Names
VeilWing names usually follow a few common themes:
- Ominous-sounding words (Scary, Void, Wraith, etc)
- Fiery or otherwise fire-related words (Flame, Magma, Spark, etc)
- Words related to volcanic rock/minerals found near volcanoes. (Obsidian, Fireglass, Diamond, etc)
- Smoky/mist-related words (Smoke, Mist, Plume, etc)
- Any volcano-related words (Maar, Caldera, Fissure, etc)
Burial Practices
The bodies of dead VeilWings are carefully cleaned and groomed for their funeral, almost so that they look still alive. Once the funeral has ended - usually only a day long, and a very solemn, quiet event - the body is flown to the Magma province and tossed into the molten lava, where it is incinerated. They do not mark the place the body was burned, believing such markers to be bad luck, inviting death to linger.
VeilWings believe that, if their body is not destroyed, the spirits of the dead will possess it and try to harm the living.
VeilWings believe that, if their body is not destroyed, the spirits of the dead will possess it and try to harm the living.
Architecture
Architecture varies between the three VeilWing Dukedoms, though the Magma and Basalt share some features.
In the Forest Dukedom, the VeilWings make their homes not in caves or even houses, but in massive, sprawling cities built high in the branches of their massive coniferous trees. Homes are wooden, connected by rope bridges to markets and public buildings. A VeilWing rarely, if ever, needs to go the the forest floor; only the heaviest of buildings are constructed there, such as town halls or the Forest Duke/Duchess' Palace, build around and sometimes into the trunks of the trees.
Homes in the Basalt Dukedom are made out of natural caves, often in the cliffs or in areas where lava once flowed. Pillars of basalt are broken into smaller pieces, used as columns or even as stone tiles in walkways or the floors of dragon homes. After a few generations, the caves don't resemble a natural cave anymore, with their walls chiseled smooth and the floor covered in decorative tiles or massive, carefully embroidered rugs. Dragons like to hang tapestries over areas of exposed stone, or to hide entrance-ways to tunnels in the rock that either provide a secret hiding place, or simply meander off into nowhere.
The Magma Dukedom remains the strangest, as dragons cannot live on caves or burrow into the ground for fear of being flooded by lava. Instead, homes are carefully constructed on great spires of rock, high above the reach of the constant flow of lava. Towers are the most common type of house, constructed out of stone so as to not be flammable.
In the Forest Dukedom, the VeilWings make their homes not in caves or even houses, but in massive, sprawling cities built high in the branches of their massive coniferous trees. Homes are wooden, connected by rope bridges to markets and public buildings. A VeilWing rarely, if ever, needs to go the the forest floor; only the heaviest of buildings are constructed there, such as town halls or the Forest Duke/Duchess' Palace, build around and sometimes into the trunks of the trees.
Homes in the Basalt Dukedom are made out of natural caves, often in the cliffs or in areas where lava once flowed. Pillars of basalt are broken into smaller pieces, used as columns or even as stone tiles in walkways or the floors of dragon homes. After a few generations, the caves don't resemble a natural cave anymore, with their walls chiseled smooth and the floor covered in decorative tiles or massive, carefully embroidered rugs. Dragons like to hang tapestries over areas of exposed stone, or to hide entrance-ways to tunnels in the rock that either provide a secret hiding place, or simply meander off into nowhere.
The Magma Dukedom remains the strangest, as dragons cannot live on caves or burrow into the ground for fear of being flooded by lava. Instead, homes are carefully constructed on great spires of rock, high above the reach of the constant flow of lava. Towers are the most common type of house, constructed out of stone so as to not be flammable.
Art
VeilWings love all forms of art, but have a special adoration for the performing arts. They love plays - the more dramatic the better - and there's always at least one going on in even the smallest of villages. Becoming a performer is a way for dragons from all walks of life to gain wealth and increase their social status, though it's very competitive.
Fashion
True to their dramatic nature, VeilWings enjoy wearing all sorts of fantastic pieces of apparel:
- Feathers, often imported from Glass Island or the SurgeWing Isles
- Gold, silver, or other rare minerals
- Precious gems, such as diamond or sapphires
- Tattoos
- Piercings
- Silk, velvet, or other expensive fabric (or cheaper lookalikes)
- Wide-brimmed hats
Food
VeilWing food is considered 'ash-flavoured' by most dragons, due to the fact that the main island is almost always covered in a thin layer of ash. Food from the Forest Dukedom, however, is much better tasting.
- Cabbage, corn, lettuce, strawberries, squash, beans, (etc) are all grown in the Forest Dukedom. They produce a large amount of fruits and vegetables, which make up a large portion of the diets of dragons living in this Dukedom.
- Fish and other seafood is the only real type of food available in the Magma Dukedom, and makes up the majority of food eaten by Basalt Dukedom dragons as well.
- Deer, moose, bears, and other large mammals are common in the Forest Dukedom, and help supplement their largely plant-based diet.
- Some smaller mammals survive in Basalt Dukedom by eating the tough, dry grasses there. They're typically very bony, and don't make good eating.
Religion
While the large majority of VeilWings are relatively agnostic, the dragons of the Magma Dukedom practice an ancient religion, worshiping the volcanoes of their Dukedom as the 'givers of life' for their tribe. While in the past it is rumoured that the old or sick would be cast into the lava as a sacrifice, today the only offerings made are a small portion of every meal, tossed into the nearest bit of magma.
Such offerings are said to appease the volcanoes and keep them from every erupting in a way that might destroy Veil Island.
Such offerings are said to appease the volcanoes and keep them from every erupting in a way that might destroy Veil Island.
Family Life
Parents are expected to provide for their dragonets until they are ten years old, in which case it is the norm for them to leave their parent's homes and find a shelter and occupation of their own. They do not usually go far from home, however, and it is unusual for a dragonet to take up an occupation other than the one they learned from their parents.
Education
There is no formal education system in Veil Island. Dragonets are taught by their parents or, in the Magma Dukedom, given to the army to be raised as a soldier from a young age.
In this case, the army acts as the 'guardian' of these dragonets, and they cannot decide if they intend on leaving or not until they reach ten years old. They are deprived of any other education than what is needed for them to serve as warriors. Even those who do leave find themselves ill-equipped to survive, and forced to return to the military or roam the streets as beggars and thieves.
In this case, the army acts as the 'guardian' of these dragonets, and they cannot decide if they intend on leaving or not until they reach ten years old. They are deprived of any other education than what is needed for them to serve as warriors. Even those who do leave find themselves ill-equipped to survive, and forced to return to the military or roam the streets as beggars and thieves.
Occupations
- Hunters
- Soldiers
- Fishermongers
- Jewelrers, piercers, etc
- Tailors
- Actors
- Private Guards
- Architects
- Diplomats
- Spies
- Messengers
- Couriers
- Labourers