The Keeldragons

The Keeldragons are an ancient space-faring species thought to be the source of dragon myths and legends in many unrelated planets. The Keeldragons are organometallic in nature, widely utilising transition metals in their proteins and structural biominerals; many of their biological components are highly toxic to organic, carbon-based life forms. Though Keeldragons spend most of their time in open space, harvesting energy for movement from nearby suns, they must land on terrestrial planets to mine the materials needed for growth and reproduction. It is unknown how many colonies of Keeldragons exist in the universe, where they originated, or how they evolved to withstand the extreme conditions of space.
"Keeldragon" is a translation of a name used in an historical archive unearthed from an elfin colony some one hundred and fifty lightyears from the Ariad, where the species visited the star system but did not land.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Keeldragons are the largest known living organisms from any planetary archive. The smallest "adult" dragons (those which have travelled between at least two planets) are at least thirty metres in length; the largest adult observed was over one hundred and fifty metres long. The maximum size of a Keeldragon is unknown; it is thought that they continue to grow over their entire lives. They may be biologically immortal.
The Keeldragons are highly morphologically diverse. Generally they follow a draconian bauplan, although the dimensions of the body and number of legs wary widely. The front pair of legs hosts sharp claws specialised for digging. This front pair of legs is not used for walking, with four-legged Keeldragons adopting a bipedal gait similar to pangolins, except when additional boosts of speed are necessary. Keeldragons have facial structures typical of raptors or avian dinosaurs. Their outer jaws lack teeth and are typically sharply pointed at the front, giving them a beak-like appearance. These outer jaws are capable of breaking all known minerals; several sets of internal, toothed jaws then grind this material before it is passed to the digestive system.
All Keeldragons have large photosensitive wings used for energy harvesting; these wings are usually, but not always, vibrantly coloured and patterned, giving them the appearance of stained glass. These wings are optimised for extended flight and have a long, narrow shape (similar to an albatross the wingspan of a Keeldragon is typically substantially larger than its body length. Some dragons may have auxiliary wings, although these are thought to be predominantly used for energy harvesting rather than flight. Most Keeldragons can fly on most planets, depending on the local graviational pull. However the largest Keeldragons may become "landlocked", unable to leave the gravitational pull of a planet once landed. The ultimate fate of landlocked Keeldragons is unknown.
For extraterrestrial travel, the Keeldragons grow a tough, metallic exoskeleton to protect their internal organs. Depending on the terrestrial atmosphere, they may shed this exoskeleton completely or retain a minimal protective outer hide. The exposed skin of a Keeldragon has closely interlocking, flexible scales which typically take on an iridescent sheen. Keeldragons tend to have widely varying crests, spines and other ornamentations on their exoskeletons, thought to signify status among the colony.
All Keeldragons are sources of Delta Radiation.

Ecology and Habitats

Keeldragons are best adapted for space environments. Their metallic exoskeletons can withstand the vacuum of space as well as extreme fluctiations in temperature, cosmic radiation, and bombardment from fast-moving space debris. A Keeldragon colony will spend over ninety percent of its time in open space, landing on terrestrial planets for comparatively brief periods of time for growth, repair and reproduction. They have also been known to mine asteroids, although evidence suggests that a radiation-blocking atmosphere is a prerequisite for breeding, as without their exoskeletons Keeldragons are more vulnerable to radiation damage. Although Keeldragons may not fully shed their exoskeleton while land-bound, they are born without exoskeletons and must be protected during the first few years of life.

Dietary Needs and Habits

While travelling in space, Keeldragons draw almost of their energy from the light of nearby stars. Their wings are able to capture most wavelengths of light and can, over time, tune to best capture the radiation profile of the closest star. Keeldragon biology has a remarkable ability to recycle waste materials, generating relatively little unuseable waste during their space-faring phase. Once degradation reaches a certain point and new raw materials are needed, a Keeldragon colony will choose to land on a terrestrial planet rich in transition and rare earth metals. Depending on the resources available on the planet, Keeldragons may use solar energy sources, volcanoes or organic-rich fuels to provide the necessary energy to convert raw minerals in their bodies into the biological compounds they require to repair their bodies and rebuild their exoskeletons. Waste materials from this process, predominantly silicas and carbonates, are excreted.
The Keeldragons' requirement for mined materials has caused some friction between the dragons and the Ariad's indigenous populations. Negotiations have been hindered by the Keeldragons' superior size and strength, and willingness to eradicate any nuisances that get in their way.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The universal distribution of Keeldragons is unknown, although given their speed of interplanetary travel they are unlikely to have spread further than the Milky Way.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The visual capabilities of the Keeldragons far outstrip any other known organism; they may be able to see the entire electromagnetic spectrum, including delta radiation. Likewise, they seem to have no limiting hearing range. However their ability to detect volatile organic compounds seems to be less than organic life-forms. They have some ability to detect the presence of minerals and metals on planetary bodies from a long distance; exactly how they achieve this is unknown.
Keeldragons appear to have some form of telepathy or shared memory between individuals, most likely powered by delta radiation.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Keeldragon colonies have been known to host Quaisi, rare sentient energy-harvesting organisms. These parasites take the form of the species they feed off; a Quaisi may be indistinguishable from the Keeldragons it travels with.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

As they communicate almost exclusively telepathically Keeldragons refer to themselves and others with simple visual cues, although they may adopt a temporary name on inhabited planets for communicating with other species. Younger dragons hatched on inhabited worlds may maintain their name over multiple worlds; others may pick new names for each world they visit. Older Keeldragons may collect titles or honorifics over time.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Keeldragons spend the vast majority of their lives either in outer space or inhabiting terrestrial planets which do not support complex life: therefore their exposure to other species is limited. The attitude of Keeldragons towards the Ariad's other sapient species, all of which are relatively short lived, varies from curiosity to total disregard. A few Keeldragons consider themselves friends of certain individuals of other species.

Origin/Ancestry

Unknown

Lifespan

Millions of years, potentially immortal

Conservation Status

Though originally welcomed on the Ariad, the Keeldragons are currently classified as a parasite due to their flagrant violation of international anti-mining laws.

Average Length

20 - 150 m

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The hides of Keeldragons typically have a metallic sheen, although they are not composed of elemental metal. The shade of the hide varies widely throughout a colony and may be monochrome or possess complex patterns. Artificial ornamentation of the hide using dyes is common among younger dragons. Older dragons may have a rusted appearance, especially in high-oxygen environments.