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 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.

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.