River Dragon

"Across the world the brothers ran, their bodies dragging long gullies into the ground. When their claws plunged deep into stone and soil, they brought up springs of fresh water to fill the scratches in the earth, leaving behind the rivers and streams that we see today."

Anatomy

River dragons are sleek, streamlined creatures, built for an aquatic life in river currents. Their feet are webbed, allowing them to swim deftly through the waters. They are covered mostly in scales, with a series of short, thin spikes on their backs from ears to tailtip. Their scales can be anywhere in a range from grey to brown, commonly with a bluish tint. Typically, the color on its back will change over time to match the bed of its river habitat. Some dragons even allow plants to grow on their scales to provide better camouflage. The stomach of a river dragon is most commonly lighter than its back, with some even possessing silver or white scales. The nostrils of a river dragon are located at the end of its snout, unusually high in comparison to other dragon species. This allows the dragon to breathe while remaining submerged. River dragons have thick, short wings, used for swimming. They have a limited ability to fly, never longer than an hour or two at once. A river dragon's tail is thick and rudderlike, providing the ability to steer deftly through water. It has needle sharp claws used for catching fish, and long, piercing fangs. To navigate in muddy or dark waters, the river dragon will utilize two pairs of fleshy, whisker-like feelers on either side of its snout.

The size of a full-grown river dragon depends on the river it has chosen. Those in major rivers are gargantuan, while a dragon in a stream may only reach the size of a small dog. If the dragon's chosen river changes in size, the dragon will as well.

Habitat

As evidenced by their name, river dragons inhabit freshwater rivers and streams. These can have fast or slow currents, and can be any width from bank to bank. However, the water must be at least three feet deep to support enough life for the dragon to sustain itself. When a river dragon chooses to inhabit a river, it takes up guardianship of a long stretch of water. A resident river dragon will protect the shores and water from pollution and dmamaging species, whether, monster, humanoid, or wildlife.

Behavior

River dragons tend to live alone. A wyrmling will live with its parent until it develops enough skill in the water to safely navigate and survive on its own, typically after around five years. At this point, the young dragon leaves its birthplace to seek out an uninhabited stretch of river. There, the dragon begins to protect its territory from threats. At a certain point in its adulthood, the river dragon begins to seek a mate. Some dragons will leave their river to find an eligible partner, while others remain in their homes to await the arrival of a partner. Once a pair makes contact, they engage in a complicated and still mysterious ritual. This results in the laying of a single egg by the female. The dragon whose river the egg is laid in takes responsibility for caring for the egg and hatchling, while the other parent returns to its own home. There is no distinguishable pattern as to which dragon seeks the other.

Occasionally, a female will lay one egg which contains two wyrmlings upon hatching. When this happens, the resulting wyrmlings are identical, and typically weaker than single wyrmlings at the same age. The twins often form such a close bond that they will seek out a stretch of river together and share guardianship. Despite each being weaker on its own, together twin river dragons have a greater potential to become legendary. Because the pair form a close bond with one another, they will never leave their river and often never produce offspring.

River Dragons in Folklore

Because of the river dragon's role as guardian of a particular stretch of river, they will often come into contact with villages and towns that lie on rivers. Many settlements will see a single river dragon living nearby for centuries, and will craft many tales about their guardian's actions. Although the river dragon is focused only on protecting its river, not the settlements nearby, its clashes with monsters and other dangers are often seen by the citizens in those settlements. This creates the misconception that river dragons arrive in rivers in order to protect the folk living nearby, rather than carving out the dragon's territory. Many settlements will give a river dragon an honorary title inspired by its perceived heroics. The river dragon will allow a settlement to stay on its riverbank, provided it poses no threat to the health of the dragon's territory or to the dragon itself. Citizens, in gratitude to the dragon for its protection, will make offerings and hold ceremonies in the dragon's name.

Twin dragons are especially notable, being extremely rare. In popular lore, it is believed that the first river dragons were twins - Tyrendor the wise and Wyrendor the cunning - who created the vast network of rivers and streams across the continent of Galactus.