Rai

In Summary

While the Rai are not a true race of dragons, much of mainstream dragon society itself would like to segregate them as a race apart.

The origins of the term is said by some to trace back to Ryuugami herself, with an original meaning of "beyond redemption." These words are often to be taken with requisite caution, given the questionable objectivity of those making the claims as well as the generally poor recordkeeping track of those in the faith of Ryuugami.

Today in Gaera, the common usage of the phrase usually indicates one of the following meanings: insane, outcast, or damned.

In More Detail

Connotation One: Insane

The phrase Rai is usually used in one of two different senses. The first of these two present-day meanings to develop can be summed up in the equivalent phrase insane.

Theoretically, dragons which have gone insane are no more or less than just that--insane. Given their size and power, they can most certainly be a menace; however, they are not necessarily evil, or for that matter, good.

However, one must keep in mind that rarely does a word keep a dictionary definition, free of bias or connotation. Indeed, Rai is a term such as that dragon society feels a need to try to define it as a separate race. It might come as little surprise that Rai is applied much more inclusively to certain subsects of the dragon population--in particular, it takes much less trespass to "become" Rai if one is a dragon with a an elemental affinity toward the shadow element or if one is a halfbreed with an ancestral enemy race. Meanwhile, a dragon of another kind may be seen as simply assertive, youthfully character-flawed, or perhaps even in deteriorating health--which needs attention and help.

Unsurprisingly, dragon lore holds that shadow dragons and halfbreeds are in greatest danger of turning Rai. Also rumored to be in danger of instability are dragons of any race who spend unhealthy lengths of time in their humanoid forms.

Connotation Two: Outcast

The other sense of the word Rai means damned or outcasted.

Any dragon can be outcasted, provided they break the rules of their society. Generally it takes a display of something considered truly "evil" or corrupted to deserve such a harsh punishment, but dragon settlements without their own political corruption.

Also, again, certain townspeople may be outcasted on lesser offenses; either their offenses are perceived as worse--due to abuse of the town's generosity, or due to actual misperception--or the town views ejecting the offender as legitimate self-defense.

Connotation Three: Damned

A third meaning of the phrase to have developed translates to damned. At first, this meaning came into use for application to the entire subrace of shadow dragons--a reference to their situation in dragon society. This is the first time that Rai has found widespread use amongst shadow dragons themselves, an interesting phenomenom.

Some of the newest generations of dragons, and some griffons, have taken to calling themselves Rai as well. After the Solasian Wars the dragon community adopted the general belief that Ryuugami had abandoned them entirely, and gave rise to this custom.

A Note About Celestial Dragons and Shadow Dragons

for later addition see discussion page