Dragon-Descended Society and Culture

Half-dragons and draconic characters can make devoted couples, and most of their offspring are draconic. Such children, raised in environment of intense caring, usually grow up to be confi dent and well-adjusted individuals.

War

A draconic character who is integrated into her society is as likely as any other to enter a military profession or serve in a community militia. Indeed, her physical superiority makes her well suited to a martial career. Gifted with a strong personality, a draconic character has the potential to rise to a position of command. A draconic character who is isolated from her community is more likely to leave early, making her own way in the world and relying on her physical abilities to survive.

Death

A draconic character eventually learns that she isn’t as easy to kill as those around her. She’s less likely to succumb to a disease or a poisonous bite, and she can endure greater wounds than her kin. This usually leads to one of two results. The fi rst is a sense of invulnerability. Even more than is typical for youths, the draconic character begins to believe she can take on any challenge and survive any peril. She becomes reckless with her life, seeking out ever-greater thrills. Such creatures end up either dying young, perhaps as an unsuccessful adventurer, or becoming distinguished for the ability to accomplish unlikely tasks. The second reaction is crushing guilt. Facing the same enemies in battle or assaulted by the same natural forces, the draconic character survives while her family and companions do not. She already knew she was different somehow, and now she seems unjustly favored by fate.

She might withdraw completely from society, leaving the community for a hermit’s existence. Alternatively, she might decide to throw away her life in some grand gesture, such as killing a terrible monster, which can also lead to an adventurer’s life—if she ends up surviving. Dragon deities and draconic ideas of the afterlife are not important to draconic characters, who are too far removed from their dragon ancestors to feel much connection. They see life and death, and whatever follows, much as their community does.

Where draconic characters are usually included in their communities, half-dragons are rarely part of the culture into which they were born. Each individual creates his own cultural space, perhaps corresponding to a physical place, in which he nurtures his personal values. This is a safe refuge for a bullied outsider or a pressured student, where the unfair expectations of others cannot intrude. Outside this safe zone, a half-dragon must choose between trying to fit in with his surroundings and asserting his individuality. Attempting to conform to the standards of a biased community is very difficult, but such efforts receive a warm reception in an unbiased culture. This warmth, unfortunately, can be coupled with condescension and unwarranted interest in everything the half-dragon does. People who truly want to be open and understanding often have their actions interpreted as condescending. This behavior can be as irritating to a half-dragon as outright discrimination. Many half-dragons don’t bother trying to be the same as everyone around them. They know they’re not the same, and it’s denying their true nature to pretend they are. Such behavior is also true of draconic characters who have abnormal features or whose draconic personality is at variance with community standards. They might even take a perverse pleasure in shocking their humanoid neighbors, going out of their way to be exotic. This can include wearing revealing clothing that emphasizes draconic qualities, highlighting claws with color, affecting a crest or horns if they do not already sport such features, and similar things. They might indulge in vandalism, setting fi res with their breath, for example. Draconic misfi ts could fall in with a bad crowd, if any such will have them, but more often, they strike out on their own as soon as they are able. These pariahs are the most likely to seek a life of adventure. In an adventuring band, draconic appearance and abilities are interesting and useful rather than freakish. No true half-dragon communities exist. For one thing, these crossbreeds are much more rare than humanoids such as half-orcs. As well, despite the pain and loneliness that defi nes most of their existence (or perhaps because of it), half-dragons just don’t get along that well with one another. The prejudices held by chromatic dragons toward metallic, and vice versa, still express themselves in halfdragons, and the vastly differing personalities even within similar dragon types can lead to friction. Half-dragons also have an inclination to wander, which works against founding stable settlements. Instead, small bands of half-dragons and their draconic companions sometimes form itinerant encampments. Such groups move from fair to festival to market, although they are sometimes driven away by suspicious townsfolk before they can even unpack. They usually set up in out-of-the-way locales not too far from a humanoid town in which they can acquire needed supplies and sell their wares, keeping the camp hidden and well-guarded. Such groups contain from three to six half-dragons, usually specializing in different trades; sometimes they are professional adventurers and represent the typical mix of classes found in a party. They are accompanied by draconic mounts, hunting creatures, or pets (often augmented animals) and may have hangers-on with or without dragon heritage. A traveling camp is a haven of comfort in a hostile world, but because of the frictions that arise between the dragon-descended, its composition is always in fl ux. Older members leave to pursue their own interests, although they might return after a time to revitalize and enjoy the company of others who accept their nature. New members might sign on for a while to fi ll an open role. Camp followers, such as farriers or seasonal workers, drift in an out as their work demands. Sometimes nondraconic adventurers are part of the group while it fulfi lls a specifi c mission.

DESCENDED DRAGON- CHAPTER 4