Drakanite

One of the more common races of Esshar, 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

The Fireblooded

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.