Dragons

True Dragons found in the Edge of Infinity reality are extremely varied, even just counting the dragons on Earth, though all share a number of common traits among them whether they are from Earth or beyond the stars. Though dragons were long thought myth by humanity, their species is instead endangered and many have laid low for centuries to avoid drawing attention to themselves, the actions of dragons in recent years (usually intertwined with the actions of various meta humans across the planet) has made the people of Earth aware that these creatures truly exist.

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Common Traits of Dragonkind

Despite common belief, spread through popular fantasy media, what is a true dragon is not determined by their number of limbs, or the presence of wings. Dragons are extremely variable in appearance, and many of the more famous dragons across history do not share the popular 'four legs and two wings' depiction. The following qualities determine what is a real dragon.

- Magical Nature -

All true dragons are creatures of magic, their bodies generate magic (sometimes called mana) in the same way a mammal generates heat. So long as the dragon keeps in good health it will continue to generate a large amounts of magic, making dragons easy to find by methods that can detect magical energy. This magic is also heavily saturated through their body, making parts of dragons incredibly valuable for alchemy and the creation of magical objects. The blood, scales, and bones of dragons have been especially sought after in the past by practitioners of various forms of magic.

- Intelligence -

Dragons are a highly intelligent species, capable of speech and complex reasoning as a human does. Furthermore dragons carry down a wealth of information to their offspring, a hatchling is capable of speech anywhere from days to months from first hatching, they have an innate understanding of the ways and capabilities of their own species, and sometimes pieces of memories from their descendants may carry over. Any dragon-like creature incapable of any sort of speech, or this level of understanding, is considered a distant relative and not a true dragon much the same as Apes relate to Humans.

- Shapeshifting -

True Dragons are natural shapeshifters, though their mastery over this power varies highly. Some dragons are capable of transforming into a number of other creatures, others show even more control over this power and can take complex chimeric forms, while others may only be able to go between their true form and a handful of others. Most have learned to take human form, and can achieve a number of inbetween hybrid shapes. Often keeping a measure of their incredible power even in these shapes. This shapeshifting is also believed to be partly responsible for the dragon's fast rate of recovery and healing from injuries, as well as their ability to cross breed with virtually any other species (which in turn may explain how different two dragons can look).

- Some Reptillian Qualities -

Though dragons can vary in appearance to the point they resemble creatures of entirely different animal families. All dragons share to some extent some reptilian qualities. This can be scales, eyes, claws, or fangs. They may resemble snakes, lizards, or dinosaurs, or they may look like other animals entirely with only a few subtle reptillian traits. All dragons do lay eggs, though few are cold blooded.

- Supernatural Senses -

Any dragon can possess a number of senses more sensitive than that of a human; enhanced hearing, sight, and smell are rather common, as is a duller sense of taste. Though it varies widely from dragon to dragon. They do all commonly possess a sixth sense that can most accurately be described as a sense of magic. Picking up on strong magical auras, and to a lesser extent their own aura reflecting off of objects around them. Through this power they are also capable of detecting the presence of other dragons in a wide area around them. (Though it is up for debate if this is truly a side effect of the magic sense, or it is a separate power entirely as some dragons have shown the ability to mask their presence from others of their kind.)

- Semi-Immortality -

All true dragons have the capability to become ageless immortal entities. Though their lives start as eggs and they grow as any mortal animal does, eventually a dragon simply stops aging. Some may even continue growing for all their lives, if not physically then in magical power. Though this slows down over time. They are also commonly incredibly powerful and difficult to harm, many capable of turning away swords and bullets even at the softest parts of their bodies. Should a dragon avoid being killed by violence, remain well fed and healthy, there is no known upper limit for how long they may live. Many of what few dragons remain on Earth are centuries old if not over a number of millennium. Humans, and other dragons, are the most common cause for dragon deaths through history.

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Dragon Hybrids

Dragons can interbreed with virtually any other creature, though most commonly on Earth this has been humans. Half-Dragons, or Dragon/Human Hybrids are still relatively uncommon given the low number of dragons, and with many of them having low opinions of humans (either because of the relative weakness of individual humans compared to dragons, or humanity's role in the endangerment of their species and taking over the role of dominant species on Earth.)
Hybrids can carry a number of qualities from their dragon parent, though over generations these abilities start to disappear until the point the hybrid is indistinguishable from an ordinary human. However the shapeshifting nature of dragons carries over into this blood and even a hybrid multiple generations separated from their dragon ancestor can given the right circumstances have their powers as a dragon awaken abruptly. Their very cells transforming from human to their latent dragon nature. It is believed this way a hybrid, should they face the right adversity (and perhaps possess the right attitude) can become more and more dragon, and less human, until they are fully dragon (though still often possessing human traits).
This transformative nature of hybrids is believed to be responsible for the incredibly varied appearances and abilities of dragons seen today, as the species crossbred with others and desirable traits to have determined which hybrids would become a new successful breed of dragon.

Related Organizations

• Dragon Council
• Scions of Eight