The Remnant
The Remnant is the name given to those dragons who reside in Millirand, those that did not leave in the great exodus to Felnova in the Millirandian year 7303. They see themselves as loyal to the land of their ancestors, and vehemently defend their territory in the Ryukun Mountains and their capital, Arrowhead. Distrustful of outsiders, and wary of the age-old - though now unlawful - practice of hunting their kind for trophies, most Remnant dragons do not venture far from the Ryukun's lofty heights. To visit the mountains is to risk their ire, and more than one hapless traveler has been chased from the mountains by a dragon unwilling to speak. Many still do not revere the Ten or Millirandian Five as much as most in that Realm, due to believing the gods abandoned them to their fate thousands of years ago. However, the Trae'vinn Yi'fae'n - a religion called the Essence of Faith - has made a comeback in younger individuals who have wandered beyond Arrowhead's crystal walls.
Unlike the dragons of other Realms, all Remnant dragons are led by a single ruler who shares no ties to Kazule or the original royal bloodline of the First. While this position has been passed down from parent to child for several generations now, it was once a rank chosen by the Council of Elders, many of which do not like how things have changed and will make no effort to hide their malcontent. This Council is forged of six of the oldest dragons in Millirand, a few of which are old enough to remember the mass exodus, the hope of the dragons returning, and the sense of betrayal when the gods did not answer their pleas for help.
Many of the Remnant are able to trace their bloodlines back to the original dragons who lived in the mountains before the founding of Ki-Lia, as well as western drakes who settled there before the mass exodus and the gods' perceived abandonment. The vast majority are westerns, though groundrakes and wyverns are also common in those with less than pure blood. Resilient to the cold, arctic conditions that grasp the Ryukuns in three out of four seasons, the Remnant dragons have several common traits shared throughout their population, most of which help them live in the great peaks. These traits are listed below.
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- All Remnant dragons who have been hatched in the last several thousand years are uniquely adapted to the cold, wintery conditions of their home. They share a resistance against extremely low temperatures and have a mammalian ability to regulate their body temperature, as more reptilian-aligned dragons do not do well in the persistent north. Slight resistance to ice magic exists, and some may have magical affinities to keep them warm outside of biological processes.
- Fur is very common in various places on the dragon, seen as an adaptive trait inherited from ancestors who were able to better handle the mountain clime. Fur manes and tufts are found in all Remnant-hatched dragons, and fur coats covering at least the the neck, shoulders, wing arms and upper tail are very common. Other fur, as on the chest, underside of the tail, and on the jowls, are uncommon but still found in many members. Fully furred dragons, and those with feathers - frills, feathered wings (partial or full), and crests - are rare. Purebred Remnant dragons may appear more mammalian than reptilian, resembling canines or large felines in facial structure and paw configuration.
Lord/Lady: de facto monarch of Arrowhead and the Remnant. serves as a king or queen with a different name. offspring, however, are still called princes and princesses.
Councilor: a member of the Elder Council, one of six ancient dragons and the eldest of the Remnant. act as advisors to the Lord/Lady.
Lorekeeper: historian and chronicler, responsible for keeping track of historical happenings, bloodlines, and recording important current events.
Warden: commander of the Sentinels. responsible for Arrowhead's defenses.
Sentinels: responsible for safeguarding Arrowhead and its surrounding domain, and ensuring nobody strays too close if not invited.
Elder: dragons who aren't part of the council, but who are old enough to remember the days before the great exodus.
In addition to these ranks, other Remnant dragons are simply called members and hold no rank nor title within the group. Outsiders may call them 'Remnant dragons' or 'remnants', though the latter is frowned upon and may be reacted to in anger.
Remnant Members
These dragons are all in the Remnant, either by blood, wardship or marriage.
Howl is the young leader of Arrowhead, only having claimed its title of Lord for a few decades. His father was (and is) unknown to the clan, but his uncle Hijka was leader for three centuries before his death. A prideful and arrogant youth, fatherhood and leadership have tempered the fire within him, and he has become more thoughtful and less rash in recent years. However, Howl is prone to hiding what his true feelings are, and has very little idea of how to express love and affection for those close to him. He puts on a haughty face, a veneer not easily broken.
Unlike most of the Remnant leaders, Howl is not purebred. In secret known not even by himself, he holds the dark blood of a Famine demon from his father's line, resulting in some of his physical features and all of his magic. He isn't as immune to cold as other, purebred Remnant dragons, though hus fur and feathers do well to insulate him against the mountain's chill.
While her true name is Net'ialina, Nettle hates this name, and usually tries to bite anybody who uses it, with the sole exception of her older half-brother, Ardyn. Born from a fling between Lord Howl and a dragoness named Xania, Nettle spent her early days with her mother, growing steadily until Xania decided she'd be better off under her father's care since keeping her ever-growing daughter fed was a difficult task. Due to her status as Howl's possible heir, and her volatile temper, she is rather spoiled by the rest of the Remnant, and has begun to develop a fascination wit all manner of oddities.
Aside from her unusually large size for a hatchling, Nettle boasts a few other oddities about her, such as her dark eyes which lack pupils, an extra 'thumb' on her left forepaw, and a second, smaller set of jaws nestled inside the outer set.
