Dras

*This article pertains to an area of the game which is currently **in development**. The information presented here is incomplete, and will be updated as more information becomes publicly available.*

The **Dras** (/ˈdɹɑs/ *DRAHSS* ( listen)) are one of the twelve Tribes of Elyria, and are found natively in the Salt Marsh, and Swamp biomes. The Dras are about 6'5" (195cm) tall and weight roughly 125-150 lbs (57-68 kg), their limbs are long and lanky. The members of the tribe have pale white skin, black hair, and gaunt faces. The children of the tribe are born with golden eyes, but their color turns violet when they reach adulthood.

## Biology & Nature

The Dras originated from those members of the Janoa tribe that didn't evolve into striped skin, and their origins are reflected also by the golden eyes of their children and the height of the adults, almost the same as Janoan. Still Dras adaptation to the life into the Swamp gave them pale white skins sensitive to sun rays and weakened their bodies as they were not needed anymore to climb the jungle's trees. The tribesman that adapted and thus survived have developed immunity to diseases, the ability to gain full nutrition from rotten or decomposed food and contaminated waters without suffering any adverse effect. Even their original mild resistance to poisons has evolved into a total immunity.

### Attributes & Traits

Physical - Not needing their original physical prowess, their physical strength has weakened over the ages.

Mental - Their will and focus are high due to the resolve they developed due to their harsh life.

Social - Having developed socially to survive the swamp, as a community they can perceive true intentions of others and hide theirs effectively.

## Environment & Resources

The swamps that host the Dras were the only place left to them to go and they are inhospitable and decaying. The swamp rarely offers edible foods to the travelers and for most tribes, fever or illness. Still for Dras it's the perfect home as it provides them the unique black mineral, jet, bog iron, exotic plants and reptilian meat giving them economical stability. Dras homes stand above the water anchored on stilts but public buildings and store houses, if possible, are built on land if it's not used for other tasks like agriculture.

The Swamp Wetland (Freshwater), while disease-ridden and toxic to most, is an ideal place for the Dras. The solitude that it grants them, with its difficult and exotic environment and unpalatable (to most) food affords them peace and economic opportunity.

With its unique black mineral, wood, and rare flora, they have also found a means of economic stability. The exotic flora make the field of alchemy a thriving one among the swamps, as well as additionally providing nourishment. Certain reptilian swamp-dwelling creatures provide plentiful amounts of food for the Dras.

### Food

1. Meat
2. Poisonous Flora
3. Fish
4. Edible Tree Seeds

### Clothing

1. Cloth (Secondary)
2. Linen (Secondary)

#### Armor

* Pre-Alpa Armor Concept: Dras Light Armor
* Pre-Alpa Armor Concept: Dras Medium Armor

### Tools & Weapons

1. Wood
2. Black Rock (Jet)
3. Bone
4. Bog iron

### Containers

1. Turtle Shells
2. Animal Skin
3. Wood, Tree Stumps

### Housing

1. Wood
2. Black Rock (Jet)
3. Mud

### Architecture

The Dras are a complicated people, and a people of balance. The outside of their homes are rather drab looking, often times blending into the swamp and are simple in shape; either domes, cones, or boxes constructed with clays, formed branches, and sometimes a bit of Jet. The higher social classes or those with more wealth may build their houses out of Jet or other stronger materials, in order to afford additional protection from the elements. There is a certain whimsy in the austere buildings, however, as the Dras try to achieve structural and aesthetic balance on the unstable swamp. Their homes sit above the water on stilts, but may include a hole or compartment to access the waters below. Public buildings and store houses tend to be built on land, where possible, and where the land is not being used for farming or other swampland agriculture.

## History & Lore

### History

The tribe's roots lie in the tropical rainforest when the Dras were part of the original Janoa tribe. When some families of the tribe started to develop Blaschko's lines as an adaptation to the forest, those that were "Unmarked" were seen as a liability and eventually cast away. Those people tried to find solace among the To'resk but were ultimately rejected also by those and had no other place to go except the swamp, where they had visions of the Two-Fold Queen.

## Culture

Their religion and biome have a strong influence on the Dras culture, as they seek balance in their life and do things that other tribes would find repugnant. Rejected by others and prone to wounds if exposed to sun, the Dras developed a strong sense of community.

### Language

The Dras speak Lazu, a peculiar language found only in the freshwater swamps, this language is spoken predominantly by the Dras. Though speakers are more than happy to teach outsiders, it suffers from a similar fate as Denhørt and is dropped in favor of more dominant tongues in the southern regions. Additionally, their ability to provide unique ores and metals to the larger continent has created new trade opportunities and most Dras now speak Neran in addition to Lazu.

### Religion

The Dras are one of the two known tribes that worship the Two-Fold Queen. The Two-Fold Queen is keeper of balance, the giver and taker, the hand of justice and the giver of mercy. After visions of the Two-Fold Queen in the swamps the Dras understood how the death can bring life and that the balance has to be maintained and took decision to settle down. Where the other tribe of the same religion, the Waerd, see sacrifice as the path to follow and embrace death, the Dras believe that life has to be lived at its fullest, embracing it and pushing others to do the same. To display their faith to the Two-Fold Queen, the Dras use to wear anytime a couple of bracelets, one made of jet while the other of bone. Being black and white they represent the two extremes that combined create the balance.

### Rituals

Every tribe has some specific rituals of either religious or cultural origin that have become part of the tribes' identity.

#### Long Singing

During the Longest Night, the Dras as a culture come together to sing for the Two-Fold Queen in a three-year-long choral performance of rolling duets.

* It begins with a solo performance in each settlement: a single Dras sings a doleful ballad known as the *Light Lament* over the course of four hours.
* As the ballad reaches its climax, the singer is joined by another who overpowers the refrain of the Light Lament with a powerful, nearly celebratory thread of song, the introduction of the lament’s counterpoint, the *Triumph of Night*.
* At this point, the first singer bows out and is replaced by a new singer who sings with, and in some ways against, the Triumph of Night’s first vocalist.

This process continues throughout the period, such that, from start to end a Dras settlement will have performed a continuous duet, a combination of the Light Lament and the Triumph of Night known as the *Duality*.

For musicians and aficionados, the opportunity to witness even just a single movement of this epic piece is an opportunity that cannot be missed. Despite the dangers presented by the growing darkness in this time, they will make the journey to pure Dras settlements to witness the performance first hand.

### Entertainment

#### Music

The Dras have two types of songs. The first is sung in distinctive, paired, choral tones that are unmistakably evocative of the Two-Fold Queen. The second are strikingly solemn ballads, sung solo, that revolve around dualistic themes such as life and death, war and peace, and so on. Instruments aren't used for these, only voices.

When playing music from other cultures, they prefer wind and string instruments such as the ocarina and harp, typically made from clay and shaped wood.

### Art

They are known for their subtle and inornate jewelry, the most notable being the bracelets they wear. They create other accessories, primarily to trade, in a similar fashion and eye for balance but without the religious and cultural implications that are near-and-dear to the Dras.

They are well known for their creations of Jet, including weapons and armor. Some crafting patterns have taken inspiration from Hrothi designs, especially pertaining to their lockboxes. Drasean lockboxes, however, are lined with treated hides to become water tight.

On the inside of Drasean homes, ornately carved structures and intricate patterns are oftentimes carved from clay. Whether this choice to spurn outward decoration is driven purely by their belief system, or whether it is an effort to always distinguish themselves from the flamboyant Janoa is anyone's guess.

## Sociology

### Economy & Roles

* Alchemist (Common)
* Traders
* Jet & Bog Iron Miners
* Toxin Cultivators
* Insect Breeders
* Fishermen
* Teachers
* Warriors (Mergoin)
* Bards
* Jewelers

### Social Classes

The Dras are a people who strongly value social harmony, and their social classes lack some of the outward grandeur that other tribes favor.

1. Aequs (Nobility)
2. Librus (Aristocracy)
3. Unius (Gentry)
4. Prosus (Commoners)

In Drasean settlements, more than perhaps any other, government is shared among the people as much as possible. While there is an Usher (Mayor) who oversees the group, individual duties are shared between the Prosus and Unius. These civilian settlements are situated in resource-rich, yet difficult-to-reach areas of the swamp, which suit the Dras just fine. Skilled crafters and other producers send their wares to be sold at common markets so that they can focus on their crafts and community.

Some settlements are in defensible positions and better equipped to deal with visitors, friendly or hostile. They tend to be placed in the more accessible areas of the swamp, since the murky waters and toxicity of the environment generally keeps people out. Because of this accessibility and the fact that the most offensive parts of the swamp are kept at bay here, these Gardens, managed by a Gardener (Baron), have the best markets as well.

Among the Aequs, the Custodians (Counts) are facilitators and work closely among their cohort in order to ensure the swamp is in balance. Trade between the counties can be either very lenient or very restricted depending on the current state of affairs. Above them, the Hosts (Dukes) are tasked with protecting the swamp from invasion, which no one has ever really tried to do. That's not to say that the Hosts are not prepared or don't take it seriously - quite the contrary. Borders are kept up with natural deterrents such as quickmud, poisonous plants and animals, and toxin-coated fences. Indeed, the first step taken into the swamp is often the most dangerous one.

At the top of the leadership, you have The Palus.

### Leadership

Dras leaders are expected to be, at the core of their nature, unselfish so they can best serve the community as a whole.

If the Palus has passed without an appropriate heir, their successor is chosen through a democratic process, where the Aequs will vote among themselves. Unlike the popular vote of the Neran, Dras vote for the individuals they would least like to see in charge. The individual who receives the fewest votes in opposition - essentially the least disfavored - ascends to the position. This ensures that the Palus is the most balanced and non-partisan so as best to serve the collective as a unit.

### Education

Alchemy, philosophy, theology, art & lore skills, and crafting schools are common in the Dras settlements. Also there is quite often a central square of land left free for any scholar that want to make use of it. Learning history it's fundamental too for the Dras as it's the first step to avoid making the errors of the past.

### Military

Dras usually prefer to fight by attrition, exploiting any advantage their biome has to offer to them. It's common to find natural deterrents like quickmud, poisonous plants and animals, or artificial ones like toxin-coated fences on swamp borders. Indeed poisons, toxins and viruses are very common in Dras warfare. When the swamp is not enough to fend off the attackers, there are physically trained warriors called Mergoin that make use of biological warfare. Through tainted weapons and fearsome armors those warriors are a terrible sight on the battlefield.

## World Relations

### Friendly

**Hrothi** - The Dras respect the Hrothi due to the more than few similarities between their societies. The appreciation for history, even if carried through different means, their mining culture, and the Vices and Virtues seen as a different construct of the Two-Fold Queen make for a common ground.

**The Waerd** - The collectivist mindset of the Waerd is seen by the Dras positively, even if it can be seen as extreme and of hard comprehension. The tribes share the same faith even if with different tenets and the Waerd are fanatical importers of jet-crafted goods that they trade for livestock and other foods.

### Unfriendly

**To'resk** - Even if there's no hostility between the tribes, the To'resk are aware of the bitter relation with their Janoan allies and the Dras. Also the borders between their two biomes are difficult to distinguish and the respective ambassadors are often busy in long and dull disputes, given the patient and diplomatic behavior of both tribes.

**Janoa** - The Janoa are seen as those that cast away the Dras for they did not develop striped skin, and nowadays they keep spreading stereotypes and misinformation about the Dras, making no surprise that the two tribes are in bad relations.

## Character Creation & Playstyle

Players have many options to choose from when creating their character. Dependent on their own preferred playstyle, they may prefer one or more tribes and regions over others. In order to assist players in their choice, the main page on tribes provides an overview of the main considerations players may have when making up their mind on the decision which would be the tribe or tribes their character inherited its main genetic traits from. This is presented here: Tribes - Playstyle Considerations. That page also provides an overview of the main physical and mental strengths and weaknesses for all tribes, and more comparative overviews on different aspects. This also helps players to compare the tribes before they choose their characters destiny.

## Media

* A Pre-Alpha close up look at a pair of male and female Dras characters
* A Pre-Alpha look at a female Dras character
* A Pre-Alpha look at a male Dras character

## References

1. ↑ Soulbound Studios, Domain & Settlement Selection Map
2. ↑ Vye, The Game Garden Grows, 6 April 2017
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Caspian, Official Tribes: Dras, 18 June 2017
4. ↑ Vye, Production Update: A Sense of Identity - Part II, 29 March 2018
5. ↑ Vye, Tribe Armor Concept: Dras Light Armor, 04 October 2018
6. ↑ Snipehunter, Tribe Armor Concept: Dras Medium Armor, 19 October 2018
7. ↑ Snipehunter, Celebrate Longest Night, 22 December 2017
8. ↑ Soulbound Studios, CoE Discord channel #Media, 4 July 2018
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Vye, Production Update: Sense of Identity, 26 Jan 2018
10. ↑ Caspian, Tribe Exploration: Dras Male, 03 Nov 2017