Drágan
[Genus: Drágana]
A Drágan (/ˈdɹɑː ɡæn/) was a large, serpentiform reptile with four legs, often capable of flight, belonging to the taxonomic genus Drágana. Assumed extinct at the current time, they are believed to have survived and interacted with humans into the early periods of recorded history. Their fossilized bones have long been treasured for their supposed healing powers and other purported mystical properties.
Although relatively rare by comparison to other species, drágans were at one time widespread across the world, occupying a variety of habitats on both continents, as well as in the ocean seas. They appear prominently in the mythology and folklore of many cultures throughout history. In the East, they have long been associated with good fortune, whereas in the West, they are typically viewed as menacing, destructive creatures.
ETYMOLOGY
The word “drágan” is derived from Laidin dragō, from Proto-Kilto-Agnomic drakō, from Isthmic δράκων (drákōn, “a serpent of huge size”).DESCRIPTION
It is evident from the historical literature that a wide variety of drágan species have existed in the world, each with its own specific physical attributes. Nevertheless, all shared certain common characteristics, such as their enormous size, serpentine physiology, and scaly skin. Drágans ranged in length from 22 to 77 yards and stood 8 to 16 yards tall at the shoulder, weighing on average from 12 to as much as 42 tonnes.All drágans were oviparous, the typical clutch consisting of 1 to 5 eggs, with gestation periods varying from 5 to 40 months, depending upon the species. Hatchlings were between 1 and 2 yards long. It ordinarily took 80 years for a drágan to reach maturity. The typical lifespan of most drágans was 500 to 1000 years, although some species lived as long as 2000 years.
Drágans were exceedingly reclusive creatures, commonly inhabiting wild mountain reaches, dark cavernous lairs, dense forests, deep pools, sea bottoms, and even clouds. Many drágan species were attributed with superior intelligence and the ability to speak, and most had the power of flight.
TYPES
Drágans can be classified into three species: snake drágans (Drágana nathar), winged drágans (Drágana scia), and sea drágans (Drágana mara).Snake Drágans
Snake drágans, sometimes called oriental drágans, were predominant in the East, primarily in northern Heberia. They were the smallest of the drágans, averaging 22 to 25 yards long and weighing between 8 and 15 tonnes. They had somewhat anthropomorphic faces, with wide, bulging eyes, bushy eyebrows, spiney horns and long whiskers.The snake drágans were the most longevic of all drágans, some reportedly living up to 2000 years, although proof of such claims has heretofore been lacking. They were also said to be more receptive to human interaction than other types of drágan, even described as “friendly” and “tame” in some instances, although no drágan was ever considered domesticated.
Despite lacking wings, oriental drágans were capable of flight by virtue of a peculiar bumpy organ on their heads, called a chi-mu, which, according to ancient texts, allowed them to defy gravity and maneuver through the air. Unfortunately, the physiological processes by which the chi-mu allowed snake drágans to fly are as yet unknown to modern science.
Winged Drágans
Winged drágans, also called western drágans, were the most common type of drágan in Heremonia. They were larger than oriental drágans, with a broader chest, long horns and a spade-tipped tail. adults reaching 38 to 40 yards long and weighing up to 22 tonnes. The average lifespan of a winged drágan was about 500 years. The most distinctive, and perhaps most remarkable, characteristic of western drágans were their wings.The wingspan of a western drágan could reach up to 46 yards. Anchored to the shoulder, just behind the clavicle, drágan wings were very similar in construction to those of the bat: a leathery membrane (called the patagium) stretched between articulating, digit-like bony supports. They were strong and very powerful, capable of knocking a cow off its feet with their downdraft.
Unlike oriental drágans, which were seen as benevolent in many ways, winged drágans were destructive and a menace to mankind. Said to “breath fire,” they were capable of spitting a stream of caustic liquid up to 30 yards, which reacted with the air and ignited, reaching temperatures of over 1800 degrees on the Feinheit scale.
In ancient times, the hide of western drágans, known as “dráganscála,” was highly prized for its extraordinary durability and its fireproof properties. It could be up to two orlai thick, capable of blunting a blade, yet retaining a remarkable degree of pliability.
Sea Drágans
By far the largest of all were the sea drágans. They could be 80 yards long and weigh over 44 tonnes, and lived over 900 years. Perhaps due to their gargantuan size, sea drágans were unable to fly, rather they swam beneath the surface of the sea and other large bodies of water. They were markedly less intelligent than other types of drágan.Sometimes confused with leiviatans, sea drágans preyed upon seafarers, dragging their ships to the bottom of the sea to horde their cargo and consume their crew, often taking years to digest them. They were long believed to be the most ancient of all the drágans.
Firhúlah of Prudon (Stavrota), in his Geográfaíocht, gives an eyewitness account of a dead “fallen water drágan” he saw on the coast of Capacyront in 17 BCS. He estimated its length to be over 35 yards, and claimed it was so bulky that soldiers standing on either side of it could not see one another. According to the renowned geographer, its jaws were large enough “to admit a man on horseback.”
Drágan
[Genus: Drágana]ANIMAL SPECIES (EXTINCT)
Statue of a Western Mountain Drágan
Bergenheim, Lesteunia
Bergenheim, Lesteunia
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom:
Ainivi
Phylum:
Corda
Class:
Reiptína
Order:
Scáleacha
Family:
Seirpaenta
Genus:
Drágana
Species:
D. mara
D. nathar
D. scia
Eastern Blue Drágan
(Artist's Rendition)
(Artist's Rendition)
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