True Dragons
The offspring of the Elder Dragons, true dragons are some of the most powerful beings in the world. Physically distinguished by their four powerful limbs and pair of wings extending from their shoulders. Dragons share the color of their scales and elemental breath attack with their sire. They hatch from eggs and grow continually throughout their lives with seemingly no upper limit to their maximum size, though the growth slows significantly after the first few years. It is thought that, given enough time, their size might cap around those of their parents.
True dragons are symbols of power across the world, but beyond that they are both power players and pieces to be played in the great game. Having a dragon on one’s side is a massive boon to their cause, while coming up against one often means certain death.
Basic Information
Genetics and Reproduction
Dragon eggs are laid very infrequently and always one at a time which, when coupled with the frequent infighting and historical conflicts with giants and other races, has kept the total number of dragons in the world generally quite low. Once laid, a dragon egg can apparently remain inert for any period of time, hatching at the behest of the dragon who laid it. Quests to steal dragon eggs are undertaken from time to time, whether to prevent an egg from hatching, to achieve status and prestige for the thief, to attempt to use the egg for its magical properties, or even to try to force the egg to hatch themselves.
While on the topic of laying eggs, true dragon reproduction is fundamentally different from the sexual reproduction of most other species. Elder Dragons’ physiology allows all of them to lay eggs, which they produce asexually from time to time. This is completely separate from the gender identities they choose to adopt when they shape change into humanoid forms, which are more about how pleasing those forms are to them and how they feel they fit their individual personalities. The true dragon offspring, on the other hand, are not capable of reproduction, or at least there are no documented cases of them doing so. Perhaps if they grew to Elder status they would begin to reproduce, but so far as we know the Elders are eternal and their numbers are fixed.
Biological Cycle
True dragons do not die of old age, getting larger, wiser, and more powerful with time. One of the factors which has limited the upper reaches of their age and growth has been the desire to conquer and dominate the world around them, a trait inherited from their parents. For the first few centuries of their lives, they are their sires’ obedient servants, content to acquire power vicariously. But as they age, the drive to rule for themselves becomes overwhelming, and sufficiently ancient dragons inevitably attempt to usurp power for themselves. Each of these attempts has thus far been unsuccessful, a fact which each new contender is aware of and tries to account for. The plots, schemes, and coup attempts are never the same twice, but they still all fail in the end. One idea that has been put forth is if a dragon was to strike down and kill their master, a feat which could very well be impossible, the spirit of the slain dragon curse or blessing would flow into the usurper and take control of that body instead. In this way the overall balance and order of the world would be maintained.
Additional Information
Social Structure
True dragons have also adopted a custom of bonding with a humanoid rider for the mutual benefit of both parties. In most cases these pairings are arranged by the Elder Dragon sire, often at the birth of the mortal, though uncondoned partnerships do happen on rare occasions. In every kingdom dragon riders are revered, immediately catapulted to the top echelons of society. They are some of the most powerful weapons, and often chief lieutenants, in the Dragon Lords’ armies. But with this prestige comes jealousy and a large target on both dragon and rider’s backs. Killing a dragon or its rider often comes with massive rewards from their enemies, and is another one of those acts that will guarantee one’s name is included in the Record. Inherently magical, every true dragon is an innate spellcaster whose magic ability grows with age. At some point they learn the ability to change shape into humanoid forms just like their Elders, allowing them to interact and socialize with various peoples in a manner that was previously not accessible. A byproduct of this ability and specifically some of these interactions is that, while dragons cannot reproduce asexually in the way they were formed, they are not sterile. The offspring of a dragon and a mortal will have the characteristics of the parents in the bodies they occupied at the time of conception, but with some of the dragon parent’s innate magic. These offspring were the first dragonborn, sometimes called the “first born,” or “trueborn.” Nowadays dragonborn can be any number of generations divorced from their actual dragon heritage, but a dragon is still somewhere in their lineage.
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