Draconic (Dragon) Genus

The term “dragons” is used in general to refer to the members of and various offshoots of the Draconic genetic line. This includes some subspecies and hybrids. It often mistakenly includes species that venerate or associate with dragons, but are either amphibian or reptilian in nature.

Draconic Society and Values

Dragons Consumption of Knowledge: The multiverse (of the iVerse) is like a series of 4+ dimensional boards of chess, go, backgammon, etc. games and challenges to be dealt with. Unlike most Divine Principles, which seem to be an embodiment of something and is generally maximally powerful in their aspect that works to achieve the ideals and goals associated with that, a dragon decides their own purpose. Like any entity with an [seemingly] free ego, some will pursue power, some will pursue peace, and some will pursue whim. A dragon’s self-construct may radically shift over time as it adopts new perspectives and personas with which to experience all of creation. The one thing they all seem universally both driven to, and well equipped for, is the pursuit of knowledge. It is the one thing which can generally apply in all realms of the Aether, in dream or nightmare, across every heaven and hell imaginable. Knowledge, once gained, cannot be taken away except under the most unique of circumstances. A dragon should always be considered an Obsessive Student when it comes to taking in information and learning.

Material Accumulation and Ego: Younger dragons, more susceptible to the urges of their undeveloped ego, tend to accumulate items and material luxury to flatter themselves. As they progress through time, they shed these trappings as they learn and gain in personal power and knowledge. Despite the lack of a need to hold onto anything but immaterial memory (since they can nearly perfectly), some still persist in holding onto materials – especially records of knowledge. They are not invincible, and have a rebirth mechanism. However, a dragon reborn can lose a great deal of its memory so a backup of all their knowledge is many times something they pursue. The most durable means of storing information is stone tablets, though it also takes up the most space.

Near-Perfect Memory: The dragon stores its thoughts and what it has learned in a a matrix of interrelated connections. A dragon cannot remember a single fact in and of itself, but only in relation to every other fact it possesses. Its ability to internally explore those connections, and return the memories to active contemplation, is nearly unparalleled. It may take time to search and recall, but it can be recalled perfectly this way. The timeliness of such recall is subject the amount of active brain power the dragon devotes to it. An alert, awake and active dragon can do it nearly instantly if that is all it focuses on that task alone.

Awakened Communicator

A dragon develops all forms of articulation of the Actuated Mind over time. Only full dragons are capable of understanding the full range of their language of Draconic beyond simple fluency. Most dragons develop the ability to speak all preeminent languages as good as a native speaker.

Swift Acquisition: Can read about 250 pages an hour, often goes days or weeks without stop in reading tome after tome, page after page, screen after screen of information from whatever medium they are engaged with (digital, physical, cerebral, etc.)

Multi-Vector Communicator: In essence, a dragon can carry on four conversations or dialogues using its Actuated Mind. It can communicate with 4 groups of creatures – only one of these can be in using the dragons’ physical voice. If a creature can handle parallel communication like a hyper sentient Higher Order being, they can manage the multiple channels of communication simultaneously. If not, it may require a Sanity check to even make sense of one.

Multi-Scribe: A dragon can use each foot and tail to manipulate a scribe device (claw, awl, pen, keyboard, etc.) to record their thoughts and knowledge simultaneously; Each appendage can scribe, the average amount of information normal humanoids can using the technology they are employing. As primitive as it is, dragons often use stone tablets to hold information. Their great size makes them easy to use, and the durability of stone is unprecedented.

Reproduction

Parthenogenic: Dragons do not have sexes or genders. They reproduce through parthenogenesis. The concept of a “mate” is merely a misunderstanding and assumption by other species. Dragons band together to insure the survival of the species and collaborate in raising young dragons. Beyond this, some dragons have been known to form bonded pairs or familial units for protection, but this should never be considered a true familial unit in the typical humanoid sense.

Parit Ovum: Dragons can “birth” any type of creature except singular entities – these are referred to as Newtlings. They can, drawing upon their size and energy and hatch an egg based life form. This allows them to mate with a large number of species in order to create offspring which are typically its agents and supporters.

Death

If a true physical dragon dies, its soul will be reborn after 24 hours/1 day within 5 miles of where they died. A burst of energy of a type of damage the dragon’s breath weapon did will blossom in a 20′ radius, a young Dragonling with parentage matching the dead dragon will materialize. It has some of its memories. The reborn individual is often referred to as Dragon Born, Dragon Newt or Quasi-Dragon by those aware of this journey they can make. It is often the case where a small hoard of mundane armaments, records of knowledge, spending money and clothing hidden within a mile of their lair/home – not part of its normal lair and lacking any magic (to avoid detection). The location of this is typically where the rebirth will occur if they died in their lair. It begins anew, attempting to gain Essence in achieving rebirth as a wyrmling before the Dragonling passes on from age. Dragons never forget their death moments. If they know the identity of their killer(s), they often plan revenge – though are not so impulsive as to try until they have grown in power. Often, this means their enemies simply die from old age.

The Forgetfulness of Death

The Sanity of a dragon is foundational to its ability to hold on to knowledge through death. Some even find a way to maintain their memories in the House of the Dead, and to recover everything from there.

Relations with Others

Bound to The Dreamwyld

Dragons all go through a phase of their life in which they do not “sleep” per se. A dragon appearing to sleep, has actually projected their spirit into the Aether – extra planar realities via Ethereal and/or Astral travel. They exist in multiple places at the same time, and they pursue with great zeal the accumulation of vast sums of knowledge and power this way.

Pall of Dreams

When a dragon uses its fearsome breath weapon, it may catch up the victims that perish in it into a fog that manifests around the living. Young dragons often do this on accident, older ones can control it. This cloud of dreams manifests around the living that died in it, and forces them to relive the last moments as a Spiritus. It often reflects the motivations and emotions of the dragon from with the breath came at the time of their death. It is described as a small demi-plane or world unto themselves that retells the story of the victims. These can only be dispelled with the most powerful of magics.

Slumber of Ages

Dream Dragons

When a dragon permanently passes into the Dreamwyld, their physical body takes on the characteristics of the Body Beyond. Few can tell the difference, but they become immortal and achieve a god-like level of consciousness and power. Their dream are what people come to interact with. These dreams appear to be a real dragon, but are much weaker.

Waking Dragons

A Dragon at Rest: A resting dragon is the default state. Like cats, they spend most of their time in inactivity. They are not asleep, and are aware of what is going on around them, but are merely conserving energy. This is often the case after a huge consumption of knowledge. They prefer to use their Actuated Mind to communicate rather than physical speech, and a state of “rest” is still possible if the dragon is reading a book with its eyes, and using its mind to carry on a conversation while painting a picture with its tail.

THE RIGHT WAY TO WAKEN: Waking, especially an elder dragon, should be done slowly, gradually stimulating its senses over a period of years, is the only way to bring a dragon from slumber without absolutely incurring its ire. During that time, its consciousness will be drawn back from its aethereal explorations, its body slowly began breathing and pumping blood without nerve pain, and all its dream sendings can complete or tie up temporarily the ends they were working towards. It must all be done with no intent to harm the creature, or it will awaken instantly – a portion of its brain and spirit always perceiving the environment of its lair.

THE WRONG WAY TO WAKEN: Instant awakening, from harmful intent or just expeditiously because the seeker cannot wait, means the dragon come alive like a nuclear explosion. Its nerves alight instantly with a massive jolt of painful electricity, its normal spatial awareness gone in a flash of rage as it strikes out at anything perceived as a potential threat in every direction. All its ongoing work is interrupted, all of its serene contemplation jarred in a moment of violent awareness. It is the only moment a dragon ever knows fear, for a single split second, because of the disorientation, and it will instantly be forced to trigger its violent breath which will deplete none of its reserves but be at half strength.

The Hamazd

These are the powers that dragons acquire through knowledge and discipline.

D20 Dragon Traits

  • Awakened Communicator: Detect Thoughts at will as a Bonus Action; Vectors: Using its full movement, Action, Reaction and Bonus Action (Open Action use)
  • Wistful Thoughts: Prestidigitation (can do 4 at once) using Open Action
  • Sanity 15
  • Dream Dragons: Use Monster Manual statistics.
  • Class/The Hamazd: Most dragons are Sorcerers or Warlocks (Seeker pact mostly; Great Olde One – head of the Draconic Clan or the Draconi-Firster Pact) or very rarely Wizards (its more work!) in addition to their species. They have a minimum level equal to their age category.

Inscrutable: All dragons have a natural aura of Nondetection. Only magics cast by other Dragons can penetrate this aura.

Mirror of Form: A dragon, once they reach wyrmling stage, can transform 1/Long Rest into a humanoid of a size and rough form that matches a community that are nearby. Early years are spent as another race learning local customs and gaining experience. There must be a humanoid to mirror within 100′ when they first do it. The humanoid form takes the general color of the dragon, and will have some features which mark them as atypical of the species whose form they mirrored (sharp nails, strange eye color, etc.). They keep all their abilities except ones based on their physiology. They can transform back into their draconic format any time. This increases to 1/Short Rest for Young dragons, and at will thereafter.

Incarna Core Dragon Traits