Dragons
Dragons are some of the most powerful mortal creatures in all of Sildair. According to legend, they were the very first creatures the gods created, and they are both revered and feared by all other creatures in the world. Unlike the immortal Deva, dragons are completely natural, mortal creatures, but their immense wisdom, health, age, and raw physical power, as well as their deep and effortless understanding of the workings of The Aether, make at least the oldest and most powerful dragons easily capable of rivalilng the most powerful deva and demi-gods.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Dragons can vary greatly in shape and size, but they are quadrupedal and have wings and a tail. They are covered in thick scales, that vary in colour from white to black, with all colours in between. They all can secrete from their mouthes two chemicals that, when mixed, catch fire, thus leading to the belief that they can "breathe fire". These chemicals are produced in, and secreted from, two large glands that can be found on either side of their necks, close to the base of the head. These chemicals vary greatly among dragons, but for most, one is inert and harmless, much like spittle, while the other is highly corrosive. It is presumed that dragons keep growing all their lives, though the rate at which they grow after they reach adulthood (around 70 years) tapers off quite a lot.
Genetics and Reproduction
Though there are many variations of dragons, all of them can interbreed. Dragons are almost inveriably solitary, so usually, males who are sexually mature will go roaming, looking for nesting females. They will engage in a wordless mating ritual, where the male will follow and observe the female for months, and sometimes years, inching closer and eventually they will "dance" in the sky, chasing each other for miles, and swirling back and forth between each other, before consumating. They will find somewhere private for this, usually a mountain summit, though they might find a cave, if there are no mountains nearby. They will rarely speak to each other, until after, where they will customarilly introduce themselves. After this the male will usually leave, and not be involved in the rearing of the young at all. There are exceptions to these rules though, as all dragons are different, and being sapient creatures, they can choose to go against their instincts.
The female can carry her eggs for up to a year, but they mature enough that they can be laid after 65 days, after which she will choose when to lay them, when she has found a place that is safe and warm enough. She can lay between one and seven eggs, usually three or four, which she incubates for about 300 days, though this can vary by up to 35 days, depending on a variety of factors. The hatchlings mature faster than humanoid babies, both in body and mind, but they remain somewhat helpless for the first six months (215 days in Sildair). Their mother will teach them to speak during this time, and will bring them food, while they stay in the nest. Most mother dragons will let her offspring stay with her for another 5 years after this, at which point she will encourage them to fly off and find territories of their own.
Genetic Descendants
Origin/Ancestry
Natural Beast
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