Kin, the

Half-dragon children of Varkar Barduric and various races. All different and all very powerful
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While the origin of some of the other races may be unknown, that of the Kin is beyond doubt.

The Kin are the offspring of Varkar Barduric the Dragon and assorted females of various races. The Dragon was of the habit of shape-changing himself and impregnating suitable hosts; the resulting offspring, technically half-dragons, are referred to generally as the Kin.

There is no consistency among the Kin as to bodily features, appearance, powers or personality. Even those of similar racial descent are completely different in appearance, size, demeanour and skills. There are some common traits, however.

All Kin are fearsomely strong and enduring. All have some aspect of a reptillian or draconian appearance (scaled skin, wings, claws, lizard eyes and so on). All have a limited form of breath weapon; though the type varies widely. Almost all have considerable aptitude for the arcane arts, and usually achieve great power in their chosen school (no Kin priest of any religion has ever been encountered). All Kin are Fateless. And all known Kin were totally loyal to their father (though by no means always amicable one to the other) until the time of his death.

The lifespan of the Kin is unclear, and may vary depending on parentage; certainly some Kin (Gozan Vraspan for example) were with Varkar during the original invasion of Alair and remained alive as of 1601; a lifespan of nearly a milllenium. The other great mystery concerning the Kin is their fertility or lack therof. If they can sire children and the power of the Kin breeds true, the other races of Alair may be in serious trouble.

A considerable number of Kin are known to exist. This seems surprising, but consider that a human family can produce seven or eight children in around twenty years, and Varkar Barduric had nearly a thousand years, nearly unlimited scope for choosing his mates, and no need for niceties such as courtship or consent. Even limited to the numbers suggested above, a theoretical four hundred Kin are a distinct possibility.

Of course, many have not survived.


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