Overview
Dragons are one of the more mysterious species in Koria and the oldest of the natural species besides the humans. They tend to ignore the earth-dwellers and some dragons sleep for dozens, if not hundreds, of years. They can withstand brutal heat and freezing cold and some take a volcano for a nice hot steamy bath.
Most of the dragons were named after precious metals like silver, platinum, gold and copper. Some are named after gems like diamonds, emeralds and rubies.
But there are other dragons which are named after their traits like the Horn Dragon which is named after...well, its two horns on each side of their head.
Basic data
This is a very basic compilation of data to describe the most common dragons. This sheet doesn't hold responsibility over correctness or completeness nor should it be treated as such.
Most of the more common dragons - as the Green or the Blue Dragon - age up to around threethousand years, most of the time sleeping and eating with the rare exception of the Library Dragon.
The common dragons can reach a length of around twenty meters from head to tail with a wingspan of around fifthteen meters. Each common dragon can breathe fire which can melt metal and steel (exceptions not included).
Their body is covered in leaf-like scales with colour in every possible variation ranging from black to white and everything in between.
Myth of Creation
Life and Death were not really sure if the creation of a flying, fire-breathing lizard might be a good idea, but it sounded like fun and a little bit of a challenge for the other species, so they tried it. They picked out a variant of a gecko, gave it wings and the fire of the earth alongside with a chunk of intelligence and self-awareness and sent it back onto the realm of Koria. Over the centuries this gecko grew to be the largest predator the realm had ever seen. If the dragon would even flinch a muscle.
Distribution area
Dragons can adapt and live in every possible area except for the oceans. Most of them looked after the mountain ranges of the Long Neck and the Daveldare Mountains where they can see everything from far above.
Eating habits
The more common dragons will eat every two to five years, depending on surroundings and energy consumption. Normally they eat around six to ten cows (or double the amount of sheep) and will go into hiatus again. If threatened and forced to breath fire (which isn't actual breathing, but we will talk about it soon) their energy consumption increases and they need to take in more food over time. Or barbeque a whole cow and devour it, that also works.
When the dragon has a lair or a nest or a place where they normally sleep, the dragon feed on the sheep or cows on the ground and take a cow - or 2-3 sheeps - with it to nibble at them over the course of the next few days or when they get a little bit hungry again.
Intelligence
The average dragon is quite intelligent and can communicate, be it with words or with claws. Some of them can paint with dirt and fire, others had learned the languages of the earth-dwellers. Others have a mind slow as a mill-wheel but are quite intelligent. Others are wild beasts and behave like that and some are learning from the Dragonborn. The small Brass Dragons, the largest of it is as big as a very big house cat, had settled in with smiths, glassblowers and cafés.
Mating & Reproduction
Dragons mate every five to ten years when they have the urge to do it. The wild dragons have a mating ritual where two males fight over a female and the female choose the winner, when the weaker combatant either dies or yields.
After that the female and the male retire to a cave or a forest glade where they mate for a few days, depending on their lust.
After that the female build something like a nest at a place it finds fitting and eats everything she can get for half a year. The female lays up to four eggs in the nest and protects them from the outer world with her heat and her body, mostly sleeping. The new hatchlings crack the shell of the eggs after three to four months after they saw the light of day.
Traits
Dragons breath fire, this is the common understanding of everyone, especially the Dragonborn and the Elves. Dragons have two glands which each produce a clear liquid which combusts on air contact. The dragons "spit" it up to thirty meters with muscle contractions, setting everything aflame in their wake. It can only be extinguished by sand or the withdrawal of air.
Contrary to popular beliefs the scales of dragons have no other purpose than protection. In case of blood it is a different topic but besides a slightly longer life and hardening specific metals it serves no real purpose.
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