Drakanite

One of the more common races of Meranthe, the Drakanites are a people with dragon-like features. This can include slitted eyes, sharpened claws, and even the ability to take on the further aspects of their ancestors. They are all said to be born from Ryujin, the Spirit Lord, and revere him as their forefather.

Origin

The origin of Drakanites is truly considered unknown, but many legends and tales span across the world of a human showing Ryujin kindness, and him blessing that human to become the first Drakanite. Stories are oft told of the time that Drakanites could turn into full dragons and communicate with their brethren... But like all old tales and legends, it certainly must be mythos.

Other tales tell of other dragons, as great as Ryujin, such as Quetzalcoatl, Shenlong, Jormungandr, and Huatl testing other humans and giving them the blessing of dragons for other, different trials.

The Divine Five

Though there exist many divine spirits in the world of Eternia, five of them are known to be draconic and are revered by some Drakanites in a pantheon known as the Divine Five. They are responsible for the creation of some types of Drakanites, and each of them represent a specific element.

Ryujin, The Forefather

Wise and benevolent, Ryujin acts as a guide to lost spirits. Some claim to spot them flying through the sky after a great battle, his blue scales shimmering with magic, beckoning the deceased to rise up and follow him. He was the firstborn of the Divine Spirits, tasked with breathing fire into the spirit of man, the first spark of life. When not carrying out their duty, they dwell within the spirit world. The creator of the Spirit Realm. His primary element is fire.

Quetzalcoatl, Master of Serpents

Brash and Cynical, Quetzalcotal’s task was to define what the Spirit Lord Ryujin built during creation. Born with a heightened sense of grace and insight, the feathered serpent would never know what it was like to be content. Aiming only for perfection, Quetzalcoatl would find herself always aiming to make something is refined, perfect, and beautiful. Her 'children' host green, feathered wings as opposed to the usual orange leather of Ryujin's brood. She is said to stalk the jungles of the continent Gehenna.

Shenlong, The Cloud Weaver

Thunder follows the Skywarden, and it is said to dwell within a fortress that floats aimlessly within the stratosphere, always surrounded by thunder and lightning and harming any trespassers that have the incredible ability to fly so high, but yet aren't tuned to the surrounding element as profoundly as the Skywarden's dragons. The 'children' of Shenlong are said to differ from their kin, unable to sport wings and instead having antler-like horns. His primary element is lightning.

Huatl, The Solar Drake

Deep within the reaches of the largest volcano among the land, a beast rests and licks his feathered wounds as the crimson scales of the Solar Drake rumbles within the world's core. Said to have created the landmasses of Gehenna along with the Cloud Weaver due to their bout, the Solar Drake is said to commandeer earth and magma so easily that if he were angered profusely he could easily destroy the lands he's created. His primary element is earth,

Jormungand, The Great Leviathan

The great serpent of the sea, Jormungand is the lord of the oceans. As fluid as the water it represents, it enjoys watching the creatures within the depths grow and change. Eventually, these creatures grow to become the leviathans that the dangerous seas are known for. His primary element is water.

Culture

Like many races in Esshar, Drakanites have their own customs and traditions. Typically, they reside in the land of Theria, where the cold contrasts their inner fire. Some are quick to battle, and honor duels, rather than words.

A drakan's wings often tell their magic type, as some have been known to sport wings with a bloody-red color, or a magmatic brown. Others wear feathered, green wings with pride or blue, icy, and frosty upon their back.

Religion: Fireblooded

There is no one religion in Theria, however, unique to it are the practices of the Fireblooded, which has a significant presence within the kingdom. There are a number of temples across the land. While it is primarily a Drakanite religion, humans also follow it and are encouraged to do so. The tenets of the faith and their beliefs are as follows:

• The world begun with a spark of life, and the element that ushered in Eternia was fire, filling the endless void with its warmth. It is the driving force behind every human and is central to their soul. It is their passion, their ambition, and their will. The divine spirit that breathed these flames of life was Ryujin, the greatest of all dragons, and the forefather of every drakanite to date.
• Fireblooded believe that if they lead honorably and fight with fearlessness and strength, they'll be permitted through the gates of Vanaheim, the inner most realm of the spirit world. A place with tall, towering silver walls that circles Yggdrasil, the tree that life flows from its countless branches. There, the greatest warriors gather until the world's end, and a battle like no other. If denied entrance, the person will wander the spirit world or perhaps reincarnate to the living realm again, stronger and renewed from the trials of their past life.
• Once the netherworld was established, Ryujin took his place as the Spirit Lord and the overseer of all of Eternia's immortals. The first Dark Lord of Helheim was said to be an avatar of destruction that wanted nothing more than to slay the greatest dragon of all.
• Dragons are naturally revered and to be protected, and any human that brings harm upon one should be put to death. As a dwindling species compared to millennia past, prized for the potency of their magical scales and teeth, the primary mission of Fireblooded is to ensure the wellbeing of dragons and the rise of the drakanite race. They're symbols of the fiery spark that the world began with, embodying passion, heat, and timeless wisdom.
• Followers might seek to accrue wisdom by watching fire in a trance-like state, a form of meditation. Some even claim to see visions in the flame. Another practice in self-discipline is calmly walking across hot coals.

Garljing

A behemoth and a son of Ryujin, said to be thousands of years old, the red dragon lives at the peak of Theria's mountains where the air is thin and the cold might freeze any ordinary human before they can reach his cavern. The dragon is true to his kind's nature, a hoarder of treasure with a great thirst for knowledge and objects of worth. Garljing expects tribute from Theria and he does not discriminate if the Warlords lack treasure; humans can also be offered up as a sacrifice, the fortunate of whom he transforms into drakanites, whereas the rest (almost all of them) are eaten by him and his children.

Garljing respects strength, tenancy, and ambition. He praises those who explore and expand their influence, especially if it involves pillaging. Very few have been known to leave his den alive, but those that do are considered exceptional and blessed by the Drakanites of Theria. After all, if the dragon did not kill them, it means that he spared them, and by extension they're worthy of Garljing's acknowledgement.

Every five years, the dragon permits a group of Therians to deliver his tribute. This tends to be coffers full of treasure, and depending on who's in charge at the time, the offer of human sacrifices. The sacrifices can range from captured enemies to willing servants wanting the opportunity to serve Garljing. (OOC Note: This can be hosted as an event by a DM, otherwise it occurs in the background). These offerings are typically left outside of his fortress.

Saga of Thorgil

The writings that detail the life of Thorgil in the early 1700s are a particularly notable work and often used as reference by the Red Priests of Theria, as one of the few people who had firsthand experience with Garljing for longer than a brief interaction. The man lived his life as a warrior before eventually converting to the Fireblooded, even going as far to sear his eyes with flame, permanently blinding himself. He was one of the first servants of the great dragon, serving at his side for many years in the mountain fortress until he eventually returned.

The writings cover:

• Chapter 1: Life as A Warrior. As a young man, Thorgil gained fame by leading a company of adventurers into the shadow lands, a largely unexplored, jungle region that's plague-ridden from the events of the divine war. Treasures and strange beasts were encountered in his ten year long expedition, from giant ape-like creatures to swathes of sentient, moving trees. During his voyage back, many of his men had died from a disease that bubbled the skin away in a feverish outbreak. He continued as a warlord of modest station thereafter.
• Chapter 2: Tribute To Garljing. Thorgil's first encounter with the red dragon was described thusly: "At the edge of the cavern where no other man was permitted to enter, I was left alone to wander forward with the bones of past sacrifices at my feet. In the distance, I saw him; he was scaled in red shields, and looked like he had been carved from the mountain. His eyes were on me despite the distance and the darkness, and I felt him deciding whether or not I was tonight's meal or passing entertainment. Even against the beasts of the shadowlands, I never felt so small. In the presence of the divine, I was awed and afraid, still and tense." Without exchanging any words, the dragon exhaled a puff of smoke and turned, permitting Thorgil's presence in his cavern.
• Chapter 3: The First Week. Several days passed, and Thorgil dared not to speak to Garljing unless he was addressed first. The man instead hunted, offering a kill of wild elk to the dragon while maintaining a distance. Accepting the offering, the first vocal exchange of many began, where Garljing was using a leg bone as a tooth pick and simply asked for the human's name. Then, he was permitted to ask a single question: What is Good, and what is Evil? A bestial, hounding laughter resounded from the dragon, roaring in a brief but violent wind. "There is only Desire and Restraint," Garljing answered, "Selfishness...is seen as sin, but this is wrong. It is your kind's nature to want. The angels will tell you to be merciful, be good. Shackle and limit yourself, when a man is only as great as his ambition."
• Chapter 4: Tenants to Follow. While the ancient dragon disliked the use of pious labelling and the rules that many self-righteous claimed to follow, he did have his own preferences, as Thorgil learned in their exchanges. These were: 'Never outnumber a foe,' 'Do not shy from violence or exert cowardness,' and 'Discover a want that you would crush nations for'. Largely, dragons believe that the 'fire' that burns in a human's soul is brighter the greater the stakes, whether they're in the midst of a life or death battle where one mistake might send them to the afterlife, or on a great campaign of personal empowerment. These successes help to feed the flames that flicker beyond a man's eyes.
• Chapter 5: Flames of Rebirth. Wishing to conclude his service many years later, Thorgil requested permission to return to Theria. Garljing rejected this, and told the man to pick up his axe and cleave his way out. The two fought, but naturally the human succumbed to the great dragon, and was left at his mercy. Thorgil entered the Therian pose of prayer; hands tightened into fists in front of the heart, legs crossed, and he was bathed in flame. Rather than melt flesh and bone, the flames of Garljing blessed Thorgil with the dragonic magic and he awoke anew, with slitted, green eyes that could see once more, and a stronger body. The man was said to proudly return to his homeland on wings that carried him proudly.