Dragonborn

A trio of Dragonborn (the wings do not belong to any of them)

## Overview

Dragonborn are a race of draconic creatures found in Faerun. They thought to be descendants of humans infused with dragon blood by ancient dragons to act as their slaves. They inherit the breath weapons of their ancestry as well as their colouring. Dragonborn come in chromatic (green/blue/red/black/white) or metallic (bronze/copper/brass/silver/gold) just like true dragons. They are a martial race and value honour and courage in the highest regard. Skill in any area is well respected by Dragonborn and they often push themselves to perfection against their best well being. Dragonborn hold a deep hatred for true dragons as they where once enslaved by them.

## Physical Description

Standing on average around 6'2" – 6'8" (1.88–2.03 meters), Dragonborn are impressively tall with a heavy weight to match, commonly possessing a mass of 220–320 lbs (100–145 kg). Dragonborn feet end with three strong talon-like claws with a fourth claw in the back, while their hands are similar with three claws with a thumb replacing the rear claw. A Dragonborn's head feature a blunt snout, a strong brow, and reptilian frills on the cheeks and ears. On the back of the head, a crest of hornlike scales form what resemble a mess of ropy hair. Dragonborn eyes are usually red or gold in hue.

Dragonborn resemble in many ways what their name suggests: humanoid dragons. Dragonborn exhibite many draconic features, including a scaly hide, a large muscular body, and the capacity to use a breath weapon. The scales are typically in their greatest concentration around forearms, lower legs, feet, shoulders, and thighs, with a very fine leathery covering over the rest of the body. Like dragons, Dragonborn were often mistaken for reptiles, but are in fact warm-blooded draconic creatures.

Dragonborn's scales can be chromatic (Red, Blue, Green, White or Black) or metallic (Copper, Bronze, Brass, Silver or Gold).

## Psychology

Dragonborn have a well-known dedication to honor, however, all Dragonborn tend to view all living things, even hated dragons, as deserving of courtesy and respect. To Dragonborn, honor is more than a word and is often considered more important than life itself. Cowardice is not simply undesirable among Dragonborn, it is considered outright repulsive. Part of the roots of this honorable attitude lay in the Dragonborn drive for self-improvement. The draconic nature of Dragonborn give them a strong self-consciousness and a tendency for strong emotions.

More so than other races, Dragonborn often wear their hearts on their sleeves, typically hiding neither anger nor joy. Dragonborn are enthusiastic about life, particularly success, and brood about failure for only a short time before their disappointment is shaped into a strong drive for improvement. Perhaps paradoxically, given the often rigid conditions of their society, Dragonborn have a strong sense of independence and self-worth.

Good Dragonborn are fairly common, but Dragonborn are as fallible to evil as any other race. The passionate nature of Dragonborn could make the race brutal or vengeful and given to hasty choices that are morally compromising. The Dragonborn sense of worth could likewise lead to greed and egotistic selfishness. But while Dragonborn could turn to evil, most Dragonborn villains retain the scruples and values that define the race, including respect and courtesy to enemies.

## Culture

### Culture of Honour

The Dragonborn drive for honor carried on into the culture of the race. Among Dragonborn , the most horrible crime was oath-breaking; honesty was expected whenever a deal was struck. Commitment to a word was expected to be carried out to the letter and all parties in a transaction were held accountable and responsible for failings. Ultimately, those who fail to meet their word are expected to accept the consequences and, in fact, most Dragonborn do. So widespread was this value of honor and honesty that it was commonly believed that Dragonborn *never* broke their word.

### Art and Leisure

Like Dwarves, Dragonborn were usually practical about the arts. Few items were created for purely artistic reasons, instead having a functional purpose behind them. Despite this, like the Dwarves, Dragonborn arts were not at all ugly or mundane in appearance and Dragonborn craftsmen took time and care in creating new works. Not all Dragonborn art was purely pragmatic in nature, however, and the Dragonborn had a love for jewelry as well. Jewelers, gem cutters, smiths, and minters had a respected place in Dragonborn society. Ironically, Dragonborn often adorned themselves with baubles of all sorts in subconscious imitation of the very same dragons they resented.

Like the Dragonborn approach to art, the race's attitude towards leisure activities was very practical, and when Dragonborn weren't at work, they were often engaged in sports with a training component to them. Often competitive, these sports often lacked teams, with the most popular games ending in victory for one, clear winner. Many of these sports were also violent, particularly by the standards of many other races, and wrestling was extremely popular with the race, as were, to a more limited extent, blood sports such as gladiator games or pit fighting. Not all Dragonborn sports were so physical, however, and the race was also fond of strategic board games, riddle contests, or improvised storytelling events. In all cases, the Dragonborn emphasis for recreation was on the triumph of the individual and the improvement of practical skills.

### Clan and Family

Clan and family bloodlines were both preserved among Dragonborn and were highly important to Dragonborn culture as a whole. Of the two, clan was usually considered more important and it was to the clan that Dragonborn owed their most loyalty. Clans were led by wizened, aged clan-masters chosen for their ability to lead and who were looked to for guidance by their lieges. Dragonborn did not forget the past, and ties to clan and family determined much about how one Dragonborn was viewed by others. All clans had reputations, for good and ill, that often lasted for generations. A Dragonborn's actions were expected to bring favor and good will to his or her clan, improving this reputation. For this reason, Dragonborn typically went by their clan names rather than their family names, hoping to bring honor and glory to their clan. Dragonborn who worshiped gods were usually expelled from their clans
because traditionalist Dragonborn believed worshiping such beings was equal to selling themselves to dragon slavery again.

Overall, compared with clan ties, family was secondary and private to Dragonborn, as reflected by the fact that most Dragonborn family names were kept secrets shared with only the closest friends and other family members. The usual family unit was quite small, often composed of only two individuals: a mated pair or a parent and its child. Dragonborn marriages were arranged by the clan leaders along old pact lines. Dragonborn lacked the association of love with marriage that many races had, instead wedding purely for reproductive reasons. Once a Dragonborn child reached 3 years old the wedding was typically dissolved, with the
parent who was the same sex as the child rearing it for the remainder of its childhood.
The parent–child relationship during the formative years between the marriage's dissolution and the child's adulthood were incredibly important. Parents, along with other adults from the community, were expected to not simply act as loving caretakers but teachers as well, using storytelling and direct action to instill the virtues of society within a child. In addition to scholarly studies and moral lessons, parents were also expected to focus the drive of a child and teach them basic martial skills for the purpose of defense. Dragonborn believed this in-depth mentorship was necessary not only for the child's education but also for their morality. It was thought that without this imposed discipline, a Dragonborn's fierce passions might give way to a feral savagery. Within a large Dragonborn community, the parent maintained the position of authority, but other adults were allowed to
act as surrogate parents and teachers, giving a young child multiple examples to learn from.

## Notable Dragonborn

### Notable Dragonborn Clans

There are no notable Dragonborn clans as of yet