Dragonfolk

## Gusk'atskʼu (Dragonfolk)

The gusk'atsk'u are hulking, intelligent bipeds of obvious reptilian origin. Supposedly created as servants by the true dragons, their coloration tends to match that of the chromatic or metallic dragons; their color also indicates the elemental nature of their innate breath weapon. Very, very rarely--perhaps once in a generation--a dragonfolk is hatched with a unique coloration (pearlescent, black with star-like specks of white, or gunmetal gray, for instance). These "soulscale" dragonfolk have unique powers in place of their race's typical elemental abilities and are inevitably thrust into powerful positions of leadership or influence.

Dragonfolk are a diverse people. Many live in great cities whose sites, they claimed, were carved out by the dragons in order to shelter the dragonfolk and help them prosper. Others live in small tribes, sometimes nomadic, scattered among the peaks and valleys of the Dragon Mountains or along the coasts and rolling hills of the Dragon Coast. Even if two tribes look superficially similar, such as two groups of fisherfolk, they will invariably have differing traditions, values, and opinions about the proper way to do things. Only two things unite all dragonfolk: their reverence for the true dragons that created them, and their devotion to keeping their slumbering creators secret and safe.

According to dragonfolk beliefs, nearly a millenia ago, after the true dragons carved out homes for their servants among the mountains and canyons, they bid the gusk'atsk'u to watch over them and keep them safe as they began a long and indefinite slumber. The high priests of the dragonfolk helped their masters conceal their many lairs, using both magic and cunning to hide them, and vowed never to reveal any of these locations--even to the priests that came after them.

While the dragonfolk do not know the locations of the dragons' lairs, they are fiercely protective of them. While they are not xenophobic of outsiders, visitors to gusk'atsk'u lands must have an escort with them any time they step outside a settlement's walls. Those caught trespassing without a dragonfolk guide risk imprisonment and a trial, if not summary execution. And if an accompanied outsider were to somehow stumble upon a dragon's lair, their guide would be honor-bound to kill them or face execution himself.

Within the walls of a city or village, however, dragonfolk are warm, hospitable, and eager to share knowledge and stories. They welcome traders of any race, though guards are always alert for signs of trouble. Their merchants are generally fair and straightforward; while prices may fluctuate and customers may demand explanation, outright haggling is a foreign concept to them.

### Notable Dragonfolk Settlements

#### Ghaagan'shaa

One of the largest dragonfolk cities--and the most accessible to Old World visitors--Ghaagan'shaa occupies most of the eastern face of a peak in the Dragon Mountains which stands at the western edge of a large valley. Huge terraces, carved and blasted out of the rock by dragons, rise in steps from the mountain's foot to its spectacular peak: a massive, open-air temple called the High Throne with a gilded dome roof, large enough to comfortably seat a dozen or more adult dragons should they ever awaken. Rising beside the temple despite standing on a terrace a hundred feet lower is the Golden Tower, a massive obelisk of white marble and gold filigree that houses the most prestigious arcane institute of any gusk'atsk'u city.

A long, winding pass from the Tall Plains rises from the foothills and winds for more than a hundred miles before reaching Ghaagan'shaa Valley, dotted every dozen or so miles with small guard posts that also serve as way stations for travelers, before ending at the Golden Gate--a massive fortress that controls access to Ghaagan'shaa Valley itself. The valley is home to nearly twice as many dragonfolk as the city itself, and several small towns dot the large tracks of farmland that radiate out from the mountain.

Ghaagan'shaa is populated mostly by goldscale gusk'atsk'u, though men and women of every color can be found. The city is also home to High Priestess Neszir, a soulscale dragonfolk with pearlescent coloration and, reputedly, the ability to see into the future. Neszir serves as both the religious and secular head of the city, though she herself has little to do with day-to-day operation of the city; those duties typically fall to Balturim, commander of the Sunscale Order of paladins, and Orizys, chief arcanist of the Golden Tower.

While Ghaagan'shaa is open to visitors, its relative proximity to the yuan-ti of the *Valle de Serpientes* has resulted in repeated clashes with the snake-men over the centuries. As a result, Ghaagan'shaa maintains one of the few standing armies among the dragonfolk nations, though it has currently been more than a generation since they saw combat and many are begining to question the necessity and expense.

Other notable features of Ghaagan'shaa include the Society of Alchemy, an offshoot of the Golden Tower that believes transmutation is the only "true" form of magic; the Wise, a group of scholars and explorers who maintain a massive library that is mostly open to the public, save for a few, jealously guarded areas; and the Walkers in Shadow, an informal and semi-secret academy of warlocks and other shady arcane practicioners who are generally considered a necessary evil at best.

### Creating a Dragonfolk Character

Dragonfolk are a playable race, and in Pathfinder, have the following adjustments and abilities:

**Dragonfolk (9 PP)**

Humanoid (Dragonfolk)

* **+2 Str, +2 Cha, -2 Dex:** Dragonfolk are tall, broad and imposing, but their size makes them somewhat slow to react.
* **Speed 30 ft.**
* **Darkvision 60 ft.**
* **Languages:** Common, Draconic. Dragonfolk with a high Intelligence may choose from Celestial, Giant, Goblin, Kawra, Naga, and Ocelotl.
* **Breath Weapon:** Choose one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. (This also affects the character's scale color to match a type of chromatic or metallic dragon with the same energy type of breath weapon; characters who choose acid have black or green scales, characters who choose cold must have white or silver scales, etc.) Once per day, as a standard action, members of this race can make a supernatural breath weapon attack that deals 1d6 points of the selected damage type in a 15' cone. All creatures within the affecfted area must make a Reflex saving throw to avoid taking damage. The save DC against this breath weapon is 10 + 1/2 the user's character level + the user's Constitution modifier. Those who succeed on the save take no damage from the attack.
* **Energy Resistance:** Dragonfolk have resistance 5 to the same type of energy that they use for their breath weapon, above.
* **Bite:** Dragonfolk have a natural bite attack that deals 1d6 piercing damage. The bite is a primary attack, or a secondary attack if the dragonfolk is wielding manufactured weapons.
* **Natural Armor:** Dragonfolks' thick but supple scales grant a +1 natural armor bonus to AC.
* **Stability:** Dragonfolks' tails make them difficult to throw off-balance, granting a +4 racial bonus to their CMD when resisting bull rush or trip attempts while standing on the ground.