Dragons

Dragons, in Tempax, are accepted to have once existed but to be extinct. Their remains are found in dragon graveyards in various mountain ranges, still guarded by ancient and powerful magic, but none have been known to be alive in the last 1000 years of recorded history. What precisely occurred to result in their extinction is a matter of regular and endless debate among scholars of all varieties; fossil evidence shows them existing much more recently than the other members of Dinosauria they appear to have evolved alongside, suggesting they outlived their evolutionary brethren through two mass extinctions. Putting the matter to rest with magic by simply looking backward in time would require being able to pierce the time barrier, so the debate is unlikely to ever be fully concluded.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Composed of eight limbs (including the long neck and tail), recovered fossils and bones suggest the musculature of Dinosauria Draconis was incredibly dense. Dragonbone is currently accepted as one of the hardest substances on the planet, presumably allowing the hollow bones to support much more weight than standard bone materials seen in modern species. Most of this weight is guessed to have been muscle. Whether this muscle would have been enough to allow for true powered flight using the titanic wings evident on one of two recovered intact fossil skeletons is a matter of ongoing debate.
Regardless of the possibility of flight versus a lengthy gliding or 'hopping' ability, the dexterity present in draconic foreclaws would have easily been the equal or better to modern humanoids with their single opposable thumbs, all six digits likely able to swing and rotate to a limited degree in multiple directions.
Without knowing the nature of internal organs such as the tongue and lungs, the nature of the dragon language can only be guessed at, though the cranial cavities for cerebral functions and near the nostril, eye, and ear openings suggest keen physical senses.

Genetics and Reproduction

Based on similarities to other dinosauria fossils, it is speculated that dinosauria draconis likely followed similar reproductive methods, e.g. they likely laid eggs.

Growth Rate & Stages

Without being able to find a natural equivalent in terms of bone development, it is impossible to guess at the possible growth rates and natural adulthood of the species.

Ecology and Habitats

Fossils and true dragon bone have been recovered in nearly every known environment type, the oceans being an exception; this may simply be due to the lack of ability for land-based scholars to properly survey the ocean floor.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Based on the tooth orientation and type of recovered skull fossils, it is a certainty that dinosauria draconis was an omnivore, with rear teeth shaped equally well for breaking down torn meat or fibrous matter. Given the size of the creatures, it is likely that the primary diet was one of predatory or scavenging carnivorous intake.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

True dragon bone is highly prized in the manufacture of weapons and armor, producing items easily the equivalent of the hardest substances known to modern scholars. Durable and dense, it can be shattered or damaged no more easily than the rarely-produced alloy adamantine.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

As stated elsewhere (see Anatomy & Morphology), only speculation is possible, but large cavities behind the eye, ear, and nostril in intact skull fossils suggest visual, audio, and scent senses developed to a degree not currently present in modern (naturally-occurring) biology.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

The dragons are assumed to have a language, a small sample of which is presumed to have been recovered from the two presumed-draconic ruins discovered to date; without a larger sample or any understanding of what the spoken form may have consisted of, however, attempts to decipher the small samples available have been stymied.

History

Two notable locations have been discovered that bear no explanation other than Dinosauria Draconis as the possible designers, but over such a long period of time, any truly researchable points in their unique history have been worn away or buried by the aeons.

EXTINCT

Scientific Name

Eukarya Opisthokonta Animalia(=Metazoa) Bilateria Chordata Vertebrata Gnathostomata Sarcopterygii Hexapoda Reptiliomorpha Amniota Reptilia Romeriida Diapsida Archosauromorpha Dinosauria Draconis