Arborean Dragons
A claw by any other name
Dragons are endemic and plentiful in Arborea, with the realm hosting a diversity of species and types only exceeded by the dragon realms themselves. As such, dragon broods have evolved to create their own hierarchies, each with their own rules, customs and rituals that remain hidden to non-dragons. Even those who forge a strong bond with dragons and their kin, such as Hero of the Upheaval Bax Bigdong, He Who Spoke For the Dragons at the final battle of the Arborean War, remain distant from the inner intricacies of each brood's society.
Dragons as a whole routinely dismiss the few textbooks that seek to explain the hierarchial structures of each brood, unanimously claiming each work neglects the 'essence of draconic existence'. When pressed for a further explanation for this common critique, dragons are united in stating that 'if you have to ask what it is, you'll never understand it'. What must be frustrating circular arguments for would-be draconic scholars likely explains the central tenet of Arborean draconic societies - you either are draconic, or you ain't. In or out, there is no in-between.
When a claw could be a plant
The most obvious construct of draconic society, and the one commonality between each of the different broods, is their naming convention. While the origins of the naming convention remain shrouded in mystery, the purpose is plain-a clear designation of the draconic ruler (the broodmare) and all their offspring following from them. This provides grounds for some shared observations that holds true for all draconic societies:
Brood
Brood is the primary structure of draconic societies within Arborea. Brood refers both to the heritage of individual dragons (often distinguished through similar colour and patterning) and the culture, structure, capabilities and worldview of the collective as a whole. Thus, dragons from a pacifist brood will all share similar peaceable traits, while more aggressive broods may all carry a more warlike countenance within all interactions.
Broods can change their broad outlook and approach, though rarely and usually over the course of several Lon.
Clutch
Clutch designates those who are born from the same batch of fertilised eggs. In some broods, clutchmates have a strong connection with each other. In other broods, clutchmates are pitted against one another to bolster their strength through competition, often resulting in lifelong enmity.
Horde
The rarest of draconic gatherings, a horde is the amalgamtion of multiple broods, usually for matters of conflict. A horde is a political or diplomatic unity and shares none of the genetic arcanic connectivity as a singular brood. For this reason, and the innate pride of each brood, hordes are extremely rare, their formation measured in terms of centuries.
Lon
Lon is a sole designator for the broodmare, the current leader of the brood and the most powerful female. The broodmare is the only dragon capable of summoning the entirety of the brood and forcing their obediance to a single course of action, though the power and focus required, and the severity of such an action, means this drastic imposition is extremely rare.
Dragon broods use two different types breeding methods, depending on custom, brood size and, occasionally, politicking or matters of conflict:
A single Lon who produces all the eggs to be fertilised by select male dragons
A number of other female dragons permitted to act as egg producers who undergo a ritualistic exchange with a single Lon, and whose eggs are then fertilised by select male dragonsWhile not an official status, those selected to produce, fertilise, or guard eggs, along with those responsible for feeding and raising the newborn pol (young), hold high positions of power and status within a brood. These roles are often the source of much in-fighting.
In a similar vein, the selection of a new Lon is either decided through ritualised combat, displays of power or, very rarely, a democratic counsel. While many defeated or displaced Lon die shortly following the contest, its not unheard of for some Lon to retreat from the brood into isolation, never to return. Were Arborean history a matter of written record, it would be littered with stories regarding isolated Lon becoming incredibly powerful when freed from the restraints imposed by the brood, or slipping into a trance-like insanity, where the realm appears as a dream they are being forced to navigate. Occasionally, both.
Pol
Meaning 'young' or 'lesser' as a plural, pol is a collective noun used as a suffix to designate membership to a certain dragon brood. The suffix follows the direct reference to the broodmare. Thus, the offspring of the black dragon broodmare Yhagrex-lon are Yhagrex-pol.
While it appears as a simple familial designator to non-dragons, for the members of the brood its an instrinic reminder of the source of their capabilities and powers, and perhaps even type of quasi-arcanic marker for inherited genetic capabilities such as spell-casting, flight and other innate dragon powers. In this way, Arborean dragons have inherited or adopted similar methods to ensure the passage of necessary genetic material in the same manner as the plants or myconids of Arborea-a type of mystic genetic network that ensures both individuality and an awareness of the general sense of the brood as a whole. Dragons are definitely not plants, but their ecology does share some fascinating overlaps that seemingly unite those who wear the badge 'pol' in a way that far exceeds the adoption of a simple familial suffix.
What to do when you're not expecting
Contrary to popular belief, Arborean dragons can abandon their brood. In fact, this is how broods proliferated in the past, with several dragons severing their genetic ties and re-forming them as a newly formed brood.
There are significant barriers to isolation though, none greater than knowledge of the rituals required being the sole property of the Lon, rumoured to be the inverse of the rituals undertaken to become Lon. In addition, the severing of the collective connectivity is often destabilising for individual dragons as, unlike the overt myconid collective consciousness, draconic connectivity is subtle and, for most dragons, impacts on their self-identity on a sub-conscious level. For some dragons, removal from the draconic connectivity can be the first time the resonance is acutely noticeable, with its loss a sudden bereavement difficult to fully prepare for.
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Scientific Name
Draconic
Lifespan
400+ years
Do you even know who I am?
At last accounting, there are over 65 Arborean dragon broods, ranging in membership from 12 to within the 100s. Luckily, many of the draconic broods prefer to remain regionally isolated with no grand designs beyond study or exercise of their own capabilities. Some broods are, by culture, more capricious and greedy than others, while enough broods maintain an outward presence throughout the realm to ensure no brood gets too ahead of itself, particularly since the Yhagrex Incident. Among the most notable broods are: Yhagrex: Black and grey patterning, acid affinity, aggressive
Escalon: Shades of green patterning, gas and plant affinity, greedy
Ceralen: Sea green patterning, water affinity, calm
Apolex: Red and orange patterning, fire affinity, bombastic
Edeifex: Brass and copper patterning, molten earth affinity, sly
Cryalis: Rainbow hues with innumerable patterning, sleep affinity, trickster (diminuitive size)
Eldreya: Shifting metallic hues, storm affinity, withdrawn
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