Drygans

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Appearance

Humanoid form. They have pointed ears, almost like an elf’s, except longer. They have a long, muscular tail, almost dinosaur like in appearance, but devoid of scales. Their feet are very dragon like, claws and all, but again without scales. Their fingernails are sharp and talon like as well, often black in color to match the talons on their feet. Cat-like vertical pupils. Their skin is very human in texture, but is far tougher than any normal human skin. They also do not perspire heavily, their body temperature able to change with their surroundings like a reptile. This skin can be all sorts of colors, from lightly tanned or fair skinned, to blue, black, and beyond. Their hair will always have at least one strip of white in it, for no Drygan is completely devoid of magical energy. As for the rest of their hair, this can also be just about any color as well.

History

It is said that Drygans were created as a result of a curse. One of the Elementals, the Master of Flame, fell In love with a human. The human, dismayed at the complete difference of species, begged her own gods to turn her into a dragon. Seeing the desperation, the gods agreed. But there was one drawback they issued. Any children the human and Elemental had would be half bloods, outcasts. They would be haunted by their bastard upbringing, never fitting in with dragons or humans. The human, in her haste, agreed, never thinking about the consequences. She eventually ended up laying a clutch of exactly 100 eggs. When they hatched, the Drygan came into existence. There can never be more than 100 of them in existence, and it is assumed that they are reborn again and again after they die, blocked from the land of the Elementals. As legend has it, only the One with Power, or The Chosen, can make it to the heavens when they die. They are the Drygan born every generation with pure white hair and the most powerful of all the Drygans in existence. So far, every Chosen has been killed at a relatively young age, so no one knows if this legend is true.

Powers

These creatures are extremely powerful both physically and magically. They can have control over only two elements, no more, and sometimes one, if they do not have much white in their hair. They have the strength of a dragon in their seemingly human form, and are not afraid to use it. Magical prowess can be determined by how much white is in their hair. As the magical power rises, more of the hair is streaked with white. The most powerful Drygan is The Chosen, with completely white hair, which one must be born with. Drygan of this power level can accelerate to extreme speeds by manipulating their excess magic energy. Their two elements are also super-powered. They can even form themselves to look completely human. There is a drawback to this ‘shape-shifting’. Only a certain amount of power is in the body, and once that energy is gone from magic usage, the form begins to disintegrate quickly. The flesh ages rapidly before disappearing completely, showing the Drygan for what it is. Drygan have a keen sense of hearing, smell and eyesight as well, which boosts their reaction time. Also, in extreme circumstances, Drygans can pause the growth of their own bodies by stopping hormone production. This makes them moody and irritable, but in some instances it is needed (example: Terri was forced to be a slave from age 10, and at age 18 still looked to be around 11-12, because she refused to become a pleasure slave). Drygans can also go a long time without food, living off of stored fat and muscle in their tails first before really showing signs of famine.

Lifestyle

Drygan are by no means unstoppable, though those most likely to kill a Drygan are other Drygan. With only 100 of them in existence at any one time, Drygan find it hard to keep in touch with one another, and thus have become rather reclusive. They’re not used to a lot of attention, or having a companion. Drygan often fight with others, for fighting is their natural way of settling any sort of dispute. They are more in tune with their dragon side than with their human, so fighting is natural. They are also very proud creatures, but are also surprisingly polite in the right situations (such as respecting anothers' property, home, etc.). Drygan will also often challenge others of higher magical power than themselves, for drinking the blood of a fallen foe with more hair than they have will temporarily boost their own powers. This is also the reason behind why most Chosen are killed when young, the only time they are really vulnerable.

Mating

Mating is a challenge, for Drygans do not often run into one another. Therefore, females come into heat only once every few years, but it is intense and lasts a week straight. When a female in heat finds a male of her species, she will follow him around, mewling, and constantly petting his tail. The tail, though used as a weapon very often, is very sensitive, and is a key arousal spot on all Drygan. Once mating has taken place, a few months is usually allowed before a female will consider giving birth- they can choose to hold off on giving birth for up to a year and a half. When they do choose to give birth, the growth of the embryo is triggered and they develop a swollen belly like a human but at a more accelerated pace - anywhere from three to four months, and it is almost always to a single child (twins are very rare). Drygans are capable of breeding with many other species, but the babe is almost always distinctly Drygan in appearance and ability. Sometimes they will gain abilities from their off-species parent as well (An example: A Naga/Drygan mix might have potent venom, and a slight hiss to their voice, etc.). Drygans do not often pair up as an actual couple, but when this does happen, the female comes into heat far more often.

Precious Items/Artifacts/Oddities

All Drygan hold three things in the most high esteem. Their ears, their tail, and most importantly, their hair (which they NEVER cut, so almost all Drygan have long hair). To loose any one, or gods forbid, all three, is a most horrid and shameful thing. They also do not let anyone touch any of these attributes if they do not trust them wholly. Being proud also means Drygans do not make good slaves at all (Example: Terri was forced to be a slave, had her hair, ears, and tail cropped off to try and break her spirit. She killed 5 masters and many a hired muscle when she struggled against being whipped or sold). All Drygans can be broken into two groups concerning The Chosen. They either revere and nearly worship The Chosen, or they attempt to kill them for their power. The Chosen also has a precious artifact with them at all times. It is the Chosen’s sword, a beautiful silver weapon inlaid with gold and jewels. Another interesting fact, is that Drygan can be made to be totally subservient, but only under their own free will (sounds like a contradiction, let me explain). If a Drygan willingly gives to another one of their white, magick-holding hairs, they are then bound to that person, and must do whatever that person says. On the up side, if the Drygan were somehow to die, they could be resurrected, because their spirit is linked to the hair the other person has, giving them an anchor point in the mortal world. This ritual is tricky, for the dead Drygan and hair owner must either both know the spell, or at least one must. It does not happen often, in any case, for most Drygans are totally opposed to the idea of having anyone ‘own’ them at all.