Foll WIP

aka: Dragons of the Fourth All (formal), Royalists (aggressive), Air dragons (neutral), First Folk (archaic)

The dragons of Foll are a group of generally mountain-dwelling species that inhabit Three-talon peaks. The first two things we will focus on are their description and why are they called Fourth All (and what happened to the previous three?)

Physiology

Dragons of the Fourth All are known for their great wing-span and unrivaled ability to maneuver in the air. They frequently utilize these advantages in combat and hunting, but also tend to be frequently hired as express couriers and messangers, even by other species.
Commonly, Foll have a pair of long, pointy ears atop their skulls paired with white horns, the former allows them to detect sounds especially when they are not airborne, and warn them of any danger that may be encroaching upon them from the land, the latter is only a focus for ceremonial reasons and courting, as headbutting an enemy mid-air might be very painful for the defender, it is far more likely to snap the neck of the attacking Foll.
While swiftness is their greatest asset, Foll have notoriously fragile bones, and tend to get injured fairly frequently - especially those with hazardous professions such as Clawstoppers and Hunters.
Lastly, given their lifestyle in the colder climates of the mountainous regions and cold winds, Foll are capable of withstanding cold better than most other civilized Midrastians, this is thanks to an additional layer of fat under their scales which is replenished thanks to a mostly carnivorous diet. A side-effect of being great airborne is that their lungs and ears also allow them to dive and remain underwater fairly adequately, as well as tolerate the cold water better.

Sexual dimorphism

To say, there is very little to none. Unless one can get a close look from below, the outward appearance of both males and females is identical, both color-wise and in terms of size. On average, Females tend to be negligibly taller, but the possibility of a tall male and a short female makes the distinction in this aspect rather inaccurate. Culturally, this is a different matter entirely, but more on that later.

History

Foll are the direct descendants of Sun dragons, who were victorious amidst the struggle for leadership during the disappearance of Er'Wain. Yet it was a short-lived victory as their weakened numbers have been decimated by Gryphon tribes soon thereafter, who likewise coveted most of the mountainous areas that were previously inhabited by either Kateraks or Er'Wain.
Sun dragons retreated into obscurity on the Tri-talon peaks and formed loose connections. Yet as there were many individuals left with different opinions, they formed different tribes that each followed its own ideas for the future. One of these tribes dubbed itself Dragons of the Second All, and they meant to establish their rule over all of The Continent - eventually.
Alas, they were weak in numbers, and for a long period of time, nothing short of a few skirmishes was notable in this time period. Dragons of the Third All, have been established under the rule of Tyrth, a beloved ruler who is considered something akin to a legend amongst Foll. There exist many tales about his brave deeds and heroic conquests but in the end - he managed to conquer and unite all of Foll tribes into one kingdom - and from this point onward - Dragons of Third All were also known and feared by their adversaries as Royalists, a term used specifically by other non-Foll Midrastians either in fear or hatred.
Tyrth ascended to legendary status after his passing, though his name is still invoked to this day as a patron deity. His offspring, male or female, were also Skulled - a variation of crowning a ruler - and thus his bloodline was always in power. Yet the terms of rulership were not equal. Tyrth decreed that the current ruler always chose his own son or daughter that inherits after their passing, yet if they are unjust, they can be challenged to a duel over the right to rule and then the burden falls onto another of his offspring
This rule had one interesting addition - Queens could not be challenged if they were pregnant or assumed pregnant. And the unfortunate consequence of that was that nearly every single time, the rulers of Third All happened to almost always be female.

Dragons of Fourth All

Over another long period of time, mostly successful in maintaining their land and taking it back from their greatest perceived threat - Gryphons. Records that have been maintained suggest a descent into decadence - and ultimately - paranoia of the Tyrth line. The true name of Mad King has been dutifully erased from all records, on the account of various atrocious acts he committed against his enemies and subjects both. Over his short reign, tensions rose and rebelling Royalists formed an unlikely collaboration with neighboring Gryphon tribe. It was no longer enough to simply carry the torch of Tyrth's legacy and after several attempts, the coup was successful, even though many Foll paid a bloody price.
Eperseveth, the leading figure in this coup suffered a fatal wound, and in her dying words she managed to name her daughter as a new leader - yet one that would choose its ring of 7 Advisors - followers from all the neighboring tribes. And thus, the burden of rulership was lifted from a single individual to many - and since then, this is the current form of governing.
Not everything was alright. And not everyone was able to move on. For some, it was too difficult to bear having to see Clawstoppers that killed their siblings, offspring or parents without punishment. Eperseveth was no longer alive, and her daughter did not give in to their demands and so, many survivors of the uprising chose to voluntarily exile themselves rather than consider this to be the victory they fought for.
These survivors headed East, and formed a religion over a wooden-fashioned skull of their beloved leader, settling near the lands where future Paráž shall live. Skulling there was not used as means of ascertaining rulers, but ranks within this collective - and instead of just fighting - they collectively took up the mantle of assisting the ill and dying, to try and find inner peace for the amount of death they have seen in their lives. They formed the religion of Perseverance and keep their identity and shame hidden behind their skull masks to this day.
Currently, followers of Perseverance are formed of a wide variety of different draconic species, with some offshoots can even be found amongst Gryphons, but it found most followers by far amongst the newly transformed Sun-dragons, calling themselves Paráž