Dragonborn

The Lokhari (sing. Lokhar), or Dragonborn as they are known to the Avalorn, are a race of draconic humanoids. Their homeland of Lok Skjallig is a mist-haunted land of rocky islands and ever-shifting ice flows in the far north of the Severn Sea. From this barren and dangerous land, the Lokhari sail forth on steel-hulled ships to trade, raid or conquer.

The language of the Lokhari is Skjor.

Great Clans
Lokhari society is structured into four Great Clans. Each of these clans claims descent from one of the Great Wyrms, ancient dragons of immense power who are viewed as ancestor deities. How an individual views the world, and their place in it, is very dependent on which clan they were raised in.

Clan Thraun
The largest and most prosperous of the clans, Clan Thraun are the least likely to be encountered outside Lok Skjallig. To them, their islands are the blessed homeland given to them by the dragon gods, and to venture beyond is to reject that gift and invite disaster. This attitude is helped by the fact that they control many of the most fertile and resource-rich islands. Clan Thraun view themselves as the most noble of the Great Clans, and all dragonborn as inherently superior to other races.

The ancestor Great Wyrm of Clan Thraun is Thraundummir, the Sea-Shaker.

Clan Tyr
The smallest of the Great Clans, Clan Tyr's worldview is dominated by their dedication to their people's past. They are the lore keepers and the storytellers, traveling across the isles and beyond in search of knowledge. They are the most likely to be truly friendly with other races, for while they are self-absorbed in their pursuit of knowledge, they view others races as merely unimportant, not outright inferior.

The ancestor Great Wyrm of Clan Tyr is Tyraxion, the Sun-Stalker.

Clan Ashar
The terrifying image of dragon-headed longships bearing death and destruction that many have of the dragonborn is largely due to Clan Ashar. The most warlike and dangerous of the Clans, they have few natural resources on their home islands, and so frequently raid beyond Lok Skjallig. They are the most openly disdainful of other races, believing the Lokhari to be inherently superior, and their clan to be the strongest of the dragonborn.

The ancestor Great Wyrm of Clan Ashar is Ashardalon, the Apocalypse-Upon-Wings.

Clan Rost
The greatest shipwrights in the isles, and perhaps the entire world, the trade ships of Clan Rost have traveled from Avalon to Bael Turath, and to stranger realms beyond. They are most likely to have equanimous relations with other races, and will often grant that individuals who have proven themselves in some way may be their equals, even if their race as a whole is still inferior to the Lokhari. They view the inward focus of Clan Thraun as small-minded, and the warlike Clan Ashar as mere savages.

The ancestor Great Wyrm of Clan Rost is Rostovascir, the World-Strider.

Minor Clans and Clanless
There are any number of minor clans in the isles, usually holding at most one or two settlements. Most of these minor clans are split-offs from a Great Clan, leaving over some difference of opinion or slight. These groups will not typically remain independent for long, and after a generation or two will return to the previous clan or join one that matches their beliefs more closely.

Since the Great Clans are so ideologically based, it is not unheard of for Lokhari to leave the clan they were born into and join one that suits their beliefs better.

Gods of the Dragonborn
The Lokhari worship the Dragon of the North Sea as their patron god, while also venerating a pantheon of dead ancient dragons as ancestor deities.

The Dragon of the North Sea
The Dragon of the North Sea is the only living part of the Lokhari pantheon, and even then is not seen to take a very active role in the lives of his followers. He is believed to have taught the earliest Lokhari how to learn for themselves, and then given them their harsh homeland to ensure they learned quickly and well. He values cunning and wisdom, and provides little comfort to the average Lokhari. Some few, however, feel his influence more strongly that their brothers; a yearning to explore, to learn, and to improve both themselves and their people. Those who feel this calling often become champions of their clans, jarls or even kings. Destiny can often hang like a doom over these champions, however, as the sense that they are fated to achieve great things can be oppressive or can lead them to take insane risks. The Lokhari believe that the Dragon of the North Sea physically resides in the world, at times taking the shape of a massive dragon deep beneath the waves, and at others as a hooded dragonborn wandering the isles.

Tenants of the Dragon of the North Sea
 * Improve yourself and your people
 * True power and wealth come from knowledge
 * Learn the ways of others to better understand your own

Ancestor Great Wyrms
The Lokhari also venerate the Great Wyrms, dead dragons from the ancient days who have become legendary ancestor deities. To the Lokhari, a dragon cannot truly be killed, for its spirit is an integral part of the world. For most dragons, their spirits have been absorbed back into the world to await the time when they may return to the living world, yet for those mighty enough to have become the Great Wyrms of legend, a vestige of their will and power remain, shaping the world to their liking and aiding those who know how to call upon them. There are several hundred Ancestor Great Wyrms, though the most commonly invoked are the four seen as the ancestral founders of the Great Clans.

Dragonborn in Avalon
The Lokhari have a troubled history with Avalon, stretching back to the height of the kingdom when dragonborn raiders first began appearing on its shores.

The Great Invasion of the Dragonborn took place during the Balian dynasty, when hundreds of steel-hulled ships appeared across the coast of the kingdom. Cindring Fireyes, the jarl of Clan Ashar, had brought the clans together and was named king. Using this might, he marshaled the largest force of Lokhari ever assembled and attacked Avalon. In short order he had seized nearly the entire southern portion of the kingdom, and had besieged the capital in Caerlyon. In a single battle that shaped the history of the kingdom, he was at last defeated by a newly crowned King Aelfwren, who followed that with a string of victories that pushed the dragonborn back to the three dukedoms they had first invaded. There, however, the Lokhari dug in, and for over 10 years they held those territories. During that time, Cindring Fireyes died, and leadership among the Lokhari splintered. The lost dukedoms would eventually be reclaimed, and though most Lokhari returned to their homelands, many stayed in the communities they had integrated with in Avalon, or fled and established tiny kingdoms of their own.

Due to this history, dragonborn are viewed with fear and suspicion in much of Avalon, yet are still occasionally encountered. Traders, particularly from Clan Rost, appear most summers in ports up and down the coast. Many mercenaries find work in Avalon, aided by their history and reputation. The most prominent dragonborn in Prydain, however, are the Lokhari Guard, the elite bodyguards of the Duke.