Dragons

Dragons
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Vital statistics
Title	Drakes; Wyverns; Wyrms
Gender	Male and Female
Race	Reptiles
Faction	Varies
Health	Extreme
Level	High
Status	Endangered
Location	Dark and Damp Caves and Mountains

"Never laugh at live dragons, you fool! Dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power. We can joke about them, but they've disappeared. But they aren't funny, at all."

Dragons are a race of terrifying, gigantic, long-living, reptilian beasts. Dragons have been described as monsters, demons, serpents, reptiles, or sometimes just beasts while in reality they are all of the above.

Dragons were huge creatures dwarfing even mammoths. There is something magical about dragons that has kept our intrigue over many centuries.

Few creatures of history conjure up the mental images of the dragon. Also known as wurm, wyrm and firedrake, these mercurial creatures pervade almost every pantheon of classical mythology and have become an integral inclusion of an entire genre of fantasy literature. Dragons are usually winged and breathe fire and they also are said to have scales and claws and horns and their skin below is corrosive. Some dragons may have two or more heads. They may also have more than one tail. They may have two, four or even more legs; however, most are known to have two or four legs. Dragons are said to eat things such as deer, sheep, goats, fishes or even mammoths.

Dragons are very intelligent creatures. They live in remote areas, far away from humans, in places that are dark, damp and secluded, such as caves. Dragons were first thought of as creatures who lived in fire. As of folklore, almost all dragon stories portray the dragon as the villain from whom the hero must protect the city or the princess. But some dragons can take on the form of the protector. Dragons cannot be put all into one group as there are so many types of dragons. Each world seems to have their own type of dragon, and each of these dragons are usually very different.

“Some people have said that dragons once existed, maybe during the time of the dinosaurs. Others believe that dragons began around the same time the earth began. A few people even claim to have seen a dragon in their lifetime. But most of all, dragons are fascinating, magical creatures who have captivated our attention for thousands of years.” - Humans

The many different kinds of dragons and the ability for us to use our imagination to create these creatures only adds to their appeal. Many stories have been told about these great beings and it seems like dragons are a part of our mythical history. Whether these creatures are or ever were real probably doesn't matter to humans due to the fact that the imagination can create them in almost any situation. Dragons have often been used in artwork. Pictures or sculptures of dragons seem mysterious and magical. Most humans don’t know of their existence, for them dragons are a part of folklore, however for biologists and fiction writers, dragons are real.

Scales

Their external body is covered with scales thicker than the strongest steel. Most of their skin is so strong that even spears cannot pierce. However, their belly comprises of weak scales that can easily be pierced by spears but they offer a protection against arrows at least. If a scale is heavily injured, it loosens and falls down - they are replaced by a new scale within a week. The dragon’s belly is soft in order to provide it a comfort against raw ground while sleeping, dragons sometime harvest gold as it gives its scales a soft feeling due to some reason and their belly hardens up. The scales are built to protect the dragons from the high radiation levels on their planets. Dragons have unnatural healing and even spears are useless against the healing. Dragons are resistant to fire, their scales can protect them from fires as hot as napalm or even lava. Before adolescence, the dragon’s bodies are weak and fragile but are mostly covered in feathers. Sometimes the feathers remain on dragons but it is rare. Generally most dragons have feathers on their heads and tail-ends. Feathered dragons are slightly more intelligent, and stronger and their fire is hotter. Their scales develop below their feathers providing as an unexpected cover, female dragons generally have brown, white or yellow hair-like feathers whereas male dragons have colourful feathers of red, blue or gold hues. A dragon’s scales denote its race, bronze and silver scaled dragons are slightly stronger than their red and green colored cousins.

Senses

Dragons can have four or five fingers on each arm. Dragons have small eyes but nevertheless a very strong eyesight that can detect the slightest movement and sense living organism from afar. Their colors range from blue and purple to yellow and orange.

Dragon ears are fortified by special horns and sound absorbent skin causing them be able to hear the slightest vibration, they have a remarkable sense of touch and can smell flesh from the distance of about a kilometer. Some dragons grow a sixth, seventh or even an eight sense namely ability to read minds, mind control and even speak through mass telepathy.

The dragon tail is its strongest weapon that can kill other beasts, break structures and even cause seismic activities. Some dragons have poisoned tails; it is a very powerful weapon. Dragons metabolise their mean to prepare hydrogen and store it in its bones to help itself in flight.

Other than that, dragons seldom flap their wings to fly and thus they can fly for a long time without using much energy. Although an adult dragon may weigh as much as an elephant, the hydrogen can decrease their weight, such a dragon needs to eat less too. Dragons on Earth are better flyers because of the less gravitational force and they also have stronger scales.

Food

Dragons don’t need much energy to survive as their body does not lose much heat under its thick scales but dragons might need about one million calories a day. Dragons usually eat deer, elks, horses, cows, aurochs, fishes, humans, elves, dwarves and even roots and plants.

Regular dragons at maximum can grow up to 36 metres through the average length is 24 metres. Blood dragons can grow on an average to 36 metres and at the most 50 metres, blood dragon ancients and elite blood dragons can grow to 60 metres.

Balerion was a wyvern and had a head 24 metres long with a body of length 240 meters and a wingspan of 500 metres. Smaug was a lindwyrm and had a head of length 3 meters and body of 60 metres with a wingspan of 125 metres. Ancalagon was a dragon and had a head of length 40 metres, body of length 480 metres and a wingspan of a kilometre.

Nesting Grounds

A dragon nest is called a roost, generally the color of the dragon’s scales are added as a prefix. That means a red dragon’s nest would be called a ‘Red Dragon Roost’. Dragons nest high up on mountains and places as such. This is because dragon hatchlings have less hydrogen in their bones and thus find it difficult to fly from land. Dragons nest both in caves and in open grounds, generally these places are dark in order to hide the children. Hatchlings and whelps are very weak and can seldom survive on their own, this is why they are hidden. A nest with several dragons are a wyrm is called a lair.

Sexual Characteristics

Dragons don’t have external reproduction system like humans. If not for feathers, it’s hard to distinguish between a male and a female dragon.

Some secondary sexual characters are that males have a more muscular body, larger wings, smaller eyes and stronger bones. Females have bigger eyes, faster body and sharper features.

A dragon mates in the air about 600 feet above the ground and break about 100 feet above. Males can attract females by hoarding gold while females give a mating call and fly her fastest. If a female is matched by a male of her speed, they hunt together for some time and later they start mating and making nests. Dragons usually live in a family and take care of their young ones almost forever. Unless their homes are very small, entire dragon generations carry on in a single area.

Dragons are monogamous creatures and once they pick a mate, they never leave their side - not even after death. Dragons don’t mate as soon as they meet, they might even take years to know each other well enough before deciding to carry on and groom their young ones. Dragons are also known to be incestuous, generally the female is older that the male dragon and is thus far more stronger and dominant than the male dragon.

Life Cycle

Dragons lay eggs about a month after pregnancy and their eggs hatch about two year later. Though blood magic can raise dragons almost instantly, biologically it takes two years. Dragons can also live for more than 1200 years.

Eggs

Female dragons remain pregnant for around a month, pregnancy does not disturb a dragon while in flight but of course the dragon must eat more in that time period. When their time comes; the dragon finds a cave or platform where she digs in the ground, fortifies with leaves or such soft things and then lays her eggs - a dragon’s nest is called a roost. A dragon lays about three to six eggs at once and once laid, she protects the nest with her life. The ones that live in families usually lay eggs in the family nest and is more independent than those who stay alone.

The eggs are about the size of a human torso and are usually of ivory colour. These eggs are very strong cannot be easily broken. The eggs remain for two years and the children are especially vulnerable during this period. When an egg hatches, all the dragons of that family come to visit; the child slowly breaks the shell and comes forth to this world.

Dragonling

The hatchling or dragonling is the first stage of a dragon’s life cycle. The hatchling is born with a very soft skin of skin colour and the size of a housecat. The baby dragon can seldom walk and has trouble to survive. Generally it is helped by its mother, elder brothers or family.

Whelp

Dragonets or whelps are little children that have grown to be able to control themselves. Around the age of 2 or 3, a dragon’s skin becomes strong. At age 5, the dragon learns to fly. At age 8, the dragon grows hair-like feathers and grows as big as an antelope. Fire comes to them as early as 6, though reaching hot enough to only melt ice. At age 10 or 11, these dragons become as big as deer and master flight, though they remain around mountains because they may not be strong enough to fly from plain land. At age of 14, dragons are as big as horses. Killing a dragonet is easy but capturing one can take upto a troop of soldiers.

Fledgling

Juvenile dragons or fledgelings evolve secondary sexual characteristics and prepare to reach adulthood. This is the time when dragons are covered in feathers as they grow powerful scales beneath. This is the time when most dragons learn to sew fire or any other breath. Though dragons keep on growing throughout their whole lives, during adolescence dragons grow off the scales, in about a year a dragon can grow to twice its previous size. A 15 year old dragon which is when adolescence begins is about the size of a horse with a 30 year old dragon which is at the end of adolescence can be twenty feet and above.

Dragons at this age begin to take interest in their opposite genders but they do not mate, if they do then so may be due to pure biological urge. Juvenile dragons tend to like privacy and living alone but they live in their old family unless there is none. A Juvenile dragon is capable of protecting itself but can fail before an army.

Asscendant

A young dragon or ascendant is a young adult dragon despite its name. A young dragon begins to lose all its feathers as they are replaced by iron-like scales that cannot be penetrated by arrows or knives and is completely magic resistant. This is the time when a dragon is allowed to choose a partner to carry on its life. These dragons are more aggressive than others and this is when most dragons begin to learn human languages, these dragons learn to adore gold to make their bed. At this stage are most dragons hunted for gold, ivory, meat, bones and scales.

Adult

Adult dragons that are most common over the lands. An adult dragon can reach the length of 90 feet from head to tail and weigh about a ton but with all the hydrogen, around 2 quintals. These dragons are more majestic and know very well to distinguish between the right and the wrong. Due to natural causes, most dragons don’t live after this age but only some of wyrmling descend into wyrms. While a child or an ascendant dragon breathes fire when it must, an adult dragon can breathe fire whenever it pleases.

Wyrm

Wyrms or Elder Dragons are the very rare dragon and the second most powerful. A wyrm can learn to breathe many more elements than normal; they can also control other dragons. Their snouts in themselves can be ten feet long and the body 120 feet.

1000px-Ss hobbit-smaug-01 — Smaug as a fully grown dragon.

Great Wyrm

A Great Wyrm or an Ancient Dragon is a sub-species of a normal wyrm and is the most powerful type of dragon. A Great Wyrm can even control all the natural elements and fire. Leviathans are known to hold powerful wisdom and intelligence and power alike, Great wyrms are most uncommon because before reaching the age of 1000 years, most dragons die of being old at the age of around 600. Additionally, these dragons are known to speak just about as well as humans can speak.

Breath

Dragons can not only breathe fire but also many other elements. It is purely science; dragons can also use a spit, gout, ball or bolt of that breath:

Fire

Fire is the most common breath possessed by almost all dragons. They metabolise food in a second stomach and store all the marsh gas in a separate lung-like gland connected a small vessel above their tongue and enclosed by a valve controlled by a voluntary tongue-like muscle. The dragon mixes phosphorus (light-bringer) in the marsh gas and after a short time of releasing the gas, it burns. Breathing a lot of fire can actually cause the dragon to injure its mouth too; however a dragon would breathe a little flame and bite with fire hot teeth. A dragon can even spit some marsh gas and burn it creating a fireball, fire spit or firebolt. Dragon fire can reach enough to burn flesh, around 150℃. The fires can cross a distance of 200 feet or more. Blood dragons can learn to breathe fire soon after being born, for their birth occurs in pyres of burning men and their eggs hatch after the fires die out. Fire cannot cross steel and so shields can give limited protection against fire.

Napalm

Napalm breath is one of the most powerful weapons dragons possess, though confined only to blood dragons, regular dragons too learn to breathe napalm around the age of fifty. Napalm breath is very different from regular fire as napalm spreads over land and can also be used over water for better results. Napalm can reach the temperature of over 2000℃ melting steel, napalm breathers have much stronger teeth and napalm also has a feature of cooling the mouth, thus allowing more devastation.

Poison

Poison is the second most common breath attack. The dragon releases a deadly, venomous air from a specialized lung similar to fire glands. Poison and Fire can be used together to create lasting flame or embalming itself in a flame cloak. At rare occasions or in case of an elder dragon, this poison can possess neurotoxins that can make its victims drop its weapons. In some cases, it paralyses them or can even release a plague powerful enough to raise the dead and create zombies.

Frost

Frost is a little uncommon breath. The mechanism is that a dragon has a different set of alveoli that absorb nitrogen from air and using super-strong muscles, keeps is compressed and cold. When breathe out, it can freeze a man, cause frostbite, even freeze enemy. A dragon with both fire and frost can somehow create water or steam.

Lightning

Lightning is really rare. The mechanism is that the dragon uses some of its energy to charge water and release in an explosive manner. It can shock the target for about 10,000 volts.

Wind

Wind is not really a breath but is somewhat rare. The dragon releases a gust of wind from its lungs that can speed up to 10,000 knots and blow away target. If a dragon uses it around the earth, it can release earth, sand, ashes or even metal. Earth breath is quite effective in blinding target and wind effective in bringing down flying enemies. If the dragon eats some earth, it can breathe it.

Blood

Blood is rare. A dragon can release hot or venomous blood from its mouth up to the distance of 50 meters. It is not much useful but can be learned by hatchlings, when used they can peel through flesh and bones and stones alike.

Subtypes

Dragons are not one beast but there several species of dragons. Other than that, there are some dragons with unique abilities:

Drake

A drake is a dragon subspecies that is comparatively smaller than the real race. It can grow up to the size of a crocodile by adulthood, seldom grows wings or breathe fire. They are generally four-limbed beasts, with crocodilian features. Large drakes can often be mistaken for juvenile dragons while the chickens are as big as an iguana. Drakes were bred in the known world as far as our knowledge remains. This feature makes a drake different from its other dragon cousins.

Raptor

Raptors to be confused with dinosaurs or birds, dragon raptors are a sub-species of dragon beasts that can grow up to the size of a small dragon and even grow wings to glide or run and even fly. The largest raptor can be as big as a cockatrice while the juvenile is twice as big as a horse. Usually they are a little taller than an average human providing enough size for humans to be able to ride them. Raptors would often dwell close to cities and villages in order to hunt for sheep and goat. While one raptor is basically defenceless, they hunt in packs which makes them the most dangerous predators on land and in less dense forests. Raptors can run at an incredible speed and also jump extremely high.

Draconian

Draconians are a race of scaled humanoids native to draconis. They can grow wings but are generally bipedal and live in cities and all of them can speak. They can grow up to the size of an average human. Draconians have a scaly skin that protects them from the radiation surrounding the place and they are said to be two distinct races – one with wings and one without. Long ago the draconians abandoned the Draco Empire and are they support the light.

Wyvern

Wyverns are a bit common as four-limbed dragons. Commonly wyverns do not breathe fire but others do. They don’t need to when they have claws; they generally have a poisonous tail. They are famous for killing bigger dragons with their claws. There are two types of wyverns, ones that need only two legs to stand and the ones that need both two wings and two legs to stand. They are as big as a four legged dragon but maybe a little smaller. Wyverns were born in the known world. Some wyverns can grow to be bigger than dragons.

Hydra

Hydras are dragons with more than one head. Though not always considered as dragons, some hydras can fly and others have the ability to regenerate lost heads. Hydras are a bit different from normal dragons because they don't breathe fire.

Lindwyrm

Not to be confused with lindworm, lindwyrms are basically wyverns with extremely long necks and tails. Of all dragons, a lindwyrm’s body ratio is most different. A lindwyrm’s neck is four times as long as the head. Lindwyrms care sometimes indistinguishable from wyverns if not for the fact that they keep their head moving around like a snake rather than moving its eyes. The maximum size a lindworm can grow to is 60 metres.

Powers and Abilities

Dragons possess awesome and terrible power, capable of laying waste to armies and burning entire cities and towns to ashes. Dragons are tremendously powerful monsters and have a number of abilities that make them difficult creatures to kill. They are among the most powerful creatures on planet Earth, due to their giant size. Dragons can fly, breathe fire, and are extremely powerful, strong, and intelligent creatures. Their hard scales cannot be easily pierced by swords, arrows, and other weaponry. Dragons also have deadly poisons in their teeth and claws.

Supernatural Strength - Being giant creatures, Dragons possess incrediblly tremendous physical strength that makes them among the strongest type of supernatural monsters. They can easily overpower humans through sheer physical force, break through the thickest of rock walls, and have strength great enough to crush stone with ease. They are amongst the strongest of monsters, able to casually break and crush bones, toss a grown man like a doll, and easily lift and carry a handful of grown men and women and even lift 70,000-90,000 pounds, for over hundreds of miles.
Flame Breath - Perhaps their primary use of attack, Dragons can breathe a large stream of searing hot, deadly, fiery-flames or napalm from their mouth and nostrils that can set anything aflame and melt almost anything it hits. In addition, they can also launch destructive, explosive fireballs. These temperatures are hot enough to melt metals like iron and even stone.
Frost Breath - Some dragons can also breathe a stream of ice from their mouth that can literatlly freeze anything it hits.
Flight - Dragons have giant bat-like wings which they use to fly and capture prey. They are incredibly capable flyers, able to move with great speed and maneuverability, and still demonstrate great stealth despite their enormous size.
Invulnerability - Having nearly impenetrable scales, Dragons are near completely invulnerable.
Super Speed - Dragons can fly with incredible speed, able to suddenly appear almost like teleporting.
Superior Stamina - Dragons don't tire easily, they can fly miles at incredible speeds, and go through severe trauma without fatigue.
Super Senses - Dragons possess supernatural senses, able to smell, hear, and feel if someone is breathing, if someone is watching them, or even where they are, even if they are completely invisible.
Nigh - Immortality - Dragons are almost immortal and cannot be killed by any man-made weapon. Even when in human form, they age very slowly living for up to a thousand years.
Mind Control - Dragons have very sharp minds and can control human beings. They can also read emotions.

Weaknesses

Dragons are practically impossible to kill, as their skin is near impenetrable. However, their underside is not so impenetrable. In addition, dragons are weak as fledglings and can be killed easily.