Haradasi Draconis
The collective might of Dragonborn in Timor
Haradasi Draconis is the collective name for the Dragonborn of Timor.
Although technically split into separate clans, the dragonborn society is harmonious with alliance between all known tribes with few exceptions throughout history. They reside in eastern Harad, and are united under the leadership of Clan Hass, and it's patriarch, High Saurus Balsar Hass. The High Saurus acts as a leader in times of war, and also acts as the conduit through which The Castes, mysterious beings who guide the dragonborn from the Drakar mountains above Harphrax, communicate with society as a whole. The castes communicate only through the high saurus.
Tribal settlements are spread across eastern Harad, at the foot of the Drakar mountains and the mountain of the castes. The imposing sandstone walls of the capital city Harphrax are relatively rare in their society, most tribes choosing to live closer to nature in small unwalled settlements, or in caverns in the mountains or underground.
They are largely a peaceful people, although have been embroiled in a cold war with the elves which has waxed and waned over thousands of years.
Structure
Dragonborn clans are spread across eastern Harad, and are led by their 'Drakes', the highest ranking members of each tribe. They control most all aspects of life of the tribe, and deal with whatever threats appear.
Each swears allegiance to the High Saurus, currently Balsar Hass. The high saurus is a hallowed position, decided by the Castes - a mysterious sect of beings who exist on The Mountain of the Castes, the highest mountain in all Timor. For thousands of years Clan Hass have been elected by the castes the leaders of the dragonborn.
Although the other civilisations on Timor often see this as a kingdom, this is inaccurate. The Drakes of the clans around Harphrax, and the High Saurus, see each other more as equals than a king and their lords, and their co-operation is born of mutual respect rather than fear. Laws for each clan are determined by their own Drakes rather than centrally.
The only time when the High Saurus becomes a position of power and command is during times of conflict and war, when they are tasked with co-ordination of the Dragonborn response, and the clans are bound to answer their call.
The high saurus and the drakes meet three times each year in a council in Harphrax, to discuss matters pertaining to the society at large and to work out any conflict or disagreement.
Assets
The dragonborn are not a particularly materialistic people. They arm and armour their warriors much like anyone else, and generally manufacture their own from the ore which can be mined from the Drakar mountains. Anything else they buy from the dwarves of Korosk.
It is rumoured that the Drakar mountains are rich with gems, although the dragonborn don't appear to be concerned with mining them - to the great frustration of the dwarves.
History
The dragonborn in Timor have existed for thousands of years, and are the oldest of it's civilisations along with the elves.
In the early days of each, they did collaborate and exchange ideas. At some point though, things soured, felt to be around the time of the cataclysm of The Rend. The events of the rend are not widely known among the other races of Timor, but its ramifications are known in the sundered continent that it resulted in, as well as the conflict between the dragonborn and elves which it engendered.
Since then, the two have been at odds. Through history the elves have tried to implant 'envoys' in the dragonborn society but they've always been seen for what they were - ploys for elven political influence. The elves have also tried to enforce the outlaw of Lunitari worship in all societies which they've had a hand in, even the Dragonborn. This too, has led to significant consternation towards them in cultures where Lunitari worship is commonplace.
The closest the two have come to all out war was following the assassination of Heskan Hass, the son of High Saurus Balsar Hass. He had been journeying into the desert to deal with a sand wyrm harrassing the outskirts of Harphrax - while he was out he and his knights were ambushed with no survivors.
Balsar's grief and devastation was deep and intense. He ordered extensive examination of the bodies by the most powerful (non elven) sorcerers and druids in Timor, and the only evidence found were small traces of elven poison in their blood. Although anyone could have made this, and it did not suggest involvement at government level, the assassination had happened just following the ejection of an elven envoy from Harphrax.
These two shreds of evidence together, while not overly convincing, were enough for Balsar to launch a full military blockade of Issoire.
In their journey to the Elven capital they laid waste to the elven fleet. It was unclear how they managed to destroy the fleet so handily - there were no elven survivors - but by the time the Dragonborn reached the city the elves had readied their defences. The scale of the conflict between the two great civilisations is hard to fathom, and may have meant both of their end.
The elves knew this, and continually denied any involvement in the death of Heskan, while Balsar threatened full scale invasion if no answers around the death were given. The day prior to their promised invasion, the then elven chancellor ordered the execution of an entire sect of elven rangers, The Bows of Discord, who she claimed were acting alone in the assassination.
As Heskan's death had technically been avenged, and as Balsar realised (with guidance from the castes) that his mobilisation had been premature, without solid evidence and primarily based on grief, he was forced to back down. The gesture from the chancellor had removed any basis that the high saurus had for his invasion, and he went home and ended it.
Since then, the relationship between the two has been particularly strained.
They came close again at the end of The Surdonian War, when the elves joined on the side of The Thraxan Empire and the dragonborn joined on the side of The Haradi Republic. The involvement of the two superpowers, as well as the subsequent entrance of The Sampalan Kingdom, was integral to the armistace between the two sides.
Aside from the elves, the Dragonborn have long been in conflict with the Yuan-ti of the deserts around eastern harad, who see the castes power as sacrilegious to the old serpent gods that they believe in. Since the existence of either, they have been in conflict.
Mythology & Lore
Worship of Lunitari is common among the magic users of the dragonborn, much to the disdain of the elves. Most deities have representation at various levels through their society.
The prevailing religion-adjacent belief of the dragonborn, is The Castes. Little is known of these mysterious beings who exist in the Drakar mountains above Harphrax, only that they guide the dragonborn as a whole via their communications with the High Saurus, the only member of society they communicate with.
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