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==Guardians of The Second Sky==
 
==Guardians of The Second Sky==
  
The Storm Dragons will tell you that there are two worlds, and that one is far larger than the other.
+
The ''Storm Dragons'' will tell you that there are two worlds, and that one is far larger than the other.
  
One world is the ''Mother's Gift'', which is the world as others know it. The world above is the sky, the land and the air. It is the domain of Dragons, and of the mortal races, and was formed when the Goddess exhaled it into being.
+
One world is the ''Gift'', which is the world as others know it. It the sky and the land - the domain of the draconic breeds, and of the mortal races. It was formed when the Goddess exhaled it into being as a gift to Her children, and is a precious gem to be treasured by all right-thinking creatures.
  
The other world is the ''Endless'', which is the ocean of the rest of existence. It has existed forever, and what other dragon's laughably call the Realm is nothing more than a single island within its endless reaches.
+
The other world is the ''Endless'', which is the infinite ocean that comprises the rest of existence. It has existed forever, and the ''Gift'' (what other dragons laughably call the ''Realm'') is nothing more than a tiny island within its endless reaches.
  
The ''Storm Dragons'' know that beyond the (relatively) small area of land, there lies an infinite expanse of water. Not only does this enclose the land, it also encloses the sky itself, with all the air that surrounds the realm little more than the contents of the bubble that the Goddess created for her children.
+
The ''Storm Dragons'' understand that the ''Endless'' not only encloses the land of the ''Gift'' but also encloses the sky itself, with all the air that surrounds the realm little more than the contents of the bubble that the ''Goddess'' breathed into being for her children. They know that to fly high enough would be plunge into ocean depths again.
  
They do not have so much hubris as to believe that the sea is the domain of their breed though. The Storm Dragons recognise that they patrol only the borderline where the ''Mother's Gift'' encounters the ''Endless'', and that the best they can do is to keep the ''Endless'' at bay.
+
The breed thinks it is hubris to believe that the sea is their domain. The ''Storm Dragons'' recognise that they patrol only the border waters where the ''Gift'' encounters the ''Endless'', and that the best they can do is to keep the ''Endless'' at bay. Contrary to the expectations of the other breeds, they do not love the ocean but rather fear its immensity, and only live within it because the duty of guardianship demands it.
  
Against them are railed the ''Outer Gods'' of the ''Endless'', who are legion and who individually are almost as strong as the Mother Goddess herself. The Storm Dragons battle the massive ''Kraken of the Drowned Abyss'', each of whom is many times the size of a dragon, but who are little more than the frontline soldiers of the Outer Gods' oceanic armies.
+
Against them are railed the ''Outer Gods'' of the ''Endless'', who are legion and who individually are almost as strong as the Mother Goddess herself. The ''Storm Dragons'' battle the massive ''Kraken of the Drowned Abyss'', each of whom is many times the size of a dragon, but who are little more than the frontline soldiers of the ''Outer Gods'' oceanic armies.
  
The ''Outer Gods'' want to destroy the ''Mother's Gift'' and reclaim it into the ''Endless.'' The Storm Dragons are all that stand in their way...
+
The ''Outer Gods'' want to destroy the ''Gift'' and reclaim it into the ''Endless.'' The ''Storm Dragons'' know that they are all that stand in their way...
  
 
<br><br>
 
<br><br>
Line 25: Line 25:
 
===Sphere Ratings===
 
===Sphere Ratings===
  
* '''Soma 4'''
+
*'''Soma 5'''
* '''Sophis  5'''
+
*'''Sophia 6'''
* '''Pneuma 3'''
+
*'''Pneuma 4'''
 
 
  
 +
''Storm Dragons'' are a dour and tactiturn breed, too preoccupied with the endless war to engage in idle chit chat or fanciful magics. Though they are warriors, their true strength lies in their minds. They are learned in mystery, they are fearlessly courageous and they are dedicated to inner discipline.
 +
<br><br>
 
===Birthrights===
 
===Birthrights===
  
'''Breathing the Endless''' - Storm Dragons can breathe underwater as easily as if they were in air. Also, they can swim as fast as most dragons can fly, whereas most dragons are not well suited to propel themselves underwater.
+
'''Breathing the Endless''' - ''Storm Dragons'' can breathe underwater as easily as if they were in air. Also, they can swim as fast as most dragons can fly, whereas most dragons are not well suited to propel themselves underwater.
  
'''Echo Location''' - Storm Dragons can use a bat-like system of sonar-location to "see" their surroundings, even in absolute darkness. Underwater, this is just as effective and detailed as their sight. Out of water, it is less effective, and only half as accurate as their sight.
+
'''Echo Location''' - ''Storm Dragons'' can use a bat-like system of sonar-location to "see" their surroundings, even in absolute darkness. Underwater, this is just as effective and detailed as their sight. Out of water, it is less effective, and only half as accurate as their sight.
 
<br><br>
 
<br><br>
 +
===Flaws===
  
===Breed Weakness===
+
'''Ocean Douses Flame''' - ''Storm Dragons'' cannot use any magic relating to fire, including the universal birthright ''firebreathing''.
 
 
'''Born for the Second Sky''' - Storm Dragons are uncomfortable out of water, and out of harmony with environments other than the subaquatic. When not underwater, Storm Dragons are at -1 dice to any Pneuma or Sophis related rolls.
 
 
<br><br>
 
<br><br>
  
 
==Physical Appearance==
 
==Physical Appearance==
  
'''Storm Dragons''' are blue scaled, and are divided in appearance according to the ocean depth they dwell at. Those that spend most time by shore or in sky tend to have light blue scales, whereas those who spend most of their time in the deep have dark blue scales, with "horizon breakers" somewhere inbetween. Unlike Forest Dragons, however, this appearance is not fixed by heredity, but rather shifts gradually according to where the Storm Dragon spends most time. A dark-hued "seeker in darkness" who spends a century on dry land will lighten in hue till he is indistinguishable from a "horizon breaker", and a century later in the same environment will appear as light as a true "cloud swimmer". In contrast, Storm Dragon eyes that vary in diametric opposition with their skin hue - a dark scaled dragon will have light blue eyes, and vice versa. Storm Dragons also vary anatomically from the other breeds in many other ways: all have gills on the side of their neck, allowing them their amphibious lives, and many also have fish-like fins and long dolphin-like faces. Male Storm Dragons do not have horns as such, but rather just a series of keratinous ridges in a crown around their temple.  
+
'''Storm Dragons''' are blue scaled, and are divided in appearance according to the ocean depth they dwell at. Those that spend most time by shore or in sky tend to have light blue scales, whereas those who spend most of their time in the deep have dark blue scales, with ''"horizon breakers"'' somewhere inbetween. Unlike ''Forest Dragons'', however, this appearance is not fixed by heredity, but rather shifts gradually according to where the ''Storm Dragon'' spends most time. A dark-hued ''"seeker in darkness"'' who spends a century on dry land will lighten in hue till he is indistinguishable from a'' "horizon breaker"'', and a century later in the same environment will appear as light as a true ''"cloud swimmer"''. In contrast, ''Storm Dragon'' eyes that vary in diametric opposition with their skin hue - a dark scaled dragon will have light blue eyes, and vice versa. ''Storm Dragons'' also vary anatomically from the other breeds in many other ways: all have gills on the side of their neck, allowing them their amphibious lives, and many also have fish-like fins and long dolphin-like faces. Male ''Storm Dragons'' do not have horns as such, but rather just a series of keratinous ridges in a crown around their temple.  
 
<br><br>
 
<br><br>
  
 
==Society and Culture==
 
==Society and Culture==
  
The majority of Storm Dragons live deep in the ''Endless'', which
+
While the other breeds recognise that ''Storm Dragons'' of different ocean depths have different scale hue and titles, they do not often realise that each of the three demarcations (''Seeker in Darkness, Horizon Breaker and Cloud Swimmer'') represents an entirely different segment of Storm Dragon society.
 
 
The ''Heart Forest'' runs the entire North-South length of the realm, covering its Western border. It varies from frozen pine forests in the northwest, to steaming jungles in the southwest, with temperate forest and other forms of woodland inbetween.
 
 
 
The ''Forest Dragons'' proper are found throughout the central portion of the Heart Forest, and are form part of a great meta-civilisation that they call ''"The Blessed of the Mother"''. (This term excludes [[Age of Dragons: Jungle Dragons|Jungle Dragons]] and [[Age of Dragons: Jade Dragons|Jade Dragons]])
 
 
 
The ''People of the Green'' tend to live in small family units of around six to twelve dragons called ''Kindreds''. Each Kindred is centred on a single "Nest", at the centre of their domain. Because the Heart Forest is vast, many Kindred domains are quite isolated, with barely any contact with neighbouring Kindreds. When territories do meet, most Kindreds coexist peacefully, but occasionally violent feuds can break out.  
 
  
Despite their disparate and scattered existences, the Kindreds do have a shared culture and history, mostly thanks to the efforts of the ''Seers of the Green'': a society of animist adepts who function as priests, arbitrators, leaders and messengers across the Forest. The Seers have a tradition of oral storytelling that stretches back to the dawn of history, and lead the Forest Dragons in prayer and ritual.  
+
The ''Seekers in Darkness'' make up at least ninety percent of the Storm Dragon population, and consider themselves ''Storm Dragon'' society proper. They are militaristic, as suits a people at constant war, and driven by their duty to protect the ''Gift'' from the ''Outer Gods'' and their ''Kraken'' servants. Their deep ocean cities are built on a scale far larger than dry land settlements, but also tend to be far more thinly populated, with perhaps a thousand merfolk living alongside a dozen dragons in each city, when the same space above ground would house thirty thousand humans. The mortal and draconic inhabitants of this city alike are used to living under siege from the darkness beyond. Because noise travels so far underwater, and because stealth is a vital skill in an existence defined by warfare, most ''Seekers'' speak only rarely and quietly, earning the underwater realm the nickname of ''"The Domain of Whispers."''
  
It is because of the Seers that the Forest Dragons all keep a sacred grove in each Nest, and plant a birth-tree for each newborn. It is through the Seers that the centennial Gathers are organised, when Forest Dragons tend to find new mates, catch up on news and join in celebration. Only the Seers can officiate over family-bindings (the closest thing Forest Dragons have to marriage), can give a wandering Forest Dragon leave to move beyond the Heart Forest, or insist that a stranger be given free passage through another's territory. The Seers themselves are factionalised of course, and have no single leadership or agenda save for the continuation of their traditions.
+
''Horizon Breakers'' account for about two percent of the population, but they are considered to be the ''Storm Dragons'' point of communication to the other breeds. Other breeds might find it hard to believe that these tactiturn, quiet souls are considered to be the wildest and most vociferous members of oceanic society. They trade with the other breeds as necessary (particularly the ''Chimericals'', who they have a long friendship with), usually seeking to acquire arcane knowledge and arms in exchange for the treasures and secrets of the sea.
  
Possibly, the numbers of Forest Dragons equal those of the other breeds combined, but as few Forest Dragons wander far from their Nests they are rarely seen beyond the Heart Forest. Those that do travel are usually either malcontents or outcasts, or working directly on the instructions of the Seers to achieve a particular goal before returning home.
+
''Cloud Swimmers'', on the other hand, are not considered to be part of ''Storm Dragon'' society at all. Rather they are those who shirk the guardian duty that has been given to them. It is not in the nature of ''Storm Dragons'' to berate though, so for the most part the ''Cloud Swimmers'' are politely ignored and not spoken of, with the silent expectation that one day they will grow up and return to their duties. At that time nothing more will be said of that time, save perhaps obliquely as "that short sabbatical" or "your momentary lapse".  
 
 
The Forest Dragons have shown no interest in joining the Alliance, and have no spokespersons to allow the breed as a whole to join anyway. Some displaced individuals have found a place there, but they are the exception rather than the rule.
 
 
 
The Forest Dragons have even less interest in joining the Ascendancy, as the Ascendancy's religion and ethics run counter to Forest Dragon thinking.  
 
 
<br><br>
 
<br><br>
  
==Lifepaths and the Forest Dragons==
+
==Lifepaths and the Storm Dragons==
 
 
With their short lives, it is uncommon for Forest Dragons to pursue more than one (or at most two) Paths over their entire lives. Forest Dragons don't tend to seek to master every field of endeavour, but rather pick one role that suits them. Generally a single family unit will have a particular preference of Lifepath, which most family members will follow, simply because they have easy access to mentors from that path and are exposed to it from an early age.
 
 
 
Three major philosophies exist within the Kindreds, though there are also many smaller ones:
 
  
The ''Call of Harmony'' follow the Lifepath of [[Age of Dragons: Physical Adept|Physical Adepts]] and see their calling as gaining unity with nature, both by understanding their physical forms and by wearing the skins of other animal races. These families will often maintain nests that share territory with animals and mortals, and seek to coexist rather than to dominate or rule.
+
As a militaristic society, the ''Seekers-in-Darkness'' have a large number of [[Age of Dragons: Warmaster|Warmasters]], though the nature of their war necessitates that they often work solo or in small groups for extended periods rather than in the battle-flights of other breeds. The primary military organisation is the ''Black Guardians'' - a brotherhood of draconic knights driven by their code of duty of protection, and renowned for their bravery, but also for their stealth, cunning and intelligence.
  
In contrast, ''Call of Clouds'' kindreds favour the Lifepath of the [[Age of Dragons: Sky Dancer|Sky Dancer]] and are fairly uninterested in the world below the canopy, instead preferring the skies above where they can be closer to the Pneuma of the Goddess. They represent the exuberance and joyfulness that is the best aspect of the youthful culture of the Forest Dragons.
+
A small number of [[Age of Dragons: Animist Adept|Animist Adepts]] support the ''Black Guardians'', though their emphasis on the military role often has them dubbed ''Deepwar Summoners''. Likewise, ''Deepwar Magi'' concentrate on the combat magic aspects of the [[Age of Dragons: Scholar-Sage|Scholar-Sage]] Lifepath. Its not uncommon for both Summoners and Magi to train as ''Black Guardians'' first.
  
Finally, families which follow the ''Call of Thorns'' tend to follow the path of the [[Age of Dragons: Beast Unbound|Beast Unbound]]. They seek to dominate their environments, and tend to be amongst the most vicious and feral of their breed. They believe that a short life should find joy in spilt blood and ferocious struggle.  
+
The ''Horizon-Breakers'' tend to be [[Age of Dragons: Ambassador-Courtier|Ambassador-Courtiers]] (dubbed the ''Voices of the Storm'') or infiltrating [[Age of Dragons: Physical Adept|Physical Adepts]] (dubbed ''Eyes of the Storm'') who use Polymorphing to spy invisibly on the rest of Dragonkind.
  
Outside the Kindred-based structure of society are the ''Seers of the Green'', who almost universally follow the lifepath of the [[Age of Dragons: Animist Adept|Animist Adepts]]. Traditionally, in a brood of four or more hatchlings, the youngest will seek out the Seers to join their number. Often, the Seers will pick out these youngest siblings at Gathers, and guide them into choosing to join their number. A small force of [[Age of Dragons: Warmaster|Warmasters]] called the ''Emerald Branch'' also dedicate themselves to the Seers' service, travelling with them as bodyguards or soldiers. It is almost unheard of for a Forest Dragon to become a [[Age of Dragons: Warmaster|Warmaster]] without first trying another Lifepath, and the ''Emerald Branch'' themselves do not accept any Dragon who has not at the very least spent twenty five years in normal life within a Kindred.  
+
With ''Cloud-Swimmers'', societal roles tend to be abandoned in favour of whatever takes a dragon's individual fancy. With their inclination towards sophistry, many pursue the more academic aspects of the [[Age of Dragons: Scholar-Sage|Scholar-Sage]] Lifepath.
 
<br><br>
 
<br><br>
  
 
==Outlook==
 
==Outlook==
  
''Wisdom-of-the-Young'', is a respected Seer, and shares the thoughts of his people:
+
''City-Swimmer'', a Horizon-Breaker and Eye of the Storm, shares his observations:
  
* '''Pure Dragons''' - ''"Children of desert, as we are children of forest. The Mother gave us different gifts, but I think ours was the better."''
+
* '''Pure Dragons''' - ''"Their devotion to the Mother is admirable, though truly they should learn to act on their faith rather than just talk about it."''
* '''Argent Dragons''' - ''"The humans of Arrantis have learnt to stop at the border of the Forest, knowing that they have no authority beyond where the trees begin. The wise Argent should know the same."''
+
* '''Argent Dragons''' - ''"Brave soldiers - a shame they cannot join us in the Kraken wars."''
* '''Solar Dragons''' - ''"For all their claims of sibling empathy, they can never truly understand us. We are not part of their grand society - the Forest breed stand apart."''
+
* '''Solar Dragons''' - ''"They don't understand that we have greater concerns than a mere Dragonwar on the Mother's Gift. We have a deeper duty that cannot be abandoned."''
* '''Hunter Dragons''' - ''"They almost understand - almost. But they have seized onto one aspect of the mysteries of life, and lost track of the others."''
+
* '''Hunter Dragons''' - ''"Their ways are so directionless, and so easy. I envy their freedom, but understand that I can never join them in their life of simplicity."''
* '''Storm Dragons''' - ''"They are to be respected, and feared. The duty out Mother gave them is a difficult one, and they serve it well."''
+
* '''Forest Dragons''' - ''"The young are so joyful in their innocence. Little do they know how precarious their lifestyle and their world is."''
* '''Ashen Dragons''' - ''"They think themselves so superior in intellect, but for all their knowledge they have little true wisdom."''
+
* '''Ashen Dragons''' - ''"Claim dominion over your little domain if you will, Ashen Dragon, but you should never believe that is of any true consequence."''
* '''Velvet Dragons''' - ''"Their beauty is like that of a marble statue - ancient, unchanging and artificial. Our beauty is that of living youth - one that they can never match."''
+
* '''Velvet Dragons''' - ''"I met one of their spies in Kalarn once, and we shared information. They can be dealt with, carefully."''
* '''Chimerical Dragons''' - ''"They have insights, these ones, that even we Seers cannot match. But I fear where their insights come from - the dream realm was not meant to be explored, or conquered."''
+
* '''Chimerical Dragons''' - ''"Our friends on the dream isles, and our greatest trading partners. More than any others, they understand us."''
* '''Ghost Dragons''' - ''"Death-cultists of the worse sort, whose very presence makes nature recoil. They will find no refuge in our forests."''
+
* '''Ghost Dragons''' - ''"They fear extinction and have reason to be frightened. What they do not recognise is who they should be fearing."''
* '''Blood Dragons''' - ''"Time and time again they have sought to burn us out of our woods - time and time again, we have driven them off. They all deserve death."''
+
* '''Blood Dragons''' - ''"Their ferocity would serve well in the Kraken war, but ultimately dragonflame counts for nothing in the deep ocean. They are insignificant."''
* '''Sable Dragons''' - ''"The force they worship is evil, but it is just a powerful spirit rather than a true deity. Endless Night could never threaten the Heart Forest."''
+
* '''Sable Dragons''' - ''"We Storm Dragons fight to defend against demons from the deep, yet the Sables invite one to rule over them. It is a shame that we do not have the resources or time to fight this threat - ''Endless Night'' is but one demon amongst many."''
 
<br><br>
 
<br><br>
 
----
 
----
  
[[Category:Age_of_Dragons]]
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[[Category:Age_of_Dragons|Storm]]

Latest revision as of 08:25, 26 August 2009

Age Of Dragons: Main Page -> The Twelve Breeds -> Storm Dragons


Guardians of The Second Sky[edit]

The Storm Dragons will tell you that there are two worlds, and that one is far larger than the other.

One world is the Gift, which is the world as others know it. It the sky and the land - the domain of the draconic breeds, and of the mortal races. It was formed when the Goddess exhaled it into being as a gift to Her children, and is a precious gem to be treasured by all right-thinking creatures.

The other world is the Endless, which is the infinite ocean that comprises the rest of existence. It has existed forever, and the Gift (what other dragons laughably call the Realm) is nothing more than a tiny island within its endless reaches.

The Storm Dragons understand that the Endless not only encloses the land of the Gift but also encloses the sky itself, with all the air that surrounds the realm little more than the contents of the bubble that the Goddess breathed into being for her children. They know that to fly high enough would be plunge into ocean depths again.

The breed thinks it is hubris to believe that the sea is their domain. The Storm Dragons recognise that they patrol only the border waters where the Gift encounters the Endless, and that the best they can do is to keep the Endless at bay. Contrary to the expectations of the other breeds, they do not love the ocean but rather fear its immensity, and only live within it because the duty of guardianship demands it.

Against them are railed the Outer Gods of the Endless, who are legion and who individually are almost as strong as the Mother Goddess herself. The Storm Dragons battle the massive Kraken of the Drowned Abyss, each of whom is many times the size of a dragon, but who are little more than the frontline soldiers of the Outer Gods oceanic armies.

The Outer Gods want to destroy the Gift and reclaim it into the Endless. The Storm Dragons know that they are all that stand in their way...



Character Creation: Game Rules[edit]

Sphere Ratings[edit]

  • Soma 5
  • Sophia 6
  • Pneuma 4

Storm Dragons are a dour and tactiturn breed, too preoccupied with the endless war to engage in idle chit chat or fanciful magics. Though they are warriors, their true strength lies in their minds. They are learned in mystery, they are fearlessly courageous and they are dedicated to inner discipline.

Birthrights[edit]

Breathing the Endless - Storm Dragons can breathe underwater as easily as if they were in air. Also, they can swim as fast as most dragons can fly, whereas most dragons are not well suited to propel themselves underwater.

Echo Location - Storm Dragons can use a bat-like system of sonar-location to "see" their surroundings, even in absolute darkness. Underwater, this is just as effective and detailed as their sight. Out of water, it is less effective, and only half as accurate as their sight.

Flaws[edit]

Ocean Douses Flame - Storm Dragons cannot use any magic relating to fire, including the universal birthright firebreathing.

Physical Appearance[edit]

Storm Dragons are blue scaled, and are divided in appearance according to the ocean depth they dwell at. Those that spend most time by shore or in sky tend to have light blue scales, whereas those who spend most of their time in the deep have dark blue scales, with "horizon breakers" somewhere inbetween. Unlike Forest Dragons, however, this appearance is not fixed by heredity, but rather shifts gradually according to where the Storm Dragon spends most time. A dark-hued "seeker in darkness" who spends a century on dry land will lighten in hue till he is indistinguishable from a "horizon breaker", and a century later in the same environment will appear as light as a true "cloud swimmer". In contrast, Storm Dragon eyes that vary in diametric opposition with their skin hue - a dark scaled dragon will have light blue eyes, and vice versa. Storm Dragons also vary anatomically from the other breeds in many other ways: all have gills on the side of their neck, allowing them their amphibious lives, and many also have fish-like fins and long dolphin-like faces. Male Storm Dragons do not have horns as such, but rather just a series of keratinous ridges in a crown around their temple.

Society and Culture[edit]

While the other breeds recognise that Storm Dragons of different ocean depths have different scale hue and titles, they do not often realise that each of the three demarcations (Seeker in Darkness, Horizon Breaker and Cloud Swimmer) represents an entirely different segment of Storm Dragon society.

The Seekers in Darkness make up at least ninety percent of the Storm Dragon population, and consider themselves Storm Dragon society proper. They are militaristic, as suits a people at constant war, and driven by their duty to protect the Gift from the Outer Gods and their Kraken servants. Their deep ocean cities are built on a scale far larger than dry land settlements, but also tend to be far more thinly populated, with perhaps a thousand merfolk living alongside a dozen dragons in each city, when the same space above ground would house thirty thousand humans. The mortal and draconic inhabitants of this city alike are used to living under siege from the darkness beyond. Because noise travels so far underwater, and because stealth is a vital skill in an existence defined by warfare, most Seekers speak only rarely and quietly, earning the underwater realm the nickname of "The Domain of Whispers."

Horizon Breakers account for about two percent of the population, but they are considered to be the Storm Dragons point of communication to the other breeds. Other breeds might find it hard to believe that these tactiturn, quiet souls are considered to be the wildest and most vociferous members of oceanic society. They trade with the other breeds as necessary (particularly the Chimericals, who they have a long friendship with), usually seeking to acquire arcane knowledge and arms in exchange for the treasures and secrets of the sea.

Cloud Swimmers, on the other hand, are not considered to be part of Storm Dragon society at all. Rather they are those who shirk the guardian duty that has been given to them. It is not in the nature of Storm Dragons to berate though, so for the most part the Cloud Swimmers are politely ignored and not spoken of, with the silent expectation that one day they will grow up and return to their duties. At that time nothing more will be said of that time, save perhaps obliquely as "that short sabbatical" or "your momentary lapse".

Lifepaths and the Storm Dragons[edit]

As a militaristic society, the Seekers-in-Darkness have a large number of Warmasters, though the nature of their war necessitates that they often work solo or in small groups for extended periods rather than in the battle-flights of other breeds. The primary military organisation is the Black Guardians - a brotherhood of draconic knights driven by their code of duty of protection, and renowned for their bravery, but also for their stealth, cunning and intelligence.

A small number of Animist Adepts support the Black Guardians, though their emphasis on the military role often has them dubbed Deepwar Summoners. Likewise, Deepwar Magi concentrate on the combat magic aspects of the Scholar-Sage Lifepath. Its not uncommon for both Summoners and Magi to train as Black Guardians first.

The Horizon-Breakers tend to be Ambassador-Courtiers (dubbed the Voices of the Storm) or infiltrating Physical Adepts (dubbed Eyes of the Storm) who use Polymorphing to spy invisibly on the rest of Dragonkind.

With Cloud-Swimmers, societal roles tend to be abandoned in favour of whatever takes a dragon's individual fancy. With their inclination towards sophistry, many pursue the more academic aspects of the Scholar-Sage Lifepath.

Outlook[edit]

City-Swimmer, a Horizon-Breaker and Eye of the Storm, shares his observations:

  • Pure Dragons - "Their devotion to the Mother is admirable, though truly they should learn to act on their faith rather than just talk about it."
  • Argent Dragons - "Brave soldiers - a shame they cannot join us in the Kraken wars."
  • Solar Dragons - "They don't understand that we have greater concerns than a mere Dragonwar on the Mother's Gift. We have a deeper duty that cannot be abandoned."
  • Hunter Dragons - "Their ways are so directionless, and so easy. I envy their freedom, but understand that I can never join them in their life of simplicity."
  • Forest Dragons - "The young are so joyful in their innocence. Little do they know how precarious their lifestyle and their world is."
  • Ashen Dragons - "Claim dominion over your little domain if you will, Ashen Dragon, but you should never believe that is of any true consequence."
  • Velvet Dragons - "I met one of their spies in Kalarn once, and we shared information. They can be dealt with, carefully."
  • Chimerical Dragons - "Our friends on the dream isles, and our greatest trading partners. More than any others, they understand us."
  • Ghost Dragons - "They fear extinction and have reason to be frightened. What they do not recognise is who they should be fearing."
  • Blood Dragons - "Their ferocity would serve well in the Kraken war, but ultimately dragonflame counts for nothing in the deep ocean. They are insignificant."
  • Sable Dragons - "We Storm Dragons fight to defend against demons from the deep, yet the Sables invite one to rule over them. It is a shame that we do not have the resources or time to fight this threat - Endless Night is but one demon amongst many."