DRACONIAN

By Drew A. Sundeen (drewsundeen@usa.net)

Prelude

"Dammit, O'Toole! We've been out here all night and not seen a damn thing! I say we go home and get some fuckin' sleep!" Two garou were stalking through the woods at night. One of them, a great grey brute with his hide tattooed with nordic runes all over him, was yelling at a smaller brown werewolf.

"Damn Get are all alike. Whats the matter? Gettin' a wee bit chilled?"

"Hey, fuck you. I've been in colder...what the fuck was that?!?!" The two werewolves scanned the forest around them, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

"Keep yer guard up, laddie," said the Fianna, " I got a feelin' we're not alone."

"Indeed. We've been watching you ever since you entered our domain." The two spun about, startled by the voice behind them. Before them stood a huge scaled beast, at least three feet taller than any garou, with claws the size of the klaive the Get of Fenris held, and had an enormous pair of wings, nearly blotting out the sky. "If you wanted to find us, you just had to ask."

"Us?" the Fenrir asked, "all I see is one soon-to-be-dead lizard."

"Well," the great beast sighed, "at least you got the dead part right. As for the one, well, just look around you." As the two werewolves looked around, they saw figures coming out of the trees, swooping down from the air, and coming out of the ground.

"It seems we're surrounded, laddie." said the Fianna. "Oh well. At least it'll be a good fight."

The great beast looked down and sighed again. "Must it always be that way with you folk? We work for the same purpose. We should be allies."

"Allies with you Wyrm-spawn? Never!" the Fenrir howled.

The dragon's eyes lit with rage, and with a great roar, he knocked the werewolf down and pinned to the ground. The Fianna lept to help his comrade, but was held back by the dragon's allies. The dragon moved his face right next to the Fenrir's face and spoke in a quiet growl. "I will allow you and your friend to leave, but if you ever return, I will show you no such mercy. Tell your kind that the Draconians guard this place, and no one, not you, not the Wyrm, not Caine himself can make us leave. Now go!" The two garou looked at each other, looked back at the beast, and got the hell out of there. The dragon shifted back to his human form and walked with the other back into the woods.

Description

The history of the Draconians is shouded in mystery. Some of them claim that Caine, after he was cast out from Eden, came accross a dying dragon and Embraced it, giving birth to the bloodline. The Inconnu argue against this, saying that no Draconian was ever seen befor the Roman era, and that none below fifth generation has ever been heard of. The progenitor of the Draconians, they say, was simply a Caitiff with an obsession for dragons and magic(k). Despite the rumors and what the Inconnu say, only the Draconian Elders know the truth. The father on the bloodline is an ancient Kindred named Dracos. He was Embraced in year 16 B.C. by an unknown Antedeluvian, and left to fend for himself. Dracos, now a Caitiff, wandered the country side, staying clear of the cities where other vampires made their homes. One night, he heard a battle not far from where he was. Curious, Dracos crept through the trees to the place of the battle. To his surprise, he saw a group of Cainites battling a dragon! The dragon let loose a gout of flame, consuming two of the Kindred, but it was not enough. One of the vampires sunk a spear into its side, and it was quickly loosing strength. Dracos, enraged at this injustice, lost control and attacked the other Kindred in a savage frenzy. When he regained control of himself, he looked around and saw that all the Kindred who were not killed had run away. Dracos looked over at the dragon, and saw that regardless of his valliant efforts, it was dying. Dracos could not think of anything to do to save it. Then he glanced down at his blood-covered hands and knew what to do. He walked over to the dragon and poured his blood into its mouth, ghouling it. It took many weeks, but the dragon eventually healed. The dragon, who's name was Aladonis, taught Dracos about magic, nature, and the secrets of the dragons. With Aladonis' help, Dracos created a new discipline, Draconis.

Dracos and Aladonis traveled to Persia, Aladonis' homeland, as Aladonis wished to show his friend to his family. To Aladonis' horror, he found that in his absence, a new bloodline, the Manticores, had taken root in his old home. The Manticores gained the power of those they ate, and the dragons in the region had great power. Dracos and Aladonis arrived just in time to see Aladonis' parents being devoured by a pack of Manticores. The two of them fought the Manticores for years, before finally both groups where driven out of the region by the Assamites.

Hundreds of years later, when Dracos and Aladonis had traveled the world over, and Dracos had Embraced many Childer, he began to grow tired of the world. He had seen most of the world's mysteries, and had great stores of knowledge. He resolved to travel the Umbra, and to discover its secrets and mysteries. His eldest childe, Silvanus, an Embraced Phuri Dae Gypsy, had long been Dracos' advisor because of his powerful insight. Dracos left Silvanus as the high king of the Draconians, and left to the Umbra.

Neither Dracos nor Aladonis have been seen for centuries, and some wonder whether they still exist. Most of the world has forgotten about them, but the Draconians have not. They keep their founders' story alive and know that one day, Dracos and Aladonis will return and lead them into a new, better world.

Nicknames

Dragons, Wyrms (this is considered a grave insult)

Backgrounds

Most were enviromentalists or people concerned with nature. Also many nature-worshipping pagans are Embraced (none of this practicing witchcraft in a studio apartment in New York bullshit).

Character Creation

Mental Attributes are most always primary, with Physical as secondary. Knowledges or Skills are usually primary. Natures are often Traditionalist, Architect, and in some instances, Loner. Demeanor varies from dragon to dragon.

Disciplines

Draconis (version 2), Elementalism, and Thaumaturgy (Naturae's Touch)

Weakness

The Draconians have three weaknesses:
1. Unnerving presence: +3 Difficulty on all Social rolls trying to deal positively with a target (i.e. Darren, a newly Embraced Draconian, is trying to seduce a women into telling him where the location of his rival's haven. Darren would roll Manipulation + Seduction, because she has a bit to drink, the difficulty would be 5. Then Darren's Weakness comes into play, making the difficulty 8. Keep working on the beer-goggles, Darren.)
2. After the Draconian achieves level four Draconis, his Appearence drops two points, as his eyes turn yellow permanently, and scales emerge on various parts of his body.
3. Clan Enmity:Manticores

Organization

A small group, called a clan (not to be confused with the vampiric clans), protects an area of unspoiled wilderness. They are organized around a king, who is the eldest and lowest generation of the group, and often its sire. All Draconians meet twice a century in a secluded location (transmitted via Dragonsong, level three Draconis), where childer are put through a rite of passage, and, if need be, new kings are chosen. After the formalities are done with, they engage in various pastimes, such as storytelling, fighting, and long diccussions about nature and magic.

Quote

We have lived long in they wild places of the world, and we will not willing give them up.

Stereotypes

Assamites: They hate the Manticores as much as we do, but still they drove us away. We have no further dealings with them.

"If some fool wants to take out a contract on one of the dragons, unless he has a damn good reason, just say no"

Brujah: These rash little creatures rarely leave their cities. Bring them out to the woods, and we'll show them just how bad they are.

"Dragons? You mean like from the books? You gotta' be shittin' me!"

Gangrel: We have much respect for these Kindred, as they have been companions in our travels. Still, they fear the anger that we show toward the other clans.

"Beware of the woods and the meadows and the wild places, my prince. You would not like to anger what is out there."

Giovanni: We have little dealing with the Necromancers, although their power over the dead is something to be reckoned with.

"Ah yes. We have been have been watching them for some time. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement when the Eternal Night comes."

Lasombra: These dark manipulators deserve nothing more than a quick death.

"Just another pawn that we have yet to bend to our will."

Malkavian: Madmen or Prophets? We must watch these ones carefully, for they may have the salvation or destruction of us all.

"Dragons? Of course I know about dragons! Do you think I'm as stupid as you look? I know all about the dragons! They live in my pants!"

Nosferatu: The sewer rats have much knowledge and that is worth respect. Too bad they won't leave their holes.

"Yeah, I heard of them. Live out in the woods or something like that."

Ravnos: They are fun to have around. Besides, High King Silvanus is related to some of them. Keep away from the valubles, though.

"These guys have some of the coolest shit you have ever seen! If you get caught, claim your Phuri Dae and throw some gypsy words around, and they even throw a party for you. Otherwise, you might as well go to a Tzimisce and ask him to change your face for you."

Setites: The snakes must be destroyed! They seek to corrupt all that is pure, defile all that is holy. If you ever come across one, don't speak to it, don't look into its eyes, don't even think about it; just kill it.

"Where!?!?"

Toreador: Some of them respect the beauty of what lies outside of the city, but few will aid us.

"Yes I saw one once. She was a beautiful thing. Her scales reflected the moon light back like red pools water . . .(on and on and on for about two hours)"

Tremere: These fools seek to control that which cannot be controlled, rule that which will not be ruled. Magic is not the science they make out of it. Magic is an art form.

"They think they know power, with their weak grasp of thaumaturgy. We will show them power when we crush them with all others who oppose us."

Tzimisce: I hesitate to call these things Kindred. They are corruption incarnate and must not be allowed to continue on their twisted path.

"Oh, I envy the one who made them. None but us could have given them such a horrid visage. Unfortunately, they do not act as we would have hoped."

Ventrue: Not as bad as some of the others, but their incessant politicking makes my head hurt.

"You want to know if I believe in dragons? That is what you interrupted me for? Go away, I have work to do."

Manticores: Do not suffer one of these beasts to live! They must be destroyed!

"If you can get it, one of the finest meals you will ever have. If you can't, run. There are a lot more of them then there are us."