Editing Age of Dragons: Jade Dragons

[[Age Of Dragons: Main Page]] -> [[Age_Of_Dragons:_The_Twelve_Breeds|The Twelve Breeds]] -> [[Age of Dragons: Jade Dragons|Jade Dragons]]
__toc__

----
==The Refusers of the Curse==

The [[Age of Dragons: Forest Dragons|Forest Dragons]] of the Heart Forest tell of a legend in which the Mother Goddess "blessed" the first of their kind with the ability to die of old age and to have short life like a mortal creature.

The ''Jade Dragons'' accept that this event happened, but they also recall that three of the ''Forest Dragon's'' grandchildren saw through the talk of "wisdom through brief lives" and recognised the Mother Goddess' work for what it was - a horrific curse.

They saw that the first ''Forest Dragon'' had been seeking knowledge and arcane lore, and that was on the verge of gaining secrets that would make him as powerful as his Mother. She saw this, and cursed him with mortal senescence to destroy his mind and body. The magic she cast was launched out of nothing but spite of fear.

These three grandchildren strived all their years to thwart the curse, and they failed. Their descendants fought the curse as well, and also failed.

It was only at the end of the ''First Age'', just after the Mother Goddess left the realm that a small cabal of ''Forest Dragons'' found a way to break the curse. By infusing their pneuma with death energy they were able to break the Mother's malicious enchantment, and in doing so they became something greater - ''Jade Dragons''.
<br><br>

==Character Creation: Game Rules==

The above rules and background details apply to the sub-breed of ''"Jade Dragons"''.

The progenitor breed of [[Age of Dragons: Forest Dragons|Forest Dragons]] are covered separately, as are the atavistic [[Age of Dragons: Jungle Dragons|Jungle Dragons]].

===Sphere Ratings===

*'''Soma 2'''
*'''Sophia 6'''
*'''Pneuma 6'''

''Jade Dragons'' are slight of build and sickly, thanks to their rejection of the energies of life. They are happy though to be far more intelligent than their forest dragon cousins, and they compensate for their lack of physical strength with sorcerous might.

===Birthrights===

'''Re-aligned Pneuma''' - ''Jade Dragons'' count as ''Death-aligned'' dragons rather than as ''Life-aligned'' Dragons.

'''Sorcerous Affinity''' - All ''Jade Dragons'' have a natural affinity for magic. When using Suspires, their ''Arete'' counts as +1 to its true value. 
<br><br>

===Breed Weakness===

'''Withered Souls''' - ''Jade Dragons'' have exceptionally poor fertility as their pneuma is both corrupted and mutated. One out of three eggs laid by a ''Jade Dragon'' will hatch wyverns instead of dragons.

'''Disconcerting Presence''' - ''Jade Dragons'' make for disturbing and unpleasant company. Their translucent scaleless skin makes them seem unnatural, and their disjointed and sickly movements disconcert. On actions relating to any positve socialisation (i.e. any socialisation except intimidation and attempts to cause fear or discomfort) ''Jade Dragons'' must remove any dice they roll that roll a "6". These "6s" neither count towards achieving a success, or contribute to the effect total. 
<br><br>

==Physical Appearance==
'''Jade Dragons''' are not scaled or made of ordinary flesh, but instead their skin is made of a smooth hard jade-like substance, with a similarly coloured pale green liquid in place of blood and a strong jade tint to all their viscera. Their skin and flesh has a disconcerting translucent quality to it, and their eyes are just dark red pinpricks. Though they have no scales, their Jade skin has all the supernatural benefits that scales afford, such as immunity to heat and fire.
<br><br>

==Society and Culture==

''Jade Dragons'' are found mostly in the cold pine forests of the north. Throughout much of this woodland, the trees are long dead and petrified, and those that do grow are withered looking. They have abandoned the ways of their parent breed, and tend towards a solitary existence. Part of this is from a desire to be as different as possible from the Forest Dragons, and part is from the sense of disconcertion that ''Jade Dragons'' experience in each others company.

Their solitary lifestyle combined with their low fertility means that ''Jade Dragons'' are declining in population numbers as each century passes. Courting and reproduction are seen as a tactical necessity rather than as a pleasure.

Around two thirds of ''Jade Dragons'' have found their way to the ''Ascendancy'' (where they are valued for their sorcerous acumen), with the remainder leading isolated existences far from any faction. To date, there are no ''Jade Dragons'' in the ''Alliance'', though this is likely due to geographic distance more than anything else.
<br><br>

==Lifepaths and the Jade Dragons==

The ''Jade'' tend towards arcane study, and so the majority are [[Age of Dragons: Scholar-Sage|Scholar-Sages]]. A small number of ''Ascendancy Jades'' have taken up the role of [[Age of Dragons: Demonbinder|Demonbinder]].

Few other Lifepaths appeal to ''Jade Dragon'' psychology, and they are few enough in number that a ''Jade'' following a different lifepath is probably unique in his choices.
<br><br>

==Outlook==

''Thirst-of-Balefire'', ''Jade Sorceror'' of the ''Ascendancy'' speaks of the twelve:

* '''Pure Dragons''' - ''"To their eyes we are an abomination. To hell with them - I spit on their religion, and I will burn their temples"''
* '''Argent Dragons''' - ''"They're organised and tough, these meatheaded ironmongers. Avoid."''
* '''Solar Dragons''' - ''"Blessed with pneuma, but relatively inept at sorcery. They can be disregarded."''
* '''Hunter Dragons''' - ''"Rabid filthy beasts. If you see one, kill it. If you see a whole pack, flee."''
* '''Forest Dragons''' - ''"Idiot cousins who celebrate their greatest curse as if it were a badge of honour. If they will not join us, they must die."''
* '''Storm Dragons''' - ''"Like us, they have metamorphosed into something different. Ultimately though, their reverence for animism and the Mother Goddess sickens me."''
* '''Ashen Dragons''' - ''"They have potential."''
* '''Velvet Dragons''' - ''"The glamour they cast is like our auras of disconcertion, yet opposite in effect. Perhaps there is some cure to our condition in the essence of their blood and bodies - if only I could acquire a live specimen, I could experiment..."''
* '''Chimerical Dragons''' - ''"They know more than they're letting on. They are a threat."''
* '''Ghost Dragons''' - ''"They fear and run from the Void Beyond. We seek to master the Void Beyond. Could we be any more different?"''
* '''Blood Dragons''' - ''"Mindless nasty dangerous idiot thugs. Good thing they're on our side."''
* '''Sable Dragons''' - ''"Our Lords and Masters. For now."''
<br><br>
----

[[Category:Age_of_Dragons|Jade]]