were allowed to join the Morrighan.

Things to Know

This is a list of facts and fiction that others believe regarding the Drakeri and, to a lesser extent, the Morrighan. It will be up to the Player to determine where their character’s beliefs fall based on their race and background.

All Drakeri are Morrighan and all Morrighan are Drakeri.

• False: Morrighan is the name given to the elite warrior dragonriders.
• True: The majority of Morrighan are Drakeri. However, anyone with Drakeri bloodlines born with fragments of the Song of Airsith may put forward their candidacy for Morrighan training.

The Morrighan are Ddraig in disguise.

• False: Neither Ddraig or Morrighan can shapeshift.

Morrighan are dragon spawn, the result of Ddraig mating with other races.

• False: The Ddraig cannot interbreed with hominids and wouldn’t even if they could. They do not find the little creatures remotely attractive - or tasty.

The Morrighan are subservient or serfs belonging to the Ddraig.

• False: The Ddraig do not keep slaves or serfs. There are various people that choose to serve in the aeries and citadels to make life easier for the Ddraig and the Morrighan. They are highly regarded members of the various households.

Other Names

• Dragonlords
• Dragon Spawn
• Worm Riders
• Worm Dung
• Many other unsavory epithets

Origins

Approximately twenty-thousand years ago, there was a great war fought against the Shadow Lord, Tar’garath, and his Dark Hordes. Erais, the Arcane Light, created the Drakeri from the blood, bones, tissue, and fire of a slain dragon. The Drakeri had the gift of being “born” with fragments of the Song of Airsith embedded in their psyche allowing them to psychically bond with the Ddraig that heard the same song. As the war dragged on, the Ddraig and Drakeri worked as teams, often with the Drakeri mounted on a Ddraig and flying into battle.

In time, the Drakeri organized themselves into a cohesive military unit and took the name of one of the Tuatha dé Danann’s war deities. From this time forward, the tides of war finally changed to favor the Lightborn as the Sídhe, Tuatha dé Danann, Drakeri, and Ddraig pushed the Shadow Lord’s dark hordes back into the Abyss. However, the cost was great. The amounts of power released to defeat Tar’garath brought about the fiery destruction of Ys, their island-continent homeland forcing the survivors to flee west.

The Tuatha dé Danann withdrew from the world, using magical portals to take them to another realm. The Sídhe, Ddraig, and Drakeri settled on a far western landmass that they named Cailleach. The Morrighan, other surviving Drakeri, and Ddraig made the volcanically active highlands near a great warm inland sea their new home designating it Claen Gael.

Locations

The Morrighan live in their great citadels or homes and private lands in and around the vast Ddraig sieges in Claen Gael. There are Morrighan stationed at sieges outside Claen Gael.

Active Sieges

List of currently active sieges. Others will be added as needed.

Claen Gael

• Ironreaches Siege: The oldest remaining siege and capital seat of the Morrighan. It is also home to Menrath, the Jade Empress of the Ddraig.
• Stormreaches Siege
• Bronzereaches Siege
• Highreaches Siege
• Bassilith Siege (Island): Bassilith is not a true siege. It is a volcanic island in the Burning Sea. Since it is the main rookery of the Ddraig, it is guarded even more fiercely than the other sieges.

Tír Ceilte

Airsailes Siege: The second oldest siege and located near Annwyn High Court. The Danu's protective detail rides from this siege.

Tír an Aigéan

• Sedeilir Siege

Culture

Beliefs

• Religion: Refer to character’s race document.
• The Egg: Many Morrighan will swear, For the Egg or By the Egg which is a common term amongst the Ddraig.
• Esprit de Corps: The Morrighan not only bond with their Ddraig, they bond closely with one another. They will leave no man or woman behind if there is any way, short of sacrificing their Ddraig, to avoid it.
• Death: Morrighan are irrevocably bonded with their Ddraig at imprinting. Their lifespan is inextricably linked to their dragon’s. If the Ddraig dies, normally the Morrigan does also. If they survive the death of the dragon, they usually grieve themselves to death or go insane. It is more merciful to put a Morrighan to death in these situations. The Morrighan do not fear their own death. It is a natural part of living.

Marriage and Family

Most Morrighan marry within the organization. However, it is not uncommon for a Morrighan to marry outside their ranks. Family and children are important to the men and women that serve. Children are cherished and raised with gentle, loving discipline.

End of Life

Unless they fall in battle, the Morrighan have to deal with death or Crossing Beyond the Veil, depending on their physical race. This usually involves them first requesting that their bond with their Ddraig be dissolved. Afterward, death rituals are performed based on the individual’s beliefs and requests.

Organization

The Morrighan have a fairly flat rank structure.

Morrighan Command

• Current Laird High Marshal: Horas Grayfury
• Current Under Marshal: TBD

Morrighan Ranks

Laird High Marshal (aka Lord High Marshal): This man or woman is in command of the entire Morrighan organization. Although they must travel to deal with heads of state and to oversee operations at other sieges, they are based out of Ironreaches Siege in Claen Gael.

Under Marshal: The Under Marshal is the second-in-command and handles all command operations as needed or assigned by the L.H. Marshal.

First Marshal (1st Marshal): This is a temporary designation given to persons serving in command of a Wake.

Second Marshal (2nd Marshal): Rank attained on merit after a minimum of ten years of service.

Third Marshal (3rd Marshal): Third Marshals are normally in charge of various command operations as well as the Flight Academy. They handle the majority of training, oversee the armories, coordinate unit movements within their siege and others.

Rider: The common rank and file designation. It is also used as an honorific when addressing any of the Morrighan.

Cadet-Rider (Cdt. Rider): Rank given to cadets that have completed all except their final two years of training on combat riding.

Cadet or Cadet Trainee: This is the rank that is given when a person is selected for training. Cadets can be 1st - 4th year and designated as such. For example: 3rd Cadet is a 3rd year cadet.

Candidate: Candidates have passed the initial screening process and are preparing to complete orientation after which they will be designated a Cadet.

Morrighan Units

Scale: The smallest unit consisting of a Ddraig and a Morrighan. This term also refers to a Ddraig, Morrighan and Cadet Rider or anyone else being transported in addition to the Morrighan on the same dragon.

Wing: 4 scales. Wings usually consist of two senior riders and two junior riders and are paired in a lead / wing formation. Wings are very fluid as they are often formed based on need.

• Commander = Wing Leader (Wing Ldr.)
• The Wing Leader is usually the most experienced Morrighan (rider and Ddraig).
• Wing Names: The Wing Leader’s dragon as that is more unique than the Rider’s names. Example: Wing Rhagarth 

Flight: 6 or more wings make up a Flight. Most flights are long term although their individual Wings might be assigned to special duty.

• Commander = Flight Leader (Flgt. Ldr.)
• The Flight Leader is the most senior Morrighan of the group.
• Flight Names: Flights are named for the Flight Leader’s Ddraig.

Watch: 2 or more flights. Watches are the most stable of all the groups. Although not all flights are deployed on every mission, a Watch contains the same flights on a regular basis.

• Watch Leader = 2nd. Marshal
• Watches are commanded by a Morrighan that has attained the rank of Second Marshal.
• Watch Names: Watches are named for the 2nd Marshal’s Ddraig. If a 2nd Marshal is called to lead a Wake, the next senior Second Marshal takes over command of the Watch for the interim.

Wake: Multiple Watches. Wakes are formed as needed and only for significant battle threats.

• Wake Leader = 1st  Marshal
• The most senior Second Marshal currently leading a Watch will be designated as the Wake Leader and given the rank of 1st Marshal for the duration of his or her Watch.
• Wake Names: Usually named for a color or earthly element such as Gold Wake, Red Wake, Thunder Wake, etc.

Special Units

Night Wardens

This is a super-secret unit of thirteen Morrighan that answers only to the Laird High Marshal or, in his/her absence, the Under Marshal. The unit is literally only whispers and rumors. No one outside the unit knows who serves in it or if it even really exists.

The Night Wardens are tasked with various duties as needed. The rest of their time is spent performing their normal range of jobs.

The Jade Guard

This is a small, extraordinarily elite unit signed as an honor and protective guard to the Jade Empress. They can be easily recognized by the emerald emblem on the left breast of their uniforms.

Uniforms

The Morrighan uniforms have three layers and each can be added or subtracted depending on the duty assignment.

Sidan Silk smallclothes (underclothes): This is a heavy silk woven from a large spider’s webbing by the Sídhe. It is highly prized for its beauty and durability. It also guards, to some extent, against weapons. It is heavy enough to tangle spear and arrowheads in its folds. Depending on the opponent’s skill, it has also been known to entangle the points of swords.

Armor: The Morrighan’s armor is finely wrought scale mail, enameled in iridescent black. Usually worn only for battle or formal occasions.

Uniform: The standard uniform for a Morrighan is made of wyvern hide that matches their Ddraig’s color and patterns as closely as possible. For battle, this is worn over the mail so that the rider almost blends in with the dragon. For that reason, the riding harnesses are usually overlaid in wyvern hide as well. Along with the tunic and leggings, there are tall, just above the knee boots made of the same tough wyvern hide with leather soles.

Selection and Training

Selection

The first task is to find suitable candidates. The primary requisite is that the Candidate was born with knowing fragments of the Song of Airsith. Just like the Ddraig, the Song is specific to just that person. Should the candidate make it all the way through training, they will broadcast their Song and wait for a Ddraig with the missing fragments to respond.

However, for the initial selection process, a Ddraig will confirm that the candidate does actually hear fragments of the Song.

Next, the candidate will be screened via several interviews and written tests. All Morrighan must be able to read and write since they often have to interpret maps and messages for their Ddraig in order to open portals, etc.

Candidates

• Age Appropriate: Candidates must be at least 16 years old and should report to the training center during their sixteenth year.
• Strong of Character: Candidates must demonstrate strength of character and honor.
• Intelligence: Candidates must be above average in intelligence, able to assimilate information quickly and demonstrate an innate sense of tactics.
• Strong of Body, Sound of Mind and Spirit: Candidates must be in good physical shape, strong enough to handle weapons and stay mounted on a Ddraig. They also need to be free of any major mental defects or illnesses.

Recruitment

In years where candidate submissions are low, the Morrighan may go searching for recruits. This has made the dragonriders unpopular with some peasant populations because the Morrighan will test very young children that will then be taken back to the siege for education and then submitted as a Candidate.

During the years prior to becoming a Candidate, the recruits will live with a Morrighan family and be just as loved and cherished as their own children. If the child fails to complete their training or to impress a dragon, they usually join the Dragonguard or serve the siege in a support position.

Training

No candidates under the age of sixteen will be accepted for training.

Candidates are given the rank of Cadet and are housed in the Candidate barracks at the training center within the Ironreaches Citadel.

Cadets spend four years in training where they are taught basic warfare and weaponry with an emphasis on fighting various creatures of the Dark Hordes.

If they pass all of their training, the Cadet will stand for Imprinting.

Imprinting

Imprinting / Impressing is the final hurdle that a cadet has to overcome. They must be imprinted by an unbonded Ddraig. Imprinting is the formation of a strong psionic bond between a Ddraig and the man or woman destined to be their Morrighan.

Each month on the day after the Shroud, the 4th year Cadets that have graduated basic training assemble at the top of the citadel’s tallest tower (Tower of Wings). One-by-one they are handed a riding harness and step out onto the flight dais. From there, they mentally recite or sing their Song of Airsith, the Dragon’s Call. If that call corresponds to the Song of a Ddraig, he or she will land on the dais and crouch down to gaze into the Cadet’s eyes and start their own song. The songs must meld or blend (i.e. be on the same wavelength). At the end of the song, Imprinting is complete. This takes approximately one minute. The Cadet then places their riding harness on the Ddraig and mounts the dragon.

Not all Cadets will be chosen at their first Imprinting. This does not mean they will never become a Morrighan, just that they did not match any of the available Ddraig at that time. They may choose to not attend another Imprinting, preferring to take up a position with the Dragonguard (regular army), try again, or try at another siege.

Cadet-Riders

For the next two years, the cadet - now designated as the rank of Cadet-Rider - will reside with a Morrighan that has been appointed as their mentor. During this time, they will ride with the Morrighan (second seat on the Morrighan’s Ddraig) with their flightbonded Ddraig flying alongside as well as ride their own dragon. The Cadet-Rider receives intensive combat riding training during this period.

After this two-year period, the Cadet-Rider graduates to full Rider status. If they fail any part of their training, they have to repeat it. They get three chances before other service will be found for them and their flightbonded dragon.

Benefits of the Morrighan

Not only do the biped races gain benefits from the Ddraig’s protection, the dragons benefit as well.

Portals

The Ddraig are able to open arcane portals that allow for near instantaneous travel from one point on Bridd to another. However, they cannot visualize new destinations. For this, they need a Morrighan who can use map coordinates and mind-pictures to transmit the destination to the Ddraig.

Vision

When in flight, a Ddraig’s eyesight is limited. This leaves them vulnerable to attacks from behind and underneath. Also, when they are exhaling their fire, they have to close both inner eyelids to protect their eyes. While the lids are semi-translucent, they do make the Ddraig’s eyesight hazy.

They also benefit from the perception of their Morrighan. The Ddraig tend to be very grounded in the here-and-now, less able to see the big picture. Without the Morrighan relationship, the Citadels and alliances with other bipedal species would not exist. They add all the shades of gray to the Ddraig’s black-and-white view of the world.

Planning and Tactics

The Ddraig make great battle companions. However, they are not big on planning. They are more about the doing. The Morrighan are masters of tactics and battle planning. This makes the union of rider and Ddraig a force to be reckoned with.

Companionship

The Ddraig trust their Morrighan like no other being on earth. Their connection to their imprinted person is stronger than the one they share with their lifemate. The man or woman who impresses a dragon gains a friend, protector, brother or sister, and a loyal companion.

The Ddraig view most sentient intelligent biped species with a combination of amusement, protectiveness, and mistrust. It is in their nature to defend them from the Shadow-Born and Shadow-Touched. However, there has been a longstanding enmity with some of the nations and races brought on by the human’s natural inclination to fear the mighty dragons of Aereth.

Weapons

The Morrighan are trained with the usual array of weapons including swords, knives, lances, bows, crossbows, etc. Although each man or woman is issued a full array of weapons upon entering the academy, they are encouraged to develop their own specialties.

Naturally, the Morrighan’s primary weapon is their flightbonded Ddraig.

Special Weapons

Flechettes

One of the Morrighan's favored weapons is the flechette, a heavy sharpened metal bolt that can easily be dropped on the heads of enemy infantry from the backs of flying dragons. These spikes are heavy and sharp enough to do significant damage to the enemy.

Stingers

One of the weapons that the Morrighan use are gas-powered repeating crossbows. The crossbows are called stingers because they can fire "swarms" of bolts (arrows). These weapons are custom made by the Drakeri master armorers for the Morrighan's use. They do not sell the stingers to any other race or nation. However, some of the weapons have likely been captured and reverse-engineered. The thing that would keep them from being in common use by others is a limited ability to manufacture the gas and gas cylinders. Over and above that, the stinger rip-offs would be ungodly expensive. That means that they would not be available for the "common" troops.

The fuel in the cylinder is dragon-gas, a mixture of hydrogen and methane. The Morrighan have an almost endless source since the dragons can breathe out the gas without igniting it. They have also learned how to "farm" the microorganisms that produce the gas.

It is unlikely that a Morrighan would carry the stinger all of the time. They were designed for use by someone that needed a long-range weapon that could be fired while mounted on a dragon that is in flight. When carrying a second rider that is a designated archer, they probably carry regular bows or crossbows. After dismounting from their dragon, the Morrighan would draw a sword or other weapon.

Features and Specs

• Replaceable gas cylinder.
• Fuel: dragon-gas
• Replaceable magazine.
• Select-fire, semi-automatic, fully-automatic
• Ammunition: 6" crossbow bolts.
• Range: 115 to 200 feet (38 - 66 yards); this does not include an allowance for the drop.
• Capacity: 25 rounds.
• Sights: Flip-up metal sights.
• Collapsible bow for easier carry and concealment.
• The magazine release is in the trigger guard.

Click image to go to Stinger gallery.