Neutral Good
The Dragon Tribes of Zaar
Origin
When The Guardian descended, the very bones of Primordias boiled. The land heaved and great mountains were tore from the depths, spearing into the churning clouds above. Over the ages, The Guardian has shaped this rugged landscape, coaxing life and abundance from it. First born were the gold dragons, unflinching in their duty to protect all life and embody the principles of The Guardian. The second, silver dragons, were noble and friendly, seeking to nourish life and culture. The youngest, copper dragons, safeguard the balance of life with playful guile and carefree exuberance.
When the first generation of golden dragons reached the end of their natural lifespan they mated one final time, the males dying in the act of consummation and the females following after laying their clutch. It was left to the younger dragons to care for and hatch the unusually small and plentiful eggs that contained the first generation of dragonborn. Being mortal, the dragonborn needed to be raised in Primordias and it was then that the dragons first left Olympus to found lairs in Zaar. Today the ancients rule from Olympus and Zaar is left to the adults and the young.
The ancient dragon bloodlines serve the will of The Guardian as stewards of its realm and ideals. They are bound to it, suffused with its power and might. If a dragon severs this bond, they become a Chromatic, losing their metallurgic traits. This process is painful, and warps the dragon into a twisted reflection of its former self. Golds become blacks, silvers become blues, and coppers become reds. Fallen dragons are banished from the mountain tops to the deep places of Zaar, where they are cursed to birth only kobold, unable to lay trueborn dragons. The Guardian will not kill them, as it protects all life. Even the fallen have a role to play.
Domain
Zaar is the largest mountain range on Primordias. It covers much of eastern Sanctus, running from its northern to southern coast. The towering mountains stretch far above the tree lines, cutting sharp skylines covered in white snow. The peaks give way to fertile valleys and plateaus that host a great diversity of life. Streams spring from the mountain sides to form pristine lakes and raging rivers that cut deep canyons. The deepest canyons and crevices sink all the way into the Depths beneath the verdant surface.
At the heart of Zaar lies Titanus, the largest mountain on Primordias. Its summit pierces reality, entering the plane of Elysium, home of Olympus, the eternal mountain. The two mountains share a summit, its height surpassed only by the suspended form of The Guardian. Within Elysium, the slopes of Olympus fall away into infinity, endless ridges and plateaus dressing its flanks. In Primordias, Titanus serves as the seat of draconic power, the sacred mountain, home to the greatest enclave of all.
The enclaves of Zaar are carved into the mountains themselves. They are built around the lairs of the tribe patrons and take their style from the preferences of the bloodline. The enclaves are carved by dragonfire, forcing the stone to flow and warp, forming organic yet unnatural structures. Vast caverns and terraces adorn the peaks and slopes, sometimes hollowing entire mountains into enormous sculpted aviaries.
Society
The dragonborn began as the final offspring of the first golden dragons but were soon joined by the silvers and coppers. They became a self sustaining race as their population swelled and genetic diversity became assured. The mixed bloodlines have led to a baseline bronze coloration, though every few generations the population receives an influx of pureblood dragonborn. These pureblood hold no privileged place in dragonborn society, though many rise to positions of prominence.
Tribes are based around shared ancestral lines, with the fullblood dragon descendants of an ancient acting as the elders to its tribe. The tribe is led by a chieftain that serves as the liaison between the tribe and the patrons. Patrons rarely intervene with tribal affairs but when they do, their judgement is absolute. Mostly the dragons offer wisdom and guidance to the tribe and in exchange the tribe offers them food and protection. The lair is well stocked and guarded by the Gate Keepers at all times.
Dragonborn are honorable, passionate, and dedicated to their tribes. Their lives are hard and it has made them strong and unforgiving of weakness. They strive to be masters of the role they choose in society. During the ritual coming of age, dragonborn choose a path and face its challenge to take their role. If they succeed, they are welcomed back into the tribe as adults. Most that fail, die, those that don't, never return.
Paths
Skinwalker
Barbarian (Path of the Totem Warrior)
The Skinwalkers are totemic berserkers. They are at home in the wilds of Zaar, drawn from the enclaves to the valleys and forests below. They are warrior shamans to their people, called upon in times of need. As their connection to the wild grows, the Skinwalkers learn to protect and commune with the spirits of all living things.
When an aspiring Skinwalker is initiated into the mysteries they are fed a ritual elixir to unlock truesight. They then descend into the valleys to seek their totem animal. This can take days or weeks, but when they return they are changed. When a Skinwalker bonds with a totem they begin to metamorph, taking on traits of the animal. The elder Skinwalkers inspire fear and awe in those they lead in battle, for they no longer resemble true dragonborn but are instead warped into totemic demidragons.
Lifeward
Cleric (Life Domain)
True dragons are born with an inherent connection to The Guardian, hearing its song in their blood. This connection is lost in the dragonborn, the spark of divinity too faint. There are some however, that are able to tap into that connection and become Lifewards. Lifewards hear The Guardian and devote their lives to serving its will. They are granted power to heal and protect, fostering vitality in those they care for and teach.
Lifewards in training invariably hear the call to Titanus. This triggers their pilgrimage to the mountain where they are compelled to climb. They do not use the wings of the peryton to ease their journey but instead seek the summit with their own strength. If they reach it, they are transfused with the life energy of The Guardian. This manifests as a glow that burns in their veins and illuminates their scales from within.
Gatekeeper
Fighter (Champion)
The dragonborn society is based on duty. The survival of the tribe depends on the young dragonborn choosing a path and dedicating themselves to it. Many choose the path of the warrior, hoping to one day be chosen as a Gatekeeper. The Gatekeepers are the champions of their tribe, watching over the lair gate from the backs of wyverns.
Dragonborn that desire a place among the Gatekeepers must first prove themselves by mastering the path of the warrior. When an aspirant is called, they face the Trial of Sky, where they must climb to the peaks and face the wyverns. Warriors that return on the back of one are welcomed into the Gatekeepers. The senior Gatekeeper sits at the right hand of the chieftain.
Deathseeker
Paladin (Oath of Vengeance)
The Deathseekers are great warriors that have lost their honor and turned to The Guardian in hopes of redemption. They make the pilgrimage to Titanus and seek the summit. The Guardian offers them the power to reclaim their honor, at a cost. They must sell their lives in the battle against evil. Do what others cannot, or will not. If they accept this offer their minds will be scrubbed of their past and their failure.
They are exiled into the world, never to return, consumed by the compulsion to stamp out evil in all its forms. To aid them in this duty the Deathseekers are infused with great power and equipped with the Raiments of Redemption. They spend the rest of their often short lives wandering the world, relentlessly hunting. Only when they find a suitably worthy death is their atonement complete and they're allowed to die.
Bloodborn
Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline)
Bloodborn have inherited the raw magical abilities of their draconic ancestors. This power manifests in youth and is seen as a curse and a blessing. Those that learn to tame the dragon blood are empowered and propelled toward greatness. Those that do not are destroyed by it. The dragon blood is a primal and potent force. When it is funneled into a mortal it can be disastrous.
Bloodborn that learn to channel their power, directing it rather than controlling it, come to feel The Weave, not with weave sight, but as a completely different way of experiencing reality. Dragons do not think like mortals, they cannot, because their perceptions are so fundamentally different. This is the real gift of the dragon blood, dragon sight. The power springs from this.
Darkscale
Wizard (School of Transmutation)
There are those that turn from the tribe, rejecting the choice, and the paths it offers. It is rumoured that some descend into the Depths in search of a different path, one of darkness and power. Darkscales must fight their way through the hordes of kobold that spawn in the canyons and caverns. The most powerful of hordes will lead them to a Chromatic, deep within the depths of Zaar.
If a Darkscale can prove themselves worthy, they will be taught the secret history and shame of the dragon bloodlines. They will also learn of what the Chromatic found when they descended into the Depths. It was forbidden knowledge, older than the world itself, with which to shape the very fabric of reality. The moment the Darkscale hears the first syllable, they begin to burn. It is a slow fire that ignites in the soul and can only be held at bay by learning more of the primordial song.