Dragons

While elves occupy a place between mortals and gods (and may themselves be prominent ancestors, proto-deities, or who knows what), dragons represent a move in the other direction, toward the world itself. Massive creatures with deep wisdom but little compassion for mortal creatures in general, dragons are strongly tied to the elements and the magic from prana, while still channeling the raw power of the gods and their Girdle in the heavens. Dwelling mostly on the Ares islands in the north of the Shattered Sea, dragons occasionally insert themselves into the lives of mortals for their own inscrutable reasons, and many of the most popular legends told throughout the lands include these magnificent beasts. More learned peoples who have studied such things (or so they claim) assert that dwarves are a reflection of humans but sit closer to the elements and nature, so dwarves become dragons and humans become elves. This angers plenty of dwarves (and everyone else), and dragons are occasionally deific in their power, leading many to think it's a moot point. Academics do love to argue, however.
Dragons hatch from geodes lain by their parents, but remain carefully guarded as young; not one recorded instance exists of a dragon being hatched anywhere near mortal lands, and it's believed that the Ares islands alone (or even one specific island) is the sole location for dragon hatchings. Their scales shine with the colors of gems found as Marks, which is not accident; rich garnet, glossy jet, and deep beryl colors have all been spotted on dragon hides. This conductivity is important, as the dragons' most fearsome defense lies in the tremendous energies it can exhale from its mouth, laying waste to skyships and formations of soldiers alike. Dragons also practice magic as mortals do, with an innate cunning that grants even the lowest in intelligence a bevy of magical tricks. Dragons can live for centuries, and most accrue a great deal of knowledge and wisdom over that time.
Little is known about dragons, as they keep to themselves and precious few have actually been slain by mortals in a position to bring samples for study. They eat sparingly for creatures of their size, and most assume that they draw energy directly through their scales to help sustain them. They are as few in number as the elves, and tend to avoid mortals even more than their cousins. Dragons are instinctively drawn to objects of great significance, and their lairs often contain magical relics with rich histories, or cherished family heirlooms. The legends of dragons hoarding gold coins refer to one specific dragon in history, who had an affinity for the specific hoard he'd stolen from a maniacal king, but even the most iconoclastic dragon has hunted for a few rare treasures in her time.
Slaying dragons is notoriously difficult, and despite the numerous legends attesting to it, it happens less than once a century. Dragons' gemstone hide is difficult to pierce, and their magical defenses are potent; one band of wizards had some success using the natural channeling ability of dragon scales to their advantage, poisoning the energies pouring into the beast. Another group of plucky dwarves trapped a dragon in a rock fall and took to it with war picks, and a third story, discounted as ridiculous by some but true nonetheless, involves a lone woman stumbling upon a powerful witchblade that awakened in her hand, granting her the ability to catch a dragon by surprise and slay it. Warmachines and skyships have occasionally been built with besting dragons in mind, but dragons are no fools, and often retreat in the face of overwhelming power to plot and scheme. For all their connection to the natural world, dragons are generally dismissive of mortals, even the kindly ones; too many mortals distance themselves from nature and prana with civilization and its toxic influences, and even the most harmonious usually draw cold indifference. When dragons meddle in the mortal affairs it is to acquire magical relics or perhaps to instigate chaos and confusion, allowing kingdoms to topple and bother them less.