Playable: Yes
Table of Contents
Taxonomy
Species
- Llenan (Homo Antiquus, Ancient Humans)
Race
- Drakeri
Frame of Reference
Closest real world parallel would be combination of the dragonriders from the Dragonriders of Pern books by Anne McCaffrey and pre-1745 Scottish Highlanders minus the kilts. Toss in a little Tolkien warrior Elf as well.
Genetics
Lifespan
- Average: 350 - 400 years
- Maximum: 500 years
Note: It is unusual for an Drakeri serving in the Morrighan or Dragonguard to live beyond the average lifespan listed above. The exceptions are ranked officers such as the Laird High Marshal who only is in the field should there be a homeland threat.
Health
The Drakeri are a robust and generally healthy race. Although they can suffer the same illnesses as other human races, it is very rare. Generally speaking, it will be physical injuries that lay a Drakeri low rather than illness.
Appearance
- Average Height: 5'10" - 6'5" (males); 5'6" - 6' (females).
- Hair Color: Shades of blond and red predominate, but dark hair is not uncommon.
- Eye Color: All colors, no uncommon or rare colors.
- Build: All tend to be long-limbed, lean, and strong of build with the women leaning toward willowy athletic body types while males are usually wide shouldered and trim.
Note: A Drakeri can usually be recognized because their hair has more iridescence to it than a normal human’s and their eyes tend toward a bit of luminescence or opalescence like a dragon’s scales and eyes.
Magic
The Drakeri are considered a magical race by others. However, the Drakeri do not consider their inherent abilities as magic. Their abilities are inherently linked to their connection with the Ddraig (dragons) and, therefore, just part of who they are. Like the Sídhe, the Drakeri call their special abilities kūra.
Important! Only characters with Drakeri blood, whether they are aware of it or not, can bond/impress a dragon! To allow Travelers to bond with a Ddraig, we will assume that, at some point in the far distant past, it is likely some Drakeri and even Ddraig became ensnared in a broken portal and wound up on Earth, and intermarried/mated with homo sapiens.
Description
- Song of Airsith: Drakeri are born with their own Song of Airsith. Those that eventually choose to impress a Ddraig will be drawn to the dragon whose Song matches theirs.
- Fire: The Drakeri have an innate ability to manipulate fire to some extent. They are resistant to being burned and can tolerate higher temperatures and heat than other races and species.
- Coldfire: This goes with their affinity for fire. Drakeri can create small balls of cold fire, mostly used to help light their way. Coldfire primarily functions as a sort of torch or flashlight.
- Mindspeech: Drakeri are telepathic, primarily with the dragons. However, in some cases - usually extreme duress on their part or the subject's - they can sense some thoughts and emotions.
- Shadow Sense: As the Drakeri were created by the Arcane Light as warriors against the Shadow Lord, they can - usually - sense things that are Shadowborn and Shadowtouched.
- Five Senses: Like the dragons, a Draker's senses are somewhat sharper than a human's. Again, not to the level of being super heroes, just better than average by a few degrees, say 5 or 10 percent.
Limitations / Weaknesses
- Fire: This is the only ability that a Drakeri possesses that could be considered an offensive or defensive ability. They cannot create fire, only manipulate it to a degree. They are not pyromancers. Their resistance to fire and heat can be overcome. For example, while they might be able to resist the fires of being burned at the stake for a longer period than Murians (Aereth human), it will eventually kill them. Dragonfire is lethal...period.
- Merasha: This plant can be manufactured into a narcotic that negates all of a Drakeri's senses and abilities. It is anathema to all magical beings.
Culture
Language(s)
- Primary: The Old Tongue (Highland Dialect)
- Secondary: Ddraig Mindspeech - All Drakeri are fluent with the dragon's mindspeech.
- Other: The Common or Traders' Tongue - Almost all Drakeri learn to speak the common tongue even if they aren't fond of doing so.
Social Hierarchy
- Type of Society: Meritocracy
- Leader / Ruler: Laird High Marshal (Current: Horas Grayfury)
- Under Marshal: Second to the Laird High Marshal
- Secondary: Morrighan officers.
- Civilians: The Lairds (Clan Chiefs)
The Drakeri do not have a structured class system. People within their society rise up through the social ladder based on merit. They value traits like hard work, honor, loyalty, and duty. Since a majority of Drakeri join the Morrighan, this organization acts as their leaders.
See Morrighan
The Drakeri organize themselves into clans and clan septs (related or affiliated with a larger/older clan). The clans are led by their Chieftain or Chieftess (usually the eldest, strongest, wealthiest member of the clan). Chiefdoms are normally inherited, but a clan and its septs can come together to elect a new Chief if they lose confidence in the current one or that bloodline dies out.
For the most part, the Lord-Paladin does not interfere in the running or management of the clans. However, the Lord or Lady-Paladin does have the right and power to call for a Meeting of the Clans to discuss issues. In fact, unless it threatens to spill over and interfere with Morrighan operations, the Lord/Lady Paladin will not usually interfere in clan disputes and feuds.
Homeland
The majority of Drakeri live in Claen Gael. There are minor populations spread around the world at the various Ddraig sieges. Drakeri that do not serve as Morrighan travel and sometimes take up residence in other lands for trade, etc.
- Falcor
Falcor is a small territory northeast of the Kingdom of Brydd. It was ceded to the free company 250 years previously as part of King Talorc Arilan's payment for their service in the Quinate Wars.
Many Drakeri that are dragonriders and bonded to a dragon, but do not serve in the Morrighan join the free companies of Falcor.
Social Customs
- Marriage and Family
Drakeri value family and take pride in their clans and bloodlines. This does not preclude them from marrying and having children with members of other races. Some marriages are arranged amongst the clans. Within the Morrighan, it often falls that a man and woman will choose to marry due to their dragons being lifemates as well.
Bride Price / Dowry
As far back as Drakeri historical records go and even their oral traditions, it has always been the custom for a man to capture his bride-to-be from the woman's clan. In the distant past, this involved the man going to the lands belonging to the woman's clan and literally taking her from her clan. This often involved physical combat. In modern times, the practice has been modified and tamed. To guarantee the woman's safety, her clan would offer the bride price of lands, money, livestock, etc.
These days, the kidnapping is likely prearranged and takes place at the quarterly Gathering of the Clans. Instead of stealing the bride from the clan's homelands, her groom steals her from the clan's campsite. Mock battle often ensues. The bride price has usually been agreed upon prior to the Gathering as well.
- Gathering of Clans
The Gatherings and Highland Games are when clans come together, hosted by a major House, for games and as a social gathering. This is often where marriages are arranged or where a young man steals his bride and the handfasting ceremony is performed. Weapons and differences are set aside during Gatherings.
The Gatherings also serve to bring clans from all nearby areas together, thus widening the bloodline pool. In fact, Drakeri frown on marrying within even distantly related clan-families or closely related septs.
- Death
Drakeri Cross Beyond the Veil just as the Ddraig and Sidhe do. They do not die and leave a physical body behind. Even if killed in battle, they simply fade out of existence. Their closest friends and family will hold a small ceremony very much like a wake to celebrate their life, not mourn their death.
- Ellyll (Demon or Fiend)
Like the Ddraig, a Drakeri's anam, spirit or soul, can be earth-bound and trapped for eternity in the Abyss. This usually occurs when their impressed Ddraig has its eyes taken by dragonslayers and becomes a Drakhmar. The shock of the Ddraig's spirit being torn from its body and prevented from Crossing can cause the same to happen to a Drakeri, turning them into a Shadowborn being, a wraith, forever mounted on the Drakhmar they were bonded to.
Because they are otherworldly creatures, the Ellyll are very powerful. Destroying them is very hard. Like the Drakhmar, in place of their true eyes are two fiery pits.
Livelihood
- Morrighan
The majority of Drakeri apply to and join the ranks of Morrighan (dragonriders).
- Macha
Macha is the name of one of the goddesses that make up the Morrigu that gave the Morrighan their name. The Macha consider themselves a para-military organization and free riders.
- General
Drakeri that do not join the Morrighan, serve or work in any number fields of endeavor and crafts. There are magisters (scholars) and teachers, medical, free riders (dragoncorps that are not Morrighan). There are Drakeri that are content farming and ranching or serving in other support positions with the Morrighan or independently.
- Weapons and Smithing
Smithing and manufacturing weapons for the Morrighan is a booming trade for the Drakeri. They rival the Sidhe when it comes to the crafting of weapons (bows, arrows, crossbows, spears, swords, other armaments).
Stingers: By unspoken agreement, only Drakeri serving the Morrighan in some capacity have the skills and knowledge of how to create the stingers. This does not mean some of these weapons have not gotten into the hands of others via the black market or having been taken off a fallen Morrighan.
Freeform
- Dwellings
Although the older Morrighan clans live within the vast citadels that have been constructed in and around the Ddraig sieges, there are estates, homes, and farms scattered amongst the high mountain valleys. Most homes have a foundation of dragonstone (stone that has been melted and fused by dragon fire). The more powerful land holders might have full walls of the material.
Biases (For or Against Others)
- Sidhe: While they consider the Sidhe as very distant cousins, they also believe them to be ineffectual warriors and tree-huggers. For their part, the Sidhe consider the Drakeri (due to their willingness to mate outside their own kind or with Sidhe) to be mutts. Both the Sidhe and Drakeri believe themselves to be the Eldest of the races, second only to dragons.
- Murians (indigenous humans): Most Drakeri can be a bit arrogant toward humans since humans without Drakeri blood cannot bond with the Ddraig. However, this is mild and is not the view from every Drakeri. For their part, the world's human population generally view the Drakeri with some misgivings, if not outright hostility, as they are considered one of the magical races and because of their odd bonds with the Ddraig.
- Sassenach (foreigners, outlanders): Like the Scottish Highlanders viewed the English as Sassenach (outlanders, foreigners, alien), the Drakeri feel the same way although they are usually polite. They are not so insular as to be xenophobic, just cautious and wary.
- Dragonslayers: It goes without saying that the overwhelming majority of Drakeri (free riders and Morrighan alike) despise and loathe the dragonslayers.
Things to Know
How to Play
- Personality Traits: Most Drakeri will be somewhat arrogant, very loyal to their own kind. Sassenach will be viewed with a certain amount of wariness and suspicion at first. Drakeri generally value honor, loyalty, and duty above all other things. Even the Drakeri that have joined the free companies of Falcor value and exhibit these traits.
- Are there bad Drakeri? Absolutely! No society is made up of all good or all evil (except for those that are Shadowborn or Shadowtouched). There are Drakeri that value wealth and power and only give lip-service to the traits of honor and integrity. However, even the worst Drakeri will not turn against their flight-bond (impressed Ddraig).
Historical Events
- 1250 CE
No major events ... yet.
- 1170 CE: Salt War (March of Salain)
A group of raiders infiltrated the docks at Salt Bay and stole several trading vessels, using them to invade the dragon nests of Bassilith Siege in the Burning Sea and steal dragon eggs. In retaliation, the dragons burned every human ship in the region and scorched the Salt docks and shipyards, laying ruin to everything House Salain had built.
Before the furious dragons and the Drakeri could invade inland and involve more of Brydd in the conflict, An'Danu Kerowyn Trevelyan of Tír Ceilte intervened as a Mediator and established a shaky truce.
- 1000 CE
Until the year 1000 of the common era (Age of Steel), the Macha and Morrighan worked together. However, when Talorc Arilan of Brydd called banners to his name to help in the conquest of the other petty kingdoms of Brydd, the Macha supported him.
The Morrighan, who do not believe in becoming embroiled in the affairs of Menfolk unless it is a matter of survival, issued strong censures against the leaders of the Macha. In response, the Macha withdrew to the newly formed territory of Falcor after the Quinate War.
- Age of Shadows
The Age of Shadows is so far in the past, it now falls under the heading of myth and legend. It was the time before humans when the Tuatha de Danann still walked the realms of mortals. This is the time when evil was unleashed on Aereth and this is when the supreme deity, Erais, the Arcane Light, created the Drakeri from the blood, bones, and fire of a slain dragon. She also created the Sidhe from the remaining elements of Aereth.
Glossary
- Mór-Ríoghain: Battle / war goddess (some believe three goddesses make up the Mór-Ríoghain or Morrigan).
- Morrighan: Name given to the military organization of dragonriders of Claen Gael.
- Macha: One of the names of the Mór-Ríoghain given to the para-military organization of dragonriders that ally with the Free Companies of Falcor.