Ancestry: The Dragon Knights

You folks are going to get a bunch of ancestries in the upcoming packet. You'll get all the Universal Donor ancestries; humans, high elves, wode elves, dwarves, orcs, and maybe polder (our hobbits).

But there are other ancestries in the game! Ancestries we feel aren't 'standard for all fantasy settings.' We have Space Fantasy ancestries (the Memonek and Time Raiders), we have Fantasy Urban Intrigue ancestries (Devils and Revenants) and then we have a few ancestries specific to Vasloria, our Medieval Fantasyland. Like these folks! THE DRAGON KNIGHTS!

This is the first (I think) ancestral writeup featuring our Iconic Heroes. We liked the idea of creating unique heroes (Human Tactician, High Elf Void Mage, etc...) for the book so when we need to illustrate something in the text, we had pre-designed visuals to pull from. That way we're not inventing whole new people for every illustration.

But as I got closer to the end of the Ancestry writeups I started to realize...hey...do these folks ever talk? :D Do we ever get to meet them?

Well, I dunno. I don't know if there will be any fiction in these books outside the "scenes" you get in the ancestry write-ups. So I figured I better include some! So you're going to meet Sir John, the human tactician featured in the original Backerkit campaign art, and...some other people. :D

What you're about to read is too long to fit in the space we have, it will be edited down or possibly even replaced. But we don't know how much needs to be cut out, because we don't have a final layout template yet (actually we may have one as of today, but the point stands).

So, don't get too attached to this. Lots of people won't bother reading the scenes anyway, they'll look at the art and read the crunch and skip the lore.

But you folks get to read the whole thing, and that counts for something. You'll probably get another one tomorrow? Stay tuned!

Quote

“I thought the Dragon Knights would save us. But even they couldn’t stop Ajax. Now the roads aren’t safe. People are taken from their homes without cause or warning, never to return. I don’t know what’s going to happen now except everyone’s afraid all the time. 

“I think things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.”

Intro

The Ritual of Dracogenesis which grants the power to create a generation of Draconians–also known as Wyrmwights–is obscure and supremely difficult even for an experienced sorcerer. Small populations of draconians in Khemhara, Higara, and Khoursir attest to this. Descendants of original generations created millennia ago by powerful wizards, they have never been numerous. A typical clutch yields only a single egg. After only a few generations they begin to show new adaptations like feathers or frilled ridges. 

The largest extant population of draconians are the remnants of the Dragon Knights in Vasloria. Created by Good King Omund’s wizard Vitae, the Dragon Phalanx once numbered several thousand and were the King’s greatest knights, ensuring the rule of law across the land.

Knighthood was a title every member of that first generation of Dragon Knights carried. Within the Dragon Phalanx were shadows, censors, tacticians and elementalists. Probably every class could be found in one of the eight dragonflights. 

They were symbols of justice, protecting the weak from the strong. For over 30 years they stood between the people and those who sought power over others. Those who grew up in that place and time could not imagine any other way of life. 

Then Ajax came.

Dragon Knight Benefits

Dragon knights gain the following benefits.

Wyrmplate

Your hardened scales grants you immunity 5 to one of the following damage types: cold, fire, corruption, lightning, or poison. You can change your damage immunity type while out of combat.

Knighthood

Choose one of the following features.

Draconian Rush: As a maneuver, you can swiftly fly in a straight line up to your speed. Until you reach level 6, you must end your turn on solid ground or fall prone.

Draconian Guard: When you or an adjacent creature is attacked, you can use a triggered action to swing your wings around front and guard the blow, reducing the damage by your level + your Victories.

Draconian Pride: You can use the following ability:

Draconian Pride

You let loose a mighty roar to repel the rabble or shake their spirits

Keywords: Attack, Magic Type: Action

Distance: 2 Burst         Target: All enemies

Power Roll + Might or Presence:

• 11 or lower: 2 damage; push 1

• 12-16: 4 damage; push 3

• 17+: 7 damage; push 5; frightened (EoT)

Extra: You have a bane on this ability when you use it in consecutive rounds of the same encounter.

On The Dragon Knights

The cloaked figure in the back of the inn stood up. As they did so, the hood slipped down, revealing their head and face. A susurration rippled through the crowd. One man standing near the bar dropped his jaw, and then his flagon of mead.

A tall, broad draconian stepped into the light. He was old, his scales battle-scarred. He rested one clawed hand on the pommel of a mace that hung from a loop on his belt, while the other carried his shield by a strap. His flat, expressionless look was more terrifying than any threatening glower.

The three human bandits took a step back. One of the dwarves just sneered. Then, sensing his human compatriot’s reluctance, turned to look at them. “What’s this?” the lead dwarf growled.

“Don’t be cowards now!” the other dwarf said, some joy in his voice. “Look what a prize we have caught!”

“We didn’t…,” one bandit said, shaking. “We didn’t know….”

Looking at the dragon knight, the other bandit said quickly. “We didn’t know there was one of you here.”

The draconian didn’t move, didn’t give any indication he heard the man. Just stared unblinking at the lead dwarf. “Think of the bounty,” the dwarf hissed to the humans, but kept his eye on the Draconian. “We’ll all be rich.”

“I don’t…,” one of the bandits dropped her sword and held her hands up as she backed away from the group, toward the exit. “I don’t need it that bad,” she said, turned and ran out the door. Her human compatriots followed.

The two dwarves surveyed the tavern. The people were now all facing them. A few had stood up. They weren’t afraid anymore.

“We’ll be back,” the lead dwarf said, and the two of them backed out of the inn, sheathing their short swords before they turned and left.

The people in the tavern, as one, turned to look with undisguised awe at the dragon knight. He noticed this, ducked his head to avoid their gaze. “Show’s over,” he growled and turned to go back to his seat in the back.

“Thank you,” the woman behind the bar said. “Thank you for…,” she stopped when she saw the Draconian was ignoring her.

A short, doughty middle-aged man stood up, and two equally doughty women at the same table stood up with him. “Excuse me, sir knight,” the man said as the dragon knight walked past their table. 

The knight moved on, ignoring them. The man reached out and grabbed the massive draconian’s arm. The knight wheeled on the peasant, looming over him.

The man bowed his head and touched his forelock. The two women with him curtseyed and tried to avoid making eye contact.

“Begging your pardon sir, but we been lookin’ for you.”

The dragon knight sneered and bared a set of sharp teeth. “Look for someone else” he growled and pulled his arm away.

The man scurried around to stand in front of the draconian, blocking his way. He took off his worn cap and held it over his breast. "I'm sorry sir, but there ain't no one else. There’s this new tax, you see, from the new baron. And a priest says he’s of Saint Ajax."

The knight bared his impressive teeth and was about to scare them away when someone else spoke.

“You might want to hear ‘em out Vaant,” a voice said from the table the three peasants had been sitting at.

The dragon knight turned sharply to look at the man who’d spoken. His back was to the draconian, but the voice gave him away. “John?” The man turned to look up at the draconian.

“Hi Vaant,” the man said, smiling. He rose from his table. He was middle-aged, fit. Black hair like thick ropes hung down to his shoulders. He was armed with many weapons. He looked like a captain of the guard. “Folks this is Vaantikalisax. Knight of King Omund in the Thunder Phalanx. He may be the last of the Storm Knights.”

He held out his hand. The dragon knight looked at it for a moment before reaching out slowly to grasp it. “What are you doing out here?” Vaantikalisax asked, shaking John’s hand.

“These people need help. I said I’d find it. Heard a rumor someone matching your description was holed up here having a drinking contest with Mr. John Barleycorn.”

The draconian sniffed, released his hand and looked at the three peasants. “Why do you people need me? You’re in the company of Sir John, Commander of the fifth…"

"Just John,” Sir John said, holding a hand up. “The new baron stripped me of my title. My lands.”

“I didn’t know that,” the dragonman’s voice softened. “I’m sorry.”

“I'll be fine. But these people,” John said, gesturing to the three older peasants. Vaantikalisax waved Sir John to silence. 

“Sure,” he said. “But why me?”

“Thought maybe you'd like to get back in the game.”

“The game.”

“Yeah.” Sir John smiled. “The hero game.”

Vaantikalisax stood and said nothing. The inn had mostly gone back to its business but the three peasants watched intently. Eventually the dragon knight spoke, his voice low.

“I owe you a lot John. But not everything.”

“I'm not asking everything.”

“No, that's not how it starts. But I have this feeling that's how it'll end.”

“What does your oath say? ‘Even should the sun stop in the sky, even should the night…,”

“John,” the dragon knight said, his voice suddenly sad. Exasperated. “You don’t want to quote my oath to me. You really don’t. I liked serving with you. I have fond memories of that time. Of you. Don’t spoil it.” He looked at his friend, the three peasants, then shook his head and turned to leave the inn.

“Vaant,” Sir John said, following. “Sir Vaantikalisax, by your oath!”

The dragon knight stopped and spun around. Everyone in the inn was watching the show again. Act two. 

“The people need leadership,” John said, as he looked at all the folk watching.

Vaantikalisax’s reptile eyes flashed in anger. “They had it. Thirty years and what did it amount to?! I watched Ajax…I watched him…,” the dragon knight’s eyes flinched. His clawed hands tightened on his mace and shield. “I watched the oath…fail.”

“Vant…Vant the Dragon Phalanx didn’t fail. You were betrayed. It was Mandrake! One of your own, don’t you get it? You’re just as fallible as the rest of us, you were never ‘incorruptible.’ It’s just what we wanted to believe. You’re just people. Like the rest of us.”

The dragon knight looked at the people in the inn, at the three peasants desperate for someone, anyone to help them, then looked back to his friend.

“Exactly,” Vaantikalisax said, and turned and left the inn.