True Dragons
Basic Information
Anatomy
What distinguishes a true dragon from a wyvern or a drake is largely the number of limbs, and the degree of their connection to magic. True dragons have four legs, with the front two serving as functional arms when necessary, and a pair of wings extending from their shoulders. They have at least one tail, and typically sport a long, articulated neck. They have scales and claws. Many have horns, spikes, and spines. They all have a lizardlike snout, some sporting wicked rows of carnivorous teeth and some sporting beaks.
They have a deep connection to magic and Ley Lines, and an organ inside their bodies that serves to connect them to one or more of the elemental planes.
Genetics and Reproduction
True dragons lay eggs in clutches of one to twelve. While they breed true, hybrids are difficult to produce but possible, particularly with magic. Dragons are possessed of enormous egos, and therefore rarely willingly hybridize as they each believe that their own species is the most worthy.
Growth Rate & Stages
True dragons hatch as Wyrmlings. Wyrmlings typically have as much or slightly more intelligence than an average Humanoid. They are not helpless on hatching, though many species of dragons will care for their young for at least part of this stage.
Wyrmlings grow to Young Dragons, which are already the stuff local legends are made of. The length of time it takes a dragon to achieve this stage varies by species and some by luck, as they may have difficulty gathering a proper hoard. Young Dragons' size varies by species, but they range from roughly the size of a horse to the size of a rhinocerous.
Young Dragons typically live two to a dozen centuries before growing into full size Adult dragons. This is where the dragon will begin claiming more territory and establishing multiple hoards. An Adult dragon's size also differs by species but typically range from the bulk of a rhinocerous to the size of an elephant, before the addition to the neck and head.
Another dozen centuries or so, the dragon will ascend to Ancient status. Ancient dragons are the pinnacle of dragonkind, and this is where most dragons live out the rest of their lives. They are enormous beings with few analogs in nature. They are easily the size of a modest family home, with some rivalling a small mountain peak in size. Ancient dragons are a force of nature.
Some ancient dragons attain the status of Greatwyrm. Greatwyrms are storm fronts, tsunamis, volcanic flows, and tornadoes in scale and scope. Greatwyrms have many hoards, claim vast amounts of territory that typically includes that of other dragons as fiefs and serfdoms. When a greatwyrm moves, the world takes notice.
Ecology and Habitats
True dragons typically prefer habitats that align with their elemental links.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Dragons require large quantities of food; multiple large game animals or livestock head per week for adults. A half ton of vegetable matter, and minerals as well. They also require the magic they gather into their hoards, and a bankrupt dragon feels a sort of starvation in their souls.
Behaviour
Dragons are apex predators, lords of all they survey. They are the near-perfect embodiment of physical bestial prowess, magical power, and planar interconnectivity. The dullest among them have a cunning beyond the reach of most humanoids, and their perspectives span centuries at a time. All of this being said, humility among dragons is more of a punchline than a virtue. Every dragon is fully aware of how important they are, and falling to hubris is an ever present threat. Or perhaps an end goal, depending on the individual dragon.
Dragons amass wealth into hoards. This has a biological function, as magic pools into their hoards and sustains them, but it is also a psychological obsession. All dragons value mundane treasures such as gold, jewels, and art pieces, but most species have an individual obsession as well. These obsessions will range from certain types of jewelry to books or magic scrolls to more esoteric items like Memory Crystals or secrets. Growing and protecting their hoard is paramount to a true dragon, regardless of other outlooks and interests.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Adventurers who find themselves opposing true dragons usually die. On the occasion that they actually win a battle against one, however, there is very little of the dragon that isn't useful for something. Blood and organs are commonly used in matgic and alchemy, scales and hide used in armor, and claws and teeth are perfect for use in weaponry.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
True dragons can see in the dark, with older dragons often projecting their own light through their eyes. They have keen hearing and smell, and an innate sense for magic and elemental power, and while in their lair are able to sense the presence (if not pinpoint it) of life other than their own.
Civilization and Culture
History
While much of the origins of true dragons are shrouded in the depths of time and mythology, they entered into the historical record during the Age of Myth. Already opposing one another, the metallic, gem and chromatic dragons tore through the ailing Saurians and ripped their Scalykind servitors into alignment with their respective camps. Less interested in this genocidal mayhem than their brethren, the gem dragons retreated to locales over which the spawn of Tiamat and Bahamut wouldn't be bothered.
When the Grimhii Empire fell following the sundering of the La'shei, the annihilation of the Batrachi, and the disappearance of the Cephalopes, the dragons reigned supreme on a global level. The two camps turned their attention to destroying each other, and the Calamity War raged.
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
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