Dragons
Dragons are a class of creatures native to the planet of Aravu. They exist roughly somewhere between the bounds of Reptilia and Aves, but they are traditionally subdivided into two main types, Yokapikan (scaled) and Uyoyan (feathered), though most species have both scales and feathers at various points in their lifespan.
There are thousands of dragon species on the continent of Kotuye alone. Though their habitats and appearances may vary widely, they share several traits. All dragon species are ectothermic, flighted, and oviparous. They are also distinguished by their high intelligence, love of fire, and a penchant for creating ornate nests.
Out of the many dragon species on Aravu, only two are considered domesticated, which are named Uyo and Yoka after their scaly or feathery appearance. They are the beloved companions of the Yashelin, with whom they loyally live and work beside.
"No house is truly a home without a dragon curled up on the hearth."
Anatomy
Dragons come in a variety of shapes and sizes but they share several important traits with one another. At their very basic, dragons are:
- Ectothermic. Uyoyan dragons use their feathers and sunlight to help them maintain their body temperature while Yokapikan dragons depend almost entirely upon environmental heat sources.
- Oviparous. Most dragon species lay hard eggs. Others lay eggs which are more akin to sacks in consistency. The largest dragon eggs can take months of careful tending before they hatch.
- Flighted. No known species of dragons are incapable of flight, though those with feathers and lighter skeletal builds tend to fly faster and longer than their heavier, scaly counterparts.
- Omnivorous. All healthy dragon diets include a mixture of meat, fruit, and vegetables. Most hunt and gather, though a few specialize in carrion.
From Miniscule to Mega Fauna
The proliferate Tree-Leaf Uyoyan Dragon measures only 7 cm in length and weighs so little it is known to nap on leaves. The extinct Kivrian Yoka Dragon, meanwhile, weighed as much as 24,000 lbs/11000 kg and its nesting grounds encompassed entire mountains.
Life Stages
Hatchling
Dragons who have recently hatched are referred to as hatchlings. As hatchlings, most dragon species are born blind and covered in a soft down. Yokapikan, or scaled, dragons lose this down over the course of just a few weeks as their scales grow in. Uyoyan hatchlings do not lose the down until later on in their life cycle.
Nestling
Nestlings usually have an entire flock's worth of dragons taking care of it and its siblings collectively. They are unable to fly and incapable of finding food, shelter, and sources of warmth for themselves. Their only job is to learn through play and wrestling with their siblings and, if domesticated, their owners.
Fledgling
The Fledgling stage is marked by their developing ability to fly independently and catch food for themselves. Fledglings are rarely seen without an adult dragon nearby, since fledglings learn best by mimicking their elders. This is a critical stage for training domesticated dragons, especially those from working breeds that are expected to perform complex tasks, such as search and rescue dragons.
Juvenile
Most juvenile dragons strike out to found their own territories or join other ones. Dragons who leave the nest alone have a lower rate of survival than those who leave with nestmates. Since it can take years for a dragon to reach true adulthood, breeders of domestic dragons keep a sharp eye out for savant juveniles with desirable demeanors, breed conformation, and skillsets for adoption and/or breeding purposes.
Adult
Adult dragons are defined primarily by two factors: their skilled independence and their reproductive capabilities. Juvenile and adult dragons are distinguished by the colors of their scales or feathers. Adult dragons are fully colored, while juveniles are grey or brown. Color and pattern changes coincide with a dragon reproductive maturity and a sharpening nesting instinct. Domesticated dragons exhibit the same behaviors as their wild counterparts. There are cases, however, where they refuse dragon mates and instead prefer to court their owners. Thankfully, dragon courtship rituals are rather harmless and even humorous at times. As the mating season in question passes, most dragons get the hint and move on to likelier partners.
Elder
Elder dragons are defined by their inability to reproduce. In the first half of an elder's life, they continue to live in the shared nesting grounds and communally raise hatchlings. After a certain number of years without fertile eggs, however, most elder dragons leave the nesting grounds and the safety of their flock for the last time. Most elder dragons seek out recesses in trees or caves where they build their own personal shelter. They live out the rest of their lives in these shelters and, the closer to the end of their life they become, the more aggressively they are known defend it. Domesticated dragons do not exhibit the same want for isolation with the urgency of their wild counterparts. The instinct is still present, however, and owners are cautioned to provide them for safe places to hide from unfamiliar people or other dragons.
Behavior
Average Intelligence
Communication
Hanalun whistles for Yuyu, eyes darting around their home, searching. Yuyu whistles back, quietly, from under the couch. Hanalun whistles sharply, slapping their bed frame to further emphasize their command. Yuyu declines with a barked, "No." "Domini's gone, Yuyu," Hanalun sighs. "Please come out." "Fly out?" Yuyu squawks. "Sand time?" "It's the middle of the night!" "No."
Social Structure
Courtship
Nesting
Female dragons are notorious nesters, whether or not they are expecting hatchlings, and male dragons aren't that far off either. Dragons of all species, wild or domestic, are renowned for their ability to craft wondrous (and oftentimes garish) nests and shelters in order to protect themselves and their flockmates.
Despite raising all of their nestlings communally as a flock, dragons actually create nests independently from one another on a shared nesting ground. Individual nests reflect individualized taste in decor, such as one dragon's preference for red leaves versus another's love of shiny coins. Fights ocassionally break out between dragons if two dragons with similar tastes nest too close together because the temptation to steal a pretty piece of crumpled paper from their neighbor is just too strong to resist.
Flockwide aesthetics have also been observed in both the wild and domestic species. Flocks will decorate their collective nesting grounds with similar motifs unique to the flock in question. For example, Hanalun's small flock of dragons prefers to collect black rocks in interesting shapes. One flock that has claimed the top of the Kotuye Library's tower for thousands of years prefers reflective pieces of metal.
Dragons on Kivria
"You brought and lost... a what... on Kivria?" "It wasn't on purpose, she hid in my bag!"The members of the Kivrian Project located the mother and reunited her with poor Chamu a few months later. They wouldn't find her progeny until a few hundred years later. By then, it was too late. Dragons are recorded in the legends of the earliest peoples of the planet of Kivria. Their long lifespans and possessive personalities captured the imaginations of these people, becoming bigger and more intelligent than even the best adapted real Kivrian dragon. While Kivrian dragons did grow large and terrorize various settlements across the southern Overos continent, their impact was limited to only that small corner of the world. Despite this, dragons at large are popular in the collective imagination of most known cultures in Kivria, however small a role they play.
Extinction
The Kivrian legends of dragon tamers and dragon slayers are much more entertaining than the sad reality of the Kivrian dragon's steady decline.
The official story is that they slowly died out on their own, one by one. These invasive dragons could not sustain a viable population out of those few that had wiggled their way across planets. Certainly not once they had to compete for resources which had grown scarce due to the ferocity of their appetite.
In recent history, however, intrepid explorers in the Flood Wastes have reported a mysterious, serpentine creature flying high in the mountains.
Witnesses have described the sighted dragon consistently over the years, lending credence to their story. The dragon in question, if it exists at all, is likely Vaspa, Areta Maikir's companion. Defying the odds, the poor creature has survived the harsh environment of the Flood Wastes alone, waiting loyally for its master's return.
The Last Kivrian Dragon
"Would she even recognize me, do you think?" "Your face has changed, but she'll know your spirit. Go find her!"
Comments
Author's Notes
I want to create art for this article and replace the old Midjourney images, but alas, I've run out of spoons and they function for decorative purposes. I'll get there eventually...
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