Dragons

Dragons are perhaps the most magical among the species of Ethera. There is a different type of dragon for every element

Basic Information

Ecology and Habitats

Dragons primarily make their home in an area of the world known as the Dragon Nation to those in the area, outside it is known as the Dragon Wilds. Within this area, each element of dragon has their preferred area.

Fire

Fire dragons tend to congregate around heat sources. There are no volcanos in the Dragon Nation per se, but there is one rocky area where you may find a couple rivers of lava. They also enjoy hot springs and often fight over the locations with water dragons.

Water

Water dragons prefer the coastal regions where they can be near the vastness of the ocean. Smaller, or newer, clans that don't have a coastal territory will often fight over hot springs inland with fire dragons. The smallest clans must make do with underground springs and will sometimes enlist the aid of earth dragons to help them find the springs and where they make their way to the surface.

Air

Air dragons are generally considered the nomads of the dragon species and will wander from place to place as the wind takes them. Many can be found surfing the currents through a storm. Many a villager has stories of being rescued by these air dragons when a particularly nasty storm was about to hit.

Earth

Earth dragons have little trouble finding a home, as they either inhabit an existing cave or shape their own. From there, they dig deeper into the earth to uncover treasures for their hoard. If you run across a cave in the Dragon Nation, it will almost always have an occupant and the people know better than to go searching for the hoard inside.

Flora

Flora dragons also wander, but not to the same extent as the air dragons do. They nurture trees into the shape of shelters near to large clearings that they can create volumes of flowers in. Flora dragons also have an inherent knowledge of and tolerance to all poisons and do cultivate poisonous varieties in and near their homes to protect themselves.

Fauna

Fauna dragons tend to inhabit caves like earth dragons, but closer to human settlements than most earth clans are willing to do. They also spend much of their time in areas where there may be congregations of a certain bird or animal that they want to learn how to imitate. As fauna dragons are shapeshifters and understand language, they don't have much of a preference for habitat as long as it gives them the chance to meet and learn about other species.

Biological Cycle

Young dragons of all types tend to shed scales frequently as they grow and this continues until they are two years old and their full size. After this, they shed once every five years or so. It happens over the course of the year and often isn't even noticeable except by other clan members or (if a dragon has bonded) a Rider who knows them well. New scales take around a week to grow in and will push out the old ones, unless they are filling in for a missing scale.
When it is "molting year" and a dragon has a Rider bond, that Rider will often check their dragon over for new scales and test the old ones once a week to get rid of any ready to come off, since the process can sometimes be uncomfortable for a dragon once a saddle is in place.

Additional Information

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

The one species that could be considered symbiotic to dragons is the Dracha. They are very small in comparison to their dragon counterparts, about the size of a young human child and vary just as much as dragons in terms of elemental affiliation and color variations. Dracha will often attach themselves to a clan of their same element in an effort to find a safe place for their own eggs. In return for this protection, they will often pull loose scales and other debris off the dragons.

Lifespan

250 years

Related Organizations

• Order of the Dragon's Wing

Related Materials

• Dragon Scales