Forgotten Realms Lore - Dragonborn
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- Episode 86 - Dragonborn of Faerun
Hatching from Eggs this race of draconic humanoids came to Faerun from it's sister world of Abeir.
::WOOPS::
Arkhosia, The Golden One, and the war with Tieflings are actually the Nentir Vale setting and not Forgotten Realms. I got my lore confused while researching.
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My bad!
Arkhosia, The Golden One, and the war with Tieflings are actually the Nentir Vale setting and not Forgotten Realms. I got my lore confused while researching.
My apologizes and thanks for catching me in the comments :D
Considering how complex DnD lore can be even an expert like you is bound to make mistakes sometimes. It’s still an amazing video.
Wanna talk about Mehen the Gay Dragonborn and how D&D Novels got woke?
Its ok though for some reason I keep hearing that Dragonborn don't have tails and yet on the Forgotten Realms wiki it says that Dragonborn can have tails but they are of the rare few, so the common majority don't have tails, though if that is wrong then I have no idea where that idea came from.
Considering the Rise of Tiamat module categorizes Tiamat as a Fiend, ruling her own layer of Hell (Avernus), a player can use Tiamat as their Fiend patron!
This is true, especially after ToF came out. However, FR lore is very inconsistent sometimes from edition to edition. At some point Tiamat (1st edition IIRC) is the ruler of Avernus, at another Bel is and then Zariel. In 3.5, Bel overthrows Zariel for the seat, and in 5e it's the opposite. It could be they overthrew each other and have been battling for the seat over the years, but that isn't made clear. What IS clear is that multiple sources, including Ed Greenwood, have stated that Tiamat is a fiend and at one point ruled Avernus. So, were it my game, she's a viable choice for a Fiend Patron.
Not disagreeing either, just giving some supporting material for why Tiamat could be a dragonborn Warlock's patron. But, I am in total agreement in disliking ToF. It felt like they just needed to get something published.
Being a fiend is sufficient for her to be a warlock patron. Even a fiend as lowly as a cambion can be a patron if you want it to, so having previously been ruler of a layer isn't especially necessary (although it _is_ a fun fact).
As for currently, as of 1486 DR Tiamat apparently guards the main passage from Avernus to Dis.
From what I can gather Tiamat is on Avernus, used to rule it but has since lost control to Zariel. She still remains on Avernus in a mountain surrounded by Ashaibi (know I misspelled that to lazy to look it up) plotting to be released from the Hells
Personally I don't think think 5e knows where Tiamat actually is. I needed to do research on her for character backstory fluff and let's just say it was far from a simple answer. Some sources say she is in Avernus supposedly guarding the gate to Dis, others say that she is in the dragon pits in the none hells breeding with everyone & eating her children. I've also read that she got fired from the gate guardian job because she was too lazy. I don't if some of the info I found was from older editions, I've only been playing since 5e but I needed something for my ex cultist character so I want with the Avernus gate guardian.
Who’s here after Balder’s Gate 3 to learn more? Man this helps so much.
Welcome!
Honestly man your videos are the best and I love them so much. As someone who love to run by the book campaigns in Forgotten realms these are so great for lore and ideas to make the world come alive. My campaigns wouldnt be nearly as good without these videos and i just
wanted to voice how much these fill the exact type of video i could want. Thanks a ton and keep it up!!!
Will do! Thanks for watching, it makes me happy that these are helping people with their home games :)
I would like a video on tiefling culture and cities, as far as i know i thought tieflings had no home to speak of, and we're simply scattered amongst the world.
I'm also curious about Tieflings. I know their story is closely tied with the novels (which I haven't read) so I'll have to be careful and clever when discussing them.
Tieflings only became a big thing with 4e. Before that, like all planetouched, tieflings were one-of-kind folks in a big world. As Forgotten Realms setting was created way before 4e, and even before tieflings, it is unlikely that there are any big enough communites of tieflings to qualify for culture, unless 4e also snuck that too. Not helped with the fact that all tieflings were said to be different from each other on basis of different origins prior to 4e.
+Jorphdan I would certainly very highly recommend reading the Brimstone Angels series of novels. Out of the Realms books I've read they're by far the best in terms of characterisation and being engaging, and they have some really great worldbuilding not only for tieflings, but also for the Hells, for warlocks, for Cormyr (as of 1486 DR) (the primary setting of the 4th book) and for dragonborn, including the dragonborn kingdom of Tymanther and its capital Djerad Thymar (which is the primary setting of the final two books).
+Jim Cullen Thanks I'll add them to my reading list :D
As my play group like to say "Dragonborn, the Super Mega Kobolds"
In all honesty, we love them but they essentially took the spot of Kobolds in DnD and are extremely similar races to one another for the most part
I'm playing a silver dragonborn cleric of Bahamut. She recently met Bahamut and he blessed her by turning her platinum. I going to have so much fun having her try and figure out what it means.
You forgot the great Dragonborn city of Djerad Thymar on Toril, mentioned in "Brimstone Angels" saga, you can use in one of your campaigns.
Yeah, from what I can gather, not many people have read that series
Surprised about no mention of the precursor to Dragonborn: 3rd edition's Dragonborn of Bahamut. Still, nice quick rundown.
Honestly, Dragonborn of Bahamut and 4e+ Dragonborn are similar only in appearance, as RoD dragonborn lore is of humanoid worshipers of Bahamut becoming dragon-like to be better at fighting evil, and not being a race unto themselves. They are even treated as different races - for example, in Races of Dragon it was said that dragonborn are wery easily worked into Eberron, while many found trouble doing the same with 4e+ dragonborn (weird example, I know). In my campaign, I made the RoD lore as distant origin of dragonborn, created from humanoid stock by dragons alongside kobolds and shamelessly-taken-from-Pathfinder dragonkin (ogre-sized, ridable semi-humanoid dragons).
Oh yeah, I know they're a template race, I'm in a 3.5 campaign right now with a Dragonborn of Bahamut gestalt character (originally an elf). I like the slight differences between them and the 4e+ ones. No scaley dreadlock hair, and the height and build of the "reborn" person remains relatively the same. Only brought it up because the original concept of them might have been worth mentioning super briefly - even if they are completely different.
Yes! one of my all time favourite races ^^ still love my brass dragonborn sun soul monk
That sounds awsome!
My White Dragonborn, Vengeance Paladin is a lot of fun to play.
I am doing an evil campaign and one of my players is a dragonborn warlock who's patron is a demon (Orcus). My players are now at lvl 9. Long story short, he might actualy loose his patron because he's been tricked by a powerful devil. The devil will force him to submit to his will and do his bidding and if he does not, the dragonborn will loose it's warlock powers. Eventually he might have the possibility the reverse the situation though. It will depend on how he plays it. Great video. Very informative!
In the current campaign I am playing in, myself and two others are playing 3 dragonborn family members, sent out from our clan together to continue research on the new world our race has been transported to (previously Abeir now in Toril), and if possible in the future, search for a way or information on how to transport our race BACK to Abeir. The 3 of us met up with 2 other adventurers and us 5 are delving dungeons and completing missions, but if we ever encounter dragon-lore, spellplague info, or mass transportation magic, we'll jump on it. Our 3 characters also often find ourselves in opposition to the other 2 (in-game, not out of game) but that may also be because they are evil characters and we 3 are good-aligned.
Anyway, sorry for the tangent! Great video as alway Jorphdan! This one is particularly relevant to the campaign I am playing in, so I had to watch it as soon as I noticed it. Thanks for all the work you put into these!
Thanks for watching :D Thanks for the great comment!
"Dragon born have no tails"
Not in any game I have ever played...
I heard that dragonborns didn't have tails after I had already made mine with one. I suppose it is down the the DM but if anyone asked about dragonborn's tail I'll just say she is a freak of nature lol.
@FlyingAxblade maybe. All I know is she was raised by the Cult of the Dragon so her perspective of life is a little wacky lol.
A tail doesn't give them any advantages in game terms, so my Dragonborn has one. It's just flavor at that point and we chose to ignore the official statements.
FlyingAxblade Pretty sure those things also have wings
Skyrim ehehehehe :D
Dragonborn are my favourite race! Super excited that this video exists!
Way back in the in the 80's (yes I'm old, I played basic D&D and AD&D) I ran a game where the group was going to be that ever present group of wandering monsters. It was a hit, so when my DM time was over the next guy did something similar and with each game the monsters got more exotic. One guy wanted to play a half-dragon. We started with lizard-man as a base and worked out the details from there. He worked out a dice roll chart for evolving (how humanoid you would begin vs how draconion) so as the character progressed in levels he would gain more draconic traits (breath weapon, scales, wings, long neck, a tail and such) but these would be balanced with the loss of being able to wear armor, wield certain weapons (loss of an opposable thumb), wear rings and use items that require a humanoid body plan. So I love this information about the Dragonborn. So sweet!
"Dragonborn have no empire to call their own". What in the hells do you think Tymanther is? Maybe not an empire per se, but at least a nation with organised government and an army (the Lance Defenders) that rides on giant bats! How does that not warrant a mention? Or the fact that they prefer to be called vayemniri "ash marked ones", rather than the name humans gave them based on their former slave masters.
Jorphdan seems to have crossed wires with the Nentir Vale Dragonborn and the Dragonborn of Abeir Toril.
I was replaying all three of the last Brimstone Angels books in my head through this video.
@@mrrentaro3607 I’m always happy when I find someone else who has read those books
I find that dragonborn are in a bit of a pickle in 5e. Due to edition's (somewhat maligned already) focus on restored Toril, dragonborn will not be as fleshed out as in 4e - the first damn thing to do if you try to sell the race on something beyond "I'm a proud dragon man". And even what they could have done - describing how dragonborn are now feeling being stuck in a world where they never belonged, for example - is barely done. And, its common knowledge that the race stats are the most underwhelming amongst PHB ones - even if it is not outright bad, I still felt obliged to offer my dragonborn player free proficiency with History and Intimidation, with one of his choice getting double proficiency.
Meanwhile half elves are the most overpowered race there is
Did you ever considered making some famous artifacts videos? That would be cool and inspiring
Yeah that does sound neat. I'll add it to my list of potential topics :D
A dragonborn would seem like a primary target for, say, a particularly powerful abishai to make a fiend pact with.
I think an Undying Light warlock would be amazing, particularly if you could work with your DM to change your breath weapon into radiant damage. Another really cool theme to work with would be The Raven Queen for necrotic damage and slowly over time your character's scales fall out and are replaced with feathers.
All I can think about now is when paleontologists announced that t-rexs had feathers. Just imagining that character turning into a big black turkey lol.
My head cannon is that the spellplauge caused a bunch of dragons on Aebir to die and their bodies turned into clutches of multicolored eggs that contained the first Dragonborns
Dragonborns: Has a long history and interesting lore separate from the other draconic races
Players: I'm gonna play a dragonborn and by that i mean I'm playing a half dragon.
Thanks for pointing out the differences between dragonborns, half-dragons, and dragonkins.
I'm playing a Dragonborn Warlock in a Dragonlance game. My patron is an elder gold dragon. My pact boons are that I become more and more like a dragon as I progress through levels. Breath weapon, wings, thickened hide, etc.
I think you should have mention the the current empire of Tymanther and their name: Vayemniri. Not only where the dragonborn almost teleported back to Abeir when the spellplague ended with the return of Unther with the god king Gilgeam but it caused a major war (First Tymanther-Unther War). Enlil first god of Unther and father to Gilgeam returned and choose the Vayemniri as his people and waged the war against his son.
Most dragonborns are not faithful to bahumut or tiamat only a small fraction of them are, if anything after the war most of them would start to worship thier patron god Enlil or Nanna-Sin who saved them.
Thanks for the information!
YES MY FAVORITE RACE! MY favorite time I had was my very first time playing dnd I made agold
Dragonborn Wizard name Puff the Magic Dragon
Dragonborn Vestige warlock, reflavouring all the Vestiges as ancient dragons that fought and died in the Dawn War. Flavour the Eldritch Blast as 'spits of dragon breath'.
1:58 Those are draconians from Dragonlance.
I know this is old, but maybe a dragonborn warlock with the celestial pact to one of Bahamut's servants. But I like the idea of an oath of conquest dragonborn paladin who wants to have dragons kneel to him not only as revenge but as proof of him being the best warrior.
The lore I have for dragonborns in my homebrew setting is literally that a bard fricked dragons of every kind.
Thats half dragons though...
There is rather a lot of info about Dragonborn society in the Last couple of Brimstone Angels novel.
Your the 2nd person to have mentioned that book series. I've just been researching it because of someone elses comment and I'm looking for a new series after not getting a long with the R.A.Salvador book. I found out that brimstone angels is on audible, so that a win against my dyslexia.
@@julierose689 it is a decent series about a pair of Tiefling sisters raised by a Dragonborn. I occasionally was frustrated by some characters making poor choices but the story was solid and the characters are likeable.
Nice, very nice. I was like a little sceptical with this race but... meh, maybe i'll give them a try next time i join a campaign. Anyway. Cormyr when?
Not sure I've been having fun with these race videos. So probably a few more of them. November? December?
*Cries in spanish* I'll be watching.
I actually know someone in my group that I’m playing now, who is playing a Dragonborn warlock
I find this all very Interesting. And fascinating. Maybe I can make my own stories on this stuff.
one of my fave races in dnd
How about an old one dragon born warlock?
Since he has to be the best, in a quest to being the best researcher around, he made a deal with an old one to get forbidden knowledge
@jorphdan and anyone else:
Are there any novels or stories about the transplantation of the dragonborn from Abeir to Toril? I'm really curious to read about what it was like for them.
What did they think and feel when it happened? What was their "We're not in Kansas anymore" moment like? How did they take the discovery that gods, not primordials, ruled the land they suddenly found themselves in? And when Mystra came back to life and the Spellweave was fixed, what did they think of this other form of learned magic? How did other races look at them?
So many questions whose answers no doubt would be filled with both horrors and wonders. It'd be really nice to read about it.
I have to take the psat today and this video makes me a little less tense
good luck!
i love this , thank you!! ive become hooked on D&D. im a level 7 DragonBorn Paladin
Badass! 😁
Sick! My Dragonborn Paladin is level 9. He is an absolute blast to play. I took Spell Sniper for Eldritch Blast, and War Caster to cast with Sword and Board so I can Misty Step and pop up and out and just own NPS......
Earliest I’ve ever been to a video
Welcome :D
Hmm and what about Tymanther? I've read very little about the dragonborn kingdom formed over ruins of Unther after the Spellplague teleported them there.
My favorite race, I'm newish to D&D and every character I play has to be Dragonborn haha. Running a Brass Lizard Wizard now.
I often make that dragonborn in my games have tails or split them in few subspecies to make more variations among them.
But jeah I started 4.0e and I was instantly hooked by them and when we chance to 3.5 I searchet way to play dragon born in it too.
Dragonborn samurai
I loved my dragonborn Krek II, the adopted son of my old half-dragon character Krek.
lore states: dragonborn does not have tails.
DnD artists: I am gonna give them tails. hehe big dragon lizard people.
they can have tails and wings thx to feats so when using feats which wizards of the coast introduced in UA they can gain tails and wings and become more dragon like, I feel that is something u should have mentioned
I feel like the Dragonborn presented by WOTC in the PHB actually should be called Dragon-Blooded Humans cause they don't feel like humanoid dragons. Here's what I think they should have been designed to really make them stand out as their own race...
+2 Strength +1 Charisma
Darkvision 60
Natural Armor 13+Dexterity
Claws 1d4+Strength
Bite 1d6+Strength
Energy Resistance
Breath Weapon same damage but have a 1d4 round Cool-down instead of 1/rest, they can choose if its a 30ft Line or 15ft Cone, and once per Long Rest they can unleash a full damage blast.
Hmm another race of monsters I shall collect them.
So question, I'm new to dnd so please cut me some slack
Do Dragonborn care about family members being different colors?
Like for one of my characters, she is a black Dragonborn with golden streaks in her scales(sorcerer with draconic ancestry) and the story is her mother was a black dragonborn and her father gold dragonborn and her father got kicked out of his clan because they didn't like him marrying a black Dragonborn. Is that lore-accurate or would it make more sense if her father was a golden dragon, or neither? Again I'm still learning so… sorry if this is a stupid question
Dragonborn Warlock u say? how about Pact of the Blade (I think it's called) where u weird a sentient weapon, in this case forged from the tooth or claw of either Bahamet or Tiamet
Arkhosia empire is from Nentir Vale setting, not the FR. In fact, the later part of this video is talking about Nentir Vale' dragonborn.
Looks like I got super confused. Thanks for the comment, I'll try to set it straight.
I reject the 'new' origin of the dragon born. I much prefer the idea of people who have volunteered to have an upgrade in their species and come closer to dragon hood.
Don't forget the book that falls in the sundering series
Omg my friend in the campaign I’m playing is playing a dragon born warlock
My sister's PC is a Dragonborn barbarian who can spit acid, is not the smartest, and is scared of ghosts.
When I DM Tieflings and Dragonborn are extremely rare and I really emphasis racism and fear in most places, especially Tieflings.
D&D Players Guide: Dragonborn don't have tails.
Literally everyone who's ever played a Dragonborn, including myself: I suddenly forgot how to read guess my Dragonborn has a tail lol
But I did work it into his backstory as why he *thinks* he was abandoned as a hatchling. He hasn't found out the truth yet.
Dragonborn great old one. Made a deal with a dead God.
Dragonborn celestial.
Again probably the same dead God.
And what better God than the one that Tiamat and Bahamut came from?
A Dragonborn warlock might make a pact with a Dragon. An exception rather than a rule.
I need to do a sheet for my Dragonborn Samuri
Well covered, some slight variations from Mr Rhexx dragonborn lore videos but you two are my favorite d&d loremasters, you might check him out, i love to hear a collab or debate video with you two
Mr Rhexx is great :D
Could dragonborn be effective warlocks or should I keep the money one of the melee classes
I think Dragonborn could be great warlocks. They have the +CHA and everything.
@@Jorphdan thanks for replying
YESSS
w00t!
I never understood the overly convoluted nature of the spell plague or the folding of worlds that went on in 4e. If I recall correctly (and I could be wrong) but the world of the Forgotten Realms was always called Abeir-Toril. I know it was an excuse for suddenly Dragonborn and Teiflings but why break with canon? Why on just have them come from Osse or Anchorome or Katashaka? With all the unexplored or undocumated lands why make up a whole new disaster to ravage the world? Was it just to break the status quo?
Coming from Abeir is really important to dragonborns' identity. It's a world forsaken by the gods: there is no clerical magic. It's ruled over by elementals and dragons, the latter of whom the vayemniri (as dragonborn prefer to be called) were enslaved by. Through great effort the managed to free themselves and set up their own cities in Abeir. When the spellplague came and some of them were transplanted to Toril, they had a new chance to form a new identity for themselves, but they also _lost_ a lot of their connection to their history, and they came with new challenges from armies native to Toril.
They don't believe in worshipping gods, because they believe the relationship of god to worshipper is too similar to that of master to slave. Reminds them too much of what they had to go through on Abeir.
As for the reason for the spellplague in the broadest sense, yes, it was just to break the status quo. The world was becoming too well-known - too safe and standard. It needed to be shaken up to breath new life into the setting.
The introduction of dragonborn to the Forgotten Realms was a side-effect of a larger problem; towards 3e's end, the Forgotten Realms was the source of both an avid fanbase and many complaints, with many newcomers to D&D stating that they had been put off playing the Realms setting due to a feeling of problems being too sewn up by canonical heroic NPCs/organizations and an intimidating amount of lore - the bulk of the Realms fanbase was an aging population who had begun during the setting's early days in AD&D and so "grown up with the setting", following it from its debut in Dragon Magazine in the 1980s through to its sourcebooks from 1987 to the 1990s and early 2000s.
So, WotC's "genius" strategy was to try to have their cake and eat it too; drastically changing the Realms in an attempt to both retain that fanbase AND make it more accessible to new consumers. Of course, it backfired hugely; they didn't make it any more accessible to new fans, and they alienated a vast swathe of the old ones - in comparison, their Eberron and Dark Sun fanbase with both pleased with their 4e updates, because 4e was much more careful in thinking about what changes they made there (advancing the timeline 1 year and adding Eladrin as originating from Eberron's Plane of Faerie, resetting the Prism Pentad for Dark Sun).
Mind you, they still haven't really learned from their mistakes with the Realms, which is why we got the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, which is a compressed and genericized version of Realms lore for the "most iconic" area.
Can Dragonborn and some other races cross breed it was a curious question I had about how love/romance works in this ttrpg 😉
I'm just realizing that Dragonborns are basically Mandalorians.
As far as i remember Dragonborns look dawn on religion Mostly because they came from the Faerun of the primordials, where gods don't exist.
I hate to break this to u but getting wings in 5e is a feat for Dragonborn
Considering there are explicit rules for BECOMING a dragonborn in D&D...
You should read the Brimstone Angel trilogy by Erin M Evans
I actually just started it! :)
I once was a Dragonborn monk/warlock
You know how dragonborn don't have tails, I think they do
Wait... dragonborns don't have tails? I didn't know that!
Dragonborn warlock, probably wouldn't work. Being fiercely independent, dragonborn detest having to beg another being for aid. So, a class where they're beholden to a patron, wouldn't work. Same goes for a cleric
Ehhhh drow are even worse for that but still have clerics and warlocks
So the most badass race (next to human) got their empire taken from them by small purple demons!? Ha
Fus Ro Dah!!!!! ( I know wrong Dragonborn but lets be honest here)
JORFDAN
Wow…dragon guy
Almost every dragonborn player rps one with a tail. Cause...tails are cool.
I agree, who wouldn't want a tail. If I had one in real life I might be able to balance properly lol.
...on Toril, dragonic deity-worshipping dragonborn are scorned upon(yes, including Bahamut), up to being exiled from clans. So...quite the misleading video.
*Fingers in ears* Lalala 4'th edition lore lalalala. *Thinks about disliking, but likes anyway. The dislike is SILENT*
why was this even created...Draconians are much more interesting
Because draconians are completely unsuited for play, due to (for some species) an overly powerful array of inherent abilities and (for all species) the little fact that they self-destruct upon death and cannot be raised by anything save the most powerful magical spells.
Also, because people really want to play a dragon-like PC, and dragonborn A: emulate that experience much better than kobolds do, and B: are designed for ground-up level play, instead of being the hideously broken and overpowered things that half-dragon templated or draconic templated PCs were in 3e.
still its a symbol of the 4th edition..and the 4th edition sucks...I rather have Maztica and be a jaguar knight then this poor mans Draconians
I would rather have 4th edition back than the 5th edition we got. If it wasn't for the swordmage, I would wish that 4e had never touched the forgotten realms, just so the more obnoxious brand of its fanbase would shut up about it already. It's not like Faerun hasn't gone through multiple apocalypses before 4e, and it's not as if the changes weren't prompted by legitimate complaints about the Realms. Also, Maztica sucked, just like all of TSR's other "ethnic historical fantasy!" mini-settings.
SA MAZTIKA SUCKED, ARE U A RACIST? DO YOU HATE BROWN PEOPLE?
I don't give a single fuck about what ANYONE SAYS....I ALWAYS give my Dragonborn character a least a tail
Also, I know they have the same names.....but you didn't really need to put pictures of The Last Dragonborn from Skyrim in a video talking about the ones from Dungeons and Dragons, I really hate it when people do that, I don't care if it's a joke, don't fuckin do it, they are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS!
Cool video, but I really don't like the race, still don't understand the need for their inclusion.
On the other had I see a lot of people drawn to them, ,especially new players.
I believe that was the idea, to get new players. Same with Tieflings
More than that, I think it was to expand the starting race lineup to be less generic, and less outright "flavored human" or "alternate halfling." I appreciate the expansion and diversity of 4th and 5th edition
@FlyingAxblade you're damn right I want to be a little dragon lol. If half dragons were a thing in 5e I'd be one of those to.
This is the reason. Draconic PCs have caught players eyes since AD&D's day, when you had the Council of Wyrms setting to try and let you play a dragon PC, and half-dragons were invented as a PC race. Half-dragons were a mess to play in 3e, but still beloved, and certainly more so than the original dragonborn (another clunky, badly balanced template) or the spellscales (chaotic stupid, barely draconic, elfy sorcerers). So, 4e said "let's push the gnome & half-orc out of the first PHB so we can try to make them more engaging, and design a draconic PC race from the ground up to appeal to the players who want a draconic PC and to DMs who want a fantasy setting and not a historical setting".
I was pretty meh on dragonborn myself, until I read a couple of books where dragonborn culture was very prominently featured. It's actually really cool. Their strong focus on the clan and honour is quite interesting, and their cities being inside giant pyramids, their system of government, their military's heavy focus on polarm weapons with elites who fly on giant bats; it's all actually really interesting.
Bargain bin Draconians.