Dragon

The Ancient Ones

A species with long lives and even longer memories, dragons often seem as unchanging monoliths when compared to their shorter-lived neighbours. They come in many different forms, shapes, and sizes, from the long-winged, feathered dragons of the north, children of the ancient Svanling Empire, to the antlered, furred landed dragons who rule the forests and plains, to the scaled firebreathers, once feared across the land for their threatening power.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Although the different kinds of dragons differ according to their individual characteristics, in general they are four-limbed creatures with long tails and upright necks. The dragons of the north are known for their extremely long wings, allowing them to sustain flight for hours on end, and thick feathers. The landed dragons, unlike their feathered and scaled counterparts, have no wings and instead are characterised by thick fur and branching antlers. The smaller landed dragons typically have short horns rather than antlers. The fire-breathers are fearsome to behold with their armour of near-impenetrable scales and intimidating horns. They have bat-like wings that allow them much tighter maneuverability than their feathered cousins to the north.

Genetics and Reproduction

All dragons are born from eggs, although the incubation times vary between the different dragons. The larger dragons tend to incubate for longer, sometimes even up to ten years, while the smaller dragons, such as the Larisc and Éomarisc dragons, rarely stay in the egg for longer than five to seven years. Eggs are closely guarded by their parents, with the nests often hidden away from the rest of the world and rarely shown to anyone outside the immediate family.

Growth Rate & Stages

Dragons are typically considered to be 'hatchlings' until well into their fifties, and only reach adulthood in their seventies and eighties. All hatchlings are able to walk not long after hatching, but for the winged dragons, flight only comes when the young dragon is in their teens.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Although dragons might prefer meat, all dragons are omnivorous. Elk tends to be the staple meat for most dragons, although the Lahrin typically prefer fish.

Biological Cycle

The Northern Dragons

• Adult dragons tend to moult their feathers once a year, with hatchlings often moulting twice a year. The moulting process lasts three to four months and typically occurs in late summer.
• Most feathers moult in stages, to keep the dragon from losing too many feathers at once. However, one stage is the 'wing moult', where the dragon loses all of their flight feathers and are rendered flightless for one or two weeks.

The Landed Dragons

• All of the larger Ðiotisk dragons, regardless of gender, have antlers similar to those seen on elk Their antlers start growing in their twenties and continue in cycles throughout their long lives. Antlers begin grown in spring and are shed in winter. While they are actively growing, the antlers are covered by a soft skin known as 'velvet', which is then shed by summer. With each growth, the antlers get bigger and more impressive.
• The smaller Ðiotisk dragons, the Éomarin and the Lahrin, have horns instead of antlers. Similar to their larger cousins, the Éomarin and the Lahrin begin growing their horns in their twenties and go through annual cycles of growth and shed.
• During the fall, all landed dragons grow thicker coats of hair in preparation for the coming winter. By early summer, the thick winter coat is shed - a rather itchy process for most dragons.

The Scaled Dragons

• The firebreathing dragons shed their scales continuously throughout the year. As scales are shed, larger and denser scales are formed in their place. Larger, older dragons will have tougher scales than hatchlings.
• Scales may be lost due to injury or illness, but typically grow back in a week.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

All dragons have sharp hearing and an acute sense of smell. They are also known for having near-bottomless wells of magic, although only the most skilled of dragon-mages have fine control over their magic. In general, dragonmagic is tied up in their longevity, flight, and breath weapons.

The Northern Dragons

With excellent long-distance vision, the dragons of the north can see minute details on the ground even from far above in the sky. They have the ability to call upon the spirits of the wind, often to aid their flight, and some skilled dragon-mages can even manipulate the weather, summoning massive and destructive storms. Their breath weapon is a roar of ice and wind, sometimes even capable of freezing the target.

The Landed Dragons

Although unable to fly, the landed dragons are no less powerful or skilled than their flying cousins. They are deeply in tune with the earth and typically wield magic that is based in nature. Many can manipulate things such as trees, plants, or even stone, a skill that aids them well in crafting. Some can communicate with plants and animals. By far their most impressive skill, however, is their sonic roar. The more powerful dragons are even capable of splitting rock with their voice alone, while others can rupture the eardrums of any listener or shatter glass with a screech.

The Scaled Dragons

The dragons of the south are perhaps best known for their firebreathing, an ability that wrought much destruction across the human lands during the many rebellions against the great Dragon Empire. That, combined with their near-impenetrable scales, capable of turning away even the sharpest blade, makes them both incredibly powerful and terribly strong. The scaled dragons themselves are impervious to fire and the more skilled mages among them can even wield flames like living weapons.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Matrynomic and patrynomic traditions are common among the dragons, although preference between one or the other varies. Some dragons include the names of the other parent in addition to their given and familial name.

Major Organizations

• Éomarun, the domain of the mysterious Éomarin
• Guthia, the kingdom of the scaled Ráksigg
• Lawéra, the kingdom of the Lahrin
• Svanrike, the kingdom of the Svanling
• Dalland, the kingdom of the Daling
• Nauðheimur, the kingdom of the Nauðheiming
• Leilanda, the kingdom of the Leilanding

Major Language Groups and Dialects

• Ðiotisk, the name of the group of major dragonic languages spoken on the continent, includes the languages of the Éomarin and the Lahrin
• Svanrod, the language of the Svanling, also used to refer to the northern dragonic languages as a whole, including the Darrod, Nauðheimsk, and Leilansk languages
• Ráksisk, the language of the fire-breathing Ráksigg

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The dragons have had a long and tumultuous relationship with humans, and have rarely ever been on good terms with them. Although they generally respect the ambition of humans that leads them to inventing and innovating far beyond anything the dragons themselves could do, they view that ambition with an equal amount of fear, as such ambition led the humans to creating the so-called dragonslayer magic...

Lifespan

700-800 years

Average Height

The Northern Dragons: 6-8 feet

The Landed Dragons: 5-7 feet (larger dragons), 3-5 feet (smaller dragons)

The Scaled Dragons: 5-7 feet

Average Length

The Northern Dragons: 11-15 feet, 20-30 feet wingspan

The Landed Dragons: 6-8 feet (larger dragons), 4-6 feet (smaller dragons)

The Scaled Dragons: 7-9 feet, 13-15 feet wingspan

Geographic Distribution

• The Northern Continent

Related Organizations

• House of Engling
• Kingdom of Svearike
• Kingdom of the Englingir
• Old Kingdom of Elwidd
• Petty Kingdom of Lidac'hea
• Svanling Empire

Related Ethnicities

• Dalling
• Ðiodisk
• Éomarin
• Lahrin
• Leilanding
• Nauðheiming
• Rauddjing
• Svanling