Dragonborn

Dragonborn, also known as Strixiki in Draconic, are a race of draconic creatures native to the Dragon Coast.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Dragonborn resembled in many ways what their name suggests: humanoid dragons. Standing on average around 6 feet and 2 inches to 6 feet and 8 inches (1.9 to 2 meters), dragonborn were impressively tall with a heavy weight to match, commonly possessing a weight of 220 to 320 pounds (100 to 150 kilograms). Dragonborn feet ended with three strong talon-like claws with a fourth claw in the back, while their hands were similar with three claws with a thumb replacing the rear claw. A dragonborn's head featured a blunt snout, a strong brow, and reptilian frills on the cheeks and ears. On the back of the head, a crest of hornlike scales formed what resembled a mess of ropy hair. Dragonborn eyes were usually red or gold in hue.

Biological Traits

Dragonborn exhibited many draconic features, including a scaly hide, a large muscular body, the capacity to use a breath weapon, and resistance to the same elemental energy they can breathe, thanks to their draconic heritage. Because of thousands of years of interbreeding, the scales of a dragonborn's hide were scarlet, gold, rust, ochre, bronze, or brown in hue, though a few dragonborn with a stronger draconic heritage had scales resembling those of true dragons. The color of their scales bore little correlation to a dragonborn's draconic heritage, however. The scales were typically in their greatest concentration around forearms, lower legs, feet, shoulders, and thighs, with a very fine leathery covering over the rest of the body. With the proper training, dragonborn could learn to unlock more of their draconic potential, even to the point of sprouting wings with which to fly, like a dragon.
Like dragons, dragonborn were often mistaken for reptiles but were in fact, warm-blooded draconic creatures. In fact, the internal body temperature of the dragonborn was warmer than that of most similar races, being so hot as to seem feverish to the human touch. While this might seem disadvantageous, the lack of hair and large mouth allowed the dragonborn to displace body heat at an effective rate, meaning dragonborn were comfortable in cold climates while remaining no more vulnerable to heat than humans.

Genetics and Reproduction

Young dragonborn, who hatched from eggs like their draconic relatives, grew at an impressively rapid rate, much faster than most other races, reaching the equivalent maturity of a human child of 10 by age 3.

Growth Rate & Stages

Dragonborn nursed their hatchlings for several months before teeth began to come in. A dragonborn would then slowly introduce soft food and then move towards normal dragonborn eating habits, which contained more meat than was typical of most other races.
Their rate of maturation slowed dramatically within a few short years and they were not considered physically mature until the age 12, when their bodies reached their adult height and appearance. Not all dragonborn developed a breath weapon but those that did usually obtained it during these years of growth.
Psychologically, dragonborn were considered mature as a human adult by age 12, and when they reached age 15 they were considered legally adults in dragonborn society. Once they did reach adulthood, dragonborn could expect a lifespan identical to that of humans.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Clan and family bloodlines were both preserved among dragonborn and were highly important to dragonborn culture as a whole. Both were different, though the distinction was subtle to non-dragonborn. The family referred specifically to actual blood relatives, as far as could be traced, whereas clan, in the dragonborn context, referred to a confederation of families united by mutual purpose in ages past, organized along military lines. Of the two, the clan was usually considered more important and it was to the clan that dragonborn owed their most loyalty.
Clans were led by wizened, aged clan-masters chosen for their ability to lead who were looked to for guidance by their lieges. Dragonborn did not forget the past, and ties to clan and family determined much about how one dragonborn was viewed by others. All clans had reputations, for good and ill, that often lasted for generations. A dragonborn's actions were expected to bring favor and goodwill to his or her clan, improving this reputation. For this reason, dragonborn typically went by their clan names rather than their family names, hoping to bring honor and glory to their clan. Dragonborn who worshiped gods were usually expelled from their clans because traditionalist dragonborn believed worshiping such beings was equal to selling themselves to dragon slavery again.
This pressure to either right the wrongs of the past or continue a clan's glory could define a dragonborn's life. Some dragonborn fled from the imposing responsibilities their clan put on them, choosing infamy over such a burden. Others accepted the responsibility or even turned it into an additional drive for their ambition, hoping to one day become the clan-master.
Overall, compared with clan ties, the family was secondary and private to dragonborn, as reflected by the fact that most dragonborn family names were kept secrets shared with only the closest friends and other family members. The usual family unit was quite small, often composed of only two individuals: a mated pair or a parent and its child. Dragonborn marriages were arranged by the clan leaders along old pact lines. Dragonborn lacked the association of love with a marriage that many races had, instead wedding purely for reproductive reasons. Once a dragonborn child reached 3 years old the wedding was typically dissolved, with the parent who was the same sex as the child rearing it for the remainder of its childhood.
The parent–child relationship during the formative years between the marriage's dissolution and the child's adulthood was incredibly important. Parents, along with other adults from the community, were expected to not simply act as loving caretakers but teachers as well, using storytelling and direct action to instill the virtues of society within a child. In addition to scholarly studies and moral lessons, parents were also expected to focus on the drive of a child and teach them basic martial skills for the purpose of defense. Dragonborn believed this in-depth mentorship was necessary not only for the child's education but also for their morality. It was thought that without this imposed discipline, a dragonborn's fierce passions might give way to feral savagery. Within a large dragonborn community, the parent maintained the position of authority, but other adults were allowed to act as surrogate parents and teachers, giving a young child multiple examples to learn from.

Lifespan

Usually up to 80 years

Average Height

6'2" - 6'8"

Average Weight

220 lbs - 320 lbs