Dragonkin

Core Racial Traits

!
Dragonkin are native to the sixth planet in the Pact World system, Triaxus, a tumultuous world of grueling seasons and dangerous environs. Most live bonded to a non-dragonkin partner, using a traditional ritual that creates nigh-unbreakable personal ties that last a lifetime. This connection manifests as reciprocal telepathy, complimentary movements, and other tactical advantages. With the ability to fly and breathe a cone of energy, dragonkin can be quite intimidating to their enemies. Allies know them to be fiercely loyal, empathetic, and adaptable. Like their true dragon cousins, they have the strength and intelligence to face nearly any task, and dragonkin enjoy a variety of occupations throughout the Pact Worlds.

While dragonkin are smaller than true dragons, they tower over most humanoids. When standing on two legs, their heights range from 8 to 20 feet. Some dragonkin tinker with their own genetics to achieve a compact size, while others take pride in their formidable statures. Terrestrial dragonkin tend to be larger and have wings, while spacefaring dragonkin often prefer to modify their bodies to be smaller, leaner, and sometimes wingless.
Though dragonkin have four muscular limbs, they’re bipedal, with their strong tails providing stabilization. Dragonkin can learn to maintain their posture if they lose or have underdeveloped tails, and some choose to utilize prosthetics or wheelchairs as mobility aids or to embrace quadrupedal mobility with or without the assistance of such devices.
It’s considered stylish for dragonkin to paint their claws and horns with various colors and patterns. Holographic polish is quite common among fans of Ning’s battleflowers, who proclaim their allegiance to favorite fighters by choosing flashy colors to match the gladiators’ costume choices.
The hues of a dragonkin’s scales naturally occur in a spectrum of colors. Scale color has nothing to do with a dragonkin’s alignment or ancestry, though some unusual colors tend to appear in certain families without a known explanation. While most dragonkin are monochromatic, it isn’t uncommon for their scales to display two or three tones, most often in a gradient or speckled pattern.
Spanning the spectrum of genders, dragonkin are best identified by asking them. Dragonkin don’t have sexual morphism, and their personal gender identity most impacts their physical presentation. In all things, the majority of dragonkin eagerly embrace magic and science to modify their bodies to suit individual preferences.

The core of dragonkin society revolves around the partner bond they form with humanoids, most commonly ryphorians. Everything from architecture and infrastructure to media reflects the importance of the bond. While a majority of dragonkin bond to a partner in their lifetime, not all do. As a conscious choice made by both parties to form this bond is necessary, those who decide to remain bondless face scrutiny from more conservative community members; however, a majority of dragonkin are supportive of this choice. Bondless dragonkin live fully integrated into their local society, with traditionalist Aylok dragonkin being the largest exception to tolerance. Outside of Aylok, bondless dragonkin are just as likely to be supported as a similar bonded candidate.
Dragonkin who don’t bond during their lifetime might still find mates and create families, or not, and work in vocational fields with just as much success. Whether or not these dragonkin form romantic relationships, they still typically prefer communal homes with roommates, as complete solitude is atypical for dragonkin. For those who haven’t yet formed a partner bond but one day wish to do so, bondless meet-ups on the infosphere and in most communities can help. A yet-unbonded dragonkin who enlists in the Skyfire Legion has plentiful chances to meet potential partners in training, recruit mixers, and assigned partner trials.
Bonds are unique to individual pairs and often deeply personal. Though most bonded partnerships aren’t romantic, the bond is roughly equivalent to marriage in many cultures, granting legal rights and responsibilities and insuring a mutual living situation. Some bonds result from adolescent friendships, with a duo choosing to formalize their bond soon after reaching maturity. A few communities practice arranged bonds, meaning a dragonkin might not meet a potential partner until shortly before they bond. The Skyfire Legion facilitates such arrangements for cadets who desire it. Even in such cases, both parties must wholeheartedly agree to form a bond, and attempts to force two individuals to enter an arrangement always fails. Bonding with blood relatives is rare but does sometimes occur, usually between cousins or siblings of similar ages.
Most dragonkin only have one bonded partner during their lifetimes, but thanks to their longer lifespans, more than half of their lives can be spent bondless. If their partner dies, a dragonkin might decide to form a relationship with another partner, but a substantial number choose not to. From grief to family structures grown larger and more intricate with age, there are many reasons to abstain from subsequent partner bonds. As partner bonds are largely aromantic, dragonkin and their humanoid partners forming romantic relationships outside of the pair impacts day-to-day living.
While a dragonkin partner bond is exclusive to two individuals, the partners can choose to have as many romantic partners as they would like, if any, but all of them must respect the connection between the bonded pair, as the mystical effects of the bond make both partners each half of one whole, moving in synchronicity and often needing one another’s presence to remain healthy and happy. Effective communication is a necessity within dragonkins’ created communities. Majoritarian systems are common in the daily life of many dragonkin.
The blend of relationships, and the size of dragonkin, have led to larger-scale housing requirements. Most dragonkin live in small apartment complexes or suites with their extended family, or in networks with multiple families. Bondless dragonkin and other outlying community members are often invited to live in neighboring flats, allowing them easy access to community. Courtyards and rooftop spaces are built to accommodate group meals, games, and recreational activities that can be enjoyed together.
Large families make for rowdy gatherings, and whole neighborhoods sometimes come together to celebrate occasions such as birthdays, bondings, and weddings. Traveling to the neighboring mountains to enjoy outdoor activities, especially winter sports, is common. Along the coast, beachside bonfires beneath the full moon range from intimate affairs (with less than 10 individuals in attendance) to raucous carnivals where hundreds gather for games, rides, fried foods, and fortune telling.
Dragonkin know that moonlight causes luminescent reflections in their scales that are considered quite attractive, and many find new romantic partners or flings at these gatherings. For young dragonkin approaching the age of maturity, invitations to full moon parties are highly coveted. Dressed to impress with scales polished to a sheen, youthful dragonkin flit from one party to the next, seeking new friends and love connections. A dragonkin in love might take their date to the thermal springs or to enjoy holographic movies. It’s normal for romantic partners to meet one another’s family very early in a relationship.