Dragonborn

A dragonborn, also known as a half dragon, is the result of a union between a dragon and a humanoid. A first generation dragonborn results when a dragon uses its shapeshifting abilities to take humanoid form, and creates offspring with a humanoid. Most often this is with a human, elf, or half-elf, but it can happen with a gnome, halfling, or dragonborn. Later generations of dragonborn are the offspring of two dragonborn parents.  

Appearance

The dragonborn on The Sword Coast have a variety of appearances, depending on their ancestry. A first generation dragonborn’s appearance is some combination of their humanoid parent’s and dragon parent’s appearance. This can range from a dwarf sized walking gold dragon without wings, to a beautiful elven creature with fanged teeth and dragon eyes.   Later generations (whose parents were both dragonborn), have a similar range of appearances but, can reflect a mix of humanoid heritages (dwarf, elven, gnomish, human, half-ling, etc.) and a mix of dragon heritages (red, green, gold, silver, etc.) The one constant that gives away a dragonborn is the eyes. No matter how humanoid in appearance, all dragonborn have reptilian dragon eyes.    

An Unwanted People

The birth of a first generation dragonborn, is an incredibly rare event, most often greeted with suspicion and fear. Dragons are incredibly powerful creatures that inspire awe and terror, even benevolent dragons. Few humanoid communities welcome their presence. So, the birth of a half-dragon baby is seen as an omen of ill portent. Many view dragonborn as abominations. The reaction can range from the community shunning the child and parents to angry mobs coming to drive them out of the village. This is compounded by the fact that many of the humanoid parents were unaware of the true nature of their dragon partners and the dragon parents rarely stay once their true nature is exposed.   Dragonborn are unwelcome throughout The Sword Coast, an outcast race, few in number and subject to discrimination and persecution. As a result, the dragonborn are a people without a homeland and without a nation. They form their own communities throughout The Sword Coast to protect themselves. These take the form of insular urban neighborhoods in the rougher parts of cities or secluded settlements in isolated, remote areas.   Since, dragonborn are shutout from most ways of earning a living, many do the jobs that others of The Races of the Sword Coast will not do, like handling the dead, tanning leather, and dealing with house-holds’ “night soil”.    

It's a Family Affair

Dragonborn do not look to the law or the local ruler for justice, since that “justice” often lands on their heads. Instead, dragonborn rely on their communities and their families. Dragonborn society is structured around family clans, where the family elders hold sway. These families are the effective law in dragonborn communities, dispensing justice and resolving disputes.      

The Five Families

Since opportunities for “legitimate” work are few and unappealing, five of the largest dragonborn family-clans have branched out into less than illegitimate businesses. These include smuggling, brigandry, gambling, counterfeiting of coins, protection rackets, loan sharking, and other illicit businesses. The Five Families, as they are called, have become the most powerful and wealthiest criminal enterprises on The Sword Coast. The Five Families ruthlessly compete for business and territory with each other and other criminal enterprises. While the elders of The Five Families do proclaim a strict code of honor, often disputes are resolved with intimidation and violence.   Those dragonborn that are born and raised into The Five Families are raised in a strict honor culture that teaches one’s allegiance is to one’s family above all else. These dragonborn view outside law and society as simply another racket that other races use to protect their own interests and keep dragonborn underfoot. However, many dragonborn that are born into the smaller families view The Five Families with shame. They believe that dragonborn will never be accepted in society as long as The Five Families continue with their dishonorable actions.  

Dragon religion

Dragon religion  has no proper name as it is not a highly organized faith with no formal doctrine. “Dragon religion” is the name given to the collection of beliefs and practices held by most dragonborn.   For an itinerate people, without their own homeland, it has been important for dragonborn to establish a sense of belonging and tradition. Family is the one institution that most dragonborn can claim as their own. Consequently, dragon religion consists mostly of a type of ancestor worship. Dragonborn will pray to images of the spirits of their dragon forefathers and foremother’s at domestic altars. These spirits are tasked with the protection and welfare of the family after death. These ancestors can include one’s own dragonborn grandparents, the full blooded dragon progenitor of the family (and her ancestors), or a few dragon gods who are said to be the forefathers of all dragons.