Dragons

Nibmu's first dominate species. Dragons are magic wrapped in scales, claws, and teeth. They are arguably the most powerful creature before the gods created their flesh. They are tribal by nature and find it hard to follow dragons that don't share their customs. This leads to many defeats during the Dragon Wars and during their wars against the Frost Giants.
This article is dedicated to one class of dragons, the main and most powerful. It is not the largest but is the one that holds the most power. This breed comes from this breed of dragon and this dragon creates most and can use all spells in a dragon's arsenal. Other dragon breeds will get their own article.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Scales like armor, craws like swords, and a mouth that can shatter mountains. These are the main features of a dragon.
Over the centuries the dragon grew and shrank as it moved through Nibmu evolving its body to fit the needs of that area. This led to the species diversifying and splintering in several other categories. By definition, Dragons are the first real form of species and are regarded as scaled creatures with a large set of batlike wings. They also have four legs with long claws.
The surface of a Dragon is layered with a set of scales. These scales layer themselves throughout the body creating a skin layer that more closely resembles armor. These scales resist cuts, bolts, and all forms of damage, but an overwhelming force can break through the scales. Underneath the scales, a Dragon's skin is easy to cut, while the bones are difficult to break.
The legs, tail, and wings of a Dragon are the most injured parts. Punctures to the wing's can led to the dragon being unable to fly. The wings themselves are capable of creating large winds either by flapping or by flying closely above. A Dragon is nothing without a base though, and its legs serve that function. The legs of the dragon have been cut thousands of times, but only rarely do the legs ever give out before the rest of the body. The tendons of the Dragon are harder than the dragon's scales. The tail being is made to be swung against opponents. The back end of most dragons is a ball of harden scales stitched together. If a Dragon loses its tail it is considered a great loss, but no dragon has even fallen from the wound.
The head of the Dragon is considered its most vulnerable and dangerous area. During the Northern Wars, the jaw strength of the Dragons was one of the only things that could bring down the massive creatures. To rest within a Dragon's jaws is death no matter what the thing holds. Only through the use of magic, or other spirit energy, can the victim survive.

Genetics and Reproduction

Female Dragons lay eggs. These eggs are fertilized through droplets of blood. Dragons will battle for the right to bleed over the eggs. In a ceremony, the male dragons will bleed, and the entire village will watch. After the eggs will need to be placed in a fire where they will have to remain hot for sometime before hatching.

Growth Rate & Stages

Dragons grow to their full length a few years after they are born. Their skin tends to remain soft for several years. The wings are soft and weak with the dragon unable to fly for at least one year. Once at its full length, his scales will grow out. The color of the Dragon's scales will depend on the mother and father of the dragon with them having some combination of the two. 
The child will not be able to perform magic until fully grown.

Ecology and Habitats

Dragons like living in hotter environments. They enjoy the mountains near the sea.
Their population grew in these areas to numbers to high for the regions to support. Dragons left those mountainous areas and entered into the forest, deserts, and other areas scattered throughout Nibmu. They learned to survive in all these regions evolving to meet the needs of those regions.
In the forests, Dragons ate less meat and every generation shrank as a result. The Dragonette and Drake resulted from these regions. The larger Dragons managed to survive hunting a green boar. 
Within the deserts flying became the quickest way to lose pray. Everything that couldn't borrow under the ground tended to become extinct. The surviving animals buried themselves under the ground as soon as a Dragon was spotted. These dragons prowled the sands staying low. They survived on a diet of cactus juice and became skilled in petrifying magic. They lost their wings, and eventually became a dark brown color. These Dragons became known as Basilisks.
Most Dragons that went north died within a few years. Normally by giant hands. The ones that survived did so on the edge. They tunneled deep into a mountain finding a cave. They found jewels within the cave along with paintings that they believed were giants. They later found out it was an older powerful god that created the gem. They began worshiping the jewel as a god and were changed because of it. They evolved to carry fur over their bodies and became much larger. They eventually lost their wings like the Basilisks.
The final group to splinter off from the coastal regions ventured towards a darker mountain on the other side of Nibmu. Those Dragons set up their tribe at the base and encountered few animals. Those dragons grew small. Something within those mountains was a danger to them and the Dragons all died out, but some managed to evolve into something else that could survive a Wyvern. This thing lost it's front legs and became small and fast. No Dragon could ever keep up with it in the air. Their ferocity became known throughout dragon kind and they attacked everything even other dragons.

Dietary Needs and Habits

To remain at the Dragon's current size a Dragon needs to eat a lot of meat. Dragons can supplement their diet with foraged food, but the main staple of any Dragon's diet is meat.

Biological Cycle

Of the many kinds of dragons only the Dragon, Wyrm, and Sea Orc are unaffected by the passage of time. Dragons are born small and grow to their full size in a few years. Their scales normally take about ten years to fully solidify, but after a Dragon is considered an adult. The Dragon is taught its tribe's magics and may be sent to learn more if the Dragonlord wants him to.
During the solidifying, a young Dragon may lose a scale to shedding. During the Dragon Wars, these scales were prized since they were often fireproof.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Dragons follow their leaders their Dragonlord. Outside of that, the system is equal.

Facial characteristics

A dragon's faces are large with their nose extended out and teeth long as long swords. A dragon's forehead is massive and bumpy. Their pupils are verticle and eyes are normally gold but have been known to be several different colors.
After the Dragon Wars what remained of the Dragon species changed to other creatures. Their magic allowed them to change their appearance to anything.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Where ever you find a member of the dragon species a Dragon will not be far behind.

Average Intelligence

Dragons can be crafty. They can trick and force duller creatures to do what they want, but they can also be solemn creatures. They prefer isolation and this can lead to their intelligence to range depending on if the Dragon belongs to a larger group.
Because Dragons lack hands, they do not have much of a writing system. They can share knowledge, but only orally.
After the wars, the surviving dragons are hunted. Those that survive for long are considered powerful and some of the most intelligent things in the world.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

A Dragon can alter any of their senses through the use of magic. It would be a mistake to believe that any dragon is only a threat because of its size. Many who do so often fall victim to a million possible fates.
A Dragon's magic is stronger than any other species. They are one of the few made from the same spirit energy as magic. Through the use of words, they call upon elements that no other creature can command. The favorite of many Dragons is the word "Fire". A Dragon's flame comes in a hundred different varieties normally depending on the strength of the magic. The most powerful version is a gel substance that catches fire. Once on fire, the flame will burn until there is nothing left.
A Dragon's might is not only subject to elements. Magic can be used to heal a Dragon during a battle and others. These will repair their scales, their skin even their organs as long as they stay the word.
The magic for a Dragon works differently than for all other creatures. Their purity allows them to cast several spells from one word. That one word interacts with the mind of a Dragon and becomes exactly what the Dragon wants. As long as the word calls to the right part of the energy the spirit will do the rest.

Civilization and Culture

History

Where the first dragons came from is unknown. It was said that the first Dragons existed in Nibmu when the country was much larger. A great event happened and Nibmu split from a continent. The dragons were young then and their memory is now lost for this time. The first Dragons emerged in what is now known as Heaven. 
The continent looked much different back then. Everything was wilder trees grew all over, and the weather shifted from one extreme to the other. The first thrived in such space, but the systems calmed as all things do. The Dragons began to grow their society. 
At first, the largest dragons took the lead positions and forced the smaller to follow behind. This gradually faded as Dragons learned what magic was. They found themselves imputed with the ability to breathe fire whenever the right words were spoken. Many Dragons used this power to gain more authority within the small tribes. Fire breathing Dragons began overthrowing the larger ones. Before long every dragon learned to breathe fire and more spells were created. Size gave way to power, and the most powerful lines of Dragons became more important.
Tribes began specializing in magic types. It large creatures spread out throughout Nibmu meeting nothing even close to their size. Dragons of the deserts changed with each new generation from large powerful creatures to meet the environment. Each new type of dragon took a different name to mark the species. The largest became the Sea Orc a serpent that prowled the oceans around Nibmu. Dragons began becoming few and fewer within tribes, but their power still remained supreme.
The four-legged Dragon became the elite among the different types. It ventured into the new territories often leading the charge against predators that attempted to attack the younger Dragons. Dragonlords became the heads of tribes some of which called forth fires that burned even when water attempted to put them out.
The dragons headed north early in their ventures. They met a new creature a massive pale and blue thing that met with their people. One of the younger Dragons played with another boy. He lit his flame and the giant bashed him in the head. The boy lept up and attacked the Frost Giant releasing a torrent of flame as he did. The giant felt pain and other giants began fighting. Several giant and dragon died. Thus began the first war on Nibmu.
Dragons all gathered and flew north. They found the cold bad for flying and as they approached the mountain where the giants stood a great snowstorm greeted them. The giants moved down the mountain as the Dragons fell from the sky with frozen wings. The Dragon's wings flapped attempting they breathed fire to break through the ice, but the Dragons stayed grounded. Unable to fly the Dragons that flew up to the north never returned. They died on the mountain. They jumped claws and breathed every spell they could think of but the giants passed through it. Their power was too much that day.
A tribe decided to camp within the north and made it to a cave system far to the west. They believed the giants would leave them alone. They used a crystal to assist in the evolution of their species and turned themselves into Ice Dragons. Dragons attempted to live in the article north with them, but every year the cold sent more dragons down south. The aging Dragons were better suited for warmer temperatures.
Dragonkind rose ever higher. More Dragons evolved with Drakes coming into their own as the first pack animal. A new sea creature known as the Hydra prowled the waterways. Around a volcano, Wyverns flew attacking all even other dragon tribes. As all this happened the Dragon continued to watch and protect their race.
In their seventh century, a new form of life emerged on Nibmu. It existed alongside dragons for a while as a white flame made flesh. The dragons offered them patches of land to the far west desolate lands that they did not wish to live on. They watched the gods for a while. The gods used light and showed incredible power. What one god could do was equal to several Dragons. This worried several Dragonlords.
A war began between the Gods and Dragons. The Dragons lost this war resulting in their history being destroyed, their kind being hunted, and millions of dragons being reduced to only a few hundred Dragons left.

Genetic Descendants

• Dragonette
• Drake

Scientific Name

Dragon

Lifespan

Endless

Conservation Status

Attempts are made to hide what is left of the dragons.

Average Height

25 yd

Average Weight

200,000 lb

Average Physique

Dragons are large and powerful creatures. It is easy for a dragon to bring down a tree or carve a mountain. Their wings are powerful, powerful enough to let them glide without magic, though not to fly without it.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

This changes depending on the dragon. Some dragons are white, another black. Most dragons are more than one colored. Their scales are one color and the leather of their wings is another.