Dragons

Dracoforms, better known as dragons, are a sapient species of saurian flying Awakened creatures. They are closely tied to the return of magic to the world; one of the first indicators that magic had returned occurred when Ryumyo was spotted by a passenger train in Japan. Most dragons are extremely powerful and intelligent, almost completely beyond the scope of humanity; a common motto of shadowrunners is to never deal with a dragon.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Dragons vary quite a bit in anatomy depending on the variant. Some have lizard-like scales and massive wings (Western Dragons), others are more snake-like with no wings (Eastern Dragons), and others have feathers and more avian features (Feathered Serpents). Most are several tons of meters long, with their tail making up at least half of that length, and can weigh several tonnes. Common features across variants include sharp teeth, protruding spines, and the ability to breath fire or toxic fumes. They also always have at least one pair of frontal limbs that are able to move destrously, acting as hands when in dragon form.
Dragons also have incredible magical capabilities. Most are able to cast a wide variety of very powerful spells, most of which are beyond the abilities of a metahuman mage. This magical ability attunes dragons to the natural world and allows them to see into Astral Space, with most capable of moving into the metaplanes easily. Most dragons are also able to adopt a metahuman form, the appearance of which is decided by the individual. Although a single dragon can have multiple metahuman forms, creating a new one requires a large amount of mana and effort, so most dragons maintain a small collection of forms, if they even create more than one. These metahuman forms also don't have the same intimidation factor that their dragon forms have, so most dragons prefer to stay in their dragon form as much as possible.
Although not all dragons have notable wings, all are capable of flight. Because even winged dragons are too massive to fly by conventional means, it is believed that they are assisted at least in part by magical propulsion. Scaled dragons also have a set of muscles that let them re-arrange their scales to make them more aerodynamic, though this also cannot account for their ability to fly through conventional means.

Great Dragons

As well as the other variants mentioned above, there are also Great Dragons, which are bigger and more capable versions of the above variants. Most of the best known dragons are Great Dragons, who are usually seen as the leaders of their species. The difference in magical capability between Great Dragons and their lesser counterparts is unknown, but both are considered highly dangerous to metahumans, should they come into conflict. Research indicates Great Dragons may also simply be older members of the species, their size explained by the time they've had to grow.

Genetics and Reproduction

Specifics about the dragon mating process are kept secret by most dragons. Dunkelzahn notably gave some details about the process, but even he has been reluctant to give details that would actively upset others of his species. As such, what is known is hard to corroborate. 
According to Dunkelzahn, the process of reproduction is seen as highly ceremonial to dragons; they are a small and dignified population, so they see the continuation of their line as incredibly important. There is no "mating season" for dragons, as they are capable of doing so at any time. The process starts with a female dragon searching out a mate, often valuing wisdom and intelligence over physical traits. The act itself is complicated, said to take several days at maximum, and resembles magical combat than traditional metahuman mating. Once the act is complete, the male goes on their way; dragons do not mate for life, and the concept of romantic relations generally seems foreign to them, at least in regard to their own species. 
How dragon genetics works is still a very open area of research. Several complications provide hurdles for this research. The biggest is how secretive and rare dragons are, but even beyond that there is the fact that dragons have existed for such a short timespan compared to how long they can live.

Growth Rate & Stages

After mating, a female dragon can lay up to four eggs, which the female promptly gives to a Great Dragon to care for. The Great Dragon must be convinced to take care of the eggs, usually through claims of how great the parents are in terms of wisdom and intelligence. The idea seems to be that, with how rare dragon eggs are, Great Dragons will only care for eggs they believe will be highly capable once born, exemplified by their parents' quality. 
Dragon eggs must be kept in a warm environment, often heat vents, which are usually a part of the caretaker dragon's territory. During incubation, the egg grows with the dragon within, reaching a maximum size of over a meter. As they grow, the caretaker dragon will telepathically communicate with the baby dragon, molding its mind and teaching it as it grows. This telepathic influence is so powerful that newborn dragons will often resemble their caretaker dragon moreso than their parents. Exactly how long an egg incubates for is unknown, but rough estimates point to at least fifty years. As such, most currently living dragons are from before The Awakening; the next generation of dragons is likely still in the process of growing. 
Once they reach a certain size, baby dragons will attempt to break free of their egg. The shell is made of a hardy material, so many will not survive the hatching process. To help with the process, many baby dragons will use their fiery breath to soften the egg's shell. This is a dangerous tactic though; if the baby is not careful, it may cook itself alive within the egg. Once born, the hatchling can be as big as three meters long and will resemble a winged serpent regardless of what variant its caretaker is. Most are fairly capable at birth, but to what extent is unknown. The caretaker will teach the young hatchling everything from how to hunt to dragon etiquette and culture. The growth process can take centuries, but during most of this process hatchlings are still highly capable compared to most other beings.
Adolescent dragons often strike out from their birthplace, learning to exist outside in the process. Adolescents tend to be much more aggressive than their older counterparts, often picking fights for territory with their brethren. Thankfully, few adolescent dragons exist at any one time, due to the difficulty of reaching that age. Once the adolescent feels ready, it will return to its birthplace where it will undergo the process of becoming an adult. This process is slow and requires monumental amounts of mana; it is the final hurdle to prove their worth. If they succeed, the dragon will gain the last few distinguishing features of its variant, including wings and the ability to fly. 
As an adult, the dragon is no longer under the sway of its caretaker, and can go about as it pleases. Most will attempt to establish their own territory and can choose to mate at any point past adulthood. Dragons continue to grow in power and wisdom as they age, so elder dragons are generally respected by their younger peers. The exact lifespan of a dragon is unknown, but thought to be at least centuries long. Great Dragons are said to have even longer lifespans than their lesser counterparts, but they have returned for so little time that the difference is not yet notable. Despite this, it is known that dragons can eventually die to old age, whether it takes centuries or millennia.

Ecology and Habitats

Most dragons establish territories in which they hunt. These territories can be heavily disputed, so dragons are extremely protective of their territory. Most dragons establish a lair, a place in which they rest and store their hoard. Though most variants prefer climates common in the part of the world that they hail from, there doesn't seem to be any limits to where a dragon can live; they seem to be as comfortable in the deserts of Africa as the tundra of Siberia. 
Though uncommon, dragons can claim urban environments as their lair. Dragon hoards are defined by their value to that particular dragon, so they can contain a variety of different objects. Some collect gold, some collect music, some collect trading cards. Dragons residing in urban environments also tend to take advantage of modern technology, including for their hoards. Several dragons maintain servers on which they keep vast quatities of important data as part of their hoard.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Dragons are warm-blooded, so they have very active metabolisms. Although most dragons are massive creatures, they have very effective internal temperature control, allowing them to have extensive heat-conservation mechanics. Even with this level of efficiency, however, dragons must hunt often, almost exclusively on larger prey such as cattle. Dragons can survive on an omnivorous diet if necessary, but most prefer to live on a diet of animal protein. To avoid depleting natural resources, most dragons claim a massive territory as their domain. Dragons are also very slow to reproduce, allowing them to live off of their territory for long periods of time without worry of competition. This also makes dragons extremely territorial, especially towards each other, but also towards metahumans should their food supply become threatened. 
Due to the trend of favoring soy-based food products over meat production across the world, cattle is relied upon less and less by metahuman populations. As such, larger terrestrial mammals that would provide for dragon diets are less and less common, leading to the theory that the current dragon population is the upper limit that they can reach, at least with the present world. Several dragons, most notably Dunkelzahn, have indicated efforts to create a more sustainable means of food production specifically for dragons.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

As magical beings, dragons are able to see into Astral Space, as well as the metaplanes that are inaccessable to weaker beings. They also have very acute senses that give them a full 360 degree awareness of the space around them. This makes them difficult to attack, as they are more aware of anything within several meters of themselves. This comprehensive set of sense is partially due to physical attributes and partially due to magical abilities, the exact mixture is unknown.

Civilization and Culture

Average Technological Level

Dragons have a complicated relationship with technology. On the one hand, their traditions don't take technology into account, so many of their rituals have to be adapted around it. On the other hand, the modern world is progressed so far by technology that dragon's must interact with technology to keep up. Dragon's are entirely incompatibile with cyberware, but otherwise are able to make use of technology the same way as humans can. Many have at least a presence on the Matrix, though few are on the Matrix consistenly.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Dragons don't seem to have their own language as they do not speak the same way that metahumans do. Although they can speak more or less the same way normal metahumans can, but in dragon form they can only speak using a form of telepathy. Although this telepathy can transcend language barriers, hence why dragons could begin communicating so soon after emerging, they cannot telepathically communicate through digital mediums. As such, many dragons make use of a translator, someone to whom they can speak and who then speaks for them to the rest of the world. Translators are more common for dragons who actively interact with the general public, such as Lofwyr and Dunkelzahn. Dragons that are more antisocial, such as Sirrurg, don't bother with such things.

Common Etiquette Rules

Dragon etiquette is extremely is as important to them as it is incomprehensible to metahumans. Etiquette around dragons is intended to mitigate conflicts between each other, as conflicts between beings of such incredible power can have devastating consequences on the environment around them. A strict hierarchica pecking order is maintained by emphasizing respect even towards lesser dragons. Specific rituals are used for everything from greeting to parting to mating. 
One of the more important of these traditions is the Loremaster. The dragons don't have a distinct writing system, instead preferring to orally transmit lore to a single dragon, called the Loremaster, who in turn acts as an arbiter in conflicts. Being designated as Loremaster is an important honor that dragons actively compete for. No dragon currently resides as Loremaster, due in part to the fact that an important artifact for the ritual, the Jewel of Memories, is currently missing.

History

Most dragon currently alive hail from the previous cycle of magic, the Fourth World. Their involvement in the Fourth World is hard to keep track of, as it was before recorded human history. What little is known comes from what little the dragons are willing to impart, who are known to keep their secrets close to their chest.
In the time between the Fourth and Sixth worlds, dragons are believed to have lived purely in Astral Space, their bodies left behind in the physical world. What they were doing there is hard to say; even Dunkelzahn has been hesitant to discuss the topic too much with humans. From what little has been gleaned, it seems the dragons eneterred a sort of hibernation where they were alive, but not really conscious, their astral forms hidden away. Most dragon bodies were not found during this time, but at least a few were found and their lairs raided, according to Lofwyr.
The first sighting of a dragon in the modern age coincided with the first solid proof that magic had returned to the world. The Eastern dragon Ryumyo appeared in the sky above a passenger train in Japan, terrifying the passengers and giving the rest of the world a glimpse at what the world would become. He would later visit a series of leylines before forming a lair, the first of many.
Many other dragons emerged in the following years, establishing their own little domains in the process. Some like Lofwyr took over corporations, others like Hualpa and Sirrurg took over countries, and others made domains from vast tracts of land. The history of the dragons at this point became the history of the Sixth World, as dragons began to gain a massive amount of influence on the world at large. 
In January of 2012, Dunkelzahn awoke and immediately began interacting with metahuman media. He held a contest for the right to interview him, which was won by a journalist named Holly Brighton. The resulting interview lasted for 12 hours, during which Dunkelzahn answered questions about dragonkind. This interview is where most metahuman knowledge of dragons comes from and set the precedent of Dunkelzahn being an ambassador between dragons and metahumans. Afterwards Dunkelzahn set up a talk show called Wyrm Talk, in which he discussed news of the day, furthering his connection to metahumanity.

Historical Figures

Major dragons of the world:

• Dunkelzahn: 
• Lofwyr:
• Hualpa:
• Hestaby:

Genetic Descendants

• Eastern Dragons
• Western Dragons

Scientific Name

Reptilia herpetavia draco

Lifespan

Unknown, possibly millennia