since this is a fantasy setting, we would be remiss not to add a dash of non-human characters! at the same time, however, we want to keep things simple to make sure everything fits the lore and setting. at the moment, we only allow the following:
magic users
magic users (which can be referred to as whatever you prefer; witches, wizards, magic users, mages, etc.) are born, not self taught. magic blood is somewhat random - two magic users could have a human child, two humans could have a magic user child, it's all very wishy washy and no one is quite sure how it all works. they will operate similarly to dnd schools of magic, so that they hold abilities from one particular subset:
schools of magicif you're unfamiliar with dnd, you can read more here and here, but definitely use these as a starting point and not necessarily an end all be all, since we aren't looking to make sure you only use dnd spells! we just want to ensure that things stay balanced and one character is not infinitely more powerful than another.
abjuration (protective spells), conjuration (transports objects or creatures), divination (reveal information), evocation (manipulates energy), illusion (deceives the mind and or senses), transmutation (changing the physical property of an object or creature)
spellward institutefaeries / the fey
while attending a magical institute is not required of magic users, and learning privately via tutors or family is common, many choose to attend an institute for the sake of learning more about what they are capable of. the spellward institute is elarion's such academy, located in rosespire, and enrolls students within all schools of magic. while children under the age of 11 are not admitted, there is no age cap - anyone wishing to brush up on their skillset can take some of the institute's advanced and remedial learning offerings. you are more than welcome to use the institute as a place of work for your magic user, as well!
known abilitiesin addition to having some of the unique abilities above, all fey are able to communicate with animals, and have accelerated senses and healing. (note: unlike some iterations of the fey, we will not be working on the assumption that there are separate faerie courts, i.e. there is no summer or spring court etc.)
characters may only have one or two of the following, not all: illusions and glamours, nature magic and manipulation, telekinesis, shapeshifting, healing (of others), teleportation, curse magic, blessing magic, dream walking and manipulation, weather magic and manipulation, wish magic
dragonshumans
dragons are a coveted resource both within elarion and within other kingdoms, so the breeding and raising of them is heavily regulated. all dragons within the kingdom are raised in the hatchery (also referred to as the nest and the aerie) in emberhold, where they are looked after until they are large enough and strong enough to participate in the dragon rider trials and choose their rider. anyone not affiliated with the hatchery or the hearthscale that is found to be in possession of a dragon egg or a dragon hatchling are dealt with swiftly.
riders
if dragon riders are born, not made, how do they find out they are, in fact, a dragon rider? great question! every year in emberhold, children of known dragon riders between the ages of 10-12 are brought to the academy (more on that below!) and asked to touch an enchanted dragon scale. if it reacts, they have dragon rider blood; if it doesn't, they do not. this is not a foolproof system, of course - bastard children, orphans, people with parents who denied their heritage, etc. are going to slip through the cracks, but for the most part, this is how elarion catches them.
aetherwing lyceum
the aetherwing lyceum is the academy all dragon riders must attend in order to participate in the trials to become an official rider and bond with their dragon. children are usually enrolled between 15-17, with graduation and participating in the bonding trials and rituals when they are between 19-21 (but there have been documented instances where a rider has gone through the trials as late as 46 years old). curriculum involves things like combat training, navigation, dragon care and anatomy, and training is known to be quite rigid. while we are keeping trials sort of loose to allow writers to come up with their own that their characters might have gone through, a few examples include the rider crossing an active volcanic caldera alone and unarmed to test reaction under danger, or fighting veteran riders in an arena that features illusions of civilians to test ability to protect innocent bystanders.