Dragons

Life is the universe reaching out to itself, seeking all it can.
A dragon exemplifies this more than any- born of stardust and sea, of gems and metal and magma and wood, life given greater life and understanding, to experience itself and flourish and change that which grows stagnant. A dragon is the ultimate manifestation of magic, beings of knowledge and desire and most of all, change.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Dragons varied widely in appearance, the few universal traits are:

• Scaled; with their scales showing color (and according to what little research survived into the modern age, composition) similar to a number of gems, minerals, and metals.

• Capacity for extreme size, though it's hotly debated whether some of the more extreme descriptions bear any merit. It is at least widely accepted that dragons never truly stopped growing.

• Extremely long-lived, some speculate that unless killed by outside forces, dragons are immortal.

• Affiliated with all forms of magic, even if they displayed one more prominently than another.

Limbs and morphology could vary: wingless quadrupeds, winged quadrupeds, winged bipeds, limbless, adapted strictly to aquatic life (bearing any number of fins/flippers or fully serpentine)... the list is endless, serving to reinforce the theory that dragons are inherently magical beings, a culmination of all domains into a single creature.

Genetics and Reproduction

The old adage goes, 'a dragon is not born, a dragon is made'. And... this is completely true. Stories of dragon nests are in fact incidents involving mis-identified hybrids, a true dragon is a being of pure magic, and dragons are entirely incapable of reproducing with one another. However, their changeable natures have led to... interesting discoveries. Namely, while they can't breed among themselves, they can produce offspring with any other sapient species. The most common pairings are dragon and human, though there are many, many more combinations out there.

Ecology and Habitats

Incredibly adaptable, most dragons can comfortably inhabit any habitat they find themselves in. They usually prefer wider spaces, and many have a draw to high, snowy mountain ranges. There are rumors of a particular dragon adapted strictly to ocean life- of course, these rumors also say this dragon is enormous to the point of sustaining a fully flourishing island upon its back (or shell), so it's not paid much mind.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Dragons do not strictly need to eat, instead drawing energy from the planet and ambient magic. However, many dragons do, preferences varying from individual to individual.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Overall, fairly individual, though all dragons recognize a singular King- the oldest, and first, of their kind. Their actual government, when formed, was more of a parliament system though.

Average Intelligence

High- human equivalent if not more. Dragons are capable of speech (and have a knack for picking up languages), reading, writing, complex mathematics, all that.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Keen eyesight and hearing, powerful sense of smell, and all dragons had an inherent skill with magic, though it varied how much work an individual put into utilizing it.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Whatever they damn well please, honestly.

History

Ten years after magic first reappeared in the world, the first dragon emerged, fully formed and already knowing more about the world than anyone else was ever likely to. He mostly spent his time interacting with other sapients, exploring the world, just getting out there; until it became clear other dragons were emerging. He took it upon himself to at least meet up with them, offer some guidance, until eventually he became known as their leader. And then took the title of King, because damn it sounded nice and he might as well.
The first few decades were a golden age- work was underway to rebuild after the base laws of physics had changed and the planet's landmasses had shifted to the point of being unrecognizable, and about a dozen or so new sapient species emerged... so naturally, everyone started hooking up with everyone else, dragons being the most notorious for taking on lovers of other kind, their progeny being among the most magically adept, and there was a bit of a boom in exploration and discovery... but, as is their wont, humans managed to fuck it up. Factions rose, distrust, a base desire to stick to the familiar and known manifested in violent xenophobia, causing a great many sapients to up and leave for lands unknown. Dragons were the longest holdouts overall, some trying to blend in entirely with human society, some trying to negotiate... but when a dragon-born family went rogue sometime around the year 600 PR, even they had enough; the King calling all his subjects for a final migration away from the human empire.
It would be another 400 years before dragons came back into prominence, at least among that particular land...

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Varied by individual, but commonly sought out- dragons crave difference and change, and it's the only chance to have children, for those so inclined.

Genetic Descendants

• Hybrid

Scientific Name

N/A - Dragons are simply Dragons.

Conservation Status

Widely considered extinct in the known world, though occasional dragon sightings crop up every few years or so.