Nephilon

Basic Information

Alternative name(s) Dracolim, The Elder's Angels, Apostles, Heralds of Perfection, the Blessed Few, Thagretis' Folly (by Thanasians) Threat High Tactics Varies depending on intelligence of the specimen; some are little more than wild beasts, beholden to furious rampage; others maintain their humanity and use advanced military tactics. Subspecies Many classifications, depending on size of the specimen. Categories include skirmishers, brutes, and behemoths. Locations Primarily in the territories surrounding Thagretis on Malakath.

Physical description

Size Varies; skirmishers are barely larger than humans, though much bulkier. Behemoths can be up to a third the size of the average Malakath dragon. Brutes range in between. Distinctive features Malformed combinations of humanoid and draconic physiology; frequently leathery wings, armored scales, and bony claws. Often equipped with special fitted armor and brutal, dark-iron weaponry.

Out-of-character information

Image source Zuriel from Iron Kingdoms
https://ironkingdoms.fandom.com/wiki/Zuriel

Hideous, malformed hybrids of humanoid races and dragons, the Nephilons are semi-intelligent beasts bred by the Cabal of Ascension under the watchful eye of Thagretis' own Archprophet. Though the process of their creation is said to be an attempt to bring the people of Thagretis closer to a draconic apotheosis, uniting their flesh and spirits with that of dragons, the Nephilons that result are allowed to live for a singular purpose: war.

Due to the nature of their creation, Nephilons vary widely in appearance. The unifying trait among all Nephilons is their clear and present hybrid characteristics. Most Nephilons resemble humanoids in their posture, walking on two legs and having a set of forelimbs with opposable thumbs. Most, but not all, bear leathery wings upon their backs, have some amount of scales on their bodies, have clawed digits, reptilian eyes, and fang-filled mouths.

Nephilons can be found exclusively on Malakath (for now) as they are the artificial creations of the Cabal of Ascension. That said, they can comfortably exist anywhere a dragon might, and inhabit whatever locations the Draconic Order commands.

• Genetic instability: Nephilons are aberrant amalgamations of humanoid and dragon. Their appearances vary wildly, they are prone to mutation, and the majority of them have short and painful lifespans. Pictured below: a skirmisher Nephilon with rampant mutations, seen bursting from its armor.
  
• Programmed loyalty: The Cabal of Ascension, as part of the torturous process of creating Nephilons, instills an unwavering sense of loyalty to the Draconic Order within each specimen.
• Feral nature: Programmed for loyalty as they may be, Nephilons have a predisposition towards aggression and violence. They are prone to defying the letter of their orders in favor of the spirit, breaking ranks and abandoning strategy when under stress, and favoring wanton rampage.
• Draconic breath: Like the dragons they are formed from, many Nephilons are capable of exhaling powerful breath attacks, ranging from fire, to ice, to poison, and beyond.
• Enhanced physiology: No normal humanoid could hope to compare in strength, speed, reflexes, or endurance to the draconic hybrids that are the Nephilons.
• Strength of faith: Faithful and willing subjects have a higher rate of success in their transformations, and most frequently become the largest and most powerful of Nephilons.

Far below Thykla Palace in the city of Thagretis lies the hidden flesh-laboratories of the Cabal of Ascension. Commissioned for advancement and devoted to the ancient Prophecy of Draconic Apotheosis, the clerics and life-stitchers of the cabal work tirelessly to achieve their greatest goal: the perfect synthesis of man and dragon.

To that end, the Archprophet has personally approved the allocation of resources to the cabal, be they monetary, informational, or more...tangible. Spare genetic material is harvested from dragons in the most non-heretical ways the cabal can muster and stored en masse within the great evolutionary vats. While volunteers from among the most fervent and devoted of the Draconic Order sometimes known to engage in the so-called Ritual of Enlightenment, the vast majority of their subjects are unwilling or unwitting.

Criminals promised atonement, prisoners of war, and poor individuals and debtors offered monetary reward are among the bulk of the fodder offered up to the Cabal of Ascension's debased pursuit of perfection. Tortured screams can be heard even beyond the reach of the palace's underways as draconic blood and materials are forcibly and magically spliced, grafted, and fused into subjects' physiology. Minds and bodies alike are twisted and torn asunder while the priests of the cabal chant their ominous rites, offering praise to the Holy Elder Dragon in exchange for His guidance and blessings.

The fortunate do not survive this process, perishing from the sheer trauma as medical implements flay their skin and magics both divine and foul wrack their forms. The less lucky, the Blessed Few, have bodies capable of accepting the transformation process. The result is a Nephilon, a horrid amalgam of the person that once was and the draconic essence that has been grafted to them. Rarely does much of the mind or personality of the individual they once were remain; in their stead, a loyal, bestial, and mighty servant of the Draconic Order arises.

With each failed ritual, the Cabal of Ascension refines their process, becoming less wasteful and more consistent. With each success, the cabal grows closer to their ultimate goal: draconic perfection. While none of the Nephilons can truly be considered inheritors of the Holy Elder Dragon's Apotheosis, they are still lauded as His apostles, the heralds of what one day will be, and they are granted new purpose in their rebirth: to serve the will of the Archprophet, and to hunt down and destroy those who would oppose Thagretis.