Element-born Dragons

Overview

The Element-born Dragons are a race of beings, descended from the Light-born made flesh. They lived on the Wild Continent of Lyardia, whose very name roughly means ‘taking every day as it comes’ or ‘taking on the day’ in the Celestial. They have adapted to the Elements that their predecessors shaped During the Darkness, changing their bodies to live in specific environments.

 

The Orders of Dragons

Corresponding to the four Physical Elements, there are four major orders of Dragons. There are the Flame-born, the Ocean-born, the Sky-born, and the Earth-born.

 

The Flame-Born

The Flame-born, also known as Wyrms, are perhaps the only order of Element-born without a home region. They were stereotypically nomads, who flew about the continent, shifting from place to place with the seasons. Connected to the element of Pyro, they are characteristically loyal, spirited and passionate. The first of their order was a dragon known as Torch That Leads The Way In The Dark, who, after being horribly burned in childhood, learned to literally play with Fire to overcome their fear.

Typical Flame-born have four legs and two wings, though some may have four wings and/or two legs. They are sharp, with plates and spines down their backs, and branching horns reminiscent of antelope. Their tail tips may be bare, or have small spines on the tip. Their stomachs are covered by medium-strong and medium-flexible plates, and have visible ears.

Their ‘specialty’ is magic, with their rattling plates, and flexible, but precise, tails that make for good sigil-writing. Their tattoos usually start at the heart or base of the wings, flaring around the neck or rib cage. Many of their casters managed to survive the Conquest, and they now keep the traditional Hearthfire style of Pyro-Vita magic alive.

The Ocean-born

The Ocean-born, also known as the Serpents, are the order of dragons native to the waters that surround Lyardia. They were stereotypically artisans, who developed the first Element Tattoos, and the first clothing not made by humanoids. Connected to the element Hydro, they are characteristically gentle, free-spirited, and artistic. The first of their order was Strength Of All The Waters Combined, who, after being born without wings, learned to flow like Water, in the sea, on land, and in the sky.

Typical Ocean-born have four flippers, two extraneous fins near the hips, and no wings, though most have more arm-like limbs, and some may have small wings. They are streamlined, with dorsal fins running the length of their body, and various radial fins that appear on the head, limbs and horns, which resemble those of deer. Their stomachs are smooth and segmented, and their tails appear as hybrids of fish and cetaceans, such as dolphins.

Their ‘specialty’ is artisanal crafts, with the abundance of rare material underwater, and their exceptionally graceful fingers. Their tattoos typically start at the spine or where the head joins the neck, and swirl about the trunk, tail, or neck. Very few of the Ocean-born died during the conquest, with many fleeing to the homeland of their ‘brothers and sisters’, the long dragons, and the Sea of Fallen Stars.