The Dracons

The Dracons are a rugged, bold race native to Ecumene, making their home in the mountainous and extreme land of Southern Borealia. As one of the Intelligent Races, they have achieved a high level of technology, intelligence, and society that not many other species have, and though their glory days are a distant memory, it is the pride of every Dracon that they may come once again. The race is the only Reptilian race native to Eastern Ecumene, but that is because they are related to mighty Drakes, having inherited their warm-bloodedness. They belong to their own family of Drake, not being Winged Drakes nor Wurms, as seen with their bipedalism, lean skull, and pycnofibers.   Dracons are a moderately tall race, towering above many others, but also not being quite as tall as races such as Elves and Ogres. Their muscular forms are covered in the hard-scales common amongst all Drakes, with these scales coming in a wide variety of colors, with red, blue, green, yellow, and brown being the most common scale colors. However, Dracons with purple, black, and even sometimes white scales can be found. The strength of said scales depends on where they are located on the Dracon's body, with a Dracon's back scales being near impervious to piercing or firearms, while their stomach scales are about as tough as leather, and are much more easily pierced. During their years of growth, a Dracon will shed their skin every two weeks, with it taking about a week to shed the whole thing. Even after a Dracon stops growing, they will periodically shed their skin every few months or so, just to keep their body in peak condition.   Like their Draconic relatives, Dracons are, of course, warm-blooded. Even in the cold Northern lands that they inhabit, Dracons are able to regulate their body temperature efficiently in the cold, but they do not have such an advantage in the heat. As reptiles, the race completely lacks sweat glands, so they have developed other adaptations to keep themselves cool, such as their crests. Male Dracons have two brown horns coming from their hairline, which increase the overall body mass of the Dracon, and also have a scant few blood vessels running through them, allowing for the horns to be flushed with blood if the Dracon needs to cool down, and the blood itself being cooled by the air flowing between the two crests. While female Dracons do not have these horns, their much smaller size more than makes up for it, allowing them to stay quite cool due to a lack of heat stored in the body. Interestingly enough, Dracons also have thick clumps of white, orange-red, or golden pycnofibers running down their head, neck, and the length of their spine. While not as thick or soft as fur, they do help Dracons keep warm when it gets too cold to handle.   A Dracon has five fingers on each hand, each tipped with a sharp claw where others would have a fingernail. Interestingly, these claws are actually retractable, as the hard scales on a Dracon's finger do not need any advanced protection. The retraction serves to protect the claws from too much wear and tear, as they grow back quite slowly. However, a Dracon has only three toes on each foot, each with a much larger claw that cannot be retracted, although they are much more durable than those found on the hands of the race. Said claws, no matter their location, are quite sharp, being able to induce a pretty bad cut on anyone struck by a Dracon.   Interestingly, Dracons have a sort of breath weapon, although it is not magical in nature. It is akin to that used by spitting cobras (and their close relative the Tatzelwurm) but much, much more advanced in nature. A small opening under the Dracon's tongue holds within it a deadly mixture of strong acids, powerful enzymes, and even oxidizing chemicals, so when a Dracon opens its mouth, raises its tongue, and puts pressure on its toxin glands, a cloud of acidic spray will shoot out up to 10 feet in front of the Dracon. If a living being is unlucky enough to be caught in this spray of acid, any skin exposed to it will experience deep and painful chemical burns, and if they swallow it, their throat may even close up due to this. However, the entirety of a Dracon's body is immune to this combination of chemicals, meaning that a Dracon can not be harmed by its own acid nor the acid of another. This ability does have its limits, though, as a Dracon only begins to develop this ability during puberty and they only have a set amount of it, with most Dracons only being able to spray out acid around ten times in their life.   Dracons all have tails, with the average length of a Dracon's tail being about four or five feet. The top half of this tail has the same heavily armored properties that the Dracon's back has, though its bottom scales are about as strong as those on the Dracon's stomach. The tail, while not too flexible, is quite strong, and can knock most Men off their feet with one powerful swing.   Obviously, a Dracon has an amazing bite force hidden within their fairly lean skull. Being bitten by an adult Dracon is like being crushed by a fully-grown cow in that one area, with a Dracon easily being able to bite straight through the bones of most beasts, although their teeth will break on stronger things, such as metal. Interestingly, Dracons have grinding teeth, making them one of two Drakes that consume plant material.   Sexual dimorphism in the race is slim, as Dracon women do not exhibit breasts of any kind, as their young come from eggs. However, male Dracons do grow pycnofibers around their mouth area in a sort of beard shape. Otherwise, females tend to be much smaller than males, with the average female being about six inches shorter than the average male. Although Dracons have reptilian sexual organs, they are still members of the Intelligent Races and can feel attraction to all of the other races, though they can only mate with their own kind.

Due to their reptilian origins, Dracon females will lay one egg soon after copulation. The egg is soft-shelled and is protected by the mother. In the old times, a Dracon female would carry her egg on her back in a woven basket filled with straw to keep them warm. However, they would usually be kept in an incubation chamber in more modern times.   An egg takes around 14 weeks to hatch. Immediately after they emerge from their egg, the whelp (the word for a Dracon child) can walk and eat, although they cannot yet talk. Whelps will come out with their pycnofibers and horns already grown in, and they will grow throughout the Dracon's lifetime. A Dracon is a toddler for a very short time due to this, with their toddler years ending at about 1 year of age. However, they have quite a long childhood, being considered a child until the age of 16. They are thereafter an adolescent until around 23, and then an adult until they are considered a senior citizen at age 90. In their old age, a Dracon's scales will begin to lose a bit of their color and shine.

Dracon cuisine is incredibly unique, as most Dracons live in a taiga, a biome not known for its agricultural prowess. However, they have had hundreds of years to perfect the trade, though until very recently, the life of a farmer was one of frequent starvation. The cold weather of Borealia has resulted in hearty, but simple, stews and soups being very common. However, meat can also be found roasting, grilling, or even smoking. Pork and mutton are far and away the most common meats, but unicorn steak, chicken, and duck can also be found. While fish is not too very common, being seen as more of an upper-class food, seafood can be found due to Borealia's position as an island. Pike, zander, perch, herring, and salmon can all be found as fish markets in larger communities. Despite the cold clime, the Kingdom of Lievonija is a primarily agricultural nation. Rye and potatoes are produced in very large quantities, with rye bread being a staple of Dracon cuisine. Other vegetables, such as onions, beets, cabbage, sorrel, radishes, and cucumbers can also be found. Beets and cabbages, in particular, are often used as a base ingredient for soups. Dishes are seasoned with spices such as horseradish, dill, caraway, garlic, coriander, bay leaf, and juniper berries. Interestingly, sour cream is added to almost every Dracon dish. This may seem odd at first, as the non-mammalian Dracon race is lactose intolerant as a rule, but sour cream has almost no lactose within it.   There is a strong tradition of natively brewed alcohol within Lievonija, a tradition that is spearheaded by beer production. The abundance of grain within the Kingdom has allowed Dracon breweries to flourish, and while beer is the most common alcoholic beverage, mead and vodka can also be found. Water and tea are also commonly enjoyed, as is kompot, a fruit beverage usually made out of natively growing fruit such as apples, plums, and pears. The Dracons do not drink milk, for obvious reasons.    Dracons enjoy three meals a day, following a meal structure similar to that of other cultures. Pusryčiai (Breakfast) is usually made up of porridge, cold and salted meats, as well as rye bread with ghee (a type of clarified butter that was brought over from Zingitar during the days of the Immortal Kingdom) or fruit spread, taken with tea. The largest meal of the day is Pietūs (Lunch) and is made up of a soup or large piece of warm meat served alongside bread and vegetables. The last meal of the day is, of course, Vakarienė (Dinner). It is a lighter meal, usually made up of leftovers from lunch, perhaps some newer vegetables or soup, and a nice mug of beer.

Following the Deluge, which was not only a conflict between Dracons and Imperials but between two opposing Dracon camps, the Dracons would have a state to call their own once again. During the conflict, Dracon nobles (who, 9 times out of 10, supported the Imperial cause) would be executed by the Brigandi, paving the way for Lievonija's Absolute Monarchy.    Without nobles to own the land, peasants would form themselves into agricultural co-operatives. While common throughout the world (or, at least, the world without nobles), they are the dominant form of agricultural production in the Kingdom, something not seen anywhere else. While poorly mechanized, these farmers live exponentially better lives than they did in the days of the Ancient Empire. The Kingdom has also fully rejected ideas of Free Market Capitalism, with most industrial production within its borders being done by government-owned corporations. This has resulted in a fairly speedy industrialization campaign, as the surplus value of these corporations is almost entirely used to fund campaigns of modernization and industrial expansion. However, the workers themselves do not have many protections.

Like most in Ecumene, Dracons have a given name and a patrilineal family name. However, this family name changes form depending on the gender of its owner. Males have their surname end in masculine suffixes such as -as, -ys or -is, while unmarried women will have theirs end in -aitė, -utė, -iūtė or -ytė. When a woman is marrying into a family, she will take the family name and use -ienė as the suffix. It is quite confusing for foreigners, but after a while, one can get used to it. Some examples for a male's name are "Edgaras Vilkas" or "Virginijus Lazdauskas". An unmarried woman's name could be something like "Valentina Merkyte" or "Gryte Jaseviciute", whereas a married woman's name would be something like "Liucina Kvedaraviciene" or "Aneta Sepaitiene".   Dracon Noble Titles   Karalius: King

Even before Trinitism came to the Northern shores, the Dracons were a patriarchy, so not much has changed. Dracon women are required to wear headdresses (as they do not have horns), and it is seen as the duty of the men of the race to protect the women from harm. All and all, the gender expectations of the race aren't too different from those abroad, with women being expected to have male accompaniment, dress modestly, and be tame, while men are supposed to be hard-working and stoic. While the men toil in the fields, the women will tend to the house and the family. However, the race wildly diverges from the rest of the Orthodox world on one issue: concubinage. Since the beginning of Dracon civilization, Dracon men have kept multiple partners. Despite the concentrated efforts of the Trinitist Cult when the Dracon race was first being Trinitized, many high-class Dracons (be they blood nobles, educated professionals, or businessmen) keep concubines within their house in addition to their wife. A Dracon can only have one wife, who tends to be their most socially acceptable match, while concubines can come from any sector of society. Though this was not often the case prior to Trinitization, the wife takes a position of authority in the household over the concubines, and children born to the wife take primacy over children born to the concubines in matters of inheritance. A low-class woman becoming the concubine of a high-class Dracon will often result in her family gaining higher social status, however temporary, as the treatment of a concubine (and especially the treatment of her family) is up to the whims of the husband.

Following the destruction of the sharecropping system, arranged marriages and dowries across all walks of life have fallen out of use. Traditionally, Dracon weddings are held in the local Church, right at the altar. Incense is spread around the room as the pair say their vows. After they are done, the entirety of those in attendance (usually the friends and extended family of the bride and the groom) will pray for their marriage, before the Vicar sprinkles dirt over the wedding rings of the bride and groom before he puts them on, officially blessing and approving their marriage. What follows is usually a few hours of feasting and games, with toasts abound. Oftentimes, the celebration will happen in the church itself, but post-wedding celebrations in the summer are often celebrated outside. At the end of the party, the bride and groom will shatter their drinking cups (usually made out of glass for the ceremony) in order to symbolize the beginning of a new life together.

Lievonija was the most backwards of Imperial Provinces by a long shot, but now that it is an independent state with an independent government, it has begun to steadily modernize. Living standards across the board are rising as telegraph lines, railroads and even electrical grids sprout up, although it is still far behind most of the world in these respects.

Dracons speak a language known as "Dracon" which is in essence real-life Lithuanian. This language uses an alphabetical system of writing known as "Runic", which utilizes 40 letters to form words and phrases, with the letters themselves looking quite like those used in the real-life Deseret Alphabet.

Dracon society operates upon a very strict code of conduct known as the "Ancient Way". All Dracons, from the poorest peasant to the King himself hold the Way in near-religious regard, as it is one of the oldest pieces of Dracon culture. It survived the Pagan Epoch, it survived the Righteous Wars, and it has survived the Deluge. In fact, it has only been strengthened by the rise of a nationalist government, which has legally codified the Way due to its status as a vital part of Dracon culture. However, the Way goes beyond legal codes even still, and to violate the philosophy, not just the legality, is to bring dishonor upon yourself and become worthy of high contempt. The points of the Ancient Way are as follows, with tomes containing this exact text being commonplace within Dracon homes, workplaces, and churches:   1. "When Dracons say that they will perform an action, it is as good as done. Nothing will stop them from completing what they say they will do. They do not have to 'give their word'. They do not have to 'promise'. Speaking and doing are the same action." Under this provision, citizens are permitted to create contracts with one another about almost anything, providing it does not take the rights away from one of the involved parties, creating a legal reinforcement for matters important to the citizenry. The punishment for a broken contract is agreed upon by both parties within the contract's terms and must be mutually applicable.   2. "Be acutely honest throughout your dealings with all people. Believe in justice, not from other people, but from yourself. To the true Dracon, all points of view are deeply considered regarding honesty, justice, and integrity. Dracons make a full commitment to their decisions." This, very simply, makes perjury illegal within Dracon courts and establishes an impartial judiciary.    3. "Through intense training and hard work the true Dracon becomes quick and strong. They are not as most people. They develop a power that must be used for good. They have compassion. They help their fellow Dracons at every opportunity. If an opportunity does not arise, they go out of their way to find one." This enables citizen's arrests within the country and makes all witnesses to a crime legally obligated to give their version of the events that transpired. Refusal to do so is criminal.   4. "True Dracons have no reason to be cruel. They do not need to prove their strength. Dracons are not only respected for their strength in battle, but also by their dealings with others. The true strength of a Dracon becomes apparent during difficult times." Cruelty towards animals, torture, cruel and unusual punishment, and domestic abuse are all criminal.   5. "Dracons have only one judge of honor and character, and this is themselves. Decisions they make and how these decisions are carried out are a reflection of who they truly are." Defendants in court may be pardoned if the reason for their actions is seen as justified by a jury.   6. "Dracons are responsible for everything that they have done and everything that they have said and all of the consequences that follow. They are immensely loyal to all of those in their care. To everyone that they are responsible for, they remain fiercely true." Not only slander and libel, but also fake news in general, are all crimes. The Dracon who violates these laws is personally responsible for paying compensation for damage caused.   7. "A Dracon's home must be honored and protected. A slight against the home is a slight against the Dracon, and if harm comes to the home, a Dracon must be ready to defend it." A castle doctrine of defense is in force within Lievonija, and vandalism of private property is punished roughly in the same way as assault.   These tenets are taken incredibly seriously by most Dracons, men and women. Because of this, they can seem cold and unhospitable to others, but Dracons are, on average, very loyal and very honest. Because of the Ancient Way, Dracons make excellent workers and excellent warriors, and none can complain about having a Dracon by their side when the going gets tough.

Traditional Dracon clothing is quite plain, but very functional due to the environment in which they live. Most Dracon men wear linen, cotton, or woolen shirts very similar to real-life kosovorotka, with long-sleeves and the shirt itself reaching down to the mid-thigh. The collar of the shirt is made in such a way that the religious pendants many Dracons wear can be tucked into it, making it so that it does not interfere with their work. Men will secure this shirt around themselves with a rope belt. Dracon men will often wear simple trousers alongside this. Women will also wear a shirt similar to that worn by the men, but it is always covered by a sarafan dress and an Orthodox headdress. Of course, both trousers and dresses have ample accommodation for a Dracon's tail. In the former, there is a hole that the tail can be pulled through, and in the latter, it simply goes down under. The tail of a Dracon is often wrapped up in simple cloth, so as to keep it warm.   Despite the avowed nationalism of the new Dracon upper-class (now made up of merchants and government functionaries instead of landed nobles), their style of dress remains distinctly inspired by that of their old Dwarven masters. Instead of the more docile colors chosen by the Dwarves when putting on their dress jackets, Dracon men will dress in vibrant shades. Their shirts are also notable for having tight, angled collars. Women will also wear Dwarven-style dresses, but theirs are notable for having very long trains, almost comedically so in many cases. The longer the train usually, the higher status the woman, and it should be here noted that it is more or less social law that a man's favored wife always has the longest train on her dress and that his other wives should keep theirs shorter than hers.   The pycnofibers that cover the heads and back of a Dracon can be styled. Men will usually wear their fibers simply and at medium length so that they stay warm, and while women will wear them at a similar length (because pycnofibers do not grow too long), and in simple braids peeking out from the headdress. However, male Dracons have been known to style the pycnofibers around their mouth. Working-class Dracons will often cut their fibers into a Fu Manchu style mustache, although some Dracons of the upper crust have been known to grow small beards (as again, longer styles are biologically impossible). Dracons do not wear shoes due to their reptilian feet.

Houses And Architecture
As stated many times before, most Dracons live humble lives within the countryside, tending to their portion of a greater agricultural co-operative. The most common type of house found within Lievonija is the Izba house, a type of log cabin built with pine logs and stuck together with river clay. These are usually built close to the dirt roads that criss-cross the Kingdom. These houses can be easily built with simple hand-axes and rope, nails not being required. The centerpiece of the house is a stove, used both for heating and cooking. Some houses have delicate designs carved into them, but these are not common due to the hard lives the Dracons live.   While most Dracons live in rural areas, the ancient city of Sulaca still stands and serves as the capital of the Kingdom. The cities of the nation, be they the capital or the ones that have burst onto the coast, take on a distinctive Brick Gothic style unseen anywhere else in the world.   Music And Art
Despite the hard lives they live, many Dracons have been able to create beautiful pieces of art. Interestingly enough, poets are often born in the land of Lievonija, though many painters and sculptors also hail from the land. Folk music is very important within Dracon society, adding brightness to an otherwise dreary life. These folk songs tend to be quite rhythmic, as they often keep the time during work, but quicker and happier songs can be found on days of celebration or rest. Instruments like birbynė, dūdmaišis, ocarinas, bladder fiddles, kanklės, and domra are common.   Sports And Games
Most Dracons tend to be physically impressive, naturally having a strong build. Sports such as rugby (of course), wrestling, and orienteering are all quite common. The latter is a sport in which Dracons attempt to navigate their way out of deep wilderness at high speed. Other common sports include boxing, bandy, and amongst the upper classes, chess and fencing.   Funerary Traditions
When it is believed that a Trinitist is dying, they are brought with haste to the local Church, specifically a secluded and comfortable basement room. There, while doctors care for them, the Church's Vicar will pray with them and the dying Trinitist will give their "last rites" to the Vicar. This last rite comes in the form of a poem that the individual made beforehand and now recites, professing their piety and humility for what might be the last time. If the Trinitist does indeed die, they will then be washed by the family, wrapped in orange cloth that covers all but the head and hands, then buried in a stone casket within church property, under earth that has been prayed over by the Vicar. While the body is being buried, the individual's family will often watch over it, singing a prayer for their soul and leaving small gifts by the headstone. However, if the Trinitist does not die after professing their last rites, they must be held to the promises made in their last rites.   If a Trinitist dies suddenly or is unable to make it to the Church and perform their last rites before they die, they are buried with their last rites folded under the head of the burial cloth.   Philosophy
The philosophy of the Dracon race is deeply intertwined with both the Ancient Way and their history. The Dracons were once a proud race of warriors devoted to conquering the known world, but they were laid low by their own corruption as well as the Dwarves. Their religion and their nation were destroyed, and they became yet another lapdog for the Dwarves. Those glory days of raiding and conquest are seen in a strange light by the Dracons, for, on one hand, they were the greatest achievement of the race, but on the other, they were achievements done in the name of heresy. Now, many Dracons see it as their duty as followers of the Ancient Way to bring about a new golden age for the race. And, perhaps, such a thing has been achieved. While they do not hold the power they once did, the race has a state of its own once more, and that is all that matters. Now, it is the job of every Dracon to finish bringing about that new golden age, an age where national identity and modernity go hand-in-hand.

Offensive Slurs And Insults
Slurs for the Dracons include "Scalies", "Skinks", "Fork Tongues", "Wurms", and "Fire Eaters".   Dracons often refer to other races as "Smoothskins" or "Preyfolk".   Cultural Taboos
Any violation of the Ancient Way is a great taboo, for it is the main building block of Dracon society. Its teachings have become especially important after the Medial Age, in which the widespread corruption of the Immortal Kingdom was looked at with disgust, and as it was supplemented with Trinitist morality. The bond of a word is especially important, with trust-worthiness being the most desirable trait in Dracon society. Indeed, if a Dracon says he will do something, he will do so. On the opposite end of things, being overly emotional or touchy (especially in public) is a bad thing in the traditionally cold and disciplined Dracon society.   Interestingly, many Pre-Trinitist folk traditions and practices are still ingrained in Dracon culture. While most Trinitist races abandoned most of their paganistic and heretical superstitions entirely, the Dracons simply synthesized their own with their newfound faith. In addition to their Trinitist pendants, many Dracons wear various charms around their necks and wrists. These charms are often no more than coins with their middles cut out attached to a string (likely inspired by Qhaxsus' domain as the God of Wealth and Luck), but it is believed that through the power of faith alone, they can protect the wearer from harm as well as curses. While the Orthodoxy firmly denies the existence of such things, Dracons believe that evildoers can curse others with dark, secret magic, but by wearing these charms, a Dracon will be protected. Interestingly, many lower-level religious officials (especially within rural areas) have taken up fortune-telling. These men of the cloth say that by throwing bones, the Gods will guide it in a certain way, and by examining the bones, they are able to tell a person their future. The Council of Apostles has long worked on rooting out these "savage" practices, but the Dracons are a deeply superstitious folk and will not give them up easily.

The noble Riding Mammoth is the traditional mount of the race, as it is native to the Borealia, unlike Horses and Giant Elk. Most families own at least one Riding Mammoth, using it for transportation, pulling carts, and pulling plows on the farm. Dracon Cavalry is also a very notable piece of culture, with the Cavalry being put at the forefront of military parades due to their impressive mounts.   Now that independence has been achieved, the Dracons have adopted a policy of neutrality. They care not for the rest of the world's petty feuds providing they do not affect their island, and after all, why should they? Lievonija's prosperity must come first. The    Ogres with whom the Dracons share an island do not often interact with the Dracons, but the two will sometimes trade, although the Dracons look down on Ogres as heretical savages.