Dra Gen Ra

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The Dra Gen Ra (Pronounced "Drah- djen- rah") are a reclusive clan of Dragons. Steeped in the supernatural and mythical, their magical powers have been the subject of legends since before even the time of the Ancient Knuckles Tribe. The mystic prowess of this tribe are on such a level that they are able to match the kinetic prowess of the Power Hedgehogs. In recent centuries however, the clan has been pushed to evolve due to its hidden war with the Power Hedgehogs, using technology stolen from their own enemies and combining it with their mystic powers to rapidly evolve to a point where they fight on even ground with the Power Hedgehogs.

History

Origin

The origins of the Dra Gen Ra are largely unknown, lost to a time beyond the reach of even the own clan's grasp of ancient time. Fairy tales and bedtime stories have seemed to carry on what little is known of the clan's origin. The stories tell of a single Dragon sage, old in body, wise in mind, and great in power, who traveled the lands teaching others of his knowledge and abilities. Many wondered why the sage taught his abilities to others: "why not keep your great power for yourself?" he was asked. The sage had a very simple reason for doing so, and he would answer anyone who thought to ask him,

Knowledge kept secret may as well be forgotten, for it shall be when its bearer dies. But knowledge passed on shall live eternally. Ones voice, though through many forms, may easily be heard for eons to come.
— The Dragon Sage's philosophy on knowledge

The wisdom, might, and charisma of the sage earned him many followers. Before long, the sage found that he had a large clan following him; a clan that required food, water, and shelter.

In all his years, the great sage had maintained a humble visage, never using his powers in a grand display of might or magic. But the sun was setting on his time, and he knew that if the knowledge he had passed on were to survive, his newfound kinsmen would need the best chances possible to live and pass on their own knowledge. Upon teaching everything he knew to his clan, the sage set out to give them one last gift, told in this excerpt:

Fangs of fire swept the forest, cleansing it of brush.

Breath of smog fought off the greatest dangers, bringing blessings of safety.

Claws of earth tore through the land, milling it into fertile grounds.

Wings of wind brought with them new life and new hope.

Tails of water lashed across the valley, bringing sustenance to preserve newfound life.
— Excerpt from "Story of the Sage".

The Sage's awe-inspiring display of power- which is passed on as a fairy tail even outside of the Dra Gen Ra- had brought new hope for the future, but at great cost of losing the past. The Sage had used up the last of his life to give his kin hope, and with his dying breath named the clan:

You have been taught by a dragon. You now live in a forest razed by my will. Yet you shall bring new life and new beginnings to this land. For that, take this name, and carry it with pride:
Dra... Gen..... Ra.......
— The Sage's last words

And with that, the clan of Dra Gen Ra was born.

Fall into Secrecy

At first, the Dra Gen Ra lived in peace as a clan legendary for both their vast amount of and thirst for knowledge, and a great willingness to teach those who wished to learn without prejudice. They followed their founder's philosophy that knowledge should be shared by all in the need to preserve such knowledge, and as such retained a stance of neutrality among other clans and civilizations. However, one incident would change all of that.

On the same day, two travelers visited the clan. One came from the East, a bird. The other came from the West, a lizard. The lizard had come wishing for the secrets of fire, to give his people resistance to the harsh desert sun they lived under. In return, he offered the secrets of his clan's invisibility abilities, which they used to hide from predators in the sand. The Dra Gen Ra gladly agreed to the trade, offering their own scrolls in return for the scrolls the lizard had brought.

The bird, who had come the same day, also desired the secrets of fire, to warm his tribe in their ice cold environment. With him he brought the secrets of barrier-creation. Though happy to help, the Dra Gen Ra had not yet replaced their scrolls. In an attempt to substitute, they offered the secrets of ice, to instead offer resistance to the cold. Thought not what they had originally come for, the bird happily accepted the substitution.

Within days however, the Dra Gen Ra discovered their horrible mistake. The bird and lizard had lied about their causes; both of their clans were actually going to war, and had desired the power of fire to use against their enemy. Instead, a war of fire and ice broke out. The knowledge that the Dra Gen Ra had shared with the warring tribes caused both to be utterly wiped out. The Dra Gen Ra were ashamed and furious at what had occurred, using the knowledge they had so painstakingly gathered and so willingly shared. What's more, it seemed like the Knuckles Tribe and Nocturnus were likewise preparing for an all-out war.

The Dra Gen Ra had had enough. This was going directly against the Sage's reasons for sharing knowledge; it was just causing entire civilizations to be wiped out. Determining that the information would be better off forgotten rather than be used to kill, the Dra Gen Ra used the scrolls obtained from the bird and lizard tribes to hide away their civilization in an invisible barrier, effectively erasing themselves from the world.

Over the years of seclusion, the clan's populace began to change. While there had always been a majority of dragons, there was also a number of other species among the Dra Gen Ra. But as time went on, fewer and fewer non-Dragon/Dragon hybrid children were born, and the ratio continued to increase in contrast. Eventually, the last non-Dragon member of the clan died, and the Dra Gen Ra became a clan consisting entirely of dragons.

Hunted

Millennia passed after the Dra Gen Ra had hid themselves away. The Knuckles Tribe had virtually wiped itself out when attacked by their own angered god. The Nocturnus had suffered an even greater fate, their whole civilization erased after they were pulled into what seemed to be an abyss. The other tribes in the area eventually moved on, died out, or killed each other off. Soon, only the Dra Gen Ra remained among the secluded area and ancient ruins. Seeing no reason to maintain their seclusion day in and day out, the Dra Gen Ra decided to drop their protection, relying instead on the natural barriers surrounding them. This would prove to be a dire mistake.

After a group of farmers had gone out to gather plants and seeds to grow, only one of them returned. He was beaten, bloodied, and most gruesome of all, his left arm had been torn off. He told his clansmen that he and his group had been attacked by a group of hedgehogs, who viciously attacked them with various elemental attacks. Enraged, a group of fighters went to the sight of the attack, only to find a gruesome image awaiting them; the hedgehogs had set up a small camp and were eating the roasted remains of the other dragons, as if this were some sort of hunt. Their dragon tempers flaring to murderous heights, the group viciously attacked the hedgehogs, who were caught off-guard by the elemental prowess of the dragons. The hedgehogs were quickly and mercilessly slaughtered, while the then-clan leader stood over the leader of the murderers. The leader claimed that his people would come, seeking both vengeance and to feast on the rest of the dragons:

You scaly swine, you have no idea what you're in for. My people will come. They will hunt you and your loved ones down, then devour all of you, leaving only the bones. Your primitive group of savages will fear the Power Hedgehogs! The rest will come, and they will bring with them your destruction!!
— Power Hedgehog threatening the Dra Gen Ra

Let them come. They shall face the same fate that has befallen you and your group of cannibals. There will be no hiding from the might passed down by the Sage. If your culture will bring our destruction, then we shall be their apocalypse.
— Aklys responding with a declaration of war

With that, Aklys killed the hedgehog with a spear through the heart. This would set the stage for a vicious war that would cause many deaths, and forever change the Dra Gen Ra.

War & Slaughter

Within weeks, what the hedgehog had said came to fruition. The Power Hedgehogs attacked again. But this time, they came in greater numbers, and carrying much more powerful equipment. The Dra Gen Ra were able to fight back, their elemental prowess matching the Power Hedgehogs blow-for-blow, the hedgehogs carried more powerful, more advanced weaponry to get an edge. While not a devastating defeat, the Dra Gen Ra suffered many casualties; either dying on the battlefield, or their wounded being stolen away to be used as food. The Power Hedgehogs meanwhile, were able to avoid sustaining any casualties through their technology. Eventually, the Dra Gen Ra were forced to rely on their barrier and invisibility arts to protect themselves and fight back through guerrilla tactics.

The war continued on like this with little change. The Dra Gen Ra were able to avoid losing too many of their people by using hit-and-run tactics and traveling via stealth, but they gained little leeway in fighting against the Power Hedgehogs, who continued to stuff themselves on the corpses of their fallen dragon enemies. This causes tempers to flare even higher among the Dra Gen Ra, who realized they needed to even the playing field somehow in order to fightback. But how was unknown, until one faithful day....

Evolution

During one key battle between the Dra Gen Ra and Power Hedgehogs, the dragons were able to make a defining turnaround. The dragons were able to not only kill the hedgehogs, but capture their weaponry as well. Realizing what this meant, the leader of the group commanded his men to commandeer the weaponry and equipment, and hi-tail it back home. The group were able to make it just before the Power Hedgehogs could track them down; the barriers the Dra Gen Ra used were enough to scramble even the Power Hedgehog's tracking technology.

With this incredible capture, Bowen attempted to convince his people to make use of this equipment. They had the powers and spells to match the hedgehogs in direct skill, but without the technology and weaponry to match, the Dra Gen Ra would continue to be on the losing end, both in war and in their people. However, main were wary; this technology was unknown to them. The effects it could have on them would be unknown, as well as the risks. Others felt that they would be stooping to the level of their hunters and forsaking their pride and the Sage's teachings. One particularly vehement objector was Bower's own cousin, Adven Raydra. He believed that this technology surmounted to the Devil's craft, and that it represented all of the suffering and slaughter brought down on the Dra Gen Ra. Adven went as far as to say that using this technology would amount to having sacrificing their own people and selling their soul and pride.

This debate would continue for months to come as casualties continued to mount as the technology continued to go unused. The debates and arguments continued, to the point where it seemed like fighting would break out over how to protect their clan. But a grim occurrence immediately brought the fighting to an end: in a surprise raid on a corner of the village, the Power Hedgehogs were able to partially break through the barrier and attack. Many civilians and buildings were attacked, and amidst the crossfire, Adven's wife and youngest child were kidnapped. Adven was enraged, but his rage soon turned into mourning and self-loathing: he realized that if his clan had maintained a united front and took the chance to improve themselves, he might not have lost two members of his family. Determining that he would protect his clan and what was left of his family, Adven "undertook the teachings of the devil"; he would become the foremost leader in technological advancements among the Dra Gen Ra. Alongside Bowen- who would be the first to test new weaponry and equipment on the battlefield- Adven would become known as one of the two "Fathers of Evolution".

Recent Events

With the technology they had gained, the Dra Gen Ra found that they could go beyond what even the Power Hedgehogs themselves could do, combining the technology and their mystic knowledge to make leaps and bounds, catching up within years to what had taken the Power Hedgehogs centuries to create and perfect. With their technology quickly diverging from what the Power Hedgehogs had originally created, the clan of Dragons were able to quickly turn the tables, fighting on even ground blow-for-blow in both power and technology. Outside of weapons, the Dra Gen Ra were able to make advancements in their own research of genetics, agriculture, and even the studies of their own powers to discover ways to improve their mystic abilities. Rather than forget their roots as many had thought, the Dra Gen Ra came closer to the Sage's teachings; gaining and increasing their own knowledge and passing it on. Despite this renaissance of sorts, the Dra Gen Ra's war against the Power Hedgehogs continued to rage. While now able to defend themselves, the Dra Gen Ra would not take the chance of taking the offense and striking back. However, the heir to the clan's leadership became determined to prove that his clan could and should take the offense....

Culture

The most striking and common feature among the Dra Gen Ra is their inquisitive nature and thirst for knowledge. Specific fields vary among individuals; some may wish to learn more about nature and agriculture, others may wish to learn more about mechanics and technology, others may take up tactics and combat, and so on and so forth. Two more common features are a seclusive nature and somewhat apathetic look towards outsiders due to millennia of seclusion and secrecy, and a very, very paranoid outlook aimed at hedgehogs; many are even xenophobic towards Hedgehogs in general out of trauma, fear, or paranoia. Towards Power Hedgehogs however, one's mannerisms takes something of a "90 degree" turn, becoming vicious, murderous, and immediately focusing on striking down the Power Hedgehog.

With normal hedgehogs you can never tell; are they really normal or are they Power Hedgehogs preparing to devour you? You can never be sure, so you have to be alert. But if you're certain it's a Power Hedgehog, then there's only two things that comes to mind: how fast do you kill them and how do you make sure they stay dead.
— Raile explaining the common Dra Gen Ra outlook on hedgehogs

Despite centuries upon centuries of war, the Dra Gen Ra have managed to avoid becoming jaded and war-focused; technological improvements allow their barriers to be that much more effective and easier to sustain, allowing a measure of peace of mind and sense of normalcy within the barriers. Outside however, many without combat experience will suffer from panic and fear of attack.

Technology

The Dra Gen Ra live in a strict yet fluid balance of mysticism and mechanist within their lives, using high-end technology fueled or to improve one's mystic powers. However, they also use technology in ways that could be considered unconventional; technology is often used to assist in the growth of crops and plants, but the actual picking and tending is still done manually, either through nature-based powers or by hand. Outside of combat, technology is often used as assistance rather than reliance: aside from certain conveniences anything done with technology can be done without. Domestic technologies largely retain their pre-science function and status, relying on use of elemental powers to function.

The Dra Gen Ra do not use technology for transport outside of combat environments, due to the natural ability to fly. At most, a dragon may have thrusters/jetpacks to help make flight faster and less taxing. However, the Dra Gen Ra do have combat-capable vehicles similar in design to the elemental tanks used by the Power Hedgehogs. While they have more variation among design and function, these are more a product of a desire for greater knowledge than necessity; they are rarely put to use in your common battle.

While not reliant on technologies in domestic settings, the Dra Gen Ra have excelled in weaponry and combat technologies, combining technology with magic for "solid construct" technology. Through conscious commands, a Dra Gen Ra may focus energy into a machine, which converts the magical energy into solid, pre-desingned forms.

A.A.R.M.

Automated Armament Replacement Mechanism is the main piece of combat equipment of all Dra Gen Ra, which is based around the Dra Gen Ra's "solid construct" technology. Usually worn on the arm with certain weapons pre-programmed into the equipment, a user focuses their energy into the A.A.R.M. to create a firearm mechanism on their forearm similar in look and function to the desired weapon. These weapons are most often firearms, but can also be based on close-range weapons. Basic ammunition is created through solid-construct means, but done so with an efficient method that prevents fatigue to be taxed on the user. Ammunition can be specialized with the user's elemental use of magic, which can have many different effects. Weapons seen include:

• Pistol: A relatively small caliber semi-automatic weapon, used in basic combat to quickly and efficiently bring down enemies. Simple but effective, it's very reliable, but not especially dangerous to more powerful enemies.
• Rifle: A long barreled firearm, which can fire larger rounds with greater speed, distance, and power, albeit at the cost of firing rate. It's often used to pick off enemies at a distance and strike slower enemies hard.
• Shotgun: A double-barreled weapon with barrels shorter than the rifle, but longer than the Pistol. Slow in firing speed but exceptionally powerful, this weapon fires off large shells or pellets, which tear through enemies at close to mid range. It's often used in mid or close-range combat to ruthlessly and efficiently take down enemies.
• Sniper: A long-barreled weapon (longer than the Rifle) which also activates a zoom/targeting function in the user's headgear. The weapon fires off high-impact, high-caliber shots with incredible speed and distance, able to take out enemies at a distance of several kilometers. Usually used in stealth tactics and territory protection.
• Gatling: A large rotary gun that is unique in that it is formed over the entirety of the user's hand, with the barrels covering the hands. The caliber rivals the Rifle, but carries a firing speed all its own that can tear through enemies and objects easily. While usually very heavy, the weapon is instead proportionate to the user, meaning that while still a heavy firearm, it's not debilitatingly so.
• Saber: One of a few close-range weapons, a basic double-edged sword is formed on the forearm. Sharp on its own, focused magic energy can make it much sharper and- in the case of elemental magics- can have various additional effects.
• Grenade: A powerful weapon that is capable of firing grenades with great power and distance despite having one of the shortest barrels. The ammunition is easily powerful enough to debilitate tanks, not to mention kill several enemies at once.
• Flamethrower: A weapon that converts magic energy into fuel for a highly pressurized flame, which can roast enemies and melt common metallic constructs. Usually redundant for many Dragons, it can be used as a substitute for those who cannot use fire magic, as well as a surprising method of attack.
• Revitalizer: At first glance a small-caliber weapon with a closed barrel and green fluid within, the User instead slams the barrel into the weapon; the magic energy is converted into a regenerative formula to heal injuries, ease pain, and revitalize the user.
• Harpoon: A weapon that fires a barbed harpoon to impale targets, usually vehicles. The harpoon is attached to the gun through a rope of magic energy, which can be severed at will by the user. This is usually used in an attempt to detain, stop, or capture vehicles so as to keep a regular tab on Power Hedgehog technology.
• Wave Gun: A weapon with a barrel about as long as the Shotgun, but attached to a long cylindrical piece filled with green fluid. The fluid is highly energized into a plasma state and fired in a manner similar to sound waves. When it strikes a target, it imbues them with regenerative energy, healing and re-energizing them.
• Rocket-Propelled Grenade: A high-powered weapon that fires an explosive with incredible speed and range, but at the cost of subtlety and firing rate.
• Artillery: A very large barrel several feet in length, this heavy-duty weapon is often used via A.A.R.M.s equipped to the back or shoulder. This weapon fires rounds equivalent to those fired by tanks, with incredible explosive power and great range. What's more, while heavy it is by no means slow, and has a surprisingly capable firing rate.
• Missile Box: A large, box-like weapon loaded with two-to-six missiles. Like the Artillery weapon it's usually equipped to the back due to its weight. The weapon can fire each missile rapidly, which is able to home in on enemies via heat signatures and targeting. It goes without saying that this weapon is quite strong and very destructive.
• Railgun: A very powerful weapon, with two prongs parallel to each other extending from the otherwise short barrel. This weapon is extremely powerful on its own, easily able to surpass the previous weapons in all accounts except firing rate, which even then is quite acceptable. The weapon is so powerful that it's often restricted to only the most powerful warriors.