Religion

Humans: Humans, with their nearly infi nite diversity, appeal to spellscales’ curiosity. Humans vary greatly in their lifestyles, ambitions, and philosophies. Each individual is unique and interesting. The human race is young compared to dragons or dwarves, adding to its charm. Spellscales treat humans with a fond tolerance.

Kobolds: These creatures try hard as sorcerers, they really do, but they’re far too limited in their talents and their worldview. The kobold race’s inclination toward both strict loyalty and sociopathic behavior perplexes spellscales. How could a race with so much potential limit itself with such philosophical baggage?

True Dragons: While spellscales admire and revere dragons, ever curious about them, they feel no particular attraction for them. A spellscale is naturally interested when presented with an opportunity to investigate a dragon’s lair or converse with a friendly dragon, but he is equally fascinated to explore the nooks and crannies of a human city or delve into the depths of the earth. Spellscales acknowledge the link between themselves and dragons, but they view themselves as something apart from dragons—and possibly, in a small way, superior.

After the meditation ends, the prospective spellscale bathes in a special mixture of fragrant salts, water, and dragon scales for 24 hours, with a spellscale ritualist standing over the water, chanting the words of the rite. When the period of chanting has passed, the character arises from the bath. As he does so, he fi nds himself magically transformed into a spellscale. Prerequisites: Any willing humanoid can undergo the Rite of Spellscale Assumption. The rite must be performed by a spellscale who can cast the polymorph spell and who has at least 10 ranks in Knowledge (arcana). Benefi t: This ceremony converts any nondraconic humanoid into a spellscale. A character who undertakes this rite is stripped of all his racial traits, and in their place gains the racial traits of the spellscale race. See the Substituting Spellscale Racial Traits sidebar for details. Time: The Rite of Spellscale Assumption takes seven consecutive days to complete. . . . or this . . . The ritual cannot be conducted on an unwilling subject. Cost: This rite requires special salts and a collection of dragon scales gathered from ancient dragons of varying colors. These materials cost 2,000 gp.

OTHER RACES AND SPELLSCALES

Unlike dragonborn, characters of other races who are drawn to the spellscale lifestyle and psychology cannot merely undergo a ritual to become a spellscale—at least such is the general belief. Because dragonborn can only come into existence through a ritual, whereas spellscales are born naturally, this belief has become entrenched. But no arcane feat is beyond those with a will to make changes. The Rite of Spellscale Assumption enables individuals of other races to become spellscales.

Rite of Spellscale Assumption

The Rite of Spellscale Assumption is a rare procedure that allows a character to fully manifest latent draconic potential within his body, transforming from a member of his original race into a spellscale. Becoming a spellscale is a choice that is made only after long consideration. Giving up one’s heritage is not to be done impulsively. It is a choice one makes knowing full well that when the rite is complete, all vestiges of one’s former race are wiped away, replaced by a body and a look that might at fi rst seem alien and awkward. When the rite begins, the subject spends six consecutive days fasting and meditating on texts discussing spellscale history, demeanor, and characteristics. The character uses this time to fully get into the heart of what it means to be a spellscale. “Magic is my religion.”

RELIGION

—Kepesk Maekrix, spellscale

Spellscales prize magic above all else, considering it holy and giving it the reverence most other races accord to their deities. Certainly, spellscales believe that deities exist. Gods are powerful and awesome, but magic is too, in a way that surpasses even the power of the deities. Spellscales alternately honor all dragon deities through their daily meditations. They gain great spiritual satisfaction from their devotion to magic. Their rituals blend a sense of divinity in with sorcery, uniting both spirit and blood. Almost every spellscale goes through a religious phase, indulging in short-term excesses of pious behavior toward one god or another. During this period, many spellscales devote themselves to a dragon deity, but some are attracted to deities of magic. Boccob, the Lord of All Magics, is especially attractive because of his permissive, hands-off attitude toward his followers. The exclusive, long-term commitment that most deities and churches demand of followers is diffi cult for the changeable spellscales to meet. Aside from the aforementioned bursts of piety, few spellscales consider themselves ardent followers of any one deity, dragon or otherwise. The rare spellscales who do follow one deity throughout their lives are most often worshipers of Aasterinian. The

Illus. by E. Cox