Dragonborn

The **Dragonborn** are a proud warrior peoples descended from the Great Wyrms.

# Lore

## Lands

Most Dragonborn make their homes in the archipelago known as The Dragon Isles, or *Tense* in their tongue. The interesting thing is that Common took the *Moyen* word *Denzei* for it and made it the "scholarly term" for it.

## Traditions

Perhaps the most notable part of Dragonborn culture is their strict caste system, which is based on which of The Great Wyrms they come from (and ultimately, the colour of their scales):

### Nobility

* **Gold:** The **Gold Dragonborn**; (Draconic: *Tsrū Nê̤ Mòng*), are the most powerful mages in Denzei. They are taught more than just healing magic like the White Dragonborn, and more than just evocation magic like the Brass Dragonborn. They are the scholars of Dragonborn society and are the strongest fighters, despite their lack of martial weapons training, that the Dragonborn have at their disposal.
* **Silver:** Many **Silver Dragonborn**; (Draconic: *Nê̤ng Nê̤ Mòng*) are trained to be generals from a young age. They take to combat even younger than the Red Dragonborn and are put through both education and training in order to make sure they are as fit as possible both mentally and physically.
* **Bronze:** The **Bronze Dragonborn**; (Draconic: *Sréng-dông Nê̤ Mòng*) are mostly the lesser politicians and property owners of the Dragonborn. Although the Gold and Silver Dragonborn often take much more powerful positions in The Imperial Court, the Brass Dragonborn control the cities themselves, governing their laws and layout, making them still much more powerful than even the lesser nobles.

### Lesser Lords

* **Brass:** The **Brass Dragonborn**; (Draconic: *Guàng-dông Nê̤ Rẽ-Ghîn*) act as the personal guards to the higher-ranked nobility. They carry polearms and fancy metal armour so they can seem both majestic and intimidating to would-be criminals. They are also very well trained, meaning that it isn't all for show. Many are taught how to use evocation magic, in order to still have use if their weapons break.
* **Copper:** The **Copper Dragonborn**; (Draconic: *Dông Nê̤ Rẽ-Ghîn*) do most of the non-manual labour in the Palaces, such as lesser magical tasks and doing experiments that Gold Dragonborn do not wish to risk their lives doing.. Many are trained as priests or as guards, though they aren't as well-trained as the White or Brass Dragonborn.

### High-Born

* **White:** The **White Dragonborn**; (Draconic: *Ḳàʻ Nê̤ Tsǐ*) are the monks and ministers of Dragonborn society. Although religion is often a very personal manner in Dragonborn society, they are quite fond of building large temples in the name of their ancestors. These areas are maintained by the highly-disciplined White Dragonborn monks, though it is not uncommon for other High-Born Dragonborn to become them as well. A secondary duty of the monks is to protect the areas they live in, making them a sort of guard for the monasteries as well, as the Red Dragonborn are often too busy guarding the cities proper.
* **Red:** The **Red Dragonborn**; (Draconic: *Ṭsàʻ Nê̤ Tsǐ*) warriors caste of the Dragonborn. Due to their imperialistic culture, the Dragonborn only revere the Nobility and the Clergy above their soldiers, who often face incredibly harsh conditions while training for war.
* **Green:** The **Green Dragonborn**; (Draconic: *Roù Nê̤ Tsǐ*) are the third most common caste, though oddly enough, one of the most free of the castes. These are the merchants and explorers of the Dragonborn. Merchants are free to explore the various cities of Valen, so long as they make profit along the way. The adventurers are only required to return home once every couple of months to report their findings to the Imperial Court. What stops them from leaving their harsh lifestyle is either their (apparent) freedom or the guards (Usually Brass Dragonborn) who are required to live on their boats to keep them out of mischief.

### Artisans

* **Amethyst:** Amethyst dragonborn; (Draconic: *Tsū-Süjẽ Nê̤ Kong-Jü*) are the advisors and diplomats of the Dragonborn. They are often sought after by the Nobility and the High-Born for their wisdom and eloquence. Their aloof and impartial nature, driven by a belief that conflicts between good and evil or chaos and law are merely petty squabbles, sets them apart. They favour peaceful dialogue over conflict, valuing negotiation and compromise. However, they have their code of honour, where retreating, ambushing, and hiding are seen as dishonourable tactics, demonstrating their commitment to integrity and fairness in dealings.
* **Crystal:** Crystal dragonborn; (Draconic: *Jẽ Nê̤ Kong-Jü*) are the scholars and astronomers of the Dragonborn. They are fascinated by the mysteries of the world and the stars, and they spend their lives studying and learning. They rarely go looking for companionship, but they are friendly and curious, and they enjoy sharing their knowledge with others.
* **Emerald:** Emerald dragonborn; (Draconic: *Fú-Tsǐ Roù Nê̤ Kong-Jü*) are the sages and historians of the Dragonborn. They have a vast knowledge of the past and the present, and they can often predict the future. They are inquisitive and observant, but also paranoid and secretive. They are wary of strangers and outsiders, and they rarely reveal their secrets to anyone. They have a keen interest in local customs and history, and they often exceed the greatest human scholars for knowledge in particular fields of study. Nevertheless, they prefer to only observe, not get involved.
* **Sapphire:** Sapphire dragonborn; (Draconic: *Fú-Tsǐ Sréng Sréng Nê̤ Kong-Jü*) are the strategists and spies of the Dragonborn. They are experts in military matters and covert operations, and they often serve as advisors or agents for the Nobility or the High-Born. They are cunning and ruthless, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
* **Topaz:** Topaz dragonborn; (Draconic: *Ü-Guàng Nê̤ Kong-Jü*) are the explorers and treasure hunters of the Dragonborn. They are adventurous and daring, and they love to seek out new lands and riches. They are often hired by the Nobility or the High-Born to scout or raid enemy territories, or to find rare artefacts or relics. They embrace challenges and danger, contributing to the expansion and prosperity of their people. Their exploratory spirit is an asset to the Dragonborn, enhancing their reputation as bold and resourceful individuals.

### Low-Born

* **Blue:** The **Blue Dragonborn**; (Draconic: *Sréng Nê̤ Nrá*) are the second most common of the Dragonborn. They are the sailors and fishermen of Denzei. Unlike the Green Dragonborn, they lack the freedom to sail wherever they choose, instead usually sticking to the waters around The Isles, however, they live quite the peaceful life away from their authority figures for the most part.
* **Black:** The **Black Dragonborn**; (Draconic: *Hò Nê̤ Nrá*) are the most common and worst-treated of the Dragonborn. Even the Blue Dragonborn can mistreat these poor fellows. They are the manual labourers of Denzei, where they usually take the role of builders, miners or farmers. In cities, they are seen as thieves or bandits, since they are the poorest of the castes.

However, Dragonborn are not just ranked in their caste system by their scale colour, as seniority takes a key role in Dragonborn culture. The Dragonborn also rank each other by their *Draconic Gift*, a blessing bestowed onto them by their ancestors when they reach the age of maturity. Those imbued with *The Gift of Breath*, known as the "Energy Breathers" possess the most common gift. These Dragonborn are usually seen as "typical" or "everymen" even within their clan. Their associated virtue is, naturally, averageness, which extends to beauty and respectfulness. The Dragonborn imbued with *The Gift of Discipline* are also known as "Mind Warriors". They are often heavily-associated with the Clergy and Military, as they are some of the most stressful jobs a Dragonborn can possess. Their virtues are willpower, zeal and strength. Finally, those given the rare *Gift of Flight*, known as "Skyreachers", are often seen as the most majestic of their kind. In the army, they are often used as scouts, while nobles born with this gift are often celebrated as being closer to their ancestors physically than others in their clan, making it easy for them to advance in politics if they so choose. No Dragonborn is ever bestowed more than one gift, except The Platinum Dragonborn, Liong-Ti Gojun.

The Platinum Dragonborn was the strongest Dragonborn ever created, referred to as the "Sky-God Emperor" within Denzei, he was a powerful mage, warrior and allegedly not only possessed all of the Draconic Gifts, but could not age and could turn into a true Dragon at will. Up until his mysterious disappearance halfway through The Second Century, he ruled most of Valen with a level-headed but strict head. It is still unknown why he disappeared, however, his return is believed to launch the Dragonborn into a new golden age of culture and territory.

## Religion

The Dragonborn worship their ancestors, as they can all trace their lineage back to one of the ten Great Wyrms who originally created the Dragonborn and the Kobolds. The Dragonborn revere their elder, who are seen as one-step closer to godhood to them. As examined more thoroughly in the *Traditions* section of this page, this is where the Dragonborn's caste system stems from, as the Metallic Dragonborn (those who were created by metallic dragons) view themselves as having superior ancestors to the "low-born" Chromatic Dragonborn. Being created directly from gods (in the Dragonborn's eyes) has given them a very prideful and imperialistic attitude, which makes sense considering the fact they went into complete isolation after the fall of their glorious empire. They believe that dishonouring their ancestor's wishes is one of the worst things one can do, and have a "spirit patron", an ancestral spirit who was similar to the Dragonborn at hand in his/her youth, who follows them around in order to make sure the young Dragonborn is making the correct choices in life. This is what a Human would cynically call "one's gut feeling". Dragonborn believe they can communicate with their more distant ancestors through meditation or prayer, often in the presence of candles and incense.

## Language

The Dragonborn speak a dialect of Draconic known as *Langkong* (The People's Language), known for having tones which are not found in any other dialect of Draconic. Their vowels are very flat and plain, only gaining any sense of "life" because of its tone, though are often snarled when spoken in anger. The Dragonborn lent their unique writing system to the Moyen people of Moyen-Mei along with the Yuan-ti, Lizardfolk and Kreen. Most of the language is made of short monosyllabic words which are combined to make larger words for more complicated subjects. The word order is very similar to Common, with very little difference.

## Names

Dragonborn names consist of a given name, which they are given at maturity by their city leader and a clan name which all members of their family share. They are usually referred to by a nickname which reflects either their appearance, nature or some other aspect about them by their parents and friends until they reach maturity. To show respect for both the Dragonborn's maturity and their city leader, their parents will start calling them by their given name. Close friends may still call the Dragonborn by his nickname. All Dragonborn put their clan name before their given name, in order to show their dedication to their family. This practice has migrated over to the Moyen people of Moyen-Mei, along with the Yuan-ti. Most Dragonborn refer to each other by their clan names and a suffixed honourific until they are close enough friends to call each other by their given names. This practise does not extend to foreigners; they usually only tell non-Dragonborn their given names and prefer to be called that, though you will rarely be given a more detailed explanation than "it feels better this way".

**Given Names**

Male: Tyxis, Elanis, Baoli, Sencen, Ykho, Kraos

Neutral: ...

Female: Erio, Akona, Usan, Aba, Maxin, Qixa

**Nicknames**
Bufu (Crawler), Ö-Lang (Runt), Eng-A (Eagle), Khian-Seng (Pious), Zhim (Blade), Ti-Chu (Blacksmith)

**Clan Names**
Oxin-Bo, Mata-Fü, Eruk-Ka, Ao-Nak, Kaona-Sen, Tixan-Ro

# Creating a Dragonborn Adventurer

## Racial Traits

### Chromatic Dragonborn

* **Ability Score Increase.** Increase one ability score by 2 and increase a different one by 1, or you increase three different scores by 1.

* **Type.** You are a Humanoid.

* **Size.** You are Medium.

* **Speed.** Your walking speed is 30 feet.

* **Chromatic Ancestry.** You trace your ancestry to a chromatic dragon, granting you a special magical affinity. Choose one type of dragon from the Chromatic Ancestry table. This determines the damage type for your other traits as shown in the table.

Chromatic Ancestry
 Red
 Green
 Blue
 Black

* **Breath Weapon.** When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation of magical energy in a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the creature takes 1d10 damage of the type associated with your

* **Chromatic Ancestry.** On a successful save, it takes half as much damage. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10).

You can use your Breath Weapon a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

* **Draconic Resistance.** You have resistance to the damage type associated with your Chromatic Ancestry.

Chromatic Warding. Starting at 5th level, as an action, you can channel your draconic energy to protect yourself. For 1 minute, you become immune to the damage type associated with your Chromatic Ancestry. Once you use this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

* **Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character.

### Metallic Dragonborn

* **Ability Score Increase.** Increase one ability score by 2 and increase a different one by 1, or you increase three different scores by 1.

* **Type.** You are a Humanoid.

* **Size.** You are Medium.

* **Speed.** Your walking speed is 30 feet.

* **Metallic Ancestry.** You trace your ancestry to a metallic dragon, granting you a special magical affinity. Choose one type of dragon from the Metallic Ancestry table. This determines the damage type for your other traits as shown in the table.

Metallic Ancestry

 Bronze
 Brass
 Copper

* **Breath Weapon.** When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation of magical energy in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the creature takes 1d10 damage of the type associated with your Metallic Ancestry. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10).
	+ You can use your Breath Weapon a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

* **Draconic Resistance.** You have resistance to the damage type associated with your Metallic Ancestry.

* **Metallic Breath Weapon.** At 5th level, you gain a second breath weapon. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation in a 15-foot cone. The save DC for this breath is 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. Whenever you use this trait, choose one:

* + - **Enervating Breath.** Each creature in the cone must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become incapacitated until the start of your next turn.

* + - **Repulsion Breath.** Each creature in the cone must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed 20 feet away from you and be knocked prone.
	+ Once you use your Metallic Breath Weapon, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

* **Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character.

### Gem Dragonborn

* **Ability Score Increase.** Increase one ability score by 2 and increase a different one by 1, or you increase three different scores by 1.

* **Type.** You are a Humanoid.

* **Size.** You are Medium.

* **Speed.** Your walking speed is 30 feet.

* **Gem Ancestry.** You trace your ancestry to a Gem dragon, granting you a special magical affinity. Choose one type of dragon from the Gem Ancestry table. This determines the damage type for your other traits as shown in the table.

Gem ancestry
 Crystal
 Emerald
 Sapphire
 Topaz

* **Breath Weapon.** When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation of magical energy in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the creature takes 1d10 damage of the type associated with your Gem Ancestry. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10).
	+ You can use your Breath Weapon a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

* **Draconic Resistance.** You have resistance to the damage type associated with your Gem Ancestry.

* **Psionic Mind.** You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don’t need to share a language with the creature, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language.

* **Gem Flight.** Starting at 5th level, you can use a bonus action to manifest spectral wings on your body. These wings last for 1 minute. For the duration, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed and can hover. Once you use this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

* **Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character.

### Height and Weight

Height
 Female

Weight
 Female

### Draconic Awakening

* **Draconic Awakening (Ex):** At level 20 your dragon blood has matured, allowing you to assume the form of your ancestors. Once per day for 10 minutes you can assume the form of an Adult Dragon, giving you all the benefits that come with it. However, such a form takes a heavy toll on your body, making you suffer two levels of exhaustion each time you assume this form. At Level 30, you have completely matured and can assume the form whenever you please for free. At this point, you become a **Dragonborn Ancient**, a creature of legend and a God in your own right. You are biologically immortal now and take no penalties from ageing.