Homebrew Draconian - Metallic Species Details
Born of Dragon Eggs and Dark Magic.
In an attempt to prevent the noble metallic dragons from entering the War of the Lance, Takhisis the Dragon Queen ordered her chromatic dragons steal as many metallic eggs as they could to hold hostage. With the promise to return them once the war ended, the stolen eggs were hidden away in a dangerous and desolate mountain range known as The Lords of Doom. However, in a devious act of treachery, the arcane followers of the evil goddess preformed vile magic, know as The Corruption Ritual, that let them producing evil dragon humaniods called draconians.
The creation of the draconians is well known, for the tale of their origin has been told for decades. Draconians are unique among the races of Krynn because most were created by the gods in ages long past, but draconians were shaped by servants of the Dark Queen for one purpose: the conquest of the world. Gilthanas and Silvara exposed the truth of their creation, the legendary Astinus recorded their eyewitness statements, and his chronicles were spread throughout the free lands on Ansalon alongside the legend of the Heroes of the Lance:
"Joining hands, the dark-robed clerics and wizards began chanting, causing the egg to darken. It turned to a hideous green before darkening into a dull black and growing to a grotesque size. Through arcane and divine spells, they forced the eggs to grow and their occupants to multiply. The shell became leathery and slimy. As the larva-like egg split open, miniature draconians crawled into the open."
The Corruption Ritual was born from the actions and arcane skills of Dracart, a wizard of the Black Robes, Wyrllish, a priest of Takhisis, and Harkiel, a dark-hearted red dragon. The spells governing the creation of the draconians require this triumvirate, but greater numbers of magic users and dragons can create even more powerful draconians. One egg can yield dozens of young draconians.
Depending on the color of the dragon egg they were born from, a draconian can be one of five subspecies:
- Auraks (Gold)
- Baaz (Brass)
- Bozak (Bronze)
- Kapak (Copper)
- Sivak (Silver)
While each of these varieties is unique and unmistakable from the others, they share many qualities.
Despite its draconic heritage, the draconian’s body is more humanoid than draconic. The basic appearance is that of a bipedal creature superficially resembling a lizard-man. The draconians are usually man-sized, with long legs and arms ending with razor-sharp claws. Fine scales cover the draconian from tip to tail. The nose is distinctly shorter than that of a dragon, and true dragons often see it as a repugnant human-shaped mockery of a snout.
The draconian’s skin resembles thick, tough leathery crocodile hide covered with smooth scales, not unlike fish scales, that are attached to the skin. These scales are keratinous, like human fingernails, but cover the entire body. Scale color is dependent on the subrace of the draconian, but all scales lose their bright metallic sheen by adulthood. The scales “rust” along the edge and over time the corrosion crawls further up the scale. From a distance, venerable draconians look quite dull in color.
Family Life, or Lack There Of
The relationship between male and female draconians is awkward. The existence of females was revealed only in the past few decades, so most male draconians did not grow up with a feminine influence. Typically it is the female who chooses the mate, which usually involves a quite a bit of clubbing and hitting—along with no small amount of discussion among other females about the male’s qualities and potential. There are no formal ceremonies beyond a physical contest of some kind. On a social and practical level, the contest determines the roles in the raising of hatchlings. The winner usually takes the challenge of finding food and resources, while the other partner prepares the nest and tends to the eggs themselves. While draconians do not necessary mate for life, females usually continue to choose the same mate.
After a gestation period of 6 months, a female lays a clutch of 2 to 8 eggs which usually hatch in 3-6 months. The eggs must be kept in a moist environment at a temperature roughly
equal to the mother’s body heat. Draconians have a very short childhood. The hatchling can immediately start eating solid foods and liquids, usually preferring meat and blood to
vegetables and breads. Hatchlings are very curious and get into all sorts of trouble unless carefully watched.
There are several gender differences among metallic draconians. Males tend to be bigger and stronger, with slightly deeper voices. Their scales are often larger as well. Females
are usually smaller and quicker. Their muscles are geared toward speed and flexibility rather than brute strength. Their eyes tend to have a lighter color. The draconian tail varies
depending on the sex of the draconian in question. Male draconians have large muscular tails, while females’ tails are more serpentine and flexible. Sivaks have tails large enough to
strike or trip opponents. Draconian tails are not prehensile, but with intense practice and training the tail can wrap around objects. Most draconians simply use their tails for balance.
It is interesting to note that many elder draconians do not have tails. The humans who trained these draconians taught them human combat styles. The tail’s weight affects the fighting stance, throwing off attacks and dodging. Originally considered a worthless feature, draconians often had their tails removed. As more draconians were being produced in the War of the Lance, training became minimal and docking the tails was less of a priority.
The most obvious draconian feature is the leathery wings. All draconians but the auraks have wings similar to their dragon parents. These two arm-like limbs have phalanges, resembling extended fingers. Each “finger” is webbed with a thin membrane of skin. Among the baaz, bozaks, and kapaks, these wings can only be used for gliding, as the base of the wing is attached simply to the back. Sivak draconians, the only draconians who can fly, have large-spanned wings attached to a superior muscular system and oversized sternum, allowing the fine manipulation of the wings for flight.
Establishing a Homeland
The discovery after the Chaos War of the female draconians meant that natural reproduction could replace magical rituals as the means of continuing the species. Now with the ability to reproduce naturally, all that was left to ensure their survival was to find a relatively safe place to form a society of their own. Traveling east, the draconians eventually established the city-state of Teyr, once again proving to the other races that they were more than the mindless brutes they were once thought to be.
Draconian Names
Draconian first names tend to be dragon sounding or compound words, like Gildentongue. Having been created without lineage, they don't have personal surnames. Most take or are given descriptive surnames that describe rank, location or occupation, though. Draconian names aren't gendered unless picked by/picked up from cultures that do have gendered names.
Draconian - Metallic Traits
Your draconic heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other draconians.Ability Score Increase
Your Strength score increases by 2.
Age
Young draconians grow quickly due to magical exceleration. They walk hours after hatching, attain the size and development of a 10-year-old human child by the age of 3, and reach adulthood by the age of 15.
Due to the fact that they are a young race, no one actually knows how long a draconian’s natural lifespan is. It is currently assumed that they take after their dragon patrons and live for hundreds, if not, thousands of years.
This has yet to be proven, as death usually comes through combat.
| Adulthood | Simple | Moderate | Complex |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 years | +1d4 | +1d6 | +2d6 |
Darkvision
You can see in dim light up to 60 feet as though it were bright light, and in darkness as
though it were dim light.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic. Draconic is thought to be one of the oldest languages and is often used in the study of magic. The language sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes numerous hard consonants and sibilants.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
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