Dragons
Dragons are... well, terrifying. Originally, these creatures were simply small reptiles with wings, but over time, they became suffused with magical energies and... changed. They grew to several times their original size, developed amazing intellects, and created their own unique form of magic, though this is not verified. For millenia, they remained in this state, often aloof but rarely malevolent. And then, The Razing. Almost instantly, the dragons all over Edonis went completely mad - lashing out in violence and destruction. For 200 years, the world's nations joined forces - not to defeat the crazed beasts, but to simply survive. At the end of the period, only 7 dragons remained - titans compared to their original forms, dwarfing small cities and utterly insane - but spent. The remnants of this once populous species seemed to have exhausted their power beyond their limits, and disappeared. We do not know what has happend to them in the thousands of years since, but I speculate they are now dead.
General
At about 4 feet in length, and weighing no more than 80 lbs, these creatures were more akin to other forms of wildlife than anything else. They did not possess any inherent magical ability, and often shied away from humans and other sapient species. Some were kept as exotic pets and prized for the luster of their scales as well as their grace. As time went on, they began to change - growing larger and larger through the generations, until they reached an impressive size of 60-80 feet in length and a weight of several tons. Through this time, they developed a keen intellect, their own language, and a burning desire for knowledge. They also discovered the means to tap into the same source of magic that our forebears used, and are considered the only species that managed to accomplish this feat.
Age of Destruction
Between 700 AE and 900 AE, something unknown happened that caused a group of dragons to go mad. A small congregation had gathered to discuss the prospects of exploring an island that had spontaneously appeared. During this meeting, the creatures violently lashed out at each other and their surroundings, then flew off to began what would later be known as The Razing. As their madness deepened, their size and power grew, and each other dragon that came too close began to change as well - almost like a disease that was catching. Within a year, large swathes of land had been subjected to the wrath of these creatures, and nearly every dragon was barred entry and denied sanctuary from the relative safety of the largest kingdoms. This period saw the creatures grow to the size of thousands of feet and hundreds of tons. The heat from their fire-breath could be felt almost a thousand feet away. Despite the advantages of their size and power, the progression of time saw these creatures grow fewer in number as they inevitably ran afoul of each other. It took nearly 200 years before the remaining beasts, merely 7 out of thousands, simply disappeared.
Some historians believe these creatures to be merely sleeping - recovering their energies for a renewed attack, but there has not been any definitive proof of this, and most believe they hid themselves in remote locations and then perished.
Matter of Dispute
There are many scholars who simply believe that the creatures never existed, and the accounts and depictions of The Razing are simply anecdotes by fanciful artists and authors. No remains of any dragon, or any creature resembling the size, have been found. The primary piece of evidence pointing to their existence is the language itself. Draconis very well could be a language used by common people at some point in history, but the language is almost impossible to speak by any of the known species today, and the size of writings discovered using the language seems to point to a large tool (or claw) being used.
In 3986 DA, about 700 years prior to when this Codex was created, a Kreshtian scholar by the name of Gregol Vorn allegedly discovered a small cache of "Dragon Eggs", roughly ovoid shapes about 3 feet in length. These "eggs" were touted as a breakthrough discovery, and confirmation of the dragons' existence, but within months of sharing his report, he was found dead in his home, with "Lies" scrawled about the walls of the residence, supposedly in his own blood. His family disappeared with only a hastily scrawled note supposedly saying they had decided to "leave Vorn with his fancies that he loved more than them". Interestingly, no evidence of foul play or murder had been found, according to the local authorities at the time.
It is unknown what became of the alleged eggs.
Today's Dragons
Periodically, an adventurer, scholar, or other travelled person will exclaim about uncovering proof of dragons, dragon eggs, or some other breakthrough relating to these fantastical beasts. Almost always, they are scorned by academics and common citizens alike. A few of these likely tall-tale-tellers will publicly renounce their claims before moving to a new city to outrun the scorn and humiliation they face.
As of today, there is still no definitive proof these creatures existed, and the supposed signs of The Razing have mostly disappeared or can be explained by some other phenomena. Most scholars, however, tentatively agree such creatures must've existed to explain why accounts were found the world over, though likely the size and features of the dragons are most probably exaggerated.
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