Ryphorian

• Have a strong connection to nature, either that of your home world of Triaxus or just to the changing of the seasons wherever you are.
• Be fascinated with dragons of all kinds, be they dragonkin or true dragons.
• Hate spending time alone and cherish experiences shared with others.

• Subconsciously associate you with the Skyfire Legion mercenary organization.
• Are curious about the trimorphism that your people exhibit.
• Wrongly assume that you're somehow related to the elven species.

Thanks to the eccentricity of Triaxus's orbit around the sun, the planet experiences decades-long seasonal extremes. Ryphorians have always experienced a deep connection to their home world's cycles in a physiological way known as trimorphism. Ryphorians have long, pointed ears with notched and feathered edges that give them the best hearing in the galaxy, even more so than the elves of Castrovel whom they're sometimes unfairly compared to. The three physical subdivisions of ryphorians—summerborn, winterborn, and liminal—differ greatly in appearance, though in modern society, both magical and technological methods exist to influence or even completely change one's characteristics. One of the oddities of ryphorian physiology is that this trimorphic development is consistently tied to Triaxus's orbit and seasons, even when colonies of ryphorians establish themselves elsewhere in the Vast.

Because modern technology allows ryphorians of all kinds to survive the seasons in relative comfort on Triaxus, many choose to transition, converting from one type to another. Some do so for personal preference, while others make the change to assume societal positions they view as being advantageous for one or more heritages. Due to their physical attractiveness as perceived by the rest of the Pact Worlds, the most popular of these shifts is from winterborn to summerborn, trading pale skin and fur for hairless bodies, darker skin, and natural oils to protect against solar rays. It's extremely rare to find ryphorians voluntarily choosing a liminal transition, which has physical hallmarks of both summerborn and winterborn, due to ancient taboos.

Only one event in recorded history has ever disrupted these cycles of ryphorian development: the birth of the Newborn, whose “hatching” so close to Triaxus's orbit seems to have thrown things out of balance, somehow, in ways that biologists and arcanists continue to study. The most profound of these changes is the relatively recent appearance of the so-called “Newborn ryphorians.” The recent waking of the Newborn changed such ryphorians into a new type of their species that breaks their prior seasonal cycle. While these newest variants of ryphorians seemed to appear at random from among existing heritages, an increasing—some might say, worrying—number of new births are Newborn ryphorians.

Community lies at the core of ryphorian society, whether at home on Triaxus or elsewhere in the galaxy. After so many centuries of forming deep telepathic bonds with dragonkin, these pairings have become the core of family units. Called “domestic alliances,” these households consist of ryphorian-dragonkin bonded pairs as well as each partner's romantic partners, children, and immediate family. These large extended families enjoy all of their activities together, such as gaming, movies, shopping, and vacations. This dynamic does make scheduling some activities more difficult, especially when booking passage or accommodations for the larger dragonkin partners, but it's well worth it in the end.

Ryphorians who aren't partner-bonded still find solace in the presence of others, and they often prefer to live in communal apartments with many roommates or lovers, engaging in polyamorous relationships to fully enjoy this kind of lifestyle. However, some ryphorians prefer a life of relative solitude, confining themselves away from others and preferring to exist in digital form on major infospheres across the Pact Worlds rather than creating face-to-face relationships.

One of the cornerstones of ryphorian society is their historical connection to the Skyfire Legion. Originally formed in the Skyfire Mandate—a strip of territory between the Drakelands and the Allied Territories—this military force existed to protect Triaxian civilization from the deprivations of dragons who sought to rule over the whole planet. After the advent of spaceflight and galactic markets, most of the dragons turned their attention toward economic conquest instead, leaving the legion bereft of native enemies. The Skyfire Legion then took to the stars, selling their services to others in need of protection. Ryphorians and their bonded dragonkin partners still make up the majority of the legion's numbers, a fact that Triaxians are extremely proud of.

Although each settlement differs, most ryphorians understand the connection their people have to the cycles of their home world, and in turn to the interconnectivity that people and nature have with each other. This quality makes them good environmental stewards. Recycling is important to many ryphorians, as they believe in natural stability. Many ryphorian youths spend a season or two volunteering with the Xenowardens faction to further explore their environmental yearnings as well. Ryphorians have a reputation throughout the Pact Worlds as some of the best planetary guides and nature wardens around, with numerous training academies dotting Triaxus that each require 5 to 8 years of study before a student receives even an initial certification. They're also known as some of the best trackers and pilots in the solar system.

Ryphorian naming schemes are strongly influenced by the Draconic language, sharing letters, root words, and basic structures. Since the Gap, many ryphorians have attempted to adjust this trend, focusing on less Draconic-inspired names to choose from. In general, ryphorian names usually have no more than three syllables and tend toward the harsher sounds often found in Draconic names, just shorter.

In part due to their long history of draconic overlordship and forming alliances to keep themselves alive, ryphorians tend to place value in law, order, and community. While not all ryphorians are law-abiding citizens, it's rare to find those who aren't part of some sort of structure in whatever they might do, be it a military career in the Skyfire Legion, a mercantile life on the island of Ning, being part of an ace pilot cadre from City McCityface (formerly known as Zo), or even in organized crime rather than being a loner. Equal in value to their community ties are their connections with nature. Given how closely ryphorian physiology is tied to their world's seasons, most are keenly aware of the interactions between the natural world and their own lives. Even in a galaxy inundated with the urgency of the modern digital landscape, most ryphorians try to take time each day to meditate about nature, even if it's just keeping holo-images on their comm units of breathtaking places from Triaxus to look at for a few minutes.

Most ryphorians worship gods who align with these core beliefs, such as Abadar, Ibra, Oras, and Pharasma. The Green Faith is also very popular, especially among the elderly. A growing number of younger ryphorians have begun to explore the faith of the Newborn, especially as this cosmic entity's birth has for the first time disrupted the millennia-old connection that all ryphorians have had with the cycles of their home world. They wonder if it's is a sign of things to come or a new connection they should attune themselves to.
Popular Edicts embrace the changes that nature brings, find solidarity in community, seek companionship for all your experiences
Popular Anathema betray a trust once given, ignore portents from the natural world, travel through life alone

Atioka, Brax, Chezhek, Creeva, Echera, Emex, Flennish, Jaxek, Kaxani, Nyizin, Raysel, Renn, Sindeo, Syzon, Tefarian, Tyrax, Wenda, Xalke, Ziratyk

8

Medium

Constitution, Wisdom, Free

Strength

Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent on your home world).

You can see in dim light as though it were bright light, so you ignore the concealed condition due to dim light.

Your ears are feathery and notched for finely tuned detection of sound and changes in pressure, often surprising those who thought they were hiding themselves or their machinations. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your Perception checks to Seek or for initiative rolls when opposed by hidden or undetected creatures, or to Sense Motive to determine if a creature is verbally Lying. This benefit doesn't apply if you can't hear, or if the other creatures involved are incapable of making sound (for example, if it's affected by a silence spell).