Dragon
Ancient reptilian masters of magic, elements and treasures, dragons are creatures of fanciful song and legend, as well as terrifying, burning reality. The draconic lineages hail from the Old World before the First War, and they are divided acording to ancient loyalties and betrayals.
The noble metallic dragons retain the ancient nobility of their lineage, though they have slowly been driven to extinction due to their cruel cousins. The only great assembly of metallic dragons remaining in the world is the Gold Empire.
The Elemental Dragons were corrupted by the Primordials during the First War, and have ever since the end of that apocalyptic conflict fought to expand their domains and subjugate lesser races. The greatest realm of the elemental dragons is the Draconic Empire, which most elemental dragons owe their fealty to. The other great assembly of elemental dragons is the Onyx Throne of Gargath One-Eye, which consists of the traitor dragons who fled the Draconic Empire after the failed Onyx Rebellion and are now conquering the great continent of Ikseong.
Finally there are the elusive Gem Dragons, born from Bahamut's corpse in The Astral Plane, these enigmatic dragons are virtually unknown on the material plane. They inhabit the other planes and try to make their own way in the world, though each is an echo of the ancient dragon god.
The noble metallic dragons retain the ancient nobility of their lineage, though they have slowly been driven to extinction due to their cruel cousins. The only great assembly of metallic dragons remaining in the world is the Gold Empire.
The Elemental Dragons were corrupted by the Primordials during the First War, and have ever since the end of that apocalyptic conflict fought to expand their domains and subjugate lesser races. The greatest realm of the elemental dragons is the Draconic Empire, which most elemental dragons owe their fealty to. The other great assembly of elemental dragons is the Onyx Throne of Gargath One-Eye, which consists of the traitor dragons who fled the Draconic Empire after the failed Onyx Rebellion and are now conquering the great continent of Ikseong.
Finally there are the elusive Gem Dragons, born from Bahamut's corpse in The Astral Plane, these enigmatic dragons are virtually unknown on the material plane. They inhabit the other planes and try to make their own way in the world, though each is an echo of the ancient dragon god.
Basic Information
Anatomy
True dragons posess four legs, two wings and a tail. The hindlegs are more heavily built and take most of the dragon's weight, as well as allowing it to stand on two legs, while the forelegs have longer claws for use in battle. A dragon's wings enable it to fly from when it is only a couple of days old, and they are incredibly powerful to allow the dragon to fly even though it may weigh several tonnes. Its tail is used as a counterweight when flying and to balance while walking, and is also often used as a natural weapon.
Dragons are covered in tough scales, which can shrug of most weapons and attacks. Depending on the particular species, the scales also ward against different elements, such as fire in the case of Gold Dragons and acid in the case of Black Dragons. Dragonscales are often used to enchant armor and weapons.
All true dragons also have the capability to breathe either noxious gas or different elements. This is due to an organ located in the back of their throat, which can serve as a potent ingredient for wondrous items.
Dragons are covered in tough scales, which can shrug of most weapons and attacks. Depending on the particular species, the scales also ward against different elements, such as fire in the case of Gold Dragons and acid in the case of Black Dragons. Dragonscales are often used to enchant armor and weapons.
All true dragons also have the capability to breathe either noxious gas or different elements. This is due to an organ located in the back of their throat, which can serve as a potent ingredient for wondrous items.
Genetics and Reproduction
Dragons are dependent upon their innate magic for reproduction, and this magic in turn is dependent on the size of their hoard and the power of the dragon. Dragons become capable of reproduction after approximately 200 years of age, but most of these younger adults will not pursue reproduction until they reach an older age with more magical power and experience.
In general, it is the mother dragons who are the initiators of reproduction. When a mother dragon feels safe in her lair and that she has enough magical power to sustain the production of a child, she will send out a call for suitors. Ambitious male dragons will then travel to her lair, sometimes very far for powerful mother dragons, to present themselves, their magical might and a gift from their hoard. Most mother dragons live within the Draconic Empire, and their call goes out all across the world for suitors. The mother dragon will then choose the ideal suitor, based on experience, magical power and material wealth, and together the two share their magic to produce an heir. It is not uncommon for older male dragons, having fought tooth and nail to increase their hoard and power, to sire many wyrmlings with different mother dragons, and it is a mark of respect for a male dragon to have been chosen so many times by mother dragons.
As a consequence of this, male dragons will often travel far away from the Draconic Empire to seek glory as individual draconic tyrants, and return with their spoils when they hear a powerful mother dragon seeks a suitor. Such respect is the currency of political life in the Draconic Empire.
The mother dragon produces an egg, which can lay in the ambient magical energy of the mother's hoard and slowly mature until a wyrmling is hatched. How long this egg stage takes depends on the power of the mother dragon, and in general older dragons produce eggs with shorter gestation periods. However, once mother dragons become ancient, it becomes more and more difficult for them to produce new eggs. The reason for this is not understood, but it seems to be because their magical might becomes more crystallized and focused in themselves, and it becomes more difficult to share this magic with potential offspring. Male dragons share this same problem, though to a lesser extent than the mother dragons.
There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as mythical Stormfall and the Onyx Throne, where a male dragon has attained a harem of mother dragons through exceptional power and will, leading a patriarchal dynasty away from the main draconic society of the Dragon Empire.
In general, it is the mother dragons who are the initiators of reproduction. When a mother dragon feels safe in her lair and that she has enough magical power to sustain the production of a child, she will send out a call for suitors. Ambitious male dragons will then travel to her lair, sometimes very far for powerful mother dragons, to present themselves, their magical might and a gift from their hoard. Most mother dragons live within the Draconic Empire, and their call goes out all across the world for suitors. The mother dragon will then choose the ideal suitor, based on experience, magical power and material wealth, and together the two share their magic to produce an heir. It is not uncommon for older male dragons, having fought tooth and nail to increase their hoard and power, to sire many wyrmlings with different mother dragons, and it is a mark of respect for a male dragon to have been chosen so many times by mother dragons.
As a consequence of this, male dragons will often travel far away from the Draconic Empire to seek glory as individual draconic tyrants, and return with their spoils when they hear a powerful mother dragon seeks a suitor. Such respect is the currency of political life in the Draconic Empire.
The mother dragon produces an egg, which can lay in the ambient magical energy of the mother's hoard and slowly mature until a wyrmling is hatched. How long this egg stage takes depends on the power of the mother dragon, and in general older dragons produce eggs with shorter gestation periods. However, once mother dragons become ancient, it becomes more and more difficult for them to produce new eggs. The reason for this is not understood, but it seems to be because their magical might becomes more crystallized and focused in themselves, and it becomes more difficult to share this magic with potential offspring. Male dragons share this same problem, though to a lesser extent than the mother dragons.
There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as mythical Stormfall and the Onyx Throne, where a male dragon has attained a harem of mother dragons through exceptional power and will, leading a patriarchal dynasty away from the main draconic society of the Dragon Empire.
Growth Rate & Stages
True dragons go through five distinct sages of life. Unless they are killed in battle, dragons can live and grow virtually forever, but after a certain point they do not get stronger unless they seek magical might. The youngest dragons are wyrmlings, who grow into young dragons after approximately 20 years of life. Young dragons mature to adulthood after 200 years, and the adults become ancients after 2000 years.
Ancient dragons seemingly stop growing or gaining power after 2000 years, but this is not the case. Some of the truly ancient dragons, from the immemorial days of the First War, are even more powerful, having spent 10 000 years gaining more and more magical might and larger and larger hoards. These are the so-called Greatwyrms, and there are very few of them.
These are only rough estimates, and alchemical studies of the Gold Dragons in the Gold Empire suggest that the size of a dragon's hoard affects its growth, with larger hoardes giving greater growth. There is also some evidence that the content of the hoards affects how the dragon will develop, with gemstones and tomes of knowledge increasing the likelihood of spontaneous magical prowess.
Ancient dragons seemingly stop growing or gaining power after 2000 years, but this is not the case. Some of the truly ancient dragons, from the immemorial days of the First War, are even more powerful, having spent 10 000 years gaining more and more magical might and larger and larger hoards. These are the so-called Greatwyrms, and there are very few of them.
These are only rough estimates, and alchemical studies of the Gold Dragons in the Gold Empire suggest that the size of a dragon's hoard affects its growth, with larger hoardes giving greater growth. There is also some evidence that the content of the hoards affects how the dragon will develop, with gemstones and tomes of knowledge increasing the likelihood of spontaneous magical prowess.
Ecology and Habitats
Dragons are found in all manner of different habitats, depending on the specific species. From the vast underground lairs of some Black Dragons to the volcanic ashlands of Red Dragons and the civilized cities of Gold Dragons. A dragon will always seek to expand its influence in a given habitat, first by establishing a lair, and then by expanding their lair's hoard and infuence. They seek to attain gold, treasures, loyalty and art from the other creatures living in their habitat, and they nearly always become draconic tyrants.
As a dragon grows in power, it will expand its influence further, and older dragons invariably have several lairs they migrate between to collect tribute and maintain their control.
As a dragon grows in power, it will expand its influence further, and older dragons invariably have several lairs they migrate between to collect tribute and maintain their control.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Hoard
While not a dietary need, a dragon has a psychological and physiological need for a hoard. This seems to be due to their magic attuning with gold, jewels, art and magic items, and the larger and more prestigious their hoard, the greater their power.
While not a dietary need, a dragon has a psychological and physiological need for a hoard. This seems to be due to their magic attuning with gold, jewels, art and magic items, and the larger and more prestigious their hoard, the greater their power.
Behaviour
Old Gods
Dragons hail from an older age, before the gods themselves had fully materialized into the world, and before other peoples had stories to tell or songs to sing. Dragons are perhaps the single most powerful mortal race in the world, and whether they are elemental or metallic they only truly retain respect for their fellow dragons, letting other peoples, families and nations prove themselves to be worthy of respect. Such respect must often be earned over the course of generations, and younger dragons are more easily impressed than older dragons.
Dragons have no true need for armies or navies, and generally find the concepts difficult to grasp. They often fail to understand why small peoples would band together in such large groups, rather than produce one exceptionally skilled champion who could perhaps take on a dragon.
Dragons generally have no respect or fear of enemies in large numbers, unless experience have taught them otherwise, but should a single enemy or a small group of enemies defeat a dragon, the dragons will fear and respect them on almost equal footing to a dragon.
Benevolent or Malicious Tyrants
Due to their great power, and their need to expand their lairs, dragons often find themselves as rulers of humanoids and monsters who pay tribute to the great dragons. However, how this tyranny looks varies greatly between sub-species of dragons and even within individual species. Some, such as the blue dragons of the far northern icewaters, maintain underwater lairs and travel hundreds of miles to attack ships, monsters and tribes moving in their territory, unless tribute is paid. Others, such as the Purple Dragons rule subject nations from their floating lairs, extracting wealth and culture from their subjects, while the Gold Dragons live symbiotically with humanoids and protect them and their cities, in return for a hoard and riches to guard.
Dragons hail from an older age, before the gods themselves had fully materialized into the world, and before other peoples had stories to tell or songs to sing. Dragons are perhaps the single most powerful mortal race in the world, and whether they are elemental or metallic they only truly retain respect for their fellow dragons, letting other peoples, families and nations prove themselves to be worthy of respect. Such respect must often be earned over the course of generations, and younger dragons are more easily impressed than older dragons.
Dragons have no true need for armies or navies, and generally find the concepts difficult to grasp. They often fail to understand why small peoples would band together in such large groups, rather than produce one exceptionally skilled champion who could perhaps take on a dragon.
Dragons generally have no respect or fear of enemies in large numbers, unless experience have taught them otherwise, but should a single enemy or a small group of enemies defeat a dragon, the dragons will fear and respect them on almost equal footing to a dragon.
Benevolent or Malicious Tyrants
Due to their great power, and their need to expand their lairs, dragons often find themselves as rulers of humanoids and monsters who pay tribute to the great dragons. However, how this tyranny looks varies greatly between sub-species of dragons and even within individual species. Some, such as the blue dragons of the far northern icewaters, maintain underwater lairs and travel hundreds of miles to attack ships, monsters and tribes moving in their territory, unless tribute is paid. Others, such as the Purple Dragons rule subject nations from their floating lairs, extracting wealth and culture from their subjects, while the Gold Dragons live symbiotically with humanoids and protect them and their cities, in return for a hoard and riches to guard.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Dragons possess an impressive capability to see in the dark. Already from birth, they possess darkvision which rivals that of dwarves and elves, and this capacity only grows as they age. From a young age, they learn to use their senses of smell, keen hearing and magical sense to see without sight, allowing them to find invisible creatures, see in complete magical darkness and see even should they be blinded.
Genetic Descendants
Geographic Distribution
Comments