Feydragon
Draco sapiens pauxillulus
pl. Feydragons
The beauty of the fey is unspeakable
They fly swiftly beyond the trees and sky
Whilst I watch their children in the snow.
- Anonymous poet
The "fair folk" of Ramath-Lehi. An ancient subspecies with deep ties to the magic they wield, Feydragons - often referred to as Fey - are as widely varied as there are many kinds of magic.
Contents
Description
A Feydragon is always easy to tell apart from other subspecies of Pendragon, as they have distinct traits in their appearances. Most notably, the Fey are smaller; on average and when fully-grown, quadrapeds are no bigger than the red fox of late Earth, and bipeds are no taller than 1.10m (roughly 3 feet 8 inches). It is possible for one to be larger, but if the individual is not a hybrid with another subspecies then this is extremely rare. Fey often refer to Pendragons as 'tall', even if the Pendragon in question is considered 'short' by his/her peers.
The Fey always have wings, and always have tail-flames. The only exceptions are if they were cut off, or something else happened to remove them. Fey wings are one of the most varied parts of their appearance; wings that would be biologically impossible, yet are capable of working, are not uncommon, and in fact are a good way of spotting a Fey. Aside from the tail-flame, the Fey's tail is more or less the same as a regular Pendragon's.
Nearly all Fey wear special tattoos, often related to their bloodlines and infused with Fromina. This technique was developed long before technology, and it continues to be used frequently, due to it being much cleaner and generally less painful and dangerous than regular tattoo artistry.
They age at the same rate as the regular Pendragon, but due to their smaller size, they have more frail bodies and are more likely to die of old age. Accidents which would leave larger 'dragons mildly injured have been known to fatally injure Fey; in particular the nioties are often in danger if they live in mainstream Ramathian society.
Most notable is that the Fey are divided into a number of different subtypes - being so magically attuned, this is not as surprising as it may seem. For simplicity's sake, and to save peoples' sanity, they are grouped into four subtypes: the Alanamsul, the Azetsum, the Myshemd and the Kynnyn.
Alanamsul (elemental)
In terms of population, the Alanamsul are the second most common subtype of Feydragon, although there is a significant gap between them and the most populous (the Kynnyn). Despite this they are amongst the most well-known, and one of the most studied subtypes.
The Alanamsul are named for each clan's practice of worshipping one of the Numegola as a patron/matron deity, to the point that they refer to themselves as that deity's children. Their magical inclination takes after their "parent", and their appearance is likewise influenced, though to a lesser degree. (e.g. A clan that worships Reda would refer to themselves as Children of Reda, be inclined towards fire magic and pyrokinesis, and have fire-themed appearances.)
Their wings resemble those of insects, but are far more sturdy (having bone and muscle is not uncommon, these being the Fey). Other, rarer insectoid traits that occur from time to time include scales, antennae and (extremely rarely) compound eyes.
Azetsum (existant)
(Placeholder description: light-coloured, angelic-looking, said to worship Tanastlasei and Fromina like the Alanamsul worship Numegola. Of course, Light Is Not Good; in other words, not all of them do so.)
Myshemd (nothing)
If the Azetsum are the "angels" of the Feydragons, then there is little doubt that the Myshemd would be the "demons". Often stereotyped as evil and nihilistic worshippers of Kytlekh, this viewpoint has changed and is still changing in the more educated parts of Ramath-Lehi, thanks to research into their culture and history as well as individuals showing who they actually are.
The stereotype may come at least partly from their appearances. Generally, Myshemd come in dark colours, though some have lighter-coloured markings (e.g. dark red with yellow spots). Their wings come in two different varieties; males usually have bat-like wings, complete with webbing (how extensive the webbing is tends to vary between individuals), while females' wings are more unusual. They have the structure of a bat's wings, but are covered in feathers. Of course, exceptions do occur now and then.
It is worth noting that the subject of Kytlekh, and worship of the Nothing, is a major source of conflict in Myshemd clan politics. Some clans still follow this religion and its philosophy; however, many have long since moved away from this to worship other deities. Needless to say, these religious conflicts can become extremely violent, and some speculate that this may have been one of the causes of the Azypot [see History].
Kynnyn (commo[n])
Easily the most common of the Fey, and the most common in Ramathian society, the Kynnyn are often said to be the "everyman" of the subspecies. This is at least partly because the classification itself is used for multiple groups: the actual Kynnyn, Fey hybrids, and individuals who are no longer part of their original clans for whatever reason.
The "true" Kynnyn are said to have developed from hybrids or exiles. Regardless of reason, they generally hold little affinity to any particular element in magic - generalists, as opposed to specialists. Interestingly, this gives them the potential to become mages more powerful than any other of the Fey subtypes. This "jack-of-many-trades" quality also extends to their culture: they are taught to be multitalented, with some clans having a mentality of taking even hobbies seriously.
"Mongrel" Kynnyn are made up of hybrids and Fey from other groups who abandoned their heritage. The practice of sending such individuals to live in Kynnyn clans is an old one, going back thousands of years, but with the Azypot [see History] placing Fey within Ramathian society, these individuals are often automatically labeled Kynnyn in official documents. And while a number of "Mongrels" have always objected to the practice, seeing it happen within beaurocracy has been a frequent source of outrage. Some "Mongrels" - as well as pure-blooded Fey from other groups - have been campaigning for a way to classify them differently, but with ancient practices and prejudices, there is no easy answer.
Reproduction
In this regard, the Fey are exactly the same as regular pendragons; that is, they are monotremes (laying eggs and feeding young with milk). It is possible for them to reproduce with other pendragon subspecies, though in practice this does not happen very often, due to their small size.
Social Life
Fey Societies
(Placeholder description: Generally they live in seperate societies, often referred to as clans or tribes. They range in size (from small to HUGE), and can be found in various locations. The most common structure in these societies consists of two classes: the rulers (often several ruling families) and everyone else.)
Feydragons in Mainstream Society
(Placeholder description: There are Feydragons living in mainstream Ramathian society... enough to be quite noticable, but far from the majority.)
(Notes: Much, much more stuff needs to be added. Perhaps a discussion with the others is in order.)
History
For far longer than anyone can remember, there have been Feydragons. None know exactly when they came to be, but written records dating from tens of thousands of years back suggest that they could very well be one of the oldest of the pendragon subspecies. Some Fey claim that they were the very first to exist on Ramath-Lehi; needless to say, whether this is true is highly debateable.
What is certain are several key events in their history, as well as in the history of their interaction with the pendragons. The most well-known is referred to as the Azypot (Exodus), and occurred in approximately 81000. Due to uncertain reasons, an abnormally large number of Feydragons left their native clans and moved into Ramathian society. Some suggest that it was due to civil warfare or drastic changes in law; regardless, records state that these Fey believed that they would be much safer amongst the Pendragons than back home.
Prior to this time, the Fey were seen as little more than rumours and legends. The Azypot confirmed their existence to the rest of the world.
