"The Kaiser Drake stared me right in the eyes. Something... shifted inside of them. The pools of her eyes moved like nothing I had ever seen before, a hidden intelligence behind them. She was speaking with me, or at least trying to. Those swirling eyes mixing in with the guttural growls she emitted bespoke of her age and royalty. Perhaps she wanted rest, to speak with her long begotten brothers and sisters once more. I bowed deeply before drawing my axe. I would honor her as much as she would me." - Göbel Hellenbrecht, Knight Kommandant of Franzburg.
Every Word in a Dragon's Eyes
When Firna created the first dragons, they were among the most intelligent beings on Nora, outside of the gods themselves. They were sentient, self-aware, and rivalled even the Ehlen in their sense of pride and self worth. The dragons were few in number and varied in shape, but made up for it with their innate power and intelligence. Firna gave them the same mission that many of the gods gave their creations - spread throughout this world and settle within it. The dragons followed his order heartily and spread out to various countries across Nora.
Being their god and creator, Firna was able to communicate with them at any time from any location, though aloof as he is he rarely chose to. The dragons had a large, powerful larynx that allows them to emit powerful roars and growls, but their vocal cords are either too underdeveloped or underutilized to allow for proper speech. One major defining feature of the dragons is their eyes. Dragons have very large, pronounced, and straight forward eyes to denote their status as apex predators in almost every ecosystem in which they are found. Outside of the pupils, there is no white, as the rest of the eye is a pool of muddied color. Their appearance is often described akin to a pool of water with debris floating in it. Most often yellow or red with black flecks inside, these pools can swirl around their pupils, moving the flecks inside of them at will.
Dragons will use their unique eyes as their method of communication with others of their kind. All of their eyes contain the same type of flecks in their large pools, although the colors will vary. By moving these flecks in distinct patterns around their pupils, they will denote specific words and phrases, allowing them to communicate in great detail with one another. They typically make a series of guttural noises with this, a mixture of growls and bellows. While their eyes will notate what they are saying, the noises they make will dictate tone and mood. What may seem to be an aggravated stare-off between two great beasts, may very well be a detailed conversation between old friends.
Whereas ancient dragons used this method to converse with one another, it is almost unseen in current years. The bloodline of dragons has spread thin and deteriorated, with the most common dragons now being drakes and lesser wurms. Their kind is now mostly comprised of Magickal Beasts of a lesser, animal intelligence rather than the fantastically intelligent creatures they used to be.
Powerful Psionics
When the Dragons were first gifted Magick by Firna, they often went in the direction of the Arcane, as to enhance their innate elemental abilities. After Camille bestowed the teachings of Psionics, however, this became the most sought after Magick by dragonkind. Firstly, this power allowed them to communicate with each other without the need for intense staring, let alone speaking with members of the Risen. Secondly, as they grew lazy in their later lives, the Psionics allowed them to tend to their hoard and surroundings without lifting a single claw.
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