Age of Dragons: Velvet Dragons
Age Of Dragons: Main Page -> The Twelve Breeds -> Velvet Dragons
Contents
Rules were made to be broken
The Velvet Dragons can't help being beautiful - its the way the goddess made them. They can't help it if Dragons of other breeds sinfully lust after them - to their mind, it is the purpose for which they are made.
So the Velvets use their beauty - they tempt, they deceive, they lie and they manipulate. They make no secret of being a force of sin, as they know that this is why they were created. They represent the hidden urge within every living being to just do what instinct and feeling says to, regardless of laws and morality.
Even in serving the Ascendancy, they see no paradox. They undermine the Mother's order and the Mother's world simply because this is what the Mother wants them to do.
Character Creation: Game Rules
Sphere Ratings
- Soma 4
- Sophis 3
- Pneuma 5
Birthrights
Glamourweaving - A Velvet Dragon appears beautiful, for reasons that go beyond the physical. They have an aura of desirability that makes every dragon want to touch and caress them. Likewise their voices are mellifluous and soothing, making others want to believe them even when they should know better. They have -1 TN on any dice rolls made to seduce or manipulate.
Breed Weakness
Aversion to Iron - For some reason, the touch of iron disagrees with Velvet Dragons. Whenever they are in physical contact with iron (or steel) their glamour ceases to function, and the touch of iron causes them pain. They cannot wear iron armour or equipment or use iron weapons. Furthermore, when iron weapons are used against them these weapons gain a bonus of +1 dice on damage checks.
Physical Appearance
Velvet Dragons are hued a deep and luxurious purple colour, that is so dark as to be almost black, but offset by their deep golden eyes. Dragons of this breed are uncannily beautiful, though in an unsettling way. Dragons of other breeds know that they should not find Velvet Dragons sexually attractive, but they cannot help doing so, and they hate themselves for doing so. The Velvets are graceful in movement, sensual in appearance and always seem to smile faintly. Their horns, claws and teeth are the colour of polished ivory, but have a fascinating curve to them that hypnotically draws the eye to them. Theirs is not a noble or elegant beauty, but rather one that triggers unhealthy lust and a sense of discomfort twinned with fascination.
Society and Culture
With all their power to deceive and manipulate, it would make sense if Velvet Dragons were the secret movers and shakers behind draconic society. The truth is quite different, however - while other Dragons may find themselves clouded in thought and judgment when the Velvets are about, the glamour fades as soon as they are gone, leaving little but resentment and a feeling of being manipulated.
Likewise, Velvets rarely form close attachments to each other. They are used to declarations of love (or undying friendship) that later turn sour, so they have a hard time establishing sincere real emotional attachments. Tie this with the fact that Velvet Dragons are the most likely breed to have interbreed relationships (and thus expend their precious pneuma on harlequin babies rather than true breeds), and the result is that Velvets simply do not have the numbers that other breeds do.
A single velvet may work his way into a position of influence, but their skill is in manipulation rather than true charisma or kingship, so they can rarely achieve much with that power. Anyone who wants to take a Velvet domain through force of arms need only equip himself with iron and steel, and the Velvets can be easily beaten.
Velvets are not and have never been Empire builders. Individuals may prosper, but the breed as a whole has never established itself as a significant power block. In the current age, the Velvets have found a new role within the Ascendancy, comfortably letting the Sable Dragons lead while they work from the shadows.
Lifepaths and the Velvet Dragons
By far the most popular Lifepath for a Velvet Dragon is that of the Ambassador-Courtier, which allows them to play their games of intrigue in a social mileu. Almost universally this will be within the courts of the Ascendancy, and often the Harpies who determine social status within the Ascendancy will be primarily Velvets. A few of these Velvets work further abroad, acting as actual diplomats and persuaders in foreign lands - mostly within the Ashen Kingdoms and the unaligned breeds rather than in the Alliance.
Also favoured is the role of the Physical Adept. Velvets appreciate the versatility of polymorphing, and are more than happy to work behind layers of false identity to achieve the goals of their Sable masters. Whether spying deep in Alliance territory, or subtly corrupting and manipulating a mortal king, the Velvets are adept at using disguise and deception to achieve their goals. The Ascendancy's main espionage branch is called The Faceless, and most of their number are Velvet Dragons.
Other lifepaths are more rarer and more unusual: Velvet Dragons have sufficiently strong pneuma to be Scholar-Sages they often lack the motivation for such a path. Still, those that do choose to be sorcerors are often extremely potent ones.
Finally some Velvets are forcibly co-opted into a Fecund Breeder program. Only the most deranged and insecure would enter a Hive voluntarily, but Endless Night has recognised that the Velvet's ability to inspire lust makes them quite useful for this purpose. The breed as a whole have not onjected to this abuse of some of their number - if nothing else it is helping the Velvets close the population gap...
Outlook
Scion-of-Unchanging-Truth, says he is of House Boneclaw, and of the Cabal of Fractured Reflections, but this may be as inaccurate as his name. He may be lying when he tells you what he thinks:
- Pure Dragons - "Ah yes... we also revere Mother Sky, so we are kindred, you and I. Tell me, have you ever considered the other half of the creation myth?"
- Argent Dragons - "A fearsome bunch of soldiers to be sure, and so grim, so serious. Very admirable, I'm sure."
- Solar Dragons - "Of course we will support your Alliance and sign your treaties! The Cabal is with you, my friend! What do you mean we reneged on the last treaty we signed? Well, we were hoping to renegotiate..."
- Hunter Dragons - "Stupid ferals, clinging to the "old ways". If your old ways are so great, remind me why you're losing our little war?"
- Forest Dragons - "So interesting that they have subspecies of different sorts, eh? I wonder if that phenomenon can be manipulated somehow..."
- Storm Dragons - "Yes, yes, you go play in the sea. We'll deal with things up here."
- Velvet Dragons - "Come in my dear, make yourself comfortable. I do like to collect things like you."
- Chimerical Dragons - "Astonishing sorcerous prowess, and such wisdom! I do so admire them."
- Ghost Dragons - "Oh we sympathise, we do so much. But there's no room here in our little paradise, so move along, move along."
- Blood Dragons - "Best not to mock one of these, unless he doesn't realise you're mocking him. Which isn't hard, really."
- Sable Dragons - "Clever - damnably clever. Luckily, so are we."
