Aetheric Dragons
Description
Aetheric Dragons are a type of Dragon, said to be from the Realm of Feylisa, one of the eight underworlds. They are creations of the Elder God Tarcur. All are descended from Segra, the Great Mother of Dragons, and are related to the Anarions, the Sarlar, Drakes, and many other varieties of Dragons, both greater and lesser.
There isn't actually much that is known about Aetheric Dragons or how they survive in a desert with almost no other forms of life. They all originate from a series of valleys in the Northern parts of The Olimian wastes. In Their native habitat, they are like any other dragon. Large, intelligent, able to speak human tongues, and are extremely dangerous. Most are covered in white scales with a bluish hue, though many diferent colors of Aetheric Dragon are known.
It is speculated that the Dragons survive entirely off of the ambient mana and aether in the air. The Olimian Wastes, being the epicenter of the Silver Age Cataclysm, is filled with the magical elements. But other than raw speculation and what few scraps of information we can gather from the survivors that explore the desert, not much is known of what they eat.
Height: 3.5 meters at the shoulder.
Length: 25 meters including the tail.
Wingspan: 30 meters.
Length: 25 meters including the tail.
Wingspan: 30 meters.
I am still holding the egg in my arms. At night, it has been keeping me warm. During the day, it oddly doesn't feel too warm and isn't a burden to carry. I am hungry. There is nothing in this wasteland but the occasional Aloe. At least I haven't gone thirsty yet. I am still completely drained of any mana though, as if the land of the Silverwastes are draining my power.
From what I can tell I am about a half day walk to the mother dragon's nest. I have considered dropping the egg here and running. Maybe I can make my way to the Altus Towers, or the Crystal Mountains, but I have no idea where the mountain passes are. I'd die anyways. I will accept my fate and return the egg to the mother dragon as planned.
-Renelle Vernador
Dragon Eggs
Most of what is known about Aetheric Dragons are from old Bronze Age tales, of great heroes venturing into the desert to retrieve a dragon egg, and bringing it back to civilization, and raising that dragon as a companion and mount. These tales of ancient Dragon Riders of past ages fill the heads of many Iron Age teens and adults, convincing the bravest among them to venture into the desert and attempt to steal a dragon's egg for themselves, though thus far in the Iron Age, no one has been able to sucessfully retrieve an egg.
What few descriptions we know of Dragon Eggs are that they are unlike the eggs of any other creature on Vreathe. They are described as being large spherical crystals, usually violet in color. The egg is partially transparent. In the center of the crystal egg is a smaller red crystal. This is the Dragon embryo, slowly growing over several months. In the dark, it will glow and pulse with a calming warmth, though the light is hardly noticeable unless in total darkness.
These dragon eggs are found in clutches of eight to twelve, and are found in the deepest, darkest parts of caves in the northern Olimian Wastes. They are always guarded by the mother dragon, and outside the cave, dragons are often seen in greater numbers than elsewhere, patrolling the skies.
I entered the cave. With no more fuel for my torch and no mana, I pressed on into the darkness. It wasn't dark for long, as the egg started glowing, pulsing calmly. It was very faint, and even starlight could outshine it, but it was enough to find my way in the cave.
I then made it to the Nest. The mother dragon had her eyes open and was aware of my presence, but she made no movements. I froze at the entrance to this chamber for several minutes, but eventually I forced myself to walk forward.
Suddenly the egg moved on its own, kicking itself out of my hands. It slammed to the ground, forming several large cracks. The mother dragon moved her long neck, pointing her head several feet from my face. I fell to my knees and bowed before it, slamming my head into the ground, praying the dragon would end me quickly.
The Mother dragon then huffed and moved its head away. I was sure I was going to be eaten, or get burned to death! I didn't move though, as I was still afraid. Then I heard a high pitched chirping noise. It was coming from the cracked egg. The baby dragon was hatching!
-Renelle Vernador
Dragon Behavior and Temperament
Aetheric Dragons can be best described as even tempered when raised by humans. All dragons can speak human languages and can be reasoned with. Bronze Age texts described some dragons as being among the most intelligent beings of their time, contributing to magic and technology research in ways that would even make the Silver Race jealous.
Aetheric Dragons in the Olimian Wastes though...are known to attack humans on sight. The only time they are known to back off is if they can be sure the humans mean no harm and are not set on travelling deeper into the desert where terrible magic secrets are buried. Dragons can sense if a human is lying as well as their intent, so in the vast majority of cases they will attack.
Dragons do not eat humans they attack, instead they brutalize and kill, leaving their bodies strewn across the sands as a warning for other human travelers. The bones of previous human adventurers are warnings to future travelers, marking places where dragons are known to roam.
Maybe that's why I'm still alive? I didn't break the egg, and I returned it, so all is forgiven? No. It can't be that easy...I know that Dragons are intelligent enough to speak, so I decided to just ask, "Why did you not kill me?"
The mother dragon huffed, "No one ever returns after they take my egg and passes the test!"
I was confused. "Test?!?"
The mother dragon flared her nostrils and her eyes narrowed, "You are an Olimian Dragon Rider, are you not?!? I was getting worried. I come to edge of this dimension with new eggs every eight hundred years, but none have come for a terribly long time! What has happened! Speak quickly!"
Was I going to die if I answered this wrong? I mean, I figured I was going to die anyways, so...I took a deep breath and explained to the mother dragon that the Olimian civilization, the Silver Race, was wiped out over fourty five thousand years ago. There's nothing left of them but desert and crystal. I explained that I read many stories of Bronze Age heroes venturing into the wasteland and returning with dragon's eggs, and I wanted to be the first Iron Age Hero to do the same!
The Mother Dragon snarled, "I knows all of that! The Silver Race were fools when they cast that god spell! But still, We allow their descendants to come for a dragon's egg, if they are swift and their wills are strong. You are an Elf. Are you not? Why has it been an age since your kind attempted the task?"
"Uhm...I'm a Half-Elf," I responded. "I don't know about full Elves or why they don't attempt to steal your eggs anymore."
"Oh." The mother dragon looked down for several seconds, as if unsure what to say next, "Well then...That is an issue for another time. As for you--"
"Look, I know what I did was foolish, and uhm...here's your baby back. I'll accept any punishment, even if it's death."
The Dragon raised her head and made a series of higher pitched bellows, like it was laughing, "I'm not going to kill you! you already bested me, so there would be no point in testing you further. But still, there's the matter of the hatchling. It isn't mine, and since you don't want it...we need to move quickly!"
The Mother Dragon then turned away and started to walk down a new tunnel I did not notice before. She turned her head towards me and said "Take that hatchling in your arms and follow me."
-Renelle Vernador
I like the interlaced articles. It is a great way to tell are larger story while still understanding the world-building. One thing that’s difficult when finding a new world is knowing where to start.
Adazuri: A shonen-inspired magitech fantasy world home-brewed for 5e.