Sundrakes are named for the sun, planets, stars, and, less often, for rocks, plants and animal life found within their territory. Aristocratic sundrakes also have surnames, following the same conventions as their first names.
Some examples of possible names are:
Some examples of possible names are:
- Orion
- Sol
- Jupiter
- Sunflower
- Cavern
- Olm
A glass urn containing the ashes of a dead sundrake. Artwork by J-Haskell.
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The bodies of Sundrakes are burned after their death and interred in vessels of glass - or other transparent materials - to allow Hyleg’s light to pass through their ashes and reclaim their soul. These are usually dragon-shaped, but anything - from stars to animals to a simple bottle - will serve.
Their remains are exposed to the sun and sky for at least three days, then interred in the city of Memory. Memory is a city devoted entirely to the dead; it has no permanent inhabitants, and merely exists to house mourners during funerals and while visiting the graves of their ancestors. Memory is tended to by the Scions of the Sun, a priesthood devoted to the god Hyleg. In mid-July 505, the city was destroyed after King Tigerlilly led a force of soldiers into it to attempt to seize a group of fugitives that had taken refuge there. The sacred burial grounds of all sundrakes, regardless of their social class, was defiled. There is currently nowhere for the remains of the recently deceased to be sent. |
Sundrakes are some of the most talented architects in the realm, creating magnificent palaces and cities. The most common materials for building are marble, granite, wood, and plaster. Their homes are carefully planned long before they begin building them. Even the smallest villages have meticulously constructed sewer systems to keep the streets clean. Sundrakes are especially fond of domed roofs and smooth, seamless exteriors.
The interiors of their buildings are decorated in elaborate patterns, mosaics, and expertly woven tapestries, often in bright colours. Stained glass is a popular choice for those who can afford it. The underground provinces are a different story entirely. Their cities are built into the ceilings of large caverns, with homes and shops carved into dangling stalactites. Wealthier dragons try to copy the same style of architecture that is used by surface-dwellers, but lower class dragons live in rough-hewn caves with little ornamentation. Candlestone, a type of rock that gives off a soft glow, is a valuable commodity. It is used for nearly all types of decoration and to illuminate the pathways through the dark caverns. Dragons who cannot afford it grow colonies of glowworms on the ceilings of their homes. |
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Visual arts is the most commonly practiced art in the Sundrake kingdom. They make massive mosaics out of gems, metal, and stone, as well as frescoes spanning walls and ceilings. While Sundrake have liquid paint, many artists prefer to use wet plaster and powdered pigment to create artwork. Pieces are typically abstract patterns or portraits of wealthy patrons, though it is not uncommon for historical events or religious icons to be depicted. Traditional Sundrake art favours symmetry and patterns, while modern arts trend towards a more naturalistic approach.
Music is also popular among Sundrakes, though it is much different than that of other dragon or even human civilizations. Sundrakes have no instruments, and instead use just their voices, which are described as being a 'mix between a flute and a saxophone'. It's an interesting experience to watch a Sundrake song, as it often requires at least a dozen dragons to get it right.
The performing arts were popular among wealthy Sundrakes, though ever since the war and subsequent revolution happened, there hasn't been all that many. Small performing groups run by self-taught actors have been gaining traction since the war ended, often doing plays of overly-dramatized versions of recent history.
Music is also popular among Sundrakes, though it is much different than that of other dragon or even human civilizations. Sundrakes have no instruments, and instead use just their voices, which are described as being a 'mix between a flute and a saxophone'. It's an interesting experience to watch a Sundrake song, as it often requires at least a dozen dragons to get it right.
The performing arts were popular among wealthy Sundrakes, though ever since the war and subsequent revolution happened, there hasn't been all that many. Small performing groups run by self-taught actors have been gaining traction since the war ended, often doing plays of overly-dramatized versions of recent history.
The Old Palace
Located on a large hill near Dragon's Eye City, the Old Palace looms over the countryside, an ever-present reminder of the Elder Drake's dominion over the land in ancient times.
The Old Palace was where the devious beasts once ruled over Sundrake territory - a cursed place where no one should go, say the locals. Runic enchantments in the building have kept it in surprisingly good condition, as well as a team of archaeologists who live and work in the Old Palace.
While the building itself is largely ignored today, its style and design still have a strong influence on modern sundrake construction, and new construction techniques are still sometimes learned from studying its walls. The Old Palace is most famous for its immense central ballroom and garden, where illusions still make the walls look like an open sky, shifting to match the seasons and time of day
The Old Palace was where the devious beasts once ruled over Sundrake territory - a cursed place where no one should go, say the locals. Runic enchantments in the building have kept it in surprisingly good condition, as well as a team of archaeologists who live and work in the Old Palace.
While the building itself is largely ignored today, its style and design still have a strong influence on modern sundrake construction, and new construction techniques are still sometimes learned from studying its walls. The Old Palace is most famous for its immense central ballroom and garden, where illusions still make the walls look like an open sky, shifting to match the seasons and time of day
Sundrake fashion has seen just as much change as the kingdom itself. Before the Civil War, dragons dressed in bright, flashy colours and gaudy, gemstone-encrusted jewellery. Even in the poorer regions of the Kingdom, dragons would wear necklaces and tail-cuffs set with chips of coloured glass.
When the war began, however, it changed things in the Upper Provinces. Pretty jewellery was replaced with armour, and the only colour a dragon wore was to declare whose side they were taking in the conflict for the throne - gold for the Halcyon family, white for the Tyr family. After Tigerlilly Tyr won the war, gold became an unpopular colour to wear.
Few battles in the Civil War were fought in the Deep Provinces; instead, a different movement was taking place. Miners had always worn jewellery with Candlestone - a glowing rock found exclusively in the Deep Provinces - and the surface-dwellers had always eschewed it as a symbol of the poor, despite its practical use as a light source. Suddenly, dragons throughout the Deep Provinces began to wear the rock as a symbol of pride, to represent that the Deep was more than just a pit for the undesirables of the Sundrake kingdom to be dumped in, and that it was more powerful than anyone ever gave them credit for.
Recently, the nobility has taken a liking to tiny, brightly-patterned parasols and wearing thin veils of silk over their faces. While they love jewelry, piercings outside of a paired set of earrings are seen as unsightly and a ‘mutilation of the natural form’. Tattoos have a similar reputation, although they’re fine with painting their scales to temporary effect and to enhance their natural colours.
The lower classes have latched onto both tattoos and piercings as a result, and many intentionally trying to make their appearance as repellant as possible to the nobility.
When the war began, however, it changed things in the Upper Provinces. Pretty jewellery was replaced with armour, and the only colour a dragon wore was to declare whose side they were taking in the conflict for the throne - gold for the Halcyon family, white for the Tyr family. After Tigerlilly Tyr won the war, gold became an unpopular colour to wear.
Few battles in the Civil War were fought in the Deep Provinces; instead, a different movement was taking place. Miners had always worn jewellery with Candlestone - a glowing rock found exclusively in the Deep Provinces - and the surface-dwellers had always eschewed it as a symbol of the poor, despite its practical use as a light source. Suddenly, dragons throughout the Deep Provinces began to wear the rock as a symbol of pride, to represent that the Deep was more than just a pit for the undesirables of the Sundrake kingdom to be dumped in, and that it was more powerful than anyone ever gave them credit for.
Recently, the nobility has taken a liking to tiny, brightly-patterned parasols and wearing thin veils of silk over their faces. While they love jewelry, piercings outside of a paired set of earrings are seen as unsightly and a ‘mutilation of the natural form’. Tattoos have a similar reputation, although they’re fine with painting their scales to temporary effect and to enhance their natural colours.
The lower classes have latched onto both tattoos and piercings as a result, and many intentionally trying to make their appearance as repellant as possible to the nobility.
The warm climate of Sundrake territory means they can grow a wide variety of food:
- Much of the Realm’s sugar is produced by the Sundrakes
- Those who live near the coast or alongside rivers eat a lot of seafood
- A wide variety of spices, many of them notoriously spicy
- Lots of tropical fruits and vegetables
- Goats and some breeds of cattle are tended by the Sundrakes; the cows don’t produce much milk, however, so cheeses and other dairy products are made from goat milk
- Coffee and tea
- Potatoes! A ton of strangely shaped, colourful species of potatoes are found growing all over the Sunflecked Reaches.
Like any complex society, a wide array of skills are needed to provide for the needs of the citizens. Some common sundrake occupations include:
- Miners
- Jewelers
- Metalworkers
- Traders/Merchants
- Entertainers (dancer, singer, etc)
- Architects
- Craftsmen (sculptors, woodworkers, etc)
- Artists
- Recordkeepers, archivists, scribes
- Cartographers
- Diplomats
- Cooks
- Labourers
- Personal assistants
- Hatchery attendants (a very well-paying job)
- Spinners
- Soldiers
Sundrake society is dominated by the aristocracy and royalty. Those without any royal blood are forever stuck in the lower echelons of society; this is why a large number of successful Sundrake traders leave the Sundrakes behind.
No matter your wealth or success, without the right set of ancestors, you will never rise above your birth.
The only exception has been - recently - the military. King Tigerlilly has reformed the Sundrake army to be more merit-based than ever before, and although most of the highest ranks are made up entirely of aristocrats, it is now possible for a commoner of extreme talent to become a general and military advisor to the King.
This has caused extreme resentment in the upper classes, though only time will tell what this means for the future of the Sundrakes.
No matter your wealth or success, without the right set of ancestors, you will never rise above your birth.
The only exception has been - recently - the military. King Tigerlilly has reformed the Sundrake army to be more merit-based than ever before, and although most of the highest ranks are made up entirely of aristocrats, it is now possible for a commoner of extreme talent to become a general and military advisor to the King.
This has caused extreme resentment in the upper classes, though only time will tell what this means for the future of the Sundrakes.
The sundrake military, under King Tigerlilly, has undergone significant reforms in the years since the Civil War. Corruption in the ranks was rooted out, and incompetent generals and offers were stripped of their ranks and forced to retire. The King wants only the best soldiers in every role, and cares nothing for one's birth status; the only thing that matters is if they're useful.
Anyone can join the military, provided they can complete a basic health exam, starting at age 17 - 18. As young as 12 - 13, one can join as a 'squire' -essentially a glorified servant - and undergo a training regimen, but will not be allowed to serve in any Forts or take part in real combat until they reach of age to enlist. Sundrakes do practice conscription during times of war, and criminals may be forced into the army or offered military service instead of imprisonment.
Officers, of course, receive a better pay than lower-ranked soldiers, but even they receive a decent, middle-class wage. It's a decent career and oftentimes one of the few routes out of poverty, especially in the Deep Provinces. During the rule of the ad Melioras and the Celestials, there were differences in pay depending on social status, hybrid status, and Shade/Suntouched status, but King Tigerlilly has established a standardized system of pay (much to the ire of his nobility) throughout the military.
Retirement is only acceptable after ten years of service, but soldiers are only entitled to a pension after twenty years. Each successive decade of service after that results in a better pension, and generally sundrake warriors, especially those from poor backgrounds, try to serve for as long as possible to get as much as they can for themself and their family. If they die in battle and don't have a will, their pension will not be paid out to their family. Desertion is always punished by death, although soldiers can request leave for holidays and for the purposes of visiting or starting a family.
One can also retire at a different point due to injury or age. The former is anything that significantly impairs their ability to participate in combat and not be a liability. The latter starts to be acceptable at around 160-170 years old - although most retire long before that, unless they joined the military at an already advanced age.
Anyone can join the military, provided they can complete a basic health exam, starting at age 17 - 18. As young as 12 - 13, one can join as a 'squire' -essentially a glorified servant - and undergo a training regimen, but will not be allowed to serve in any Forts or take part in real combat until they reach of age to enlist. Sundrakes do practice conscription during times of war, and criminals may be forced into the army or offered military service instead of imprisonment.
Officers, of course, receive a better pay than lower-ranked soldiers, but even they receive a decent, middle-class wage. It's a decent career and oftentimes one of the few routes out of poverty, especially in the Deep Provinces. During the rule of the ad Melioras and the Celestials, there were differences in pay depending on social status, hybrid status, and Shade/Suntouched status, but King Tigerlilly has established a standardized system of pay (much to the ire of his nobility) throughout the military.
Retirement is only acceptable after ten years of service, but soldiers are only entitled to a pension after twenty years. Each successive decade of service after that results in a better pension, and generally sundrake warriors, especially those from poor backgrounds, try to serve for as long as possible to get as much as they can for themself and their family. If they die in battle and don't have a will, their pension will not be paid out to their family. Desertion is always punished by death, although soldiers can request leave for holidays and for the purposes of visiting or starting a family.
One can also retire at a different point due to injury or age. The former is anything that significantly impairs their ability to participate in combat and not be a liability. The latter starts to be acceptable at around 160-170 years old - although most retire long before that, unless they joined the military at an already advanced age.
When dealing with strangers and guests, there are two very different attitudes; the lower classes are very lax and friendly, while the aristocrats have strict expectations.
Nobility expects their guests to be on their best behaviour at all times, and if they don't have a reason or aren't attending a social event hosted, are expected not to appear uninvited at their home. There’s a very strict and regimented manner of inviting visiting aristocrats inside; the highest-ranked always enters the home first, after the host, and then down from there. It’s a grave insult to mess this up.
Nobility expects their guests to be on their best behaviour at all times, and if they don't have a reason or aren't attending a social event hosted, are expected not to appear uninvited at their home. There’s a very strict and regimented manner of inviting visiting aristocrats inside; the highest-ranked always enters the home first, after the host, and then down from there. It’s a grave insult to mess this up.
The sundrakes worship Hyleg, the most powerful of the gods, and the sun incarnate. While often depicted as a literal sun, he is also sometimes described as a ‘great golden dragon, with twin-stars for eyes and all aglow with light’. He is the bringer of dawn and devourer of darkness, standing for all that is good and just in the world.
Hyleg created the sundrakes and blessed any egg laid in his light with the powers of the Suntouched. His priesthood is known as the Scions of the Sun, and have rather noticeably stood in opposition to royal authority in the past century. Although there is not any official recognition of it as true by the Scions or the Perigee (the Moon Sister's priesthood), many sundrakes believe that he is the sire of the moonviper’s goddesses, the Moon Sisters, and the eternal enemy of the Darkling's Void-Mother. |
A stained glass mural depicting the god Hyleg as a suntouched dragon. Artwork by SilveryStormWing.
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Sundrakes have an excellent education system - provided you are a member of the nobility. Aristocratic hatchlings attend school from age four to twenty, learning all sorts of subjects. Sundrake schools hire teachers from all dragon and human kingdoms, and pay extraordinarily well.
Schools are privately funded and while usually quite expensive to go to, they may extend special invitations to the hatchlings of powerful Sundrakes in order to grow their reputation. Sundrake schools tend to be very competitive with other schools, and some even have political influence over events in the Kingdom.
There are a number of Universities in the Sundrake kingdom; dragons and humans from all over the Realm flock here to learn and study.
For the lower classes, however, there is little hope of going to school. Some more desperate Sundrake schools may take on promising hatchlings from the lower ranks of society, but this is a rare occurrence.
Lower-class dragons usually receive education in the form of apprenticeships or are taught by their parents. They are often illiterate, unless their trade specifically requires them to be able to read/write. The upper classes ignore them save for times when manual labourers are needed.
Schools are privately funded and while usually quite expensive to go to, they may extend special invitations to the hatchlings of powerful Sundrakes in order to grow their reputation. Sundrake schools tend to be very competitive with other schools, and some even have political influence over events in the Kingdom.
There are a number of Universities in the Sundrake kingdom; dragons and humans from all over the Realm flock here to learn and study.
For the lower classes, however, there is little hope of going to school. Some more desperate Sundrake schools may take on promising hatchlings from the lower ranks of society, but this is a rare occurrence.
Lower-class dragons usually receive education in the form of apprenticeships or are taught by their parents. They are often illiterate, unless their trade specifically requires them to be able to read/write. The upper classes ignore them save for times when manual labourers are needed.
Family is everything to a sundrake, for both lower and upper classes. Your success is not measured personally, but by how your actions help your family; there is nothing more taboo than refusing to help kin, especially a parent.
Aristocrats will sacrifice nearly anything for their family’s reputation; money, friendships, and their own integrity are less important than the lasting legacy of their lineage. Lower-class sundrakes tend to be more relaxed about this, but they’ll still prioritize kin over strangers.
Aristocrats will sacrifice nearly anything for their family’s reputation; money, friendships, and their own integrity are less important than the lasting legacy of their lineage. Lower-class sundrakes tend to be more relaxed about this, but they’ll still prioritize kin over strangers.
The Sundrakes speak two languages; the common, shared tongue of all dragon and human civilizations and another, reserved solely for the upper classes. ‘Drake’ is an ancient language believed to be derived from the one the Elder Drakes once used, and is spoken solely by members of the nobility. It can be mildly terrifying towards those unused to it, and involves snake-like hisses.
The following groups are current major factions within the Tyr Kingdom:
Tigerlilly’s war banner (top) and the banner of house Tyr (bottom). Art by J-Haskell. |
Tyrian LoyalistsMajor NPCs: King Tigerlilly Tyr, Queen Helia Halcyon, Prince Zenith Tyr, Chevalière Auriga Starstrike, Général Schist, Shardbearer Tropic Arrokoth, Shardbearer Lacaille Aldebaran, Perseus
Goals: Restore order in the Tyr Kingdom and preserve the future of the Tyr dynasty. Locations: Sunlit Province (main), Dusk Province, Big Fang Province The sundrake army and nobility that are still loyal to the King. Most Tyrian loyalists are either those who owe their power and positions to the Tyrs, or who wish to avoid another years-long civil war and believe supporting the current status quo is the best way to do it. Under the leader of King Tigerlilly, they are brutally efficient on the field of battle but are split between multiple fronts and insurrections. |
Halcyon ResurgenceMajor NPCs: Queen Carinae Halcyon, Sir Sol Tres Lunae, Dagon Aubade
Goals: Conquer the Tyr Kingdom and take power from King Tigerlilly. Avenge the execution of House Halcyon. Location: Across the kingdom. In the faraway Land of Rivers, a surviving member of house Halcyon, Carinae, has been living in secret. In the years away from her homeland her resentments towards the Tyrs and their allies have only grown, and sees the recent crisis gripping the kingdom as her opportunity for vengeance and power. The Halcyon’s supporters are primarily aristocrats looking for a return to tradition, those who supported the family during the war and had to flee or go into hiding to escape the Tyrs’ wrath, and any dragons keen on a change in power without entirely dismantling the sundrake’s traditional style of governance. |
Art by J-Haskell. |
Art by SilveryStormWing. |
Scions of the SunMajor NPCs: Scion Talc Sunchaser, Scion Shine
Goals: Protect the people of the Tyr Kingdom from abuses of authority. Location: Across the Tyr Kingdom The Scions of the Sun are a priesthood of the sundrake’s supreme god Hyleg, and have long used their status as religious leaders to protect the citizens of the kingdom from abuse. They provided protection to lower-class sundrakes endangered by the nobility, as well as food and shelter to anyone in need. Their position as Scions was once a safeguard from punishment before the King’s patience with them was stretched too thin. After defying the King one final time, the Scions were branded traitors and subject to brutal attacks and arrests by his army. In the aftermath of Memory’s destruction by the King’s hands, the Scions have become an even brighter symbol of resistance against King Tigerlilly’s tyranny and many - proper training or otherwise - have taken up the name of Scion in rebellion. Scion Talc, a survivor of Memory, supports these new Scions and does what she can to aid them in undermining his authority. Though bloodied, they are more driven than ever to work against the King. Read more about the Scions & Hyleg at this link! |
The GuilesMajor NPCs: Jasper, Asp
Goals: Undermine the authority of the aristocracy; individual goals and politics vary on the "Guile" in question. Location: Across the Tyr Kingdom, especially in the Deep Provinces. To the nobility of the Tyr Kingdom, “Guile” is a feared and terrifying Shade infamous for her defiance of the King’s laws that can appear anywhere and strike at any time, taking a special pleasure in going after the most callous and greedy of aristocrats. If there ever was one such dragon, no one can say. To the lower classes of the underground Deep Provinces, Guile is not a person, but a title - one that any dragon dissatisfied enough might take up and wield as a weapon against those in power. Following the destruction of the city of Memory at the hands of King Tigerlilly, Guile has gained a number of new faces, and more dragons than ever before take up the name as their own. |
Symbols associated with Guile painted onto stone. Art by J-Haskell. |
Symbol of the Society of Engineers, of which Fluke is a member. Art by J-Haskell. |
The Sundrake SocietiesMajor NPCs: Fluke
Goals: Encourage the overthrow of King Tigerlilly; obtain political influence. Location: Deepwoods Province (current) Founded by Society of Engineers member Fluke shortly after the end of the Civil War, the Sundrake Societies aimed to gain favour within the Tyr Kingdom through spreading technological innovations to its people. Up till recently these feats of engineering have been viewed as fanciful toys at best, but after the destruction of the city of Memory and the unrest that followed, Fluke saw an opportunity in the chaos. Since then, the Sundrake Societies have aligned themself with multiple rebel factions and have been giving them access to weaponry imbued with runic or alchemical properties. The governing Societies of the stormheralds were quick to declare that they have no official ties to Fluke’s organization, and stripped the group’s founder of her membership in the Society of Engineers to attempt to discourage her actions in encouraging unrest in a foreign nation. Fluke and her Societies have yet to make a proper alliance with any rebel faction, and currently claim to want nothing more than to support the sundrakes in removing their tyrant from power. |
Deepwoods ProvinceMajor NPCs: Shardbearer Fern Psyche
Goals: Force King Tigerlilly to abdicate the throne in favour of Prince Zenith. Location: Deepwoods Province Since July 505 and the destruction of the city of Memory, the Deepwoods Province has been in open rebellion against King Tigerlilly. Their leader, Shardbearer Fern Psyche, was deeply offended by Tigerlilly’s interference in her territory and the destruction of one of her cities and demanded that he step down in favour of his young son, Prince Zenith. Fern doesn’t wish to destabilize the kingdom further, but if she ignores such blatant abuses of royal power, she has no doubt only worse things will come. Fern and Vesta, Shardbearer of the Midnight Province, have an uneasy alliance, while she has no support for the newly-returned “Queen” Carinae Halcyon. Tigerlilly abdicating is the best way to deal with the threat he poses without bringing ruin upon them all. |
Art by J-Haskell. |
Art by J-Haskell. |
Midnight ProvinceMajor NPCs: Shardbearer Vesta Saturn
Goals: Independence for the Midnight Province (primary), oust King Tigerlilly from power (secondary) Location: Midnight Province After July 505 and the destruction of the city of Memory, Shardbearer Vesta Saturn declared the Midnight Province independent from the rest of the sundrake kingdom. As a former Scion and a devout follower of Hyleg, the King’s recent actions have horrified her, and she declares that she will no longer recognize Tigerlilly as her King. The citizens of the Midnight Province under her command seize key checkpoints between themselves and the surface, preparing to defend their borders against Tigerlilly’s retribution. In the weeks since, they have reached an alliance with leaders of the Halcyon resurgence, as well as working with some Guiles and members of the Sunchasers to undermine the authority of King Tigerlilly. |
The SunchasersMajor NPCs: Worm, Wolframite
Goals: Undermine the authority of the Tyr Kingdom's aristocrats, especially King Tigerlilly. Location: Across the Tyr Kingdom - the Deep Provinces and Brightsand Province especially. A recently-founded and loosely organized rebel force made up of lower-class dragons from across the kingdom, primarily farmers in the Brightsand Province and miners and smiths from the Deep Provinces. They have taken up the name “Sunchaser” in honour of the late Scion Skoll Sunchaser, who died protecting the refugees in Memory. They do what they can to sabotage Shardbearer Lacaille’s efforts to support the King, and form a tenuous alliance with Shardbearer Vesta despite their deep mistrust of the aristocracy. And despite their Shardbearers’ stances of neutrality, a number of farmers and labourers in Brightsand and Whitecliff Province organize to fight against the King, making efforts to stop shipments of food further into the city and to hinder those attempting to enforce his laws. |
The Sunchasers use symbols of their trade and everyday materials to subtly mark their gathering places. Art by J-Haskell. |
Darklings
Despite their close proximity, the Sundrake aristocracy looks upon the Darklings with mixed scorn and disgust. Tigerlilly himself has allowed them to trade with his citizens, even though most of his court pressures him to ban them from leaving the Deep Provinces when visiting.
The opinion of them is different in the Deep Provinces, among the Shades and miners that make their homes there; they view the Darklings as not all that different from them, and some Shades even leave behind the superstition and fear they face at home to have a relatively normal life among the Darklings.
The opinion of them is different in the Deep Provinces, among the Shades and miners that make their homes there; they view the Darklings as not all that different from them, and some Shades even leave behind the superstition and fear they face at home to have a relatively normal life among the Darklings.
Fireworms
Many upper-class Sundrakes view the Fireworms as little more than violent, hot-headed brutes, and care to learn nothing more of their eastern neighbours than that.
Middle-class merchants have a very different relationship with them; they make regular trading voyages to friendly Fireworm Clans, bringing back loads of valuable gemstones and minerals. Trips to the volcanic island can make a fortune for those daring enough to go, although visiting the wrong Clan can be incredibly dangerous.
King Tigerlilly has encouraged the growing trade and interaction between his people and the Fireworms, and actively tries to recruit any hybrids that result into his army. Many influential nobles criticize him for encouraging ‘crossbreeding’ but he couldn’t care less about their opinions.
Middle-class merchants have a very different relationship with them; they make regular trading voyages to friendly Fireworm Clans, bringing back loads of valuable gemstones and minerals. Trips to the volcanic island can make a fortune for those daring enough to go, although visiting the wrong Clan can be incredibly dangerous.
King Tigerlilly has encouraged the growing trade and interaction between his people and the Fireworms, and actively tries to recruit any hybrids that result into his army. Many influential nobles criticize him for encouraging ‘crossbreeding’ but he couldn’t care less about their opinions.
Moonvipers
The Sundrakes have long had close cultural ties with the Moonvipers. Many citizens share their belief in the trio of goddesses known as the Moon Sisters, and it is not uncommon to see either species of dragon visiting or even living permanently in the other’s lands. Hybrids of the two dragon types are not viewed with any strong stigma.
Since the foundation of the Southern League, Tigerlilly has publicly declared his support for them and praised them for repelling the attacking knights at Fallingstar.
Since the foundation of the Southern League, Tigerlilly has publicly declared his support for them and praised them for repelling the attacking knights at Fallingstar.
Padwell & High Heart
Sundrakes - at least among the aristocracy - have little interest in humans, beyond any immediate use they have. Their participation in a war against Xocrium alongside the Padwellans was simply a way to get a buffer between themselves and the dragon-slaying knights and nothing more.
Some lower class dragons, however, feel a sense of brotherhood with the humans ever since they fought together, and many impoverished Sundrakes have moved to Padwell for a better life.
Ever since a long-ago war, the sundrakes have been wary towards the griffon-riding tribes of High Heart. They helped them overthrow a powerful tyrant queen, yes, but at the same time they have no desire for another uprising like that to occur once again. Tigerlilly only rarely sends patrols along the mountain border with the nation, uninterested in provoking them again, and they do the same.
Some lower class dragons, however, feel a sense of brotherhood with the humans ever since they fought together, and many impoverished Sundrakes have moved to Padwell for a better life.
Ever since a long-ago war, the sundrakes have been wary towards the griffon-riding tribes of High Heart. They helped them overthrow a powerful tyrant queen, yes, but at the same time they have no desire for another uprising like that to occur once again. Tigerlilly only rarely sends patrols along the mountain border with the nation, uninterested in provoking them again, and they do the same.
Xocrium
The Sundrakes despise Xocrium. Their knights have been the death of many a dragon, and target those from all social classes. Thanks to the success of Padwell's revolution, they rarely have to deal with such threats, but for those who recall the dragon-hunts of old it makes their blood run cold with fear.
Tension is always high between them, but unless something dramatic happens, there's unlikely to be any real fighting.
Tension is always high between them, but unless something dramatic happens, there's unlikely to be any real fighting.
Meros
The city-states of Meros share a border with the Tyr Kingdom and trade with them often. The city of Pars Solis in their territory was established specifically to trade with the sundrakes and has strong ties to them to this day. Many sundrakes have moved to the northern nation in the years of strife that has gripped the kingdom; first the great plague, then the civil war, and then finally King Tigerlilly Tyr's extremely controversial reign.