Sith-makar
Largely concentrated in the distant jungles of Am'Shere, east of the known world, the Sith-Makar are but one part of three clans of a group of reptile humanoids who call themselves the Children of the Flame. They are an evolved breed of Lizardfolk who have embraced their draconic heritage and elevated themselves above and beyond the common variety of their species. The exact origins of The Children of the Flame is somewhat debatable and shrouded by numerous conflicting reports, but it is generally believed that they are the descendants of a type of precursor race of draconic humanoids that were used as laborers, slaves and foot soldiers by dragon overlords during the early years of the second age, after the passing of the Time of Glaciers. In those days, it is said that some of dragon kind, likely good dragons, grew sympathetic to the plight of their ‘children’ and spirited some away to several hidden enclaves scattered across The Great Continent. One such enclave was in what is now known as Am’shere, a thick jungle region in the deeps of the largely unexplored sub-continent of Jammur. Since that time the species devolved into various branches of reptilian based creatures but of them all those who were the Lizardfolk retained the most belief in their draconic heritage and the memory of the blood that remained deep within them caused signs of this heritage to appear quite often through sorcererous bloodlines and the development of certain innate powers that set them apart from their fellows. In time various clans of these Lizardfolk developed full on draconic powers such that scholars who encountered them came to refer to them as the Dragonborn who reigned as a type of noble class over the more common veneer of Lizardfolk. .Stories tell of a pact made between the Lizardfolk and active dragons of good and neutrality who, by ritual and agreement, jump-started the latent power in the willing, thus resulting in the Dragonborn truly reflecting their draconic heritage and striking out to distinguish themselves from their lesser.
For the most part the Children of the Flame who were based in Am’shere involved themselves in a devastating insular and cyclical civil war with one another when they were not exploring the depths of the jungles and expanding their territory. Contact with other species occurred but tended to be limited to fringe contacts wherein the Dragonborn where the most accommodating to explorers and travelers from The Great Continent and often came to serve as guides as these travelers sought to explore Am’shere or expose the Dragonborn to cultures beyond their own. The status quo of racially driven conflict remained. A century again, scouts from the empire of Charn encountered the clans and in a violent clash, set the precedent for years to come. Charn was using Am'Shere as harsh training grounds for their own elite troops in the war against Myrddion and in the process they were destroying the lands held by the Children of the Flame. The clans briefly united against this threat but discovered several portals leading from Am’shere back to the Great Continent which they began to use to send envoys of their own back out to the depths of the continental interior. The Dragonborn sought metal, trade and exploration. Several generations have passed since then and the Dragonborn are making their presence known in scattered parts of the world though their evil cousins are likewise making their way and their own alliances. Some time has passed since this and Dragonborn trade caravans, settlements and even members of the adventuring community have become a rare but accepted sight and additional insight into their isolated culture has occurred, bringing them more into the forefront of history.
Physical Description
Appearances wises, Dragonborn reflect both saurian ancestry and draconic ones, having colorations and structures that imply the metallic and chromatic bloodline at the root of their history. Overall there is no one universal look for them. In general, family lines tend to determine this sort of variance as well as their caste based system. They are large and, due to their reptilian nature, physically imposing but deceptively fast on their feet. They are comparable in size to half-orcs, being somewhat taller then humans, possibly even approaching seven feet in height.
Society and Lands
The major Dragonborn society is the one in Am'shere on the continent of Jammur. Though not the only one as other enclaves was established across The Great Continent, Am'shere represents the iconic sith-makar establishment and place of sovereignty. Ruled by their Silver Queen, a descendant of the ancient silver dragon said to have spear-headed the initial spiriting away of the precursor race, the sith-makar cultivate a strict caste system split between priests, warrior and hunter castes and gatherer castes. A governing principle known as The Memory of Blood guides the development of the Sith-Makar by tying them to their draconic ancestry. Five chromatic and five metallic dragons result in ten generalized groupings of Dragonborn based upon these colors and mental and physical dispositions that reflect the iconic leanings of their parent race.
Other Races
They are not an industrious race, having spent centuries in isolation and only within the past century or so having begun moving out to experience the idiosyncrasies of the outside world. By and large, as a result, Dragonborn will get along with other species with a, If you don't bother me, I wont bother you type of attitude.
Alignment and Religion
For many generations, The Dragonborn knew nothing of the ancient gods and instead had developed a very animistic and spiritual viewpoint on the higher powers of the universe. A form of nature worship had developed which led to complicated hierarchies of druidic circles that studied the world as best they understood it. Layered on top of this was worship of dragons and dragonlike beings. In recent years, missionaries from The West have brought the educated knowledge of the gods to The Dragonborn and with mixed results. In the past, The Lizardfolk did gain knowledge of the gods and began to refer to them as the higher spirits and by varying titles and names. Recent understanding of things have exposed Dragonborn more and more to western traditions but in doing so the Lizardfolk simply reconcile their understanding of the gods with their own traditions to create a unique perspective. Dragonborn tend towards neutrality. Being a bestial race that grew up in the deeps o the jungles of Jammur, they don’t necessarily have the same perception on morality as western societies, instead focusing on the necessity of survival. That said, exposure to the gods of good and evil and the mingling of societies has produced more variances in Dragonborn outlook. The Memory of Blood also impacts this by giving Dragonborn instinctual leanings and dispositions that are fractured mirrors of their parent races but this is distilled down over the long ages such that it is mostly a sub conscious thing then them somehow being forced one way or the other due to their colorations.
Adventurers
Dragonborn explorers who are learning much of the western world in order to take news back to distant Am'Shere are the most common type of explorers someone is likely to encounter. Trade caravans are not unheard of though still relatively rare. Dragonborn who are curious about the world beyond what they have known for so long often join these caravans and make their way slowly from the distant east into the great western lands. Dragonborn who adventure are quick to adopt the customs and ways of other races that they come into contact with. They are interested in the magic, weapons, armor, wealth and appearances of other cultures.
Dragonborn Racial Traits
- +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, -2 Intelligence: Dragonborn are incredibly tough and exude a powerful presence due to their draconic blood, but they are not prone towards complex thinking due to their more instinctual outlook on life.
- Medium Size: Dragonborn are Medium sized creatures and so have no flaws or benefits due to their size.
- Normal Speed: Dragonborn have a base speed of 30 feet.
- Natural Armor: Dragonborn hides are very tough. They have a +2 AC of natural armor.
- Memory of the Blood: Dragonborn are humanoids with the reptilian subtype.
- Immunities: Dragonborn are immune to the frightful presence ability of dragons, as if they were dragons. They are also immune to sleep effects and paralysis effects.
- Draconic Vision:: Dragonborn have Darkvision 60ft and Low-light vision.
- Breath Weapon (Su): The Dragonborn gains a breath weapon he can use once per day as a standard action. Each time he uses the breath weapon it takes the form of a 15-foot cone. This breath weapon deals 1d8 + Con modifier points of damage (2d8 at 4th or higher level and 3d8 at 7th or higher level); a successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the Dragonborn character level + Dragonborn Con modifier) halves the damage. He may choose acid (chlorine gas), cold, electricity or fire. The decision is made at character creation and cannot be changed later. A dragonborn has energy resistance 5 to the same type of energy as their breath weapon.
- Hold Breath: Dragonborn can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to three times their Constitution score. For one hour a day they can Breath Water.
- Languages: All Dragonborn begin play speaking Common and Draconic. Dragonborn with high Intelligence scores can choose any of the following bonus languages: Celestial, Dwarven, Infernal, Giant, and Orc.