Poem: "Love Recognizes No Barriers"
This poem is spillover from the February 2, 2021 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
nsfwords and 
rix_scaedu. It also fills the "An Unlikely Suitor" square in my 2-1-21 "Romance Book Titles" card for the Valentines Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by nsfwords. It belongs to A Conflagration of Dragons series.
"Love Recognizes No Barriers"
After the fall of Shaunaka,
the Madhusudana fled to
the desert of their Imran allies
or to the less friendly forests
that belonged to the Shu.
Some of them survived,
but for a long time they had
little thought beyond survival.
They would rather work out
from context what to do, while
the Imran preferred to ask and tell,
which made matters awkward
due to different expectations.
Then the dragon Sebak
descended upon Jehuti and
destroyed the capital of the Shu.
The survivors spilled out of
the smoking ruins and made for
the mountain city of Hildeburh,
capital of the Eofor and to
the swamp city Kamo, capital
of the Hachi, for assistance.
The Shu were shaken,
but at least they had
close allies, unlike
the Madhusudana.
They found that
strange places were
not always as different
as they had expected.
Many Eofor took in
Shu refugees, and so
did some of the Hachi.
There were unlikely suitors
and ill-advised liaisons.
In time, couples fell in love,
and babies began to be born
after the fall of Jehuti --
some of them hybrids.
People scowled and
muttered about that.
Oh, there had always
been halfbreeds, but they
had been few and far between,
and even those were usually
accidents soon abandoned.
Now, with so many people
flung together instead of
living each in their own land,
far more cross-couples formed,
and some of those bore children.
There were Shu-Hachi halfbreeds
with gliding membranes and scales, or
wingless freaks with long wide tails.
There were even more Shu-Eofor hybrids
with gliding membranes and muscular tails,
or wingless freaks with heavy horns.
So many were born that they
could even play with each other,
instead of being shunned and
pushed to the fringes of society.
Occasionally the mothers died
in childbirth, and people whispered
of curses before the healers noticed
that wingless women simply weren't
made to birth winged babies --
even the soft membranes of
the Shu made it more difficult.
People thought of the Shu
as promiscuous and impure,
but it wasn't really new, just
more common than before.
Then the Madhusudana began
to get closer to the Imran, and
more halfbreeds were born.
There were babies with
feathered wings but no scales,
or skin wings and scales.
At least the women
of both races were able
to birth winged babies, but
it was still an abomination.
After the loss of Kamo,
the Hachi turned to the Shu
and the Eofor in hopes of aid.
More cross-couples formed, so
the children of Hachi and Eofor
were scaleless with muscular tails
or scaled with thick horns.
The halfbreed children
played together in groups
as large as the purebreeds
and much more diverse.
In a world where dragons
could descend at any minute
and set everything aflame,
people began to realize that
life was fleeting and precious.
They couldn't always count on
finding a mate of their own race,
and sometimes they just had
to take what they could get.
Yet despite the hardships
and insecurities, couples
still managed romance.
No matter how their societies
looked on mixed relationships,
one thing remained true:
Love recognized no barriers.
It jumped hurdles, leaped fences,
and penetrated walls to arrive
at its destination full of hope.
* * *
Notes:
"Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope."
-- Maya Angelou
The Six Races
The six races are all humanoid but not exactly the same as the usual humans, elves, or dwarves who populate most fantasy worlds. They all have a head with two eyes, two ears, a nose, and a mouth; and a torso with two arms and two legs. Further physical traits relate to the four elements. Tails belong to Earth. Wings belong to Air. Horns belong to Fire. Scales belong to Water. Tails (Earth) and scales (Water) are passed down by the mother. Wings (Air) and horns (Fire) are passed down by the father. The elements also convey extra abilities: resistance to cold (Earth), flying/gliding (Air), breathing water (Water), and resistance to heat (Fire).
Race from the Mahābhārata: Madhusudana (honeybee, honey-drinker; also demon-slayer; references to detachment) Air/Water
coast (Air/Water cliffs, wind power)
more expansive, extroverted, and gregarious
multiple marriage forms with divorce
magic: psychic powers
short-average lifespan, low sexual dimorphism
flying (Air) and holding breath (Water)
narrow feathered wings (Air) and thin delicate scales (Water)
pale/pastel tones (Air) and cool tones (Water)
patterning on dorsal side of body, with part of ventral side solid
Race from the Quran: Imran (exalted nation) Air/Fire
desert (Air/Fire mineral wealth, solar power)
most expansive, extroverted, and gregarious race
no official recognition of marriage at all, only informal liaisons
magic: offense
shortest lifespan, highest sexual dimorphism
flying (Air) and resistant to heat (Fire)
pterodactyl wings with vivid markings on males or pastel on females (Air) and high upright horns on males or vestigial nubs on females (Fire)
pale/pastel tones (Air) and warm tones (Fire)
medium markings evenly distributed over whole body, perhaps striped
Race from the Egyptian Book of the Dead: Shu (god who separated sky from ground) Earth/Air
forest (Earth/Air trees, mechanical power with pulleys)
moderate in terms of expansive/insular, extroverted/insular, solitary/gregarious; individuals tend to have a long-term preference toward one or the other mode, and the society as a whole fluctuates slowly between the two modes
one marriage form (monogamy) with divorce
magic: defense
long lifespan, average sexual dimorphism
resistant to cold (Earth) and gliding (Air)
medium glider-like tails slightly wider on females (Earth) and sugar-glider wings (Air)
dark/earth tones (Earth) and pale/pastel tones (Air)
shaded pattern from dark on back to pale on belly
Race from The Tale of Genji: Hachi (wise leaf) Earth/Water
swamp (Earth/Water riparian zone, hydropower)
most insular, introverted, and solitary race
one marriage form (monogamy) without divorce
magic: healing
longest lifespan, lowest sexual dimorphism
resistant to cold (Earth) and breathing water (Water)
short fawnlike tails (Earth) and protective scales (Water)
dark/earth tones (Earth) and cool tones (Water)
solid patterning with no markings at all
Race from Beowulf: Eofor (boar) Earth/Fire
mountain (Earth/Fire volcano, geothermal power)
more insular, introverted, and solitary
one marriage form with divorce (polygamy)
magic: determination
long lifespan, high sexual dimorphism
resistance to cold (Earth) and resistance to heat (Fire)
medium muscular tails (Earth) and large musk-ox horns on males or small plates on females (Fire)
dark/earth tones (Earth) and warm tones (Fire)
small pattern of sensitive spots in warm tones over earth tones on face and sexual areas
Shu (Earth/Air, forest), Eofor (Earth/Fire, mountain), and Hachi (Earth/Water, swamp) have a strong trade alliance based on practical goods and services. Imran (Air/Fire, desert) and Madhusudana (Air/Water, coast) have a looser alliance based more on exchange of news and entertainment. The two alliances dislike each other. Hachi (Earth/Water) and Beneberak (Fire/Water) somewhat overlap in territory, as the Hachi farm both wet and dry land; but the connection is tenuous. Shu (Earth/Air, forest) and Madhusudana (Air/Water, coast), Eofor (Earth/Fire, mountain) and Imran (Air/Fire, desert) are particular unfriends. The opposed pairings of all four elements, without one in common, find each other confusing and frustrating. Eofor (Earth/Fire, mountain) and Madhusudana (Air/Water, coast) disrespect each other and prefer to avoid contact. Hachi (Earth/Water, swamp) and Imran (Air/Fire, desert) consider each other sexually and politically perverse, but only cross paths occasionally. Shu (Earth/Air, forest) and Beneberak (Fire/Water, grassland) hate each other, conflicting frequently. However, there is a fair bit of travel: the rulers, ambassadors, and other important people like to show off their own great treasures or view those belonging to others.
The Fall of the Six Cities
The coastal city Shaunaka, capitol of the Madhusudana (Air/Water), is first to get hit. Janardana is a red hen whose rich red scales have purplish tones in places, and whose flame is a vivid crimson. The Madhusudana call for help. The desert city Zayd, capitol of the Imran (Air/Fire), is too far away to render effective aid in time and is unappealing as a refuge; while the forest city Jehuti, capitol of the Shu (Earth/Air), makes fun of their plight. Jehuti is next to get hit. Sebak is a deep green drake who breathes fire with sloppy streaks of yellow and green, but prefers clouds of deadly green fumes. The Shu appeal to the mountain city of Hildeburh, capitol of the Eofor (Earth/Fire) and to the swamp city Kamo, capitol of the Hachi (Earth/Water) for assistance. Coastal refugees mock the forest refugees and refuse to carry news. Forest refugees who can manage it flee to the mountains, as the swamp is less appealing; but the whole region is destabilizing and it's hard to send aid to where it is needed. The grassland city of Demas, capitol of the Beneberak (Fire/Water), gets hit and the refugees flee toward the forest. Zaavan is a brilliant blue drake with excellent control, producing long thin spears of blue flame that can cut through stone; he enjoys showing off with it. The Shu (forest, Earth/Air) tell the new refugees to fuck off. Nobody really wants to help the Beneberak (grassland, Fire/Water) because they don't have any tight allies. The closest they have is the Hachi (swamp, Earth/Water), unappealing as a refuge and not very effective for protection. The grassland was the breadbasket of the region, but people forget that vital point during the ruckus.
Assorted refugees gather for a meeting in the grassland. This is demolished by three more dragons, followed by a whole conflagration of dragons migrating in a V like geese.
The Hachi (swamp, Earth/Water) are the fourth race to get attacked, losing their capitol city of Kamo. Utsusemi is a black hen whose scales gleam like hematite, flickering silver in places. She breathes clouds of choking black smoke lit by fierce white flames, and drips sizzling black spit. By this point, the Eofor (mountain, Earth/Fire) can provide only minimal support in terms of protection and refuge. The desert city of Zayd (Imran, Air/Fire) goes down next, being less attractive habitat for the dragons. Aluzza is a bronze hen with substantial gold showing in her scales. She breathes sheets of orange flame with copious gold sparks. The Imran have no allies to call for aid because the coastal city Shaunaka (Madhusudana, Air/Water) is already wrecked; the mountain city of Hildeburh (Eofor, Earth/Fire) actively dislikes them and refuses to help at all. Eofor (Earth/Fire) is the last race to fall, its capitol city of Hildeburh a stronghold deep underground but now packed with refugees from the Shu (forest, Earth/Air) and Hachi (swamp, Earth/Water) races. Ingeld is a red drake whose vermilion scales are lit with gold, the color that Eofor smiths call ingach or bright cherry-red. He breathes exuberant yellow flame, but is capable of producing an almost colorless beam that can cut metal or stone. All the survivors scatter.
Hybrids
Races can interbreed as long as they have at least one element in common. The pairings without a common element are not viable: Shu (Earth/Air) and Beneberak (Fire/Water), Hachi (Earth/Water) and Imran (Fire/Air), Madhusudana (Air/Water) and Eofor (Earth/Fire). Sometimes people take advantage of these infertile combinations as a natural form of birth control.
Compatible pairings comprise 12 primary hybrids (halfbreeds), each spanning three elements: Shu (Earth/Air) and Eofor (Earth/Fire), Shu (Earth/Air) and Hachi (Earth/Water), Eofor (Earth/Fire) and Hachi (Earth/Water), Shu (Earth/Air) and Imran (Air/Fire), Shu (Earth/Air) and Madhusudana (Air/Water), Imran (Air/Fire) and Madhusudana (Air/Water), Beneberak (Fire/Water) and Eofor (Earth/Fire), Beneberak (Fire/Water) and Imran (Air/Fire), Eofor (Earth/Fire) and Imran (Air/Fire), Hachi (Earth/Water) and Madhusudana (Air/Water), Mahusudana (Air/Water) and Beneberak (Fire/Water), Hachi (Earth/Water) and Beneberak (Fire/Water).
Halfbreeds (threefold hybrids) may breed back to either parent stock successfully, although the attraction is usually one-way on the part of the halfbreed and rejected by the purebreed. Halfbreeds are sometimes raised in one culture (more often the mother's) but often abandoned so they may be raised outside their heritage cultures. They are almost never raised with access to both cultures until the refugee populations really start merging out of desperation. If raised within a heritage culture, that's the one they usually find sexually attractive. While not common anywhere prior to the Conflagration, the most hybrids appear between swamp and grassland where the Hachi (Earth/Water) and Beneberak (Fire/Water) mingle.
Similarly, hybrids have strong attraction and success with a direct match of all elements: for example, Earth/Air/Fire and Earth/Air/Fire. Attraction and success are lower, but still possible, with two matching and one mismatching element: for example, Earth/Air/Fire and Earth/Air/Water. Their offspring hold all four elements. These fourfold hybrids may have attraction and success with any partner, but have the highest with another fourfold hybrid. When the fourfold hybrids first appear, they are scorned by almost everyone as mongrels. But as the crossbreeding continues -- and desperation rises as populations dwindle -- the fourfolds become popular first among other hybrids and then grudgingly among the purebreeds because they can indeed mate with anyone. The fourfold hybrids also have a higher rate of functional hermaphroditism: another point of universal compatibility.
Allied elements usually have a stronger attraction and a higher success rate than opposed elements. This is revealed by collapsing the common element and comparing the remaining two (i.e. Earth/Air and Earth/Fire yields Air/Fire, an allied pair). More successful: Shu (Earth/Air) and Eofor (Earth/Fire), Shu (Earth/Air) and Hachi (Earth/Water), Shu (Earth/Air) and Imran (Air/Fire), Shu (Earth/Air) and Madhusudana (Air/Water), Beneberak (Fire/Water) and Eofor (Earth/Fire), Beneberak (Fire/Water) and Imran (Air/Fire), Madhusudana (Air/Water) and Beneberak (Fire/Water), Hachi (Earth/Water) and Beneberak (Fire/Water). Less successful: Eofor (Earth/Fire) and Hachi (Earth/Water), Imran (Air/Fire) and Madhusudana (Air/Water), Eofor (Earth/Fire) and Imran (Air/Fire), Hachi (Earth/Water) and Madhusudana (Air/Water).
Females of Air races have adapted to accommodate the birth of winged infants; others have not. Therefore a pregnancy with an Air father and non-Air mother has a higher risk of mortality during birth for mother and/or offspring. Shu (Earth/Air), Imran (Air/Fire), and Madhusudana (Air/Water) males should not mate with Eofor (Earth/Fire), Hachi (Earth/Water), or Beneberak (Fire/Water) females although the reverse is safe. The risk is a bit lower with the Shu (Earth/Air) because their gliding membranes have no extra bones, but still higher than for a more compatible pairing.
Traits may become more or less concentrated depending on the mix. The offspring of a pairing between Shu (Earth/Air) and Eofor (Earth/Fire) would have a strong leaning toward Earth and weaker leaning toward Air and Fire. If this Earth/Earth/Air/Fire individual bred with Earth/Air then the result would be Earth/Earth/Earth/Air/Air/Fire: an orientation toward Earth even stronger than a purebreed, a moderate orientation toward Air, and a trivial orientation toward Fire. This can create imbalance along with the diversity. Another possibility would be Earth/Earth/Air/Fire and Air/Air/Fire/Water, yielding Air/Air/Air/Earth/Earth/Fire/Fire/Water with one strong, two moderate, and one weak element. So it's possible to boost the elements in relationship to each other.
Eventually, this allows for hybrids who visibly resemble purebreeds but still have the hybrid ability to interbreed. In this case, the two pairs of opposed elements very rarely attract but once bonded are highly successful: Earth/Air(Fire/Water) and Fire/Water(Earth/Air). Earth/Water(Air/Fire) and Fire/Air(Earth/Water) have a higher attraction rate but lower success. Earth/Fire(Air/Water) and Air/Water (Earth/Fire) are in between.
Prior to the Conflagration, hybrids were rare. The most common were offspring of the strong trade alliance among the Shu (Earth/Air, forest), Eofor (Earth/Fire, mountain), and Hachi (Earth/Water, swamp): Shu/Eofor, Eofor/Hachi, and Hachi/Shu. Next most common were offspring of the loose alliance between Imran (Air/Fire, desert) and Madhusudana (Air/Water, coast).
After the Conflagration, hybrids became more common, although it took a lot longer for the stigma to start wearing off as the advantages became more apparent. First were Shu/Eofor and Shu/Hachi as the Shu fled their destroyed city to seek shelter with allies. For a while, people thought of the Shu as promiscuous and impure. Although the Madhusudana city fell earlier, it took longer for them to mix with the Imran because their ties weren't as close.
Compare this with the experience of interracial humans as in "Being a Half-breed" Discourses of Race and Cultural Syncreticity in the Works of Three Metis Women Writers.
nsfwords and rix_scaedu. It also fills the "An Unlikely Suitor" square in my 2-1-21 "Romance Book Titles" card for the Valentines Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by nsfwords. It belongs to A Conflagration of Dragons series."Love Recognizes No Barriers"
After the fall of Shaunaka,
the Madhusudana fled to
the desert of their Imran allies
or to the less friendly forests
that belonged to the Shu.
Some of them survived,
but for a long time they had
little thought beyond survival.
They would rather work out
from context what to do, while
the Imran preferred to ask and tell,
which made matters awkward
due to different expectations.
Then the dragon Sebak
descended upon Jehuti and
destroyed the capital of the Shu.
The survivors spilled out of
the smoking ruins and made for
the mountain city of Hildeburh,
capital of the Eofor and to
the swamp city Kamo, capital
of the Hachi, for assistance.
The Shu were shaken,
but at least they had
close allies, unlike
the Madhusudana.
They found that
strange places were
not always as different
as they had expected.
Many Eofor took in
Shu refugees, and so
did some of the Hachi.
There were unlikely suitors
and ill-advised liaisons.
In time, couples fell in love,
and babies began to be born
after the fall of Jehuti --
some of them hybrids.
People scowled and
muttered about that.
Oh, there had always
been halfbreeds, but they
had been few and far between,
and even those were usually
accidents soon abandoned.
Now, with so many people
flung together instead of
living each in their own land,
far more cross-couples formed,
and some of those bore children.
There were Shu-Hachi halfbreeds
with gliding membranes and scales, or
wingless freaks with long wide tails.
There were even more Shu-Eofor hybrids
with gliding membranes and muscular tails,
or wingless freaks with heavy horns.
So many were born that they
could even play with each other,
instead of being shunned and
pushed to the fringes of society.
Occasionally the mothers died
in childbirth, and people whispered
of curses before the healers noticed
that wingless women simply weren't
made to birth winged babies --
even the soft membranes of
the Shu made it more difficult.
People thought of the Shu
as promiscuous and impure,
but it wasn't really new, just
more common than before.
Then the Madhusudana began
to get closer to the Imran, and
more halfbreeds were born.
There were babies with
feathered wings but no scales,
or skin wings and scales.
At least the women
of both races were able
to birth winged babies, but
it was still an abomination.
After the loss of Kamo,
the Hachi turned to the Shu
and the Eofor in hopes of aid.
More cross-couples formed, so
the children of Hachi and Eofor
were scaleless with muscular tails
or scaled with thick horns.
The halfbreed children
played together in groups
as large as the purebreeds
and much more diverse.
In a world where dragons
could descend at any minute
and set everything aflame,
people began to realize that
life was fleeting and precious.
They couldn't always count on
finding a mate of their own race,
and sometimes they just had
to take what they could get.
Yet despite the hardships
and insecurities, couples
still managed romance.
No matter how their societies
looked on mixed relationships,
one thing remained true:
Love recognized no barriers.
It jumped hurdles, leaped fences,
and penetrated walls to arrive
at its destination full of hope.
* * *
Notes:
"Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope."
-- Maya Angelou
The Six Races
The six races are all humanoid but not exactly the same as the usual humans, elves, or dwarves who populate most fantasy worlds. They all have a head with two eyes, two ears, a nose, and a mouth; and a torso with two arms and two legs. Further physical traits relate to the four elements. Tails belong to Earth. Wings belong to Air. Horns belong to Fire. Scales belong to Water. Tails (Earth) and scales (Water) are passed down by the mother. Wings (Air) and horns (Fire) are passed down by the father. The elements also convey extra abilities: resistance to cold (Earth), flying/gliding (Air), breathing water (Water), and resistance to heat (Fire).
Race from the Mahābhārata: Madhusudana (honeybee, honey-drinker; also demon-slayer; references to detachment) Air/Water
coast (Air/Water cliffs, wind power)
more expansive, extroverted, and gregarious
multiple marriage forms with divorce
magic: psychic powers
short-average lifespan, low sexual dimorphism
flying (Air) and holding breath (Water)
narrow feathered wings (Air) and thin delicate scales (Water)
pale/pastel tones (Air) and cool tones (Water)
patterning on dorsal side of body, with part of ventral side solid
Race from the Quran: Imran (exalted nation) Air/Fire
desert (Air/Fire mineral wealth, solar power)
most expansive, extroverted, and gregarious race
no official recognition of marriage at all, only informal liaisons
magic: offense
shortest lifespan, highest sexual dimorphism
flying (Air) and resistant to heat (Fire)
pterodactyl wings with vivid markings on males or pastel on females (Air) and high upright horns on males or vestigial nubs on females (Fire)
pale/pastel tones (Air) and warm tones (Fire)
medium markings evenly distributed over whole body, perhaps striped
Race from the Egyptian Book of the Dead: Shu (god who separated sky from ground) Earth/Air
forest (Earth/Air trees, mechanical power with pulleys)
moderate in terms of expansive/insular, extroverted/insular, solitary/gregarious; individuals tend to have a long-term preference toward one or the other mode, and the society as a whole fluctuates slowly between the two modes
one marriage form (monogamy) with divorce
magic: defense
long lifespan, average sexual dimorphism
resistant to cold (Earth) and gliding (Air)
medium glider-like tails slightly wider on females (Earth) and sugar-glider wings (Air)
dark/earth tones (Earth) and pale/pastel tones (Air)
shaded pattern from dark on back to pale on belly
Race from The Tale of Genji: Hachi (wise leaf) Earth/Water
swamp (Earth/Water riparian zone, hydropower)
most insular, introverted, and solitary race
one marriage form (monogamy) without divorce
magic: healing
longest lifespan, lowest sexual dimorphism
resistant to cold (Earth) and breathing water (Water)
short fawnlike tails (Earth) and protective scales (Water)
dark/earth tones (Earth) and cool tones (Water)
solid patterning with no markings at all
Race from Beowulf: Eofor (boar) Earth/Fire
mountain (Earth/Fire volcano, geothermal power)
more insular, introverted, and solitary
one marriage form with divorce (polygamy)
magic: determination
long lifespan, high sexual dimorphism
resistance to cold (Earth) and resistance to heat (Fire)
medium muscular tails (Earth) and large musk-ox horns on males or small plates on females (Fire)
dark/earth tones (Earth) and warm tones (Fire)
small pattern of sensitive spots in warm tones over earth tones on face and sexual areas
Shu (Earth/Air, forest), Eofor (Earth/Fire, mountain), and Hachi (Earth/Water, swamp) have a strong trade alliance based on practical goods and services. Imran (Air/Fire, desert) and Madhusudana (Air/Water, coast) have a looser alliance based more on exchange of news and entertainment. The two alliances dislike each other. Hachi (Earth/Water) and Beneberak (Fire/Water) somewhat overlap in territory, as the Hachi farm both wet and dry land; but the connection is tenuous. Shu (Earth/Air, forest) and Madhusudana (Air/Water, coast), Eofor (Earth/Fire, mountain) and Imran (Air/Fire, desert) are particular unfriends. The opposed pairings of all four elements, without one in common, find each other confusing and frustrating. Eofor (Earth/Fire, mountain) and Madhusudana (Air/Water, coast) disrespect each other and prefer to avoid contact. Hachi (Earth/Water, swamp) and Imran (Air/Fire, desert) consider each other sexually and politically perverse, but only cross paths occasionally. Shu (Earth/Air, forest) and Beneberak (Fire/Water, grassland) hate each other, conflicting frequently. However, there is a fair bit of travel: the rulers, ambassadors, and other important people like to show off their own great treasures or view those belonging to others.
The Fall of the Six Cities
The coastal city Shaunaka, capitol of the Madhusudana (Air/Water), is first to get hit. Janardana is a red hen whose rich red scales have purplish tones in places, and whose flame is a vivid crimson. The Madhusudana call for help. The desert city Zayd, capitol of the Imran (Air/Fire), is too far away to render effective aid in time and is unappealing as a refuge; while the forest city Jehuti, capitol of the Shu (Earth/Air), makes fun of their plight. Jehuti is next to get hit. Sebak is a deep green drake who breathes fire with sloppy streaks of yellow and green, but prefers clouds of deadly green fumes. The Shu appeal to the mountain city of Hildeburh, capitol of the Eofor (Earth/Fire) and to the swamp city Kamo, capitol of the Hachi (Earth/Water) for assistance. Coastal refugees mock the forest refugees and refuse to carry news. Forest refugees who can manage it flee to the mountains, as the swamp is less appealing; but the whole region is destabilizing and it's hard to send aid to where it is needed. The grassland city of Demas, capitol of the Beneberak (Fire/Water), gets hit and the refugees flee toward the forest. Zaavan is a brilliant blue drake with excellent control, producing long thin spears of blue flame that can cut through stone; he enjoys showing off with it. The Shu (forest, Earth/Air) tell the new refugees to fuck off. Nobody really wants to help the Beneberak (grassland, Fire/Water) because they don't have any tight allies. The closest they have is the Hachi (swamp, Earth/Water), unappealing as a refuge and not very effective for protection. The grassland was the breadbasket of the region, but people forget that vital point during the ruckus.
Assorted refugees gather for a meeting in the grassland. This is demolished by three more dragons, followed by a whole conflagration of dragons migrating in a V like geese.
The Hachi (swamp, Earth/Water) are the fourth race to get attacked, losing their capitol city of Kamo. Utsusemi is a black hen whose scales gleam like hematite, flickering silver in places. She breathes clouds of choking black smoke lit by fierce white flames, and drips sizzling black spit. By this point, the Eofor (mountain, Earth/Fire) can provide only minimal support in terms of protection and refuge. The desert city of Zayd (Imran, Air/Fire) goes down next, being less attractive habitat for the dragons. Aluzza is a bronze hen with substantial gold showing in her scales. She breathes sheets of orange flame with copious gold sparks. The Imran have no allies to call for aid because the coastal city Shaunaka (Madhusudana, Air/Water) is already wrecked; the mountain city of Hildeburh (Eofor, Earth/Fire) actively dislikes them and refuses to help at all. Eofor (Earth/Fire) is the last race to fall, its capitol city of Hildeburh a stronghold deep underground but now packed with refugees from the Shu (forest, Earth/Air) and Hachi (swamp, Earth/Water) races. Ingeld is a red drake whose vermilion scales are lit with gold, the color that Eofor smiths call ingach or bright cherry-red. He breathes exuberant yellow flame, but is capable of producing an almost colorless beam that can cut metal or stone. All the survivors scatter.
Hybrids
Races can interbreed as long as they have at least one element in common. The pairings without a common element are not viable: Shu (Earth/Air) and Beneberak (Fire/Water), Hachi (Earth/Water) and Imran (Fire/Air), Madhusudana (Air/Water) and Eofor (Earth/Fire). Sometimes people take advantage of these infertile combinations as a natural form of birth control.
Compatible pairings comprise 12 primary hybrids (halfbreeds), each spanning three elements: Shu (Earth/Air) and Eofor (Earth/Fire), Shu (Earth/Air) and Hachi (Earth/Water), Eofor (Earth/Fire) and Hachi (Earth/Water), Shu (Earth/Air) and Imran (Air/Fire), Shu (Earth/Air) and Madhusudana (Air/Water), Imran (Air/Fire) and Madhusudana (Air/Water), Beneberak (Fire/Water) and Eofor (Earth/Fire), Beneberak (Fire/Water) and Imran (Air/Fire), Eofor (Earth/Fire) and Imran (Air/Fire), Hachi (Earth/Water) and Madhusudana (Air/Water), Mahusudana (Air/Water) and Beneberak (Fire/Water), Hachi (Earth/Water) and Beneberak (Fire/Water).
Halfbreeds (threefold hybrids) may breed back to either parent stock successfully, although the attraction is usually one-way on the part of the halfbreed and rejected by the purebreed. Halfbreeds are sometimes raised in one culture (more often the mother's) but often abandoned so they may be raised outside their heritage cultures. They are almost never raised with access to both cultures until the refugee populations really start merging out of desperation. If raised within a heritage culture, that's the one they usually find sexually attractive. While not common anywhere prior to the Conflagration, the most hybrids appear between swamp and grassland where the Hachi (Earth/Water) and Beneberak (Fire/Water) mingle.
Similarly, hybrids have strong attraction and success with a direct match of all elements: for example, Earth/Air/Fire and Earth/Air/Fire. Attraction and success are lower, but still possible, with two matching and one mismatching element: for example, Earth/Air/Fire and Earth/Air/Water. Their offspring hold all four elements. These fourfold hybrids may have attraction and success with any partner, but have the highest with another fourfold hybrid. When the fourfold hybrids first appear, they are scorned by almost everyone as mongrels. But as the crossbreeding continues -- and desperation rises as populations dwindle -- the fourfolds become popular first among other hybrids and then grudgingly among the purebreeds because they can indeed mate with anyone. The fourfold hybrids also have a higher rate of functional hermaphroditism: another point of universal compatibility.
Allied elements usually have a stronger attraction and a higher success rate than opposed elements. This is revealed by collapsing the common element and comparing the remaining two (i.e. Earth/Air and Earth/Fire yields Air/Fire, an allied pair). More successful: Shu (Earth/Air) and Eofor (Earth/Fire), Shu (Earth/Air) and Hachi (Earth/Water), Shu (Earth/Air) and Imran (Air/Fire), Shu (Earth/Air) and Madhusudana (Air/Water), Beneberak (Fire/Water) and Eofor (Earth/Fire), Beneberak (Fire/Water) and Imran (Air/Fire), Madhusudana (Air/Water) and Beneberak (Fire/Water), Hachi (Earth/Water) and Beneberak (Fire/Water). Less successful: Eofor (Earth/Fire) and Hachi (Earth/Water), Imran (Air/Fire) and Madhusudana (Air/Water), Eofor (Earth/Fire) and Imran (Air/Fire), Hachi (Earth/Water) and Madhusudana (Air/Water).
Females of Air races have adapted to accommodate the birth of winged infants; others have not. Therefore a pregnancy with an Air father and non-Air mother has a higher risk of mortality during birth for mother and/or offspring. Shu (Earth/Air), Imran (Air/Fire), and Madhusudana (Air/Water) males should not mate with Eofor (Earth/Fire), Hachi (Earth/Water), or Beneberak (Fire/Water) females although the reverse is safe. The risk is a bit lower with the Shu (Earth/Air) because their gliding membranes have no extra bones, but still higher than for a more compatible pairing.
Traits may become more or less concentrated depending on the mix. The offspring of a pairing between Shu (Earth/Air) and Eofor (Earth/Fire) would have a strong leaning toward Earth and weaker leaning toward Air and Fire. If this Earth/Earth/Air/Fire individual bred with Earth/Air then the result would be Earth/Earth/Earth/Air/Air/Fire: an orientation toward Earth even stronger than a purebreed, a moderate orientation toward Air, and a trivial orientation toward Fire. This can create imbalance along with the diversity. Another possibility would be Earth/Earth/Air/Fire and Air/Air/Fire/Water, yielding Air/Air/Air/Earth/Earth/Fire/Fire/Water with one strong, two moderate, and one weak element. So it's possible to boost the elements in relationship to each other.
Eventually, this allows for hybrids who visibly resemble purebreeds but still have the hybrid ability to interbreed. In this case, the two pairs of opposed elements very rarely attract but once bonded are highly successful: Earth/Air(Fire/Water) and Fire/Water(Earth/Air). Earth/Water(Air/Fire) and Fire/Air(Earth/Water) have a higher attraction rate but lower success. Earth/Fire(Air/Water) and Air/Water (Earth/Fire) are in between.
Prior to the Conflagration, hybrids were rare. The most common were offspring of the strong trade alliance among the Shu (Earth/Air, forest), Eofor (Earth/Fire, mountain), and Hachi (Earth/Water, swamp): Shu/Eofor, Eofor/Hachi, and Hachi/Shu. Next most common were offspring of the loose alliance between Imran (Air/Fire, desert) and Madhusudana (Air/Water, coast).
After the Conflagration, hybrids became more common, although it took a lot longer for the stigma to start wearing off as the advantages became more apparent. First were Shu/Eofor and Shu/Hachi as the Shu fled their destroyed city to seek shelter with allies. For a while, people thought of the Shu as promiscuous and impure. Although the Madhusudana city fell earlier, it took longer for them to mix with the Imran because their ties weren't as close.
Compare this with the experience of interracial humans as in "Being a Half-breed" Discourses of Race and Cultural Syncreticity in the Works of Three Metis Women Writers.