Created many centuries ago by the sorcerer-king of Giustenal to serve as a race of sorcerous warriors, dragonborn—or dray, as they call themselves—are a strong, resilient race of dragonlike humanoids. Most dray were cast out of their home by their creator, Dregoth, and a handful of dragonborn survived when Giustenal was destroyed. From those ancient refugees arose a race of mercenaries, sorcerers, and slave traders known for their calculating (and sometimes duplicitous) ways.
The dragonborn are not a numerous people. They live in tight-knit clans that often share a secret citadel or tower in the wastes. Clan members roam far from their mysterious retreats, looking after the group’s interests. Some dragonborn clans take part in the slave trade, hiring raiders or mercenaries of other races to serve as their slave catchers. Dragonborn who object to trafficking in slaves often earn a living as deal brokers, moneylenders, or speculators. They are also renowned as sorcerers for hire. Dragonborn clans strike deals with the sorcerer-kings of various city-states, paying richly for licenses or dispensations to practice arcane magic in those locations. Nobles, wealthy merchants, and templars have need of a sorcerer clan’s services and pay very well for them. Naturally, members of the Veiled Alliance (and anyone else suspicious of arcane magic) regard dragonborn with suspicion
Dragonborn live by a brutally pragmatic philosophy rooted in their exile from Giustenal. They tend to be avaricious, sly, and amoral, although they carefully observe the exact wording of any deal or bargain they strike, since it’s good business to have a reputation for living up to agreements. The dray learned long ago that they can rely only upon one another, and they are fiercely loyal to their clan brothers and sisters. A clan gathers from far and wide to avenge an insult or an injury to one of its own, and the group won’t rest until the vendetta is settled.
Dragonborn Backgrounds
Your clan likely has business dealings—some legitimate, and some less so—in several city-states. Not all dragonborn are slavers and defilers, but most people you meet assume that you might be.
Clanblade: You grew up in an insular dragonborn clan. Early in your youth, you were apprenticed to an older relative who taught you how to make a living as a smuggler, mercenary, or slaver. Who was your mentor, and is he or she still alive? To whom have you sold your skills since? Did you treat your employers fairly, or did you cheat them in some way?
Spellscale: You are heir to a tradition of arcane magic dating back to the earliest days of your race. You sell your magical talents openly, bearing a dispensation purchased by your clan. Are there citystates where you are not permitted to practice? How do you react when people scorn you for your magic?