Lux Aeterna: Drakon

For a few weeks now, I've thought to myself that D&D's dragonborn weren't an appropriate thing to include in this project.  Then I woke up one morning and remembered that Final Fantasy already has something like them.  I mean, I do have to twist them just enough to fit into the setting.

So for out next installment of Lux Aeterna, let's look at the drakon.

Drakon

An uncommon race, drakon are only numerous in two regions of Terra.  The most well-known drakon inhabit the Cardian Islands in the Moonglow.  Then there are the rarely seen drakon of the Great Mirage Desert.  They clearly share a common cultural ancestry.  Other races find them to be stern and honorbound, but that seems to only be a face they show to outsiders they don't know well yet.

Binding Oaths

The drakon prize honesty and keeping their word, which makes them look like they are slow to trust to other races.  However, the drakon reason that if one casually makes promises, then one's word is not worth very much.  Thus while the drakon are generally trustworthy and kind, they are reticent to make binding oaths.  A drakon who breaks his/her word is looked down upon by drakon society; either they are not trustworthy or they give their word frivolously.  Neither is considered acceptable by drakon society.  Such oathbreakers must undertake a trial determined by the priests of Bahamut to absolve themselves.  In the most extreme cases, where a drakon shows no repentance at their repeated oathbreaking, they are exiled.  On the other hand, if one proves themselves a reliable ally to a drakon, you couldn't ask for a more steadfast friend.

Bahamut's People

It is no secret that the drakon consider themselves the children of Bahamut, the King of Dragons.  Their appearance only solidifies this claim;  a typical drakon stands between 5'10" and 6'8" tall and has thick leathery scales.  Drakon have feathers where mammalian races would have hair, with finer ones around the eyebrows.   The coloration of the nu mou (hailing from the Cardian islands) tend towards opaline colors with brightly colored feathers.  Their bangaa cousins, befitting their arid domain, range from red to dun colors with darker feathers.  The nu mou have slighter builds and wings, whereas the bangaa are more muscled and lack wings.

Cities of Sky and Earth

The two groups of drakon live very different lifestyles dictated by the places they call home.

The nu mou live amidst the Cardian Islands, which have the unique property of floating above the Moonglow and not staying in any one fixed place.  To preserve the aerial ecology atop the islands, the nu mou build their cities on the underside of the islands, giving them a rather unique look and spectacular view.  The nu mou rely heavily on their wings to visit anyone below the islands, though that has been changing as airships become more prevalent among the Moonglow's terrestrial denizens.

Meanwhile, the harsh confines of the Great Mirage Desert force the bangaa into dwellings dug into the earth.  The exteriors are rounded to  withstand the sandstorms and most entrances are antechambers to allow sand to be swept out.  Bangaa enclaves are centered around underground water sources and house clan-like extended families.  From a distance, one might mistake a bangaa enclave for a particularly large sand dune.

Drakon Traits

• Age:  Drakon live longer than humans, maturing around age 25 and often dying of old age around 250 years.
• Alignment:  Drakon tend towards lawful alignments, though this is not set in stone.
• Size:  Although often physically taller than humans, drakon are Medium sized.
• Speed: Your base walking speed is 30ft.
• Draconic Hide:  You have a +2 bonus to your armor class when wearing no armor or light armor.
• Languages:  You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic.
• Subraces:  There are two very distinct subraces of drakon; bangaa and nu mou.  Choose one of these subraces.

Bangaa

 As a bangaa drakon, you are sturdier than most races, perhaps rivaling even the dwarves of deep Terra.  Your home is one of the most inhospitable places in the world and yet your people thrive.  You likely left your clan's enclave to see what new challenges can be overcome.

• Ability Score Increase:  Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Strength score increases by 1.
• Bangaa Resilience: Subtract your Constitution bonus from levels of Exhaustion when determining what effects you suffer.

Nu Mou

As a nu mou drakon, magic is an everyday part of your life.  You study the Moonglow and its abundance of auracite as a matter of routine.  You have likely struck out on your own to find new mysteries to solve.

• Ability Score Increase:  Your Intelligence score increases by 2 and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
• Wings of the Nu Mou:  You have a base fly speed of 40 feet.