Drakonians are an ancient culture of fair haired dragonriding people that hail from the Drakonian Peninsula which lies in southernmost Doras Edrossi.
The Drakonians are famed for their unique characteristics that aren't seen in any other culture of the world, namely their light hair and their broad range of exotic colored eyes. Their hair color can vary from pure white to silver-gold to blond and also black but rarely as they are seemingly always pale in complexion. Eye colors can range and vary through both warm and cool colors, shades of orange, red or silver eyes are considered a highborn feature. High Drakonians were the noblest of their kin and were considered shockingly inhuman in beauty as well as being innately skilled in powerful magic. These Drakonians however have declined dramatically since the Dragon Wars and are spread very thin throughout southern Doras Edrossi; most of them have assimilated into Low-Drakonians.
The Drakonians are most notably famed for their abilities of performing sorcery, taming and riding dragons and creating a unique metal called dragonsteel. Drakonians are long lived, sometimes living up to 200 years, it is believed this was caused by dabbling in magic or their dragon blood. Their ancient magical practices may have also lead to their pale complexions. They created a massive, awe-inspiring civilization using the power of their dragons and conquered their way across Doras Edrossi, creating one of the greatest empires of the known world.
After the catastrophic Dragon Wars shattered their empire, there are fewer noble houses that exist in present day. The most notable being House Dragomárus, House Varalys, House Bartheos, House Malyar and House Faecini.
Low Drakonians
With the fall of the Drakonians during the Sixth Era, the culture began to fade. While in disarray, most Drakonians intermingled with other cultures. This would result in diluted bloodlines and the spread of low Drakonian descent abroad southern Doras Edrossi. In city-states such as Ceryne, Thysia, Vecys, Edynar and Ethryke, which were initially major cities of the Drakonian empire, new culture, language dialect and tradition began to arise and ultimately take the form of what is presently known as a Low Drakonian.
Some Low Drakonians are able to trace their bloodline back to Drakonia, if their ancestry had come directly from the peninsula. Cerynians, Edynarians and Vecysians are currently the most blooded of Low Drakonians in the known world and are the most likely to have direct Drakonian ancestry. Most Low Drakonians today have already integrated into their new culture, examples being Ethrykeans and Thysians, who have created their own traditions, practices, religion and sub-dialect of the Drakonian language. Those who stick to their roots such as Cerynians, Edynarians and Vecysians, hold Drakonian tradition above all. Drakonian features such as their white hair and eye color have began to fade away after intermingling, it is very common for a low Drakonian to not inherit these traits.
Traditions such as dragonriding and sorcery have very long since gone out of practice however House Dragomárus continued the tradition until their deposition. Dragons have largely died out or have migrated to the Drakonian peninsula to roost, which is currently uninhabitable by man. Drakonian sorcery is still a mystery to scholars as no documented accounts of it have ever been discovered. If any real document had existed, most of the knowledge of their practices have burned away in the Dragon Wars.
Drakonteians
With the decline of the Drakonians, the Drakonteians mostly consider themselves as the successors to their empire but most are also keen on establishing a new path for themselves. Hailing from the Drakonian homeland, the Drakonteians originated from a group of magically inclined Drakonians whom migrated beyond the peninsula and traveled eastward by the word of Teios, a Drakonian stremagio whom eventually became the Third Paragon. They settled in the rainforests of the Zyntano region and eventually created their own civilization much like the mainland Drakonians had done.
Drakonteians expectedly share the same characteristics to their mainland brethren, commonly born with fair hair and colorful eyes. Over time they developed their own language derived from Drakonin and formed their own traditions whilst staying true to the culture of their homeland. Presently, they have become very xenophobic and rarely deal with nations outside their boundaries. They are often the subject of scrutiny by most due to their secrecy which has led a few to spread rumor that one day they may launch a conquest to reclaim the imperial borders. Currently, they prosper through careful trade and export valuables such as healing herbs, silks, wine and dragon scales. The reigning nobility are known to frequently be magic practitioners but are seldom to teach anything to an outsider.