Need help fleshing out cultures

Hello all. I recently redid an old idea and revised it a bit. It's mostly of a science fantasy affair with the twist. This realm was once earth until some cosmic event caused the earth's landmasses to float in the air. After several eons, humans, fauna, and flora have since adapted to their changed landscape. One major change were these creatures called dragons. They once roamed the skies until humans tamed and breed them into suitable roles as mounts.

So far, we have the:

• Rogga - tribe of ferocity. Found in the canyons and grasslands of the northwest regions. Tribal paint is red with markings resembling fire or claws. Dragons of this tribe breathe fire.

• Azuru - tribe of adaptability. Are found in nearly every coast of Terngata with the northern tribes living in tundra. Tribal paint is blue to sky blue and the markings resemble patterns of sea life or waves. Dragons of this tribe are amphibious and shoot out electricity.

• Vekuda - tribe of prosperity. Found in the tropical jungles and forest of the south east regions. Tribal paint is green or brown, resembling woodland animal markings or plants. Dragons of this tribe are sturdy and strong and have a limited control on plant life.

• Yelno - tribe of endurance. Found in the arid desert highlands in the far southwest. Tribal markings are yellow to orange with geometric lines and shapes. The dragons of the yelno are the fastest flying of the dragon breeds and their wings are believed to create gust of wind.

• Pergus - tribe of knowledge. Found in the snowy mountaintops of the north east. Tribal markings are purple to gray and riddled with arcane markings that glow when tribesmen use their magic. Dragons of this tribe can control energy and teleport in and out of existence.

• Shiryan - tribe of purity. Were once widespread throughout most of terngata before most of their kind were wiped out. Their tribal markings are white and look like diamonds or tears. Only 20 of their dragons remained and were believed to have telepathic and telekinetic capabilities.

unoffical tribes

• the shadewalkers - a small group of people who have no known territory but mainly leave in the Obsidian Wastelands, islands that live under majomajo of known floating continents. They're mounts are called shadewings or dragon killers, resembling giant feathered bats and aptly named for being the main predators of dragons. The people who ride them gained a reputation for hunting down dragon riders who wander too far down the Wastelands.

• seers of the silvereye - once the advisors of Shiryan royalty, seers now serve as advisors to most of the tribes of Terngata. they don't have dragons of their own and tend to ride on Pergus breed dragons.

• sky pirates -thieves and looters of the skies, sky pirates wander the open skies to seize any trading dragons they spot. as a collective, their very loose knit but answer to the self proclaimed "pirate king".

• feral dragons - descendants of dragons that were considered impossible to tame by humans. they comprise most of the territories in Terngatta and tend to be found in the wild. because they're feral, they've proven themselves to be formidable threats for any dragon rider. (They don't count, so ignore them).

With that out of the way, any decent suggestions or ideas when fleshing them out?

Edited by ewolf2015 on Sep 10th 2018 at 4:13:37 AM

MIA

Most obvious questions: what are the dragons for? In real life, humans rely on several different kinds of pack animals: donkeys and mules for light cargo and personal transport, oxen for farm work and heavy cargo, various breeds of horses for everything from personal transport to farm work to different classes of cavalry, plus other working animals like hunting dogs and sheep-guarding llama. A dragon is obviously different from these animals: it's a large, flying predator with magical powers that make them incredibly dangerous to catch, let alone domesticate. The breeding arrangement comes with a world of complications on its own, depending on the dragons' reproductive cycles, temperament and degree of domestication. Some questions I thought up:

• How are these dragons used on a day-to-day basis? Do they give the riders access to floating landmasses that the tribes need to reach on the regular - perhaps sacred sites? Are they needed to defend from dangerous wildlife or hunt big game? What kind of use would justify the difficulty and expenses of keeping the dragons?
• What kind of tribespeople would be expected to catch, tame and ride dragons? Is there an elite martial class, like the knights or the samurai, that expects its youth to tame one for battle? Is it a gender-exclusive thing? Is it reserved for trained professionals who spend years studying dragon-rearing theory before going out to the wild to catch one? Do these dragons remain as inheritable private property, or are they taken in as the tribe's collective property?
• What's the relationship between the dragon and the rider like? From your description of the pirates, it sounds like anthropomorphic bonds aren't too important to successfully ride a dragon, and a stolen dragon would happily serve a new master who took it by force from its old one. Are they legends and tales of loyal dragons serving their masters to the bitter end?
• What secondary activities arose as a result of dragon-rearing? You've got to have tanneries and leatherworkers working on the saddles, huge farms dedicated to feeding the dragons, village vets checking on sick dragons with their apprentices alongside, maybe special laws codified to deal with dragon-related injuries and destruction. Would maintaining a dragon be affordable to the average tribesfolk? Are there risks of getting financially ruined by the costs of a single dragon?
• What happens to a dragon when it dies? Are there special burial/cremation rituals? Are they butchered for meat and their body parts used to make tools?
• What happens to a rider who loses their dragon? Are they shamed and ostracised by the society? Do they have to go out and catch a new one, or are they handed down one that nobody else is riding? Do they deal with long-term grief and trauma like people who have to put down their pets?

(Did you post this on r/worldbuilding earlier O:)

Echoing hymn of my fellow passerine | Art blog (under construction)

Also, "rouge dragons"? They wear makeup? That would make for an interesting tribe, especially if they are also rogues, and everyone gets confused.

Edited by Fighteer on Sep 10th 2018 at 11:37:01 AM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"

rogue i mean. i think feral is much better in that regard.

yes, you got that right. naturally no one commented but it's expected.

Not as common as you think since their more like horse then anything. Dragons are mainly used for flying transportation, warfare, and small deliveries. Though those you asked could be good reasons to have a dragon.

You obviously have to undergo training if you want to be a dragon rider, which takes months to years to master. Some are more inclined on dragon tamer than others. And no it’s not gender exclusive, though leans towards guys more. For the property thing, it depends on the tribe and the family. Some dragons are hereditary while others are owned by everyone. The vekuda, for example, believe dragons are owned by nature and it’s for nature to decide if a rider is worthy to have a dragon. Actually, and I wished I clarified this more, Sky pirates steal the eggs, rarely the dragons. The reasoning behind it is mainly adult dragons are not as easy to tame, especially if they already have a rider. Dragons are very loyal beast and would never desert their rider unless on certain situations. If say you treqated them badly, they’re less inclined to be loyal and would gladly reject you for a new rider. The Shiryan have a more telepathic bonds with their dragons to the point that they can talk to each at long distances. The moment the rider dies is when dragon dies of grief. Shiryan dragons rarely survive without their riders. There was an exception, A Shiryan dragon called Lone White managed to live despite its rider dying of old age. I might delve into that more but I would say those exist. Again, depends on the tribe, but when a dragon dies, they’re body is placed in a sacred ground that’s kind of like a pet cemetery. For the Rogga, they burn the dragon so that its spirit may live on. The Azuru drop them into the sea. Vekuda use their bodies as fertilizer. Yelno use their bodies as resources. Pergus put them in a suspended state in chambers or containers. Lastly, the Shiryan turn into essence and put them into balls so that the rider has something to reminisce on. That’s if their still alive. Again, all these things happen. For Rogga, it’s considered cowardly to lack a dragon and just borrow one. If it was under special circumstances, it isn’t as bad.

Edited by ewolf2015 on Sep 10th 2018 at 5:34:32 AM

MIA

One big question I have is how long is the lifespan of a dragon? While I normally expect the answer of longer than humans, I've seen it range from just a few hundred years to thousands or even more.

This could have a big influence as dragons might stay within a family, with children stepping in for parents who are no longer strong enough to ride their dragon.

Their lifespan probably plays some role on how common eggs are.