Dragonkin
Source Galaxy Guide pg. 144
Draconic in appearance and fiercely loyal, dragonkin are deeply empathic beings capable of forming a nearly unbreakable spiritual bond with one other creature, which manifests in telepathic communication and tactical synergy.
The first dragonkin were born from deep bonds of love between dragons and humanoids using complex rituals and special materials found only on the planet Triaxus. It's been millennia since the first dragonkin were born, and they have long since disconnected from dragons—they have their own cultural traditions, societies, and lineages, independent of their distant draconic forebears. Despite the ages, the love that gave birth to them endures in the partner bond—a deep spiritual connection that every dragonkin can forge with one other person.
On the surface, a partner bond is a telepathic connection forged through emotion. It enables a bonded pair to communicate telepathically and react as one, providing advantages in battle, sport, and countless other avenues. Looking deeper, a partner bond can only be formed through mutual devotion and love—whether romantic, platonic, or familial—and is nigh unbreakable. It's not a bond to be entered into frivolously, nor can it be forced or severed by anything other than death or the will of the gods. While the tactical applications of a partner bond are extensive, it can never be “turned off” or ignored, and all outside relationships must bend to accommodate it—rarely is there a loyalty that partners place above one another.
Dragonkin are extremely social. Their innate empathy and intuition makes them simultaneously cautious and earnest; they tend to approach new people and situations with care, form an opinion rapidly, then trust their own gut judgment, even if it might conflict with the opinions of others or cause strife. A dragonkin's behavior is usually tempered by their sense of duty and responsibility. A dragonkin with few connections—or who shows little regard for others—can cause a lot of havoc.
If you want to play a character who is strong and resilient, embraces their emotions, and forms deep bonds of friendship and community, you should play a dragonkin.
On the surface, a partner bond is a telepathic connection forged through emotion. It enables a bonded pair to communicate telepathically and react as one, providing advantages in battle, sport, and countless other avenues. Looking deeper, a partner bond can only be formed through mutual devotion and love—whether romantic, platonic, or familial—and is nigh unbreakable. It's not a bond to be entered into frivolously, nor can it be forced or severed by anything other than death or the will of the gods. While the tactical applications of a partner bond are extensive, it can never be “turned off” or ignored, and all outside relationships must bend to accommodate it—rarely is there a loyalty that partners place above one another.
Dragonkin are extremely social. Their innate empathy and intuition makes them simultaneously cautious and earnest; they tend to approach new people and situations with care, form an opinion rapidly, then trust their own gut judgment, even if it might conflict with the opinions of others or cause strife. A dragonkin's behavior is usually tempered by their sense of duty and responsibility. A dragonkin with few connections—or who shows little regard for others—can cause a lot of havoc.
If you want to play a character who is strong and resilient, embraces their emotions, and forms deep bonds of friendship and community, you should play a dragonkin.
You Might…
- Share your feelings with everyone around you.
- Trust your instincts more than you trust established facts.
- Prioritize your bonded partner's needs and wants.
Others Probably…
- Are intimidated by you.
- Underestimate the strength of your bond with your partner.
- Find it disconcerting when you and your partner act in perfect unison.
Physical Description
As their name implies, dragonkin are draconic in appearance, with broad wings, hard scales, long tails, horns, and a powerful physique. Some even have the deadly breath of their dragon progenitors, but the breath's type and characteristics depend on a number of factors, many of which aren't well understood. Dragonkin vary between 8–20 feet long head to tail and can weigh over 2,000 pounds, but in the modern era a smaller size has proven advantageous.
A dragonkin's scale color has nothing to do with their origins, heritage, home world, or surroundings. Most are monochromatic, though some have scales in two or three similar tones, most often in a gradient or speckled pattern. Most dragonkin polish their scales to a reflective shine and take particular pride in the appearance of their scales at certain times of the day or under certain lighting—under moonlight is most common.
Dragonkin occasionally paint their claws and horns with various colors and patterns, though very few modify or dye their scales—certainly not permanently! Dragonkin looking to temporarily change the appearance of their scales prefer holographic overlays, augmented reality, or magical illusions. The notable exception to this trend involves dolek (pronounced doe-wek), the traditional ritual of removing a single scale from one's body and fashioning it into a wearable gift for one's bonded partner. In the distant past, the scale removed came from the back—the place that a bonded partner would sit upon one's back if ridden. Today, it's more common to remove a scale from above the heart. In either case, the gift of a dolek is a symbol that a dragonkin trusts their partner to protect their weak spots, physically, psychologically, and emotionally
A dragonkin's scale color has nothing to do with their origins, heritage, home world, or surroundings. Most are monochromatic, though some have scales in two or three similar tones, most often in a gradient or speckled pattern. Most dragonkin polish their scales to a reflective shine and take particular pride in the appearance of their scales at certain times of the day or under certain lighting—under moonlight is most common.
Dragonkin occasionally paint their claws and horns with various colors and patterns, though very few modify or dye their scales—certainly not permanently! Dragonkin looking to temporarily change the appearance of their scales prefer holographic overlays, augmented reality, or magical illusions. The notable exception to this trend involves dolek (pronounced doe-wek), the traditional ritual of removing a single scale from one's body and fashioning it into a wearable gift for one's bonded partner. In the distant past, the scale removed came from the back—the place that a bonded partner would sit upon one's back if ridden. Today, it's more common to remove a scale from above the heart. In either case, the gift of a dolek is a symbol that a dragonkin trusts their partner to protect their weak spots, physically, psychologically, and emotionally
Society
The history, society, and culture of dragonkin is inexorably linked with that of their home world, Triaxus, where they've lived alongside ryphorians and dragons since time immemorial. Triaxus has an exaggerated elliptical orbit that causes grueling, century-long winters and summers, with only a short transitional season between them. Adaptation, whether biological or behavioral, has always been integral to survival, and even today dragonkin greatly value adaptability, willingness to persevere through trying situations, and ability to survive nature's many trials. The methods one uses to accomplish these feats—from physical prowess or mental cunning to magical support or cybernetic augmentations—are universally lauded.
Dragonkin have a combative history. Long before the Gap, battles between Triaxus's peoples were widespread, motivated by territorial disputes and aeons-old draconic rivalries. In this distant era, dragonkin warriors carried ryphorian riders into battle in formation with powerful dragon allies. These battle pairings were the typical and most iconic of all partner bonds, and their legacy still lives on today. Dragonkin remain most likely to partner with ryphorians over other ancestries, and one of the most respected mercenary leagues of the modern era is the spacefaring Skyfire Legion. Although dragonkin fulfill countless roles in society, they remain best known in the greater galaxy for their intimidating appearance and military expertise. Even those dragonkin who avoid confrontation or abhor violence learn to defend themselves—or the people they care about—in times of peril.
Dragonkin society is based around partnership. On a micro scale, the partner bond anchors daily life, but on a macro scale, everything revolves around community. Everything dragonkin create, from architecture and infrastructure to laws and media, reflects the importance of partnership.
On Triaxus, the partner bond is legally binding, and entering into a partner bond with a dragonkin confers rights and responsibilities upon both members of the bond, such as shared ownership of possessions and properties, financial culpability, and beneficiary rights. A partner bond doesn't preclude dragonkin from forming other outside bonds, such as romantic bonds with paramours or beginning families. In a dragonkin's life, all other relationships coexist with the partner bond.
Most partner bonds are platonic, having grown between close friends or comrades. Others are romantic. Rarely, they're familial, usually occurring between siblings or cousins of similar ages. A bond can never be forced and must be mutually consensual, making arranged partner bonds a prospect that only incredibly open and dedicated individuals can undertake. Regardless of the form a partner bond takes, they nearly always form between a dragonkin and a non-dragonkin.
While grief is always difficult, the loss of a bonded partner is devastating. Some never recover from the trauma. While a dragonkin could form a new partner bond after such a tragedy, few do, believing the bond to continue past death. Two dragonkin bonding over their mutual grief and finding love with the blessing of their ghost partners is a common trope in Triaxian romances.
While most dragonkin bond with a partner in their lifetime, some abstain. Bondless dragonkin are no less social than their bonded fellows, and they tend to gather and live together.
Dragonkin communities are a sprawling web of bonds, partnerships, friendships, and familial ties. To an outsider, these needs might be complicated to balance, but dragonkin are up to the challenge, as most feel an intrinsic desire to form social connections with others and have no problem understanding and intuiting the needs of bonded community members. Communication and empathy are paramount, and majoritarian systems are popular. Dragonkin lacking community connections tend to become morose. While headstrong and independent, they don't take isolation well.
For obvious reasons, dragonkin settlements have large and diverse architectural requirements. Living spaces must be large enough for huge extended families and are furnished for both dragonkin and their smaller companions. Most live in multistory buildings or apartment complexes with many housemates and neighbors. Dragonkin homes and the neighborhoods they form are noisy. When it's time to celebrate, they become downright raucous. Dragonkin communities are friendly and welcoming to outsiders, which can seem overwhelming for some.
Dragonkin have a combative history. Long before the Gap, battles between Triaxus's peoples were widespread, motivated by territorial disputes and aeons-old draconic rivalries. In this distant era, dragonkin warriors carried ryphorian riders into battle in formation with powerful dragon allies. These battle pairings were the typical and most iconic of all partner bonds, and their legacy still lives on today. Dragonkin remain most likely to partner with ryphorians over other ancestries, and one of the most respected mercenary leagues of the modern era is the spacefaring Skyfire Legion. Although dragonkin fulfill countless roles in society, they remain best known in the greater galaxy for their intimidating appearance and military expertise. Even those dragonkin who avoid confrontation or abhor violence learn to defend themselves—or the people they care about—in times of peril.
Dragonkin society is based around partnership. On a micro scale, the partner bond anchors daily life, but on a macro scale, everything revolves around community. Everything dragonkin create, from architecture and infrastructure to laws and media, reflects the importance of partnership.
On Triaxus, the partner bond is legally binding, and entering into a partner bond with a dragonkin confers rights and responsibilities upon both members of the bond, such as shared ownership of possessions and properties, financial culpability, and beneficiary rights. A partner bond doesn't preclude dragonkin from forming other outside bonds, such as romantic bonds with paramours or beginning families. In a dragonkin's life, all other relationships coexist with the partner bond.
Most partner bonds are platonic, having grown between close friends or comrades. Others are romantic. Rarely, they're familial, usually occurring between siblings or cousins of similar ages. A bond can never be forced and must be mutually consensual, making arranged partner bonds a prospect that only incredibly open and dedicated individuals can undertake. Regardless of the form a partner bond takes, they nearly always form between a dragonkin and a non-dragonkin.
While grief is always difficult, the loss of a bonded partner is devastating. Some never recover from the trauma. While a dragonkin could form a new partner bond after such a tragedy, few do, believing the bond to continue past death. Two dragonkin bonding over their mutual grief and finding love with the blessing of their ghost partners is a common trope in Triaxian romances.
While most dragonkin bond with a partner in their lifetime, some abstain. Bondless dragonkin are no less social than their bonded fellows, and they tend to gather and live together.
Dragonkin communities are a sprawling web of bonds, partnerships, friendships, and familial ties. To an outsider, these needs might be complicated to balance, but dragonkin are up to the challenge, as most feel an intrinsic desire to form social connections with others and have no problem understanding and intuiting the needs of bonded community members. Communication and empathy are paramount, and majoritarian systems are popular. Dragonkin lacking community connections tend to become morose. While headstrong and independent, they don't take isolation well.
For obvious reasons, dragonkin settlements have large and diverse architectural requirements. Living spaces must be large enough for huge extended families and are furnished for both dragonkin and their smaller companions. Most live in multistory buildings or apartment complexes with many housemates and neighbors. Dragonkin homes and the neighborhoods they form are noisy. When it's time to celebrate, they become downright raucous. Dragonkin communities are friendly and welcoming to outsiders, which can seem overwhelming for some.
Beliefs
Dragonkin place great value on interpersonal relationships and social skills, yet they recognize that the ability to be charming, or a good friend or partner, is independent of one's moral standing and ethical stance. They're naturally strong, and most embrace the legacy of their ancestors by learning to defend themselves or to dominate the field of battle. Driven by the need to survive the harsh and dangerous environment of their home world, dragonkin strive to adapt, survive, and persevere using any means available. Most dragonkin worship gods that speak to one of these values, such as Damoritosh, Eloritu, Hylax, Oras, Talavet, or Dagosarn, the Triaxian god of community, partnerships, and the bond.
Popular Edicts protect your partner, engage positively with your community, fight to defend your beliefs and allies
Popular Anathema act with cowardice, betray your partner, purposefully isolate yourself
Popular Edicts protect your partner, engage positively with your community, fight to defend your beliefs and allies
Popular Anathema act with cowardice, betray your partner, purposefully isolate yourself
Sample Names
Akrodo, Aralyx, Axiennex, Beshikasiss, Binata, Darzalfen, Dissidanth, Egelmyr, Endrisarn, Estrikkon, Farvenzi, Ganifrae, Heraxia, Kahore, Krellenor, Lourvictrix, Phixara, Raskurenn, Selkirrik, Sozirenn, Tarke, Tsalu, Tykkendrin, Zendegos, Ziotris
Dragonkin Mechanics
Hit Points
10
Size
Large
Speed
20 feet
Fly 20 feet
Attribute Boosts
Two free attribute boosts
Languages
Common
Draconic
Triaxian
Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent on your home world).
Darkvision
You can see in darkness and dim light just as well as you can see in bright light, though your vision in darkness is in black and white.
Partner Bond
You can form a permanent empathic bond with one willing sapient creature—usually a non-dragonkin. Forming this bond is a one-hour activity that can only be attempted if both you and your partner share a deep emotional bond. You and your partner must remain within reach of each other for the duration of this activity for it to succeed. Once this bond is formed, you can't form another partner bond unless your current partner dies. You and your partner can communicate with each other mentally, as if you had limited telepathy with a range of 60 feet.