Sosara - Kaorian Tribes

Got bored last night, so I thought I'd work on Sosara, my up-and-coming planet, a bit. Some information on three tribes I have so far:

Tribes of the Kaora

Kilianth – Mountain Dragons

The Kilianth tribe is the primary tribe of Sosaran dragons, numbering well over 20,000. Their colorations vary widely: although blues, greens, and earth tones like bronze and brown are the most common, gold and silver dragons can sometimes be found, although these rare creatures are literally one in a thousand and bring tidings of good fortune. Black and white dragons, although less rare than golds and silvers, are still occasional occurrences. However, being a black dragon is tantamount to being a pariah, therefore the blacks have retreated into a separate clan, distanced away from Kilianth strongholds. Tensions are mounting between the two groups.

Kilianth dragons are the most easily recognized by their tail ornaments. They are rhomboid in shape and are always darker in color in relation to that particular dragon’s hide. All Kilianth are educated to read and write at an early age, and have a knack for picking up spoken languages.

A constitutional monarchy is the current government set-up for the Kilianth. Although the Royal Family still resides in the Grand Palace in Hadreas (built in 267 3C), a Forum of 90 elected Representatives, 10 Governors plus one High Suzerain holds the most power. There is not much corruption in politics due to the fact that the public can very easily remove a kaora from office by way of physical force (usually fatal for the errant representative).

The Kilianth are concentrated within the Anmastern Mountains in the center of Riatha, although many kaora enjoy settling north of the Upper Caimas River on the fringe of the Great Central Plains.

Currency for the kaora race as a whole is universal for Riatha and is based on the han. One han is split into twenty chihan, while ten han equals a sero. Liquid money exists in coin form, but because hauling around bags of coins is impractical for large transactions, and because the kaora do NOT hoard gold, contracts on paper are written up and signed with two impartial witnesses present. Banks exist all throughout Riatha, and the Central Mint in Hadreas is so heavily guarded not even the forces of a Cataclysm could penetrate its physical and magical defenses.



Iradeth – Tundra Dragons

The Iradeth tribe is noticeably smaller than the Kalianth with about 2,000 members. Choosing to live closer to the North Tundra region, these kaora are naturally white in color, although inter-tribe relationships produce children with the color of one parent, but with white stripes all over.

Iradeth dragons tend to have longer claws since they need a good bit of traction when walking on the icy ground. Hatchlings provide a source of amusement for the elders as they blunder over the hardpack until their claws grow to proper size. Their spines are usually long and very sharp; a careless hatchling could do serious damage just by rolling around. Iradeth dragons are also slightly smaller than Kalianth dragons, growing to eight meters in height while the latter stands two meters taller fully grown. The tail tips are radically different from a Kilianth’s: they have been described as white flames made solid and grafted onto the tail.

The Iradeth are the most primal of the kaora species, yet this is quite relative. They are usually more civil than any maserth establishment, and they are also the most religious, possibly owing to the amount of Voltosk influence in the area. A theocratic government with five High Priests has become very adept at settling disputes quickly and satisfactorily to both parties.

Many Iradeth choose to learn the ancient Kaorian language as their mother tongue before learning Sosarian. Coupled with the religious rituals (many dragons from several different tribes make pilgrimages to Iradeth territory to celebrate different festivals and feasts), the Iradeth cultural identity is ensured a path through the uncertain future.



Emmara – Sea Dragons

To see a member of the Emarra tribe can be likened to finding a twenty-dollar-bill on the ground or meeting your favorite role model. The 800 dragons belonging to this tribe are extremely beautiful and ornate, but rarely seen more than ten kilometers from the coast. Their blue-green hides reflect a glittery luster, their feet are webbed, and with a plethora of frills on the body they are able to swim a little better as well as give off an even stronger impression of otherworldliness. The interesting part about this particular tribe of kaora is that the horns on males have actually evolved into a fourth ear prong. Females have the standard three.

The Emmara are very widespread along the coasts of Riatha, although there is a colony of about fifty kaora known to exist near the mouth of the Evening Star River. However, the casual visitor would be hard-pressed to find anyone there, as the kaora spend the majority of their time in the ocean (despite what they say, they cannot breathe water but they can hold their breath for hours on end) catching fish and other maritime meals.

Due to their very nature, a member of the Emmara tribe cannot venture inland for more than two hours without magical aid because they depend on constant immersion to survive. Even when they sleep every night, they insert themselves into pools of water in their abodes, which could possibly explain the Emmara tribe’s small population.

Members of the Emmara tribe are blessed with a higher-than-normal intelligence level. Many kaorian philosophers have been mentored by a sea dragon at some point or another, and due to their intelligence they always seem to elude nosy investigators who try to pry open their reclusive culture. An enigmatic, enrapturing tribe, the Emmara give the kaora something to be proud about.



More tribes to come later! For now, I hope you had fun reading these ^^;

~ Hyun