The Black Dragonkin

Okay, so here is the first of five posts on the five types of dragonkin which I outlined in a recent post.  Each write-up will include a couple small additions to the original basic dragonkin race build and then some cultural-political notes.

Black Dragonkin (Water)
Typical Alignment: ChaoticNeutral
Energy Resistance 5 (cold)


Their scales are black but their world is white.  The water dragonkin live amidst the ice and snow of the far north, separated from the rest of the world by a cold,  bottomless ocean wherein lies the elemental pole of water.  They share their homeland with many scattered tribes of tusk-people, isbjorn, wooly tauren, and frostwolfen.  The north is currently a united kingdom but with many powerful dukes eager for a chance to be next on the throne.

Black dragonkin live in cites of ice near the coast.  They even make ships of carved ice which they use to fish and to raid to the south in winter.  The raiding ships are made anew each raiding season with a ritual where a captive enemy is entombed alive in the ice to give the ship a soul.  In war the black dragonkin favor spears and glaives for melee and javelins and longbows of whale-bone for killing at range.  Most armor and shields are of hide or leather, but they also have some made from the huge scales of giant fish from the deep. The scales come in many colors and have beautiful iridescent qualities.  The ice-ships are also used for the sport of hunting the mighty orca-kraken.  The great black-and-white tentacled beasts provide not only glory for the hunters but ambergris, musk oils, kraken ivory, and other items of great value.

Trade with other lands includes mostly exports of the products of fishing, whaling, and trapping.  Exotic furs, ambergris, oils, musks, ivories, scales, rare meats, fermented liquors, and other items go south.  Sales of those products are used to buy imports of wood, metals, gems, grains, medicines, wines, and textiles.

The realm of the north is currently ruled by King Muran Wave-Rage, a mighty water dragon.  But the kingdom of the water dragons is in crisis.  The three sons of the king have fled the kingdom, accused of trying to overthrow their father and divide the kingdom between them.  The king is said to be on the edge of death from the failure of the high priests to revive him following an assassination attempt.  The sons are also accused of trying to destroy the recent egg-spawn of their father and his new queen, because those spawn would outrank them for the succession.  Queen Aleria Tide-Wing has disappeared, taking the last of her eggs into hiding.  There are  rumors that the sons have one egg which they hold hostage.  The sons and their small fleet of follwers are said to be somewhere on the north coast of the dvarr lands, the Isfold.  They bargain with dvarr pirate kings and mercenary generals to raise forces to take the kingdom.  With the king rumored near death the dukes of the kingdom are already maneuvering for advantage.  Three who have holdings on the north coast of the human lands are negotiating alliances and recruiting monsters for an invasion bid of their own.