Name: Draconian (aka Half Dragons, Dragonborn)
Size: Slightly larger than the largest humans. Average height is 7 to 8 ft, average weight is 300 to 400 lbs. Females are very slightly smaller than males.
Lifespan: ~300 years. Draconians are considered immature until they are 60 years old.
Diet: Functional carnivores, as evidenced by their dentition. Technically capable of an omnivorous diet to some extent but require large protein intake.

The draconian language follows their reptilian ancestry, with much hissing, growling, and other sounds that are difficult for other races to reproduce. They are capable of speaking the common tongue but do so with a heavy accent. As individual villages are often far apart from one another, regional dialects can be quite distinctive, and it is not unusual for draconians who were raised on opposite ends of the mountain range to have difficulty understanding one another.

Draconians bear a mixture of traits from humans and dragons. Their bodies are humanoid, but they possess a dragon-like head, wings, and tail. Their feet are elongated and they walk on their toes, giving rise to a double knee appearance and increasing their already formidable height. Their heads are often adorned with various patterns of spines and crests, and they sport dangerous claws at the ends of their digits (including the fingers and thumb of their wings). Spines are generally small along the neck and back (if they are present at all) and may grow larger along the tail.

Their entire body is covered in scales (except for the leathery skin of the wings). There is a wide range of colors and patterns, each with its own significance in draconian legend and superstition. The color does not seem to follow strict hereditary patterns, and thus cannot be used to determine parentage.

An interesting feature of all draconians is black bones (many of which are pneumatized, or "hollow" to reduce weight). Teeth, claws, and spines are often black as well, though other colors have been observed.

Males and females are virtually indistinguishable to the untrained observer.


https://www.deviantart.com/skitalets/art/CM-Phoenix-664273601

http://shadowcoreillustration.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html

https://www.deviantart.com/lozanox/art/Healing-aura-715696906

Like their dragon namesakes, draconians are a mountain-dwelling species and primarily inhabit The Spine. It is unclear if this was always the case, as they are capable of survival in a wide range of ecosystems, or if they were driven to these extreme climates by other species. They typically live just at the tree line and will venture down into the coniferous forests to hunt before retreating to the safety of their villages. Draconians rarely venture further up the mountains. They are warm blooded and capable of withstanding cold conditions and thin air, but they have their limits.

All able-bodied draconians are capable of flight and can "breath fire". Their powerful bodies and large wings allow them to soar at great heights for extended periods of time. They are relatively agile in the air, but are not particularly maneuverable in tight spaces when compared to birds or smaller flighted creatures.

Their fire breath, while appearing magical, is purely physiologic. This fire burns hotter than a typical wood or coal fire but is not nearly as hot as true dragonfire. Producing fire requires complex chemical reactions within the body, and a malnourished draconian cannot produce a strong flame if any.

Draconians are not particularly magically or technologically inclined. While there have certainly been powerful mages and sorcerers among them, draconians tend to rely on more traditional methods of survival. Large fingers and claws do not lend themselves to tinkering with complex devices, either.

Draconians are warm blooded and capable of withstanding harsh climates, both cold and warm. Their scales also confer a resistance to fire (though not an immunity).

Draconian villages are typically small, usually no more than 100 individuals, and have a deep sense of community within them. As a consequence, draconians tend to be xenophobic and hostility between villages is common. For this reason, most villages are spread far apart across the mountains.

In the distant past, draconians may have inhabited a wider range of habitats, but for as long as anyone alive can recall they have been intentionally isolated from most other societies in the world. It is unwise to seek them out without an invitation.

According to draconian myth, their species was born from the union of a human father and a dragon mother. This is, of course, completely untrue. Draconians certainly share an ancestry with true dragons, but the link is ancient. Draconians are more closely related to drakes and other dragon-like creatures, and have retained their fire-breathing abilities albeit at a much lower potency.

Nevertheless, dragons play an important role in Draconian religion and are regarded as sacred representations of the gods. Draconians' chief diety is Draco, the First Dragon, believed to be the progenitor and creator of all of dragon-kind who ascended to the heavens. The blood stars, as the rest of Arethil calls them, are believed to be his eyes through which he directly observes the earthly realm. Draco's brother and evil counterpart is Dron, and the two engaged in an epic battle at the beginning of time which ended in Dron's banishment to the underworld. While good souls ascend to Draco's realm in the afterlife, evil souls are condemned to Dron's lair and are devoured by him for eternity.

Like their dragon cousins, draconians are hatched from eggs. Eggs are taken to communal incubation buildings as soon as they are laid, and there is no record of parentage or relationships. For this reason, no draconian knows who their parents or siblings are. Since anyone could potentially be family, villages are extremely tightly knit. Draconians of similar age refer to each other as brother and sister, and give great deference to elders. Crimes are punished harshly, and disorder is not tolerated.

During incubation, the eggs are assigned to castes. Castes are incubated, hatched, and raised together, and this determines the course of their entire life. Castes vary by village, but in general consist of warriors, hunters, caretakers, crafters, and leaders.

The few people who have befriended draconians will tell you that their culture is complex, vibrant, and rich. They will tell you about their feasts and festivals, their discipline and strength, and their admiration for one another. Outsiders, on the other hand, will tell you that draconians are a violent and brutish species that live in hovels in the mountains, and that they are best left alone.