Draquestrian

Warriors who serve dragons and ride them into battle, becoming benecificiaries of the draconic accumulation via draconic power. They wield lances and wear special dragonscale armor.

Note: this description assumes a flying, terrestial dragon. Other variants are mentioned below, but rules should be discussed with the GM.

Chosen of the Dragon

Most dragons will not deign to be ridden except in special circumstances, but some either enjoy having a rider companion or find it useful for a specific need or desire. Others occasionally stumble into it, finding a friend with whom they wish to share such a bond. Others still simply do it out of family or cultural custom. Most, of course, do not.

When a dragon decides they want or need a rider, they usually choose one from the pentologers or other warriors who serve them, though some do not seek someone who is already a warrior. Most dragons find someone they like and make an offer to the potential draquestrian, usually a portion of their treasure or a service of some sort.

The commonest reason for a draquestrian is a dragon having an opponent with one, as a draquestrian is often in a unique position to kill enemy dragons in battle.

Tribute

Some potential draquestrians seek out the dragon rather than the other way around. To gain the good graces of the dragon, they bring tribute in the form of magical treasure or some other significant offering. Even a draquestrian chose by a dragon must face a test wherein they acquire some kind of tribute, though if they are chosen, it does not have to be as extravagant.

Symbiosis

Dragons and draquestrians share a blood bond. Much as pentologers merge with draconic power via a rite of blood, so too do draquestrians. Theirs is more potent, however, and direct. The dragon and draquestrian create a circle of flame (or something else equally dramatic and dangerous) around themselves, then each draws their own blood, letting it pour into a basin about three feet in diameter, made of a neutral metal (unless the dragon is of an aligned energy - then the metal will be aligned to them). Once the basin has enough blood in it, both spin the bowl slowly to mix it. The draquestrian then washes their wound in the blood, letting the fire of dragonsblood cauterize their injury and infuse them with power, and the dragon drinks the blood of the draquestrian. Then, they two turn to the flames and let them swallow them, immune to it via the blood, drawing it in and accumulating its power at once, until the fire is gone and both are bonded.

If the potential draquestrian does not have blood, equivalent humors or bodily material (sap, crystal shards) will work.

Risks

The main reason, other than a general preference for solitude, that dragons do not create draquestrians often is that such a bond allows the flow of esoteric energies to the draquestrian. In this process, some of the energy is lost, meaning the dragon potentially loses a significant amount of its sustenance. Draquestrians, for their own part, take the risk of being overwhelmed and enslaved by the dragon.

Blood and Fire

Via the blood bond, the draquestrian gains the power to accumulate energies at a much slower, but still notable, pace, much as a dragon can. Unlike dragons, who can actively drain energies, or pentologers, who must do so through meditation, draquestrians do so through action. They draw energies by rituals of blood and fire. They recharge themselves in this manner when needed, and they can improvise the ritual to a certain extent (any existing wound or flame can work, though some are better than others).

Five Characteristics of the Dragon

Draquestrians take on the five characteristics of the dragon after the ritual:

1. Discipline: WIL bonus. Draquestrians are devoted to their dragon and maintain a set of rituals, practices, and behaviors that give them strength of mind and body, make them great warriors, and enable them to serve well.
2. Power: STR bonus. Draquestrians maintain great physical strength, in no small part because riding a dragon requires it, and strength of their powers.
3. Territory: AWA bonus. Draquestrians are bonded to the dragon, who is attuned to their territory. As such, the draquestrian has a supernatural sense within the territory.
4. Majesty: PRS bonus. Draquestrians are impressive to behold, though not as much so as a dragon. They appear fearsome, awe-inspiring, or potent to those who interact with them.
5. Accumulation: see above Blood and Fire.

Riding

Riding a dragon requires special equipment and skill. Via the bond between rider and dragon, instructions are passed from one to the other, and they become as one during flight. What one perceives, the other does. The dragon's speed does not faze the draquestrian if they have the proper armor, and the dragon feels not the weight of their chosen.

Powers

Draquestrians can partake of the dragon's own powers, though not nearly as powerfully. A draquestrian can use a fraction of the dragon's points to tap into every single power the dragon has, if possible on a physical level (i.e., the draquestrian cannot shed a scale). See draconic power or dragons for more information on potential powers. For immunities, the draquestrian must actively draw upon it to have it; same with senses.

Draconids

Draquestrians have an affinity for draconids such as wyverns or other non-sentient dragons. If they are large enough, the draconid can be ridden by the draquestrian easily after the draquestrian has touched its head with a single hand.

Inventory

The weapons, armor, and equipment of a draquestrian are a critical part of their occupation:

Weapons

Draquestrians are practiced in five weapons, usually. Often, these are taken from the dragon's treasures:

• Lance: the commonest weapon is a long lance of drachesch or other potent metal that can be used against other aerial foes.
• Sword: for melee combat or close-aerial combat, the sword is usually wreathed in dragonflame.
• Crossbow: mounted on the saddle, the crossbow is good against heavily armored foes.
• Whip: a useful weapon on dragonback as it can pull another aerial foe down.
• Javelin: a good throwing spear keeps the enemy away.

Armor

Dragons will often shed scales so that a draquestrian may be armored in them. Other times, they give them armors from their treasures.

• Mail: dragonscale mail has many different properties, varying by dragon, and has very high defense rating. It protects draquestrians from the strong winds and bitter cold of riding in flight.
• Shield: a heavy shield, usually a box or kite shield, designed to deflect enemy dragon breath, arrows, or other projectiles is essential.
• Helmet: a draquestrian's helmet must have a good visor and cover the ears to protect them from the blasting winds.
• Barding: the dragon itself may wear some mail or barding of its own, usually cloth, leather, or chain draped around its body loosely, and a small, specially designed helmet.

Equipment

Most dragons cannot be ridden bareback:

• Saddle: the saddle for a dragon is designed to nestle at the base of the neck. If the dragon is winged, the saddle will fall in front of them, usually. If the dragon has spines or plates, the saddle will be designed to work between them. The saddle will be heavily enchanted and designed to resist a great deal of pressure, heat, and wear and tear.
• Reins: reins are made of a strong material and fitted to the dragon's snout loosely, so it may open its mouth fully. The reins are simply for guidance.
• Bridle: the bridle is more of a simple harness around the head of the dragon or attached to their helmet. This is simply to attach the reins and nothing more, but it must be very strong.

No draquestrian would ever wear spurs, and even if they did, the dragon would probably not feel them.

Variations

The above description assumes to some extent a true dragon. Other kinds of dragons have some variations:

• Aetherial dragons: protectors of the world, they will often have some kind of aetherial warrior as their draquestrian, combining powers and stats of each.
• Celesital dragons: protectors of people, healers, empowerers, they will take a draquestrian for noble quests or in order to protect those in need, but mostly they do it for companionship.
• Infernal dragons: powerful overlords, infernal dragons often enslave riders as fodder in battles; true draquestrians on infernal dragons are chosen due to mutually benefiical circumstances, and often, they try to one up or betray each other.
• Nommic dragons: with a strong sense of self, nommic dragons are more solitary than any other kind of dragon and rarely have draquestrians. As such, they vary by individual.
• Paradoxical dragons: stewards of the ever-changing, paradoxical dragons have a draquestrian for idiosyncratic reasons, usually.
• Poioumenonic dragons: if the story so compels them, poioumenonic dragons will call upon a draquestrian to aid them in a quest.
• Non-draconic power shebvic dragons: the most warlike dragons, shebvic dragons have draquestrians more often than any other, almost always for a specific conflict.

Specializations

There are a few specializations among draquestrians based on their purpose or role:

• Carabinier: a draquestrian who replaces their crossbow with a carbine rifle, often using that weapon solely.
• Ezici: some draquestrians are those who sought out a dragon because of a need to break or engage in siege warfare, as dragons are legendary for their use in such situations.
• Ladrone: a draquestrian bandit, one who raids the territories of other dragons, often with small groups of draquestrians on draconids.
• Oltirwisczi: some draquestrians are sought out to be the dragon's personal assassin.
• Scalecrafter: some draquestrians take up making things from the dragonscales they are given as either a post-draquestrian career or as part of a small group of draquestrians.
• Yuksek sesle: a draquestrian chosen specifically to deliver messages for the dragon and communicate via their bond.

Sovietal Role

Dragons serve a role as leaders, protectors, or allies to the powerful, and so draquestrians are the same. In an enemy dragon's territory, a draquestrian is in mortal danger.

Skills

Some common skills include

• Piloting
• Navigation
• Direction sense
• Archery
• Armor-making
• Smithing
• Treasure hunting
• Hunting
• Tactics
• Strategy

Stats

Modifiers from base of species/nation:

PRO +5
ATH +5
STR +5
AWA +5
WIL +3
STH /
PRS +3