This is a temporary/possible name for a race of dragon riders in a future novel I want to write. I have been struggling to make it an original race though. They differ from other typical dragon riders in some ways, but I'm not sure they are really unique. Any suggestions would be cool, including a possible new name, as Drakai seems a bit predictable. Excuse the writing. I was just jotting down what I've come up with so far and wasn't ver concerned with how it sounded.

Name: Drakai

Appearance: Drakai have exotic hair colors to start. Given that they, like many other races, have pointed ears their hair is a defining characteristic for the race. The normal colors for other races (black, brown, blond, etc.) are not at all typical of Drakai; rather the average dragon rider would have a color reminiscent of some part of the rainbow. The hair itself has a very fluffed look, and is much like feathers in texture. Their eyes, however, can be any color, normal or otherwise, and eyes are typically larger, with a better range of eyesight.
Drakai tend not to be very tall, though they are not as short as some other races. The women usually stand at about five feet, and the men nothing more than five feet and four inches.
As for build, Drakai tend to be on the thinner, leaner side. It is rare to see a fat dragon rider or even a considerably muscular one. Most dragon riders are ectomorphs.
All riders have a mark on them that is the shape and color of their personal dragon. Upon touching, the two bond and wherever the human touched the dragon will be this tattoo.

Biology: The overall body structure of a dragon rider is much like a bird's. Bones are lighter and more spongy, the insides filled with mostly air. They contain more muscles than many other races. The heart is larger and blood pressure is higher, as is metabolism. While they do not have the bird's air sacs, their lungs are far bigger than most other races and their bodies are better at processing oxygen. This is all necessary due to the altitudes their dragons fly with them.
However, dragon riders have some inherent weaknesses as well. Their bodies are not well-suited for close-quarters combat. They generally do not possess the body types that would adequately carry armor and weaponry, which would be more apt to set them off-balance than anything. They are also not particularly well-adapted to use anything more than a simple bow and arrow in the case of ranged weaponry. Typically dragon riders will only be used as scouts in battle as a result. They are relatively frail compared to other races in that their bones tend to break easier. Their capacities for loneliness all weaken them, for their mental states do not withstand isolation very well.

Culture: The Drakai are very distinct people. One way in which such is presented is clothing. Up until their marriage, every person wears white and no other color. It is a symbol of purity to them as well as sacrifice, particularly as they are a race that holds color in high esteem. Married dragon riders are free to wear whatever color they so please. Those who wear black indicate that they will not marry by wearing such a color. For those who remain virgins/unmarried their entire lives, the black is always worn with a predominantly white attire. Those whose spouse has died wear color with some article of black, as no matter what age, no one is expected to marry again.
The Drakai are an extremely social and familial people. It is extremely rare one individual is ever alone. Large families are common, and at a young age, each dragon rider is given a dragon to bond with, and dragons have a similar lifespan to the dragon riders, for virtually their entire lives, they are accompanied by another rider or a dragon. Aside from this, Drakai villages are much like extended family in nature. One of the core traditions they have is a celebration on the night before their Sabbath, in which the entire village participates in. The proceeding Sabbath is also highly social as well, and is an all-day fellowship and worship among the people together. Other events, such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and such, also elicit a grand celebration. Oddly enough, so do funerals. During the funerals, everyone who can wear color wears them brightly. Those who do not are permitted to wear some sort of bright flower. They view death as a great passage into Paradise with their God, so it is never viewed as a sad occasion.
The main trade of the dragon riders happens to be in fur and meat. As a whole, the people are generally preoccupied with their dragons and easily distracted. Next to their God, their daily lives revolve around said dragons. For the most part, this means that the average day is spent flying and practicing skills with their beasts. Hunting is easy to do in such activities, so more so than any other race, they export fur, meat, etc. They have little patience for anything else.
Another feature of the Drakai is the centrality of their dragons. Dragons are viewed as the chief blessing of God, and it is a lifetime of rejoicing for such. So, much of their lives are influenced by dragons. Many clothes are made with dragon skins obtained while the dragon sheds it skin (a semiannually occurrence that lasts for about a week). Many dragon riders have the temporary tooth the dragon uses to crack open its shell saved for sentimental value, or even parts of the egg shell, which is very hard and often polished into jewelry. Beds are optional among the people and sleeping alongside one’s dragon or in the stable is not uncommon. At the age of five, it is customary for each Drakai child to receive a saddle. At this age, while the riders are still children, the dragon is fully matured and its size is as it will always be (the size of a horse, approximately). This is a highly honored event, and accompanied with all of the usual celebration and such.

Dragons: According to the oral records of their history, the Drakai say that when different races began to fill the earth, God blessed the Drakai with a special beast, soon known as the dragon. He gave to each Drakai a unique dragon, of whom they bonded with. The Creator had made the dragon the symbol of His covenant with them and a reminder of not only His Love, but His Power as well. Thus, dragons are so highly prized among the people. They can be anywhere from the size of a horse to 30 feet in length and come with no specific shape or trait with the exception of wings and, of course, the ability to breathe fire. While more intelligent than most other beasts, dragons are still animals and do not have the same level of sentience humanoids do. Like all beasts, dragons are born basically good. There is no natural process that would turn them into evil beasts. However, if the rider does abandon their God for evil and takes their dragon with them, the dragons will become slaves to the supernatural until otherwise converted to their original state once more. This takes a toll on them and their riders, resulting in a substantially decreased lifespan.
Upon touching their dragon, the dragon rider is bound to the dragon in certain ways. They receive a mark of their bond wherever they first touched the dragon. After this, the have a sense of attachment. If the dragon or rider are separated, they can literally feel how far or close they are to each other. If one is hurt, the other knows and feels to some extent. If one dies, they feel a pain as the bond is broken initially. It is customary for either the dragon or rider to be taken in by another after this in some way, though never bonded again.

Drakai is an awesome name!

Just as a side note, while I think the innards of these riders is cool, you do realize that their bone structure makes them more likely to have breaks in battle, right?

Yep, that's one of their flaws that I put down. They're only really used for scouting in battle and in a few instances they are archers. War isn't really natural in their world but was a result of what was basically the Fall of Man, though in their universe. Essentially their best defense would be their dragons, albeit such is limiting to them.

Got it.