The Creation of the Draelish

"Draelish aren't terribly innovative, they like to stick with what they know. Consequently, they can be seen as being isolated from the rest of the world. But if one stays around them long enough, you might just learn a thing or two." -Ekavarian Scholar

Harbingers of legends long forgotten, Draelish resemble bipedal saurians that have a knack for magic. Most Draelish can be found in hidden recesses throughout the world, living in clans and maintaining old traditions that tell of a time when gods walked the world.
My name is Tristan Mitchell, and I am the subcreator of the Draelish. Below you can find various articles about the Draelish and how to play as one among the various table-top RPG systems, while the rest of this page details their creation.
The purpose of this site is to provide a home where all of the inner workings of my mind can live together alongside my brother as he goes about working on his passion for writing stories. This has all coalesced into a single species that has become a memorable part of my brother's stories, the Draelish. Here, I have been able to combine my passion for philosophy, anthropology, creation, and walking after God into a form of worship and storytelling. My hope is that we can create stories that show a reflection of God's character in others to others, whether here, in the game, through a book, or with each other. I pray that He uses these passions to work out His story in you!

History of the Concept

The concept of the Draelish came about when I was trying to come up with ways in which I could grow closer to my brother, Bananafire, while also exploring my own creativity. Together, we began to explore the world he was creating for himself in order to one day write a book series in through table top role playing games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, GURPS, and numerous, backstage discussions. As he continued to homebrew lore and content for his dnd and Pathfinder campaigns, he found that the world he was creating was growing too big for the set player expectations that came with playing fantasy ttrpg games. In his world there aren't elves that live for hundreds of years and dwarves that dig deep halls, nor numerous gods and planes. In short, he wanted to separate his world from the common concept of what makes up fantasy writing so that he has the freedom to take it wherever he liked, away from the respected (if at times restricting) influence that Tolkien has had on the fantasy genre for the last century. This included playing on other ttrpg systems, creating from scratch his own magic system which influences all aspects of the world, starting work on some short stories, and working ever onwards towards a series of books inspired by Brandon Sanderson, the Wheel of Time, various anime, and other sources.
Enter the Dragonborn. Dragonborn came onto the Dungeons and Dragons scene during the 3.5 edition of the game back in 2006 and have become a popular race ever since. My first character was a dragonborn, and I loved playing as one. But I also wanted to explore my brother's world more, and so after talking with him and the direction his world was going, we decided that we wanted to explore this relatively new addition to fantasy in our own way, much as others have done over the years with elves and dwarves.
That's where I come in. I always loved saurian-type species in fiction, whether it be the rock-dwelling Goron in Legend of Zelda, the warrior species known as the Sangheili found in Halo, even the stubborn Krogan from Mass Effect. Something about them all just connect, and Dragonborn are no different. And so we world-built our own species from this saurian-influenced archtype, grafting the initial idea from the Forgotten Realm's Dragonborn and making our own species called the Draelish. Making a new species inspired from an existing story and giving them their own lore while also not stepping on the toes of the source that inspired them proved to be a great place for my brother and I to explore this aspect of subcreation, while also bonding over something we both loved. It has brought us closer together and it has allowed me to explore the beauty of God's creation by walking in His footsteps through my own species. I hope that you will see His beautiful intricacies and my brother's wonderful creative skills as an author through our creation of the Draelish.

A Short Introduction

The Draelish are creatures created by the mysterious Duma who have been infused with a type of energy called Essence, are classified into distinctive subspecies called Affinities, are tailed, walk on their toes, and do not have breasts (a common argument for fictional reptile species!).
There are two types of Draelish, the Kasniska and the Sankara. The Sankara follow their father-god (Dumaka), Akulus, believing that he alone defended them from the darkness that consumed the world ages past. The Kasniska, on the other hand, follow their mother-god (Dumata), Kykuun, believing that she was betrayed by Akulus, dooming their kingdom, honor, and home. Though both god figures were thought to have at one time been together in harmony (this state being known as the Duma), they are now separated irrevocably in the hearts and mind of the Draelish, who feud and blame each other for the loss of their gods during the ancient event known as Neskilmidar. Both groups rarely get along, with each having separated over time into their own distinctive cultures and clans.

Different Ways to Explore

Below are different links to articles that serve as hubs for the different aspects of the Draelish species. The first details how to play as a Draelish in the various ttrpgs that my brother and I have played. The second lists a set of articles exploring the culture more, with the last containing legalities, contact info, and credit/resources found throughout the site.

• Biology
• Religion
• Essence
• Architecture
• Linguistics
• Timekeeping
• Government and Economics
• Grammar
• Naming Conventions
• Clans
• Population Statistics
• Kasniska Culture
• Sankara Culture
• Stelas (Legends)

• How to Roleplay as a Draelish
• Draelish in DnD 5e
• Draelish in GURPS 4th Edition
• Draelish in Pathfinder 2E

Tarmac Sechasakkinei by Sam Santala

Pictured above is a Mafect artist's portrayal of the Battle for Storm's Scar. During the battle, Tarmac Sechasakkinei was aided by the mysterious power held within the Sword of Akulus, leading to the defeat of an Immortan army and claiming victory for his clan.