Dragon
Dragons are magical creatures classified as draconids, types of quasi-reptiles and are considered by many of the peoples of Eldorahn to be the apex predators of the animal kingdom. They are one of the Zodiacal Beasts, descended from one the Primordials and tasked with keeping nature in balance. At the dawn of time, they populated the entire world, inhabiting many regions across the continents. At present, the mighty race is few in number compared to days of old when they darkened the skies during the primordial days. The dragons are capable of many natural and supernatural feats, making them one of the most powerful creatures that live on Eldorahn capable of destroying entire cities and laying waste to vast armies all on their own. Across the world there are nine types of dragons, Light, Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Ice, Thunder, Lightning, Shadow, and each is capable of great and devastating powers. Unlike most of the wild beasts that roam Eldorahn, the dragons are one of the few that have a culture and civilization of their own, a colossal city known as Angaligoth, the dragon city which has never been found by anyone except the Kromnar.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Dragons are scaled, reptilian creatures, with two wings, two arms, and two legs. They have sharp fangs and claws, leathery wings, with tails that act as a counterbalance for flight and movement. Dragons are a diverse species, coming in breeds of many colors, shapes, and sizes depending on which region and environment they reside.
Unbeknownst to many all draconids can quickly evolve by absorbing the DNA of their prey by devouring their flesh. In doing this they take on the most useful traits of their enemies to become more advanced and deadlier predators. This puts them in a state of constant evolution, always adapting with new abilities to help them survive. A dragon can appear one way and then look very different the next day with completely different armor, claws, and even fangs.
Genetics and Reproduction
Dragons mate for life and only lay eggs every few decades, on occasion every few hundred years depending on the breed and lifespan. When mating season begins a female sends out pheromones, beating her wings and spreading her scent throughout her territory. A male picks up the scent a follows it towards her location. Once the two meet, they begin to circle one another in a flight or do what is called "dragon dancing" to evaluate one another and see if they are a suitable mate. Should they find that dragon worthy, they become a mated pair.
It is quite common for dragons to fight one another for a mate, more often than not these savage fights are between two male dragons. However their are times when females will fight as well for their territory in which they make their home until a mate finds them. Because of this, most male dragons are killed in these fights for mates.
They hatch from scaled eggs, coming in many colors with numerous shapes and designs across their shell depending on the breed. Some are as small as an apple while others over a foot, the largest ever being discovered almost eight feet. Dragons are able to lay up to at least three eggs, at max up to fifteen at a time.
Each breed lays a distinct egg different from any other breed’s egg by its color and its designs. The mating habits of a dragon vary from breed to breed, some are playful, some are violent, and others are simple. From a graceful dance, to difficult chase, or a dangerous battle. Dragons mate for life, and lay eggs every few decades. Laying eggs totally exhausts a female leaving her hungry, the male stays on guard over the female until she lays eggs. Afterwards the male will hunt and bring the female food until she has recovered her strength, from there on the pair will take turns guarding the nest until the eggs hatch and their young have grown old and strong enough to leave the nest and defend themselves.
Growth Rate & Stages
Dragons grow very quickly and continue to do so throughout their entire lives. Their growth rate heavily depends on the breed, its age, and its diet. If eating enough, a dragon can grow to gigantic proportions in short span of time. Capable of reaching a size of twenty feet within a year, and over a hundred feet within six. The largest of them are said to have grown to the size of a mountain, though most breeds today have been seen reaching more common and smaller sizes. For dragons kept in captivity, they do not grow as large as those with freedom to roam and hunt but become twisted and crippled without room to grow.
Ecology and Habitats
Dragons live in various environments, each according to the type of dragon. Fire dragons tend to live in volcanic regions, ice dragons live in polar regions, earth dragons live in either mountainous of dense forest regions, wind dragons live in high cliffs, water dragons live near large bodies of water if not the ocean itself, thunder and lightning dragons live in stormy regions, shadow dragons live in deep caves or shadowy lands with little to no sunlight, and light dragons live on mountain tops where the stars can be seen.
Dietary Needs and Habits
All dragons are carnivores and eat meat, while certain breeds are omnivores and eat fruits and vegetables as well as meat.
Additional Information
Domestication
Dragons are highly intelligent creatures that can be trained to respond to vocal commands and act as battle mounts in war and travel. They are however, capricious, wild, and ferocious, making them unpredictable and dangerous beyond all measure. This makes dragons difficult to train as adults, they will not allow just anybody to mount them. A dragon will not hesitate to kill a stranger who offends or angers them. Even those who are descended from dragonriders with dragon’s blood in their veins or simply have training to bond with a dragon are not guaranteed to be successful at bonding with a dragon and mounting them. Because of this they are often trained as hatchlings, as they are easier to teach compared to wild adult dragons. Dragons who have had riders previously are easier to train.
Once a dragon has bonded to a rider, the two are bonded for life, and that dragon will not allow anyone else to ride it no matter how close they are to the rider or the dragon itself. Though a person may mount the dragon so long as the rider is present, otherwise that dragon will not allow anyone to ride on its back. Even more so, a dragon will protect its rider from anyone or anything that posses a threat and kill them without a second thought.
In warfare, a single dragon with a rider can destroy entire armies and lay waste to entire cities with ease. For this reason dragons are greatly prized and feared in battles of all kinds, ground assault, aerial, and naval alike. To add to the danger it does not help that dragons are covered in nearly impenetrable scales hard as diamonds that cannot be pierced by steel or iron but only by a select few alloys.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Dragons have been hunted for thousands of years since the other races learned to fight and hunt. The reasons have varied from one people to another. Some races revere and worship them, while others see them as monsters to be hunted and killed. For the most part dragons have been hunted for one of three reasons. The first is to do with religion, they are viewed as the signs of demons and dark evil forces. The second is for the resources they provide, such as the occasional horde of treasure but most of all the fact that they provide many alchemical materials from their tears, bones, scales and blood to manufacture things like medicine and cosmetics. The third and final reason if for reputation and pride, whether they are revered as magnificent beasts that are powerful, capable of magic, and capable of many abilities or feared as the apex predators slaying them became a mark of honor in some cultures. It "put you on their level" so to speak, granting that person titles such as "dragonslayer" or even "dragonsbane". As symbols of the raw power of nature kill one was to show one's power and strength to conquer nature.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
All dragons have sharp eyesight, they have great vision in the day and even better vision at night. However, in the failing light at dawn or sunset their vision cannot focus making it more difficult to see from greater distances. This is perhaps their only natural weakness. Despite this a dragon can see a great distance farther than any human, elf, dwarf, or bird. If someone dropped a coin on the ground from a few thousand feet up, a dragon would see it. Certain breeds of dragons are said to have a hypnotic gaze that can place their prey in an obedient state and lure them into their clutches or even follow their commands.
Every dragon has the hearing strong enough to hear a creature's breath from hundreds of feet away. If that wasn't enough they could hear a person's heartbeat from the same distance. Making them very difficult to sneak up on and catch by surprise.
Dragons have an incredible sense of smell, they can pick up a scent from hundreds of miles away. So sharp is their sense of smell that they can pick up a creature's pheromones that give off a living thing's emotional state, allowing them to know when someone is in distress or means harm. They can even smell the identity and health of the one the scent belongs to.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Dragons have names that are usually in ancient Draconic. Male dragons have names like Balthor, Khalaum, Rathana, Iridiscen, Aldienos, and Drakknir. While females have names like Valrhea, Faeryas, Nejerei, Ulysia, and Wryknia.
Their names often translate in English or Common Tongue to things that tie to their breed or element like for earth dragons things like Rumble, Quake, Venom, and Cliff Breaker. For fire dragons their names usually translate to things like Blackfire, Sunstar, Firestrike, and Ash. For water dragons their names translate to things like Riptide, Tsunami, Floodbringer, and Razor Reef. On occasion all dragons revert to taking on names in ancient draconic that mean things like Havoc, Scar, Ravage, Wrath, sometimes even simply taking the name in Common Tongue as well.
Major Organizations
The Elder Dragons, the largest and strongest and most powerful of all the dragons, growing to be the size of mountains, and capable of living for hundreds of thousands of years. It is their duty to lead the dragon race in its entirety and ensure its survival and protection. In the beginning their were once many, but since the Dragon Wars now there are so very few. Some believe that the titanic dragons are all but extinct but none can say for certain.
The Archdragons, are the second largest and most powerful of the dragon race. Though smaller than the Elder Dragons by a 1/2 or even 1/3 they are capable of defeating an Elder dragon in a one-on-one fight to the death. The Archdragons act as the alphas to the pods, broods, and flights (basically packs) of dragons and served at the will of the Elder Dragons as the second in command. Now with them nearly gone, it falls to the Archdragons to ensure the survival of their entire race.
Dragonriders, are a clan of men, elves, and azgyr that ride dragons whom have chosen to bond with them. The dragons who have accepted riders act as ambassadors on behalf of the other races. Ensuring a sort of co-operation between dragons and the other races.
Beauty Ideals
Dragons take notice of beauty in many things from the world views, treasures, and other dragons.
Courtship Ideals
When it comes to finding a mate, dragons take everything into account. The shape of the horns, shine of the scales, size of their wingspan, strength, speed, and roar. Dragons only desire those they believe would be the perfect mate for them.
History
Very few can say they know the truth of how the dragons truly came into being. One thing that everyone can say is a fact is that the dragons came from Pretheria, a small continent that broke apart during the Dawning Age and became the archipelago that it is now. From there came dragons and all others like them such as Wyverns, Drakes, Hydras, Amphiptere, Basilisks, Wyrms, Coatyls, Leviathans, and Behemoths.
In beginning, the dragons were led by the Elder Dragons, nine mighty dragons that grew to the size of mountains and wielded great and terrible powers over the earth, space, and magic. Among them, the Dragon King and the Dragon Queen ruled over the mighty beasts ensuring the survival of their species. In the beginning, dragons ruled the earth and stood side-by-side with the Eternal Rognir, charged as protectors and gatekeepers to the world of Eldorahn and others like it, and were guardians to the secrets and treasures of the universe. For this reason, Rognir shaped the dragon race and their kin the wyverns, drakes, basilisks, hydras, wyrms, leviathans, coatyls, behemoths, and amphipteres with special abilities over the elements and powers over magics to help him do so.
With their gifts and the powers, Rognir gave them over the elements the dragons grew, adapted, and evolved into what they are today. They built a great city called Angaligoth, the Dragon City, a city so large that it stretched from the depths of the ocean to the surface and all the way to floating islands that hung in the skies. Great shards of crystal the size of houses and mountains pierced from the earth out onto the surface the glowed in a myriad of colors while dragons of every shape, color, and size lived beneath the water, upon the earth, and in the skies.
After a time, the other Eternals brought the other races into existence and the world began to change. As the other races spread more quickly than the dragons could, and built cities, roadways, and fortresses with vast armies. It was not long before the dragons were starting to be seen as a deadly threat that had to be stopped because they devoured livestock and killed any that got in their way and acted as territorial animals. However, unlike other animals, the dragons considered the world as their territory cutting them off from important resources. Despite being hunted, the dragons showed no real malice towards, humans, Eldorai, Khazaugrim, and any other races like them. More often than not simply ignored them or flew past them as they were relatively tiny and insignificant compared to them and posed no real threat on their own.
For years the dragons and their kin had little to almost no communication with the other races. Until the Age of Invasion, and the Kromnar came and sailed in search of a land to call their own finding their way to Pretheria. At first, the kromnar thought the same of the dragons as any other race and saw them as wild and dangerous beasts but then something happened... There were those who saw them as wild dangerous beasts that threatened their existence. But there were kromnar who saw something else, they saw them for what they could become. Upon their first meeting, both dragon and kromnar felt a natural kinship. The children of Drakknir and Wyrknia looked upon them and saw the fiercest of warriors. In the dragons, the kromnar saw the power of nature and the apex predator made into one. Bonded together, forging an unbreakable bond between man and beast, their power grew to form a great alliance that was unmatched by any other kingdom or race. For that power would be needed in the battle to come against the demonic scourge in what was forever known as the Dark War.
When all the races and their kingdoms banded together the Dark War turned in Eldorahn's favor. They had a chance, and when the dragons came into the fold they were the final push in winning the Dark War. Led by the Dragon King and the Dragon Queen, they let loose the wrath of the dragons wiping out entire armies of demons in minutes. From deep within the oceans, the great sea dragons created massive tidal waves and let loose floods that drowned entire cities. Above and below the surface of the world, the earth dragons split the ground creating chasms of poison that choked any who came too close and earthquakes that shook the world burying all demons in their way. From the sky, the fire dragons blackened the skies with ash falling from above before reigning down fire and turning entire legions to ash. From the north, the ice dragons came with blizzards and frost so cold that no living thing could survive and not turn to solid ice in seconds and shatter. While dragons of wind, thunder, and lightning raged across the world together in a storm so powerful it swallowed men and demons alike. From the heavens came the light dragons, with the fires of the stars they incinerated all demons in their path. However, not one of them took the demons by such surprise as the shadow dragons who devoured them from within their own element and turned it against them.
With the Dark War over, the dragons and their allies the kromnar returned to their lands. Together with their new allies the kromnar they eventually made allies of the giants and built a great city in honor of their alliance, Azgyrath, a colossal mountaintop city with towers that stretched passed the clouds and walls over 200 feet high. It was there that the dragons and their allies lived together in harmony but it was not to last. A cataclysmic event known as the Dragon Wars began, where dragons fought dragons and riders fought riders in a conflict that nearly wiped out the dragons and the kromnar as well.
Of all the wars that had taken place since the Dark War, only the Dragon Wars really came close to anything like its destruction. The war nearly destroyed the planet, whole cities and armies were scorched, frozen, buried, and flooded as the dragonriders of the Skyguard and the Warsworn fought against one another. In the end, the Skyguard had been victorious but the war had cost them too much. Their numbers were depleted, and the dragons were unable to protect themselves from the true cause of their near extinction, the Dragon Hunts, a time when the Twelve Kingdoms drove out the dragons and their riders. Those who did not leave willingly were hunted down and slain.
Since then, the dragons fled back to their ancestral homeland of Pretheria. The only land that remains safe and hidden from the world allowing them to survive and regain their numbers and thrive. What few dragons remain outside of Pretheria are few, as it is incredibly rare to see a dragon anywhere else in the world.
Common Myths and Legends
The legends say that the fallen star came from Drakknir, the Zodiacal Beast and that the star was a scale from his own celestial body. As time went on the land took form around the volcano created by the magic of the fallen star, the smoke of its divine flames drifting up towards the stars the first dragons emerged from within. Then came the dragons from the very flames themselves, followed by the dragons that sprang from earth and stone with their venomous fangs and acidic breath. Soon after came the great sea dragons from the rivers around the volcano, drifting into freezing lands, and the ice dragons were born. Finally, from the night sky came dragons of shadow and darkness.
Regardless of the legends, the land is said to be the home and birthplace of the dragon race...of all dragons. The first ones seen were the dragons that breathed fire, then those that spewed thunder, then lightning, then poison and acid, hurricane winds, boiling water, and finally ice. However, some scholars say that the legendary star dragons and void dragons actually came first before all the others.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Though different, the dragons share a common blood with other creatures such as wyverns, drakes, basilisks, hydras, wyrms, coatyls, and amphipteres. Each of these creatures share common traits from their appearance to their ability to breathe fire, poison, etc. along with many more magical capabilities. It is theorized by many alchemists, scholars, and experts on dragons that these creatures are distant cousins of theirs that were drastically altered by thousands of years of evolution just like them. Though each beast is different from the last all the way down from their shape to their feeding habits. Because of this it is not uncommon for them to mix on occasion with certain breeds of drakes, wyverns, etc.
Scientific Name
Draco dracorexidae
Origin/Ancestry
Children of the Zodiacal Beasts Drakknir and Wryknia
Lifespan
200- 100,000 years old depending on breed
Conservation Status
Near extinct, rarely and almost never seen outside of their ancestral homeland of Pretheria.
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