Gigantic Reference Post
*Note: This is essentially a tailored version of my original world reference post for Conrit's older brother, Ladon, which can be found here. There's a lot of duplicated information here, I've essentially just rewritten a few parts specifically for Conrit.
World History and Information
The world Conrit hails from is currently at the technological, scientific, and cultural point that would be the equivalent of 1930s America. The world itself is run by one world government, the result of strife from a war that has long been perverted by recorded history.
A few thousand years ago, an assemblage of mages united the countries of the world and formed a fascist regime that forced all its citizens to assimilate, destroying other languages, cultures, and massacring the resistance. Their most outspoken and capable opponents happened to be the non-humans, who were capable of using magic and thus competing with the mages. The war was brutal, and the mages eventually won through sheer power, numbers, and the fact that they were able to render some very powerful curses on the non-humans. The war itself caused the brown dragons to go extinct, and the others were almost hunted to extinction by mages. Each non-human race was cursed by the mages in some way, which hampered them greatly. Thankfully the non-magic population had invented weaponry (namely the crossbow) capable of turning the tide of the war. The mage families were executed and various new world leaders lead purges that (supposedly) annihilated the mages altogether. They threatened to do the same to the non-humans, but the groups retreated into unpopulated areas of the world and hid themselves away. Magic was outlawed and, over the course of hundreds of years, the history most widely accessed was rewritten until no trace of the non-humans and magic in general remained. There are of course conspiracy theorists and those who believe they know the truth, but quite often they are either regarded as insane by the public or silenced by the government.
Nowadays, 99% of humans see the anti-magic laws as synonymous with anti-fraud laws against fortune tellers and the like. In fact, the anti-magic laws eventually became a clause in a larger law governing the business of consultation and therapy. Conrit now finds himself in a society largely oblivious to his kind's existence. The criminals Conrit's brother Ladon works with are the only ones aware of Ladon's ability to use magic, and they're not about to go squealing to anyone. The last thing they'd need is to call legal attention to themselves, particularly with such an insane claim. Conrit isn't sure how his brother manages to stay out of trouble, but Ladon assures him that he has all bases covered.
Magic and the Magical Community
Magic is a prevalent force in Conrit's world, no matter how dumb modern society is to it. If there's an element in life or nature, there is a form of magic that utilizes it. Some schools of magic died out with the mages, but many are still around and practiced on a daily basis by the non-human races. There are schools of elemental magic like hydromancy, geomancy, pyromancy, and fulgurmancy. There are schools of less traditional magic, like glyphomancy, oculomancy, and narcomancy, and hundreds to thousands of others. Magic is typically taught either from master to student or from tome to "reader." Tomes act more like reserves of information than like books, they have a number of spells on them that need to be solved, and once they're unlocked, their contents flow freely into the mind of the opener.
Most magic users can learn up to five types of magic, though this number can vary based on the intellectual level, magic sensitivity, and general compatibility of the user to their craft. Conrit is too young to know much about magic and doesn't have much power-- his transformation magic is weaker than most because of his age, and without charms created by his brother, he can't hide his tail. Once he is older, he'll be able to choose to learn at least one elemental form of magic to use for protection. As for Ladon, he knows three types and has hit his threshold. If he decided to take on another form of magic, he would likely be inept at it. Some types of magic take a lot from the caster, and can therefor render someone who would normally be capable of using five different kinds only able to use one. Tempestomancy, which allows the user to control the weather around him for a ten mile radius, is one example. A mage capable of using this kind of magic will likely be unable to use any other.
There is a genetic element to magic use that is prevalent in most non-human races, with a few variations and exceptions.
Mages: Humans are mostly non-magical, especially now that they have killed off most the mages-- humans capable of using magic. Mages are not born to non-mage bloodlines, and a mage who has children with a non-mage will not bear children capable of using magic. A few mages survived the purge and a few of their descendants are still around, but not many.
Dragons: Dragons are typically elemental magic users, mostly because less traditional magics tend to require physical qualities dragons don't possess, like, well, thumbs. Every dragon is educated in at least one form of elemental magic for defense, though it's rare they actually have to use it. Dragons are capable of learning transformation magic, though they are very limited-- they only get to pick small details to their appearance, and they can't take on multiple forms. As Conrit learned transformation magic from the same incubus who taught his brother, he did his best to follow what the incubus said his brother's choices had been, and thus winds up looking much like a younger version of Ladon.
Dragons live in communal societies called clutches, which I will detail later. They're found in patches all over the world, usually hiding in deep forests, mountains, deserts, any place that humans don't usually bother inhabiting. There were originally six different kinds of dragons, identified mostly by the color of their scales: brown, blue, black, gold, green, and red. The browns have been extinct since the war that separated the non-humans and humans. The blues are believed to be extinct as well. Other colors are in various states of decline in terms of population. Dragons may pair off in mixed colors, but such couples aren't able to reproduce.
Weres: Weres are creatures capable of shifting between two forms. Much like Conrit and the other dragons, they are able to pick their other form, though many of the physical aspects of that form are not up to them. Depending on where a pack lives, the weres may choose different races to imitate-- a were pack in the mountains where Conrit grew up may opt to have a dragon form. The vast majority of weres have chosen human forms, though, if only because it's their safest option with humans so prevalent and the need for secrecy. Weres tend to be on the large side in their human form. They're either taller or wider than your average human, and can be intimidating. They aren't all show, either. Weres are unable to use magic aside from transformation, but what they lose in magical ability they more than make up for in physical strength, stamina, and agility. Conrit is slowly learning not to be terrified of them.
Were personality tends to be heavily influenced by their given animal form. Canine weres tend to be more loyal to their pack leaders than bear or mountain lion weres, but there is a cultural emphasis on dominance and power in were society. All weres will recognize the authority of the alpha in their given pack, even if some members will be more reluctant than others to follow their commands. Ladon has the alpha of one specific pack as an indebted comrade, and therefor he has control over the entire pack. A small section of the pack remains outside the city, mostly the females and pups/kits/what-have-you. Now and then the pack has to leave to defend their territory when another pack threatens to outnumber the outer sect.
The curse the mages placed on the weres involves a bloodlust that happens now and then during full transformations. It's rare, but more common during full moons. Because of this, weres try to limit complete transformations from one form to another, and often find a middle ground between the two forms to shift to when they need their animal side for any reason. During the solstices and equinoxes, though, they automatically change back to their animal form.
Succubi and incubi: The natural born shapeshifters. Succubi are the female members of the race while incubi are the males. They are capable of changing their appearance drastically, though they can't alter their species or gender. While the other races are creatures with magical abilities, succubi and incubi are more inherently magical. The myth of their origin states that they were created by mages through a very involved process of different types of magic, but no one is entirely sure if that's the truth or a rumor spread by mages to make their power seem more god-like. Regardless, succubi and incubi were once servants of the mages, and when they betrayed them during the war, the mages used obedience spells, which caused them to turn on the other races. They are often regarded in a less favorable light by others because of this, and find they have no place in human society or the magical community, making them complete outsiders.
Succubi and incubi come in various shapes, sizes, and coloration. They are primarily humanoid and bipedal, but they differ from your average human in their original form, which involves two large, curved horns that arc forward, up over their ears and eyes of one solid, often shimmery color. They are particularly adept at using magic that requires physical contact or emotional connections. One succubus Conrit has encountered is an oculomancer and can command people to do as she wishes if she can make eye contact with them. Conrit is suitably uninterested in meeting her again, especially since she attempted to eat him the first time they met.
Vampires: Vampires have been around for a long, long time, and they're fairly traditional. They feed on the blood of others, mostly humans. They are adept with magics that involve mental manipulation or hypnosis. They don't sparkle, burn in the sun, or avoid garlic, but they are a very finicky bunch and have delicate sensibilities because, if you can catch them, they're rather fragile. They're less like walking corpses and more like creatures with a different way of aging. Mostly, their flesh and organs do not change, but their bones do. A 50-year-old vampire can take more risks than a 200-year-old vampire can, because falling and breaking a hip is the least of their worries. Thankfully, though, vampires are almost eerily graceful and light on their feet. They have no curse on them because they didn't participate in the war. They mostly keep to themselves, wooing rich old men and women and living off their estate. Vampires keep their relationships with other vampires primarily light and social, except to mate.
Dryads: Tree-dwelling creatures that can live for hundreds of years, as long as they can find a healthy tree to sleep in. They often resemble older humans, with leathery, wrinkled skin and white hair. They speak slowly and are meticulous about things that they do. They are said to have limited magical abilities, mostly because they gave up most their power in favor of pacifism. They did not participate in the war.
The Elders: The fae, essentially. Very little is known about them except for a few things: getting lost in the territory of the Elders typically means certain doom. Those who make it out are never the same, and often wind up taking their own lives within a short period of time. No one has seen them, and there's debate over whether they can be seen. The belief in dragon culture is that the Elders eat anyone who wanders into a place said to be populated by them, be it woods, caves, anywhere. There is an "energy" about the areas rumored to be the home of the Elders. Conrit has been told stories about them, which have resulted in a few nightmares when he was smaller. Much like the boogey man or monsters in a closet, he's not sure if he believes in them anymore, but he still fears running into any of them.
Merlings: The fish-people who live off the coasts of deserted islands. They mostly keep to themselves and are rarely seen by anyone on land. Merlings were also not involved in the war, mostly because the battles didn't take place in the ocean. Ladon knows about them only through accounts of his friend Draig. They don't use magic much, mostly because they're self-sufficient and don't need to defend their territory or themselves very often.
Nieve
The world consists of four continents, and one government rules over it all. The continent that Conrit's story takes place on is Aberna, the middle continent that is shaped a bit like a pear. On its northeast shore is the city of Nieve, where Ladon has lived for ten years and where Conrit fled to a few months ago.
Nieve looks a lot like Atlantic City, circa 1930. Technology is at the same point as it would be in the 30's, there are black shiny cars everywhere, black and white photos, television has just started becoming a household name, and telephones are all over the city. There is a long stretch of sandy beach, which tends to be more cold than beachy most months out of the year. Nieve draws a lot of sea-faring families, as well as those who flock to busy cities, and while it's certainly not the largest city in the world, it's definitely in the top ten. Nieve's landmarks include the famous boardwalk, the ferris wheel of which can be seen first by those arriving at the city by boat. There is also a number of casinos, a fishing district with numerous canneries, and a train station famous for its "revolutionary" design.
Conrit has spent the most time in two areas, the first being the west district, specifically the neighborhood where the soup kitchen and home for homeless kids is. He lived between these two places with an ever-changing gaggle of kids for the first few months he was in Nieve, and learned about the city and human culture from them. The second is Ladon's base of operations outside of the city. The property is in an abandoned charm school a few miles past the city limits. L'Ecole de Madame Saint Edellanna Pour Jeunes Femmes Élégantes (Madame Saint Edellanna's School for Charming Young Women) has been out of business for almost a hundred years now, but Ladon's vampire business partner Limael purchased a large amount property outside the city, including the school, years ago and allows Ladon and his mob to utilize the building and its grounds. Limael's mansion is located a few acres away, closer to the shoreline. Conrit is also very familiar with Ladon's jazz club in the city and the Boardwalk, which his brother is attempting to purchase out from under a succubus named Sophia. He only ventures to these places along with his brother, Guivres, or Draig and Aza.
Dragon Culture in Depth
Dragon society is primarily familial. Rather than having a government, class system, or over-all organization to all the different races, each family is its own sect and each sect has its own rules based on its location, size, and special circumstances. The catch-all word for a family in dragon lingo is "clutch." Clutches can be as small as the group of eggs you hatched from. It can also indicate the immediate family of mother, father, and siblings. A clutch can also represent the familial colony dragons live in-- some blood related, some not. When Conrit or Ladon say that they left their clutch behind, they mean all three of these definitions. In ways, "clutch" is a synonym for generation, family, and community.
From the time they hatch, baby dragons are taught that humans are bad. Their parents and siblings raise them with an almost unhealthy fear, solely to keep them from venturing out of the mountains and into places where their parents can't protect them. The older dragons utilize stories to tell about the wickedness of human beings. By the time a dragon is old enough to sneak out of the caves, they're well aware of what fate would meet them if they did: killed by bipedal savages and made into boots.
As dragons get older, they start to learn that the stories aren't necessarily true, but they have their reasons for being told. Eventually they learn that their existence is kept secret because they're severely out-numbered and humans have been known to slaughter their own kind, let alone anything different or threatening. Whether or not humans would actually kill dragons (or worse) if they found them is unknown, but on whole it's agreed that finding out for sure isn't worth the risk. Again, dragon culture is based heavily on the protection and cultivation of the family, and no adult dragon in his or her right mind would willingly put their clutch in danger of being massacred. Conrit has had this drilled into his head since Ladon left ten years ago, but still he longed for and idolized his brother, even when his siblings started to echo the condemnation the older dragons spoke about him. Conrit is one of the few hatchlings in the clutch that still believed his brother had good intentions.
Conrit and Ladon
Conrit's early childhood is framed by the event of his older brother's departure. Quoting straight from the manuscript I'm working on, here's Conrit's point of view on the whole situation:
For the past ten years, I had been creating an image. It started off true to what I’d known, the brother whose back I’d ridden on and whose heartbeat I’d listened to when I fell asleep at night. I was small back then, though, barely old enough to shape words and thoughts. I had been two years out of the egg when my brother left, but I never forgot him. At first this was because despite the fact that he was gone, his memory was all around us. Mama had hidden away in the back of the cave for weeks, and I’d hear her sniffling and crying late into the night, her massive lungs shuddering out sobs that echoed off the walls and caused all the hatchlings a great amount of distress. We huddled in groups at night, some with the larger dragons, and some of us alone, in the spot where Ladon used to sleep.
Most of my clutchmates had other older siblings they’d bonded with. My older brother had twenty-three clutchmates of his own, but seven had died over the years since he’d hatched. Twenty-eight of us had hatched in my group. That left a little less than two hatchlings to an older sibling, but some of them were less interested than others. Ladon had been interested in all of us, and so there were six hatchlings that he had personally taken on to help out Mama and Papa. On top of that, when anyone was sick, or on a hunt, or just needed a break from being climbed on, he was usually happy to take care of the leftover hatchlings. So when he fled the mountains, there were that many more of us that felt pain and confusion at his departure.
Papa was the worst about it, though. From what my brothers told me, Ladon had always talked back to Papa. They got into fights, about Mama, about the clutch, and about humans. Ladon was fascinated with humans. He spied on them at night, which made Papa nervous. Many of my older siblings cowed to Papa’s commands, because he was big, he was loud, and he was intimidating, but Ladon never backed down when Papa yelled. He usually just yelled back. So when he left, Papa told us not to talk about him. He told us not to say his name unless we meant one of our cousins, but then Papa always got upset when he heard that name, even if we did mean one of our cousins.
Not being allowed to speak about our missing brother of course made anyone who knew him want to talk about him even more. As we got older, we’d hide in corners and whisper; we’d make up names and pretend that we were talking about some dragon we‘d made up to keep ourselves entertained. It was our great, big, wonderful secret that we kept from the older dragons. And when we were unable to sleep late at night because Grandpa was snoring or the sky was thundering, we’d tell each other stories. Whenever it was my turn, I talked about how our big brother was doing great things. He was making people happy, he was doing good things for everyone, and he was protecting any dragons he came across. He never was scary like Papa, though, and he didn‘t hurt anyone. The other hatchlings liked to tell about him eating and burning up humans and saving other clutches from the two-legged monsters in our nightmares, but I never thought it sounded like anything Ladon would do.
I’d built up a picture, just like everyone else had, and I’d dreamed about my big brother coming back and taking me with him to wherever he’d gone. While my clutchmates grew out of wanting to hear stories about someone who’d abandoned us and made Mama cry, I never gave up my dream of seeing my brother again. When no one else wanted to hear my stories, I just told them to myself.
When that terrible thing happened, my first thought was that I had to run away, and I had to find Ladon. He would understand and make everything okay, if I just told him. And yet, despite the fact that my months of living in the human city where he lived had finally brought me to him, I couldn’t even think of how to begin telling him.
This was because the brother I’d found wasn’t the brother I knew. He may have held me close and patted my back and made me feel safe, but he wasn’t the hero I’d built him up to be in my head. He sold scary weapons to scary men, he talked loudly in an accent I didn’t remember him having before, and he looked nothing like what I’d expected. I had thought he’d be a big and tough creature, despite the constraints of a human form. Not as terrifying as the big men who had been with him in the alley, but still tall, broad, and welcoming, the dragon equivalent of a human being. Instead, he seemed more like a skinny and angry snake with human flesh and limbs, especially when his wet clothing showed just how much he tried to bulk his frame up with layers of fabric. He had some trouble carrying me upstairs, and had nearly knocked my head on the doorframe of his room. He tucked me into his bed and slept with a spare blanket and pillow on the floor, despite the fact that we’d always slept close to one another in the caves. Aside from hugging and carrying me, he kept his distance. My once warm and kindhearted older brother had become cold and withdrawn.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t come up with a way to tell this new and different Ladon what had happened. I no longer thought he would understand or make anything better.
Issues Facing Dragon Society
Dragons are dying out from a number of factors. There is an amount of shared frustration over this-- Conrit is now more aware that Ladon's exasperation wasn't so unique a view, especially from what he hears from Guivres, a green dragon whose clutch life has been less than pleasant.
The first issue is the low birth and fertility ratio. Female dragons are able to lay a clutch every 20 years. Clutches typically consist of 50 eggs, and prior to the war, most of those 50 would hatch. After dragons were cursed by the mages, the hatch rate dropped to half, so a couple is lucky to get 25 hatchlings from their clutch. Of those 25, 5 will likely be female, and one might be fertile-- and it's rare for an entire hatched clutch to make it through childhood. This makes for a very low ratio of viably reproductive dragons. Considering how low the ratio of fertile females is to males and infertile females, there is less stigma about pairings that are unable to bear young. That isn't to say the culture is completely sexually liberal, though: fertile females are expected to be paired with fertile males, and a fertile male can not refuse a fertile female under threat of expulsion from his clutch. There's a considerable amount of cultural privilege afforded to dragons who are in reproductive pairings, as producing young and being a good parent is considered a lofty and important position. It's like capitalism, but with babies. Or something.
The second serious issue is a disease. The egg sickness started appearing a few hundred years ago. The sickness was named due to the way it first manifested, as a phenomenon that caused all the eggs in a clutch to die prior to hatching. The sickness has since in a few cases spread to adult and young dragons, where its process is easier to deduce: the sickness first shuts down the nervous system, rendering the dragon incapable of movement. It then causes massive internal hemorrhaging. Lastly, the dragon's furnace kicks on once panic sets in, and the internal organs catch fire and burn the dragon to death from the inside. So far there is no cure, and no one knows how or why it spreads.
Pair both of these problems with reproduction with the dwindling amount of space dragons have left to have clutches far from human settlements, and the situation looks pretty dire. Conrit has been sheltered from this reality aside from the stories about humans he was told as an eggbaby-- until lately. The humans have started building in the mountains where his clutch lives, and now the adult dragons are fighting over where they will go, if they can even leave. It's partly because of this fighting that Conrit left his clutch, he ran away due to what he did when he tried to escape the shouting of his parents so he could sleep-- he knocked over eggs in the birthing cave.