I picked the Komainu for the guardian symbolism, yeah; he likes to think of himself as a sort of big brother/protector of his family since he’s one of the higher ups [most likely a lieutenant]. He’s been especially protective of his kyodai, Fuyuka, ever since the guy got cursed to be full of flowers.
The lotus I picked for the enlightenment aspect since I think Laetitia likes to be well-informed, despite usually being a little slow to fully understand things. I suppose I sort of think of him as a Columbo type nfdjkvhbvfd, a little bumbling but smart and intuitive nonetheless
As for the wind bars.... Honestly, I didn’t think about/totally spaced the meaning when I was making the base, I just kinda did what Felt Right and flowed best. However after refreashing myself on it, I do like the wind bar’s symbolism of change paired with the lotus’ enlightenment because there’s always new things to learn about yourself and the world
One of the very first issues I encountered when starting to write my clan lore around 6 years ago, the drastic difference between breed sizes was one of my first big blocks. At the time, I thought I had found a rather elegant solution - just give everyone smaller humanoid forms they can magically transform into.
While the idea has shown its flaws over time, I'm still somewhat attached to the idea (and the humanoid designs I've commissioned). Since this impacts every area of my lore, I figured it'd be a good place to start as I revamp my setup! The write up became a little long (close to 1,000 words), so it's been placed under the cut.
Though none truly know from where the practice originated, it is considered a common courtesy for dragons to change their size and shape when in public areas. This is especially true for those who are larger, such as Imperials. It is thought that this came around, at least in part, due to unfortunate injuries caused by the larger breeds interacting with those who are much larger - this includes both other dragons, beastclans, and other animals.
While is it technically acceptable to simply change one’s size to match what has more or less become what areas are built to accommodate, many choose to take on a humanoid form, as smaller, more nimble fingers can be of use in many ways. These forms are similar in appearance to those of the beastclans, but tend to have elements that read, as a whole, still draconic in nature to observers.
It is largely up to personal preference on if one chooses to keep most of the features of their natural forms. In these cases, the dragon’s smaller form will be nearly identical to that of their natural one, with the largest exception of more dextrous fingers in places of claws, and a bipedal stance. This is most commonly accepted among hatchlings and young adults, as not all will have the skill in magic yet to be able to finely tune their appearance to remove many of the features that tend to stick between forms.
In most polite societies that involve dragons, it’s excepted that one removes as many scales, horns, wings, tails, fur, and other such features when they are capable of it. This is seen as both evidence of immense care towards one’s appearance, but also a way to signify that an individual has put the time and energy into refining their magical skills and honing their control.
While they rarely face outright discrimination, it's not uncommon to see individuals that choose to keep more of their draconic traits as lazy or in some ways uncultured. However, at the same time, there are many that prefer to keep their tough scales or their horns and wings at all times.
In addition, when one spends a large amount of time around members of the beastclans, it is not unheard of for them to begin incorporating that clan's traits into the humanoid form. This may result in a practiced dragon being able to take on a form near indistinguishable from a Maren, Serthis, or any of the other clans. There may still be some remnants of the dragon's natural form that give them away, but for those that grew up in beastclan communities, those may be hidden completely.
While it's generally expected to remain within one's humanoid form in public spaces, there is leeway given when one is outside, as there is generally much larger amounts of space for a fully grown dragon outdoors. One's home, whether this be a house, den, or any other structure, may be built big enough to accommodate both the dragon's natural form and humanoid form, though one typically needs to choose or or the other due to the fact that there is typically a rather large size difference between them. This may not apply to some breeds, such as the recently rediscovered Veilspun, as they are already similar in size to what is generally considered socially acceptable.
In addition, one may use their larger, natural form for some forms of work or travel. Should one be crossing the continent of Sornieth, it's much easier to do so with a large pair of wings or a longer stride than when one is significantly smaller. Similarly, if someone is needing to move vast amounts of material, especially across a distance, there are dragon-size carts, bags, and other methods of carrying things that are made available for those who choose to use them.
Similarly, many dragons choose to remain in their natural forms should they ever need to engage in combat. As most who craft their humanoid forms for use in polite society trade their tough scales, sharp fangs, and curved claws for soft skin and delicate fingers, it is simply more effective to do so.
In time of conflict, the transformation into a smaller, weaker form can be used as a sign of trust and faith to those one is attempting to ally themself with.
Items such as clothing can be enchanted to change size with the wearer to some extent, but it frequently is not strong enough to allow for major shifts in size and shape. While it's not considered polite to go in the nude while in a humanoid form, bare scales are hardly scandalous.
There is some debate among scholars as to the exact origins of the specific traits commonly used within humanoid forms stem from. They make an appearance within many of the beastclans, but never do they occur all at once in any currently known life form other than dragons utilizing shape changing magic. And then, they only appear due to social expectations and convention. However, due to a lack of evidence, this is once debate that is likely to never be settled unless something absolutely earth shattering is excavated or otherwise uncovered. Of course, there are those who dedicate their lives in the pursuit of definitive answers to this question, just as there is for every other mystery out there.
So uh, Plague Multi-gaze on these guys, the main eye is a slightly different color than the rest. It also appears slightly off-color on Water and Arcane Multi-gaze, too
when ya boy wants you to come down to the docks to meet his “new friend” who’s “some kind of weird dragon i’ve never seen before” and um He Is Not Lying
when ya boy wants you to come down to the docks to meet his “new friend” who’s “some kind of weird dragon i’ve never seen before” and um He Is Not Lying
