Clan Dromoka

The Dromoka are a true community, dragons and desert survivors bound together by their common allegiance to their devoted dragonlord. The clan embodies the draconic aspect of endurance, and their symbol, fittingly, is the dragon's scale. The same scale is woven into the armor they wear to battle, granting them protection. They march in close ranks and fight with the support and cooperation of the dragons in Dromoka's brood. The interdependent and familial relationship between Dromoka's dragons and the others in the clan is seldom seen elsewhere on Tarkir. The dragons are unquestionably dominant, but it's widely acknowledged that the labor and talents of others are essential to the clan's survival. Those in the Dromoka clan value endurance and honor above all else. They endeavor to live long lives, and aim for their deaths to have purpose—purpose that benefits their dragonlord.

Clan Magic

Survival Magic. Dromoka magic focuses on fortifying and protecting members of the clan—hardening their armor, sharpening and guiding their weapons, and bolstering their morale. Dromoka clan clerics are among the most accomplished healers in the world. Their small but potent arsenal of offensive magic often mimics the blinding-light breath weapon of the clan's dragons. Dromoka soldiers have reputations for being undefeatable warriors in combat. Sunbringers. The mages known as sunbringers carefully channel the power of the sun as a warm light to heal wounds and strengthen spirits or unleash it in a blast of searing light. Sandbringers. Some Dromoka follow a magic tradition that originated among the ainok, calling up storms of sand to shield Dromoka troop movements or ravage the clan's enemies.

Forbidden Magic

Spirit speaking. Ancestor magic, once practiced by the distant forebears of the modern-day Dromoka humanoids, is outlawed by the dragonlord as a form of necromancy. A small group of renegades known as spirit speakers practice ancestor magic in secret, clandestinely tracking human bloodlines in defiance of Dromoka's law. Spirit speakers whisper among themselves that hidden among the forests of Dromoka territory are secret "kin trees," holding the souls of ancestors. They tend and worship these trees, knowing all the while that discovery means death.

Structure

Scalelords. Regal, proud, and protective, the dragons of the Dromoka clan reward loyalty with safety and betrayal with death. They are rulers and protectors, as aloof as any lord from their distant inferiors but aware of those directly below them in the chain of fealty. They fight fiercely on the front lines alongside the soldiers of the clan; even though their own lives are much more valuable, dragons sometimes put themselves at considerable risk when clashing with the other clans. While all dragons are venerated, the Scalelords are the oldest and most trusted of Dromoka's brood. Scaleguard. The Scaleguard are the rank-and-file infantry of the clan, a heavily armored fighting force that can lock shields and stand firm to create a solid defensive formation on a moment's notice. Elite units incorporate dragon scales into their armor, while the gear of less favored fighters mimics the shapes of the scales in ordinary metal. Foremost. Dromoka's highest-ranking soldiers are known as the Foremost. These are the battle-tested veterans who have waged war against the other clans and survived. They are regarded as paragons to the other Dromoka humanoids. They receive audience with the Scalelords and Dromoka, directly receiving the scales of the dragons to strengthen their armor.

Culture

Clan Values

Within each draconic family, humanoid children—ainok, aven, and human—are raised communally. Young children are often traded among families, moving to another aerie away from their birth parents. To outside eyes, the Dromoka seem like a clan of orphans, but members would say that among them there are no orphans. The clan is the only parentage they know, and to them, the clan can never die. This system of exchange removes the notion of inheritance by blood. Thus, every humanoid starts out on equal footing, and advancement in the clan is strictly meritocratic. Promising students rise through the ranks, so every Dromoka battle formation is commanded by a soldier who earned the position through stamina, bravery, and leadership. Honor. Warriors of the Dromoka clan value survival and honor above all else. The humanoid ideal is a long life and a death with purpose, all for the benefit of dragons, whom they call the Scalelords. In return, the dragons use their superior fortitude and long experience to protect their humanoids against hostile dragons and other extraordinary threats. Family. Just as the dragon Dromoka rules the clan, her lessers among dragonkind sit at the head of "families"—organized groups of humanoids bound together by loyalty and mutual protection rather than common ancestry. A family is defined by common attachment to a particular Dromoka dragon and common habitation in one of the clan's enormous aeries. Although they contain a mix of unrelated people, and often a mix of species, these families are very real to the Dromoka clan. Ainok, humans, and aven call each other brothers and sisters, helping each other survive in their harsh desert environment and marching in common defense of the dragons. Draconic Guardianship. Dromoka dragons rarely eat humanoids of their own clan, and in fact actively protect them. Scalelords attend military training sessions in the aeries and attend to the weaker dragons of their own clan. Some Dromoka dragons even allow humanoids to use a small number of their scales for armor, offering practical as well as symbolic protection.

Language

Draconic, the Language of Lords. Dromoka humanoids have closer contact with their dragons than most other clans, so they pick up a working knowledge of the rumbling, partially gestural Draconic language. Similarly, dragons who work closely with humanoids are often fluent in the human vernacular. In general, dragons speak to humanoids in Draconic, humanoids speak to dragons in the vernacular, and everyone understands one another. Dromoka humanoids are more likely than those in other clans to incorporate the sounds and gestures of Draconic into their own speech.

Territories

Arashin and the Great Aerie. A seat of power since ancient times, the city of Arashin sits atop an outcropping high above the desert. Surrounding the city is the greatest aerie in Dromoka clan territory, a gigantic structure that extends and fortifies the natural defensive position of the hill. The fortress is nearly invulnerable to ground assault, and the sky is heavily patrolled by dragons and aven. Dromoka makes her roost in the Great Aerie, ruling over the largest city in her territory. Economically, politically, and militarily, Arashin is the center of the clan. Aerie of the Unfettered. At the tip of a rocky spire, the Aerie of the Unfettered is the only settlement in Dromoka lands that is home only to dragons. The dragons known as the Unfettered, for a variety of reasons, are owed no fealty by anyone and have no humanoids under their protection. Some earned this status through punishment or circumstance, but many live in the Aerie by choice, simply having no interest in the lives of lesser beings. Although they are still fanatically loyal to Dromoka, the Unfettered stand apart, living much as their pre-clan forebears did. They specialize in fighting other dragons throughout Dromoka territory and high above the ground, without the aid—or encumbrance—of humanoid troops.

Infrastructure

Clan Architecture

Aeries. The sand-blasted landscape of Dromoka territory is punctuated by inverted pyramids made of stone. These structures, called aeries, serve as artificial oases and homes for all members of the clan, dragon and humanoid. The aeries are open at the top for easy access by dragons, while at ground level the heavy doors open only when troops march to war. The thick walls and harsh desert keep the Dromoka humanoids in as much as their enemies out—not that most have any interest in leaving. Mobile Roosts. In times of war, the clan's dragons fight alongside its humanoids. To ensure that they arrive at the battle fully rested and ready to fight, dragons are carried to war on huge rolling platforms towed by enormous beasts of burden. The platforms also carry food and water for the dragons, who can rest or fly as they desire rather than trying to pace the slow-moving columns of troops from the air.