Dragonkin

There is no species of Elyrion more poorly understood or universally reviled than the Dragonkin. The first Dragonkin fell from the skies in eggs similar to those from which terrestrial and true dragons are born. These clutches landed on a dozen worlds only a decade after the Navigator returned the secrets of the Starheart drives to mortalkind, and for a time they were but another anomaly of the post-Silence world. However, it did not take long for events to reveal the true nature of the Dragonkin’s most notable feature - the ability to form a permanent bond with another mortal being.

The Dragonkin are in fact true children of the Elder Dragons, created as mortals re-established their domains among the stars in order to place influential individuals in their affairs under the Elder’s influence.

Not all (or even most) Dragonkin are thralls of the Elders. The mysterious phenomena which draws individuals into their influence is known as the Call, which typically manifests once during adolescence and again when or if an individual forms a bond with a mortal partner. Accepting or rejecting the Call is a conscious choice on the part of an individual, though some experience great psychic pressure to do so.

Origin

Dragonkin first emerged from meteroites which fell to earth on the Navigator’s chosen worlds around 2179. Further large-scale falls affecting multiple worlds simultaneously occurred in 2205, 2250, and 2293, and smaller scale falls on individual worlds have been observed intermittently since. The magical emissions detected by observatories on affected planets prior to the falls were an early hint of the Dragonkin’s origins. While some worlds and polities have made it official policy to shoot down any falling eggs they detect, natural reproduction has long since become the dominant driver of Dragonkin population.

Biology

Dragonkin are, by the standards of most sapient species, massive, often upwards of four meters from head to tail and weighing almost a thousand kilos. When in a typical standing pose, they are usually just under three meters in height. Their morphology is very much like that of terrestrial dragons, though they are universally bipedal and in possession of opposable digits. They also possess wings known to be able to propel them through the air of many worlds, though it takes skill, experience, and extensive practice to sustain extended flight, and most dragonkin rarely make use of their wings outside of sports and a relaxed attitude around extreme drops.

Culture and Language

Dragonkin communities are usually insular, by design isolated from places of political influence in a bid to avoid the attention of their draconic parents. However, a high fraction of Dragonkin do form a bond at some point in their lives. While dragonkin reproduce sexually, only bonded individuals are capable of producing viable offspring. Worlds with Dragonkin communities have found bonded pairs tremendously capable and productive, and while it is true that initial distrust of Dragonkin and bonded pairs in places where they are not common is almost universal, the dedication, loyalty, and commitment of Dragonkin and and their bonded has proved a reliable road to trust and acceptance.

The Dragonkin are not associated with any particular languages, and usually speak dialects of the common tongues which surround them. For their size, their vocal range is immense, and they are able to pronounce most common interstellar languages with ease.

Regions of Prevalence

Dragonkin are most common on and around the first worlds chosen by the Navigator to receive Starheart technology at the end of the Silence. However, many communities have moved from these influential worlds, and can now be found either living nomadic lives aboard long-haul trading convoys or as peaceful settlers on backwater planets.