Aignaoithe

I have obtained this information from a combination of reference materials and the personal experiences of Fiachra son of Rórdán and Deirbhile. We primarily wrote this article for fun, so it may not be entirely appropriate for citations, but it may be interesting in that it includes the perspective of a shapeshifter who has been both human and dragon.

Biology

Anatomy

Aignaoithe have four limbs, with three claws at each end, along with large bat-like wings attached at the shoulders. A long tail assists significantly in balance. They are covered in colorful scales (most commonly green, blue, yellow, and red) that protect them from puncture wounds as well as (to a lesser extent) naer burns.

Variation

Approximately 10% of aignaoithe are born shapeshifters. They have the ability to shift into human form, generally coming into this ability between the ages of 60 and 75. Due to shapeshifters' role as the primary warriors, their life expectancy is generally less than 150 years. According to Fiachra, they also tend to be smaller than average.

Reproduction

Have you ever seen a shapeshifter give you a singularly disturbed look?
Fiachra's reaction aside, dragons lay eggs, though they're fertilized internally. It takes approximately a year and a half for the egg to hatch once fertilized. That's all he'd like me to say.

Growth Rate and Stages

Upon hatching, aignaoithe are about a foot tall, with disproportionately large wings. They are called hatcheens (akin to Crathlian baby) until they can fly, which occurs between ages 10 to 15.
Flighteens (akin to Crathlian toddler) also begin to come into their telepathic abilities, communicating their desires to parents and caregivers.
Aignaoithe reach full size between the ages of 60 and 75. They are not considered adults until age 100.
The ratio between human aging and dragon aging is approximately 1:5--in other words, a 15-year-old human is at about the same stage in life as a 60-year-old aignaoi.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Five Senses

Since they hear through small flaps on the side of their heads, their hearing is rather poor.
Due to the scales, their sense of touch is also quite weak. According to Fiachra, the human sense of touch was the most difficult sense to adjust to. (Overwhelming was the word he used.)
Having relied on their noses for hunting, they have an acute sense of smell.
Their sight is far better than a human's. However, Fiachra notes that this was easier to adjust to, since humans don't spend much time in the air looking at great distances.
Aignaoithe have a weak sense of taste. Fiachra says that food is far more enjoyable in human form, though he's also far pickier as a human.

Telepathy

In addition to the usual five senses, they possess telepathy as a sixth primary sense. Dragons (both aignaoithe and naered) are able to freely flit from mind to mind as long as the sentient being can be seen. The greater the distance, the less that can be seen. Typically, older dragons are better telepaths than their younger counterparts. Being able to empathize with the individual also helps in the reading of thoughts and memories. Dragons use telepathy as a primary means of communication, forgoing sound and facial expression (considering that their ears aren't very good and their faces don't move much).

Culture

In most circumstances, I would likely think it silly to summarize an entire species's culture. However, given that there are only about 4,000 aignaoithe living at the moment, I think it would be redundant to give them a separate article for the one currently existing ethnicity.

Geographic Distribution

All aignaoithe live on Inis Baile Mor (which translates to "Great Island Home"), with the exception of certain shapeshifters, who live throughout the world as ambassadors and on military bases in the Lumen Empire, the Kingdom of Crathlia, and other friendly locations throughout the world.

Naming

Aignaoithe are named after hatching and are referred to as the son or daughter of both their parents. Either the mother or the father may come first; it is inconsistent among themselves. For example, Fiachra's full name is Fiachra son of Rórdán and Deirbhile, with Rórdán being his father and Deirbhile being his mother.

Language

Excepting shapeshifters, aignaoithe do not have a spoken language. Their ancient written language used pictograms, and this is the original language of the Sacred Writings of the Cavern. It is believed that sometime between this and the Colonization, the aignaoithe began using the written language of a human culture native to modern-day Crathlia. This is the basis of their current written language.

Diet

Staples

• Fish
• Sheep
• Reindeer
• Duck
• Goose

Delicacies

• Swordfish
• Whale
• Shark
• Great White Bear

Spices and Flavorings

• Berries (sweet/savory mix is very popular due to their weak sense of taste)
• Herbs
• Marinades with oils and spices
• Salt (also good for curing)

Methodology

• Charred (very common but easy to mess up)
• Grilled over a fire
• Stews/soups (can have berries and berry juices in them)
• Cured (to save for later)

Written by Cordelia Colbreak Evenbrook

Singular Form

Aignaoi (pronounced ag-nee)

Plural Form

Aignaoithe (pronounced ag-neeth)

Also called

Dragons, Fire-Breathers

Worldwide Population

Approximately 4,000

Lifespan

400-500 years

Average Height

8-12 ft

Average Length

15-20 ft

Geographic Distribution

• Inis Baile Mor
• Tír n'Oighear

Related Ethnicities

• Mainland Aignaoithe
• Shapeshifters

Related Myths

• Creation of the Three
• Gift of the Serpents and the First Shapeshifter
• The Creator's Handwriting

An important adaptation for the aignaoithe is their fire breath, which keeps them warm in the harsh, extreme northern climates of Inis Baile Mor and Tír n'Oighear. Fiachra attests that the glow of their throats is also highly useful when the sun never rises during the height of winter.

Getting used to the lack of telepathy was easily the hardest part of adjusting to human form. I basically had to re-learn how to communicate - and this time it was with my throat and tongue instead of just thinking something... loudly? In dragon form, you can think quietly, just to yourself, or you can think at a certain person (where no one else can "hear" you), or you can think at everyone within a certain radius. A bit like adjusting your volume, I suppose.

— Fiachra

A (Non-Exhaustive) List of Aignaoi Jobs

(Because many humans seem to think they just fly around all the time.)

• Councilors (members of the Council of Elders)
• Clergy
• Herders (sheep or reindeer) (Fiachra's family are sheep herders)
• Fishers
• Butchers
• Stonemasons
• Smiths
• General builders/repairers
• Healers (while shapeshifters can heal like Paragon Healers, they are rare enough and in demand enough that some non-shapeshifting aignaoithe specialize in making salves and binding minor wounds)
• Scribes
• Writers
• Artists
• Scientists
• Librarians (The Library of Stone in particular has a keeper)
• Military commanders (usually not shapeshifters, but depends)
• Record-keepers for the military
• Cooks
• Rug/bed makers