Arts & Expression
Visual Arts
Art and Music
Drakonian art often depicts scenes of battle or dragons, while their music is characterized by pounding drums and deep, resonant horns. The visual arts are dominated by metalwork
relief sculptures forged from obsidian and steel depict legendary battles, dragon gods, and the founding of the Obsidian Order. These works adorn the walls of fortresses and temples throughout Drakon.
Performing Arts
Drakonian performances combine martial demonstrations with storytelling. The Dance of the Five Clans, performed during the festival of Tiamat, is the most elaborate performance tradition, with each elemental clan showcasing their affinity through movement and magic.
Literature and Oral Tradition
Drakonian literature takes the form of sagas etched onto metal plates and recited during evening feasts. These sagas recount the deeds of great warriors, the founding of cities, and the wisdom of the Dragon Gods. The oral tradition is maintained by Flame-Speakers, bards who recite from memory before the assembled clans.
Social and Cultural Activities
Social gatherings often involve displays of martial prowess, drinking contests, and the recounting of heroic deeds.
Musical Instruments
Drakonian music relies on a distinctive set of instruments forged from metal and volcanic materials:
- The Thunderhorn: A massive brass instrument requiring two Drakonians to carry and one to play. Its deep, booming notes can be heard across entire valleys and are used to signal the start of battles, festivals, and funerals.
- Irondrums: Drums with heads made from stretched dragon-hide (donated willingly by aged dragons approaching death). Each drum produces a unique resonance depending on the elemental affinity of the dragon whose hide was used.
- The Emberharp: A stringed instrument with a frame of Pyrantine and strings of spun metal wire. When played near a heat source, the Pyrantine frame amplifies the sound and adds a shimmering harmonic overtone. The finest Emberharp player in living memory is the blind bard Solkath Ashwhisper, whose compositions are performed across Landorya.
Master Artisans
The most celebrated Drakonian artist of the current age is Orenth Flamescribe, a metalworker whose relief panels depicting the Dragon Schism have been called the finest works of art produced in Drakon in three centuries. Orenth works exclusively in Ignaelite and Pyrantine, and his commissions from the Obsidian Order are considered national treasures.