Dragons

To read more about Dragon culture, see Dragon Culture. To see a list of idioms and proverbs originating from or used by Dragons, see Dragon Idioms.

The very first created Dragons were Pyrus and Fria, breathed to life with Living Water by the Genesis Hydra, Himself also likened to a three-headed Dragon in form.

A Bank is a group of Dragons who may or may not be closely related, living near each other and working together.

Behaviour

• Intelligence, emotion. Builds and uses tools.

• Elemental talents, including elemental breath abilities, a result of spiritual and not physical power.

• Omnivorous.

• Able to draw life from Spirit Gems.

• Most Dragons are diurnal, though some Shadow Dragons may be crepuscular or nocturnal.

• Ability to swim well, capable of water-breathing for a considerable time.

• Mates for life, with pair bonds and rituals comparable to Eagles’.

• Long lives, can live several centuries.

Physical Description

Dragons are winged reptilian creatures with horns. They grow to be quite large and keep growing through their entire lives (growth slows, however, at around age 20). Dragons have a deep chest and somewhat thin belly, and most are capable of flight. Notably, Dragons possess large eyes, with an excellent sense of sight and balance.

Scales

The skin is covered in most places with scales. As they grow, Dragons will periodically sheds these scales in patches. There are four main types of scales found on a Dragon's body:

• body scales or main scales—small, mainly imbricate (overlapping) scales which cover the majority of the body

• body scutes or upper scutes—the tougher, ossified scales found along the dorsal side and other areas of the body

• paraventral scales or paraventrals—scales which run along the ventral scutes

• ventral scutes or gastrosteges —the large scutes which run along the underbelly

The body is mostly covered in scales (wings are glabrous). These body scales are iridescent, but tend to display a fixed range of colors. Smaller scales are found around the mouth and nose, and a specialized scale covers the ear (see Ears below). Although extremely rare, some Dragons possess dark-colored, elongated palpebral scales which function as eyelashes; this is a sex-linked recessive genetic trait, and occurs more often in females, to help maintain visibility while guarding eggs, even in dusty or dangerous areas.

Somewhat larger and tougher scales called scutes are found on the back—including the dorsal side of the tail—as well as certain areas of the digits, hips, shoulders, and head. There is some keeling present, especially on the dorsal scales, and scales are more heavily keeled in males.

The color of the body scales is almost always different than that of the ventral scutes. The paraventral scales can also be a slightly different color than the scales covering the rest of the body.

Ventral Scutes

Large scutes line the underbelly from neck to tail, usually exhibiting countershading (paler in color than the rest of the body). Ventral scutes are much larger and tougher than the small scutes present on the legs, tail, and back, and can often match the color of the wing membrane. Iridescence is often lacking from ventral scutes, and their appearance ranges from a shiny, metallic sheen on some individuals, to a duller, rock-like quality on others.

Horns, Claws, Spines, and Membranous Growths

Horns

Every dragon has at least two horns, situated at the upper back of the head. Any horns below these two (behind the cheeks, for example) are called subhorns. Almost always found in bilateral pairs, though some individuals have an uneven number of horns. Horn growth starts as a small, rounded protrusion, or horn-bud. Two buds are present upon hatching, or more, depending on the individual. The amount of skin surrounding the base of the horns can vary, with some Dragons having prominent protrusions from the head. Horns are extremely hard: outside is tough keratin, and inside is bone; horns are used in self-defense as well as friendly sparring. Shape of horns is hereditary, but also tied loosely to element. As such, it is not possible to determine with certainty a Dragon's element from horn shape, alone. The keratin-rich material of the horns also forms the tail-blade and claws, including the pollical claw of the wing-arm.

Claws

The nails each grow as claws; this includes each terrestrial digit and the wing-thumbs. Also made of keratin, claws can match the tail-blade or horns in color, and are often pale. A Dragon's claws are not protractable/retractable.

Dorsal Spine

A dorsal spine is almost always present in some form. It is a series of horns and/or membranes which grow along the dorsal line (along the backside, the back of the head, neck, tail). The horns or spikes of the spine are made of keratin (with no bone), while the spine membrane is cartilaginous. Presence and form of the dorsal spine is a genetically-linked trait: most Dragons have a combination of horns and membrane, while some have only horns; though uncommon, some Dragons have only membrane, or—very rarely—no dorsal spine present at all.

The spine horns raise when a Dragon is excited, angry, displaying, fighting, or in shock; they lower when a Dragon is tired, lovesick, sad, ill, or frightened.

Olecranal Growths and Calcaneal Growths

The elbows and ankles of some Dragons possess a cartilaginous or keratinous growth or spur. The genes causing presence of the true thumb or hallux are epistatic over the genes causing the shape of the olecranal and calcaneal growths, resulting in claw-like growths. Calcaneal and olecranal growths are genetically linked and almost always appear together, although sometimes olecranal (elbow) growths show alone.

Epaulettes

Adult male Dragons have growths on the shoulders, called epaulettes. The epaulettes appear at around age twenty. They are typically cartilaginous but may also contain some keratin in the form of small spines.

Calcaria

Additionally, some adult males may have an extra spine called a calcar or spur on the metatarsals (lower hindfeet); this is also a genetic trait. The calcaria are made of tough keratin, and are used in climbing and in combat.

Head

Skull

A Dragon's skull helps to pick up sound and magnify it for better perception. The ear scale is seen close to the back of the jaw, for this reason. See Ears, below.

The jaw bone is able to move to the sides (reminiscent of a mammal), able to chew food.

The tongue is forked, though the depth varies. The color of a Dragon's tongue is determined by the color of the blood: most have pink or red tongues, but some will have other colors, such as purple, orange, gold, or blue. Dragons with blue tongues are usually Ice Dragons or otherwise have Blueblood ancestry.

Eyes

Dragons have large eyes compared to skull size, typically with brightly-colored irides and off-white sclerae. A specialized structure called the conus vascularis provides oxygen and nutrients to the retina. Night vision is generally decent, but is flawless in Dragons of the Shadow element.

Ears

Dragons don't have earholes which are exposed, but instead their earholes are covered by special scales; the ear scale is located near the back of the jaw, and features a very slight (less than an talon's breadth) depression. There is generally no outer ear present, though very rarely, prominent ear-flaps are visible: some Dragons have external ear-flaps made of skin and cartilage, and their presence is a genetical trait. Ear-flaps help funnel sound towards the subsquamous earholes, but are otherwise not connected to hearing. Ear-flaps are also used for expressive purposes: moving forward when happy or alert, backward if threatened or angry, flickering when in shock, and becoming "floppy" when sad, tired, lovesick, or relaxed. Earflap presence is a genetical trait.

Wings

The wings form the third pair of limbs for a Dragon; they are strong and webbed, comparable to a bat's or an insect's. Dragons use their wings for flying and attacking, but also for defense and display. Males can have slightly smaller wings than average, while females may have slightly larger wings.

Wing-arms

The limbs of the wings are termed "arms". The integument of these arms is sclerotized and tough. Many of the wing's bones are pneumatic, or hollow; this trait aids in flight. Wing-arm color commonly matches either that of the body's scales, or the tail-blade.

Wing-arms in Dragons can have up to five individual digits, but in almost all cases, the index is merged with the third, for a total of four fingers. The pollex or thumb of the wing is a clawed stub; only the thumbs of the wing have a claw. The color of the pollical claws matches that of the wing-arm, tail-blade, or that of the other (terrestrial) claws.

Patagia

The wing membrane—also called webbing, or patagium—reaches from the shoulder of the wing to the flank, not quite reaching the hip. It is relatively thin, and often iridescent, with the underside of the patagia being slightly smoother and slightly shinier. Yet, despite the thinness, the patagia are strong enough to hold up against the resistances of the air during flight, and against the throes of battle. This is partially due to the cartilage and chitin in the wings, but also due to the large amount of blood vessels present in the patagia. See Flight below.

Legs

The legs, or terrestrial limbs, are sturdy and muscular. The humerus and femur are hollow. Digitigrade gait adds to a Dragon's speed. Females are often larger, leaner, and faster; males often smaller, stronger, and slower. Young Dragons retain some baby fat, but have otherwise thin legs. The hips of the females are usually slightly higher off the ground in proportion to the shoulders than those of males. Males often have slightly bigger feet than females.

The foot has three-to-four digits, corresponding to fingers 2-3-4, or 1-2-3-4, in the wings, respectively. The fingers are prehensile and digits 2 and 3 are used for grasping (digit 2 is commonly used as a “thumb”), while the hallux or true thumb—if present—functions more as a dew-claw, being very stubby and usually placed at back of wrist. The fifth toe is merged with the fourth. The nails grow as claws, which are often pale, and can match the horns or tail-blade in color.

Tail

Dragons have strong, prehensile tails with uniquely-shaped keratin tail-tips or tail-blades. Tails are often swung for defense, and also aid in flight and emotional signalling. The dorsal spine may or may not be present on the tail. Males are more likely to have slightly shorter—but thicker—tails, while females are more likely to have longer, whip-like tails, although the reverse is seen, as well.

Internal Organs

• Heart design similar to a monitor lizard’s.

• Ice Dragons have blood (usually of the color blue) which functions as anti-freeze.

• A Dragon has airsacs in addition to lungs.

Breathing Underwater

Dragons are not holding their breath in while swimming under water, but keeping the water out: underwater, Dragons' breathing switches from direct oxygen absorption to oxygen synthesis via water. Shutting the mouth and the nostrils and then being immersed in pressure and water causes the operculum just under the ear to open. Below this flap, Dragons' skin forms pseudobranchs or false-gills which absorb water and convert it to O₂ and 2H_2. After several hours, the H₂ buildup is too much to handle, so the Dragons must resurface in order to reverse the process. After resurfacing, the operculum will close, and—after acquiring enough extra oxygen via the lungs and airsacs—water is released from the pseudobranchs. Dragons of the Water element naturally are able to stay underwater for greater periods of time.

Dimorphism

Externally, Dragons differ between the sexes. The most notable differences are listed below:

• Males are typically thicker overall than females, the females often taller with slightly longer necks and tails; often males stronger, females faster.

• Females often have slightly larger wings, overall.

• Males usually have slightly larger feet.

• Membranes and subhorns along the cheeks are more commonly found in males than in females, though this also depends on lineage.

• Almost all Dragons with chin growths are male; although extremely rare, some females may possess a very small growth at the chin.

• Males may have an extra spine on each hindfoot, near the ankle. See Calcaria for more information.

• Adult males have prominent membranes along the shoulders, called epaulettes. See Epaulettes for more information.

• The jawlines of females make an obtuse angle, while those of males are roughly at a right angle. See Skull for more information.

Reproduction

Dragons are able to bear young as early as age fifteen; though this was the traditional age for Dragon marriage, it is today much less common, and most Dragons today take a mate between ages 21 and 250. While some Dragons may lay eggs into their 500s, this is not often seen, as most Dragonesses are past their time for eggs by then.

Eggs

Very young mothers lay only one egg per clutch, while those older may lay as many as ten; this is usually rare, and brood size is three on average. Dragons lay soft leathery eggs, most often pale pink with purple spots. When mature, the shells harden and usually become the Dragon’s element’s color; such eggs are said to be "dazzling".

The most common colors for dazzling eggs are as follows:

• ⬮ orange-red: Fire

• ⬮ yellow: Electricity

• ⬮ chartreuse: Alchemy

• ⬮ green: Earth

• ⬮ cyan-turquoise: Wind

• ⬮ blue: Ice

• ⬮ indigo-gray: Shadow

• ⬮ violet-purple: Æther

• ⬮ pink: Fear

See Dragons and Their Elements below for more information.

The eggs of Dragons must meet specific criteria in order to develop properly. Though the eggs don't require constant brooding by the parents, they do need to stay at an agreeable temperature to prevent from freezing or cooking. Despite the temperature, Ice eggs won't freeze, and Fire eggs won't cook, but they both can still drown or burn, and must be kept safe from predators such as Deathhounds. In some cases, Dragon eggs may take decades or longer to hatch.

Young

Young (called Dragonlings) are altricial, cared for by parents for twelve years or longer. Hatchlings are not capable of sustained flight, nor are their scales armored. The wing-arms of newly-hatched Dragonlings have not yet sclerotized and are especially fragile. Horns are typically present upon hatching in the form of rounded horn-buds. While Dragonlings do retain some baby fat, they otherwise have relatively thin legs.

Magic Used by Dragons

Flight

Typically, the first magical act a Dragon learns is flying. Learning flight is referred to as fledging. A Dragonling in fledge or who has just learned flight is called a fledgling. Most Dragons fledge by age ten, though some fledge as early as nine, and others may not fly till their twelfth year. Dragons around fourteen years of age are able to fly continually, and for much longer periods of time, though not without toll.

The presence of membranous wings rich in blood vessels makes most Dragons capable of flight. The Æther magic in Dragons' blood has a minute but notable effect on gravitational forces, and this is what makes the wings suitable for use as shields as well as in flight. The resilin present through the wing—and especially in the tendons—provides elasticity along with strength, ensuring flapping is energy-efficient: as both shielding and flight take a great amount of magical energy, and flight is a Dragon's most draining mode of locomotion. Wind Dragons are built for minimum air-resistance, and able to manipulate the air acting on their wings—easing the burden of flight somewhat—and allowing them to stay airborne much longer.

Surface area is relatively small when the Dragon is young, with flight patterns resembling those of insects or small bats. As Dragons age, the area of wing membrane increases relative to body size, allowing for slower—and less erratic—flight, with the patagium reaching from shoulder to hip. Adult Dragons' flight resembles that of a large bat or seabird.

Very rarely, there are Dragons hatched without wings, who are incapable of conventional flight.

Dragons and Their Elements

Dragons each have an individual element tied to their souls. Fire is the most common, followed by Ice (as Bubble and Water breath), and Electricity. See list below:

• Fire. The most common element for a Dragon.

• Ice. The second-most common element (but only as Bubble-breath and Water-breath, for Ice requires more diligence).

• Electricity. More Dragons are seen using Electric breath than Earth powers.

• Earth. More common than the “most uncommon” Wind.

• Wind. Uncommon, rarer than Fire, Ice, Electricity, and Earth.

• Shadow. Naturally-occurring Shadow Dragons are rare.

• Alchemy. Even more rare.

• Fear. The rarest (excluding Æther).

The Æther Dragons are the most rare—the rarest elemental Dragons of them all.

Elemental Breaths

The second type of magic a Dragon learns is usually element-breathing—or internal elemental manipulation—and this also comes around ten years of age. Elemental training begins in the tenth year as a rite of passage, though not all young Dragons learn to breath their element so soon. Elemental powers are generally present and consistent by age twelve.

External Elemental Manipulation

Some Dragons may also learn to manipulate their elements outside of their body; this is often seen on or around the forefoot, although engulfing the horns, wings, or tail in the element is not uncommon.

Hydrae

Some Dragons from double-yolked eggs are naturally born conjoined. These are often called Hydrae. There is a rumor which states that a Hydra can re-grow their heads if injured, but this is not true at all of the Hydrae in this dimension, instead viewed by the Hydrae as a stereotype.

Notable Dragons

Notable dragons include:

• The Genesis Hydra

• The Great Sea Dragon

• Telluric

• Malefor

• Ignitus

• Terrador

• Volteer

• Cyril

• Spyro

• Cynder

• Ember

• Flame

• Ramses “Old One Horn”

• Vathek

• “Malfor”

• Flavius

• Princess Aella

• Von “High Five”

• Cynder of the Skylands

• Spyro of the Skylands

• Aimory “Drobot”

• Lucerne “Spotlight”

• Tynan “Blackout”

• Egan “Sunburn”

• Bartlett “Bash”

• Alira “Flashwing”

• Axton “Blades”

• Prince Zale “Zap”