Dragons: Species
In human myth, the Earth Mother originally created five dragons; Ezhore, Mihajavelle, Bezshren, Chak and Netherdizhich. These dragons helped the Great Sylfaodolon guide the new sphere away from the violence that destroyed the first one, and became invaluable confidants, since they straddled the division between light and chaos. The dragons mingled, produced offspring, and those offspring chose to stand with one of the five original dragons. In this way, they created family units that had distinctive looks, feels, and magicks. The Earth Mother did not skimp on her creation; dragons possessed the ability to wield magick as sylfaodolon did, which caused some consternation among certain sylf, who felt deities deserved to be above other creatures of creation. What she did not grant was the ability to create beings as the sylfaodolon did; if dragons wished offspring, they needed to mate to produce them.Appearance
Dragons have five basic, different appearances, based upon which of the Five Families they are descended. The dragons are similar in some respects: all have scales with lighter undersides, five claws on each appendage, wings and a tail. In later generations, mating outside one's extended kin-ties has led to far fewer dragons adhering to a single family's distinctive look.
by Shanda Nelson
Ezhkhaarzich
(Wandering Sunlight, poetic term for Illumination)
The Ezhkhaarzich are considered the first of the five, and represent the Earth Mother's new-found understanding of perfection and chaos. They are distinguished by their pointed snouts, large pointed ears on the side of their heads, two-pronged horns, and a mane that runs down their backs. Their tails are narrow and pointed when on land, but the ends flare out, like a bird's, during flight.
by Shanda Nelson
Wiorjhich
(Term for the deep cold during northern nights)
The Wiorjhich are hardy dragons with long, luxurious hair covering their scales. They are considered the most suited to the dragon's original, icy environment, so act as caretakers for important shrines. They have a wide mouth, small, pointed ears nearly hidden by their hair, and no horns. Their tail hair stiffens when they fly, creating a large fan shape.
by Shanda Nelson
Meztenzemeer
(Term for the cozy warmness of their caves)
Meztenzemeer are muscular, with flatter heads, narrower eyes, and single-proned horns that run up the sides of their snout and to the top of their head. The older members have a larger set that grows on top of their foreheads. Their ears are small holes on the sides of their heads, and their scales are not uniform in size or shape, creating patterns that run from their heads to their tails. Their tails are spiked, so they use wieldings to compensate for their lack of grace in the air, creating a fan that lets them maneuver with the best of them.
by Shanda Nelson
Kelkethazhenk
(means winnowing)
The Kelkethazhenk are small dragons. Their scales are smoother than their bretheren, and they are either extremely vivid or only have a single color. They have pointed snouts and large pointed ears, though no mane or horns. Their tails end in a narrow tip, so they, too, use wieldings to create a fan that allows them to fly better.
by Shanda Nelson
Gheelmevharzich
(Friendly Chaos)
The Gheelmevharzich are darker-scaled, with short, lizard-like snouts and bumpy scales. They have small ears and no horns. Bright frills run from the top of their head down their cheeks, and are also found at their knees and hocks. Their claws are webbed. Their tails remain in a fan-position when not in flight, which can prove awkward when walking through cave entrances. To compenate, they twist their tail into a vertical position when they move on land.
Dragons first resided in the far north, in the ice, snow and cold. Since most of them only possessed scales for warmth, they found deep caverns to protect them from the elements. These caverns were not bastions of warmth, and dragons became adept at heating spells. In larger spaces, there are dragons whose only job is to keep the place warm.
Dragons are known loners--at least in human myth. A few in the distant past lived with their loved one and kin, but the more modern incarnations have dragons residing in their lairs alone.
Dragons get bored. They are long-lived (millennia upon millennia) and when life does not capture their interest, they go to sleep. They can hibernate for a hundred years at a time. This deep sleep can be deadly, however; if a dragon does not wake, they will starve to death.
In some myth, dragons are immortal. In others, they are simply long-lived enough to be considered immortal. There is no consensus in the stories.
Dragons come in all colors. Some are pitch-black, some are neon green. Due to mating between families, some very interesting combinations of hair, scale and horns have arisen in the population.
Long life has advantages. Dragons are said to know hundreds of languages, enabling them to converse with myraids of people around Elthessera. The Well, Gada Kiore's lair, is said to have a vast library that contains books on every human language ever to have existed. Some claim it even has volumes on Qippic, the sylf tongue.
Chabool, the dragon language, was once considered a luxury language. Only the wealthy and prominite scholars learned it, to be able to talk directly with dragons. It was, after all, the language the dragons used to speak with the Earth Mother herself. Dragonpriests thought this silly, and taught all who wished to know it. This supposedly led to the religious orders' hatred of them, because they saw the priests as sharing a sacred language with common riff-raff.
Dragon digits are as nimble as any human's. They write, they play musical instruments, they produce grand works of art.
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