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Dragons

"That cloud looks pretty cool! Wait, why does that cloud have wings?" -Unknown

Dare roam the countryside as a dragon soars above you. An intricate and diverse race, the dragons have seen shaky relations with all of the races existent on Terra, even each other. Once considered strong allies, the races perceived dragons as a threat after the rise of Hra'kul, and took action to prevent the dragons from doing harm. Since then, the race has been hunted by the Vanguard, a troupe of dragon-slaying war veterans that holds branches in every major capitol of Valora's boundaries.

The origins of the dragons is shrouded in mystery, even to this day. Historians believe that the first dragons were created by Archea itself, to be its seeing eyes in the world that it exists in, and to aid its many creatures. These dragons are referred to as the Firstborns, and were known to be the most powerful creatures to ever exist on Terra, in any day and age. A Firstborn could not only weave Archea in mystifying and beautiful ways, they could harmonize with it; feel it with their very souls, and use it as an extension of themselves. Because of this, some consider the Firstborns to be gods of their own right; it's even theorized that secret sects exist that hold worship for them. It's unknown whether, to this day, if a Firstborn still lives.

Dragons of Valora's modern age still hold with them a remnant of the awe-striking power that the Firstborns possessed. In fact, dragons are known to have an even stronger link with Archea than the Avior do! Each dragon wields an aspect of Archea that their body attunes to. They can, with this attunement, release this power through their very breaths. Because Pyra is the simplest aspect we know of, most dragons are attuned to it from hatching. Stronger dragons, and, indeed, the Firstborns, wield much more powerful aspects as their attunement; the stronger the dragon, the stronger the aspect. Dragons even have the ability to bond with the aspect, locking their ability to use any other, but become much closer with the aspect they have chosen, and can unleash devastating power. Dragons typically don't bond themselves to any aspect, but when one does, it is a permanent choice, and potentially fatal, which tends to make aspect bonding a very personal experience.

Dragons do not age at the same rate as us humans, or any other race; from hatching to adulthood, it can take decades, centuries, for a dragon to fully mature. Males tend to develop their race's trademark musculature very quickly, and most are flying within at least 2 weeks, some of the most talented fliers in the air by 1 week. Females tend to mate young, when their bodies are still developing, at certain points and time that are known as mating cycles. As opposed to the annual mating seasons that most Terran races tend to have, mating cycles for dragon females are rather different. Every some-few years, females exhibit a powerful case of heat, and have strong drive to breed with one of their own. For most, this feeling ends within a week, but for the most fertile, this sensation may take months to go away should they not wish to mate. Healthy dragons tend to yield a clutch of 6, some of the more fertile yielding sometimes up to 9 in a single clutch. Interestingly, it's believed, and is entirely possible, that females tend to yield a larger clutch the more intimate the mating was; if the mates love each other dearly, their clutch will grow strong and plentiful. If they care little for one another, then their eggs may come out sickly. Hatchlings tend to have very strong ties with their kin, especially fellow siblings. It's not uncommon to see a whole family of dragon siblings grow to adulthood alongside one another, and never leave each other's side.

Dragon society is a vague topic, at best, but from what we know, they used exist in a sort of governing rule similar to the Avior; each community of dragons was headed by a council of their peers, hand-picked by the community. These councils were not earned through blood, brawn, or wit, but merely by the consent of their fellow kin. It was a much more democratic system than any society we know of, and was considered the most advanced of its kind. It's not known, as of yet, if these societies still exist with recent dragon hunts.

Dragons are a proud race, but they're not without their downsides. Their society, and race in general, hold to strong morals, and it's unbecoming to see a dragon do anything violent towards the other races or their own kin. However...there is one exception: Scourgespawn. These monstrosities are born from the most heinous act a dragon can perform: rape. Dragons despise this atrocity, more than any other race, as it is considered the worst dishonor to forcefully mate with another. When a male rapes a female, or, even possibly, vica versa, the fury and negative emotion is all infused into a single offspring. The egg is a dull, sickly gray, and the hatchling is no better. Scourgespawn have violent tendencies towards all kinds of living creatures, even their own kind. The first Scourgespawn to exist, Dalkra, nearly destroyed the human settlements. Ever since, any and all Scourgespawn have been either destroyed or cleansed through powerful Archea.

All...but one.

The Ki-Tsu

"You want story, yes? Perhaps you might spare a moment with me, and I will show you something to write about.." -A Local Ki-Tsu Maiden

Very little is known about the Ki-Tsu, as they tend to keep themselves out of political trifles with the assembled lands. From what our scholars know, the vulpine-like race, which strikes considerable similarity to humans, exist solely on their home island of Gureto. Some figure that it's because their kind is afraid of the dangers that exist beyond their island; others speculate that their monarch state has deigned laws that prevent travel. Only the most honored of travelers and dignitaries are ever allowed to even step foot upon Gureto.

As we know little about their culture, the one thing we can truly gather is how their species works on a physical level, from first glance. Tying into their vulpine-esque appearance, Ki-Tsu of greater power and age grow more fox-like tails throughout their life. We believe these also designate their social status, but without much in the line of proof to back it up, we can't necessarily confirm this. One of our scholars, who was lucky enough to be welcomed onto Gureto, was tasked with learning about the local culture, however it's obvious that he was more interested in what was below the robes of the local women...

Laporians

"After nearly getting lit on fire, I realized maybe guardwork wasn't the best fit for me..." -Ardo, Laporian and Former Guard to the City of Sol

Dare not underestimate them at first glance; the Laporians are a proud, determined people. They hold close resemblance to rabbits, with fur ranging from anything to pale white or pitch black, and long, sensitive ears. They are a naturally energetic people, always staying the course longer than many races, making them invaluable in most fields of work, especially athletic.

It's difficult to pinpoint where, exactly, the Laporians make their homeland, as their cities are famously underground; a marvelous interconnection of burrows, homes, and caverns, carved out by the hard-working race. As one whose seen one of their home cities for himself, the massive and incredible Undergrove, I can say, from experience, that the skill of the Laporians in both building and botany is only matched by one another and rivaled by none else. Their race has developed a unique kind of farming, underground, with the help of delicate flora that glows magnificently in vibrant, extraordinary colors. And as for defense, their cities burst at the hem with dangerous pitfalls and deadly traps; Laporians' acumen in tactical decisions are astonishing, to say the least.

We're uncertain as to a specific number of how many Laporians exist in our realm; given their...impressive reproductive abilities, we presume that there could be millions others than the ones we know of, cities upon cities underneath the surface of our lands. Several that we know of answer to the kingdom of Valora, however not all of them, thereby meaning that the Laporians are not entirely citizens of the kingdom.