DesertDwellers

#### Physical attributes

DesertDwellers stand between 1.2 and 2.2 meters tall. This isn't indicative of their actual size, for these serpentine dragons can easily reach five times that in length. Paired with the widest wingspan of all dragons, to catch the warm updrafts of their searing hot home and soar for long distances, DesertDwellers can certainly take up some space if they want to. The entire length of them is covered with interlocking plates, with a particularly sturdy belly and paw pads to resist the endless grind of sand as they walk or slither along. They have no horns, instead a giant, foldable hood attaches to that point on their head, with many smaller air vents set into it. Through a secondary respiratory system they can push hot air out of them and cool off, ensuring they don't overheat. They have a long forked tongue to smell with, sensory heat pits along their mouth for nightly hunts, and a set of large fangs, through which they deliver their venom. In most individuals, the tip of their tail features a working rattle.

#### Coloration

A DesertDweller's scales can have any color, of any brightness or saturation, as long as it's a warm color. Blacks and whites are also allowed, though for different purposes. A white DesertDweller won't overheat as quickly but will shine like a star, while a black DesertDweller will have to spend more time in the shade, where it'll also be fairly well camouflaged. The inside of their hoods, on the other hand, can be any color and often shimmers iridescently in the sun, allowing for easy intimidation of mindless predators. This accent color will also sometimes be dotted over the body of the DesertDweller.

*For more information on how to create a DesertDweller, go here.*

### Abilities

DesertDwellers have potent venom in their fangs, which they inject via bite. In some cases, they can spray it out but in that case it's only dangerous if it gets into the eyes or the bloodstream. Their venom is a neurotoxin that causes severe pain, swelling, and eventually respiratory failure which can lead to death if left untreated. "Treatment" often involves cutting off the blood flow of the bitten area, staying hydrated, drinking rattlesnake antidote, and praying.

Producing venom is very costly so wasting it is out of the question. To save as many nutrients as possible, many DesertDwellers prefer to try and intimidate foes. These dragons already rarely fight each other, being quite social, so their main threat comes from other species. It is advised that you take a step back if you see (or hear) the distinct sound of a DesertDweller's rattle.

These dragons possess extra sensory organs along the side of their snouts called heat pits. Like in snakes, they work as a sort of thermal imaging camera, which helps the dragons hunt, particularly at night when the desert is cold.

DesertDweller wings are shaped like huge fans, allowing them to capture many of the warm updrafts from the desert below. This lets them sail through the sky without having to expend energy on beating their wings for a long time. DesertDwellers are the best long distance fliers amongst the dragons.

All DesertDwellers are capable of digging to hide themselves from the sun on particularly unbearable days. In fact, many DesertDweller families living outside of major settlements create underground tunnel systems in the sandstone and use it as a retreat during the day. Some individuals even have claws specifically designed for digging. In soft sand, they can disappear within seconds, making them skilled ambush predators

### Territory

These dragons inhabit the southwestern part of the continents, named the Whetstone Basin. The land is split into a few smaller territories, all of which govern in their own way. The only thing they all have in common are the Oasis Laws, a set of rules created by a folk hero during a war where the inhabitants of the desert were besieged on all sides, by the StormChasers and the ReefSwimmers. It is the general belief that these laws are what made the species' resistance possible and as such are considered the foundation of DesertDweller society. The biggest city on their territory is Sallowshed in the Sunrise Ward, which was built on the banks of a great river and as such had long lasting success.

### History

DesertDwellers' ancestors were loyal followers of the Everlight but they weren't amongst the chosen few who received phoenix fire. Eventually, this caused a cleft within the proto-dragons and, after the Age of Frost had ended, these dragons made their way south where they settled around the Whetstone River. They decided that, instead of fighting each other for territory over generations, they would split their land into 6 wards. These wards would be named Sunrise, Sunset, Sandstone, Cove, Dune, and Onyx, after their first leaders. The Onyx ward would later fall apart after the Onyx Shores proved impossible to settle permanently. The other five wards have endured unchanged until today.

A huge part of modern DesertDweller history is Fulgur's Conquest. The StormChasers believed a DesertDweller had stolen a valuable artefact, so they began invading the Whetstone Basin, killing and pillaging as they went in an attempt to force the thief out. At the head of this army stood King's Claw, Fulgur, a high level mage who had learned how to cover even the brightest of skies with heavy black clouds. They brought vicious storms that crawled across the land with Fulgur in its eye, allowing the StormChaser army to stay in a permanently supercharged state and wreck devastation. Sensing an opportunity to enrichen their own territories, the Reefswimmers soon joined the assault.

The denizens of the Basin, who had purposefully avoided all out warfare, were helpless to fight against the assault. Many of their leaders fell quickly and the wards descended into chaos. Many fled, most towards CinderBirth, but many, particularly within the southern wards, couldn't risk it. Amongst them was a young desert drake named Oasis, who quickly rose to prominence as a resistance leader. She established the Oasis Laws, which were both a guide to surviving the war as well as survival in general. The very first clause reads "...to abandon each other is to invite death. To play hero is to bring devastation. Know who you are. Know you cannot win. Know you can still survive and that itself is defiance."

They organized hideouts deep beneath the earth where they couldn't be found and prepared ambushes of just a few individuals at a time. Toxins, both their own and that of various animals, became their primary weapon, destroying enemy supplies and then sneaking away below the sand their most common strategy. As such, the battle of might became a battle of endurance.

Eventually, when both sides were exhausted, the StormChasers considered giving up. But not wanting their growing weakness to show, self-assured Fulgur challenged Oasis to a duel, knowing both sides were becoming desperate. They swore their forces would return home should Oasis win. Of course, if Oasis died the blow to her peoples' moral would be detrimental. A serpent without a head cannot defend itself. Still, Oasis agreed. Knowing their resources wouldn't last much longer anyway, she didn't have much of a choice.

It was ruled that Fulgur may not use magic while Oasis may not make use of any toxins, seemingly a death sentence for the drake who didn't have anywhere close to the combat experience of the Kings' Claw. Knowing this, Oasis devised a plan. She crafted what looked like a small dagger, but in reality the hilt hid a mechanism that would propel the blade like through a blowgun. When Fulgur fell upon her, all steel and fangs, they had not seen a ranged weapon coming. Waiting until just the perfect moment, Oasis slew the pride of Areti with a single shot through the eye. Forced to honor the agreement for fear of damaging their pride, the StormChasers retreated.

The consequences of this war can still be felt in the present day. There is still much bad blood between citizens of the Whetstone Basin and Nisi Vrochi, though the ReefSwimmer's involvement has been pushed to the background. The wards were reestablished under new leadership, but even today the number of creatures living in the Basin is much smaller than before the war, as many were killed or fled north. The desert is filled with empty husks of old buildings, ruins both above ground and below. As such, treasure hunting has become commonplace in the desert.

### Society

DesertDwellers are a species who have made contradiction the very core of their identity. They worship the sun yet hide from it in the day, they accept all strangers yet trust none, they live and govern divided yet all consider themselves the same ilk. DesertDwellers, due to their small stature and relative physical weakness, have learned to value cunning and perseverance above all else. These two ideals have become the cornerstones of their society ever since Fulgur's conquest.

The Oasis Laws are a representation of this, telling the desert creatures to stay away from major conflicts, stay loyal to their ilk and true to themselves. This has created an interesting discrepancy, as many of their settlements are known for their thieves and cutthroats. In truth only the rich can afford to pretend to follow the law. But this, of course, doesn't mean all DesertDwellers are immoral, violent, or otherwise horrible. No, they just tend to have unconventional solutions to problems.

The hierarchy both within and between the wards only enables the social issues further. While Sunrise, Sunset, and Sandstone have access to the river, Cove only has the ocean while Dune is almost entirely wasteland bordering the Onyx Shores. Furthermore, the leaders of their respective wards tend to gorge themselves on anything and everything. With enough gold in their vaults to pay a battalion of mercenaries for another thousand years, the simple folk just have to find a way to get by.

As such, many turn to worshipping the Everlight, for she symbolizes hope for a better future. And even just the thought that there might be someone watching over them, however far away, gives some solace to the particularly desperate.