[hider=Opening Post][center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9a/04/31/9a0431108018993d037e9b819e8bac90.jpg[/img]

Earth has long been abandoned by the human race. Now they make their home on planets across the Milky Way. One such planet is Ishtar-VII. Formerly a penal colony, [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/86/92/29/869229c569782d3b4159fa63707117d0.jpg]Ishtar-VII[/url] is a barren, hostile world that is almost entirely desert. The days under the yellow dwarf star Ishtar are blistering, while nights under the shattered [url=https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/003/845/458/large/tu-bui-red-moon-sky-01.jpg]twin[/url] [url=https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/moon_destroyed.png]moons[/url] commonly reach below freezing. All forms of life on Ishtar-VII are tough and hardy, but none are as so widespread-- and integral to Ishtarian society-- as the dragon.

Omnivorous xenoreptiles, dragons share traits with Earth's long-extinct dinosaurs: large, covered in scales (or occasionally feathers), and remarkably intelligent. They were the dominant lifeform on the planet before mankind arrived. After Ishtar-VII became a sovereign planet, the limited amount of technology available to the Ishtarians slowed progress as a society. However, the locals set to tame the beasts of the planet. Centuries of trial and error led to the domestication of the dragon, resulting in three distinct subspecies and dozens of breeds between them. With the dragon tamed, Ishtar-VII evolved into a feudal society, with city-states ruled by wealthy aristocrats.

However the resources of Ishtar-VII have always been limited, which led to over a century of wars between city-states. As time went on, the cost of these wars began to add up. The blood of thousands of slain humans and dragons soaked the sands before a new system was decided upon: if two city-states came into a dispute over resources or territory, they would choose their strongest dragons to battle in an arena. The dragon who won would secure the rights to the resources for the city-state they represented. With this new system, the role of dragon breeders became even more important in Ishtarian society.

The current year on Ishtar is 1567. While technology has advanced thanks to trade with other worlds, only the rich and powerful have access to the majority of it. City-states continue the system of old, training dragons to fight in the arenas. Many a child dreams of raising and training their own dragon, though very few ever get the opportunity.

You are one such lucky individual. Chosen to train a dragon from its birth, you feel your dragon is now ready to compete in the arena. Will your dragon become a champion? Or will they crash and burn?

Be warned, though: not every dragon who enters the arena makes it out alive.[/center][/hider]

So that's the opening post. The lore will be further expanded upon in short time, but I wanted to get this done and posted first. Some quick facts about the setting:

[list]
[*] Ishtar-VII is slightly smaller than Earth, with similar gravity and orbiting a similar star. However the vast majority of the planet is covered in arid deserts; most of the water on the planet is located beneath the ground.
[*] There are three distinct variations of dragon on the planet: Drakes (quadrupedal dragons lacking wings), Dorobou (bipedal dragons lacking wings), and Wyverns (bipedal dragons with wings). These variations are distinct, and interbreeding between them often results in stillborn or sterile offspring.
[*] The planet's economy revolves around the arenas, with mining for minerals being a close second. A small amount of income comes from visitors from offworld visiting to see the pit fights.
[*] Not all dragons are trained for the arenas. They range from modes of transportation to beasts of burden to pets.
[*] Dragons display high intelligence for an animal, and are quick learners.
[*] When a dragon is bonded with a human, the two are able to communicate their emotions or ideas to each other mentally. The exact method is not clearly understood, but a strong bond between a dragon and their trainer is essential to longer careers in the arena.
[*] When a dragon dies, most of their body is harvested for various reasons: meat, hide, medicine, etc. Only in rare instances is a dragon's body spared from this process.
[*] A dragon's diet is composed roughly of 60% animal matter (usually livestock like sheep), 38% plant matter, and 2% minerals naturally found on Ishtar-VII. It is believed that the mineral aspect of their diet strengthens the bones and scales of a dragon.
[*] While dragons are the most important creature in Ishtarian culture, other native animals, including wyrms and salamanders, are common species.
[/list]

I'll be continuing to work on this offline. I would appreciate any interest and feedback on the RP. Thank you.