Dragonborns

The dragonborn of Embergarde are a proud, ancient race — descended from oaths and unions made between dragons and mortal champions during the Riven Skies War. Unlike typical draconic humanoids, their lineage is intensely tied to the primal flows of Mythralune, meaning their very blood sings with arcane resonance.

Though found elsewhere on the continent, Embergarde is their ancestral stronghold, where high peaks and volcanic ranges echo with their war cries and ancient rituals.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Bipedal with two arms and two powerful digitigrade legs, tail for balance. Some subgroups grow small vestigial wings (not for flight).
Ribcage and sternum reinforced to handle breath abilities.
Semi-hollow but sturdy bones, allowing immense muscle mass without cumbersome weight.

Biological Traits

Lineage traits: Emberborn may run hot to the touch, Frostbound exhale visible chill, Vinekin might heal minor wounds with sunlight.
Gender shows modest physical dimorphism — males typically have broader crests/horns, females more elaborate facial frills.

Genetics and Reproduction

Lay thick leathery eggs, clutch size usually 1–3. Gestation inside mother ~4 months, incubation ~6 months.
Children hatch fully scaled and with small claw nubs.

Growth Rate & Stages

Age	Stage	Notes
0–5	Wyrmling	Rapid growth, scales soft, breath unstable
6–20	Juvenile	Gain full breath control, ceremonial initiation
21–100	Adult	Prime strength, serve clans or wander as mercenaries
101–200+	Elder	Hardened scales, stronger magical resonance, often become lorekeepers or war-chiefs

Ecology and Habitats

Thrive in mountainous, volcanic, or heavily ley-saturated regions.
Build fortresses carved into cliff sides or within massive stone keeps warmed by geothermal vents.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Omnivorous but protein-focused, favoring roasted meats and mineral-rich fungi.
Often drink from hot springs infused with trace metals — believed to maintain their draconic resilience.

Biological Cycle

Warm-blooded but adjust metabolism with season — Emberborn bask in lava tubes, Frostbound brumate lightly in cold months.
Some shed scales seasonally, crafting them into ceremonial armor.

Behaviour

Proud and honor-driven, often competitive but fiercely loyal once trust is earned.
View predator/prey dynamics as sacred — hunts are often ritualized, kills honored with songs.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Organized into clans tied to ancestral dragon pacts. Each clan has a Blood Speaker (spiritual guide) and Wyrmshield (martial protector).

Facial characteristics

Prominent brows, various horn configurations (swept back, spiraled, or heavy and knotted), slit-pupil eyes that catch torchlight eerily.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Primarily in Embergarde’s ranges and highlands, smaller diasporas in trade cities across Mythralune.

Average Intelligence

Comparable to elves or dwarves.
Their oral histories are extremely sophisticated, often entwining song, gesture, and magical sigils.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Keen smell attuned to metal and blood, slightly wider visual spectrum (can see some infrared and ultraviolet), sensitive to ley currents — they feel nearby arcane surges.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Given name + clan name, often incorporating draconic root words (Thraxus Emberjaw, Kireya Frostglen, Sorath Vinecoil).
Names may grow — after great deeds, they earn honorifics appended to the name.

Relationship Ideals

Passionate bonds often sealed with oaths that are magically recognized by clan relics. Polygamous arrangements exist but center around oath integrity.

Average Technological Level

Sophisticated metallurgy (obsidian-forged and runed steel), minor arcane constructs, but less interested in mechanization.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Speak Draconic dialects unique to Embergarde, thick with old war oaths and nature metaphors.

Common Etiquette Rules

Bowing with one hand on heart, small breath of elemental energy offered when greeting elders.

Common Dress Code

Minimalist outside combat — often armored only by their own scales. Formal wear includes cloaks of woven metals or scale mosaics.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

See themselves as living embodiments of draconic legacy — to dishonor oneself is to stain one’s entire bloodline.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Births celebrated with ember dances around hot springs. Deaths honored by offering breath attacks into the sky, sending the spirit to rejoin dragonkind.

History

Age	Key Events
Age of Dawnlight	Clans formed under direct dragon patronage, first wyrm-clan oaths sworn.
Riven Skies War	Served as dragon armies' vanguard — many legendary duels sung still.
Era of Binding	Helped craft the bindings that sealed rogue dragons, earning suspicion from pure dragons.
Age of Refraction	Re-forged ties with dormant dragons, rebuilding shattered fortresses.
Present	Stand vigilant, aware their ancient kin may stir, viewing themselves as guardians or chosen arbiters of the balance.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Humans & dwarves: Often allies in forgecraft and war, but wary of draconic pride.
Elves: Respect each other’s long memories, but elves find dragonborn culture too blunt.
Halflings & gnomes: View them as intimidating yet oddly polite giants.
True dragons: Relationships are fraught. Some dragons honor them as kin, others see them as diluted pretenders.

Origin/Ancestry

They originate from Dragons

Lifespan

200

Average Height

6'4"-7'6"

Average Weight

200-400lbs

Average Physique

Powerfully muscular, but elegant.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Skin/scales range broadly, reflecting their ancestry:
Molten ember reds (Emberdrake lines)
Deep forest greens with thorny ridges (Vine dragon lines)
Frosted blues with crystalline facets (Ice dragon lines)
Night-black or starlit indigo (Dream or obsidian lines)
Many have ley-mark veins that glow faintly in darkness, a legacy of primal ley exposure.

Related Organizations

Embergarde