Demi Dragon

When people hear the word dragon, they tend to think big. A towering figures of scales and muscles, casting a dreadful shadow over their territory. Not many would think the demi dragon and that does bother them quite a bit.
Small of stature, demi dragons are instead gifted with great magical power. While all dragons have some connections to the flow of primal magic, demi dragons excel at it. They are natural born magicians and usually makes great strides in their personal development over the first couple of years, quickly matching others who've had many more years of training. Physically, they are relatively frail for a dragon, best seen with their breath weapons, which risk over expending the demi dragon's natural reserves of energy if used to often, a process which ultimately can kill them.
Demi dragons do feel they have something to prove and can often come off as even more attention craving than regular dragons. This comes out not only in attempts at dominating their surroundings, which cancome off as slightly comical given their size, but also in a manipulative streak, using their smaller form to appear cute and harmless, to charm and trick people into giving them what they want. They detest being mocked or looked down on for being small and usually respond to offenders by shrinking them in turn as payback.
Their magical abilities shows up in a number of other ways. While they risk harm overusing their breath weapon, they can infuse it with all kinds of magical effects. Channeling primal energy into their scales, they can become temporarily invisible, as long as they don't move around too much. It also manifests in the occasional streak of bizarre luck, where was complete disaster suddenly turns into a fortunate boon. This latter ability is not controlled by the dragons themselves, however, and even a demi dragon cannot rely upon this ability to shift fortune in their favor. Most demi dragons also know something they call the demi spell, a magical attack that uses gravity against the target, being more effective the bigger they are.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Demi dragons retain the characteristic draconic body-shape, even if it is at a smaller scale. Their scales tends towards green colors and their claws are well suited for digging. They are linked to the element of fire and are thus completely heat-proof. They are also capable of breathing fire, though this is rather taxing on their smaller bodies.

Genetics and Reproduction

Demi dragons reproduce like other dragons. Firstborn demi dragons usually spring from spheres with a high degree of primal energy in them. Demi dragon eggs are often laid in a shared nesting site and take about a year to hatch.

Growth Rate & Stages

Demi dragons come out of their eggs as functional as most dragons, but reach their maximum size with their first two years.

Ecology and Habitats

Demi dragons prefer to live in regions where they can dig out their cavernous dens, though they can also be quite urban. Like most dragons, they do their best to take care of their territory, coordinating with den mates to handle any problems that pop up.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Demi dragons are omnivores with a preference for meat. Due to their reduced size, they usually settle for hunting smaller fare, like rats, hares or similar. Sometimes, several demi dragons will coordinate to take down bigger prey, usually for communal feasts.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Demi dragons live together in dens in group of on average thirty to fifty individual dragons. They are much more sociable than other dragons and more willing to share space. They still engage in contests of various skills to establish a pecking order, with a preference for magical duels or challenges of spellcraft.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Demi dragons are one of the more common species of dragons and are found in a large number of spheres

Average Intelligence

Demi dragons are highly intelligent, with an aptitude for understanding magic.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Like most dragons, demi dragons are capable of seeing perfectly well during night time and they have an excellent sense of smell. Their strong magical skills allows them to sense the presence of primal magic no matter how small.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Demi dragon naming traditions follow conventional dragon naming conventions. Their title names tend to reflect their magical developments, such as Flamecaller, Mindbreaker, Woundmender or similar.

Average Technological Level

Being much smaller than most dragons, demi dragons have found that supplementing their skills with various tools to be quite helpful. In particular, excavated gemstones turned magical devices are popular.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Being much more communal than many species of dragons has led to much more culture. Demi dragon dens often have a collection of songs and dances which they perform together as a way to reinforce to bonds in the den.

Scientific Name

Parva Draco

Origin/Ancestry

Dragon

Lifespan

About a thousand years if they don't become wyrms

Average Height

0.5 - 0.7 meters

Average Weight

40-50 kilos

Average Length

0.8 - 1.0 meters