[b]Dracomorph[/b] - A species created artificially through the merging of magic and science, in an effort to combine the best aspects of human and dragon physiology and psychology. Physically powerful, and with magically-enhanced breath weapons and flight capability; they tend to be magically poor otherwise, are sometimes rather apathetic unless pushed, and often have a proud streak that precludes the use of magic and technological enhancements besides, with direct changes to their bodies requiring Dracomorph-specific mods rather than general human augs. [hider=Dracomorph] There is a significant distinction to be had between a species and a hybrid, the same reason that domestic dogs can interbreed freely whilst lions and tigers will produce infertile offspring: differing numbers of chromosomes essentially produce a one-time mutant creature in the latter case, completely sterile if it is not outright stillborn, whereas in the former case, all differences are effectively cosmetic in nature. The chances of a child being produced at all only get lower the more different two creatures are, meaning that, for instance, viable offspring between humans and dragons could never usually happen, no matter what certain fantastic novels might assume. A certain group of scientists in Frixion Prime were not necessarily deterred by this, however. They saw the power of dragonkind, and wondered what that sort of power would be like, what it could do, if merged with the upright form and flexible mind of a human being. Normally, though, the two were utterly separate, a given considering that dragons were more reptilian than mammalian; yet even with the most advanced genetic techniques available to them, what kept being produced was not viable, with their very best efforts producing just a couple of infertile hybrids with little more to recommend them than additional weaponry on their hands, stubs of bat-like wings, and somewhat enhanced magical power. Incidentally, it was one of their displays of magical ability that clued the scientists in on a possible route toward success: using magic to better merge the two genomes into one. So they travelled to Vasishka, searching for mages who might be open to learning the secrets of biological manipulation, or better yet teaching the scientists how to do so themselves. They were ultimately successful in this endeavour, and eventually, the success bore fruit: thirty years after the project's beginnings came the birth of the first member of [i]homo draconicis[/i], a.k.a. Draconic Man, a.k.a. the dracomorph species. Technically, of course, these dracomorphs were neither human nor dragon, but some entirely new subset of biology; human DNA was mostly prominent, however, and so a member of the [i]homo[/i] genus they were considered. Of course, one glance would tell anybody how distinct they were from normal humans, for though superficially similar (albeit highly-muscled one and all), all bore inch-long claws where their fingernails ought to be, and razor-sharp teeth, and cold, calculating, sometimes oddly-coloured eyes with slightly ovoid pupils and nicitating membranes. That, and the large pair of wings emerging from their shoulderblades, scaled in varying colours depending on their lineage. Speaking of lineage, the original goal of these scientists, to gain all the strengths of dragons and humans with none of the weaknesses, was at least partially successful, for even their most unfit members were physically powerful enough to break down concrete walls if they so pleased and take equally hard hits like they were pinpricks, and their strongest could even duel and defeat the very dragons they shared DNA with in one-on-one combat. Atop this, many of them were as strategic as their draconic originators, with patience belying their humanity; their magical capabilities provided them with the capacity to breath flame, or ice, or poison, or whatever their lineage suggested was appropriate, though their human side might not have been able to handle such things normally; and so too did it grant them the power to fly through the air borne atop their wings, though they should have been at once too small and too bulky to propel them at all. And yet the scientists' success was limited to this. Magically speaking, the majority of dracomorphs were lacking, for despite their breath weaponry and flight capabilities, most could barely produce sparks if they tried using their power in any other way. Not that they would, since they also inherited from their draconic ancestors an uncaring, even apathetic demeanour, merged with an overly proud streak, specifically focused on what they saw as physically superior bodies that needed no assistance, be it magical or technological, to deal with whatever came their way. Testing proved that aside from especially weak-willed members of their kind- for alas, the flexibility of their more human selves was both beneficial and detrimental in different ways to different dracomorphs- it took the sort of ego breaking that would destroy most beings to make them so much as consider improving any aspect of themselves beyond pure physical ability - and even then, their genetics and physiology meant that direct augmentations to their body needed to be specific to their race, rather than simply adapted slightly from mods that would work fine with standard humans. Of course, it was only a matter of time before many of the dracomorphs decided they disliked being kept as test subjects, and a few made a point to remind the scientists who had created them that they were, at the end of the day, their own people, with their own sentient minds... and far more strength than the scientists themselves. Unable to argue with that logic, the scientists ultimately made the choice to allow the dracomorphs to enter Vasishkan society proper, if only to protect themselves from further backlash. That was around a century ago. Nowadays, dracomorphs are considered a small but significant part of Vasishka's culture, a perfect example of how science and magic are not mutually exclusive, as well as forming a small but significant subset of the planet's population as well as that of both Frixion Prime and Ecetopia. Though many fill similar roles to humans proper, what with sharing a somewhat similar mindset, they frequently beat out pureblood humans in roles ranging from physical labour to corporate control despite the apathy behind their psychology. Of course, they certainly aren't absolute in their superiority, and it is rare to see any dracomorph in a role that requires magic or a supportive nature. [/hider] These guys are public domain, if anyone's interested in playing as one.