Dragonborn
To be Dragonborn in Eldareth is not a matter of blood — it is a legacy of becoming. No Dragonborn is born into color or creed. Instead, they emerge into the world as the Unshaped — prismatic, mist-breathed beings of fluid potential. Their scales shimmer with every hue, their breath lacks form, and their identity lies dormant, waiting for revelation.
That revelation comes in two sacred rites. The first is the Zhar’vexin, the First Molt. It is not forced, nor timed. It arrives in stillness, fire, sorrow, or triumph — a moment of absolute self-recognition. The Unshaped scales crack and fall away like glass, revealing the Dragonborn’s true color and breath. Red, gold, pearl, obsidian — not inherited, but earned. Their breath solidifies into flame, frost, lightning, or rarer elements. Color does not reflect morality, but philosophy. To be sapphire is to walk with clarity. To be red is to burn with conviction. Each hue is a statement of inner truth, not lineage.
The second rite is the Zhal’vorrak, the Choice of Visage — the moment a young Dragonborn selects the shape they will wear among mortals. It is not illusion, but declaration. Some choose forms reminiscent of elves, orcs, or humans; others create entirely new shapes, echoing their inner voice. Once chosen, this visage becomes part of them, a vessel for who they are becoming.
Identity and Culture
In the Aldramar Isles, each clan carries its own traditions surrounding Becoming. Stories of the Ascendants — Nelashra, Ezavion, Syldaxa, Ydesian, and Nyladria — form the core of Dragonborn upbringing. These paragons are not worshiped as gods, but honored as living ideals. Young Dragonborn are given no fixed path, only questions, stories, and examples. They are not told who to be. They are taught how to listen.
Rites vary across regions. Some clans leave marked stones at mirrored pools when a visage is chosen. Others braid silver threads into the hair or sing a single note to mark the moment. But the First Molt is nearly always witnessed — a communal acknowledgment that a soul has stepped fully into its truth. Some celebrate with feasts held in silence. Others carve the newly named into molten stone or send them into the mountains alone, returning only when they are changed.
Color, to the Dragonborn, is not something you wear. It is something you are — not decoration, but declaration.
Dragon Ideals in Eldareth
Color does not define morality, for dragons or Dragonborn alike. It reflects a philosophical current — a way of being — that can manifest as either virtue or flaw. The hues they bear are not signs of good or evil, but of ideals expressed in different directions.
| Dragon Type | Good-Aligned Ideals | Bad-Aligned Ideals |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Nobility, protection, selfless leadership, generosity, inspiration | Arrogance, condescension, tyranny under the guise of “order,” excessive pride |
| Silver | Loyalty, honor, guidance, compassion for the lost, mercy | Self-righteousness, moral rigidity, refusal to compromise, blind loyalty |
| Bronze | Curiosity, mentorship, discovery, defense of the weak, humor | Meddling, manipulation, disrespect for boundaries, arrogance in intellect |
| Brass | Storytelling, freedom of speech, joy, hospitality, exuberance | Deceit, selfish pleasure-seeking, irresponsible promises, manipulation through charm |
| Copper | Playfulness, wit, teaching through humor, friendly rivalry | Cruel mockery, trickery for harm, belittling others, cruelty masked as jest |
| Red | Passion, boldness, unwavering conviction, standing for one’s beliefs | Ruthlessness, tyranny, explosive temper, selfish conquest |
| Blue | Precision, patience, strategic wisdom, leadership, discipline | Cold manipulation, cruelty for control, obsession with dominance, scheming |
| Green | Adaptability, insight, observation, clever solutions | Paranoia, deceit, cruel manipulation, excessive secrecy |
| Black | Endurance, resourcefulness, survival instincts, acceptance of harsh truths | Malice, vindictiveness, reveling in decay or suffering, ruthless opportunism |
| White | Simplicity, clarity of purpose, tenacity, primal instinct | Brutality, sadism, blind instinct over reason, territorial obsession |
| Amethyst | Balance, cosmic understanding, wisdom, guardianship of order | Cold detachment, fatalism, treating life as trivial, superiority complex |
| Sapphire | Precision, clarity, focused intellect, guardianship of knowledge | Obsession, isolation, disdain for lesser intellects, secret-hoarding |
| Emerald | Curiosity, creative vision, empathy through understanding | Obsessive curiosity, boundary-violation, manipulation, chaotic tendencies |
| Topaz | Playfulness, irreverence, nonconformity, questioning authority | Destruction for amusement, mischief without care, disregard for consequences |
| Crystal | Hope, healing, inspiration, peace-making | Naïveté, willful blindness to danger, refusal to face conflict, passivity |
Legacy in Eldareth
The Dragonborn do not trace their origin to bloodlines or ancient dragons, but to purpose. In the mythic age, five beings rose from the chaos — the Ascendants, paragons of elemental balance and draconic truth. Each embodies an ideal: duty, strength, cunning, memory, and balance. Their breath shaped the Aldramar Isles and the world itself. Their stories shape every Dragonborn who walks the land.
The Ascendants are not distant. Their shrines still burn, storm, whisper, and watch. In moments of Becoming, some Dragonborn do not merely recall them — they feel them.
To be Dragonborn is not to serve a destiny. It is to choose one and carry it until the end.
Dragonborn Traits
Ability Score Increase. When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. You can't raise any of your scores above 20.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
Size. You are Medium.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Draconic Ancestry. You are distantly related to a particular kind of dragon. Choose a type of dragon from the below list; this determines the damage of your breath weapon, and the type of resistance you gain.
| Dragon Color | Damage Type | Dragon Color | Damage Type | Dragon Color | Damage Type |
| Black | Acid | Brass | Fire | Amethyst | Force |
| Blue | Lightning | Bronze | Lightning | Crystal | Radiant |
| Green | Poison | Copper | Acid | Emerald | Psychic |
| Red | Fire | Gold | Fire | Sapphire | Thunder |
| White | Cold | Silver | Cold | Topaz | Necrotic |
Damage Resistance. You have resistance to the damage type associated with your ancestry.
Mortal Visage. Your draconic soul is cloaked in a mortal form — one crafted to ease your passage through the world, yet still unmistakably touched by your origin. At character creation, choose a Medium humanoid ancestry (such as human, elf, or orc) to serve as your Mortal Visage.
As an action, you may shift between your true draconic form and your Mortal Visage. This change is cosmetic only — it does not alter your size, abilities, or game statistics, and you do not gain any traits from the chosen ancestry.
While in your Mortal Visage, you appear as a member of the selected ancestry, but your draconic nature is still evident. Your skin may bear faint scales, your eyes retain their reptilian glow, and your voice carries a low, resonant timbre. Horns, crests, or claws may remain visible, though more subtly expressed.
You cannot change the selected ancestry of your Mortal Visage once chosen, except through magical means or with DM approval. Magical senses (such as True Seeing or Divine Sense) may reveal your true form.
Breath Weapon. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with a breath attack in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dex save (DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the creature takes 1d10 damage of the type associated with your Ancestry. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10). You can use your Breath Weapon a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Ascendant Boon. Starting at 5th level, whenever you finish a long rest, you may invoke the essence of one of the Dragon Ascendants, gaining one boon of your choice from the list below. You retain the chosen boon until you finish your next long rest. You gain the ability to use the chosen boon according to its description.
- Elemental Warding
As an action, you can channel your draconic energy to protect yourself. For 1 minute, you become immune to the damage type associated with your Draconic Ancestry.
Once you use this boon, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. - Draconic Flight
As a bonus action, you manifest spectral wings on your body. These wings last for 1 minute. For the duration, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed and can hover.
Once you use this boon, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. - Forceful Presence
When you make a Charisma check or saving throw, you may use your reaction to gain advantage.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest. - Vengeful Assault
When a creature within 5 feet of you deals damage to you, you can use your reaction to make one melee weapon attack against that creature.
You can use this feature once per short or long rest. - Enhanced Breath Weapon
You gain the ability to manifest your breath weapon with alternative effects. When you take the Attack action on your turn and use your Breath Weapon, you can replace its normal damage effect with one of the following effects:
- Enervating Breath. Each creature in the cone must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your Breath Weapon save DC or become incapacitated until the start of your next turn.
- Repulsion Breath. Each creature in the cone must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your Breath Weapon save DC or be pushed 20 feet away from you and knocked prone.
You can use one of these alternative effects whenever you use your standard Breath Weapon feature. All uses of your regular Breath Weapon and these alternative effects share the same pool (equal to your proficiency bonus), regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Languages. Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player’s Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign