Dracha

Dracha (pronounced DRA-kah, both singular and plural) are draconic warriors. Created via magic by dragons, the dracha are a sort of chimera, the result of the magical mixing of humanoid and dragon traits. They are found in the company of dragons or in small groups performing a service for dragons. Only the rare dracha associates with creatures of other races.

Roleplaying Dracha

Dracha come from a long line of loyal servants to dragonkind. Some have struck out on their own or operate as free agents among the other races who would never consciously work against the dragons.

Playing a dracha has some simple aspects—the typical dracha is straightforward and approaches situations in a very direct manner. They desire treasure and usually make better followers than leaders. But there are challenges as well. Dracha are new to the Lands of the Diamond Throne, and the other races often do not trust them. This means that a dracha character has to prove himself to any nondracha potential friends or allies. It also means that the dracha face prejudice, particularly from NPCs. This distrust and prejudice is probably no greater than that which the mojh face. The main difference is that the dracha personality (and physiology) makes them far less likely to hide under a hooded cloak while in an unfriendly city. It just wouldn’t occur to them.

Dracha devote a great deal of their attention to their wings. They care for them and keep them in good condition as a point of pride. (Physical appearance in general is important to them, although they do not obsess about it.) Dracha who take racial levels and gain the ability of flight revel in it and take to the sky when possible just for the sheer joy of flying. They use their wings to express themselves.

Dracha and Mojh

It’s worth a moment to think about the relationship of dracha and mojh, and the dichotomy they represent. If mojh represent the magical nature of dragons, dracha represent their physical might. One might be tempted to say that mojh have captured the spirit of dragonkind, but dracha have their forms, but that assessment is a little too simple. The mojh have attempted on their own, perhaps using techniques originally devised by the dramojh, to be more like dragons. The dracha were actually made by the dragons—their “dragon-ness” was granted to them. On the other hand, they had no choice in the matter. Thus, the circumstances shape the personalities in very different manners. In a different world where history took a different turn, one could imagine that the mojh and dracha would be a single race, perhaps sharing traits or existing as a dimorphous race, where the smaller, frailer mojh become mages and the stronger, winged dracha serve as warriors. Other dracha, and friends of dracha, can tell an individual’s mood just by how he holds his wings at a given moment.

Dracha are most often champions, warmains, unfettered, ritual warriors, or oathsworn. Only rarely are they akashics, magisters, greenbonds, witches, mage blades, or totem warriors. They are almost never runethanes.

Personality: Dracha are proud, confident warriors who value strength and loyalty. They long to prove themselves and demonstrate, both as individuals to each other and as a race to dragonkind, that they are worthy of self-determination. Thus, they are eager to serve their draconic masters, and serve well, but this is only because they truly desire to be free.

Dracha are as happy underground as above but seem leery of the sea. They can be long-winded, usually more than happy to go on at length about their accomplishments—including a few embellishments or exaggerations, if needed. They place little value on most creature comforts like expensive food or drink and avoid alcohol or other substances that might take away even a little of their composure or control. Like dragons, they prize wealth and power and harbor an almost unnatural attraction to precious metals, jewels, and other treasures. They are fascinated with both magic and technological devices, although often they are not good at using either.

Physical Description: Dracha stand around 6 feet tall and have wide shoulders and broad chests. Their skin is covered in a scaly hide, and most have a frill or ridge on their backs. Their long reptilian heads rest atop snaky necks. Horns rise from their skull and taper back. Their eyes are usually red, black, or yellow, while their overall coloration ranges from black to blue-green to brownish-red. Most impressively, large, muscular draconic wings rise up on their backs, usually lighter in color than the rest of their bodies. While most dracha do not actually fly, their wings are their most expressive part, always moving, flexing or wavering, depending on their mood. Their wingspan is usually a little more than twice their height. Dracha mature at the same rate as humans and live about as long.

Relations: In the eyes of most other races, dracha are new on the scene, having arrived in these lands with their dragon lords. Generally speaking, dracha do not trust members of the other races, nor are they trusted themselves. Only a few so far have forged bonds with members of other races. Even these individuals are greeted with fear and even anger in most cities and towns.

Dracha do not look upon mojh as different than any other race, but mojh have a special resentment for dracha. In the eyes of the mojh, dracha stole their birthright. Dracha are the favored sons of the dragons that the mojh always wanted to be. Most mojh feel jealousy, envy, hatred, resentment, fear, begrudging respect, or a combination of such feelings toward dracha. Most dracha are utterly oblivious to this. Their connection with dragonkind is so strong that to think any other race might have hoped for such a connection is inconceivable.

Outlook: Dracha confidence can go too far. They may forget their own limitations and put themselves in untenable situations. Sometimes their confidence simply comes across as optimism, which is endearing. Other times, it comes across as foolhardy, which is not. Dracha are not a stupid race, however. Their confidence comes from having the company of powerful allies to back them up. When they are on their own, it is easy for them to forget that they are, in fact. . . on their own.

Although not always honest in their words, dracha are usually fairly direct in their actions. It’s not that they hate duplicity, it’s just that they rarely consider it as an option, just as they seldom devise elaborate plans. When something needs doing, they just do it. The straightforward way is the dracha way. However, if someone suggests a different approach, they are usually open to it.

It’s easy to compare and contrast the dracha and their relationship with dragons to sibeccai and their relationship with giants. Dracha are the dragons’ favored sons, and dragons have no interest in seeing them move on to find their own place in the world. Because dracha owe their existence to the dragons, they generally respect, revere, and obey them. Likewise, sibeccai are eager, helpful allies of the giants and even show them deference in gratitude for their enlightened state. But giants do not necessarily want the sibeccai at their beck and call forevermore. Another difference is that, when dracha sometimes revert to their nonhumanoid ways, it’s a nature they share with their patrons. When sibeccai do the same, their instincts diverge from the nature of giants.

Dracha Lands: The dracha have no lands of their own. Over the centuries, at the behest of the dragons, they have had to move around a great deal and thus adapt to environments ranging from mountains to deserts. Some of the lands in which they have lived were as harsh as the world had to offer. Perhaps because of this fact, dracha don’t like to tie themselves down for very long to any one place. Any fortress, city, lair, or home they might inhabit is looked upon as transitory. Dracha do not consider the control of an area as a way to power. If a dracha warlord wanted power, he would make his goal the conquest of creatures, not land.

Religion: Dracha worship Erixalimar, also known as the Dragonliege and god of the dragons. Erixalimar was once a dragon himself, considered the greatest of all wyrms. He has since ascended to godhood. Although the nature of dragon worship and religious faith is not always clear, the religion of the dracha is very straight-forward. Dracha priests hold services with much ceremony and elaborate ritual to revere the entity they sometimes call the “Lord of the Lords.” Since dracha seldom stay in one place very long, they almost never build temples. Instead, they hold their ceremonies in open, outdoor sites of significance (when possible). Dracha priests bring their religious accoutrement with them wherever they go.

Language: Dracha speak Draconic, the language of their creators, as their native tongue. However, the dracha have a unique take on this complex language. In many ways, they have streamlined and simplified a tongue that was far too baroque and intricate. To the educated ear, dracha Draconic differs notably from dragon (and mojh) Draconic. The two dialects are similar enough that there are no translation issues; the differences are in syntax and grammar, not in vocabulary, although where dragons might have six words for one thing, the dracha have just one. Dracha learn Common as a secondary language.

Names: Dracha are always named for their ancestors. Dracha originally had names like dragon names—which is to say, long and complex. Over the generations, however, the names became contracted. Thus, a dracha whose ancestor’s name was Vestoramir would today be called Vest’ram’r or even V’ram’r. This makes dracha names very consonant-heavy with apostrophes scattered thickly through them. Dracha names are not gender specific. Adventurers: In a way, all dracha are adventurers. They are task oriented, always seeking to accomplish something of significance. They can find themselves strongly motivated by the lust for wealth and power, sometimes even treasure for treasure’s sake. They are not overly curious by nature, though, nor are they good self-starters.
 * Dracha Male and Female Names: K’donr’v, M’narl’s, T’gon’l, Unam’rn, V’ram’r.

Favored Drink: Strong, spiced coffee; Favored Food: Cooked meats of all kinds; Favored Weapon: Axes of any kind.

Dracha Racial Traits
 * Dracha are strong and tough, enjoying a +2 racial bonus to Constitution but a –2 racial penalty to Charisma.
 * Dracha base speed is 30 feet.
 * Medium: As Medium creatures, dracha have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
 * Natural Armor: Their scaly hides grant dracha a +2 natural armor bonus.
 * Darkvision: Dracha can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but otherwise it resembles normal sight. Dracha can function just fine with no light at all.
 * Gliding: Their wings allow dracha to glide up to 100 feet if they launch themselves from a height of at least 20 feet. When gliding, they move at a speed of 30 feet. Dracha wearing medium or heavy armor cannot glide.
 * Automatic Languages: Common and Draconic.
 * Bonus Languages: Any.
 * Racial Levels: Dracha can take a few levels in “dracha” as a class to develop their racial qualities more fully.
 * Dracha always gain Knowledge (dracha) as a class skill.

Dracha Levels

Dracha can take up to three levels in “dracha” at any time. Not all dracha, however, take racial levels (or all three of them). Dracha who are exposed to the magic of the tenebrian seeds can evolve and gain three more racial levels (see below).

Hit Die: 1d8

Skill Points at 1st Character Level: (2 + Intelligence bonus) × 4.

Skill Points at Higher Levels: 2+ Intelligence bonus.

“Class” Skills: Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dracha) (Int), Knowledge (dragons) (Int), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dracha with levels only in dracha (no actual class levels) are proficient in the use of all simple weapons and light armors and shields.

Flight (Ex): Dracha with two racial levels can use their wings to fly, taking their ground speed as their flight speed. The dracha can even wear medium or heavy armor while flying. They have clumsy maneuverability, which improves to average at 3rd level.

Natural Armor Bonus (Ex): This +1 bonus stacks with the dracha’s existing natural armor bonus.

The Evolved Dracha

Once they evolve, dracha become more massive, growing as much as a foot, while their wingspans increase four times that and their shoulders broaden. Their teeth and claws lengthen and their scaly hides thicken, the scales growing larger.

Evolved Dracha Breath Weapon: This is a cone of fire, cold, acid, or electricity (character choice, but once made it cannot be changed) 30 feet long that inflicts 1d6 points of damage per character level (maximum 2d6 per dracha racial or evolved level). Reflex save (DC 10 + dracha levels + Constitution modifier) halves damage. Usable once per day for every two dracha racial or evolved levels. This standard action does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Evolved Dracha Natural Armor Bonus (Ex): These bonuses stack with the dracha’s existing natural armor bonus.

Evolved Dracha Claws (Ex): Dracha claws on both hands become usable natural weapons at 5th level, inflicting 1d8 points of damage. The dracha can make off-hand attacks if he wishes (using the normal penalties). As with any melee weapon, the dracha adds his Strength bonus to attack and damage rolls made with the claws (use half Strength bonus for damage bonuses to off-hand attacks).

Evolved Dracha Flight (Ex): Dracha flight maneuverability increases to good at 5th level and perfect at 6th level.

Evolved Dracha Pounce (Ex): The 6th-level evolved dracha can attempt a charge attack if flying and still make a special full attack with his bite and claws, or his bite, one claw, and one weapon (making only one attack with the weapon even though he normally would have iterative attacks due to his high base attack bonus).